Waiting and waiting...2016 mommies-to-be!

[tverb84]

I was not surprised when I had DS at 38 weeks exactly. I had my bloody show 5 days before and I was dilating a cm a week when I had my appointments and DS had already dropped a few weeks prior. What did surprise me was the high blood pressure I had when I went into labor. I don't think I had pre-e as all of my labs came back normal, but it was a shock none the less. I haven't had high blood pressure before or since.

By bloody show, do you mean your water broke?

 

[KalonKiki]

No, a bloody show is when you lose most of your mucus plug and some blood with it. It can either be dark or bright red or pink (mine was two big gobs tinged pink, sorry if TMI). It's different from your water breaking. It can happen up to a week before you go into labor during the pre-labor stage, your water doesn't break until after you go into active labor.

 

[tverb84]

I've never really heard of the bloody show before.

 

[kksy9b]

I'm 25 in about 6 weeks, but still get id'd all the time. But I work in retail and know how hard it is soI don't really mind. Except that time when I was 22 and I got id'd for lemsip as the cashier couldn't tell if I was over 12.

(P.s. I really really hope to be trying by 2016, so hope I can join you ladies here)

Added and welcome! Our list is on the second post. Let me know if/when you decide what month you are TTC and I will move you to it!

Krissie- I've moved you to May! Let me know if it changes

 

[kksy9b]

Charles was born April 12th so right at the beginning of spring. I think for the next baby I would love a late spring/early summer or fall baby. It was nice not being hot while super pregnant...but i think it also would have been nice to just put on a flowy dress and call it good. Anytime I wanted to go out I had to get all bundled up and then start sweating 5 minutes later Also, all of my families birthdays that I live by are in March/April! My niece and nephew are both in March. Then my BIL is April 11, Charles is the 12th, SIL is the 16th and DH is the 18th.... 4 bdays in one week!

Charles was 12 days late and I went into labor naturally the night before I was scheduled to be induced. I started dilating at 36 weeks. I was 4 cm at my last check and went into labor 3 days later. We got to the hospital at midnight and I was a 5. Labored naturally for 5 hours or so until I hit transition. The contractions were coming on so strong and without a break. At this point having been awake for over 24 hours, in labor for about 12 and still having to get through transition and push, I took the epi in hopes of delivering without intervention. Thankfully they got it in before delivery and it kicked in as I hit 9 cm. I am SO thankful that my water never broke and I didn't have to experience contractions with a broken water (which I hear are 10 times worse). At 9 cm it took the nurse a full 5 minutes to break it- my LO was sealed in there TIGHT (which was great since I was GBS positive). Once the epi kicked in I was able to sleep for an hour or so. My anesthesiologist is my hero- I was still able to move in the bed and feel everything, just no pain. Took 40 minutes to push him out and I led the delivery (as opposed to having to be told when to push). I was up and moving less than 2 hours later. I would love to try again for a natural delivery with the next (as was my intention with Charles) but no way will I feel guilty for taking the medicine if needed.


keely and krissy- reading your birth stories and thinking about Charles' is starting to make me broody again! It's crazy how much I am looking forward to pregnancy and labor and delivery again. Well...maybe delivery more than labor Just that high that you get when they finally come out...doesn't get much better! Ahhh....I need this broodiness to hold off awhile...there is still almost 2 years to go!!

 

[KalonKiki]

Your labor sounds a lot like mine, only I was 3 cm dilated when I went in and my water broke on its own at 5 cm. Definitely be glad that you didn't have to deal with post water breaking contractions, they were so painful that I couldn't handle my contractions anymore and I was really shakey and DS's vitals would crash every time I had one. For me it was either an epi or an EMCM, so I'm glad that the epi worked. I couldn't feel anything though, so I had to be told when to push. I felt a slight bit of pressure as he was crowning, but that was about it. Next time if my water doesn't break on it's own I'm asking them not to break it until it's time to push. I was also GBS positive and they got my antibiotics as soon as I reached L&D. And labor high really is the greatest, that moment when you finally get to see your baby for the first time is so magical, there is no other feeling in the world like it.
The next 6 months will fly, trust me. I still can't believe that Liam is already 13 months old and that I've been back in WTT for 9 months. Before I know it I'll be married and preparing to TTC #2 next September. It actually hasn't been that hard for me to wait these last few months, probably since DS still feels so young to me, I would not want to start trying right now even if DF begged me.

 

[LockandKey]

both my babies came right on time DD was 40 weeks and 3 days, and DS was 40 weeks and 1 day, I actually went into labor with him on my due date, however I have a history of having very long and difficult labors because I have narrow hips, I am quite petite, and both my babies were over 8lbs, so my body had to work extra long and extra hard just to get them into the birth canal. DD was 8lbs 6oz and 23 inches long and DS was 8lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long. I was in labor with DD for 19 hrs and had a difficult deliver including forceps, an episiotmy, stitches, and DD having her collar bone broken to get her out, it was awful. DS's birth went much smoother though, mainly because I had a midwife the 2nd time around. I was in a very slow labor with him for about 30 hrs and then 6 hrs of active labor, I pushed for 30 mins and he was out, no assistance necessary, and no tears either it was the greatest thing I had ever experienced just to be able to do it on my own that time without any interference!

 

[Mrs. Eddie]

OMG LockandKey it sounds like your first delivery was very tough! Glad the second was better and hope the third one is even easier for you...

Isla was a wonderful baby and my labour was not bad, which is part of the reason that I am already so broody (and NTNP right now )

The only thing that is keeping me from full on TTC is my DH; he would like to wait until Isla is a bit older before actively trying. He's also hoping to space them a bit more so we don't have two in full time day care together for a long time. It is expensive so I see his point. I also do feel that Isla is still a baby to me so am not in a huge rush right now to have another. Plus, I wouldn't mind finishing a full year of not being pregnant/TTC. It has been a nice break...

 

[krissie328]

I honestly think the cost of daycare is what is stopping us at the moment. It isn't even that expensive here but we are trying to save to buy a house.

Plus, like Kalon mentioned earlier I am struggling with the hospitals here. We moved 2 hours away and I am not impressed with the care my sister and coworker have gotten in their pregnancies. I was high risk and really felt comfortable with my doctor so I am hoping to move back before I actually get pregnant. If I can convince DH to buy a house either worth less or with a lower percentage down than we can probably do it.

 

[KalonKiki]

I actually googled the hospital and OBGYNs that we have close to us and the hospital close to us actually doesn't seem terrible. There is also a clinic there associated with the hospital I gave birth in last time and one OBGYN that works for both branches, so I think I might switch to her as my OB and go tour the hospital here to see if I really like it.

 

[MamaByrd]

I have no idea what any of you are talking about! But, it all sounds horribly wonderful!

 

[Mrs. Eddie]

It is all wonderful Kaylee, honest

That sucks that you ladies don't have good hospitals close to you. The hospital we will use is absolutely awesome, with a brand new maternity ward. Hopefully we actually get the chance to use it next time

 

[KalonKiki]

Well the hospital closest to us is not necessarily bad, just small. I really hope that I end up liking it because having to travel 2 hours to my old hospital would suck. My OB didn't deliver my son anyway so I'm not particularly attached to the idea of her delivering my next one. The doctor that did deliver him was wonderful though. What I am going to be upset about is possibly needing to get a new pediatriction. The one we have is amazing, but she's two hours away now.

 

[krissie328]

Our pediatrician is pretty good here. He was actually mine when I was little so there is a good history. That would be one bummer to moving again.

I do have a friend who had a baby about 45 minutes from where I am so I may consider looking into her doctor. She was really happy with him. This hospital here has had a long history of subpar service and they get away with it since no other doctors deliver.

 

[tverb84]

I've heard that giving birth is the most painful experience a woman can go through. Is that true?

 

[KalonKiki]

Actually my adult tonsillectomy was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. Labor contractions are a close second though. I can't speak for pushing or crowning because fortunately I had an epidural before I reached that point. I imagine it would have been incredibly painful though and I don't even want to imagine what my contractions felt like after the pitocin kicked in. Pain management is a wonderful thing. If I can handle it next time though I'm hoping to use pain management other than an epidural.

 

[kksy9b]

Tara- it is painful but its a different kind of pain because you know it ends with a baby...its a lot of motivation to get through it TBH- I tore up and trying to pee before they gave me motrin was WAY worse than my labor (like Keely I had an epi during delivery...but labored to 9cm without and peeing after was worse than transition contractions)

 

[KalonKiki]

I had my epi at about 6 or 7 cm I believe, but my water broke at 5 cm or I probably could have also gone to 8 or 9 cm without the epi. My recovery was fantastic though, I didn't even really need the pain killers they gave me. The doctor I had must have done an amazing job on my episiotomy because there was seriously just little to no pain down there. Sex hurt for the first few months though. We didn't even attempt it until after my 6 week appointment and my OB gave us the go ahead, but we ended up reaching about 12 weeks PP and I was so fed up with the lack of sex due to it hurting so much any time that we tried to do it that I just sort of powered through the pain and we took it really slow and then after that it felt like normal.
I don't think that it's ever going to be the same down there as it was, but I'm hoping that just makes it easier when I give birth to my next baby. Apparently your first pregnancy and labor are supposed to be the hardest so I really hope that statement turns out to be true for me and that it only gets easier from here on out.

 

[tverb84]

The most pain I've ever felt was getting my upper lip waxed. That hurt way more than getting my eyebrows waxed. I get my eyebrows waxed every few weeks but never got my lip waxed again. I use nair on my lip now.

 

[LockandKey]

for me pushing was not that painful, it actually came as a relief after having contractions for 36 hrs with DS