I'm flying to Vegas on Thursday and the last time I flew pregnant I threw up twice on the plane and was so miserable! I get really bad motion sickness so I'm trying to be more prepared this time. So far I bought sea bands to wear and Dramamine to take before take off. Anyone have any other good tips or ideas to help me make it through the flight?
Good luck. I have a long flight for a business trip in December that I'm not looking forward to. I'll be alone and unable to self-medicate but my issue is anxiety not motion sickness.
Luckily we did the automatic check in with southwest so we should get good seats!
Here is another question. My friend and I are thinking about going to the spa. I know a massage is probably a no no but can I do a facial or maybe a body scrub?
@JessyKV@MotherofDragons@Assiram42 I LOVE discussing labor and delivery. I do it for a living HAHA! I love talking about evidence base care also and making sure that women know how to get it. I am sort of what some people might refer to as obsessed about it. My friends joke all the time that I find a way to be around pregnant women constantly... and its true. I want everyone to be empowered about their birth, whichever way they choose to birth!
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DS #1 born 05/25/2012 BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss DS #2 born 4/08/2014 BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM BFP#5 - 9/22/2016 * formally bornmommy
@JessyKV - I just flew back and forth to Nashville. What really got me through was lifesavers and soda water. Good luck! Hope you don't vomit...for everyones' sake
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DS #1 born 05/25/2012 BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss DS #2 born 4/08/2014 BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM BFP#5 - 9/22/2016 * formally bornmommy
I have a question. My PGAL brain is getting to me today. I've been having very mild period like cramping all day. I keep reading that it is normal if there is no bleeding, but I was hoping to hear from some ladies who have been through a successful pregnancy. Did you have cramping around 5-6 weeks??
@MKRLTX - I had cramping with my two viable pregnancies. (I also had bleeding but it was for two different reasons that clearly didn't lead to miscarriages.) I hear its actually really common to have some mild cramping around 5-8 weeks. Its mostly hormonal as your body tries to figure out how to sync up. Thinking of you! I now it must be hard to feel anything remotely loss related right now.
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DS #1 born 05/25/2012 BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss DS #2 born 4/08/2014 BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM BFP#5 - 9/22/2016 * formally bornmommy
Thank you @Turbotastic. I appreciate you sharing your experience, it definitely helps. These next 8 days before the first ultrasound are going to be rough!
@JessyKV are massages necessarily out? DH and I have a spa day planned for his birthday and I have been really looking forward to a massage!
Most places will not do prenatal massages until after first trimester. Probably mostly for liability vs it actually being bad. I would ask your doctor what they think. I'm pregnant right after a loss so I really don't want to do anything that will make me feel like it's my fault if I miscarry again . If that makes sense. I think a neck and shoulder massage would be ok.
I did some googling and decided not to risk it. I will get a facial instead! It will include a neck and shoulder massage and that's where I hold all of my tension anyway. Thanks!
Any body else planning or considering a med free labor?
I am (I was medicated with all of my three births, except the epidural failed on my last one) and would take any tips or reading material on the subject that any others have found helpful. I've heard hypnobirthing was helpful.
@Mother0fDragons I'm definitely considering it. I really like the idea but I realize I may feel very, very differently once I'm actually in labor. One of the hospitals in my area has nitrous oxide (gas and air) as an option during labor so I'm considering that also. I was really excited when I realized that a hospital near me offers that as an option.
Me: 28 Husband: 31 TTC#1: January 2015- September 2016 Infertility, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Rainbow baby born June 6, 2017 ❤️
@Assiram42 and @NamelessAria I had planned a med free birth for my son. Prepared with hypnobirthing. Made it to hour 18 and caved. BUT the epidural did not take. So I got my med free birth. While on pitocin. So, I'm pretty confident I can go med free. The worst part of recovery for me was my epidural spot. It was so so sore. Go figure.
@MotherofDragons - I went med-free last time and was prepared with a lot of mindfulness practice. But pitocin was kind of forced on me which amped up my contractions in what seemed like minutes so I had none of the "gradual getting used to the feeling" that I'd read about. Which basically resulted in me yelling a lot of obscenities as I pushed out my little lady who decided to stick her elbow out.
All that said, I think I will go med-free again.
I don't think I mentioned before but if I did sorry for the repeating! I went pain med free with my second after a horrible recovery with lots of morphine after my c section with my first. I was not mentally there the first day and I hated it. So with my son I was supposed to be induced but when I walked in I was already at a 6! So they broke my water and gave me 2 hours. Then I had the tiniest bit of pitocin that got things moving. Thinking back I really wish I would have declined. There was so need for it. We could have waited it out longer. I labored on a birth ball and contractions got painful fast. An hour and a half of painful contractions and I couldn't take it anymore so I got on the bed and the nurse checked me and I was complete. At that point I laughed and asked if it was too late for that epidural. It was of of course and I'm glad. Pushed for 27 minutes and he was here! I did get an episiotomy without being told as well and wasn't happy about it. The after birth cleaning up was the worst part without pain meds. But as soon as I was clean I was up and walking and felt amazing! There was no recovery really. I felt great.
So im really hoping to decline more interventions This time around if possible. I know my body can do it now.
@JessyKV, did you use or read anything to mentally prepare? I definitely think going in at 6 CM is a plus. Unfortunately, I've never gone into labor on my own, and I know pitocin can make labor more painful or amp it up, so it's some what making me think I can't do it.
I'm planning to have a midwife-attended birth at a birth center, and I'm planning for it to be natural. They're equipped for water births, and I'd really like to do that. I have several friends who've liked them, and I've heard there a number of nice benefits to having one.
@Mother0fDragons It's early and it's my first, but I'm currently looking towards a med free experience. If all goes as planned I'll have a midwife that will encourage med free, but I'll be in a hospital that will give me the option.
@NamelessAria That's awesome that they offer the gas near you. I've heard wonderful things from friends overseas where it's common. They say that it's just enough to get you through the worst parts without making you feel overly medicated or out of it.
@JessyKV I didn't even have one single Braxton hicks so the night I went into labor I thought my contractions were Braxton hicks. My husband thought they seemed too consistent to be and got ready "just in case." My water broke two hours later at home, I walked into the hospital at 5 cm dilated BUT my sweet boy resealed my water bag on the way down. So my labor basically turned into an induction.
Edit: removed a portion of the story that could be triggering
@JessyKV, did you use or read anything to mentally prepare? I definitely think going in at 6 CM is a plus. Unfortunately, I've never gone into labor on my own, and I know pitocin can make labor more painful or amp it up, so it's some what making me think I can't do it.
I did acupuncture and 3 membrane sweeps that helped me progress. Along with taking evening primrose oil. I was 40w3d when I was scheduled to be induced and I couldn't sleep the night before and turns out I was having contractions.
My favorite books are Ina May's guide to natural childbirth and The Bradley way. I didn't take a class but I did read the book. The stories in Ina May's book are so empowering. I would definitely recommend a class. My husband wouldn't go for it because he is lame.
I'm planning to have a midwife-attended birth at a birth center, and I'm planning for it to be natural. They're equipped for water births, and I'd really like to do that. I have several friends who've liked them, and I've heard there a number of nice benefits to having one.
I went into DD's birth with a "I'll see how long I can go without drugs, but if I get the drugs that's cool too" mindset. I decided I'd be really happy if I made it to 6cm without an epi, because I didn't want the epi to slow labor down, and I figured by that point that wouldn't happen.
Fast forward, and DD was sunny side up, which caused labor to be 100% in my back. Like I had very light period-style cramps overnight before I was actually in labor, in my front, but by the time the contractions ramped up it was all back, and it was TERRIBLE. I knew I would need an epi and I didn't care. However, I got to L&D triage with contractions less than 2 minutes apart and the nurses there "couldn't find my cervix so it must still be closed" and tried to tell me I was probably just having BH. Fortunately my blood pressure had slightly elevated, and I was 39+6 anyway, so they were like "the doctor wants to run bloodwork, and then she may induce you" to which I was like "WHY WOULD YOU INDUCE SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY IN LABOR?" My husband was like "yeah, I'm not bringing her home, so." When the bloodwork came back, they sent down an actual L&D nurse who checked my cervix, declared it 5-6cm (no kidding), and admitted me. My water broke as I was getting into the wheelchair to move from triage to delivery.
There was no wait for the epi and I got it at 6cm. It was great. Strong enough to take the edge off the back labor, but not so strong that I couldn't tell when I was having contractions and how hard I was pushing. I didn't even feel them take it out, no pain or anything afterward. Also, it actually sped up my labor enough that they had to give me a shot to slow it back down because DD was getting distressed (I had a 5 minute long contraction and went from 6cm to 8cm during it). I think this time, it'll be more of the same...i'll see if I can handle it without the epi, but if I need the drugs i'll get them. I might be able to handle the labor more easily without drugs if it's not entirely in my back. and my doctor swore to me that if the next baby isn't sunny side up it will fall right out of me, which I very much hope is true. But even after the epi, my contractions were very very long the whole time, like when I was pushing I would push 3 times, break for like 30-60 seconds, and then push 3 more times, all during the same contraction, so I don't know if I'm man enough to handle that drug free.
I still hate those triage nurses. I'm not playing games with those ladies the next time around. how could they not find my cervix? I had had 3-4 cervical checks at regular appointments, and the doctor always found it in like 2 seconds. Ugh. I was very lucky to go into labor naturally and not need Pitocin, that might have killed me. :-)
I went into DD's birth with a "I'll see how long I can go without drugs, but if I get the drugs that's cool too" mindset. I decided I'd be really happy if I made it to 6cm without an epi, because I didn't want the epi to slow labor down, and I figured by that point that wouldn't happen.
This was me 100% with my last pregnancy! I wanted to see how long I could go because when I went into labor with my son, I had no clue what I was doing. The nurse asked "Do you plan on getting an epi?" I said yes, but didn't know when to get it (I felt fine to that point and was at 4cm). She said just do it now and boy did that sloooowww things down once I couldn't walk around. I went from 1-4 in an hour. It then took me 18 hours to go from 4 to fully dilated.
I had to be induced with DD (low amniotic fluid) and I was determined to hold off with 6-7 being my goal. Well I held out as long as I could and was CONVINCED I was at least 6cm! Cervix check.... 4!!!!! I got it - no regrets. Thank God I did because I went from 4 to fully dilated and ready to push in an hour! I love the epi and plan on getting one again. Still want to hold out as long as possible, but i trust my body will tell me when it is time to get one.
I was induced at 42+1 after laboring at home for 3 days and not progressing "fast enough". I did Hypnobabies and LOVED it! It kept my sane during almost 24 hrs of serious surges in the hospital with Pitocin.
The Pitocin did everything you've read: my surges were not just stronger, they were right on top of one another giving me no breaks in between. The nurse was surprised that I wasn't asking for pain relief but I honestly was in the zone. I made it through transition and they continued to turn the Pitocin up. Finally I felt too exhausted to concentrate and the pain started creeping in. I got the epidural and finally slept for about 5 hours. At 1am I woke up and felt good. They removed the epidural and let it wear off. By 3am I felt ready to push. The nurse came in to coach me on pushing and quickly told me to stop pushing to wait for the Doc.
When the doc got there about 15 minutes later, I was able to push DD out in 3 pushes.
I credit Hypnobabies with giving me the tools I needed to handle my crazy nurses and the Pitocin-happy Doc. I am planning on using the same method again with my MW.
@Elyse1384, I've had to be induced each time also and tried to weather through as long as I could stand it each time, which I ended up making it to 5 - 6 CM with my last two DDs and then getting the epi and breaking my water. After getting the epi, I went from 6-10 in about 15 mins, my doctor left after breaking my water and was heading back to his clinic (attached to the hospital) and before he could get over there I was already ready to push. My last two labors ended up being around three hours from start of pitocin to baby.
Fingers crossed this time is just as breezy. I have no shame in getting the epi, I just want to see if I can do it without.
I am thinking about hypnobirth and avoiding medication. I am super sensitive to painkillers and don't want to have a bad reaction during labor, one time I had Demerol for a medical procedure, broke out in hives and passed out!
Oh my god @Assiram42 3 hour labors! I'm jealous and amazed at the same time. Teach me the ways of your magical womb. My first labor was 19 hours and my second was 11 hours (an improvement at least).
I am all for the epidural. I was in early labor for about a week and I was getting so anxious, so my dr decided to induce at 39 weeks. I had the pitocin at 11am, apparently have a low pain threshold b/c the dr and nurse took one look at me at 1pm and told me I should get the epidural then (they knew I wanted one). I took their advice and was so happy I did. Baby girl was born by 4pm. I am one of those women who had a very easy birth experience, please don't hate, and for first time mamas, have hope! You mamas who give birth without meds are warriors. I, personally, could not have done it. I'm also a firm believer in pitocin IF your doctor believes everything is lined up properly for it to work. I'm hoping for a similar experience this time, but you never know!
Talk to me about daycare and waitlists... how long can I go before telling my daycare so I can enroll?
There is an outrageous wait list at our center and I am thinking I should go ahead and enroll and just ask them not to share or say anything to my boys who we aren't telling for another few months...
@MotherofDragons I am hoping to have a med free birth. It's my first, so obviously I can't say for sure what will happen and how I feel...but my mother gave birth to 4 kids med free so I am just hoping I inherited some of her pain tolerance!
Me: 28 DH: 30
Married 5/8/2011 TTC #1 since 9/2015 BFP #1 1/14/16, MC 3/23/16 BFP #2 9/21/2016, EDD 5/30/2017
@michaela0704 if your daycare has a wait list and doesn't give preference to families that are already enrolled there, I'd tell them after my first ultrasound. Our daycare generally only has a small waitlist, and all but guarantees admission to families whose existing children are already there (because they know if they didn't they'd lose the entire family), so we will probably wait until after the first tri to get on the list. I also get 16 weeks of maternity leave though, so I don't expect to need to start daycare until very late September/early October.
I have a question. My PGAL brain is getting to me today. I've been having very mild period like cramping all day. I keep reading that it is normal if there is no bleeding, but I was hoping to hear from some ladies who have been through a successful pregnancy. Did you have cramping around 5-6 weeks??
I had period cramping for the first few weeks after I found out with my first. It scared me to death. But it's normal. Your uterus is growing and body adjust to the changes. I'm experiencing it again right now and I'm 5.5 weeks.
Any body else planning or considering a med free labor?
I am planning on it. I managed to with my first and I'm hoping to be able to again this time around. I actually asked for an epideral with the first after like 5 hours of pitocin and insane contractions without much change but then suddenly dilated fully and it was too late. It was tough but I'll try to do it again. For me, leaning forward on the back of the bed on my knees and low groaning really helped get me through the worst and and kept me stay calm and sane. I'm not sure if I would do anything different this time except make them wait longer before starting pitocin. The one thing I recommend is to go in with the mindset that you will try the best you can but if you can't handle it, it's ok to get the epideral and it doesn't make you a bad person.
@MotherofDragons - I went med-free last time and was prepared with a lot of mindfulness practice. But pitocin was kind of forced on me which amped up my contractions in what seemed like minutes so I had none of the "gradual getting used to the feeling" that I'd read about. Which basically resulted in me yelling a lot of obscenities as I pushed out my little lady who decided to stick her elbow out.
All that said, I think I will go med-free again.
I could have wrote this myself. My pitocin was kinda forced on me too because my water broke and Ob kept rushing me. It went from "oh this isn't too bad" to "omg I'm dying". And my daugther came out waving to us so I had a pretty bad tear.
With my first I went in with a "make it as far as I can" attitude. They didn't check me until after the epi- I had made it to 8cm. Labor went from progressing quickly to practically stopped. It was another 4+ hours before DD1 was born. DD1 and I didn't handle it terribly well, either.
I used Hypobabies with my second and went med free. It's my plan to do the same this time.
Re: Pregnancy Chatter and Questions- Week of October 9
Here is another question. My friend and I are thinking about going to the spa. I know a massage is probably a no no but can I do a facial or maybe a body scrub?
DS #1 born 05/25/2012
BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss
DS #2 born 4/08/2014
BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM
BFP#5 - 9/22/2016
* formally bornmommy
DS #1 born 05/25/2012
BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss
DS #2 born 4/08/2014
BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM
BFP#5 - 9/22/2016
* formally bornmommy
DS #1 born 05/25/2012
BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss
DS #2 born 4/08/2014
BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM
BFP#5 - 9/22/2016
* formally bornmommy
Any body else planning or considering a med free labor?
TTC#1: January 2015- September 2016
Infertility, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Rainbow baby born June 6, 2017 ❤️
Baby #2 due June 12, 2018
So im really hoping to decline more interventions This time around if possible. I know my body can do it now.
@NamelessAria That's awesome that they offer the gas near you. I've heard wonderful things from friends overseas where it's common. They say that it's just enough to get you through the worst parts without making you feel overly medicated or out of it.
Edit: removed a portion of the story that could be triggering
I did acupuncture and 3 membrane sweeps that helped me progress. Along with taking evening primrose oil. I was 40w3d when I was scheduled to be induced and I couldn't sleep the night before and turns out I was having contractions.
My favorite books are Ina May's guide to natural childbirth and The Bradley way. I didn't take a class but I did read the book. The stories in Ina May's book are so empowering. I would definitely recommend a class. My husband wouldn't go for it because he is lame.
I went into DD's birth with a "I'll see how long I can go without drugs, but if I get the drugs that's cool too" mindset. I decided I'd be really happy if I made it to 6cm without an epi, because I didn't want the epi to slow labor down, and I figured by that point that wouldn't happen.
Fast forward, and DD was sunny side up, which caused labor to be 100% in my back. Like I had very light period-style cramps overnight before I was actually in labor, in my front, but by the time the contractions ramped up it was all back, and it was TERRIBLE. I knew I would need an epi and I didn't care. However, I got to L&D triage with contractions less than 2 minutes apart and the nurses there "couldn't find my cervix so it must still be closed" and tried to tell me I was probably just having BH. Fortunately my blood pressure had slightly elevated, and I was 39+6 anyway, so they were like "the doctor wants to run bloodwork, and then she may induce you" to which I was like "WHY WOULD YOU INDUCE SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY IN LABOR?" My husband was like "yeah, I'm not bringing her home, so." When the bloodwork came back, they sent down an actual L&D nurse who checked my cervix, declared it 5-6cm (no kidding), and admitted me. My water broke as I was getting into the wheelchair to move from triage to delivery.
There was no wait for the epi and I got it at 6cm. It was great. Strong enough to take the edge off the back labor, but not so strong that I couldn't tell when I was having contractions and how hard I was pushing. I didn't even feel them take it out, no pain or anything afterward. Also, it actually sped up my labor enough that they had to give me a shot to slow it back down because DD was getting distressed (I had a 5 minute long contraction and went from 6cm to 8cm during it). I think this time, it'll be more of the same...i'll see if I can handle it without the epi, but if I need the drugs i'll get them. I might be able to handle the labor more easily without drugs if it's not entirely in my back. and my doctor swore to me that if the next baby isn't sunny side up it will fall right out of me, which I very much hope is true. But even after the epi, my contractions were very very long the whole time, like when I was pushing I would push 3 times, break for like 30-60 seconds, and then push 3 more times, all during the same contraction, so I don't know if I'm man enough to handle that drug free.
I still hate those triage nurses. I'm not playing games with those ladies the next time around. how could they not find my cervix? I had had 3-4 cervical checks at regular appointments, and the doctor always found it in like 2 seconds. Ugh. I was very lucky to go into labor naturally and not need Pitocin, that might have killed me. :-)
I had to be induced with DD (low amniotic fluid) and I was determined to hold off with 6-7 being my goal. Well I held out as long as I could and was CONVINCED I was at least 6cm! Cervix check.... 4!!!!! I got it - no regrets. Thank God I did because I went from 4 to fully dilated and ready to push in an hour! I love the epi and plan on getting one again. Still want to hold out as long as possible, but i trust my body will tell me when it is time to get one.
I did Hypnobabies and LOVED it! It kept my sane during almost 24 hrs of serious surges in the hospital with Pitocin.
The Pitocin did everything you've read: my surges were not just stronger, they were right on top of one another giving me no breaks in between.
The nurse was surprised that I wasn't asking for pain relief but I honestly was in the zone. I made it through transition and they continued to turn the Pitocin up. Finally I felt too exhausted to concentrate and the pain started creeping in. I got the epidural and finally slept for about 5 hours. At 1am I woke up and felt good. They removed the epidural and let it wear off. By 3am I felt ready to push. The nurse came in to coach me on pushing and quickly told me to stop pushing to wait for the Doc.
When the doc got there about 15 minutes later, I was able to push DD out in 3 pushes.
I credit Hypnobabies with giving me the tools I needed to handle my crazy nurses and the Pitocin-happy Doc. I am planning on using the same method again with my MW.
Fingers crossed this time is just as breezy. I have no shame in getting the epi, I just want to see if I can do it without.
There is an outrageous wait list at our center and I am thinking I should go ahead and enroll and just ask them not to share or say anything to my boys who we aren't telling for another few months...
TTC #1 since 9/2015
BFP #1 1/14/16, MC 3/23/16
BFP #2 9/21/2016, EDD 5/30/2017
I used Hypobabies with my second and went med free. It's my plan to do the same this time.
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18