Did you feel prepared?

Re: Did you feel prepared?

• nicolewhelan member

  October 2014

  I would just relax. I didn't take any classes and was on the "no plan" plan. My midwife was great when I went into labor. I told her that I would like to try and go natural but was ok if it got too bad that I needed an epidural. She was so amazing. She tried to help coach me while I was contracting and DH was helping as best he could. Honestly, no class would have mattered. The pain/pressure/emotion is different for everyone. I would focus more on everything after birth. The 3 days in the hospital were worse than labor, being interrupted every 20 minutes by a nurse or tech or whoever. ugh! It was awful! Looking back, labor was so brief. I was in labor for 22 hours too. 

  
  

  You've got this! You'll amaze yourself with how prepared you already are and don't even realize it. Don't let her freak you out.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

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• jaimee2003 member

  October 2014

  I'm with @nicolewhelan‌ ! I read up on labor, but didn't take any classes and had no real plan beyond trusting my doctor to do what was best. I had a great experience! I mean, it was long and intense and CRAZY, and nothing could have prepared me, but going in with a relaxed "come what may" attitude really helped.
  
  Don't stress, you can't fully be prepared for labor cause you never know what will happen! I think the most important thing is to be open and flexible and trust the hospital staff. That woman sounds crazy. You totally got this; you will be amazed at what you can handle!

  

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• tbarker14 member

  October 2014

  I agree... I didn't have any classes. Just went in and 4 hours later had my beautiful daughter.
  (labour was so fast I couldn't have any medication, she came naturally) and the nurses and my DH gave all the support that I needed.
  Just remember that zillions of other women go through labour and delivery and no matter how much you try to prepare for yours, it will not go according to what you plan for. Just embrace what is thrown at you and remember you are stronger than you think.

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• heatherdances member

  October 2014

  You did the right thing to take a class and that is and about as much as much as you can do. I made sure to stay as active as possible up until the day I delivered...so do the same and relax your body will know what to do☺

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• mikrinikki member

  October 2014

  We took a class just to be aware of signs of labor and different medicated options (pitocin, morphine, epidurals)...all of which I ended up using. Physically I did not train. In fact I kept my feet up as much as possible to relieve swelling.
  
  I agree completely with the stay in the hospital. They bother you every 20 min...so there is always someone around you can ask questions of.

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• SteffieR13 member

  October 2014

  Don't stress, you got this! PPs make many valid points. I did not take any classes, train my body, or have a written birth plan. I did pretty much nothing to prepare for the birth besides read up on signs of labor and read boards on TB you are already way ahead of me. I don't regret not taking any classes or having a specific plan....or I guess I did have a plan, and it was called "go with the flow", and it worked to deliver a healthy baby boy.
  
  You didn't mention what your plans are as far as meds or an epidural go--personally I had no issues using meds, but I held off as long as possible....maybe a class could've helped if I wanted to do an intervention-free birth, so if that is your plan, I can see where the teacher was coming from.
  
  I agree with some of the other's about the hospital stay! While the medical staff at the hospital were fabulous, you really can't sleep or relax because they come in so frequently.
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

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• foreverapartofme member

  October 2014

  Don't stress out about it!  I think the most important thing to know is your body was made to do this.  I also never took a class, but did educate myself by reading books, looking up/learning about the stages of labor, and pain management techniques.  I think the most important thing is to stay calm, breathe, and be flexible!  If you go into labor with an open mind, you will be fine! Nurses in L and D were so hopeful with both of my children Best wishes!

  
  

  
  

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• whitney4126 member

  October 2014

  I took natural childbirth classes and read a couple of books. I felt pretty prepared. But then 4 days before my due date my BP shot up and I had to be induced. I ended up being in hard, active labor for 36 hours with no sleep and no food. My labor stalled for 10 hours, I reached a breaking point and got an epidural. It still took another 10 hours for baby to come, by which point I had an infection and very narrowly avoided a c-section. I definitely don't regret the classes and reading because it helped me know what to expect and to understand the domino effect of interventions (which is exactly what happened to me). But no amount of preparation really mattered in changing the outcome when medical issues arose. The best preparation is trying to learn to be flexible when things don't go as planned. And I def agree with PP that nothing prepared me for the hospital stay after birth. That was the most traumatic part !

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• ADC1979 member

  October 2014

  Don't overthink it.  Odds are good that it won't go as you planned or imagined or learned about.  I took hypnobirthing classes, but those classes went out the window with my labor.  I ended up needing an emergency c-section.

  
  

  Before my baby was born, people would tell me not to worry so much about the birth because labor is short in the grand scheme of things.  I didn't believe them, but now I do.  I felt much more unprepared for the hospital to let me go home and be responsible for a newborn.  

  :-/  Seriously, whose bright idea was that?  We've managed, somehow.

  
  

  
  

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• FirstatForty member

  October 2014

  Thanks ladies, all great help. I am planning and hoping for an intervention free birth. I am not totally against an epidural, but I will def hold out as long as possible. The hospital I am going to is more for high risk births and has an excellent NICU, but I have also heard they tend to push 'c-sections', which is what I DON'T want. If I can go med-free all the way, thats my choice. I understand things can change fast and I need to be open minded.

  
  

  I think what the educator was meaning was being prepared mentally about my choices, and also physically prepared. She said it's bloody hard work giving birth and we should view it as an opportunity to train our bodies physically to handle the demand....exercise, stretch etc.

  
  

  Its good to read about how tiring the hospital care is afterwards, as I hadn't thought about that.

  
  

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