Labor hints.....

[DrAussieMom]

I wanted to start a discussion on the helpful hints during the labor process.

I will start - I am not sure enough about everything to *demand* the things I had in my brith plan. I didn't want a pac or sugar water given - it was, I needed nurse support and was left to hit the button for hours. I felt helpless, and will NOT do that next time.

I also learned that the HUGE bag of stuff was not needed - the hospital gave me most of the stuff.

[BC-Jrmedic]

Have your husband act as a go-between... if you need a nurse and they aren't coming send hubby out to find one.

I too didn't bring a whole lot to the hospital. Just an outfit for me and nursing PJ's and clothes for the baby to wear while we were in the hospital.

Definitely bring a rice sock that you can heat in the microwave this will help with the back pain that comes with labor.

You don't need: shampoo, soap etc. I did bring my own pads for after delivery and was glad I did.

[lalalalala]

Definitely bring your own maxi pads. The ones they have in the hospital are more like diapers -- they are enormous and uncomfortable. They gave us everything we needed for the babies so really just needed a going home outfit.

Be aware that if they put you on the magnesium drip for preeclampsia or pre-term labor you will feel very crappy. Nothing you can probably do to avoid it but I wish I knew how bad I'd feel from it.

Luckily, my nurses were the best in the world. They were so attentive and helpful. Wouldn't have gotten through it without them. I wish everyone a great nursing staff as I think that makes all the difference in the overall hospital experience.

[lianyla]

I have to disagree w/ lallala on this one.. I had such severe severe bleeding that there is ABSOLUTELY no way in the world that I could have used a maxi pad. I was all about DIAPERS and I couldn't get them to give me enough of them. OMG. I didn't wear actual giant maximum strength maxis for at least 2 weeks-- had to have depends!! Everyone is different and I did pack my own maxis but negative on u sing them. Nope. Giant diapers over here!

[lianyla]

Originally Posted by BC-kris7

I wanted to start a discussion on the helpful hints during the labor process.

I will start - I am not sure enough about everything to *demand* the things I had in my brith plan. I didn't want a pac or sugar water given - it was, I needed nurse support and was left to hit the button for hours. I felt helpless, and will NOT do that next time.

I also learned that the HUGE bag of stuff was not needed - the hospital gave me most of the stuff.

Ummmm.... were we at the same hospital?? Those wicked nurses would NOT help me! I would ring that stupid button time and time and time again and they'd actually answer me by saying "WHAT!!!!???" I'm like "interesting.. I'm dying in here and NO ONE will help me!" It was pretty bad. I had to SEND someone to "find" someone to help me 90% of the time. It blew! I ripped them a new one on the survey I got!

Just be prepared to rant and rave and BEG for help and pain meds if you have an experience like I did. Oh and my kids were in the NICU and they didn't want to LET me see them! It was weird. Odd and bizzare truly incredible.

I'm sure you won't be goign thru what I did but put on your game face just in case and know your role as the "boss" while you are in there cuz if you let them.. they will ignore you completely.

[pepper]

hire a doula to act as your birth coach and postpartum advocate.
write a detailed birth plan and ask your m/w or ob to go over it with you.
have a copy put into your file as well as bring a copy to the birth with you.

[kellbell]

Ask your nurse on post-partum to give you a stool softener while you are there. The first BM is horrible! One of my nurses told me to put counter pressure on my episiotomy with a clean pad while trying to "go" and that really helped.

[MichelleVA]

I agree I used my own panties after birth but put those huge pads on I hated those disposable panties. I bled a bit too and the pads weren't going to cut it.
I also asked for some to take home so I could have them for another week or so after birth.

[Hoping4#3]

Don't invite the whole world to attend the delivery, even if it means hurting someone's feelings! I wish I had put my foot down!

For my first delivery, I had dh, my mom, and my 2 best friends at the hospital. DH didn't know what to do, and the girls just entertained each other. I was kind of on my own! It was loud and kind of stressful.

For my second delivery, it was just dh and I until I went from 4cm to 9.5cm in about 45 minutes. A friend was visiting and we asked her to stay to take pictures. The lights were dimmed, the room was quiet and it was a much more peaceful experience.

This time, it will be dh, my best friend and I. That's it!

[jan21]

Plan to be flexible. As the L&D RN wrote in the post above, the only expectation you should have is to come home with a healthy baby(ies).

I was sure I knew how labor would go. I was sure I would be nursing right away. I ended up with Baby B going into distress after Baby A was born (vaginal) and them having to suction her out as fast as possible. Then I had a severe hemorrhage, at one point DH thought was I going to die (my bp was dangerously low - there were about 20 people "anesthesia stat" running around me hitting my arms trying to get more IV sites while my veins collapsed). I didn't even see Baby B for hours, needed 2 blood tranfusions, couldn't walk, hold or nurse my babies for days.

I was depressed about how things went for a long time, when I should have just focused on the fact that we were all fine in the end.

Personally I think birth plans just set up unrealistic expectations...

Janice
Laura & Elizabeth 11/29/00