Post any and all questions about L&D, and postpartum care here! I’m gonna throw in a blanket **TW** for scary birth stories. FTMs - you will do great! 😊
STMs/STM+s - Care to share some quick details?
Weeks PG:
Water broken:
CS or Vaginal:
Labor time:
Induced:
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
Re: L&D and Postpartum Care Discussion
Weeks PG: 40+2
Water broken: Manually after induction
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: 18hours
Induced: Yes
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
- Rob the hospital of all the ice pack pads and mesh undies they’ll let you have! Those ice pack pads are the best thing ever and the undies they give you hold everything in place so well.
- Don’t lose the squirt bottle they give you either. I preferred cold water and spray it the whole time you’re peeing not just after you go.
- Preparation H makes Witch hazel wipes that are so soothing after your first poop. Also stool softeners and lots of fiber!
- lots and lots of breast pads. Don’t leave the house without them! When my son was 4 days old I had to take him for bloodwork and there I was sitting in the packed waiting room with two giant wet spots on my sweatshirt. All the old ladies were giving me looks of pity.
ETA: I only needed 1 stitch, so I can’t speak on very intense tearing!
Weeks PG: 40+1
Water broken: Nope
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: 25 hrs
Induced: Nope, but pitocin (and an epi) was used after my labor stalled @ 8cm 19hrs into the marathon.
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
- take the peri bottle and “steal” all the mesh panties you can get your hands on (and ask for more...). They are wonderful!
- Keep these on hand for afterwards (vaginal deliver only? No clue if your lady parts hurt like the fire of a thousand suns after a CS)
And gigantic pads. The bigger the better! 😉
- food bag for DH (because the hospital kitchen could be closed...)
- start taking stool softeners ASAP after delivery
- I also liked cool water in the peri bottle
- Pain during recovery is to be expected, but it is not supposed to last (and not really got better...) for weeks. I went to my 6wk pp check up and I was still in pain. Turns out I was healing incorrectly / difficultly. Nothing they weren’t able to fix (with some silver nitrate and more pain 😬😳).
Weeks PG: 39w6d
Water broken: It never really broke. I think they might have broken it at some point? It would have been near the pushing phase.
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: 11 hours (not including early labor)
Induced: No
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
Witch hazel pads. I would line three to four of them up on a huge maxi pad to soothe the whole area and change them every time I went to the restroom. They are amazing.
+1 to the comment about using a peri bottle the whole time you pee and afterwards. I would start squirting the water before starting to urinate. Peeing hurts so so much for that first week PP.
Also, I try to avoid any and all medications, but I definitely ended up using the colace (stool softener) PP for a couple of days. It just hurts so much and your body gets naturally backed up at that time anyway. I also ended up with severe headaches a few days after birth, which I attribute to getting used to the new sleep schedule. They stopped after a couple of days.
+1 to breast pads. I wore them day and night for almost a year to avoid ever having a leak situation. I got the reusable bamboo ones and really like them. I've started wearing them again already this pregnancy to minimize how obvious my nipples are in these silly nursing bras.
Make sure to bring super comfy clothing for PP at the hospital that you can nurse in. I wore some old shorts and a tank top day in and day out.
Easy to manage snacks! Granola bars, fruit, energy balls, protein bars. Anything you can grab and eat with one hand that isn't total junk food (translation: won't make you crash and burn). Don't need until you get home.
Be sure to order hospital food early! The cutoff time for each meal sneaks up on you and you don't want to miss a meal!
Weeks PG: 39+3
Water broken: manually to help labor progress
CS or Vaginal: vaginal
Labor time: 36hrs
Induced: contractions started the day before I was to go in for induction. 28 hours in and they started the pitocin because I wasn't progressing.
2nd baby
Weeks PG: 38
Water broken: right before I started pushing, good thing because then we knew about the meconium
CS or Vaginal: vaginal
Labor time: 24 hours
Induced: no
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
everyone mentioned some good items so far. I like the Always Infinity pads, for when you are still bleeding but no longer need the hospital grade ones. And if you are nursing, the medela tender care hydrogel pads, and keep those bad boys in the fridge when not using.
Water broken: Water broke first, contractions started about 12 hrs later after some serious makeout. Edited as I read this wrong. Water broke ok its own.
CS or Vaginal: vaginal
Labor time: 17, 1.5 hrs of pushing
Induced: no
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: I didn't use anything for labor. I had some stuff ready but never even thought of it. Definitely have a breathing/relaxation plan ready to go. I loved witch hazel padcicles too. Making a comfrey tea is amazing in a peri bottle. You can put the wet leaves right on a pad too.
Weeks PG: 39 weeks
Water broken: water broke through the night first sign of labour for me.
CS or Vaginal: vaginal (talk of CS as cord was around her neck)
Labor time: 25 hour from time water broke (6 hours of hard labour)
Induced: had pitocin as my body wasnt starting contractions on it own.
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: I think the girls mentions most of it ... I would add in some breast therapy packs. (See spoiler)I woke up a few days after delivery and my milk had come in and my breast were firm and big and sore. Putting heat on the and having my daughter eat helped.
Also I had 3rd degree tear with lots of stitches so I had to do an Epsom salt bath 3 to 4 times a day for 10 minutes for like 4 weeks.
Also remember you got this your body was made to deliver a baby!!
Water broken: at 9 cm dilated
CS or Vaginal: vaginal
Labor time: about 12 hours from induction (with no sign of labor) to birth
Induced: yes, induced early afternoon, DS born a bit after midnight (ETA: given cervidil to start things off and when they checked me around when they thought I should be 4 cm, if we were lucky, I was 9 cm dilated - so never went on pitocin)
Weeks PG: 38+4
Water broken: Nope
CS or Vaginal: CS
Labor time: Had mild contractions for a bout 4 hours before they were consistent enough to signal actual labor (about 4 min apart). Was 5cm when I got to the hospital.
Induced: No. DS was breech so I was having a scheduled CS, but ended up going into labor on my own three days early.
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: If you have a CS I have one absolute must have. BELLY BINDER. It saved me. My OB put it on me after they closed me up. I highly recommend asking if yours will do the same and if not, they are on Amazon for pretty cheap! https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Medical-Abdominal-Binder-Surgery/dp/B07G4NBPKW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1U55L3QU0UN6L&keywords=post+surgery+belly+binder&qid=1559081069&s=gateway&sprefix=post+surgery+be,aps,298&sr=8-1-spons&th=1
And as a CS mama, I can say that I still felt very throbby and uncomfortable downstairs. May have been from my cervix partially dilating or it could have just been from the bleeding, but it felt like a really heavy period. The peri bottle was awesome especially since I couldn't really bend to wipe for a few days.
And I second what others say. Take all the giant pads and mesh underwear. I bled really heavily for several days, and then when it slowed down, I switched to Depends since they were more comfy and didn't need to absorb quite as much.
If anyone has any other questions about CS, I am happy to answer them! I honestly thought my experience was pretty pleasant and I healed well. It wasn't "fun", but it wasn't bad!
Married 8/16/13
BFP#1 DS 11/13/16
BFP# 2 MMC dx @ 13w 10/30/18
BFP# 3 Preemie DD born at 38w (IUGR) on 8/28/19 weighing 5.5lbs. Our little miracle
@nomangos23 I wasn’t allowed to eat (or drink!!) from the second I stepped into the hospital. Definitely either eat something light-ish or stop on the way to the hospital to eat. I went ~30 hrs without food and I ended up passing out twice after labor (due to blood and energy loss).
Don’t worry about the PNVs, it’s not a big deal to skip a couple days I’d you forget them in the throes of labor. As for the other (non-pg) thyroid meds I would bring your prescription with you. The hospital should have all of them but it’s prolly waaaaaay easier just to bring it with you.
The hospital should give you baby diapers, ice packs, mesh undies, gigantic pads, dermoplast, witch hazel medicated wipes, peri bottle and medicine (but the medication is for use in the hospital only). You will prolly need more of the dermoplast, medicated wipes and a crapton (pardon the pun) of stool softener. Ask for extra mesh panties and big pads in the hospital - you’re paying for it, lol. I also got a nipple shield and some gel pads from the lactation consultant. I put the gel pads in the fridge...OMG HEAVEN!!
@ternsetc I dunno if that is what it was called officially (they never told me the medical term) but it kinda looked like that. Basically the NP told me I healed from the inside out too quickly. 😳 Dunno how that works, but wtf!?!? I will prolly have surgery to correct/make less uncomfortable a retrocele that popped up after DS’s birth. So far it isn’t as bad as it was in the months PP with DS, but I’m imagining this labor is going to mess me allllllll up again. (Thanks kids for ruining Mommy’s vagina!! 😜)
@nomangos23 The hospital sent me home with pain meds for the cramps, Like 10 Ice pack pads that you basically crack like a glow stick and they begin to freeze up, a bunch of mesh undies, a bunch of giant diaper pads, 2 peri bottles, the pack of diapers that was open, a halo sleep sack, a few of those giant green binkies, and since DS was a St Pats baby, a shamrock bib.
I didn’t know about needing stool softeners when I was there but I’m sure they’d have provided them if I had asked.
In regards to snacking, since I was scheduled to be induced I had to get there at 6:30am and wasn’t allowed to eat anything until he came out. The limit does not exist to how much you can eat once they’re born though! I’ll definitely be packing more snacks this time. He was born in the middle of the night so all they could offer me was a pre made tray of stuff I didn’t really like.
https://www.asahq.org/about-asa/newsroom/news-releases/2015/11/eating-a-light-meal-during-labor
TTC 10/2013
RE Help from 10/2014-10/2016 (11 failed IUIs, a corrective surgery, and a donor embryo cycle)
9/2016-transferred two donor embies
BFP 9/29/26 EDD June 11
Weeks PG: 39+2
Water broken: nope
CS or Vaginal: CS due to failed induction
Labor time: 48 hours
Induced: yes-We tried all the methods-cividil, 2 full rounds of pitocen, Foley bulb (placement was terrible!)
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
-wear comfy clothes. Yoga pants are amazing.
-Also don’t be afraid to ask for pain meds while healing-you will heal faster and be better able to take care of baby!
-My biggest advice is WALK as soon as possible and as much as possible. Even if you don’t want to. I was up and doing regular life including stairs and driving by day 3 and I attribute it to walking starting just an hour or two after birth! I was also only on pain meds for a couple of days.
TTC 10/2013
RE Help from 10/2014-10/2016 (11 failed IUIs, a corrective surgery, and a donor embryo cycle)
9/2016-transferred two donor embies
BFP 9/29/26 EDD June 11
@lillywonderland that peanut picture is too real
STMs/STM+s - Care to share some quick details?
Weeks PG: 41+0
Water broken: it broke during induction
CS or Vaginal: CS
Labor time: N/A
Induced: Tried... LOL Long-ish story in spoiler:
It was certainly not any part of a birth I would have preferred, but DS is awesome, so after some hard days of being angry and bitter about it, I decided to just be thankful for him and try to let it go. TBH, some days I'm still pissed about it...
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
- Food for DH
- I liked having my own underwear and robe. (I don't like the mesh underwear they gave us- with my bubble butt, and the huge maxi, it was just a constant wedgie.) I bought some oversized, high waisted granny panties in dark colors that were a lot more comfortable for me. I also liked having thinner pads with wings instead of the massive ones the hospital gave us, but I don't feel like my bleeding was ever that bad. (Maybe because of the CS? I dunno...)
- While my actual vagina wasn't sore at all (again, no actual labor and a CS) my incision was very, very sore. Take the pain meds. Walk as much as you are able. And don't let your husband try to make you laugh when you're walking around!!!
- Everyone else has covered most of the basics. But make sure your car seat is installed correctly, with the infant insert. They'll have someone check it before you're allowed to leave.
- Some other things that make sense, but I just didn't realize at the time. Our pediatrician came to see DS while we were in the hospital and we had to have his initial office appointment set up before we were allowed to leave with him. I also had to make my 6 week check up with my OB/Gyn before I could go. (not sure if that's standard or not...) Also, they told us we got 2 days at the hospital for a vaginal delivery and 4 days for a CS. I thought that meant I HAD to stay 4 days (I didn't, as long as they would release me) so I was able to go home on day 3 and would have lost my ever-loving mind if I'd had to stay another day...
Water broken: they broke it at the hospital to try to get labor moving faster
CS or Vaginal: CS after failing to progress past 5cm and baby’s heartbeat was becoming stressed, they did c section
Labor time: Lordy, honestly I’m still confused on my timeline! Contractions were going constantly on a Monday evening, went to hospital, contractions slowed, got sent home. I went back to hospital Tuesday afternoon, had baby at 11:30 am on Wednesday. So 36 hours of contractions until baby was born, but had initial slowing🤷🏻♀️
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: I like the Ameda Comfort Gel Hydrogel Pads for nipples. I would put some nipple balm (I used honest Honest Company, but I think they discontinued ☹️) on after each feeding and then a gel pad and that seemed to keep them from getting bloody and cracked.
Nursing sports bras, tanks, night gown, and loose pants. I also got an abdominal binder after the c section, and appreciated that.
Also, I plan to pack a cute shawl, scarf, or shirt this time around so when they come around for newborn pictures, I can throw something over whatever tank or gown I’m wearing. They pretty much just pop up out of no where and offer the pictures.
Weeks PG: DS- 37w (dx IUGR); DD- 39w5d
Water broken: Neither time
CS or Vaginal: CS for both
Labor time: None
Induced: Nope
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care:
Chapstick
Hair ties
Nipple cream if breastfeeding
Another vote to take alllll the things from the room. We were there so long with DS that our nurses brought us a ton of extras right before discharge.
If you end up with a CS, your bladder may not cooperate again right away. They told me if I couldn't pee within a certain time frame, they would have to give me another catheter. I was terrified of that BUT the pain of that was nothing compared to the pain of needing to pee but not being able!
Married 8/16/13
BFP#1 DS 11/13/16
BFP# 2 MMC dx @ 13w 10/30/18
BFP# 3 Preemie DD born at 38w (IUGR) on 8/28/19 weighing 5.5lbs. Our little miracle
Clearly, it’s all worth it, and anything bad is temporary and for a good cause! Also, the body kinda knows how to shut down and cope if things get rough, so you keep breathing, remind yourself that the baby will be in your arms soon, and then you meet that baby and don’t care about anything else in the world! It’s like mommy-baby tunnel vision at its best!❤️
Weeks PG: 37+1 induced, born on +2
Water broken: in antipartum, which threw me into active labour.
CS or Vaginal: vaginal.
time: 29 hours from cervidil insertion, 9 ish from active labour.
Induced: yes, due to preeclampsia.
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: More food. You can never pack enough food. Keep packing food and don't stop. In fact just fill an entire suitcase with food.
I liked using Depends versus pads. Everything else had already been said. I was lucky and wasn't in to much pain postpartum. I never needed the ice pads or anything (except stool softener).
Married: 8/2015
TTC #1: 4/2017
Testing: HSG, U/S, BW, and DH's SA all normal
DX: Unexplained
8/2018: Clomid + TI = BFN
9/2018: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2018: Clomid + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
12/2018: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone \\ Cancelled due to cyst
1/2019: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD Sept 30th, 2019
10/7/2019: Healthy baby boy!
TTC #2: 12/2020
2/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
3/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
4/2021: Surprise! Natural BFP! \\ EDD Jan 6th, 2022 \\ Chemical, betas not rising
8/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
9/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
10/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD July 29th, 2022
*eta I referred to myself as a “ticking time bomb” from 37 weeks on the last time. 🤣
*eta also @RedBreast35 Ugh, thank you!! I was waiting for someone to comment on the peanut picture!! I found it a couple weeks ago and have been dying to post it for this discussion!! 😜
Edited to say I'd be ready a month in advance. I was running around like a crazy person while I should have been resting before the real crazy.
Weeks PG: 41+4
Water broken: During induction to try and progress labour
CS or Vaginal: CS after 1.5 hours of pushing
Labor time: 40 from cervidil, 5ish hours of active labour 2ish for CS plus the longest hour in recovery waiting to see baby and hubby.
Induced: Yes cervidil on a Thursday morning, sent home, pitocin on Friday morning, water broken at noon. DD flipped to face up and no matter how hard I pushed she wouldn’t not get through so we decided on the CS
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: I feel I got the short end of the stick because I laboured for a while and then ended up with the healing scar from the section too. I can’t add a lot that hasn’t been mentioned already. Like some have said and I agree... take the pain meds. The day after I got home I thought I was doing much better and didn’t take it for a while but I regretted that later.
Snacks, I didn’t pack much first time around but after my CS the nurses brought me toast and jam! I loved every bite.
I felt like I had a numb bum/lower back for a couple weeks after the spinal for my c-section but it wore off eventually and at my follow up appointment the doc wasn’t too concerned.
Weeks PG: Started labor at 39+5, born on 39+6
Water broken: my water broke at home as a “trickle” instead of a “gush”. I truly thought I was peeing myself at first and then that it was my mucus plug because it was yellowy.. fun fact, that was meconium!
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: 22 hours start to finish
Induced: No, they were gonna induce on my due date if he hadn’t come yet due to his kidneys, but luckily he came just in time!
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: I think the tucks, colace, indies, and dermoplast essentials have been covered so here’s my extra tidbits that cover other types of postpartum care...
1. You can make ice packs out of the newborn diapers! The nurses can show you how to split them open and tape back the sides and pop that baby right in your undies! They’re AWESOME! And ditto everyone—take everything and then some!
2. I had a 3rd degree tear and was still heavily bleeding and insanely sore for a while. I literally wore depends diapers for about two weeks because of it and they were great because they were easy. I was sobbing at 8 weeks because everyone was so eager to get back to DTD at 6 weeks and I still had 0 desire to be touched and felt like a battlefield... even at 12 weeks too, I think. Also—they silver nitrated that sucker up TWICE! It really sucks (legit burns your vagina basically) BUT it helped and was effective. If things seem off at all—call your doctor! Advocate for yourself! They can help!!! Let them!!
3. I also hemorrhaged a lot during the birth and they’re not sure why. They offered me a blood transfusion and I said I thought I was okay because it was optional and I didn’t realize I had hemorrhaged. In hindsight, I should have done the transfusion because it caused me to have the same symptoms I get when having a panic attack (racing heart, short of breath, etc) and it freaked me out. If you have a husband/wife/parent/friend/partner in the room, ensure there’s paper and a pen somewhere because they will recount MUCH more of the medical/technical side of your birth story than you might, and those details may be super important to know!
4. (This is post pardum mental health self care...) I struggled with PPA biiiig time, but always thought I had it under control. It was especially triggered by the thought of SIDS. At DS’s pediatrician appts they always had me fill out a mental health evaluation and I’d basically be honest enough that they could see I wasn’t fully okay but not too much for them to worry—WRONG MOVE! Be totally honest so you can get the help you need if you think AT ALL that you have PPA/PPD. When I’ve talked with friends, I’m astonished now to find just how many of them struggled with it and none of us said anything, or just thought we needed to suck it up! On the sale same-care trend here... ONLY allow people in the room who will bring you joy and peace! It can be such a stressful and vulnerable time and you have the rights to only have who you want there!
5. If you choose to breastfeed, ensure you ask to see the lactation consultant at the hospital ASAP, and even ask them to come in again and again if you don’t feel confident. I had DS up to my breast and they basically were like “ohhhh looks great, bye!” with my first LC, and then I asked for one to come back the next day and she reaaaallly helped me fix things and identified an intense lip tie on my son, the fact that my milk hadn’t come in yet, and my son also had severe jaundice so we needed that milk! He went under the lights for a while.
6. If you’re having a boy and choosing to circumcise (everyone has their own stance, beliefs, and opinions, no judging on my end!) definitely double check with your insurance, but most require it to be done before you leave the hospital or it will be considered “cosmetic” and not covered.
7. Make frozen meals ahead of time or have snacks readily handy, especially if you choose to breastfeed. I ate SO MUCH in the hospital after the birth and then barely ate at home because I was so exhausted. Quick and easy things you can grab and go are essential!
BABY#1
Weeks PG: 41+3
Water broken: Nope, broke on it's own
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: 10 hours
Induced: Admitted to be induced (they have you come the night before and sleep over so they can start induction early morning) but my water broke on it's own at midnight before they started induction. Baby born at 10am after 3 hours of pushing and an episiotomy.
BABY#2
Weeks PG: 38
Water broken: Yes, to speed things up
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: ~2hours from start of feel-able contractions (same time as water broken)
Induced: Yes, for IUGR & hypertension
BABY#3
Weeks PG: 38
Water broken: Yes, to speed things up
CS or Vaginal: Vaginal
Labor time: ~30min from start of feel-able contractions (same time as water broken)
Induced: Yes, for IUGR & hypertension
Must haves for L&D / postpartum care: the ladies have covered it really well, here! I was glad to have dollar bills to get a snack/soda from the machine when babies were born later in the night and the cafeteria was closed. And a phone charger with a LONG cord. And hair ties and flip flops. The water bottle they give you in labor will become your new best friend for like, 6 months. Break open all the diapers! They literally don't care and you can take them all home when the package is open.
@RedBreast35 YOU CRAY the mesh undies are LIFE!