Doctor Update: We now see my doctor every week until I go into labor. My doctor had not been able to determine the baby's position during the last couple of visits, but the ultrasound today revealed that he is head down, buttom up, so he is ready for delivery. I also learned that I have been having contractions (the warm-up kind) - I just did not know they were happening. During my exam, the doctor said, "You are having a contraction." Now I know I have been having false contractions for quite some time. They do not hurt; instead, they just make the top-half of my belly really hard.
We also had our last birth class last night. One of the couples in the class had their baby early, so they brought their son and shared their birth story last night. I must say that it was reassuring to hear that she had a fantastic (despite 38 hours) labor and delivery. She gave us some great advice, much of which I should have written down. Here's some of the advice that I can remember:
- Pack loose-fitting clothes for after delivery
- Pack music / mp3 player
- Pack chapstick
- Pack entertaining movies
- Use water (bath or shower) during labor
- Hire a lactation consultant if breastfeeding does not get off to a good start
- Have Tom repeat everything the doctor says
2 comments:
Personally, I'd have killed Steve if he'd repeated everything that the doctor said, but that's just me; I heard it the first time! One other thing to bring - an eye mask. The hospital will likely be bright, and you don't want the light interfering with your sleep. Oh. And eat both very early in labor, and if possible, right before you go to the hospital. I did the first, which was helpful, and I wish I'd done the second since they wouldn't let me eat once I started pushing... which happened shortly after I got there, and lasted a loooonnngg time.
I second the eating during early labor. They wouldn't let me eat anything but clear liquids during labor and after a while the nurse started forcing chicken broth on me because I wasn't nourished enough or something (I was busy having contractions and I can't remember now:-)). I didn't feel like eating so it was very hard to get anything into me.
Also, I really wish I had taken a nap as soon as I felt real contractions. Kaylee started her arrival in mid-afternoon and by 8pm I knew I wasn't going to be sleeping that night. I was really scared that I would be too tired to labor well but fortunately everything went well. I used to be terrified of sleep deprivation but I'm cured of that now. ;-)
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