Hellobee Boards

@agold: I was kinda go with the flow kind of mindset too. But I do think there are more things you can research (or learn about in a class) other than just breathing techniques. Like an episotomy, non-epi pain meds etc. Just things that you may want to be prepared to either ask for or decline if they come up in your birth and you can make a quick informed decision.

My thing for an emergency C-Section was a short list like
- I would like my husband to stay with me at all times if possible especially during the epidural/spinal (I dont like needles)
- I would like to not have my arms strapped down if possible.
- I would like the baby to be put immediately to my chest for skin to skin if possible/healthy.
- Baby will stay with us until we are ready to leave together if possible. Or DH will accompany baby.
- Wait to do measurements and bath until I'm stitched up and off the table.
- DH or myself will be the only ones to hold and see the baby (no family)

ETA - most of these things are not things I put in a list and printed out for the hospital but more went over with my husband so he as my birth partner knew my wishes.

@agold: Yea our hospital does baby in the room but taken out for certain tests/procedures. We always asked to accompany the baby for those.

There is also a list of baby procedures that you can decide about. When to do eye drops, vitamin K shot, formula/sugar water, cord clamping and donation, etc.

@dcw6411: Oh man! I hope you can get it figured out and get those contractions to stop so that your little guy has some more time inside! Pre-term labor is so scary. I'm glad it sounds like your doctor is being proactive and I am glad you went in to be looked at.

And I know what you mean about not having time while parenting two toddlers - I feel like I can only pop in now and again but I do really love to follow along with all of you ladies and the pregnancies.

I haven't posted in a while either, but read through every day! I've been having contractions for unknown reasons since about 24 weeks (I'm 32 weeks now). The only thing that seems to keep it somewhat under control is rest. So I'm on bed rest until at least 37 weeks. I still have contractions, but not nearly as frequently or with the intensity that they were before. Thinking of all of the other mamas who are going through this too! Pre term labor is scary stuff!

@dcw6411: @CoffeeMom: good to hear from you ladies, but sorry to hear about the drama! tell those babies to stay put glad that you both able to get things under control-- you sound amazingly calm and collected, mamas.

@pwnstar: you, too! SO relieved that everything was okay last night. sorry if I missed this, but do you plan to change anything with your work or activity level, or was your doctor just like, you're okay, carry on? also I am so ignorant, but what's a Peri? googled it and came up with this-- guessing she is not who you're seeing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peri_Brown

@T.H.O.U.: @LCTBQE: @pregnantbee: @coopsmama: Thank you for the encouragement ladies. I'm hoping for a quiet uneventful week.

big thank you!! to everyone who shared their thoughts on the birth class--I really appreciated reading through these today. @pregnantbee: this was so thorough and educational amazing, as always from you. and I will definitely file away your thoughts on a lactation consultant and re-group after the birth when I figure out what the situation is. @Silva: just yesterday before I left work, I was talking to a co-worker friend who had your exact. same. exact. birth story. so very cool that you feel empowered by your choice and experience, and that's phenomenal that you (and you @pwnstar: ) were able to do the vaginal deliveries you hoped for because of it. how do you know how your baby is positioned going into birth?

@agold: @MrsSCB: based on what all these experienced mamas have said, I think I'm just going to do the hospital tour, which I believe is free, and an online course and read Silva's book, The Birth Partner. if it was less money and took half the time and I didn't have my heart set on an epidural, I'd take the in-person class. my real-life girlfriend is doing an online thing so gonna check that out, too, but @MrsSCB, would you wall me which one you're doing? (don't know why it's TX-specific, but I'm a native Texan if that helps )

@Pirouette: my OB is pretty close to the south Carnegie, and that's where I went for the NT and both anatomy scans for this pregnancy, and I have no complaints. I only went to the north location once, to confirm fetal demise 8 weeks into my first pregnancy, so, not the best memory. the doctor I spoke with there was a young Indian woman who was actually super thorough and nice, and didn't at all rub me the wrong way. But, it's too important for you to feel comfortable, so why not just make your future appointments back at the south location? it's just a few more stops on the 6 thanks for your thoughts on the LC! like I told pregnantbee, I'm just filing it all away and going to see what happens. but glad to hear it works out for most people, and I definitely won't be shy about hitting up the LCs at Sinai, and then doing a group or private consult if need be. book storage: I like the cube idea! simple, cheap, stores a ton (and toys too if you want) and nice way to use that space.

oh, speaking of burning money! update on my surprise $5,500 genetic testing bill--my husband contested it (BLESS him, I hate that shit) and it's apparently down to a modest $700. woof.

@MrsSCB: oh right, hahaha, your "surgery". totally agree on the runaround. good luck wearing them down instead of the other way around

@T.H.O.U.: Thank you! Bed rest is very boring, especially since I'm such an active person. So far, my number one activity is shopping for baby things. My husband thinks I need to find something else to do

@LCTBQE: Thanks! I'm not as calm and collected as it may sound here...there have definitely been some tears shed. At the beginning there was some panic, just because there was/is so much to arrange and figure out how to handle. It's gradually working out, but hasn't been an easy road! I'm blaming it at least partially on pregnancy hormones!

@dcw6411: I'm so sorry to hear that you are having similar problems! I hope they can be relieved with some rest and that baby stays put! I understand the childcare issue - I have a three year old DD, and although she is in school right now, tomorrow is the last day for the year and she'll be off for the summer. We've been lucky enough to have a family friend help out for a couple of hours a day, but this summer will definitely be a challenge.

@Silva: @LCTBQE: I thought this graphic was cool, too. I think my guy is in the LOT position. My OB said based on where they found the heartbeat, his head is down on the left side. I feel like his butt is in the upper left, and then I keep getting something (I assume feet?) in my right ribs. This could all be totally wrong...but it's fun to guess. My husband always says he wishes there was a window so we could peek in and see what he's doing in there

@MrsSCB: I'm pretty sure based on where she was last week at our ultrasound, she's transverse and posterior. Her head was/is by my ribs on the right, and her feet were on my left. Even though I'm having a c-section, I'm hoping she goes head down soon because it's getting uncomfortable.

@CoffeeMom: Ugh. I'm sorry you're on bed rest. But whatever helps baby keep growing and stay put. Let me know if you'd like any help getting digital library materials to keep you occupied

@LCTBQE: Thank you for the sweet compliment -- I really appreciate it. I'm sure you'll end up doing whatever is right for you. I just wanted you to know that there are more options that you may not have known about. I think your plan sounds good, especially the saving money aspect of it!

And your genetic testing bill is still $700?? WTF? Can you instead tell them you're going to pay out of pocket? I thought they cap it for OOP at more like $300?? Geez. Thank goodness your husband called.

@MrsSCB: Reading this is raising my blood pressure. The runaround is sooooo annoying! They totally just want you to give up and pay. What a PIA. I hope you can get it resolved. Even an hour or 2 of your time is worth not paying $500.

That chart is so interesting. My baby boy was probably LOT. I'm kinda thinking baby girl is hanging out the same way. I know she is head down based on last week's U/S. And I keep feeling strong limbs poke me and stretch at the top. I'll ask at the next U/S

@Umberto: I hope you are feeling better!

@Pirouette: @LCTBQE: My Peri wants me to work from home at least a couple of days a week . . . which is great in theory, but it's really hard to put into practice. But I can say that I will be making an effort to work half days at least once a week, if not more as things progress, depending on how I feel. And that I won't hesitate to go home and rest if the contractions increase again like they did this week. I don't think I would get any push-back, or at least not too much, but it's so hard to appear fragile/unreliable to my bosses . . . it takes a while--and a lot of effort--to come back from that. That said, healthy mama/baby are priority one, so I'll just have to sort that out on the flip side, if need be. One day at a time!

Eta: Having said all that, I just talked to one of my partners, and mentioned that I might start taking a half day on Fridays. His response was, "why not in the middle of the week too? or at any time that you need to?" I'm gonna chalk up my previous statements to me imposing extra tough standards on myself because I am apparently masochistic like that!

@LCTBQE: Peri = Perinatologist (for high-risk pregnancies). I see a Peri due to complications with my first pregnancy and being AMA.

I wanted to second the rec for an in-home lactation consultant (in the event that you don't feel you have a handle on it when you leave the hospital, or if complications arise later). The LC I dealt with at the hospital was horrible. I'll spare you the details on that story, but suffice it to say I was really struggling once we brought LO home, and my husband actually found a LC for me (without me knowing) and scheduled a visit. She was ah-may-zing . . . she came over for three separate visits, and consulted with me on the phone and via email multiple times. I can honestly say that she is the reason that I was able to continue BFing - I couldn't have done it without her!

I really like the Freestyle pump. I don't have anything to compare it to, but the portability/not needing an outlet made pumping a little better/easier logistically (although let's be honest, I don't know anyone who enjoys pumping!).

@dcw6411: Gah, I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's so, so stressful - and so hard to deal with things you can't control! I hope you are able to rest up and that the contractions back the eff off!

@CoffeeMom: I'm so sorry. I hate that for you! Bed rest is so damn frustrating--and boring! I was going a little crazy yesterday hanging out in bed/on the couch all day - and that was just one day! I hope you get an early release, so to speak, from bed rest!

@pregnantbee: I'm just reading something you wrote yesterday about almost being given an "unwanted episiotomy". I didn't realize that we could have an option to not have one. So the doctor thought you needed one, you said no, and you ended up tearing and thought the tearing was better than the episiotomy? I'm so clueless on this issue.

@dcw6411: I'm so sorry you are having troubles again! I always look for your responses because you were the other first trimester bleeding/bed rest girl on here with me. I really hope that you can just tweak your diet a little to fix these hopefully rather insignificant issues. Keep us updated, please!!

@CoffeeMom: Oh wow! 5 weeks bed rest?!? I'm so sorry you are having contractions. I hope the bed rest helps and keeps that baby in place a while longer! And I hear you on worrying about all that is left to do to prepare for baby. When I was on bed rest in January, my husband had to put the christmas stuff away. Well, he didn't quite do it right as I like to do it. Bless his heart. But if I had to go on bed rest and have him do stuff around the house that I normally do, I'd probably panic! Hope you can relax, though, and not worry about that kind of silly unimportant stuff.

@LCTBQE: Peri Brown?! You are so funny! Regarding lactation class, I think I am going to take one next month at my hospital. Its 2.5 hours on a Thursday night for $35. I will check out that book, The Birth Partner. And can you please wall me with the online course you are interested in??

@MrsSCB: That run-around about the hospital bill is horrible!! I will honestly crap my pants if I get a bill in any amount for the non-stress test and amniotic fluid check I had done on Monday.

@T.H.O.U.: Thanks for updating the due date list! I keep forgetting how many weeks I am. can't believe I'm almost to 30!!

@MrsSCB: Awesome graphic! I think my baby girl is in the ROA position. I always feel her head and butt on my right side!

@T.H.O.U.: I'm feeling the exact same things!

@OldpuebloJenn: I wish I could have fetal mapping done!

@agold: You can say to no anything but you should always be asked (which I don't think @pregnantbee: was). When my midwife said she thought I needed an episiotomy I trusted her but I birthed in a birth centre with no forceps/vacuum so this was really our only option and we needed to get DD out quick. A good provider will talk through these things with you.

@AprilFool: that's why I linked that specific article, because it gives good reasons for them being performed rather than just saying all episiotomies are bad! Hope your recovery was easy!

@OldpuebloJenn: I'm still angry about it....4 years later. I'm so happy my husband and doula were there to advocate for me. It simply felt like the dr had no faith in me and that he was late to his morning golf game or something. Not cool. And NOT a reason for an episiotomy.

@agold: Dr, doula, husband? I can't remember who ended up trying it last time.

@agold: Nope! Maybe I should have though. Ended up with a painful 2nd degree tear. Seems so....awkward, though.