Over the weekend, B and I had another baby prep class. This one was ‘Lamaze’-based and focused on laboring and coping. We really had no idea what to expect. I half went in there thinking, Oh!em!gee! They’re going to make us sit on the floor, legs.wide.open. chanting, hee hee hoo… hee hee hoo…

Now, I know there are some ladies that are really curious as to what we learned, so here goes it…

Contractions

Labor at home as long as you can. CONSERVE ENERGY! REST!

Drink lots of H2O if you think you’re in labor… it’ll make false labor go away

Track contractions: 3-5 min apart for an hour… then go to hospital

Use breathing techniques (like hee hee hoo or whatever your preference) when you can no longer walk, talk, or laugh

Laboring

Pee every 30-60 minutes

Moving helps labor progress

When labor plateaus: change positions, drink, & pee

Squat on birthing ball–open legs and sway

Pushing

Take one cleansing (deep & slow) breath

Then one big inhale to push

Push from diaphragm down

Bear down for no more than 8 seconds

Get three pushes in per contraction

After baby is born!!!

Baby is usually alert for about an hour after birth

Skin-to-skin contact, a.s.a.p. to help regulate baby’s temperature

Nursing within the first hour leads to better eating habits, long-term

It’s safe to start tummy time in the hospital, and should continue this several times a day

Our instructor suggested letting the baby nap on her tummy once a day (supervised, of course!)

*****

We definitely received lots of useful information and I highly, highly, highly recommend attending a birthing/labor class if you’re pregnant. I feel so much more confident and in control. Of course, my labor will be in God’s hands, but at least I’m not completely.freaked.out. anymore. I don’t do well with ‘fear of the unknown’ and now, I won’t be shocked or thinking things like, whaatt? you have to deliver the placenta, too? AND you might poop during delivery?! No one tells you these things before you’re pregnant, people. 

**I have a well-check up tomorrow, then on Thursday we have an ‘Extra TLC’ class where they’re gonna go more in depth with breathing during labor–something I know I’ll need help with!

In the last few years of my life, before I was ever pregnant, I felt very strongly about having a birth that was au natural. And when B was just my boyfriend back then, we’d have “debates” over it. He’d call me c-r-a-z-y, but I always stuck to my guns, saying things like, “My mom did it. I can, too!” 


However, that quickly changed once I actually became pregnant […among other things. Remember this post?]. I soon began thinking, Well, you don’t walk out of the hospital with a 5-foot-tall trophy recognizing all your hard work. You don’t even get a Rachel Berry-worthy gold star or button that reads, “I did it naturally.” I guess you get bragging rights? But it’s not like that’s even long-lasting. You just get a “Whoa! Good for you.” Or sometimes a, “Why? She’s crazy!” behind your back.


So, for the majority of my pregnancy I’ve been thinking I’d get an epidural. I mean, why go through all the pain? Epidural or not, every woman still walks out of the hospital with a healthy baby, right?


Well… after our Labor & Coping class this weekend, I’ve since changed my mind… yet again. We had such a wonderful instructor/nurse. She was never ever pushy. But she made me realize that having a natural birth may be a lot more doable [I didn’t say easier] than I imagined.

We were told that if a woman changes her mind and asks for an epidural it’s usually when she’s about 6-7cm dilated, or between the Active and Transition stage. Our instructor also went on to say that if a woman can make it through the Active Labor stage, she is more apt to make it through labor without an epidural, since she’s basically home-free…. only about 30 to 60 minutes left! Most people think that if it took you eight hours to get to 4cm dilated, then it’s going to take you another 8+ hours to get to 10cm. But that’s not the case. The farther along you are dilated, the faster labor gets. [This is, of course, in a ‘normal’ labor.]


That got me thinking. 


If I could make it through the first two stages of labor, then surely I could make it through the rest. 


The first two are the hardest because they last the longest. Our instructor said that if you’re thinking of having an epidural during the Active Labor stage, tell yourself to wait another twenty minutes; or work through another few contractions. She said, you may realize that by the time you do so, you’re about to enter the Transition stage (~8 cm dilated!!).


So what have I decided?


I’ve decided that I’d like to try and do it naturally for as long as I can. Our instructor was very objective in her teachings, but you could tell she was pro natural childbirth (after all, she had done it FIVE TIMES herself!). She was very encouraging about ‘hanging in there’ until about 6cm because once you’re there, you only have about an hour left to go. You’ve made it that far, why have an epidural then? Again, this is of course, if everything is going smoothly with the baby. I’m not even getting into if the baby’s breached, transversed, etc. That’s a whole other story! 


But of course, if I get to say, 4 or 5 centimeters dilated and absolutely!cannot!go!on! I’m not going to feel guilty, or feel like a ‘failure’ if I choose to have an epidural. B and I have discussed it, and I told him that if I ask for an epidural, he has to tell me, “Let’s wait twenty more minutes.” [I will put it in writing, if I have to, to remind myself I really said this because I probably won’t believe I did lol] And unless I’m cursing his head off, he said he’d stick to the agreement 😉


An epidural usually (of course, not always) prolongs labor because the woman is numb and cannot feel when to push. Plus, the woman cannot get up to walk around [due to the numbness]. Getting up and walking, changing positions, rocking in a chair, bouncing/sitting on a medicine ball, or squatting helps move labor along. I want to be able–or at least have the choice–to do the above. Thinking about being confined to a bed because I can’t move my legs makes me agitated inside. (Maybe it’s the control-freak in me??)


But most importantly, I feel at peace with this decision. For me. At least for now. {lol}

Good news! My glucose test came back normal, along with all my other blood work. Yipee!! But don’t you hate how YOU have to call the doctor’s office to find these things out? When they told you nearly TWO weeks ago they’d call you in a couple of days. Oh well… I’m just glad I don’t have to go back for the three-hour test. Can I get an Amen?! I asked so many people what they ate/didn’t eat the night before and morning of the test, and read on baby forums, but honestly the reviews were mixed. I ended up just eating a thin-sliced bagel with peanut butter and water for breakfast. The day before, I had ice cream, and it took every.bone.and.muscle in my body to stay away from the gallon-sized sweet tea container in the ‘fridge. Mmm I love me some sweet tea…

In other news… I scheduled an appointment to get my hair cut at the end of the month. EEK!! I am the!absolute!worst! at getting my hair cut, let alone having someone new do it. I even told the receptionist the hair dresser should know that I’m a nervous wreck when it comes to getting my hair cut. There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll probably shed a tear or two. My husband joked that he’s going to get a new wife. Silly…


I’m anxious and excited for a new change though! My hair is fine, but thick, and oh.so.wavy. It has taken me years…years I tell ‘ya! to find a conditioner that’ll let me almost run my fingers through my hair. And that miracle product is Redken’s All Soft. But on top of that I spray in Pantene’s leave-in conditioner. Before Redken’s miracle, it would take me forever and day to comb through my hair. No joke. My college roommate could shower and brush through her hair before I even finished combing through mine. Can you believe that?! I figured since I’m going to be a new mommy [ahh that sounds so friggin’ cool!], the last thing I’ll have time (or the desire) to do is my hair. But why should I sacrifice looking cute, either?! I figured cutting my hair to my shoulders would help ease and shorten the hair drying/straightening torture routine. I seriously h.a.t.e. doing my hair. Love doing others, but mine? notsomuch. When my hair was short in high school, it was such a breeze to straighten. Plus, the hair gods have blessed me with the ability to go days without having to wash my hair. Yeah, be jealous. I just hope the hormones don’t change this!


Anywho, I’ll be sure to post pics!


…Going to visit the ‘rents again this weekend, but I promise I won’t be late with the weekly prego post 🙂


I hope everyone is having a fabulous week! xoxo