New baby plans?

[Bigsweetie]

[quote=IMACHICKADEE75;42293]

Originally Posted by Regina

Not that I am having a baby right now, but sometime in the future, I am sure we will, so I will answer anyway.

I LOVE my epidurals....if I could have them in the parking lot, I would. Twice the epidurals didn't work, and it was horrible. It is a much more pleasant experience, for me, with the medication. I have back labor, so this eases it immensely.
quote]

Ha! Regina! So much for not being pregnant huh? I wonder if you really knew -hmmmmm?

Here's a hot topic question for you. And again, I'm not looking for a fight just looking for opinions.

I've had a lot of women say what you did about the epi not working and the pain being intolerable. They use that as their reasoning that they would never try a delivery unmedicated -the pain without the epi working, or kicking out was unbearable. I wonder each time -especially in women who have it kick out -how they would have done if they had experienced and managed the contrax as they grew instead of being hit head on and full force well into the delivery? I believe that had I not been so successful with the early smaller contrax I could not have coped with the stronger later ones. I don't know if its a tolerance, or a endorphin, or a learning curve thing but I still wonder.

Any thoughts?

Jackie

I can't answer that question cause it didn't happen to me, but one thing I think every woman should remember is that:

1. Every woman/person for that matter, handles and feels pain differently
2. Every woman's uterus, pubic region, etc. is different. Some are larger, some are smaller, some are posterior, some are anterior.
3. The way the baby is positioned during delivery is also a factor.

So I don't think that anyone should have the mentality that "If I could handle an unmed birth, so can anyone". I'm not saying that that's what you're saying, I just know alot of women who HAVE had unmed births tend to feel that way.

As for me, I am having a planned c-section this time around and I'm fine with it. Emily was induced due to Eric having to leave for a trip the following Sunday and me not wanting to go into labor alone. Thank God we did, cause she was 8.15 and if we'd waited... oh Lordy! LOL!

I tried bf'ing Emily. It didn't work. I beat myself up about stopping, but I had to.

This time, i'm going to try again, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it if it doesn't work. Which, I think, will probably make me more successful at it because I won't be so nervous and upset about it if I have to quit. I was so nervous (because I didn't think we could afford formula) that my milk didn't come in for over 7 days! And even then I had little to no supply. We had to supplement her anyway, even though I was pumping between every single feeding!

Anyway, that's my plan.

[jetwife]

Since this is my first pregnancy all decision are subject to change when the real thing comes up! I am kinda going with the flow and getting lots of research.

I am planning a natural birth. I have heard that they can be ok if handled the right way. I am not against an epi, however if things don't go as assumed. The one thing I have learned is that being closed minded about things only makes you look stupid when it doesn't happen that way!

I would also like to breast feed. I understand it is not for everyone. I have seen both sides and agree that both have their advantages. I had a respite foster newborn here for about a month. I can definitely see the advantages of just lifting a shirt instead of going to get a bottle, warm the water a bit, shake it up and settle back down. All while the baby is screaming..... But I do know that breastfeeding is hard and not for everyone. My sister had a hard time with it and had to switch to formula. I also can see how awkward it would be to be breastfeeding a 1 year old in front of your father in law or church nursery! Thank goodness we have other options besides breast feeding! There are currently a lot of nice breastfeeding shirts and blankets (hooter hiders!) out there that I am checking out like crazy!

I currently stay home with my foster daughter. DH and I decided that we both wanted me to stay home with the kids before we even got married. So I will be staying home with this one to. (btw we found out its a girl!!!!) Although I do put my foster daughter in daycare a couple days a week just so that she has some social time. AND so that we can have some time away from each other! I love her to death, but as you all know it is like we are single mother's over half the time and that is a hard job! So this gives me some time to myself and to do errands and doctor's appt. I may put my baby in as well, but not for awhile. The daycare I take her to is an old friend from school so I know she is going to be fine.

Other then that I am 23 weeks and already she is kicking the crap out of me. I feel like she is going to rupture my spleen or something! (could that happen?!?!?!? )

Leslie

[patty@myflightsurgeon.com]

I guess I am old school.
As you know I have 3 kids (24-17-10)
With the first I took medication and it seemed to make labor that much longer. And the hospital stay was longer about 3 days.
So the other 2 were natural all the way, with the 2nd I was in the hospital for 24 hours and with the last only 12 hours after giving birth.

I breast fed all 3 the first for 1 1/2 years the 2nd for 2 years, and the 3rd for 10 months. And I am happy to say that they are all very healthy.

As for diapers I did the cloth at home and disposables when we were out and about.
Potty training, my first was potty trained by 1 years old, the second by 1 1/2 years and the 3rd took longer he was by 2yrs old.

[Regina]

I guess as soon as I say I'm not pregnant; I typically am, so maybe I should just not say anything. Jk

I was already dialated to an 8 or so when I went to my ob's office that day, with the first epidural that didn't work. I will have to say, that this specific delivery was pretty bad...but, if I didn't know any different, I would think that they were all like that. So, as far as kicking out the earlier contractions, I really did do that at home. I am just not in the mood for pain...heck, I have done this 6 times now; had to go through a number of back labors, 2 epidurals not working, being sewn up through no anesthesia, having my gall bladder removed while pregnant due to pregnency related complications, and coming home to take care of 5 little ones etc., so, a little medication to help me get through it doesn't bother me at all. If there were some reason that I couldn't have the meds, I would just deal with it...knowing that at some moment (that felt like it would be forever) it would end.

For me, I know how a painless birth feels (because of the epidural working so well the first time), and I am really not willing to suffer without pain meds, unless I have to do so. I think that everyone should do what they feel comfortable with, so if someone wants to go natural, I say go for it.

My first ob told me that "the baby comes out one way or another no matter if you go natural or with meds, so it is up to you how much pain you want to feel. You are still a mom either way, and just because you do it without meds, you aren't going to get a special badge or anything, so just do what you feel comfortable doing."

Oh, I did want to mention a great carrier...it is called the ergo carrier and is so much easier on your shoulder and back. It is pricey, but well worth it. My bjorn carrier hurt my shoulder so bad, and at the time, it was pricey (I think 85.00)! This one, I can carry my 2 year old in without it hurting. Love it....definetly worth it.

[Regina]

Oh, I forgot to ask: how can you get out of the hospital 12 hours after giving birth? I came home after 24 hours, but I would love to just come home that day. You never get any sleep in hospitals, and I can get no sleep at home and not pay all that money!

[Mistress Trista]

Delivery stories are interesting...

My first I had the epi and it took me 45 minutes to push him out. He was 9lb 11 oz. With the second, the epi didnt' work, and I pushed him out in 15 minutes. He was 9lb 7oz.

My daughter, now that's the interesting one. Initially, she was breach and since I was terrified of having a c-section, we decided to delivery breach. My dr thought since I'd already delivered 2 9lb babies I could easily handle a 7lb breach baby. My room was packed, 2 OBs, 1 pediatrician, and 6 nurses, 3 of which were only there to observe, since they'd never seen a breach birth. She ended up shifting before it was time for me to push, putting her mid back at my cervix and they ended up having to do a c-section after all.

I tried to leave the hospital in a moment of panic. My husband caught me and said, where the hell do you think you're going?

Home? I said...LOL.

Yeah, I know, I'm such a baby...

It was all for nothing. C-section wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Even though i've delivered one child naturally, I would not do it again.

[patty@myflightsurgeon.com]

Originally Posted by Regina

Oh, I forgot to ask: how can you get out of the hospital 12 hours after giving birth? I came home after 24 hours, but I would love to just come home that day. You never get any sleep in hospitals, and I can get no sleep at home and not pay all that money!

Sorry this will probably be long and I hope not to bore anyone.

Well, first off I went into labor about 1 month ahead of time, so when I went to the hospital they told me it was to early, so they gave me some sort of shot that stops you from dialating ( I was at 3), but it doesn't stop the contractions....... so needless to say I was having contractions not too bad about every 10-15 minutes for about 5 hrs a day.
Every Drs. appointment I would ask the Dr that since I was contractiond all the time how would I know when they were real.
She said quote unquote "Oh you will know" or "whenever your waterbag breaks.Your lucky your doing all the work now instead of being bedridden"
So lo and behold 15 days later I laid down in bed about 9:00 pm and I hear a POP and my waterbag broke but....... my contractions stopped.
I called the doctor and she askede me if I was going in and I said yeah my waterbag broke.
We got to the hospital about 10:00 pm and by the time I get to a room and all it was 11:00, the nurse checks me and I was dialated to about 5 and since we left the other 2 kids at home they were (6-12) at the time, my hubby asked if he should go home, the nurse said "Oh it will be quite a while yet.LOL
So he left about 11:20 and I got a real bad contaction and I told the nurse that I thought I had to push and she checked and said noy yet your only at 8, the next one came and I told my mom oh no I HAVE to push and the nurse checked and said that she could already see the baby crowning.
My poor hubby just walked in the door at 11:59pm when mom called and said his son was born.
But about 1:00 I felt good enough to walk around and they let me take the baby from the room to the nursery. And since he was eating ok and I did the (pee and poop) thing right away the Dr said I was okay to go home, so they let me out around noon the next day.

[Bigsweetie]

I must be crazy cause I actually didn't want to leave the hospital! I was there three days and would've stayed a week if they'd let me LOL!

I sleep better in hospital beds (although the constant monitoring I could do without), there's always nurses around to help or ask questions to, I don't have to cook (the food at my hospital wasn't half bad!), after surgery- showering in their walk-in showers with the seats is MUCH easier.

It was nice to be "taken care of" KWIM? The nurses were so sweet, asked how I was feeling, gladly answered my questions, etc. My DH is great and all (he stayed with me the entire time), but not like the care you get from a female. I didn't ask for too much help, but when I did they were so kind.

It was much harder once I got home. I felt like "I have to clean up" or "I have to make myself lunch", etc. In the hospital, my only responsibility was to myself and Emily. No laundry, no taking out the trash, no fixing lunch and having to clean up the dishes.

If I could stay in the hospital for the first month with this child, I would! LOL!

[Regina]

Big Sweetie,

Definetly know what you mean by getting a little break in the hospital. I was like that until we moved down here to Florida (with the 4). I remember everyone wondering why I didn't want to come home after just 24 hours, and it was because once I was home, I had so much more to do. The nurses kind of baby you. My husband is the youngest of 10, and a couple of his sisters have 8, 12, and 12 kids....so, in their family, having a baby is nothing....basically, back to normal after about an hour (I'm exagerating a tad, but you get the point). I don't know about you, but I am just so tired from not getting any sleep the last few months that I have a hard enough time taking care of myself right away.

Then, that same weekend we have a baptism and a party afterward, so I have a hard time catching up on sleep for the first couple of days anywhere. A couple of days after that, hubby goes back to work, and I start thinking, "How in the world am I going to take care of 6 kids by myself for 4 days, especially nursing so many times a night?"

When we moved down here, everything is so much different. With #5, they moved me right away to a new floor (since I was "an experienced mom"), and when I asked if they would take the baby to the nursery for a couple of hours so that I could get a nap, they told me that they don't have a nursery on that floor and I would have to keep her in the room with me. Right then, I was like "what's the point of being here more than delivery then?" Yes, I know the medical reasonings of being there to check everything, but I guess my hospital in Ohio babied me so much that I was in shock at the lack of help here. So, this time, I want to go in and then get the heck out.

I happen to like hospital food....at most hospitals, and I think it tends to be pretty healthy. My mom cooked bland food, so I think I don't mind not having all the seasonings. Everything at our house now is garlic this, seasoning that, blah, blah, blah. I miss the bland food, but now are kids are use to all the spices. Hospital food is my once a year time to have bland food again!

[Shar]

I hear you...my FL hospital was so loud the doors always banging. I couldn't hardly sleep. The nurses did take the babies for me at night but I was on the c-section recovery floor so maybe that's why.

Good luck to all you expectant mommies!!! I won't scare anyone with my delivery story for baby #1 but my second was a planned c-section and went very smoothly.

Now I just have to loose the BABY WEIGHT (HaHa...15 months later)!!!