any advice for how to prepare for labor?

[Anonymous]

I am expecting my first in two weeks. I always intended to take prenatal yoga classes but for whatever reasons, that never happened.

Any advice on what I could be doing in the short time that I have left to "prepare" myself for labor? Any suggestions for approaches you found helpful?

I would be grateful for any advice, I'm starting to get really nervous! TIA

[Anonymous]

Just that it won't be anything what you expected or envisioned for better or worse.

I did prenatal yoga and although I had an easy labor, who knows if that's why. You can ask your doctor if its okay to do some of the exercises this close to your due date but in my yoga class I was told that if I did just one exercise it would be the "squat." This helps open up your hips and increases flexibility. Basically, you squat with your knees bent and your butt close to your ankles but just above the floor, with your arms/hands resting on your knees. Your feet can be flat (which is hard) or slightly bent (easier but not for stability). Ask your doctor first though.

[Anonymous]

The best way to prepare is to relax. Try not to stress about it (I know, easier said than done). Physically, just get up and move. Walk around as much as possible. I wouldn't worry about taking a yoga class unless you really want to. I think just as (probably more) important is to prepare yourself mentally.

Make yourself a play list of relaxing songs that you can listen to while in labor. Speak to your husband about how you'd like labor to go (when/if to get a c-section, his role, any other person's role, etc).

Personally, I think new moms (I did this as well) tend to focus way too much on the labor and way too little on what happens after the labor. Things like - if my baby is crying and the nurses suggest to supplement with formula, how do I respond.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thank you both for your responses. I appreciate the suggestions.

[Anonymous]

DH and I took a daylong class at GU on labor. but, labor didn't go ANYTHING like we thought it would, based on the class.

a good friend of mine took a 12-week class with her DH on the bradley method, intending to have a non-medicated birth. they spent months preparing. turns out, she had to have an emergency c-section, because the baby was breech.

I don't think there is really any one good way to prepare. I think I would have been just fine talking to my friends about their births (which I did) and reading books and/or articles from reliable sources about childbirth (which I also did).

my best adivce -- don't try to envision the perfect birth. that's pretty impossible to achieve. if you have things you would really like to do (like using a birthing ball, for example), make sure your labor nurses/docs/midwives know that. but, don't feel bad if your labor is such that nothing you planned actually ended up happening. the most important thing is that you bring that baby into the world. how he/she got there is far less important than whether he/she is healthy and has parents ready to care for him/her.

and, enjoy these last couple of weeks without the baby! you'll miss them!

[Anonymous]

just try to chill and pack your phone/blackberry charger now. i think i spent half my labor on the phone to friends and family. you get especially chatty if you get the drugs! it will be the greatest day of your life, but will be nothing like you expect. just relax now knowing that everyone else seems to do it (over and over) so how bad can it be? really, it will be great.

[Anonymous]

I read up a lot on labor/birth/post partum etc. and found it very helpful to know what to expect at different points of the process, especially when things weren't going they way they were "supposed to". As far as it being different than you expect - I don't know, some parts were definitely different than I expected (I ended up with an emerg c/s after long labor) but some parts were *exactly* like I imagined (I have a very very low pain tolerance level, so I pretty much knew labor would be awful, and... well... it was). OP, good luck to you and best wishes for an easy delivery!

[Anonymous]

If you plan on using drugs, it's good to read up on the possible side effects, like it's normal to get the shakes and it might be much stronger on one side. This way you won't panic when you start to feel weird.

[Anonymous]

I would advise reading at least a little bit about c-sections, even if you're sure you're not having one. I read tons of stuff about labor and took a labor class, and totally ignored all the stuff about c-sections because I was so sure I wasn't having one. I was really mentally prepared for, and really excited for, vaginal labor and delivery. Guess what? C-section. I found out at 39 weeks that the baby was breech - the doctors didn't catch it until then. I was lucky because I had a few days to prepare myself. It sounds like you're a little like me, in that you like preparing yourself mentally for what's to come. If I'd had an emergency c-section, I wouldn't have been able to do that. Since I'd boned up on it, I was able to ask a lot of questions, and I knew what to expect at every step.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Get the epidural. The person who invented this is a genius! Pain ... and then like magic, no pain! I respect those who chose to do it the natural way but it was not for me. I guess I'm a sissy! haha Also, like a PP, I had planned on a vaginal birth and 14 hours later, I had a c-section. Anything can happen so don't expect the birth to go as you plan or want. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you leave the hospital with a healthy baby and that you are healthy too. The labor part really scared me but the reality was no where near as bad as I thought and for me, the recovery was worse. Everyone has theoir own unique experience. Just keep thinking how billons and billons of women have done this before you and do it again and again so it can't be that bad!

For after the baby is born: The best advice I got from a friend was to let the lactation consultants at the hospital help you. I am a generally modest person and even after the delivery was over and several hospital personnel have "seen" everything you have I still felt awkward and didn't want to be touched more by lactation consultants but ... I let them help me and teach me how to breastfeed and it was one of the best things I have done. (I did not take a class ahead of time.) I was there 5 days after the c-section so it really gave me time to work with them so take advantage of any time you have at the hospital. Georgetown had great consultants and I can still call them with questions 8 months later. Also, I rented the hospital-grade pump for quite a few months and that was helpful to get me started and to get a freezer supply going before I had to return to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: my best adivce -- don't try to envision the perfect birth. that's pretty impossible to achieve. if you have things you would really like to do (like using a birthing ball, for example), make sure your labor nurses/docs/midwives know that. but, don't feel bad if your labor is such that nothing you planned actually ended up happening. the most important thing is that you bring that baby into the world. how he/she got there is far less important than whether he/she is healthy and has parents ready to care for him/her.

I couldn't agree more! The best way to prepare is to relax and be open to whatever may come your way. Envision all the joy that a baby brings and trust that your body will know what to do. I was amazed by how instinct really did kick in once labor got going.

Good luck!!

[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.

Everyone's different, I think. My recovery was pretty smooth, although I was much more sore, bloody, sweaty and hyper the first few days than I expected.

Speaking of expectations, I was glad I was prepared for the worst. It helped me roll with the tough parts and appreciate the easy parts.

[Anonymous]

First, just go with everything. You don't know how easy or hard things are going to be until you are actually in there. So just trust your Dr and don't have any preconceived notions about what you do and don't want.

Second, be prepared that you might throw up during the pushing. Ok, no one told me that until about 2 weeks before and I am glad she did. I guess it is commom and since I was sick almost my whole pregnancy...it was not unexpected when I did throw up twice. So if you feel like you are going to throw up...tell someone.

I ended up with an emergency C section because we had a cord situation. I even threw up after my son was out of me. They finally put some meds into my IV and that stopped it.

I don't mean to be gross...I just think it is one of those dirty little secrets from labor that no one tells you about. Thank heavens that lady from my office did!

[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.

I'm with you on this one. Labor was totally managable. I got an epidural at 7 cm (shortly after I got to the hospital). It worked well for a while, then was much stronger one one side than the other. But it still wasn't THAT bad. I was petrified about delivery...and really, despite my child being nearly 10 lbs, I felt nothing. I mean, pushing is hard work (felt like I had dont WAY too many sit-ups). But I was so totally unprepared for the recovery period. Granted, my child was ginormous and I had *a lot* of damage down there. But still. Somehow I missed the memo on that part.

With DC #2, labor and delivery were EVEN easier, but recovery wasn't all that much better.

OH-- I have one big piece of advice. If you plan to breastfeed, and if you have any intention of buying a pump, do NOT leave the hospital without it. I did not realize the fast and furious pace that my milk would come in. About 3-4 days after DC was born, within about an hour, I went from nothing to porn star. We had the pump, but had no idea how to use it, never mind have anything sterilized. Didn't care. We figured it out quickly and broke it in--just had to relieve the pressure so that DC could eat. If it had been all ready and sterilized, we could have saved some of that!!!