Our entire Saturday was dedicated to learning about childbirth! From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ryan and I were immersed in a class that covered everything from what to expect during the various stages of labor to relaxation tips and more.
After breakfast at home, we left our house and headed to the hospital to join about 10 other couples for a full-day Childbirth Prep class.
As instructed, we brought pillows and a yoga mat and arrived excited to learn more about what exactly we’ll be experiencing within the next 28-or-so days. (I seriously cannot believe we’re less than 30 days away from our due date right now. WHAT!?)
It was overwhelming, exciting and, if I’m being totally honest, pretty darn terrifying. As it turns out watching videos of women going through labor isn’t exactly my cup of tea. Thank goodness every video ended with a woman holding her baby because that is the image I’m holding onto as I start to think about my personal labor.
One thing that became very clear from watching a handful of birth stories is that everyone’s story is so, so different. When I first got pregnant, I remember talking with some women who asked me about my “birth plan.” My what? I thought the plan was just to have a baby. Well, detailed birth plans seem to be quite popular, but if watching birth stories taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
I think it’s wonderful to tell the doctor the type of birth you’re hoping for if you have strong thoughts about certain procedures or medications, but I also think it’s so important to be adaptable and understand that during labor, conditions can change in a second. I definitely have certain thoughts I’m going to share with my doctor but in the videos we watched, we saw moms with one plan have to make a quick change to help them have the safest delivery possible. It was really interesting to see the different labor experiences and while I definitely could’ve done without some of the graphic parts of the videos (yes, they showed the crowning and delivery on multiple occasions), in the end I walked away feeling like childbirth is something I can do, even if it scares me more than I care to admit sometimes.
Seeing a baby pushed out and seconds later placed on the mom’s chest was so emotional for me. I truly cannot fight the tears when I start to think about that moment in my life. It’s right around the corner and yet still somehow seems unreal to me. I know I cannot begin to imagine the way I will feel when I get that skin-to-skin moment with our baby boy, but if there’s one thing I’m going to focus on during labor, it’s that moment.
Aside from watching birth stories and discussing different options at length, the class took us through some laboring positions that might provide comfort and ways your person of support (in my case, Ryan) can help alleviate pain and provide distraction during contractions. (The “double hip squeeze” felt fantastic!)
We tried out about a dozen positions and though I obviously don’t know what will feel best to me in the moment, I was all about the birthing ball on Saturday. I loved the way it alleviated pressure in my hips and back and allowed me to roll around.
Another position I liked a lot was the simple sitting position where you sit down on a chair backwards and drape your arms over the back of the chair with a few pillows placed between you and the chair back.
The class was really helpful and I’m so glad Ryan and I were able to take it together. Neither of us realized how long many women labor at home before going to the hospital or that fact that only about 10 to 15 percent of women have their water break before they go into labor, so it was helpful to learn a bit more about what we can expect when everything starts happening.
After the class, Ryan and I decided to share some ice cream before driving home.
We split a small cup of butterscotch and a double scoop of cotton candy ice cream in a homemade waffle cone and it was fantastic. A great way to end the day!
On our way home, we started talking about dinner options and I, predictably, said I just wanted to eat my bodyweight in watermelon, so we swung by a local market to pick up a large watermelon.
We also nabbed a chicken pot pie and a key lime pie to eat that night and spent the rest of the evening on the couch with Sadie.
Saturday was jam-packed with a lot of information and even though parts of the class made me feel uneasy and a bit nervous, I am very glad I went and left feeling a little more prepared going into the final month of my pregnancy. We’re in the homestretch!
Questions of the Morning
Lots of questions for the moms today from this curious mother-to-be…
- Did you have a “birth plan” going into labor?
- Did everything go the way you thought it would?
- Were there certain positions you gravitated toward during labor?
- What helped you relax the most or provided you with the most comfort during labor?
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For some reason, I feel like baby PBF is going to make an early appearance! I keep checking each day to see if he’s here yet! 😀
Me too!!!
My birth plan was to have that baby with an epidural. All my labors and delieveries had to be induced so after two children I still don’t know what a contraction feel like. My main thing I always tell the nurses is get this baby here safe! Can’t believe you are less than 30 days away. You and Ryan are going to be fantastic parents!
I loved the birthing ball when I was in labor with our 2 children. Our hospital also had a tub that I could use and i liked it more than I thought I would. But my favorite was the epidural. Lol Good luck! Can’t wait to meet your baby boy!
Our delivery room will also have a tub… With as much as I am loving floating around in the lake right now, I have a feeling the tub may be my BFF during labor! 🙂
My plan was to get an epidural ASAP. I got it within 45 minutes of getting into the hospital and it was glorious. Until it was time to push, I sat in bed and talked with my hubs and family and watched tv. When it was go time, I pushed for an hour and there she came! Easy peasy! (well pushing ain’t easy but it really wasn’t as bad as i thought it would be)
I didn’t have a lot of ideas about what I wanted in a birth plan. Like you, I knew that I would have to be flexible and the most important thing to me was getting the baby out healthy. In the end, it doesn’t matter how the baby gets here, as long as he/she does! I did know that I did want to have an epidural, as I knew that I would not manage well with the pain. The first time round I had it earlier (around 5 cm), the second time round I had it later (around 7 cm). I had quick labors with both my kids….the epidural in both cases allowed me to relax and sped things up! I tried other pain control options, but am still not sure I could have managed!
When I was in graduate school and we were in our OBGYN block I remember watching a live birth for the first time and was like OMG WHAT haha . But the moment the baby is born and starts crying, it is an incredible miracle and even I started tearing up when mom and dad got to hold the baby for the first time.
I spent mosf of my labor walking- i was in labor for about 12 hours and even though my contractions were consistent and close- they weren’t always regular/ so we struggled with when to go in until my water broke- our son was born 57 minutes after we got to the hospital (i desperately wanted to go epidural
Free- thankfully i didnt have enough time or choice!) I spent a lot of time with my arms around my husband’s neck- with my- uh- tush in the air. Standing was so much more tolerable for me, if they had let me push standing, i would have!
There are no words for the moment they out that baby on your chest- im almost jealous for the moment youre about to experience- there’s nothing like it.
Curled in the fetal position, just focusing on breathing. Nothing can really prepare you for the intensity of the pain. I always planned on an epidural and it was amazing! When you finally see that baby coming out it is the most intense emotion I have ever felt. So much joy! You’ve got this! It’s scary, but once things start you do whatever you have to to get the baby into the world safely! That’s why I never had a birth plan 🙂
Julie – congrats! You guys are in the home stretch! I went through pregnancy thinking that I wanted thigns as naural as possible. After being diagnosed with GDM, I knew my journey would lead to an induction. I knew this ultimately would lead to a c-section and that cared me to no end. Well. After laboring for almost 22 hours, the doctor came in and said we had to start thinking about different decisions. I chose the c-section instead of waiting another hour to see if I dialated anymore because my first thought was the health and safety of our little boy. Although recovery is a litter longer than a normal delivery, I wouldnt have had it any other way. During labor your only thoughts are about your baby…anything associated with labor fades to the wayside and when your baby boy is laying on your chest, it won’t matter how you got there. Be prepared for anything and everything. Hope the rest is smooth sailing! It’s truly incredible when you hear them cry and see them for the first time. It’s the most overwhelming feeling of love that you will ever imagine!!! Best of luck!!
Hi Julie!
When I had my son 7 months ago, I didn’t really have a birth plan. The plan was epidural and do everything possible to get my son delivered happy and healthy. I agree with you in that everything is so unpredictable (which normally drives me crazy!), but with delivery, I was surprisingly ok with that! Nkrmally I am beyond a type a personality, but with labor and delivery, I think I just went into mommy mode!
Something that helped me during delivery was actually a bit of advice that came from the nurse I had. when it came time to ‘push’ I wasn’t exactly sure what to do/expect. The nurse told me to contract my ab muscles like I would for the hundred in Pilates. You crunch up the same way, contract your belly, and push. I’m a Pilates instructor so this was perfect! I hope that helps you. Once she said that, I immediately knew what to do. My husband laughed and said the nurse nailed it on the head.
Best of luck Julie! I hope for a smooth delivery for you and your son!
I’m glad your class went well and that you’re (a little) more comfortable with the idea of labor/birth!
I did have a birth plan, which was the typical non-medicated, free to move/shower for comfort, immediate skin to skin, husband cutting the cord, basically as “natural” and free as possible, with interventions only in the case of emergency.
For the most part, my plan was followed. However, I wish I’d labored at home longer because my labor stalled. My baby was OP (posterior) which is a tough position and created a lot of back labor. Using the ball helped. I also labored on my hands and knees. Anyway, I ended up choosing a small pitocin drip since I stalled. I labored for an hour before getting an epidural. Then things finally progressed! I feel I got my natural childbirth AND a medicated one since I labored so long with no meds. 🙂
In hindsight, I don’t regret anything, except I think I took my plan a bit too seriously. Thankfully my and my son’s vitals were great so my medical team let me take all the time I wanted.
Good luck! You’ll be great, I promise, and it sounds like you already have a great attitude concerning plan vs what *could* happen.
•Did you have a “birth plan” going into labor?
Not really. I had a rough outline of things but it really went out the window once I actually went into labor. For example, I really thought I’d want to wear my own clothes (a skirt and tank top that I intended to wear and then throw away), but once we got to the hospital I really didn’t care about it anymore.
•Did everything go the way you thought it would?
Mostly. I labored at home for 5 hours and then we went to the hospital. When the nurse checked to see how far along I was, my water broke. I was only at 1cm. I labored for an hour or so more and asked to be checked again, and was still only at 1cm. Since my contractions were every 90 seconds, I opted for an epidural. Baby was born 6 hours later after only an hour of pushing.
•Were there certain positions you gravitated toward during labor?
I didn’t have any options available and I’m always surprised that lots of people do. At home, I just sat on the couch. At the hospital, I was in bed with an IV, a blood pressure cuff, a pulse monitor on my big toe, and a baby monitor. I think it would have been a huge pain to unhook everything and move all over the room. I couldn’t get up and move around and really didn’t want to.
•What helped you relax the most or provided you with the most comfort during labor?
At home, it was really just sitting on the couch and timing contractions. At the hospital, nothing was relaxing! The blood pressure cuff went off about every 15 minutes. My husband was sleeping on the couch in the room and the nurse kept coming in to tell me to move this way or that to get the baby more oxygen. It was a relief to start pushing and move onto delivery.
No birth plan and I’m so glad I didn’t have one, because it was nothing like I had planned in my head aside from that beautiful moment she was placed on my chest.
My only advice is EVERY woman and labor story is different, right down to your water breaking. I was always told to expect a gush of water, and it was far from that. Felt like a trickle that I thought was just a late pregnancy per accident And because I was told so many times about the ‘gush’ , I didn’t get to the hospital until I started having actual 2 min apart contractions. So again, go with your own flow and expect anything and everything. Even a trickle
I had back labor and our little girl was posterior. The best position I found to labor through that was leaning over the back of the hospital bed while my husband rubbed (hard) my back.
Also, if you’re afraid of needles and it’s deterring you from an epidural, just throwing it out there that I felt the same way and ended up begging for one. I felt NO pain getting that needle and it honestly felt like when they take your blood (which I also hate!
You’ll do great regardless, and it’s all SO WORTH it!
My labour progressed so quickly that we barely got to use all the relaxation techniques we learned in class! The nurses kept saying it was because of how good of shape I had kept myself in during pregnancy, so I think you’re going to have a great and hopefully speedy delivery and recovery. I’m a Body Pump instructor and all those squats finally paid off, lol.
My water broke at 5pm and baby girl was born at 9:30pm! My plan was like yours – have a baby! I kept an open mind to everything and ended up having a really wonderful birthing experience. No matter how it goes down, the instant they place that babe on your chest you’ll forget it all 🙂
We did the prep class too, and I’m so glad we did. However, after learning about the c-section stats I was terrified. Especially after our instructor said that most like 3/7 of us would probably have one. We were the same way with the birth plan, there were certain things we wanted to steer clear of, but also stated “unless medically necessary”. Our OB said it was very realistic. I ended up being induced at 39 weeks for high amniotic fluid levels. End the end the only thing that happened I didn’t want but needs to happen was the use of the manual vacuum. With each contraction/push my daughters heart rate would drop and not go back up so she needed to come out.
In the end, it was pretty uneventful as far as craziness and we had 100% trust in our OB and we’re happy with the way everything went.
I thought I would love the excersize ball, but it hurt SO bad. Her head was so low, the pressure from sitting on the ball was unbearable.
An epidural relaxed me the most. I went in unsure if I would get one or not, wanted to play it by ear. But even with the induction I wasn’t progressing. After they broke my water, the pain was so intense I just couldn’t relax. And in order to progress you have to relax. After an epidural I had her in 3 hours.
You’ll do great! And now looking back,t daughter is almost 10 months old, I realize that labor and delivery was the easy part. Haha. But I also had a somewhat seamless L&D, there wasn’t any emergencies or anything just a few “road blocks” to get past.
First of all, you look beautiful! I adore your outfit – so cute! I’ve already had a baby and I’m still kind of freaking out about our next labor and delivery if I’m being completely honest… I think it’s mostly because things went wayyyyy differently (just like you mentioned) than I had anticipated with our last one. I think having a good plan is important, but to be prepared for the unexpected is also crucial. Was the class you took located at a hospital? Was it a generalized childbirth class or one that focused more on natural childbirth? We took a childbirth class when I was pregnant with Hunter, but it just went over the very basics. I’d like to try to find a one day class that focuses on natural delivery if possible before this little one is born, but I didn’t know if those existed.
It was at a local hospital! And it focused on labor and delivery in general — we discussed natural delivery, epidurals, C-sections, etc. I am not planning to have a totally natural delivery (if it happens and in the moment I don’t want an epidural, then we’ll see, but I am comfortable with getting the epidural at this point), but I know there are a ton of natural birth classes out there! Caitlin (from Healthy Tipping Point) loved her Bradley Method classes and thought they were super helpful and they were all about natural delivery! That might be worth looking into if you’re interested!
Ashley, have you thought about looking into hiring a doula? I like my drugs but one of my best friends did it naturally at home and the hospital. She said her success was very much because of her doula. There job is basically to help you overcome any fear and anxiety, to be your advocate at the hospital or birthing center and to help with techniques to provide comfort during the labor. Ive heard they are worth every penny. Most seem to run from $300-$500.
Mine went nothing like I planned. I ended up going to 42 weeks, having a failed induction, being sent home, getting induced again…but she was “stuck” so had an emergency c section. I think it’s hard to plan so you’ll figure out what positions work for you when you’re in labor. Epidurals are the best. Csection a suck, but it’s not the end of the world if you have to get one. Good luck!
That’s a lot to take in in one day! Whew! I always say I want to get right to the part where we are home with the baby. Several people are suggesting I adopt. 😉
Wow!! It looks like the class was extremely informative. We don’t have any littles one yet, but I was wondering what you looked for in a hospital when you were deciding where to give birth? I feel like I wouldn’t know where to start. Thanks!
I love reading tour pregnancy updates!
I remember the overwhelming feelings of childbirth while pregnant with my first. My plan was to labor as long as possible at home and only have an epidural if absolutely necessary. I ended up laboring the entire time in the hospital and had an epidural administered at 6cm dilated. Haha! I’m such a baby when it comes to pain! With my second, i didn’t have time for an epidural and she was born within 45min. of arriving at the hospital.
WOW that’s a long class! Can’t believe its coming up soon!!!
Ahh so excited for you. I gave birth exactly four weeks ago.
My water ended up breaking at 11:21 pm. We arrived at the hospital two hours later and I was 8 cm. dialated. It was nuts. I ended up working through contractions to get to 10 a
Cm for 2 hours then pushing for 2 hours.
I have a very low pain tolerance but was adamant on not getting an epidural- that was the only thing really on my birth plan. My midwives kept telling me that the more details your birth plan has, the more likely it won’t go as planned. I 100% agree with this.
What helped relax me was looking around the room and seeing how relaxed my midwife, husband and the nurse was. I also would ask how the baby was doing when they checked his heartbeat and when they would say great, that helped a lot too. Also, totally tmi but pushing him out felt like pushing out a huge poop hahaha. So if you can imagine that you are doing it right!
I ended up having a great birth!
My plan was to get an epidural but when I got to the hospital I was too far along. I was able to get a spinal block. My labor progressed from starting labor around 8:30pm to being at a 9 at 12:30 am. Everyone’s labor is different. I was also 41 weeks along when he decided to come. Good luck!
Someone asked me my birth plan recently as well and I was just pretty much like, ummm I guess we’ll just see how it goes?? I know there are a few things I for sure hope to avoid, but we are trying to keep an open mind!
Same here!
With my first I was determined to do it drug free. Needless to say that didn’t happen. I was sooo happy when I got and epidural. With my second, I planned on getting the epidural when I got to the hospital. My labor moved fast and when I got there I was dilated to a 9.5. The doctor told me there was no time for an epidural and I cried thinking about the pain I would be in. 45 minutes later my daughter was born and it wasn’t even that painful. Weird how not only is every woman different but how the same person can have two different experiences.
I loved this post! I have three kids and the days they were born are the greatest moments of my life. I cannot put into words how special it is to meet your baby for the first time!
With my first birth, it definitely did NOT go as planned. I ended up with a C-Section and it was the one thing I wanted to avoid at all costs. It took me a couple of weeks to come to terms with it but I think it’s because I ended up having some post surgery complications.
My 2nd birth, I tried for a VBAC and failed. I was happy to try though and left the hospital feeling good about my experience. Looking back, I think it could have been successful had I picked a different hospital and doctor. I loved my DR but her C-Section rate was higher than normal.
My 3rd birth, I FINALLY got my VBAC and it was amazing! As my husband put it, the experience was spiritual! I truly believe I got the experience I wanted because of the chosen hospital and doctor. Both were pro-VBAC and that makes such a huge difference.
Unfortunately I have no motherly advice for you because I don’t have kids and giving birth has scared me ever since I was little and found out I was going to have to push a baby out of me someday. HOWEVER, I do need to know where you got that green dress because I’m obsessed with it! Is it a maternity dress or just flowy? It’s soooo cute.
Thanks! It’s not maternity and it was actually in my most recent LE TOTE box! It’s actually a long, flowy maxi skirt that I pulled up and wore as a strapless dress! I just sent it back this morning and cannot seem to figure out how to find out the brand on the website. It was super comfy though! I’ll keep digging to see if I can find more info on it…
Nothing can prepare you for the first time you touch your little man. I’m crying just thinking about it. So excited for you, Julie! I’ve become a regular reader again since you announced cause I just can’t wait!
Thank you, Katrina!
2 weeks ago when I was in labor I really didn’t want a c-section and after 12 hours in labor, I ended up in surgery 🙁 BUT I ended up holding our boy even sooner than expected. It’s good to have a plan, but you’ll just have to realize it’s out of your hands!
The end result is still the same… Holding your baby and relishing the moment of his birth!!
Julie, did the class make you less or more likely to have a birth plan? I had dinner with three anesthesiologists over the weekend and all of them suggested that I not have a detailed birth plan and be prepared to be flexible. I plan to have an idea of what I would “prefer” happen, but am willing to change or adapt at a moments notice. Like you, I am a big scared of the birthing process and don’t really like medical procedures period. If I can get by with a natural labor, I will.
What was the most helpful information you got out of taking the class? My husband and I are signed up for a birthing class in three weeks, so this was really insightful and gives me an idea of what to expect!
You’re going to do great! I wish the child birth classes wouldn’t show actual deliveries. It scares you more than anything!! The one thing that happened when I went in to labor is the crazy “survival mode” you go in to. I was 7cm when I got to the hospital and it was hurting but you get in to this mind set that somehow allows you to get through it. I wish I would have focused on the breathing techniques during the big, long contractions the more dilated you get. Ultimately, I went in with a birth plan of healthy baby and epidural. I almost missed my window for epidural so my plan was almost changed! You somehow are okay with anything that happens cause you know that baby is almost in your arms!! I also tested up reading about the skin to skin. I didn’t realize how emotional that moment was until it happened. Best moment of your life. Worth all the labor nonsense!!!
I’m not pregnant yet but when I am I feel like my birth plan is try and stay calm + get an epidural + deliver a healthy baby. That’s it. haha
You sure know how to style the bump — so cute!!
My labor was so different with all 3 of my babies! The first was an emergency induction due to high BP, the second came so fast, we almost had her in the car (literally, I delivered 7 minutes after arriving at the hospital!), and with my 3rd, I was in early labor for a good 12 hrs or so before going to the hospital. You have the right idea by learning as much information as possible and keeping an open mind about your birth plan. I have really enjoyed following your blog during your pregnancy! 🙂
I didn’t have a birth plan and probably a good thing I didn’t because my little guy had his own plan. My blood pressure spiked at 37 weeks and after a week of bed rest it actually went up so they had to induce me. As you can imagine what I learned in our birth classes suddenly didn’t apply. I think if you go in with a plan that sometimes things might turn out different the end result is really the best part.
I really wanted a non medicated birth, but after an exhausting 26 hours of labor I got an epidural. I was able to take a nap which helped get me through the next 6 hours and prepared me for the pushing stage. It completely changed the atmosphere of my birth – if I had stuck to my original plan I don’t think I would have enjoyed the birth of my son and post-birth bonding as much as I did. It is very important to be flexible because you have no idea what to expect! I thought I would love the birthing ball and lots of varied positions, but all I could do was stand and bend over and hold on during contractions, I found sitting to be excruciating. Plus, I was exhausted and if I sat I would fall asleep for the 2 minutes in between contractions, then be woken up by intense pain – not fun! The best thing I did was labor at home as long as possible, that way I was free to move around. My husband and I walked around our neighborhood, pausing to breathe through each contraction. Walking really helped me.
My two cents is to just go with the flow and don’t pigeon-hole yourself into a specific “plan” because your little guy will undoubtedly have a plan of his own 🙂 I was part of the 15% of women whose water broke prior to labor – I knew a lot of weird things were happening to me at that point in pregnancy but I was pretty certain peeing my pants wasn’t on the list. I labored for the next 36 hours and after 5 hours of pushing I had no choice left but to have an emergency c-section. Needless to say, that wasn’t part of my “plan” but during it all I silently told myself a piece of advice a friend gave me…you’re stronger than you think you are. No matter how your little guy gets here, I’m positive you’ll have a happy healthy baby and before you know it, your labor will seem just like a blip in the radar. You’ll be great!
Julie, I am so excited for you. Pretty soon you are going to meet that little man of yours and you will be IN LOVE the minute you see him…more in love than you already are!
Birth plans…I think the idea is good, but man, you just can’t predict ANYTHING about your birth story. I read sooooo many birth stories while I was pregnant because I didn’t want to be surprised about anything! Turns out, it was completely different than I would have imagined it to be and each birth (I have two children) was totally and completely different. You just don’t know what will happen and how you will react. My advice, don’t worry. Literally the SECOND your baby is in your arms, there is no more pain and you would do it all over again that second for the same outcome. To this day, almost 6 years after my first child was born, I love thinking about the day(s) that I welcomed my children. It’s such an exciting time. Enjoy every minute…well, almost ever minute! 🙂
I think you have a great attitude about being adaptable with your labor & delivery. It is so true that you never know how things will go. That said, I had a rough birth plan – no medication/interventions for my first baby. I honestly never questioned it while i was in labor as some people do and yes, it was painful, but I powered through it (that makes it sound easy, but it wasn’t!). It worked for mommy and baby without any complications so we were lucky. For my second, I remembered how painful it was without medication so I thought I’d give it a shot unmedicated, but go for the epi if I felt like I needed it. My second labor was only 4 hours and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to have an epi even if I wanted it. (When the nurse confirmed I didn’t want any drugs, my answer was “I don’t know. Maybe.” and she said “You’ve done it once before. I think you can do this” sooo I did!) Once again, I was lucky and it all went smoothly. I totally would have chosen differently if I needed to for the baby’s health or my own (and if it went on a LONG time or was induced I think). Good luck! I’m sure you’ll do great. P.S. I haven’t seen any real births with the crowning and I never plan to! You don’t see alot of blood or anything as the mom and I like it that way!
I took Bradley classes, not so much because I wanted the natural birth but because I was very much like you, panicked whenever I thought of giving birth. The classes were wonderful and really helped me be prepared for childbirth.
I had a birth plan, which mainly just focused on not being asked about my pain level and if I wanted an eipdural. I had to be induced due to having pre-eclampsia and my little man not growing like he should. I went about ten hours without an epidural. My favorite position (and the only one I could really do due to being hooked up to things) was sitting on the chair. The hip squeezes were wonderful as well. My doctor broke my water and after that I asked for the epidural. It felt like a bee sting. I had to actually get it done again because one side didn’t get numb!
I had back labor, so even with the epi, I still felt a lot of pressure. At one point my contraction monitor stopped working, so I had to feel when my belly would get stiff and let them know.
Don’t be scared of childbirth. It is a beautiful thing and something that will only bond you and Ryan more.
My goal was to go unmedicated and not have to get pitocin (I have heard terrible things) or have a c-section (scary to me). My water broke in the middle of the night (I dreamed I peed my pants and woke up wet from my water breaking), so we went to the hospital pretty quickly after that since the doctor said to. We could have stayed at home longer, I think, since I wasn’t having contractions at first. The first doctor we saw wanted to give me pitocin right away to speed things along, even though it hadn’t been that long. I said no to that and the doctors shift changed. The next doctor said she would give me until a certain time to be in full blown labor before she would have to give me pitocin since the risk of infection is higher after a certain number of hours when your water breaks. So I walked laps around the floor and bounced on the birthing ball like tigger. I was in full blown labor by the agreed upon time so I didn’t have to get Pitocin. My husband was doing the double hip squeeze we learned in our birthing class and he tried to do all the things we learned, but I was having back contractions. He wasn’t able to fully do what he was trying to do, plus we had a student nurse who kept trying to do the fetal monitor and making me sit still. Apparently the day I was there giving birth was one of the busiest days around town and my hospital was over flowing with laboring women. So our nurse was busy and that’s how we ended up with the student nurse. I ended up getting an epidural at the last minute, 8 cm, which turned out to be fabulous. They let me rest before having me push, and I felt much better and wasn’t nearly as exhausted when the baby arrived. I also ended up watching with a mirror, which the idea of grossed me out immensely prior to actually being in labor. but watching the baby come out and putting him right on my chest with no towel was awesome. If I am lucky enough to have another baby, I will try unmedicated again since I really enjoyed being able to move around, use the bathroom, and bounce on my birthing ball!
My 3 week old baby is babbling next to me as a type this…I loved birthing her. Without leaving the whole story, I will say that not a single thing went according to the “plan”, and it started off very scary, and I still had an amazing birth experience. It’s going to be perfect, however he enters the world!
1) It hurt much more than I had imagined. And yet, I’m being totally honest that within ten minutes of her being born, I was thinking how I wanted to do it again. The pain is so temporary, and when the baby is out, it’s over!! (Yeah, soreness and tearing need time to heal, but labor pain ends right away.)
2) I was very different in labor than I thought I’d be. Did not tap into my athletic mental game at all. Did not want anyone to touch me AT ALL, the entire time. (That was a surprise- I love massages!) I yelled at people during the dilating contractions, napped at transition, and then was completely silent and focused while pushing.
3) Birth ball and iced tea were the only two things I would say I “needed” during labor. Did not care about anything else at all (like what I was wearing, music, etc.)
Don’t overthink it. I was surprised at how much my body did for me. I often felt like I was just along for the ride. For example, I did not want to start pushing- just wanted to sleep!- once I was dilated, but my body started doing it anyway. I couldn’t have stopped it for anything, (And for what it’s worth, pushing was the best part.)
It’s going to great, Julie. It’s really, really amazing. 🙂
I am typically a planner, but when it comes to my birth plan I’m the same as you. I figure that I’m not a doctor, and the chances are that things will actually go as planned are so slim that I don’t want to stress out trying to plan! So, my “plan” is to trust the doctors, epidural if needed but if I can go without I will and have a healthy baby! That’s about all I have planned. We have our childbirth prep class next weekend, so we shall see if I add anything to the list!
My birth plan was to not have a plan just go with the flow as see how I feel. What got me through labor? One word. Epidural. No position, bath, ball helped much with managing the pain, but the second I got the epi it was amazing. All pain gone. I was able to relax, take a nap and all was right in the world. Then it stopped working during pushing and I think crowning was worse then the contractions. But nothing is more incredible than holding your baby so just keep reminding yourself of the end goal and you will get through it. I’d go through it all again in a heartbeat!
I remember feeling like I had information overload after all the classes we took too. It was nice though to know about any surprises that could happen or if we had to deviate from our birthing plan. With my first I was open to anything since I didn’t know what it is going to be like, but was leaning towards getting the epidural. Everything went pretty much as expected throuh the whole process. I went into labor naturally with him and labored at home for about 7 hours until my contractions were close enough together to be admitted into the hospital. Once the contractions were in full swing, they are no joke! And unfortunately because of the pain from those bad boys, it caused me to vomit every time I was in the thick of it, not something I expected or was aware could happen. So I ended up getting an epi as soon as I was admitted and in my delivery room. It was nice because I was able to walk around and find the best coping methods for myself at home until it was time to go in and then once the epi was in full effect I could rest and nap before he was born. I found that walking or moving around helped alleviate some of the pain but at the height of the contractions was naturally inclined to bend over while holding onto something and gently swaying my hips. I wasn’t even aware that that was what I was doing until my husband pointed it out. I guess my primal instincts were kicked into high gear at that point!
When the day does come, just listen to your body and do what makes you feel comfortable and at ease because making and then bringing a baby into this world is hard work! I’m sure you will do wonderful, best of luck!
I actually had no birth plan at all going into labor. I never took a class or anything, I just figured my body would know what to do and thankfully it did 🙂 I definitely didn’t go the way that I thought it would in terms of time. I thought I was going to be in labor for 12+ hours, but that wasn’t the case at all. I had very mild contractions at home that I didn’t even know I was having, I was then checked into the hospital for an induction (my baby girl was super small and they thought it was best to induce me because she wasn’t growing), and I had her 2.5 hours later 🙂 It was SO fast! The epidural was amazing for me. I would recommend it to anyone. Before I had it I was tense and wanted no one to talk or move. After I received it I could still feel my stomach tightening with each contraction, but just without the pain. I had a wonderful experience!
that store you got the watermelon in is the CUTEST!!
I learned to definitely expect the unexpected! I was hoping to get pain meds to help deal but dilated from 4-10cm within 20 mins of arriving at the hospital (my water broke an hour earlier at 37weeks) – no time for any meds and they had me pushing right then and there. 5mins of pushing and baby was crowning when they realized what they thought was her head coming out… was actually her butt — she was frank breech and needed to get out ASAP. Within minutes i was rushed to the OR for a c-section. So so so grateful for a HEALTHY baby!
Yay Julie, you’re getting so close! My best advice is get the freaking epidural. Haha. I originally didn’t want one, but I ended up being in labor for four days (my contractions were irregular so the hospital just wouldn’t admit me–then my water broke so the finally did on day 4!) I continued to labor for like 16 hours and couldn’t even think about getting on the birthing ball or walking, which I had wanted to do. I used aromatherapy which helped some but I finally asked for the epidural and it was glorious. Without it I don’t think I would have had the strength the push!
At our birth class our instructor said to think of it this way if you’re set on a “natural” birth: without surgery, if the baby comes through your lady parts, then it was a natural birth! Adding medication doesn’t make it “not natural;” it makes it feel less painful. Honestly, getting the epidural doesn’t make you less strong for the “task”–labor isn’t really a task, you know? I don’t think of it as an athletic event–it’s like the rest of pregnancy. Your body built that baby without any help from you and it will push it out that way too (or with some Pitocin)–and not getting an epidural doesn’t change that. All it does is lessen the pain! (Can you tell I feel passionate about this? Haha.)
So excited for you and Ryan! I definitely had a plan; I took 12 weeks of Bradley Method classes as well as a 6 week natural childbirth class at my hospital. Unfortunately I ended up with an induction at 37 weeks due to sudden gestational hypertension. I labored for 12 hours unmediated, but after pitocin was started I gave in and had an epidural. Ultimately all that matters is I had my healthy baby boy and I was ok too. He was a little small but got 8/9 APGARs and is thriving at 6 weeks now. I’m glad I was prepared and did use many of the coping techniques I learned, and my husband was able to recognize each stage of labor and was incredibly supportive. I hope you have the labor you hope for, and I can’t wait to see your little boy.