2016 May Miracles

[Em260]

Great to see you on again Busy! hope you're doing well!

Thanks for the reminder I need to print out my birth plan. My hospital has a birth plan questionnaire they prefer filled out. Even though I'm having a c-section there are a bunch of questions on there for my preferences after delivery.

This time around I definitely want to try skin to skin as soon as possible. And I'll be sending the baby to the nursery for a few hours at night so I can get a little rest. Last time I didn't do that and after being awake for 48 straight hours before DD was born, I was exhausted. By the time we left the hospital I was delirious from lack of sleep.

Spiffy - I woke up at 3am this morning with tons of strong BH. I thought for a few min that I might be in labor because they were so painful. Luckily they were just BH though. Maybe it was the full moon.

 

[bakerh518]

Definitely feeling the pressure from the moon! Not tons of bh but lots of pressure! Baby has been less active today too!

I'm guessing may 21st for delivery as big brother came one day early on a full moon even though he was breech! (The 21st is the May full moon and only two days before my due date!)

 

[TTDuck]

Drjo yay for new carpet!

I don't have much of a birth plan since I expect another fast labor. I need to review my stuff from my Lamaze class I took last time so I have something (breathing) to focus on!

 

[drjo718]

No birth plan for me, but I'm delivering on the labor and delivery unit where I'm a nurse, so I have my preferences and know what is and isn't necessary when it comes to interventions. The midwives I see are very good anyway, so I'm just hoping for no complications.

 

[sugargully]

I'm not making a plan either. I'll tell hubby to play my music and pass me my essential oils on a tissue when I need them. We start our labor and delivery classes next weekend. It'll be good to hear what the hospitals position is on various things.

I've been watching Hyponobirthing videos on YouTube. According to those ladies the baby can slide out without any pushing. That sounds very gentle and they said there's less tearing. As much as I'd like to try this I think it will be harder in a hospital environment.

 

[busytulip]

Em our hospital is a 'baby friendly' hospital so they don't offer a nursery. It's amazing how straight away after birth, even if you labored for hours upon hours, you have this euphoria and adrenaline surge and then you just crash. It's a great idea to take advantage of a nursery if it's offered. Will your DD be staying with family while you're in the hospital?

baker it would be really neat if your mother's intuition came to fruition and you had baby on the 21st, guess we'll see.

TTDuck how long was your last labor?

drjo that sounds like a great plan. I delivered my last baby on the same floor I worked, I thought I might feel weird about it but it was a really great thing. I hope you have a wonderful experience.

I still think it is neat to hear the different views everyone has on how they wish to labor. I'm wishing you all safe deliveries that result with a happy and healthy momma and baby.

AFM Things are going....I've good days and bad days, mostly good though. I'm really looking forward to summer. I've got some home reno projects in mind and I'm itching to get started. DD1's birthday coincides with Easter this year and we'll be having a small celebration this weekend.

To those of you celebrating, Happy Easter!!

 

[TTDuck]

Busy last labor was a couple hours and I was fully dilated by the time we got to the hospital. Had back labor so I just needed my DH to give counter pressure to make it bearable!

 

[sugargully]

Happy Easter Busy! Great update.

 

[drjo718]

Holy heartburn! Anyone else having heartburn issues? I started using alka seltzer chews on occasion a few months ago. Then when I had to take prednisone for the bells palsy, that made the heartburn terrible so I started taking zantac nightly and supplementing with the chews as needed. Tonight I've taken the zantac and I've had 3 chews and I still feel like I could blow fire.

 

[NZKiwi]

Yup me, it's been awful and the antacid only seems to work for a few hours, I'm routinely awake in the night with it and it makes eating anything a nightnare

 

[Em260]

NZkiwi - yes the heartburn has been awful this time around . I can't wait until I can eat larger portions without the pain and feeling so full.

Busy - our nanny will be staying with DD during the day while I'm in the hospital and then my Dh will go home and spend a few hours with her before bedtime and put her to bed. I'm definitely nervous about how she will react to not seeing me for three days. I've never spent a single night away from her!

 

[Em260]

For those of you with older children, did you have them visit you in the hospital to meet the new baby? I'm worried my DD will be so upset if she comes and then has to leave without me. She is such a momma's girl I know the separation is going to be really hard on her

 

[Spiffynoodles]

Drjo, I don't get heartburn very often, but I get acid reflux really bad. Thankfully Tums will usually do it for me, but lately I have to take about 3 of them to kill the acid.

Em, we've had our older kids come to visit me in the hospital and meet the baby. It's usually chaos because our kids are so little, but it's good to see them, and I think it helps them to see me so they know I'm not gone forever.

I had contractions every 2-3 minutes last night for a few hours, but I'm due for my next shot tonight, so hopefully that will calm things back down for a few days. I find that the shots are starting to lose their effectiveness by the end of the week, but I still think I'll make it to 37 weeks because my cervix has not been changing like it was at this point last time around.

 

[KrissyB]

Happy Easter to those who celebrate And hope everyone had a good weekend regardless.

Em - I've given a lot of thought/concern about leaving my DD as well. She's 3.5 and has been AWESOME at understanding (and being excited about) the fact she's going to have a baby sister, and that I'll have to go to the hospital for a while when the baby is born - we have a few books that have really helped her come to terms with it I think... but living through it I'm sure will still be rough. I definitely plan on having her visit at least once while I'm there. The thing I'm more torn about is how much to have my DH at the hospital. He was there almost the whole time with DD1, but this time he'll have to split his time in order to make it easier for her at home without me (my parents are staying for a week or so to babysit and help me recover).

 

[Em260]

Thanks, Spiffy and Krissy. It's nice to read others' perspectives on what to do to prepare an older child. I think my daughter is starting to understand what's going on because today she told me she is a baby and needs to drink her milk from a baby bottle. We don't have any bottles in the house yet so the best I could do was offer her a sippy cup with a soft spout which she proceeded to carry around all day and call her baby bottle

 

[Em260]

So on another note, I'm finally starting to gather everything for my hospital bag. What are some things you ladies are bringing to the hospital? I really overpacked last time

 

[Spiffynoodles]

I still need to get my hospital bag together, too. I typically pack phone chargers, snacks, nursing pads and bra, toiletries, one outfit for when family and friends come to see the baby, an outfit for baby, and blankets for the baby on the ride home. I'm sure there are other things, but I can't think of them at the moment...

Today I had my 33 weeks appointment and got my Group B Strep test done. She also checked my cervix while she was down there and said that I'm about 1cm dilated, so a little more than I was last time, but not too much. I'll have my next appointment at 35 weeks.

 

[NZKiwi]

wow I still have stuff I need to buy so haven't really thought about my just in case hospital bag, I am starting to wonder if I can get it all done in time! Guess I will be out shopping this weekend

 

[pinkpassion]

So much to do, so little time!!!! I will be packing toiletries, socks, slippers, soft comfy clothes, mostly leggings and good breastfeeding tops and bras, makeup, and some hair ties, they will provide pads but I'll pack some of my thin comfy ones too, and for baby I took way too much last time so this time I'll bring a few outfits/sleepers, blankets and burp rags, the diaper bag, nipple cream, nursing pads. I won't bring the boppy this time but I packed my nursing cover and moby wrap too.

 

[bakerh518]

I definitely over packed last time as well, i stayed in the hospital gown most of the time, with the c-section they were constantly check it so i figured why not! And samuel spent his first days in the infant gowns provided by the hospital! (no need for extra laundry!)

This time around we are hoping for an early discharge so ill likely bring two changes of clothes and maybe some pjs, and then we have two outfits (one boy one girl) for baby coming home and ill throw in one bigger one incase the baby is too big for newborn! (in samuels case he was too small for newborn but it did the job to get home )

I don't bring any make up or anything like that as i hardly use it at home now a days, i will bring my own shampoo and body wash and toothbrush. Oh and our own baby diaper cream, dh got me some lovely homeopathic stuff for christmas (a baby bum one and some nipple cream too!)

The other thing i bring with me no matter where i go, is my own pillow! I cannot stand using others! So that is a must!

Pink, did you use pillows for a nursing prop last time? I was actually thinking of bringing my nursing pillow as i didn't last time and used pillows, but maybe pillows are just as easy

I have my shower this weekend! Once that is through we will really sort through and see what is left to do! Im afraid it is lots!