Birth Story: Part 3

This is the final installation of the three part story, that is Olive's birth. :) Nothing like 5 months later...

After the actual laboring and birthing, we get to all the oohing and awing that I did. Also, I should really discuss the pain I felt afterward as well. To be honest though, I have forgotten most of it. I waited too long and those memories are fading. They always say that it's the easiest pain to forget and "they" sure are right! Although every time I hear someone say that, I think of my Granny. She had a ten pound baby (my dad) all natural back in 1960. Then, she was bedridden for four days after. I'm sure her pain was a little harder to forget than mine...

Dad, have you thanked Granny lately? You totally should! In fact, your birthday is this Saturday. You should tell her "thank you!"

Anyway,  I will tell you that the night after Olive's birth, I was so thirsty. I hadn't drank anything in over 24 hours; I had only had one cup of ice and nothing else. Plus, I had lost a reasonable amount of blood with the surgery. I begged for something to drink and couldn't have it...darn! The next morning I scarfed down my breakfast and started drinking. But, I was way too into holding Olive and just looking at her to be overly hungry.

I have several, several, pictures like this. I apparently stared at her...a lot. But, I'm sure other mothers can attest. Seeing their face for the first time, that little miracle, is simply amazing. I couldn't get enough!

As the day went on, my blood pressure kept getting really low and they asked me to drink more water. Ugh, the irony. I was slightly annoyed. It went from "can't drink anything" to "drink more."

It was about 14 hours after surgery that I got to take off my massage "booties." Those things were amazing! I loved them. Once they were off, I got my catheter out. Uncomfortable! But, I could get up now! At first, I felt pretty good. Not too much pain. It seriously took over 24 hours before all of the spinal had worn off and I started to really feel the pain. It was worse than a vaginally delivery, for me. When my bladder would get full, I had a lot of pain on the incision. When I would go pee, then it wasn't as bad. So, I kept running to and from the restroom, or rather shuffling to and from. It sure was different than what I had experienced before. Pain in a completely different place, but still all of the gross discomfort...if you women know what I mean.

I really didn't mind though. I was completely on cloud nine. I seriously was on a high. I didn't get irritated at all and was just as happy as I could be. It was different than with Lucy. Perhaps my body has changed, or I have...something like that. The high lasted until, well, basically until I went back to work. Whomp, whomp. I won't beat that dead horse, so moving on...

Lucy came to visit and spent most of the second day with us. She loved seeing her new, baby sister.

She even held her for photos. When someone would talk to her, she would stick her fingers to her lips and tell us that her baby sister was sleeping. :) She's a great big sister!

The day we got out of the hospital, Lucy was there again. We wanted to make sure we got to experience these things as a family!


Then, it started. Olive was upset. I had to feed her before we hit the road. We sat the girls down to take this photo, and Lucy pooped her pants - more delay. They were breaking us in right away, to having two! That is alright though. Cloud nine...

I was welcomed home to this wonderful display my mom and sister put together - presents for all!

 

Oh boy, now that I've waited 5 months, this post is giving me baby fever. No way, Jose. We really would need a van then!

The rest is wonderful, laid-back, best baby in the world, knock-on-wood, history. :)

Birth Story: Part 2

After finally getting to the surgery room, I felt great. I was a little scared of the spinal and I was still having contractions. But, to know there was an end in sight felt wonderful. Also, I had been to that surgery room before, when I had my gallbladder taken out; so, there was some familiarity to it all.

The spinal had a little sting to it, and I would say was very comparable to an epidural. It took a while, so I asked a few questions of the anesthesiologist. How much will I feel? Will this make me nauseous? How does it only numb me from the arms down?

I had drank some tart, grape drink before I went down to surgery. It was supposed to help with the nausea. I was hoping so. I had heard horror stories about women throwing up during their entire surgery. Nothing sounded worse than throwing up while laying on your back. Plus, talk about a moment ruiner...

I was on my back, arms strapped down, and the sheet was up before Heath was escorted into the room. They had already asked how much I could feel. It was the most bizarre feeling. With an epidural, it was somewhat scary to me. I felt completely out of control and almost paralyzed. I hated looking at my leg, trying to move it, and being unable to do so. It truly freaked me out. With the spinal, I could feel. But, I couldn't feel everything. I could feel them rubbing stuff on my belly, which I was told would normally seem cold. I only felt the movement and not the coldness. Then, she started to make the incision. I remember knowing that she was about to cut, when Heath came by the sheet. I thought for sure that he would see the blood and pass out on the spot.

When he got to me, he was feeling pretty good. He had popped a Xanax upstairs and was what I would describe as three-beer-Heath. He was invincible and when they told him that he could stand to watch, he did! I kept asking him, "Are you sure? Are you okay?"

Getting Olive out only took a few minutes. This is what I heard:

"Okay, get ready to meet Baby Olive."

"Oh, she has hair!"

"Heath, get the camera ready."

"She's no peanut."

"Here she is!"

Heath stood up the whole time, snapping pictures with the camera in one hand and video recording with his phone in the other. The video is great! :) It is kind of gross though, and so are the pictures. I thought I would spare you.

She was born at 6:42 pm.

As soon as I heard her let out her first wail, I broke down. I just cried and cried. It still wasn't quiet real to me. Nothing quiet prepares you for hearing your baby cry for the first time, or seeing them either. While I was blubbering, unable to wipe away my tears, Dr. B leaned Olive over the sheet for me to see. In her gross, bloody, crying state, she looked like Lucy. Then, as quickly as she was there, she was gone. They took her across the room to check her. Heath followed, snapping pictures like crazy.

 

We all anticipated the weight. I overheard a conversation between Dr. B and the nurses on how much they thought she'd weigh. Dr. B was pretty close, saying that she thought she would be close to 9 lbs. She was 8 lbs and 11.5 ounces. She was 2.5 ounces more than Lucy and a week early! The shocker for me was, she was 21 inches long! That was 2 inches longer than Lucy. I just kept repeating it over and over. "21 inches? Wow, really? 21 inches?"

Olive cried and cried, until Heath said something to her. It seemed as though she recognized his voice, because she immediately stopped. It was so sweet. It warmed my heart. 

Olive and Heath were off to my right and a little over my head. After about ten minutes of watching, my neck and eyes started to hurt from straining. So, I stopped and laid flat again. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks the 36 hours of little to no sleep. I was so tired. It was like my body knew that it was over and Olive was okay. I let my eyes close a few times as I jerked them back open. Finally, I called Heath over. "I'm going to close my eyes and I might fall asleep, is that okay?" 

I felt like a jerk; but, I literally couldn't stay awake. He of course told me that was alright, as he went back to Olive. I then fell in and out of sleep for the next hour or so. I woke up once because I was nauseous. I thought I might throw up. When I told the anesthesiologist, she got me a "throw-up sleeve," as I like to call them. Dr. B heard me and said that she was pushing on my stomach and that was probably what was causing it. Thank goodness the nausea passed and before I knew it the sheet was pulled down.

While they were moving me to a bed, Dr. B went to check on Olive. She is such a caring person and you can tell that she loves her job!

Funny story about the nurse in the maroon, over Dr. B's shoulder. She was a student when I had Lucy. I remembered her, only because her name is also my middle name. When she came in for the surgery and introduced herself, I immediately asked if she was a student back in February 2010. It was her. She was present for both of my girls. :)

Once settled, I finally got to hold her too. :)

She still looked a lot like Lucy to me.

We were taken to the recovery room, where I was able to have a few guests. I asked for Heath to go tell my sister to bring Lucy down. Little did I know, Dr. B had already went to get Lucy! haha. :) I think she was excited too.

Lucy was pretty excited and surprisingly not freaked out at all by the hospital. She rubbed Olive's head and talked to her. For the first time that evening, Heath cried. My sister did too. It was a special moment.

We finally got back upstairs around 9:30 pm. Good thing we have our babies on the weekend. :)

Everyone was thrilled. I have to say though, do you see Heath's sister's boyfriend over in the corner with his arms crossed? Haha. I have a picture similar to this one, when Lucy was born. Except, then, my cousin was keeping him company. I just don't think men/boys are into this stuff as much, unless it's their baby or grand-baby.

Everyone stayed only for a while and left to let me sleep. I was able to breastfeed her downstairs in the recovery room. So, I waited until the next feeding and then let the nurse take her to the nursery. We learned from Lucy, that for us, it was better for her to go to the nursery. I didn't have any trouble sleeping and was excited each and every time they brought her in to feed.

- To Be Continued -

Birth Story: Part 1

September 6th - Induction day!

Following what was arguably the longest day at work ever, I said farewell to my co-workers and giddily got into our car for home. I was antsy to say the least. I just wanted to get the show on the road. I was so ready in all senses of the word. Ready to meet her. Ready for newborn cuddles. Ready to take 8 weeks off work. Ready to bend over and tie my shoes again. Ready, ready, ready.

We got home and tried to go about our usual business. Heath fed Lucy supper while I took a shower. Our bags were already packed - had been for over a week. I checked my list for last minute items to add. Phone, phone charger, makeup, etc. Check. I was ready. We took one last photo of our family of three, knowing that it would never again be the same. Life changes were happening. :)

We hopped into the car to take Lucy out to my mom's house. We were on time, for once, and were scheduled to arrive at the hospital about ten minutes before 8 pm. We said a quick goodbye to Lucy and told her that we were on our way to "go get" Olive. She was basically oblivious to the whole idea and was completely fine with us leaving her.

On the way to Sonic to pick up one last 32 ounce, iced water, my phone rang. Another woman was currently delivering a baby and they had to move me back "a few hours." The nurse told me that it might be closer to 11 pm before we were asked to come in.

I cried.

I had anticipated this moment and just wanted to be at the hospital, feeling like it was at least coming! Heath tried to make me feel better. I was just so disappointed that I would have to wait even longer. We went back to the house and thank goodness my sister came over to keep us company. It helped pass the time.

At 11 pm I called the hospital to see what was going on. The nurse told me to go ahead and come on in. I was ready and about to fall asleep. I couldn't even tell you the last time I had been up until 11 pm! A smart mommy-to-be would have taken a nap.

I arrived in good spirits. I filled out all of the appropriate paperwork, put my gown on, got weighed (under my goal weight - whoo-hoo!), and got my IV. Heath and my sister sat nearby, sleepily. I was finally ready to go around 1 am. Before giving me Cytotec to soften my cervix, the nurse checked my progress. I was certain that I had surpassed 2 cm, since I had been having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions all week. I was completely disappointed when she said that I was still at 2 cm. However, I was only 2 cm when I came to the hospital with Lucy. So, I was hopeful!

At this point I was already having Braxton-Hicks that were showing up on the contraction monitor. Dr. B had told me that the Cytotec might possibly be enough to send me into labor, especially since I was a second-time mother. That it did...

Just 20 minutes or so after getting it, my contractions became somewhat consistent. By 2 am I was having considerable contractions that were about 5 minutes apart and realized at that point that I would not be sleeping for the night. By 4 am, I was having to "breath" through them and couldn't talk. I was in pain.

When the nurse checked me again, I was certain that I would at least be at 3 cm or more. I was just holding on through those contractions, thinking that an epidural would be coming soon. She checked and I was still 2 cm. What?! I couldn't believe it. I teared up, trying not to be an emotional, sleepy mess. I couldn't believe that I wasn't making progress. The contractions continued.

I walked. I lunged. I did squats. I sat and bounced on a ball. I changed positions. I rocked in a rocking chair. All of this made the contractions stronger and hurt more. I had to be getting somewhere!

I was checked again right about the time the sun came back up. Still no progress. I was crushed. This time, the nurse couldn't even reach my cervix; it was obvious that Olive's head was no longer down. I felt that all of the "work" that my body was doing and the pain I was feeling was literally for nothing. It was so frustrating.

Dr. B came in around 7:15 am. She felt my stomach and checked me. No progress. She couldn't reach my cervix either. She told me that she thought Olive had flipped and was was breach. The nursing team brought in an ultrasound machine to make sure. Dr. B and another doctor both said it looked like she was breach. They called in an ultrasound tech to make sure. While we were waiting, she explained the c-section process to me. I had already come to terms with it. I was experiencing painful contractions and had been for about five hours. Dr. B explained that she didn't think I was progressing because the baby's head pushing down on my cervix is what causes dilation. Since her head wasn't engaged, I wasn't progressing.

I had rolled over while waiting for the tech. Apparently Olive took that opportunity to move again. By time the tech arrived, Olive was head down again. She still wasn't engaged; but, she was in the right direction. We were back on for a vaginal delivery. I admit it; I cried again. I was tired and not getting anywhere. I was heartbroken, thinking that I was going to have to endure the pain even longer and was scared that I still wouldn't have any progress. Dr. B was very supportive though and said we had to focus on getting Olive to move down. I knew that I preferred a vaginally birth, as did Heath; so, I sucked it up and decided to "push on."

The contractions continued as they decided to go ahead with the Pitocin. They thought that the Pitocin might make my uterus contract harder and push Olive down. It only made the contractions more frequent. The nurse checked me again before noon. I was prepared for her to say that there was still no progress. The pessimistic outlook made the news easier to swallow. My dad and step-mom showed up soon after and served as good distractions from the pain and disappointment of no progress.

At 4 pm, I looked at the clock. I had been having these painful contractions for over 12 hours now. I was exhausted. I felt like it was never going to end. The nurse checked me again - nothing. They couldn't break my water either, because Olive's head wasn't engaged. So, we couldn't take the risk of the umbilical cord coming out first. They just kept increasing the Pitocin.

Dr. B finally returned around 5:30 pm. We talked and she gave me the option of either a c-section or going home and trying another day. I was convinced that I would continue to have the contractions at home, on my own. I had been all night. Plus, I was not at all mentally prepared to experience this all again. I was in low, low spirits at this point. I agreed to the c-section. Dr. B asked several times if I was sure, since I had not wanted a c-section.

I was ready though. Ready, ready, ready. I was also exhausted. I was finally taken to the surgery room around 6:30 pm. Heath was taken to the prep room. Unfortunately my sister couldn't be in the room. I asked if she could be dressed and ready though, just in case Heath's Xanax didn't kick in. (He did great though.)

As soon as they took me off that damn Pitocin, I was doing much better! I was still having contractions; but, they were much farther apart. I was ready for my spinal and to meet my baby girl! I was actually smiling, knowing that the time had finally come!

 - To Be Continued -

35 Week Update

I thought that I should probably get this out ASAP, since I am again behind on the update.

Poor Heath. I am a beast in comparison to him! Can you say Jack Sprat?

How far along?
I am 36 weeks. So, a 35 week update was overdue! I can officially be called "9 months" pregnant. I have 28 days until her due date and 7 days before she is considered full-term.

Baby is the size of a...
According to BabyCenter.com, she is approximately the size of a honeydew. She would be about 18.5 inches and 6-ish pounds.

Clarification:
Yes - this is a new section. See, I need to clarify both of the above answers based on new information from my doctor's visit last week. First of all, my amniotic fluid levels are normal. Whew! Heath and I must have been wrong about seeing the measurements....or, were we?

You see, Olive is big. I mean really big. So, I have come to the conclusion that the measurements we were seeing were of her! Dr. B said that she measured in the 90th percentile overall. Her abdomen measured in the 97th percentile! She said that a large abdomen like that indicates that Olive will be a large baby. At my ultrasound, which took place at about 33.5 weeks, she estimated that Olive was approximately 6 to 6.5 pounds already! So, when the ultrasound tech said 5 lbs 12 oz, give or take a pound, she meant 'give' more than 'take.'  Then, when Dr. B measured my stomach she said that I was pretty much at 40 weeks already.

All I could do was shake my head. I had told Heath that I felt like she was big and so strong! Also, it made me feel a little better. Thank goodness there is a reason that I am so huge! Olive is huge too! So, now what do we do with this new information?

Dr. B said that she will definitely want to induce a week early, which sounded just fine for me. She said that we didn't want to chance that the baby's lungs weren't developed, even by a few days, so we wouldn't want to do it any sooner than a week early. So, she said let's set a tentative induction date of Friday, September 7th. She did mention a few times, "unless something changes." I am not sure what that means; but, I guess I will let you know if anything changes.

Symptoms:
My hips have been hurting pretty bad again. The last two nights haven't been as bad - thank goodness. It is just a toss up. At least I am sleeping in bed and not the recliner! :) I've been having some headaches; however, I think they are from being sleepy and stressed out from work. The swelling in my feet and ankles is getting worse. I barely walk around and my feet are puffing out the sides of my sandals. I won't miss this at all. Oh, and I am officially waddling. It is really bad, side-to-side, ridiculous waddling.

Anything new?
I am going to again compare myself to Gilbert Grape's mother. If the waddling weren't enough, I am just so big. When we went to a football scrimmage the other night, Heath sat us in the middle of the stands. I had a bleacher seat and I'm already gi-gan-tor next to Heath. I felt like "the fat woman" on display; everybody was staring at me as I ate nachos. Bah...I seriously don't care to go out in public anymore because of all the stares. I'm pregnant and very, very large...yes. Stop staring!

I don't know if anything else is new, besides the doctors appointment. I have another this week. We will see if "anything changes." Otherwise, I am pretty excited about getting a week taken off of this long wait! I am not too thrilled about an induction, which could lead to a c-section. However, if Olive is as huge as anticipated, then I would probably end up with a c-section anyway. So, I'll take my chances. Now, watch, Olive will be this teeny, tiny 6 lb baby. haha.

New with Heath?
Thank you to everyone who congratulated him on being done with his MBA. He will walk in December; we'll have to really celebrate then! Now that he is done, it has been awesome. He is present again. We have tackled  the "things to do before Olive gets here" list. It is almost completely done. We decided a few things can wait until her arrival. Her room is ready though! The house is clean, for the most part. I still need to do some dusting in the living room. Boo...otherwise, we are prepped!

New with Lucy?
I bought a book for her this last weekend.

 

We have started to fill it out. It is so much fun. It has places for her to draw and put stickers. It is really interactive and I'm excited that I purchased it. Lucy and Olive will cherish it. One of the questions was, "What do you think the baby is doing in mommy's belly right now?" I thought for sure she would say "sleepin'" or "cryin'," which are her usual phrases. This time she said, "Umm, playin'. Playin' with toys." haha. Her answers were all funny like that. I am glad to have them written down. (The author is the same as 'The Belly Book' and 'The Baby Book.')

Anything else?

Not really. I should probably end this post though before I lose you, if I haven't already done so.

Pre-Lucy Thoughts

Each child is different and each one may need different 'tactics'!

Of course all moms like to give advice and let me be the first mom to tell you that my way works best. haha. Just kidding. But, here you go...

1. What kind of diaper bag did you use? Purse-type? Diaper-bag type? Did your husband carry it? Did you use the straps to hold it on to the stroller? Did you also carry a purse?

First of all, wowsers! That is a lot of questions. That type of fast-firing of questions is how I imagine a chihuahua would talk, if it could. :)  Anyway - I had a larger, black diaper bag. I wanted one that didn't have pastels and animals on it. So, my husband researched for "the best" one he could. It was online and had the best reviews. It looked more like a luggage-type bag than a diaper bag or purse, or at least I think so. My husband did carry it, since it was so ambiguous. We did use the straps for the stroller; we also used the straps that hold it onto the shopping cart. It was really helpful! Most of the time I still carried a purse, unless we were just running to a family members house or something, then I just threw my stuff in the diaper bag.

2. When did you fit back into your pre-baby pants? Did you buy larger pants or stay in maternity pants after baby?

I think it is unrealistic to think you are going to just hop back into your pre-baby pants. However, you are talking to someone who gained 54 lbs while pregnant. :[ I know those types of "freaks-of-nature" exist (no offense to those of you out there); but, I was NOT one of them. I didn't get back into my pre-baby pants until, like, 6 months later. Before that I had to buy new, big clothes (boo!). Just remember that everyone is different and hopefully my story makes you feel a bit better about it! haha.

3. Favorite brands of diapers? Wipes?

We quickly became Pampers fans. We tried Huggies once when Lucy was a newborn and didn't like them. We never tried any other kind after that. For wipes, we prefer Huggies. That is weird; I know. We buy both though. Huggies are just a bit thicker and don't rip as easily when you pull them out. An argument for Pampers: Children's hospital uses Pampers - must be good! :)

4. Where did baby sleep those first few weeks (or longer)? Your bed? Bassinet? Crib? In your room or his/her own?

Lucy was our first, and it's me we're talking about here. So, the paranoia was through the roof! SIDS scares the poop out of me! I didn't want Lucy sleeping away from me for at least a month. It ended up, she slept in our room for 2 months before moving to her own room. She slept in a pack-n-play, in the shallow insert they have...hard to describe. The next one may move to his or her room faster; who knows? Lucy had a hard time soothing herself. Or, we had a hard time letting her soothe herself, something like that...

5. How long until baby made a public appearance? Where was baby's first public appearance?

Our family visited a lot immediately; so, we didn't really need to leave the house a lot. Since Lucy was born in the middle of winter, we were also encouraged to not let her be around a lot of people (flu!). I think her first real public appearance was to the doctor and back. I think we made a trip shopping all day when she was 6 weeks and that was a big deal - and tough! I honestly didn't feel like getting out too much; I was still really self-conscious and sleep deprived!

6. Most useful baby item? I ran into a girl shopping for a baby gift in Target & she was looking at hooded towels. I said they were useful but should have thought of more useful items!

It is really tough to say what was the most useful. We have had a lot of items that we really needed to get by. The most would probably have to be the boppy. It helped me support Lucy when I breastfed and she was able to nap in it. It comforted her; she felt like she was still being held. It was our infant savior!

7. Did you find out the baby's gender beforehand?

Yes. I wanted to be able to plan out clothing and colors and a name. I like to plan and be organized. Experiencing birth and seeing Lucy's face was enough excitement for one day. We wanted to have something revealed throughout the pregnancy. :)

8. How long was your hospital stay? Did your hospital provide any cool services (special meal, spa treatment, etc)?

We were there technically three nights, since I went in at 9 pm and was in labor all night. It seemed to be the perfect number of days for our first baby. The hospital had a special menu for the parents, where Heath was able to eat too. It was nice. :) No spa treatments though. :(

9. Were you induced? Have a c-section? Use drugs? Epidural? Or au natural the whole way?

I went into labor naturally, a couple of days before she was due. I was lucky. I was also able to have her vaginally, which is what we wanted. The labor was long and slow - 36 hours; however, Lucy did really well and they never felt the need to rush it or do a C-Section. My doctor actually claimed, "Lucy [was] loving the birthing process." I was offered something to "take the edge off" while I waited for the epidural. I said yes; I would take anything they thought I could have at that point. It really did help a little. Then, I got an epidural at 4 cm and about 26 hours in. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

10. Do you like when friends come to the hospital to congratulate you or would you prefer that time just for your family (extended or immediate?)?

I really liked everyone being there for Lucy's birth. However, it was a little overwhelming. I felt at my absolute most vulnerable. I just wanted to shower and cuddle my baby. However, two hours after and a shower later, I was ready to show her off. Most visitors respected our exhaustion though and kept their visits somewhat brief. But, I think I preferred the visits in the hospital to the ones when we got home. Visitors during the first couple of weeks at home really made it tough to get into a routine or to take naps. :[ Everyone is different though.  Perhaps adjusting with a second child is easier - ?

Have a good Tuesday! And, please mothers out there chime in all you want! :)

Birth Plan

About a year ago today, I was perfecting my Birth Plan. I was giving copies to my husband, my sister, the doctor, and the nurses - basically everyone who would be in the delivery room with me!

I had thought a lot about how I wanted my labor and delivery to go. Like a movie of course! Except - a movie where I actually get there on time to have an epidural! Anyway - And, after going to birthing classes and knowing more of what my options were, I felt ready to visualize. My initial thoughts were: safe and painless! My two biggest goals. However, when you start getting into the details, it's a lot to think about!

I was encouraged to do a Birth Plan; but, I wasn't sure how helpful it would actually be. Take it from me though, it was great! It helped in three ways: 1) It made me think about the process and I felt better prepared for an emergency change of plans. 2) It helped Heath and my sister to know what I had planned, in case I wasn't in the 'mood' to be telling them during the labor. :) 3) It let the nurses and my doctor know ahead of time what I was planning for. They were able to assist me SO much more, by knowing my feelings.

When I was writing a birth plan, I had to scour the Internet for ideas - just to make sure I covered it all! I thought I was able to make a pretty complete plan. So, since I've been thinking about that day a lot (as Lucy's 1st Birthday approaches), I thought I would share my plan. Hopefully, it will help any mothers-to-be out there to make a plan of their own. I recommend doing it! :)

I know that everyone's plans are different. Perhaps you are planning a natural birth or even a water birth - either way, I hope this helps provoke thought and/or memories!

By the way, of course this was in a Word document, in cute text, with maroon titles and bullets. :)

Cori {Last Name}’s Birth Plan
Due Date: February 10, 2010
Supporters: My husband, Heath {Last Name} and my sister, { First & Last Name}
*Please be aware that my husband has high anxiety about hospitals, needles, and above all, surgery.
Basics: This is our first baby; therefore, we may need to have more direction than ‘an experienced’ couple. We are open to any and all information that your staff would like to share with us about the labor and post labor. We trust the judgment of our doctor and the nursing staff to make decisions that are in the best interest of our baby and for me. We understand that this plan is not set in stone and could change at moment’s notice. However, we have decided to share with you what we hope to achieve with the birthing experience.

I feel as though I should share my own anxiety about the IV and an epidural. I do not like to be talked through these processes. I would rather look away and only told when the procedure is completed. – Thank you

Induction: We are open to the idea of an induction, if it is recommended by our doctor. Otherwise, I would like to go into labor naturally.

Pain Relief:· I plan to request an epidural; however, I do not and will not know when the proper time is for this. Please suggest it, when appropriate.
· As for other pain relievers, I do not foresee their use at this time. However, please suggest it, if the situation seems appropriate.

Environment during Labor:· I plan to change positions, as well as walk around, unless told otherwise.
· If it is a ‘middle-of-the-night’ labor, I would like to alternate walking and napping.
· My husband and sister will keep guests to a minimum (if they are at all allowed) and will ask them to wait in the hall during cervical checks.

During the Delivery:· I hope to be sitting up during delivery.
· At this time, I do not want to use a mirror.
· I’d only like an episiotomy, if there is a medical emergency. Otherwise, please allow time for the perineum to stretch naturally.

Post Delivery:· My husband does not want to catch the baby; but, he does want to cut the umbilical cord. He will inform you, if he changes his mind.
· As routine, I would like to hold the baby immediately after the birth.
· My husband and I do not wish to see the placenta after birth.
· I plan on trying to breastfeed; however, I am new to the process. Please advise me on when and how to do so.
· I will accept guests after the baby has been breastfed and not during.
· I would like the baby to stay in my room with us during my entire hospital stay, if possible. (I totally changed my mind on this after doing it! Let the nurses take them to the nursery!)· If for some reason the baby needs to be taken from the delivery room, I would like my husband to escort her when possible.
· If the baby surprises us and is a boy, then we would like a circumcision.

Caesarean Option:· I hope to avoid a c-section, if at all possible.

If a C-Section is necessary:· I would like my husband and my sister to be present in the surgery room.
· Please keep discussion with me minimal. Considering my husband’s and my own anxieties, I do not wish to know what you are doing (making an incision, etc.).
· Once she is born, we do wish to see her.
· Also, please inform us of the steps you are taking with the baby (she is being weighed, checked, etc.).
· Although I realize there will be moments of separation, we would like to stay with the baby as much as possible. If I cannot go with the baby, please let my husband know if he is welcome to be with her.

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Whew! That is a lot of information, right? It is amazing how it takes me right back to the delivery of Lucy! :) It makes me smile.

I took copies of this to my doctor about 3 weeks before my due date and we read through it together. It also provoked a lot of discussion about the labor and delivery. I don't regret taking the time to do this at all and I don't think I ever will!

Happy birth-planning to all new mothers! Everyone else? I guess, have a good day! :)