Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Mrs]

Blenheim, thanks for your reply and the heads up on that pending legislation. I''m glad you''re feeling relatively good abot your body image! I wish I were feeling as good about my increased chest. I too have started to produce colostrum which kinda freaked me out at first since I didn''t realize it would be yellow! I feel like my skin has thinned so even though my breasts are bigger, they don''t feel full so much as saggy... oh well... small price to pay for the gift of life! My thighs and butt are bigger now too and I''m very glad it''s not bathing suit season!! I''m glad not to be alone in having these feelings so thanks for commiserating!

DD, I''m glad you''re loving your pregnant body now! It took me longer than I''d like to look pregnant as well and it''s a huge relief now that it''s so obvious even if I wish I weren''t quite so big now. It kinda scares me that I still have 3 months to grow... I''ve gained 25-30 pounds already as well, which is on top of the 10 pounds I''ve gained since the wedding (though I did loose those 10 pounds FOR the wedding...) I hope the weight gain slows down or I might be in trouble! I''m definitely not able to be as active now so I hope once I can start moving more (once the baby''s here) my body gets back to where it was quickly... we''ll see. It''s great that your husband is so turned on by your current shape. I sort of wish mine felt the same but am also somewhat glad he doesn''t since I don''t feel sexy at all right now and I''d hate to always be turning him down...

Courtney, I''m sorry your husband isn''t making you feel as sexually wanted as you''d like right now. Perhaps you could talk to him about it since I would imagine he''d be happy to work on it? I''ve found that this is the ONLY time in our relationship when I''ve found lingerie helpful. It helps makes ME feel more sexy (even if it doesn''t fit quite right these days!) and it''s a good indicator to my DH that I''m in need of some lovin and it doesn''t require a ton of work on my part. Perhaps that could help you too? Keep in mind that once you get bigger, sex becomes more challenging and you need to get more creative which I''m sure some woudl enjoy, but it''s made me feel less inclined to get it on... So take advantage of being able to move around more easily now.

 

[robbie3982]

I really thought that I would have a hard time with my body changing, but so far so good. The only thing that sort of bothers me is the cellulite. It''s not new really, but when I was working out hard core my muscle tone made it much less noticeable. Luckily I only see it for a few minutes at most when I''m getting in and out of the shower. I agree with DD that wearing clothes that fit makes a HUGE difference. I packed away a ton of stuff today that no longer fits and I added in anything that was no longer flattering as well.

14w1d

 

[ljmorgan]

Body changes during pregnancy are so fun

Some days I am thrilled with my growing belly, some days not so much! I''ll be 23 weeks tomorrow and I''m up 13 pounds so far. I DO feel a lot better when I wear my fitted maternity tees from gap, because then I feel like I definitely look pregnant as opposed to the gal who should ease up at the buffet.

I wanted to share my most exciting news of the weekend. Ever since beginning the hunt for nursery furniture I''ve been in love with the Pottery Barn lullaby rocker. It''s an upholstered chair with tailored slipcovers that is sooo comfy and fits my small frame perfectly (some rocking chairs don''t work for gals who are 5''1!) Well the chair with the slipcover I want is like $900, and I managed to score one on Craigslist for $100. Most on Craigslist go anywhere from $350-600 from what I''ve seen, but this one had a terrible picture -- the slipcover had stains, it was crumpled, and the ad mentioned that the rocker rails on the bottom needed some work. I decided to take a chance and go see it and was thrilled. The slipcover was definitely dirty, but the upholstered part underneath was pristine. I''m getting a new slipcover anyway because I want a different color. This morning I removed the rocking rails and sanded them down, stripped them, and stained them a dark espresso color (wearing a respirator mask of course!) They look great.

I see some of you are getting the Arm''s Reach Co-Sleeper and I hope that you like it! Well I hope that I like it too, because I bought ours today. I got the mini convertible because I thought it would be nice for when we travel to my parents and such. Wal-mart has the color I wanted (toffee) for $129 so I had to pick it up.

 

[Blenheim]

Lindsey - that sounds like such a great find!

General question - when did/will you wash all of the clothing and fabric stuff? I decided to go ahead and prep the prefold diapers today (they need to be washed then dried 4 times before use so that they''re nice and fluffy and absorbant), which has got me wondering when is the appropriate time to wash everything else.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/4/2009 9:12:31 PM
Author: Blenheim
Lindsey - that sounds like such a great find!


General question - when did/will you wash all of the clothing and fabric stuff? I decided to go ahead and prep the prefold diapers today (they need to be washed then dried 4 times before use so that they''re nice and fluffy and absorbant), which has got me wondering when is the appropriate time to wash everything else.

I haven''t washed a bunch of stuff yet because many moms I know told me to keep the tags on and the items unwashed until we are sure we are going to use them which is a great recommendation because already there are things that we have that I doubt we will use and now I can still return the items. Obviously it doesn''t apply if the stuff is used, then I would wash ASAP just to get it out of the way.

 

[Blenheim]

So there''s no real problem in washing them too early? I was figuring that they''ll be sitting in a drawer, so dust shouldn''t accumulate on them, and that I don''t wash out of season clothing before rewearing it again, but just wanted to make sure. How much clothing did you wash before the babies arrive?

I''m being completely lazy today, other than a walk and some yoga, and the only productive thing I''ve felt like doing is laundry. We had two regular loads and then the prefolds are now in the washer for the fourth time.

Oh, can anyone help me identify this baby... thing? My mom gave it to me and says that she used it with me, but doesn''t remember what it was for. I''m not sure either.

 

[robbie3982]

Is it a carseat cover? The little slot kind of looks like where the buckle would go.

 

[Blenheim]

Ah, that might make sense. But my carseat is so much cuter than the yellow gingham lacy thing.

Edit - if it is, is this something that would even be desirable to keep around for some reason, or should I just throw it in the trash or donate pile? Since my mom didn't even remember what it is, I doubt she would be offended if it just disappeared.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Courtney I think having a delicate conversation with your hubby may be in order. He probably doesn''t know what you need, and I bet he can easily give you more hugs, kisses, snuggles and strokes, even if sex isn''t actually in the cards.

Mrs LOL at the moving part! I hear you! I get out of breath so easily these days that we have been getting a little more "creative" so that I don''t need to move around very much! haha... So far I am finding that my interest is a little higher than it was pre-preggo (I blame the pill for that) but we''ll see what happens when I get really big in the next 8 weeks.

Blenheim I''d wash whenever you want, it isn''t going to grow poison in the drawer

hee hee... I am not very obsessive about that stuff though. And I thought I''d pass on a little tip from my cloth diaper friends: They all said that with a newborn it is mush easier to use disposables. They outgrow the newborn sized cloth ones so quickly that the cost is prohibitive, and the poops are so runny/watery that the leakage issue is pretty big with cloth on newborns. Anyhoo, thought I''d pass it on, it changed our minds.

My "shopping" find of the week: Our close friends are through having kids and basically unloaded ALL their baby stuff to us! We have all the clothing we could ever need for the first year of baby''s life, a snuggly carrier, cloth diapers galore, a million burping and receiving blankets and much more! I am very cheap so I was happy about all of this! I know that the grandparents will buy us a million nice new clothing items, but anything I can save out of our pockets is awesome in my book!!

32 weeks today!

 

[Blenheim]

Haha DD. It''s late enough that I''m done doing laundry for the evening, so might try to tackle all of that next weekend and hope that it doesn''t grow poison afterwards.

We were given enough of the NB size diapers and snappis that all we needed to spend is $20 on covers, which is already spent. So at this point, it''s more cost effective just to use and wash what we have. But thanks for the tips!

That''s great about alll of the baby stuff!

Courtney, I can sympathize. Our sex life has been practically non-existant, but that''s more because it''s hard for me to be in the mood when feeling all crampy or contracting. I initiated the other night for the first time in forever, and he started talking about how sexy he thinks my preg body is. Then why hasn''t he initiated anything!?!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/4/2009 10:48:08 PM
Author: Blenheim
I initiated the other night for the first time in forever, and he started talking about how sexy he thinks my preg body is. Then why hasn''t he initiated anything!?!

I think there is a general impression that pregnant women don''t want to have sex, and so maybe all the hubbies think they are being kind and supportive my not initiating?

 

[Blenheim]

Date: 1/4/2009 10:51:05 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/4/2009 10:48:08 PM
Author: Blenheim
I initiated the other night for the first time in forever, and he started talking about how sexy he thinks my preg body is. Then why hasn''t he initiated anything!?!

I think there is a general impression that pregnant women don''t want to have sex, and so maybe all the hubbies think they are being kind and supportive my not initiating?

You might have a point there. So we should communicate our wants and needs to them so that they know how to really be kind and supportive? Novel concept.

Ok, it really is bedtime for me.

 

[Courtneylub]

That''s the thing dreamer, I get PLENTY of hugs, kisses, and cuddling. I want him to WANT me in that way. This was a previous issue for us before the pregnancy, so we''ve talked about it a lot. I confronted him again last night and it''s the same old conversation.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/4/2009 10:25:28 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Blenheim I''d wash whenever you want, it isn''t going to grow poison in the drawer

hee hee... I am not very obsessive about that stuff though. And I thought I''d pass on a little tip from my cloth diaper friends: They all said that with a newborn it is mush easier to use disposables. They outgrow the newborn sized cloth ones so quickly that the cost is prohibitive, and the poops are so runny/watery that the leakage issue is pretty big with cloth on newborns. Anyhoo, thought I''d pass it on, it changed our minds.

I''ve got to second this. Make sure you have a few disposables on hand too. It just flat out amazes me how much infants poop, how much there is, and how often they blow out of their diapers. So just make sure to have a few extras on hand at all times at the very least!

 

[Jas12]

Just popping in to comment on cloth diapers and moby wraps

wraps--practice with them a few times before using. I didn''t really like my moby until my son could hold his head up, but others swear by them from day one. I liked a sling better for the early days cuz u can just plop them in without fussing with adjusting anything. I wish their was a way to ''try before you buy'' on baby b/c i have loads of stuff i never used and is taking up room in my basement.

I do a cloth/disposable combo. I use primarily cloth at home and disposable when i go out or travel (or at night b/c i only have 2 night time thickness diapers on hand) and this works well. I do a diaper change every few hours and Co has not had a diaper rash yet. BUT i did use 100% disposable for the first month or so. BM were so frequent, i was too tired to do laundry every day and the poop was so runny and stained everything. It was hard to then switch to cloth b/c of course they are a bit more work, but i could hear environmentalist David Suzuki urging me on, so we made the switch

. I use fuzzi bunz and they are great!

Blen, that ''thing'' looks like a car seat or a highchair cover.

 

[cdt1101]

hey ladies! Hope everyone had a happy new year!

I''m a little late, but I wanted to comment on the body image thing. Yeah, mine sucks. I''m still struggling w/ it....bad. I''ve gained a total of 13 lbs so far. I''m almost 17 weeks. My thighs and a** are HUGE! I HATE feeling my thighs rub together when i walk. And don''t even get me started on the cellulite! I''ve started walking on the treadmill more to hopefully get my mood up and make me feel not so large. But it''s been really tough for me. Last month I gained 6 lbs! I cried in the dr''s office. Hehehee...my doc must think i''m a nut. But I couldn''t help it. I''ve spent my entire life trying to be as small as I can (not naturally thin). So it''s a big adjustment seeing the scale going up and up. My DH hasn''t said much, but we do not have much sex. Not that we did before, but it''s even less now. But honestly it doesn''t bother me because i feel so unsexy and ugly I really don''t want him touching me. I know I still have a loooooooooong way to go and I"m trying to tell myself this weight will come off, but I''m scared of what my body will look like after baby.

And I''m not really showing yet. I mean my stomach is no where near as flat as it used to be, but i don''t look preggo, just fat. I''m hoping once i look pregnant I''ll start to feel better about my changing body.

16w4d

 

[fieryred33143]

Happy Monday everyone! Woah lots of stuff to comment on! I need to get on during the weekend!!

If anyone has any good home remedies for a sore throat, I'd love to hear them because if I have to drink one more glass of water with honey and lemon

I took my "baby" brother to his dorm room yesterday

. He started his first day of college today. I felt so sad. I took my other brother in 07 but it was different because he was only an hour away from home and had a bunch of friends in that school. This one is 3 hours away (from mom's home, he's probably 8 hours away from me

) and knows no one. I must have cried for an hour after leaving him and I called him at least 10 times.

I'm worse than my mom sometimes. I'm on the phone going 'did you eat?' 'Did you take a shower?' 'Did you lock up your laptop like I showed you?'

Sabine-So glad to hear the bean is doing well!!

Pandora--We have a small 2 bedroom as well and have the same plan to keep the baby in our room for the first six months or so. A friend of mine gave me a brand new bassinet that we will use.

My mom wants to buy us a crib she saw at Target. It's a four-in-one crib (think it converts to a toddler bed, something else, then a twin). I'll get the brand name from her later. If anyone has any opinions on these, let me know.

Thanks Blen and Neat on the suggestion for the moby wrap. I'm writing all of these suggestions down on EXCEL! LOL

Mrs-I'm only 13 weeks and I'm having those feelings as well. I'm so much more insecure than I have ever been in my entire life, and I've been a big girl forevah. It also doesn't help that every woman in my family and in my FI's family feels the need to tell me that I'm going to be wider...I'm already insanely wide. Its normal feelings, I think. The only person that has made me feel better about it is my mom to be honest. She just keeps reminding me that as long as I stay focused after the baby comes, I'll drop the weight. As Blen said, I just wear clothes that fit and fit well. It's a little easier for me because since I've always been big I know how to dress for a big body. I have not purchased maternity pants though and have a feeling I'll feel better when I'm in them.

I'm also extremely self concious and a little afraid about how I'll look once I pop. I really, really hope I look pregnant and not just fatter. It's a silly fear but I think about it all the time. I also find it "funny" that I've only gained about 2.5lbs since finding out and yet I feel HUGE.

Courtney-I hear you on the sex issue. FI and I were both very active before but now, nothing. I know he is still attracted but he's seriously convinced that having sex will "hurt" the baby. He's finally making more of an effort after I cried to him that it makes me feel 'ugly' so hopefully it'll get better. The affection never stopped but the sex life needs a little kick in the pants...literally

Lindsey-Congrats on the find!

DD-I love friends that give away stuff. Its not being cheap its being resourceful. My cousin is waiting for me to find out the sex so that she can give me all of her stuff.

CDT-Three words: A$$ Friendly Jeans

. I go into the 'hip hop section' (as my FI likes to call it) at department stores and buy my jeans there. You have it...might as well flaunt it

.

 

[Courtneylub]

Fiery, lol @ hip hop section...too funny.

cdt, I totally understand how you feel, but 13 lbs at 17 weeks is right on track.

Does anyone have any ideas for lunches to bring to work? I used to live on tuna almost everyday, so it''s not that easy anymore.

 

[Pandora II]

I guess I''ve been pretty lucky so far regarding body changes/image etc.

I''ve put a bit on my boobs and all the rest is bump. I can still wear all my pre-pregnancy jeans (which are low cut), but not trousers as they are all high-waisted. Jumpers no longer stretch over the bump, so I''ve had to get maternity ones for that.

Unless I turn sideways, most people don''t realise I''m pregnant. However when I do, they all look a bit shocked! I was out shopping on Saturday and a couple of the SA''s asked me if I was due in February!

I''m already having reall difficulty putting on socks or bending down, I can''t imagine how huge I will be by May!

Courtney, DH and I have always had very similar issues. I get affection and cuddles by the ton, but there''s not much more. I think we DTD more in two months of TTC than we had in the previous 12 months. I actually asked him about it the other day and he said that while he still found me beautiful he didn''t find it a ''turn-on'' in particular. Ultimately I would much prefer a husband who is there with affection and hugs and cuddles than one who is more into a roll in the hay. I do know how it feels though - I did struggle for a long time as to whether I wanted to be with someone who wasn''t that interested in sex on a permanent basis. The main thing is to realise that it has nothing to do with you or how attractive your partner does or doesn''t find you - it really is just something with them.

All that said, when we went out on Saturday we went to an Outlet Village a couple of hours from London. They had a new Agent Provocateur shop there... and I now have a large pink box with black ribbons sitting in the top of my wardrobe. DH bought me a beautiful silk nightdress for after I lose the baby-weight. (Reduced from £275 GBP to £40 GBP

)...

I also picked up some nice undies for next to nothing that actually fit me now and don''t look like maternity bras (hate those things!).

He also go seriously into buying baby things - two sleepsuits and a blanket from Petit Bateau, a thermal drinking mug and food container from Villeroy & Boch''s Farm Animals collection (I so want the rest of the set), and a load of books: the whole Little Bear Collection with CDs and Roald Dahls ''Revolting Rhymes''. It''s the first time he''s been prepared to go into baby shops - I think he needed the ''wife with the bump'' to feel comfortable!

I have the big US''s tomorrow - one at 9.30am and one at 12.30pm. We also get to find out if Baby Bear is a boy or a girl. Any last minute guesses anyone?

 

[Pandora II]

For those of you who can feel the baby moving, did you find it got stronger by the day?

I can now tell when the bear is awake and when it''s asleep. And awake appears to be mainly when I want to be asleep! My father said that he was warning me that it was starting to set it''s wake/sleep cycle now, and it appeared I''d be spending the nights awake!

I can''t tell if he''s joking or not!

 

[Courtneylub]

Pandora, I would definitely prefer my DH''s way of showing love over my ex who just wanted to hump all the time. It''s that whole 80/20 thing, but in my case I''m getting 90% of what I want/need. It''s still easy to focus on the 10%, isn''t it? I know that I have to accept who he is, but it''s difficult in this area!!

I feel her move more and more everyday and she seems to kick the most when I ly down for bed!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 1/5/2009 12:15:23 PM
Author: Courtneylub
Pandora, I would definitely prefer my DH''s way of showing love over my ex who just wanted to hump all the time. It''s that whole 80/20 thing, but in my case I''m getting 90% of what I want/need. It''s still easy to focus on the 10%, isn''t it? I know that I have to accept who he is, but it''s difficult in this area!!

I feel her move more and more everyday and she seems to kick the most when I ly down for bed!

Totally agree - and if you are feeling vulnerable at times, it seems to creep up the ladder of importance. We did discuss it a lot in the past, and eventually I worked out that my biggest fears were: a) he didn''t really fancy me b) there was something fundamentally wrong with our relationship c) EVERYONE else was DTD so much more than we were!

In the end I actually had a long discussion with my father about it - odd choice, but he is someone who does straight talking/doctor speak and doesn''t instantly assume that there are other things wrong. My sister and her husband had issues on the same lines - but there the cuddles, hugs and general affection were missing too.

My father asked me if otherwise I was happy - and I had to admit that other than this niggle I was happier than I had ever been. Then he asked if I saw it as a major problem if I didn''t think about it in the context of other people and my own insecurities and I had to admit that I actually didn''t. So, his conclusion was that if neither of us was made miserable about it then that was fine. I felt a lot better about it after then!

One thing to bear in mind - a few of my married male friends have whinged hugely about the ''no sex for six weeks'' bit after the birth and if their wives have then been too tired/sore/depressed to be interested then it has caused more than a few issues. Thankfully I know that it''s one issue that DH and I will be avoiding!

 

[robbie3982]

Fiery, that''s sweet that you and your brother are so close. One of DH''s older sisters used to send him care packages while he was in college and then when he was living in another state.

Courtney, I like bringing cottage cheese, egg salad sandwiches, mandarin orange and apple sauce cups, string cheese and nutrigrain/granola bars to work. Baby carrots are another one of my faves. Basically I just bring in a bunch of healthy snacky things and eat them when I''m hungry.

Pandora, good luck tomorrow! I''m guessing boy.

I told my boss and some coworkers today. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I really don''t know what I was so nervous about, but now that it''s over, whew!

 

[cdt1101]

pandora - i''m guessing boy as well.

courtney - lunches are tough for me as well. I love tuna too, so i switched to chicken salad instead. For some reason the chicken in a can taste just like tuna to me! hehehe....so i never can tell the difference really. But on days i don''t bring that, like today, i brought a small salad (had that before i went to the gym on my lunch hour) and I made chili last night w/ ground turkey so I will have that for a late ''lunch'' in an hour or so. For snacks I bring fruit and applesauce cups. The one thing I''ve been bad w/ is veggies...don''t think i''m getting enough of those. I have to work on that!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/5/2009 12:09:44 PM
Author: Pandora II
For those of you who can feel the baby moving, did you find it got stronger by the day?

I can now tell when the bear is awake and when it's asleep. And awake appears to be mainly when I want to be asleep! My father said that he was warning me that it was starting to set it's wake/sleep cycle now, and it appeared I'd be spending the nights awake!

I can't tell if he's joking or not!

It definitely got stronger as the weeks progressed! I also notice wake-sleep cycles... the baby is very active about 30 minutes after I eat, as well as right after I wake up. I am a night owl (especially when I am not working, which I haven't been doing for 3 weeks!!) and so the baby is definitely active around midnight? That suits me find since I imagine that I will be having a similar schedule when I am on leave, but we shall see. Baby has never woken me up or kept me awake. In general, if I can judge at all by baby's activity level in utero

I suspect our baby is pretty low key/energy. "Activity" is mostly squirming and rolling and poking, not major acrobatics. I think this makes sense since both DH and I are more low key laid back types. We shall see! I am really hoping for a baby with our temperaments!! But we both have relatives with the more sensations-seeking temperament so who knows??

I am also guessing Boy for you!

32w 1d

 

[Courtneylub]

Date: 1/5/2009 12:51:34 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 1/5/2009 12:15:23 PM
Author: Courtneylub
Pandora, I would definitely prefer my DH''s way of showing love over my ex who just wanted to hump all the time. It''s that whole 80/20 thing, but in my case I''m getting 90% of what I want/need. It''s still easy to focus on the 10%, isn''t it? I know that I have to accept who he is, but it''s difficult in this area!!

I feel her move more and more everyday and she seems to kick the most when I ly down for bed!

Totally agree - and if you are feeling vulnerable at times, it seems to creep up the ladder of importance. We did discuss it a lot in the past, and eventually I worked out that my biggest fears were: a) he didn''t really fancy me b) there was something fundamentally wrong with our relationship c) EVERYONE else was DTD so much more than we were!

In the end I actually had a long discussion with my father about it - odd choice, but he is someone who does straight talking/doctor speak and doesn''t instantly assume that there are other things wrong. My sister and her husband had issues on the same lines - but there the cuddles, hugs and general affection were missing too.

My father asked me if otherwise I was happy - and I had to admit that other than this niggle I was happier than I had ever been. Then he asked if I saw it as a major problem if I didn''t think about it in the context of other people and my own insecurities and I had to admit that I actually didn''t. So, his conclusion was that if neither of us was made miserable about it then that was fine. I felt a lot better about it after then!

One thing to bear in mind - a few of my married male friends have whinged hugely about the ''no sex for six weeks'' bit after the birth and if their wives have then been too tired/sore/depressed to be interested then it has caused more than a few issues. Thankfully I know that it''s one issue that DH and I will be avoiding!

All very true. I know the pregnancy hormones are making it a bigger deal also. I find myself questioning my own thoughts and just driving myself crazy.

 

[Sabine]

I''m always amazed at how many women eventually fess up to not DTD that often. My dh and I have had problems with this as well, and it has always been a sensitive issue (that got HUGELY magnified while ttc). After talking about it a lot, we both realized that with how stressful, tiring, and emotionally draining our schedules can be, we just don''t get in the mood that often. We are both currently happy with our sex life, but felt like since it wasn''t as hopping as it was "supposed" to be that something was wrong. Realizing that helped.

We''ve been on "pelvic rest" since my spotting, so no sex for us, but I think we are both ready to get in at least some before I get huge, so I will be asking the dr. about that at my next appt.

We both make sure to tell each other how much we love each other and find each other attractive, so that we can remember that if we aren''t doing it, it''s not because we aren''t attracted to one another, it''s just because timing is never great.

It''s also been hard for me making the switch from trying to lose weight to watching myself gain. I''m almost 10 weeks, and I''ve gained 2 lbs already, but I was overweight for my height to begin with. But for me, I''ve been so constantly nauseous, and eating is the only thing that ever makes me feel even a little bit better, so I''m willing to pack on a few if it means being able to function like a normal human being. Please tell me this nauseous thing goes away soon!

 

[robbie3982]

Hmmm, could''ve sworn I posted this, but couldn''t find it when I looked...

What type of birthing classes are you guys taking and when did you/are you registering for them? I''m thinking I want to try going natural

. It''s not that I''m opposed to epis and other meds in theory, but I really don''t want to feel out of it, I''d like to be able to use the tubs they have available to labor in, be able to get up and walk around and I''m terrified of needles

. If the pain got to be so intense that I really couldn''t handle it and it outweighed my fear of getting it, I''d be ok with getting it. Since I''m not 100% committed, I''m not sure what to do about classes. I''d like to go into this as prepared as I can be, but I don''t want to spend $300 on a class that I might not even use. That''s how much the only hypnobabies class offered by me costs. I haven''t looked into bradley classes yet, but I imagine they''re in a similar price range. Do you think reading books on the methods would be sufficient?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/5/2009 2:54:32 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hmmm, could''ve sworn I posted this, but couldn''t find it when I looked...

What type of birthing classes are you guys taking and when did you/are you registering for them? I''m thinking I want to try going natural

. It''s not that I''m opposed to epis and other meds in theory, but I really don''t want to feel out of it, I''d like to be able to use the tubs they have available to labor in, be able to get up and walk around and I''m terrified of needles

. If the pain got to be so intense that I really couldn''t handle it and it outweighed my fear of getting it, I''d be ok with getting it. Since I''m not 100% committed, I''m not sure what to do about classes. I''d like to go into this as prepared as I can be, but I don''t want to spend $300 on a class that I might not even use. That''s how much the only hypnobabies class offered by me costs. I haven''t looked into bradley classes yet, but I imagine they''re in a similar price range. Do you think reading books on the methods would be sufficient?

Well I have not been through a natural labour yet, so my suggestions are based on the advice I received from my 4 friends who recently gave birth au natural. I am not sure that expensive classes are all that helpful. In natural labour a woman enters a state that is very altered and "out of it" and I don''t think in that state that you are able to think clearly and apply techniques learned in a class. From what I have read and heard, the two most important factos are 1) Finding a way through reading or classes to reduce or eliminate the *fear* that so many women feel about labour, and 2) having someone with you who really knows how to help support a woman through natural labour! The first is really important because fear intensifies pain and also can get in the way of the process of dilation and preparation for birth. And having a coach is important because it will help you feel more confident suring the labour and also because they can offer you the right type of support and encouragement, and sometimes suggestions to manage the pain or help the labour progress. Anyways, my friends who did natural labour all had midwives as their primary caregivers (the system here in Canada is different than in the US), which means that they already had a bond formed with the midwife from all the prenatal care, that the m/w came to the woman''s house to help her during the early phase of labour, and then then primary midwife and a secondary midwife went to the hospital and oversaw all the rest of the L&D process. The presence of this knowledeable and carign person made all the difference. If I were labouring naturally without a m/w I would probably look into finding a trained doula to help out.

I do have one friend who went au natural in a hospital setting and everything went well, but the nurses were not used to natural labour (said only 2% of the women they say went that route) and I wonder if that affected their interactions with my friend? She had a great labour but she is a very strong and confident woman who didn''t require a lot of support. Not sure how it would have been for a woman who required more active support.

Anyhoo, I''ll let you know how my natural labour goes in 8 weeks! haha.... unless I have a very long labour and am exhausted or am not progressing, I will not be using an epi. Hopefully snlee and jas12 will chime in, they both did natural labours. You can probably read back and find their birth stories somewhere in here!

Oh, and I highly recommend Ina May Gaskins'' Guide to Childbirth. So wonderful to read all the women''s stories of natral labour. I found it so invigorating.

 

[Courtneylub]

I''m taking a childbirth class and a nursing class at the hospital. I plan to sign up and attend them at least 2 months in advance.