Getting Ready!

doodah1013

Okay... I am getting nervous about this whole "having the baby" thing and have some questions for those of you who have been through it.

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)

2. Induced or Spontaneous?

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?

5. How long was your labor?

6. What pain management did you use?

mrs&mrsk

i'd like to watch this thread too. 

ps i like how you put "having the baby" in quotes lol 

JGY

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)

41 weeks 3 days

2. Induced or Spontaneous?

Spontaneous (with a lot of encouragement)

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?

Water broke in early labor, but it was just a pinprick so I didn't realize it.  Mostly I wondered why I had to pee every time I had a light contraction.

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?

I had a long and atypical labor.  Never settled into a predictable labor pattern.  I kept trying to force what was happening into some box where it wasn't fitting.  So, my tips for first timers?  Really REALLY listen to your body.  Be as active as your body will let you be, and rest as much as your body will let you rest.  Know that you can do this, and don't put timeframes on yourself or your labor.  Lean on your wife and your Doula (I believe you hired one, right?).  Don't be afraid to ask for what you need.  Turn inward and visualize what is happening, and what needs to happen, in your body.  Talk to your baby.  Recognize the journey for what it is - incredibly hard work that is equally rewarding.  And MOST OF ALL, don't second guess the decisions you make in the moment.  You are always right.  You are the one birthing this baby.

I'm seriously sending all my love and strength your way for this beautiful moment!!!!  You can do this, Chris!

JGY

Seperate post for Amy -

YOU CAN DO THIS!  You've done such an amazing job of living this pregnancy with Chris and supporting him in every way possible and necessary.  Nothing changes heading into this birth.  Trust that you know Chris better than anyone else in the world.  Help him to process his feelings and talk through what's going on with his body.  Hold his hand (until he says stop), rub his shoulders (until he says stop), and most of all know that your presence and participation in this birth is just as important!

Sending love your way as well. 

 

KH826

Here is my experience...

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)

I was 40wks + 1 day when I delivered.

2. Induced or Spontaneous?

Wellll.... this one is kind of a mixed bag for me. I was in prodromal labor for about 6 days. I would have contractions as close together as 7 or 8 mins, and then they would stall out, but then start again a hour or so later. I had intense back pain and lots of pressure. I made it to 5 cm dilated after 6 days of this, but my contractions were not in a regular pattern. Unfortunately, I wasn't sleeping at all during that time, and by 6 days I was about to lose my mind. I went to my OB on my due date, and she sent me to L&D due to the fact that I was 5 cm dilated and seemed to be stuck in early labor for a prolonged period. I was admitted on my due date, and they started me on Pitocin to help bring my contractions closer together and move my labor along. I delivered 14 hours after I was admitted. Technically, this was not an induction. My OB calls it "labor augmentation."

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?

When I first arrived at L&D, the first Dr who assessed me prior to starting Pitocin told me that my water had just broken on it's own. There was no gush, but I had read that some folks don't have a "gush" per se, and I had no reason not to believe that Dr, so I thought my water broke around the same time that I go to the hospital. Well, turns out that my water bag was still intact 7 hours later, but it was in fact leaking. The new Dr (after a shift change) broke my water 7 hours into my hospitalization, and I delivered 7 hours after that.

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?

Honestly, I am completely happy with my labor and delivery experience. Due to the fact that I had labored at home for so long, I think my body was ready and just needed a push to finish the job. I did have an epidural, which I had not initially planned on... there were two reasons for this: 1) Pitocin is NO JOKE, and honestly, it was a game changer for me in terms of pain management plans; 2) I had not slept in 6 days. I was totally exhausted. I needed a break, and unfortunately I didn't think I would have it in me to deliver my baby if I didn't get some rest. It was a good decision for me. The hospitalized leg of my labor was calm and relaxed. I was joking with the nurses, watched TV, drank lots of cranberry juice (I referred to them as my cocktails!)... I was not stressed, it didn't feel chaotic.... my epidural wore off at 7 cm, right as I was going through transition. The anesthesiologist could not explain why. However, by then I felt like I had a second wind and I was "ready" or as ready as anyone can be....  

I won't rehash Will's whole birth story here, but here are few key take-aways from my experience that I would pass along:

* I have always been extremely uncomfortable with my body. There isn't much I like about it. I have always been super modest, and the idea of being naked (even partially) during labor made me want to break out in hives and have a panic attack. Turns out, when I was in true blue labor... It didn't phase me for a second. I knew my level of comfort going into it, and I made sure to tell the nurse when I was being admitted. I told her I didn't want to feel exposed at all during the process, and she really listened. She let me wear a nursing tank under my hospital gown (as long as it didn't have any metal in it -- which is why I couldn't wear a bra), since that was important to me. I wanted to feel covered and contained. By the end, it was the furthest thing from my mind, but early on, I felt at ease knowing I was in control of how much of my body was being exposed. With that said, when I was fully dilated I started vomiting (apparently that is common), and I needed to have my hospital gown changed. This is a scenario that would have normally made me a total mess. There were two Drs, two nurses and a med student in the room, I was about to start pushing, and they wanted to just strip off my gown THEN?!?!... it worked out fine, and I can't even remember changing my gown now...

* Listening to my body, and being in control of my delivery (to the extent that I could be) was super important for me. I had a big baby, and the Dr who delivered him was pretty intent on me taking my time when it came to pushing (which I understand), but I had no interest in waiting. We had turned my epidural off completely (at my request) a little bit before I started pushing. With every contraction I said "I am having a contraction and I am pushing now!".... at once point the doctor was chatting with the nurse and I said "OK guys, I am pushing again." ... The Dr tried to slow me down a little, but my body was doing the work on its own, and my gut told me just push with every contraction. I only pushed for 10 minutes!

* Eat before you get to the hospital. Eat if they offer you food. Eat after you deliver before you try to get out of bed. I didn't eat enough for several days leading up to being in the hospital, and then not at all once I was admitted. I was running off of adrenaline during delivery, but I crashed big time as soon as baby was born. Combine that with the fact that I lost a lot of blood, and my BP kept dipping below normal, and I passed out a couple of times, which was scary, and took away from my immediate bonding time after baby was born. Definitely eat if you are allowed to, and ask if they don't offer you anything.

* Be prepared to go with the flow, embrace the unexpected, and savor every moment. Delivery can be a bit of a blur. Sometimes that is a good thing, but sometimes you wish you could remember certain parts that just flew by and you didn't even notice.

* Most importantly... a healthy baby and a healthy you are the absolute most important things in all of this. The rest are just details. There will be things you can't control that you wish you could... there will be things you would have done differently in your "ideal labor/birth".... there will be things you never would have expected to matter to you, that suddenly feel important and vice versa. Just be open to the experience, stay calm but focused, and don't sweat the small stuff!

* Oh, and enjoy your last days/weeks of pregnancy. I, personally, really miss it!

Good luck, and I can't wait to read your birth stories and meet your little one!!!!   

KH826

OK, I just cried reading @JGY's posts! Everything she said, I second that!

You guys are going to be amazing parents. You already are! In my opinion, this is the fun part. Sure it is hard and painful... it pushes you to places emotionally you have never been before... but you are meeting the life you created! Seriously! Nothing is cooler than that! I am so beyond excited for you both! For the three of you!

redrockmama

My situation was way different, but I'll answer anyways

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days) 36 weeks

2. Induced or Spontaneous?

Neither....I hemorrhaged 3 times and had an emergency c-section. 

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?

It didn't. 

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?

It was scary and exciting. I think I experienced every emotion humanly possible over from the time we went back to the hospital for the last time and found out we were going to have the baby in the morning until he was born (from about 10 pm to 9 am). 

Try to relax and focus on meeting your baby. I hope you have a smooth labor and delivery, but in the event that you don't, it will be ok. If you need a c-section it will be ok too. It's an amazing journey regardless of how it happens. Take lots of pictures!! Of the baby of course and the birth if you are comfortable doing so. I'm so grateful for those first pictures. We didn't even have a camera with us because we were so not prepared, thank goodness for camera phones. 

5. How long was your labor? 

Didn't really have a labor

6. What pain management did you use?

Spinal and lots of pills afterwards

Good lucks! You will all do great and I can't wait to "meet" Hayden. 

Karlamo

Another non birthing mama reporting here..

1.) When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days

41 Weeks exactly

2.)  Induced or Spontaneous?

Spontaneous

3.) When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?

Her water broke while pushing.  It broke in our midwife's face.   

4.) How did it go? Tips for first timers?

I absolutely concur with what others have said that when it comes to labor be prepared for anything.  But I posted because I wanted to offfer up another side and that is sometimes things can go exactly according to your birth plan.  It did for us.  My wife is a little freak of nature when it comes to child birth.  She said it wasn't as bad as she was expecting and she did it med free!! @stringy813, this is what I have to live up to!

She was walking around at 41 weeks 5cm dilated and feeling crampy but nothing like one should feel at 5 cm.  That afternoon we went to her appt and they did a membrane sweep to see if that would start anything.  A few hours later her contractions picked up.  Our plan was to labor at home for as long as possible to help have a natural hospita birth and that's what we did that. 

 While we were driving to the hospital I noticed she was in transition and I ran 2 red lights.  We arrived to the valet and she was pushing.  We went up to L&D and they checked her in at 10 cm!!! She pushed for 30 min and he was out.  Now from my wife's POV she would have liked to have arrived at 8-9cm instead of 10.  Apparently these types of labors are called "drive by's" in our hospital.

5.) How long was your labor?

Depending on how you look at it, could be seen as weeks of early labor to 5ish hours of active labor.

6.) What pain management did you use?

Med free.  That was our plan but we were open to the idea that she may want/need pain meds if it came to that.

 

A personal note to @firstcomeslove, I am so excited for you to breast feed.  I remember when I was standing in your place I was a ball of emotions; will it work? will my hard work and sacrfices have paid off? Now that I am on the other side 9 months later, I can say breast feeding/inducing was the BEST decision I could have made.  Inducing did not go according to plan (I would have loved to make gallons of milk) but you know what, the end result did.  I got to spend 9 months feedig and rocking my baby and having a more intimate bonding experience than I might have otherwise had.  Those memories I will cherish forever.  Good luck and PLEASE be gentle on yourself those first few weeks. It's an emotional time.  You can do this!!!

 

ATXmommas

Woohoo!!! Many people here eager to meet Hayden, though none as much as you and @firstcomeslove2013‌, I know!

1. I have a due date baby - 40 weeks on the dot.

2. Spontaneous labor following induction protocol acupuncture + other natural labor prep. Starting around week 37 or 38, I drank tons of raspberry leaf tea and took evening primrose oil both orally and vaginally. I started induction protocol acupuncture around week 39. I had two sessions before due date and one session the morning of due date. Started having contractions shortly after that last acupuncture appt. I also had a chiropractic adjustment the night before, which I think helped relax my body.

3. My water broke about 2 or 2.5 hours after cx started.

4. Hmmm. I was really anxious in the last 2-3 weeks. I was getting really uncomfortable and was afraid of getting my hopes up about having him early or on time because I thought he would be late for sure. Something clicked as I neared my due date and just felt okay about being pregnant for as long as he wanted to stay in, after all one way or another he would arrive within two weeks. I think doing what I could to relax my mind, body, and emotions helped me be in the best place possible for labor.

5. Crazy fast. Around 4.5 hours.

6. No medications. Just turning inward and focusing on my breath as much as I could in the moment. I'm not really a loud, vocal person, but vocalizing through the cx helped me. I also had a very short labor and didn't have to deal with the pain for an extremely long time.

ATXmommas

Karlamo said:

We went up to L&D and they checked her in at 10 cm!!! She pushed for 30 min and he was out.  Now from my wife's POV she would have liked to have arrived at 8-9cm instead of 10.  Apparently these types of labors are called "drive by's" in our hospital.

That's EXACTLY what happened to me, except I pushed about 45 minutes!

valeriegp

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)
I was due the 26th and he was born the 22nd. I spent the day before doing a lot of walking because I didn't want him to be born on Christmas day!
2. Induced or Spontaneous?
My water broke at home and I wasn't really in labor. About 3 hours later I was given pitocin to get labor started, and I stayed on it because there was meconium in the fluid.
3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?
My water broke around 9:45 am, as I was getting ready to go to the grocery store. I got to the hospital about 11:30, and got pitocin about 1 pm. 
4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?
I had the opposite of the usual pitocin horror stories, as it did not seem to prolong anything. My water broke around 9:45 am and my son was born at 9:28 pm the same day. The pitocin did seem to make the contractions worse, and I got an epidural much earlier than I planned, around 4 pm. I wasn't a fan of the epidural and how it made my legs feel, but luckily I could feel the contractions a little bit so I could time my pushing. I only pushed for about 30 minutes, I think, but I tore pretty bad. If I could do it again (I'm one and done, so I won't!) I would do all those conditioning things they say to do to help you not tear, just in case they work. The recovery from my tear was the worst thing about it.

Also, we came home from the hospital in the evening on Christmas Eve (and hadn't been to the grocery store, as you can tell from my previous answers). That was not fun. Finding a grocery store and open pharmacy at 5 pm on Christmas Eve with your newborn in the car isn't ideal.

5. How long was your labor? 

Hard to really say, but water breaking to delivery was 12 hours.

6. What pain management did you use?

Epidural. I didn't like it much, and if I were giving birth again I would try not to. Having said that, though, it wasn't horrible and I wouldn't be super stubborn about it. I just didn't like not being able to move my legs.

mrs&mrsk

wow. so many different stories. 

to the twin moms and twin moms to be: my sister and i were 42!!! minutes apart.  she's the stubborn one. lol

valeriegp

I just realized I didn't really offer any tips! 

Try to relax in the weeks leading up to your due date. It sounds rote, but rest as much as possible.

Don't stress about your hospital bag. I packed so much stuff and didn't use hardly any of it. (Playing cards?! ha ha ha!)

If you plan to breast feed, consider hiring an independent lactation consultant to visit you in the hospital. I was not happy with the hospital consultant. I'm sure a part of this had to do with delivering Christmas week and them being short staffed, but I wish I would have had someone there just for me. I struggled with breast feeding and had a consultant at my house the week we went home, and I think if she had come to the hospital we would have gotten going better. (But, in the end, I was able to nurse for a year, so don't let early struggles derail you!)

JGY

valeriegp said:

 

Don't stress about your hospital bag. I packed so much stuff and didn't use hardly any of it. (Playing cards?! ha ha ha!)

If you plan to breast feed, consider hiring an independent lactation consultant to visit you in the hospital. I was not happy with the hospital consultant. I'm sure a part of this had to do with delivering Christmas week and them being short staffed, but I wish I would have had someone there just for me. I struggled with breast feeding and had a consultant at my house the week we went home, and I think if she had come to the hospital we would have gotten going better. (But, in the end, I was able to nurse for a year, so don't let early struggles derail you!)

YES to both of these things.  I WAY overpacked.

Also ...

to tag onto the second comment above, I would identify a local LC that can come to your house on short notice, and put their number in your phone now.  I THOUGHT we had established the breastfeeding relationship well in the hospital, but we were discharged in the evening and that first night was terrifying and did NOT go well in the feeding category.  My Doula worked some telephone heroics (while driving through S. Dakota will her family), and had an amazing LC at my house the next day by Noon.  INVALUABLE.  Also, sometimes, it just really helps to have them come into your space and assist you in setting things up for breastfeeding success based on your actual surroundings and complications. 

valeriegp

JGY said:

 Also, sometimes, it just really helps to have them come into your space and assist you in setting things up for breastfeeding success based on your actual surroundings and complications. 

And yes to this! We had a consultant come to our house and she had me do everything the way I planned/had been doing it -- sitting in our glider, using our boppy, etc -- and helped me correct, find better ways to do things, and so forth. This was way more helpful than anything in the hospital. And she came on a Sunday!

2brides

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days) 37w+ 3d

2. Induced or Spontaneous? scheduled c-section due to Baby A being breech

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first? It didn't.

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers? If you have to have a c-section, make sure you have good pain medication. It was several hours after surgery before I realized that they were just giving me Motrin. Once I got good meds, I could move much more easily. Also, the sooner you get up and move, the easier it will be. I couldn't walk fast or far, but walking around the unit helped.

5. How long was your labor?  Didn't have one.

6. What pain management did you use? Vicodin for 2-3 days after.

Jazibel

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)

Kaden - 40 weeks 6 days

Owen - 40 weeks 4 days

2. Induced or Spontaneous?

Kaden - spontaneous (used Primerose oil, homeopathics, nipple stimulation, acupuncture)

Owen - spontaneous (used Primerose oil, homeopathics, dates, nipple stimulation, castor oil topically, acupuncture, acupressure, strong herbal ticnture)

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?
Kaden - water broke approx. 4 hours before he was born during active labor in one huge gush

Owen - water broke around 7am before labor started in a small trickle, and continued to leak throughout labor

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?

Both labors were intense, amazing, painful and beautiful.  Keeping my mouth and throat relaxed (per Ina May) was really helpful.  Breathing, allowing my partner and midwife to help direct my attention and give me solutions.  I didn't think I'd have wanted a quiet secluded birth environment until my 2nd birth experience right in the middle of the living room surrounded by people and noise, etc. It was great to have people there but it proved more difficult to stay in my zone. Staying in the "zone" was key to managing the experience of contractions.  Using positive mantras, breathing, moving my body, being in the water, cool packs on the forehead and neck, asking for help.  Telling EV and Rebecca (our midwife) when it got to be too much.  Know that when it got to be too much I was close to the end.  Even though labor was intense I was able to be present too it. When it got to be too much, and I thought I couldn't go on, I was very close to the end. Even though I was supposedly a "6" both times, I transitioned rapidly and both K & O were born soon after.  So though #'s are great markers but don't necessarily mean you have hours left you can go from a 6 to holding your baby in 20 minutes.

5. How long was your labor? 

Kaden - 8:30pm from first contractions to 11:15am (approx) = 15 hours

Owen - 7am water broke  5:30pm first real contractions 11:00pm = 6 hours

6. What pain management did you use? Natural, no pain meds 

CageyMack

I'm so excited for you!  Here's our details!

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)

First baby went into labor on due date, second baby was 3 days after due date. 

2. Induced or Spontaneous? Both spontaneous.

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first? First, never could tell my water broke, so it must have been dribbling for a while.  Second, water broke when baby came out in a huge gush.  

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?  Labor is awesome!  Powerful and cool.  I just really "went in" and let my body guide me. I tried to go with what I felt like, didn't hide from the pain or "push against it."

5. How long was your labor? First was about 6 hours, second was about 4 or 5. 

6. What pain management did you use? No medications.  Dark lights, in the tub, moving as I felt like.  I was up for a ton of my labor with #2, but would kneel when I felt like it, and lean my head on the couch. I really feel like a dark, quiet environment was instrumental in my success laboring.  I could really just be with my body and let it do what it wanted.  Bright doctor lights are weird and too many people make me nervous.  It was nice that it was just a couple low-key people, even though I was in a hospital birth center. 

ball.and.chain

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days) 37w6d

2. Induced or Spontaneous? Induced

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first? Probably about a day into my induction.  I was already in labor, but I don't remember the sequence of events exactly.

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?  My birth story is here if you want to read/re-read it.  Agree with others that you should try to be prepared for almost anything and willing to change things up as needed.  It's so hard to predict how things will go.

5. How long was your labor? I was induced at 2 pm on Thursday and delivered at 8:30 on Saturday night.  I don't know if you'd consider all of that "labor" but I would say at least 24 hours.  I pushed for 3-4 hours I think.

6. What pain management did you use?  Epidural and Nubain.  I highly recommend the epidural; Nubain can be great but not for labor pain.  Skip it.

firstcomeslove2013

Thanks everyone for your excellent expertise and your warm words. I can't believe this is actually happening for us and I feel so grateful to have this group and all the encouragement. For those of you who have asked, inducing lactation is going well, I am pumping about 1-2 oz a day and hoping for that to increase when Hayden gets here. 

I think we are about as ready as we will ever be. We are so excited and anxious at this point. We will be 39 weeks on friday and if she could get here like yesterday we would be happy...well...we'll be happy whenever she decides to arrive. 

We will be sure to keep everyone posted and I am so excited to share her birth story with you all! 

2MamazInSeattle

1. When did you have the baby? (Weeks/days)
40w, 1d

2. Induced or Spontaneous?
Induced due to gestational diabetes on my due date. Lucky for me, my cervix was ripe and 3 cm (leading to a very successful induction).

3. When did your water break? How long until your labor started if your water broke first?
I started pitocin at 2:45 p.m. and had nary a menstrual cramp for the first 9 hours...but at 12:10 a.m., my water broke with a pop and a (very hot) gush, and contractions were hardcore within minutes.

4. How did it go? Tips for first timers?
Ok, every induction is different (i.e. compare me to ball.and.chain, for example) - but, I will say in general induction is not the end of the world. For a while for me it seemed it was. Then I really switched my thinking - my goal was "healthy baby, healthy me, and low-to-no-trauma birth" - and I definitely got that. It involved me letting go of a lot of what I (thought I) wanted/cared about - I was induced, had an epidural, etc. - this was far from my plan but because I'd really worked on letting go, I just rolled with it all as it happened.

5. How long was your labor?
On paper, it was 18 hours - but I can hardly claim that. Here's how it broke down:
- 2:45 p.m. - 12:10 a.m.: On Pitocin, no pain, just waiting...
- 12:10 - 1:00 a.m.: Horrendous non-stop transition grade contractions. Probably because I went from nothing to those they felt worse than they were.
- 1:00 a.m. - 6 a.m.: Took some benedryl post-epidural and slept other than nurse waking me hourly to flip me so my pelvis stayed open
- 6 a.m. - 7 a.m.: 10 cm! I labored down for 1 hour
- 7 a.m. - 7:50: Prepped for birth with doctor and nurse. Was told pushing is usually 2-3 hours...
- 7:50 - 8:17: Pushed with my contractions, about 5 or so of them, and she was born. No pain at all.

6. What pain management did you use?
I got the best epidural ever - I could feel my legs, turn myself over, sit up, and mentally the advice I was given was to envision pooping. So in my mind every push I just thought "Poooooooooop!!!" and my pushing was super effective. So I'll pass that little nugget on to you. (Incidentally, I did not actually poop...yay.)

I went in with an oddly relaxed attitude (for me), and while I didn't want a highly medicalized birth, I had one... and yet I am madly in love with my birth experience. So I guess I'm saying that, though you may not get the birth you scripted, you can still be 100%+ thrilled with how it goes. 

So excited to meet little Hayden!