@MississippiCatfish On that note, when they asked me if I wanted a mirror while she was crowning I immediately refused. Like no way, never. Luckily none of the gruesome parts made it on film.
I have some fairly graphic "action shots" my sister was the photographer and asked if I wanted them taken, I told her yes and said worse case if I hated looking at the I just wouldn't. I don't hate them, don't love them but it's cool they exist.
I didnt want to look at the time, but DH was craning to get a peek. He said the coolness of his kid being born negated the yuck factor.
@BayCamp My husband totally rubbed the top of her head once it was in view. I just didn't want to have any knowledge of how mangled things were down there.
DH is grossed out about the idea of childbirth. In a perfect world for him he wouldn't be forced into the room and could just come in once everything was cleaned up. I would love photos of me laboring if they are done right... but I think I'll pass on the birth shots
No photos, videos, or mirrors for me! DH is a paramedic and was allowed to do the delivery and catch DS3 in the hospital by himself, so that was amazingly special! (Note: we still got a BIG bill from the doctor! Lol)
I love watching the birth video my husband took, but he did edit it pretty nicely for me and I thankfully had an easy birth for ds so that may have something to do with it. This time I'm letting my sil come in since she is a birth photographer assuming she is still in town when I go into labor lol DH whole family will be gone the week I am actually due. But I did get the mirror and I loved seeing him come out! It was so surreal that I was actually doing it after 9 long months. I however can not handle others birth videos. DH and I tried to watch one natural delivery and that was the exact moment I got set on an epidural.
Called in sick to work, I hate to miss the pay but honestly after spending over 8 hours trying g to help my sister with my niece's grad party Saturday and a different niece's dance recital for 4 hours yesterday I am freaking exhausted and nauseous and just wanted to lay in bed and eat my cheese sandwiches (craving for a favorite childhood food) and watch the call the midwife. It's slow season at work anyway screw it...
I keep poking my uterine area hoping it will make baby squirm around and let me feel him/her. I don't think it's working. Being patient is hard.
I do the same thing. And I drink cold stuff and I lay on my stomach with pillows under my gut and ALL THE THINGS. But I'm also trying to remind myself that the kicks only stay pleasant for so long and I don't want to rush it. Even as I say that though, +1 to no patience.
If I haven't felt baby in a few days I drink a lot of water because on a full bladder baby is like um excuse me, get this out of my way. And is more active.
I don't know if this is a "confession," but here goes. I keep waffling and getting worked up in my head about whether I want to go unmedicated this time. My common sense says of course I should. I've done it twice, and my epidural experience was 10x worse. But then I remember the hardest parts of my labors and I just don't want to do it again. And I think the fact that Its been almost five years, the memory is fading and I'm starting to think "maybe the epidural would work just fine this time...". The "awful" part for me has only been 30 min- an hour and a half during my unmedicated births. I mean, I KNOW I can take it for that long. But I don't want to. Wah.
@MississippiCatfish I'm in the same boat. I got an epidural last time though my goal was to not. I'd really like to try again, but then I remember how great I felt the second they hooked me up. Haha. Remind me what was bad about the epidural for you - I vaguely recall you mentioning it before.
@ooodalollly it just didn't work. Well, it worked for about 15 minutes (HEAVEN!) and then the next one not at all and the one after that just numbed one side. I think what was hard wasn't as much that it was unmedicated, but that i went into it 100% thinking "if I can't handle it, I'll get the epidural" and had NO backup coping me mechanisms for if it didn't work. I was induced with pitocin and had back labor and baby was stuck in a bad position in my pelvis for a while, too. I think it was just a bad combo of factors.
@MississippiCatfish I'm in the same boat. I got an epidural last time though my goal was to not. I'd really like to try again, but then I remember how great I felt the second they hooked me up. Haha. Remind me what was bad about the epidural for you - I vaguely recall you mentioning it before.
This is pretty much me. It would be great to do it without meds, but once I stall out, I need them to fully dilate. And they are pure heaven when they start to kick in. Nap, party of one over here.
The epidural was wearing off and the little button boosters weren't doing crap for me, so they gave me a dose of fentanyl (spelling?) and it was AMAZING. The epi was nice to take the edge off the pain, but I wouldn't have been able to nap with just that.
@kissthesky32 I am considerIng IV meds this time, or nitrous oxide. I'm definitely not anti-drugs at all, just anti-things that didn't bode well for me in the past. I'm also torn because being in water is super helpful for me for comfort, but really slowed my labor down last time (contractions never got closer than 5 min apart, were 8 minutes apart during pushing). I feel way more confused about what I want than a fourth time mom should
@MississippiCatfish I was thinking about the water slowing labor. It's something I might wait until later to do this time. While the water was super comforting to me it felt like I was in there forever (5 hours all together) so that's definitely on my mental checklist of things to do differently.
@BayCamp@MississippiCatfish I'm really glad you mentioned that (I think you may have mentioned it before as well) because I was getting so stoked about the tubs at my new hospital.
I ate four hotdogs for dinner and I'm still hungry. I rarely, if ever, eat them and I have hated meat for most of this pregnancy. My digestive system is going to hate me tomorrow.
It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most...not where you live, or what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes... There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know! *ZBB*
@ooodalollly For me, it was totally worth it up until the point of transition! I didn't mind that my labor was an hour or more longer, because I really was that much more comfortable! With my 2nd baby, I labored in the tub for a few hours and was really comfortable until I wasn't I got out to have a cervical check because I thought if it wasn't soon, I'd need an epidural. But I was at a 9.5 and had him 20 minutes later, so that explained that! Point being - it *can* be really great and is worth a shot!
ETA: It was with my 3rd baby that I felt like it slowed it down too much, and that was a water birth. Laboring seems to be okay for me, but my body didn't want to expel the baby in the water
@ooodalollly it was fantastic for me. I jumped in right away as soon as we got to the birth center. I wanted the comfort and I definitely got it. I went from 7-10 cm between 8-10:30 but then he wasn't born until 1:11. That long time between 10:30-1 was really rough. Like @MississippiCatfish said, I might get out for transition and back in when I feel like pushing since I want to deliver in the tub.
@liz4382 Yup, I have periods of exhaustion and hunger when there is a big growth spurt. My belly definitely moved up yesterday, too.
It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most...not where you live, or what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes... There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know! *ZBB*
@MississippiCatfish@BayCamp was laboring in water like putting on a heating pad when you have cramps? I'd say taking a bath when you have cramps but my period is way too heavy for that.
@DuchessOfCambridge I think it's the same principle. When I first realized I was in labor and not just having random contractions, the first thing I did was take a warm epsom salt bath. It was 2am and I'd just gone to bed at midnight. So my MW told me to try it and see if I could calm my contractions down enough to get some sleep. It helped push them from 5 apart to 6 for awhilebut I think the ball was already rolling at that point. I might have been able to doze through them but the "holy crap this is happening" adrenaline had already taken over.
Re: Pregnant girl confessions
I didnt want to look at the time, but DH was craning to get a peek. He said the coolness of his kid being born negated the yuck factor.
I would love photos of me laboring if they are done right... but I think I'll pass on the birth shots
TTC 9/2016 BFP 12/9/16 EDD 8/21/17 NMC 1/8/16 at 7w6d
TTC 2/2017 BFP 3/6/17 EDD 11/17/17 DS born 11/25/17 via ECS
TTC 12/2018 BFP 6/2/19 EDD 2/12/20 NMC / BO at 7 weeks, low progesterone
TTC 7/2019 BFP 8/21/19 EDD 4/22/20 CP at 5 weeks
TTC 8/19 IUI #1 w/ Clomid + Ovidrel + progesterone BFN, IUI 2 and 3 w/ Letrozole + Ovidrel + progesterone,
IUI 4 Follistim + Ovidrel + progesterone BFP 1/9/20 EDD 9/18/20
AMA, ITP in pregnancy, vWD type II - low Factor VIII, unexplained RPL and secondary infertility
ETA: It was with my 3rd baby that I felt like it slowed it down too much, and that was a water birth. Laboring seems to be okay for me, but my body didn't want to expel the baby in the water
i had no idea water could slow down a labor.
TTC 9/2016 BFP 12/9/16 EDD 8/21/17 NMC 1/8/16 at 7w6d
TTC 2/2017 BFP 3/6/17 EDD 11/17/17 DS born 11/25/17 via ECS
TTC 12/2018 BFP 6/2/19 EDD 2/12/20 NMC / BO at 7 weeks, low progesterone
TTC 7/2019 BFP 8/21/19 EDD 4/22/20 CP at 5 weeks
TTC 8/19 IUI #1 w/ Clomid + Ovidrel + progesterone BFN, IUI 2 and 3 w/ Letrozole + Ovidrel + progesterone,
IUI 4 Follistim + Ovidrel + progesterone BFP 1/9/20 EDD 9/18/20
AMA, ITP in pregnancy, vWD type II - low Factor VIII, unexplained RPL and secondary infertility