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December 2017 Moms
skc040512
member
STM+ - Biggest surprises during Labor
skc040512
member
@MJDsquared mentioned seeing this on the April '18 board. Even having had a baby before, it was interesting to read through, so here is a thread for us! STM+ what was the thing you were least prepared for/most surprised about?
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STM and TTM, what surprised you the most about:
- going into labor (or the process of induction or scheduled csection)
- the laboring process
- the delivery itself
- recovery
Any tips for getting through any of the above surprises?
Edited for autocorrect issues...
---------------------------------------------------------------
STM and TTM, what surprised you the most about:
- going into labor (or the process of induction or scheduled csection)
- the laboring process
- the delivery itself
- recovery
Any tips for getting through any of the above surprises?
Edited for autocorrect issues...
Re: STM+ - Biggest surprises during Labor
I was surprised by my water breaking in my sleep! Make sure you have a waterproof mattress protector on your bed well ahead of time!
Laboring:
I was actually surprised that contractions weren't as bad as I'd been lead to believe, I wouldn't even describe them as painful. Granted, from what I've heard contractions with induction are a completely different monster. PUSHING was the hardest part (duh) but I thought since I'm athletic and fit and 'know my body' that my body would just 'know what to do' but turns out I was waaaay too much in my head about it and really needed to actually stop TRYING so hard and just let my body do what it needed to do!
Delivery:
The ring of fire is NO JOKE - but if you have a provider who uses hot compresses on your perineum it will make a WORLD of difference. There was a brief moment in time when my midwife was restocking her compresses and there were none and the difference in pain with and without was intolerable. ASK FOR COMPRESSES!
Recovery:
My vag was so swollen after, it felt like I was sitting on a baseball, it was so uncomfortable. And from 3 hours of pushing my PF muscles were shot, so I tried to make up for this by clenching them all the time, which just caused me pain and even more heaviness. Pelvic floor physio allowed me to learn how to balance contraction with relaxation to feel like my vag was normal again.
I never asked any questions about being induced, because I just assumed it would happen naturally. My water broke at home with no active labor following. First of all, I just felt like I had peed myself and couldn't quite believe my water broke. I continued to leak all afternoon and evening (surprise #2 - my doctor didn't send me right to the hospital since I wasn't having regular contractions.) I'd never heard of a Foley bulb until about 5 minutes before I got one (basically a water balloon inserted into your cervix to artificially dilate you). Honestly, that was probably one of the more painful aspects of labor for me. Also, I'd heard that pitocin contractions were worse than natural contractions, but holy hell, when they had to hook me up to pitocin because I kept stalling...I though my uterus was just going to implode.
- the laboring process
I needed to pee all the time still, which was inconvenient. Also, having to be on pitocin, they had to monitor the baby more frequently, so I ended up seeing A LOT of my nurse, and had to have her help me adjust the monitors whenever I changed laboring positions. Epidural did not hurt (although I did have IV meds, so that helped). Getting the Epi was the only thing that got DD out because my body couldn't relax without it.
- the delivery itself
I thought it would be hard to push with the epi but it really wasn't. For me, pushing didn't hurt as bad as contractions (probably due to the meds, but whatever.)
- recovery
So. Much. Bleeding. I bled basically a super heavy period for 6 weeks. Also, I felt so bruised for about 3 weeks and was paranoid my stitches would tear at every little movement. Solace is your friend. That first poop is both terrifying and amazing lol.
Tips:
Listen to the advice of your medical team, and be flexible! Give yourself permission to change your birth plan if needed, but also don't be afraid to ask questions or stand up for yourself if you feel strongly about something. Be prepared for modesty to go out the window. So many people will be looking at your vag and boobs you won't even care anymore. Take the post partum painkillers and stool softeners - they're mild and won't affect your milk, and they will save you.
- going into labor (or the process of induction or scheduled csection) : I had some real contractions (including just shy of one hour less than 5 minutes apart when they stopped) probably a week before my due date, but labor didn't progress. Due to my work schedule (new job; no real maternity leave) and my doc not wanting me to go more than a week overdue anyway, we induced one day before my due date (and I did everything I could think of up to that point to try to start labor on my own short of hooking up my breast pump). Induction started overnight with Cervadil and I stayed in the hospital (I think sometimes they will place it and let you go home for the night, but not at my hospital). That SUCKED. Placing it was pretty painful, and then they make you lay basically flat on your back for an hour, which at 9 months pregnant is really uncomfortable. Then you can get positioned more comfortably, but it makes for a pretty uncomfortable night with contractions, etc. In the morning, they started me on Pitocin and broke my water to try to help things progress. That was unexpected, as people mentioned on the other board--it is a LOT of fluid at first (though if it breaks naturally, you could have a leak that is not so much fluid), but then it doesn't stop. You just keep gushing fluid while you are laboring. I was surprised by that.
- the laboring process: Contractions were painful but doable for hours; my nurse kept coming in to make sure I was ok and offer an epidural (I think we have high epi rates in MS) and turning down my pitocin because my contractions were very strong. Pitocin contractions are no joke and mine eventually started stacking even though they kept turning the Pit down, so no breaks in between, they'd just go straight from one to the next--that was when I got the epidural. I had been allowed to get up and walk around for 15 mins at a time before re-connecting to my monitors before the epi, but I was not dilating past 4 cm. I took the epidural (1) because the contractions were stacking and without any break in between I was getting worn out and (2) I had heard some stories of the epi letting women relax/sleep and then they'd progress. Getting the epi was no biggie except that my contractions wouldn't stop, so you have to stay still while going through a contraction, so that wasn't great. Getting the needle put in was really minor compared to that. My epi took better on one side than the other, so I could still feel dull contractions on one side and nothing on the other side. That made me nervous when my doc made the recommendation to do the c-section because I didn't want to feel it or be knocked out completely, but they fixed my epi and it was no problem. I had gone in with the expectation that a c-section might be necessary because my mom had 2 c-sections--her pelvic bones were too narrow to deliver vaginally (she pushed unsuccessfully for a long time with my brother)--but I didn't really expect that DD would not descend and I'd never dilate.
- the delivery itself: Once they turned up my meds and we went into the c-section, I started shaking uncontrollably, which is pretty normal, but I didn't know that at the time. So my teeth were chattering and arms shaking through the whole thing. I didn't feel the incision at all, but DD did not descend--she was still mostly up under my rib cage, so they had to give a big push on my belly to get her out. They warned me I would feel that, and I did. Not really painful, but uncomfortable and weird. DD had a nuchal cord (wrapped once around her neck), so I think the c-section was a good move. I'm not sure if it was the cord that kept her from descending, but if we had delivered vaginally (if I could ever dilate), there's the possibility it would have tightened around her neck. After she was out, I started getting nauseated from the meds and they gave me IV anti-nausea drugs, which helped.
- recovery: When I got out, they brought DD to me for about 10-15 minutes so we could try to breastfeed, then took her to do bath, etc., while I got transferred to my room. Once I got to the other room, my anti-nausea meds wore off and the nurse took her sweet time getting me more, so I threw up twice in the meantime--not so fun after abdominal surgery. (I had to have DH empty a cup of water so I could puke in it because the nurse hadn't left me a basin either; I'm not sure if she thought I was exaggerating or what...) They also put these booties on your feet to keep your blood circulating while the epi wears off--they inflate and deflate periodically. I did not expect that! After DD's bath, they said she was cold and tried to warm her under a light--I didn't understand why they wouldn't bring her to me to do skin to skin which would warm her better, but it was hours before I saw her again. I was very pissed and that will not be happening this time. Also, once I checked in for the Cervadil, they wouldn't let me eat, so it was about 36 hours before I got to eat again (orange jello--tasted pretty good at that point!) I kinda expected to eat right after, but it wasn't until the next morning that they let me eat. Otherwise, the recovery was better than I thought it would be. Take your pain meds; take Colace; don't overdo it.
Any tips for getting through any of the above surprises? Just keep an open mind and your eye on the prize--a healthy baby, however they arrive!
Married May 2014
DD born August 2016
Baby #2 due December 2017
- going into labor (or the process of induction or scheduled csection)
I was surprised at how fast this happened for me. I went from basically nothing to full blown, mind altering contractions instantly. I had my first contraction and they were 2 minutes a part and never subsided. I was in agony and didn't really have a lot of time to mentally prep for what was coming.
- the laboring process
They gave me an epidural within 30 mins of arriving at the hospital, so for me, the actual laboring was so much easier than I had expected. In my mind I was going to do the birthing tub, and walk around to progress things, but since I had the epidural so early, I was just laying there chatting with DH and my sister for a few hours before it was time to push.
- the delivery itself
My delivery was so fast it's almost hard to remember, just a few pushes. What I do remember that caught me off guard was that I let my husband hold DD first and needed time to gather myself before I wanted to hold her. I think I was overstimulated both physically and mentally and it took me like 5 minutes to bring myself down to a level where I felt comfortable holding her, it's hard to describe, but it made me feel kind of crappy when I said "you take her"....and I just laid there for a bit.
- recovery
Nothing really surprising here. My hooha hurt as much as I had expected it to
- going into labor (or the process of induction or scheduled csection)
With both of my prior pregnancies this was like a non-event. I was like mildly crampy for a good afternoon or so with DD, then had more significant contractions overnight, and then they died off so I took my sweet time getting in the next day. Ate lunch, took a shower, pooped, then headed down to the hospital around 3:00, and DD was born at 12:32am. With DS my water broke around 3pm, but without any contractions following. Neither were even remotely as dramatic as I was expecting.
- the laboring process
It wasn't as painful, over a long stretch of time, as I was expecting. I was able to tolerate the contractions until I was about 6-7cm, at which point I got the epi. In both instances the epi was more about it getting late (8/9pm) and wanting to get a little rest before the big show. My goal was to wait as long as possible so it didn't stall labor/end in a c-section.
- the delivery itself
I did not have to push for very long with either baby, maybe like 20 or 30 minutes? It felt like a blink really. I'd say the true surprise here was my 11.2lb son, and the wake of destruction he yielded.
- recovery
With both, I did not bleed as much as I was expecting to. I think I wore a heavy flow pad for about 4 days and then it tapered right off. It was more like a very heavy period that lasted an extra 2-3 days. With DS my undercarriage was in far worse shape, but nothing a little ibuprofin couldn't help with. Colace and metamucil were my best friends, keep it soft and keep it regular!
Any tips for getting through any of the above surprises?
I think this sort of applies for all of pregnancy, birth and life with a new baby, but you have to just laugh sometimes, and be flexible. We plan plan plan, and read, and adjust our plan, and read something else and panic and then stop panicking and make assumptions and at the end of the day, shit (literally and figuratively) happens. There is so much in this process that we cannot control and I think having a positive outlook/attitude will make rolling with the punches a little bit easier.
DX Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Factor V Leiden Mutation, Secondary Infertility
MFI (SA #1Count 11mill, Motility: 18%, Morphology: 1%)
AMH .328 | FSH 13.2
i had this super weird urge to orgasm (in the early stages of natural labor). It was super strange but the feeling was strong and I felt like maybe if I orgasmed it would help the crampiness I was feeling go away... It was 2am and DH was passed out, so i just took care of business myself.
Side note: I felt better in the sense that I no longer had the massive urge to orgasm, but it did NOT help as far as my growing discomfort, and in fact I strongly believe it contributed to how quickly things progressed from there, because 3 hours later I was 8cm dilated.
- the laboring process
As painful as they say. I was surprised to learn that "water breaking" only happens in about half of natural labors. Doctors will break your water for you if you aren't progressing and it's more likely in inductions because it helps speed the process. But it's not a thing that MUST occur.
I ended up having c-sections with all 3 of my girls, the strangest thing was walking yourself into the operating room and sitting on the table. Doctors have you hunch over and they insert the spinal into your back. You are then prompted to immediately lay down because it works almost instantly.
Adrenaline rushes are normal, I was shaking a lot and became nauseous (a common side effect of the spinal). They have trays specifically for you to vomit in.
- the delivery itself
Nurses are your best friend. They talked me through the whole process of the c-section as it was happening and also made light conversation when I became overwhelmed with adrenaline and nervousness. You are awake and alert the entire surgery, completely numb from the chest down (you still have normal function of your arms)
The big surprise is how it feels as they pull the baby out. You don't feel pain, but you feel pressure and tugging from your lower abdomen.
- recovery
again, nurses are your best friend. You are bedridden for the first 24 hours or so after your c-section. The first time you get up and move will be after they remove the catheter and have you go to the bathroom. The biggest shocker was how much fluid comes out. I guess I expected the fluid to have been removed during the c-section, but instead it's the same as a vaginal delivery. Also you still bleed for a few weeks afterwards too. Another surprise was how painful it was between days 2 and 3 after the surgery. Your spinal is still in effect that first day, but as it wears off and feeling returns it gets overwhelming.
Here's me trying not to freak out:
Married: Oct 2015
TTC #1: Sept 2016
BFP: 10/19/16 ~ blighted ovum ~ D&C 11/23/16
BFP: 3/24/17
TTC #2: July 2018
BFP: 8/26/18
I just found out yesterday that the OB office decided long ago without telling me, that the planned CS they implied I would have for dual-purpose ovary removal, is definitely not going to happen. Thankfully we have already done a birthing/newborn 101 class but I was preeeeeettty much banking on not having to remember most of it.
Thank you ladies for sharing. I think the biggest surprises here (and in speaking with family/friends) for me have been the amount of nausea/vomiting involved in all types of labor and delivery-- that's definitely something I never knew before recently. Also the whole "spinal headache" concept with spinals and some epidurals. YIKES.
As for the doctors handing me the baby, they laid her on my stomach/chest for a few moments when she first came out. Then when it was time to cut the umbilical cord and deliver the placenta I told my husband to take her. I was shaking and feeling really on edge/anxious...I have anxiety problems to begin with, and I think my mind needed a few minutes to ground itself and realize "I am fine, the baby is fine, everyone is going to be ok"
the first initial contractions were a shock and not too painful, but as they progressed I was a bit alarmed. We went to the hospital fast only to wait around awhile for labor to progress faster. I think this time around I’ll take a shower at home first. The epidural was very painful but quick, after that I slept through most of my contractions.
- the laboring process
Labor with the epidural was quite calm and not as stressful as I imagined.
- the delivery itself
I didn’t listen to the doctor really well and just kept on pushing due to the enormous pressure I felt. I think if I took my time more I wouldn’t have had a 2nd degree year. But other than that delivery was smooth!
- recovery
ugh. Lots of blood. The squirt bottle they give you, dermoplast and cooling pads are your friend. I wasn’t prepared for how swollen I would get and sitting/moving around was an effort. For me the first poop was the worst pain, I sobbed through it and nearly passed out. Even though the nurses plied me with milk of magnesia and stool softeners, I didn’t pass for a few days after leaving the hospital. I plan on eating as much fruit salad and fiber the week I’m due and eating better after.
tip: get a pedicure right before you’re due. Your toes and feet will look nice in the stirrups, and it’ll be awhile before you leave the house.
As for the first poop, I remember sitting on the toilet crying because I was so afraid to go
I was surprised that I just knew it was happening. Like, the first contraction started and I was like, ooooooh, so that's what they feel like! I thought I'd have some false starts, but it was showtime (I was also 12 days late).
- the laboring process
I wasn't aware of the stages of labor as they were happening, and I thought I would be. Also a surprise: the horrible need to pee without actually peeing. Nurses used a catheter twice to no avail.
- the delivery itself
We knew going in that DD had had her meconium in the womb (the amniotic fluid showed evidence of this) and that we'd need to clear out her lungs, so they had to take her from me after letting me hold her for a quick moment, but it wasn't for long. I had to have pitocin to deliver the placenta and stop the hemorrhaging. Also a surprise: the midwife telling me how strong my abs were as they tried to contract my uterus with massage! Thanks, yoga!
- recovery
I had hemorrhoids, which was lame. I was on antibiotics for GBS and I almost immediately got thrush. If I have to take antibiotics again, I am going to be a lot more proactive about taking probiotics to help! Also a surprise, it wasn't as easy to BF as I thought it could be. Finally a great lactation nurse came in and grabbed my breast and stuffed it into DD's mouth like a burger and she latched. That was maybe 16 hours after delivery.
DX Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Factor V Leiden Mutation, Secondary Infertility
MFI (SA #1Count 11mill, Motility: 18%, Morphology: 1%)
AMH .328 | FSH 13.2
- the laboring process- The epidural made me very shaky and cold. It took some getting used to, and I don't remember feeling that way while pushing. I was also surprised (but happy) that I could still feel some of the contraction with the epidural. I wasn't feeling much for an hour or so after they gave it to me, but then I called a nurse in because I felt an urge to push, and she said I had dilated. I liked feeling the contractions and that urge to push, even with the epidural.
- the delivery itself- After three hours of pushing, baby's heart rate was dipping with each contraction. They ended up pulling her out with a "vacuum"/suction cup thing. IT HURT.
- recovery- So much bleeding. I knew I would be bleeding, but it lasted for about 5-6 weeks and it was just more than I anticipated.
- the laboring process At one point the contractions got so strong that I threw up twice during one. I ended up getting the epidural around 6-7cm, and everything after that went so fast it's actually a blur in my mind.
- the delivery itself I was surprised I still pushed for an hour even though DS was fairly small, and that I still ended up tearing 2nd degree internal/external. I also thought that even though he was early, he would probably be fine, so I wasn't expecting to only get to hold him for a minute before they took him to the nursery to have ped examine and decide on NICU transport.
- recovery There is hope! I was scared to death of the first poop, but it was not bad at all, and I didn't even have any stool softeners (but take them if offered!). Another thing I was not expecting was the night sweats. I would wake up sweating randomly for quite a while afterwards. Also, I made the mistake of trying to see how bad the damage was a couple days after. I was kind of curious because things felt so swollen and strange, and I tried to peer down while in the bathroom to survey the damage. It was dark and shadowy, so I didn't get a good look, thank goodness. What I did see was enough to keep me from looking again for a loooong time.
Me: 36 DH: 41
Diagnosed : unexplained infertility
6 rounds of IUI and a MC 2/2014, rainbow twins 4/2015
TTC #3 5/2016
Restarted Fertility tx
IUI 2 rounds, baby girl 12/17
Married May 2014
DD born August 2016
Baby #2 due December 2017
First time mom here, so it's really useful info for me.
Due date 12/9
I can't figure out the pregnancy countdown tickers, but I do know how to make a signature!
#40andpregnant
As of 12/15/2017, my new hashtag is #41 and pregnant!
- going into labor (or the process of induction or scheduled csection)
I was induced with the doctor breaking my water. It didn't hurt but looked like an extremely forceful waterfall. My doctor commented, "That is...a lot of fluid."
- the laboring process
We gave birth unmedicated, which I've discussed in another post. The contractions in my tummy area weren't so much painful--they more felt like a horrible charley horse.
However, the back labor was an absolute nightmare and I was NOT prepared for it. It felt like each vertebra were breaking over and over again with every contraction. My doctor said not everyone has back labor, and just because you have it once doesn't mean you'll have it again. So, fingers crossed for this one!
- the delivery itself
I pushed for an hour and it took me probably 3/4 of that to get the hang of pushing. Maybe I'm just a bad listener.
The entire process is exhausting, which I also didn't anticipate. I labored for eleven hours and pushed for one, and my doctor restricted my eating throughout. By the time everything was done, I was starving and could barely keep my eyes open. This time, I may sneak some snacks...
- recovery
Dermaplast, witch hazel/aloe frozen pads, squirt bottles, and pillows to sit on. Oh, and Percocet. Lifesavers!
Well... I was completely unprepared for mine. As most of you know, I had my boys at 31 weeks (yay for now being 33 with this one) and it started with my water breaking in bed at 4 am. It was like a water balloon bursting. That's the best way I can describe it. We didn't clean it up, we just got in the car and drove the hour to the hospital. We knew if we were before 36 weeks we had to go to the hospital farther away, because the closer one won't take babies earlier than that. I hadn't felt right the whole couple days before and was leaking (thought it was just pee) and realized as we were driving I was having back contractions every 3-4 minutes when I started timing them...Anyway my experience was not the ordinary labor experience. They tried to stop my labor all day. I was put on magnesium and while that helped slow my contractions and space them farther apart, by late afternoon I told the doctor that they actually were starting to feel cramp like and kind of hurt. I don't think he believed me and then when he checked me he was like oh. You might want to tell your SO other to come back (he went home to get some stuff and organize his work for the next day). They had been telling us all along that you can stay on hospital bedrest with your water broke for days or weeks. So, we weren't really prepared for that either! In my case, I had a feeling the babies were coming that day and they did. My boys were transverse (one head down, the other laying across my stomach, like a T), so the C section was scheduled. The NICU team came in to tell us what would happen, but I honestly remember like 20 seconds of that. The magnesium had me so looped up, that everything sounded like Charlie Brown -- wahh wahh wahh wahh..
- the laboring process
I'm not sure I really had one... See above and below.
- the delivery itself
The process itself wasn't bad at all. I was about 95% sure we would have a C section the whole pregnancy because they were transverse and never switched out of that position. I was given a spinal and was awake. My SO was able to be in the delivery room and there were probably 15 other people in there too. They told me I would feel tugging, I felt absolutely nothing. A sure sign it worked. They took the babies out and said Baby A is out Baby B is out and all I remember saying was Holy Sh*t. I did not get to see them or even hear them cry. They were whisked to the back of the room with the NICU team so quickly and intubated shortly there after. My anesthesiologist had my camera and took a picture of each of them and some of me and Kevin during the C section and that was all I got to see of them. With this baby, unless it's preemie again, I want skin to skin right away or at least to be able to see the baby after the c section.
- recovery
Because the boys were so early, they were on a different floor as me. With the spinal I was numb from under my arms all the way down. They hooked me up to the pump and I couldn't move (it was the middle of the night) and I had a horrible experience with a nurse tech. I didn't get to see my babies until the next morning and at that point I was able to be wheeled up to them. My c-section recovery was actually pretty normal and I recovered nicely. They put a belly band on me right away (if they don't, ask for one) and I wore it for at least 3 weeks. The pain meds and the stool softner are your best friends. Take them. Take double the stool softner. That first poop is horrible. My recovery itself was probably easier than most because I was able to fully recover without having to care for my babies at home or anyone else. It did take about 2 weeks when I weaned off the meds (so I could drive) and 3 before I felt good. By 6 weeks I was fully recovered.
What I would say to all FTMs is have a short plan, but if you need to wean from it, be flexible. A lot can happen out of your control. I would also go and tour your hospital and even the nicu if need be.
i was 9 days late so they scheduled me for induction. I was admitted on a Monday night; btw, I was not dilated at all and cervix was closed. They started with placing the cervadil in overnight; around 1 am, the pain was intense and they offered me morphine- that actually surprised me- I didn't think morphine was an option and I actually initially said no until they assured me it was safe. I ended up accepting it finally and got a few hours of sleep.
- the laboring process
they came in to start the process around 7 am, the details are very fuzzy for me. They broke my water and started pitocin. The doctor came in to check me a couple times and I remained at just 2cm dilated; at around 10 am, she felt like we had a good 10 hours at least ahead of us and so my husband left to take a shower and grab a sandwich at my inlaws (less than a mile away from the hospital). The doctor at that point felt I really should get the epidural - which was another surprise to me. I thought they didn't encourage epidural until you were at least 4-5cm in fear it would stall things. She said my body was so tense and not responsive and that's the reason I wasn't dilating. She said the epidural would help me relax and hopefully dilate so I agreed. Around 11, I the anesthesiologist came in to do the epidural
TW TW TW (labor difficulties)
i don't remember feeling the epidural and that surprised me. However within seconds of getting the epidural, I felt very weird - out of it, dizzy, faint. My blood pressure had dipped extremely low, my heart rate increased to over 200 and DS's heart rate decelerated fast. I don't remember much after this - just my MIL trying to tell me too shift to my left, the nurses and doctors running in and kicking everyone out, and the last thing I really remember is staring at DS1's heart monitor and praying.
They were able to stabilize us with multiple epinephrine shots and from others accounts - the doctor said if it happened again, we would go to the OR..mil had talked to DH by this time and he had come running back. They gave him scrubs to put on just in case
same thing happened minutes later, so off to the OR we went
- delivery process
I don't remember much about being in the OR and I'll be honest, in that I was super depressed about that for a long time after. I was grateful we were both healthy and ok - but I was surprised that I was so upset about not having the ideal delivery. I hadn't gone in with any expectations and I'm a pretty "it is, what it is" person so those feelings were overwhelming for me. DH couldn't tell the birth story without tearing up and I couldn't listen to it because it upset me so much.
- recovery
i was expecting the worse because of the c-section but honestly, it wasn't that bad. As soon as I was able to get out of bed, I did and I made sure to walk. Those first few days, getting up and down was the hardest. Using a pillow against my stomach as I stood up did help, as did sleeping on a recliner instead of a bed the first week at home.
The thing I was most surprised about during the recovery process was the up and down emotions. For th first 2 weeks after delivery, I would cry and not have a clue why. No one really talks about th flood of emotions post birth, and I was pretty even keeled my whole pregnancy so i was so scared of my emotions but after 2-2.5 weeks that got a lot better. Had it not, I would have sought help.
DX Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Factor V Leiden Mutation, Secondary Infertility
MFI (SA #1Count 11mill, Motility: 18%, Morphology: 1%)
AMH .328 | FSH 13.2
The delivery - I honestly don’t remember too much about the delivery as I was so worried about my DS. They wheeled me back and placed the epidural and I feel like my DS was out pretty quickly after that. When he came out he was very very pale so they immediately took him away and I sent my DH with him. I don’t remember much after that until the wheeled me into recovery. The doctors came back and told me they were transferring my DS to another hospital with a NICU. Luckily, they were able to get me a transfer a couple of hours later. I got very nauseous in the ambulance but luckily they were able to give me meds before I threw up.
The recovery - I was up and walking just over 8 hours after the surgery. They would not remove the catheter until 12 hours after delivery though. I definitely pushed myself though because I wanted to go see my son in the NICU and the doctor’s weren’t going to let me go until they saw that I was determined to go myself. The recovery was very easy for me, but I think it helped that I did not have a baby to take care of as my DS was in the NICU for 2 weeks. I did stay in the hospital was 4 nights too because DS was there and I had no reason to leave. I’m definitely worried about the recovery this time since I will have a 2 year old and a newborn to care for at home.
I was induced at 38 weeks due to gestational hypertention (high BP). It wasn't SUPER emergent but I had an appointment earlier that day where we knew it was going to be a possibility and DR said it was go time. So we went home, got all of our ducks in a row, went out to eat and showed up to the hospital around 7 pm and immediately got hooked up to an IV. I had desired as little intervention as possible, so my doctor suggested starting with a foley catheter. How it works is basically it's a water balloon that is inflated inside of you. It's slowly pulled out in small increments. It was pretty uncomfortable and I was not looking forward to the whole pulling it out because the "string" was taped to my leg. I had to pee as soon as it was in and it IMMEDIATELY fell out and I was dilated to 3cm. Like, the nurse chased my doc out to the parking lot because that was supposed to last all night. I got put on pitocin and overnight was pretty chill. I slept fine.
- the laboring process
Next day I was barely progressing so they upped pitocin. I was barely feeling any contractions at that point so I felt like a champ. That all changed when they broke my water. It was super intense. I told DH the next time they came to check me if I was at 7+ cm i'd hold out and not get an epidural. I was at 4. Womp. Ladies, it's not the pain Olympics - if you're on the fence, get the epi. Epidural was great, although they do make you get an entire bag of fluids via IV first so that's something to remember regarding timing. They made DH leave the room which I thought was weird. Oh I almost forgot, DH nearly passed out when I started crowning and the nurse made him sit for a few lol.
- the delivery itself
The only issue I had with the epi was that I did not have any control over my left leg, which was kind of annoying when it came to pushing. I could feel just enough to know when to push, but it wasn't painful. I had to be on oxygen in between pushing. I pushed for about an hour. We did delayed cord clamping and everyone commented how fast DS was "normal" coloring, so we will definitely be doing that again. My doc just sat there and massaged the cord for probably 20 minutes? as we did skin to skin. DH cut the cord and blood went all over him which made me LOL because of the whole nearly passing out thing.
- recovery
Well I hate to be a Debbie Downer but mine was not good. Baby chilled with me for a bit, got a minor clean up, weighed, footprint and pricked while I was getting stitched up (third degree tear - it took some time). Our moms came in probably after 90 minutes or so. We were in that room for about 2 hours after birth before we moved to the recovery side. I had to receive wound care and use silver nitrate strips, I was not supposed to lift the carseat with the baby in it, I was sitting in a donut for a while, had to be restitched, etc. I didn't get cleared for sex closer to 10 weeks after (and didn't have it til closer to 12 weeks). The whole ordeal was rough, I am not going to lie. But I received really good care and all is pretty well, no prolapse, I have snissed maybe 3 times since lol. Shitting was awful even with stool softener for some time. I was on a pretty regular diet of hydrocodone, the big boy ibuprofen and stool softener for a while - none of which was a problem for breast feeding.
Any tips for getting through any of the above surprises?
I am going to try and wait for my body to tell me to push this time around versus the nurses telling me when to do it. I didn't find anything to be SUPER surprising, as I was on TB then too lol and had seen so many stories.
Me: 29 DH: 31
Married 10/13/12
TTC Since 8/2016