We finished our DVD educational series on childbirth. I was doing ok with each lesson until the last two... now I'm just speechless. The last two talked about the actual 3 stages of labor and all of the associated pain and discomfort and all of the drugs or medical interventions. As I watched getting increasingly more anxious here are some of the takeaways I heard... I may have had selective hearing....
- If you use Pitocin to induce labor the contractions are a lot worse
- If you use Pitocin in combo with epidural you may actually slow down or stop labor and you will have to have a csection
- If you are over 35 your uterus doesn't spring back for 9 to 12 months and you just stay saggy - oh man!!
- If they have to break your water the contractions are worse since there isn't any padding for the head if the water is gone
- If you have any spinal leakage from the epidural you'll have the worst headache and you'll have to get a blood patch to stop it
- If you get too tired they may have to use forceps or a vacuum and give you an episiotomy (Guess I should have done some marathon training before getting preg-now it is too late)
- It is possible that you can have 3 tubes in you in the same area that you are pushing the baby out, 1 tube is actually twisted in to the babies skull to measure distress. Seriously, 3 other things!
- About another 100 things that either lead to more pain or a csection ..... and I can't wait to not be able to sit down for weeks FUN STUFF!!
Can you tell I'm officially 'officially' freaked out a little. I have always been freaked out by this stuff, but now I wasn't even sure what to think or do with myself when we turned off the tv, I just basically stood up and stretched as I spaced out the rest of the night.
Kevin asked me, "is there anything I can do for you?" I said, "Give birth to Baby Hahm" and even he said, "Uh no, that sounds pretty painful" :(
They were talking about breastfeeding your baby as they stitch your 6 layers up that they cut through for a csection. You must just feel so used and abused by that point, you are cut open and your baby is feeding... is that really what happens, that seems crazy.
I figure the only thing that will get me through this is that I really have no choice.... Baby Hahm has been giving me some hard kicks to the right side, maybe he can sense my scarediness (I guess that is fair)
2 comments:
Oh man...I'm so sorry you are worried about all these things. I think that is why I took the "the less I know, the better" approach. But just know that these things only happen to a FEW people. Most women have nice deliveries. Go into it with an open mind and I really think you will be pleasantly surprised :)
Oh my. Stacy! QUIT watching! They make it sound so much worse than it is. I PROMISE!!!!!!!!! So, 1) I had Pitocin with Charlotte and had full labor within 45 seconds, not kidding. 2) Got the epidural shish slowed things down and then she came out when I wasn't even looking. Easy peasy! Got to love her up and up and check her out. 3) I was 34, not over 35 and lost just as much weight just as fast as when I was 22. It was all about MY habits. 4) I had my water broken I think all 4 times. Can't say that was true in anyway. The last little stretch un-epiduraled is a bit intense but you can do it, it goes away and you get a really cool prize! 5) I have never met a single mother that had the headache from epidural. Not ONE! 6) I had an episiotomy. I was scared to poop for like 2 days an it was over. I caused myself way more stress than it was worth! Frankly, it's better if they help you than if you tear. It's easier to heal. 7) You would be so unaware of tubes you would never know if they did! I swear!!!!
now, on the half the bed falls out thing. That really surprised me. I guess I always thought they would stand at the end of a real bed but this frankly is a cool invention. Makes things more efficient and clean!
Stacy. YOU are going to be fine! YOU are about to meet your maker in a way you never imagined. YOU are going to love in a way you never even dreamed possible! Life is about to change....for the better!!!!!
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