any advice for how to prepare for labor?

[Anonymous]

How recovered were all of you four weeks after birth? I am due about a month before Thanksgiving. Everyone and their brother seems to want to come Thanksgiving weekend to see the baby. Just wondering if I will be up to a houseful of company by then-- I am concerned that I may be promising too much-- but MIL is telling me that I will be "fine" a month out, and maybe that is true. This is my first baby and I have no clue what to expect!

[Anonymous]

You've received some great advice. I'm just going to reiterate that it's impossible to predict how any one person's labor is going to happen. Just know that whatever you end up facing, you will get through it. Even if you feel like you can't take it, realize you ARE taking it and you can do it. Hopefully that will help you get through it whether it's pushing through without drugs or waiting for the anasthesiologist.

On a weird side note, my MIL used to always tell me that when she was having her children, the actual pushing part was never painful - just the contractions up through transition. To my surprise, she was actually right. I ended up with a super quick unmedicated birth and once the urge to push hit, my contractions were no longer painful and the only thing on my mind was pushing the baby out.

You're going to be just fine!

[Anonymous]

23:01,
I think that you might want to think about not hosting a house full of relatives 4 weeks after you are due. While a select number of visitors can be helpful, that many guests could easily become overwhelming when added to the responsibilities of caring for a newborn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell you what I was NOT prepared for. The 2 weeks after labor. They don't mention it in books, they don't talk about it at all. But you need to be prepared (with HELP!) for the 2 weeks after labor, where it seriously will be difficult to move (even when things are healing, it honestly takes a long while before you're walking correctly, before you can pee without it hurting, before your stomach feels okay).

Am I alone on that? I felt like I was side-swiped after childbirth. Totally unprepared for what it would be like after labor.

You are not alone. I have said that I could do the whole thing again....pregnancy, labor.....but I am so scared of the week afterward! I had a very long labor and an episiotomy and it was just awful. The labor was only bad until I had an epidural, but I had to walk around the hospital for 1 1/2 hours to get dialated enough and that part sucked, although when I remember it is was actually a nice memory of wandering around with my husband and then my Parents came and walked with us and it was exciting to think the baby was coming even though it was horribly painful of course The worst was that after the labor I took Percoset and it constipated me. So, this is way too much information, but since you asked and this is something I really was blindsided by.....consitipation for days on end is awful because it becomes toxic to your system. By the end of the week I was so sick I went back to the hospital. I had never felt anything like it. It was like crawling out of my skin. SO, make sure you take medication for consiptation that don't interact poorly with the other medications you may take.....the stool softeners they gave me didn't help much. I needed that Percoset, it's not like I was taking it for fun. Also, the episiotomy stitches start to disolve and some of those can lead to a quick, sharp pain. When you know what it is though it's not as scary so it only lasts a second and you just kind of deal.

Oh, and also you may either have to pee all the time, or you will be unable to pee. I was unable to pee and had to turn the faucet on in whatever bathroom I was in and really concentrate. That was weird after months of having to go every 20 minutes (or less). Also, your whole center of balance is off because the weight of the baby is gone so it's weird getting up and walking around.

I also didn't realize the cocktail of what they make you put in your mesh underpants. That's not so bad but make sure you get the antesceptic spray.

You do not sleep when you're there. They wake you up like every hour to take your vitals. I didn't breast feed and the baby was at the nursery, but I still didn't sleep I also loved having my husband with me at the hospital because he helped me get in and out of bed. I feel like a personal room is the greatest thing.

As far as labor goes....just relax and listen to the nurses. They will tell you how to breathe and they will coach you in pushing.

Oh, and I agree that I have known many people that breezed through both vaginal and cesarian deliveries and/or recoveries. Just because one person has a hard time doesn't mean you will.