the stork.

Wouldn’t it be grand if the stork really did deliver babies to our doorstep?
{Do you guys know where this is from? I searched all over to know avail. If you know, please share!}
As the days go by I’m realizing more and more that I’m going to be having a real-life baby soon(ish).
You may be thinking “You seriously only just now thought of this?”.  Well, no.  I didn’t just think of it, but it’s becoming more and more a reality.
As in…I’m going to actually have to push this thing out of my you-know-where.
Actually birthing a child probably isn’t the foremost thought on most people’s minds when they’re making a baby.  I’m pretty sure that if it was, then no one would ever get knocked up.  But, even though I’m a little nervous, I’m also really excited about the decisions I’ve made about my birthing experience.
I didn’t talk about it here, (you can read about it over at Babble – here) but I’ve decided to go the natural route at a birthing center.  There were a plethora of factors that went into this decision, but mostly just the fact that I now that I can do it.  I just thought I’d let you guys into the loop.  I know that every person’s birth experience is different, but if any of you are mamas yourselves, I’d love to hear any tips and tricks that helped you during your labor and delivery.
Thanks for letting me talk pregnancy for a bit :).

xo
Lauren

Comments

  1. Dumbo?? I think.
    Yes it would be waaaayyyy good!
    I’d have 3 more babies then!!
    xx

  2. I had to have an induced labor for a lot of reasons, but I chose not to have an epidural. It was painful (pitocin makes everything more intense) but it was worth it! What helped me was counting through the contractions – they usually last about a minute, with 10 seconds to rise to the peak, 40 seconds of the worst part, and 10 to decrease. Counting helps you focus and get through them! Also, it’s not quite as “painful” as you might think – it’s more hard work. Lots of mental energy and physical energy when it actually comes to pushing. Hope that helps and good luck! PS I would like to give birth in a birthing center for baby #2!

  3. It’s normal. That sudden realisation half way through that you have to have an actual real life baby! I work with a lot of pregnant women and all of them go through this on their first pregnancies.

    They all wish the stork were true too 🙂

  4. I’m 37 weeks and think I’m just now realizing it! It’s a lot to take in. Some days I feel ready, some days I’m glad I still have a little time left 🙂 I just think about how many women have gone through it and know that I’ll be just fine!

  5. I was TERRIFIED of labor all while I was pregnant.
    But I survived and am loving the other side! You will too. 🙂

  6. I think it’s great you’re choosing to go the natural route. I don’t think it’s for everyone -but I admire you for doing it.

    You’re going to do great!

  7. I chose to have a natural birth (though the baby came so fast I wouldn’t have had a choice in the matter anyways) and it wasn’t near as horrid as I thought it would be. Granted I was very fortunate that my labor only lasted about 4 hrs and I only pushed for 8 min (thank you mom for your baby machine genes!) but when you are in labor time really is non-existant. It all goes so fast and yet takes forever. I found the most helpful thing for me in labor (especially in transition) was to lean on my husband, literally lean into him. It helped to have that steady physical presence when the contractions got bad. I personally think labor isn’t too bad. It is recovering that isn’t so much fun (your body just went through so much stress and then you have a very needy little baby to care for that limits your relaxing). I would suggest popping stool softeners and fiber and lots of water after the baby is born….prolly TMI but using the bathroom for #2 for the first time after pushing a little human out is terrifying. At least it was for me 🙂 Sorry for the book, I just had my first in May and so I still have rather vivid memories and get so excited when people are going to have a baby (it is awesome! a lot of work but SO SO worth it). ok I’ll stop typing now 🙂 God bless!

  8. We are in a birthing class and watching those videos has definitely made the whole impending experience seem a lot more real. I really didn’t start thinking much about the labor portion of having a baby until we started our class. It feels good to be more informed, but it does kind of stress me out.

  9. You can do it! Just remember to not be afraid to change your birth plan if things happen differently than you expected. It doesn’t make you a failure if you have to deliver in a different way than you think you will. Any way it happens – you are a superwoman!
    I had tons of “happy pictures” in my room when I was in labor with my third – giant photos of things and people that made me happy. I focused on them whenever the pain got too intense. Also, I took my DS and my phone and played a lot of games to keep my mind off the contractions. geeky I know but it worked. 😉

  10. I’m so glad you came to a decision that you are happy with! I think the main thing for me was being aware of my options, my goals and making those around me aware of them.

    My labor went NOTHING like I had planned… but, because the teams of doctors, midwives and nurses made it very clear that they were there for me and my baby, knew my wishes, and often referred to them, I was not disappointed with my birth experience at all.

    I wanted to do everything all natural. Due to my baby having a very low heart rate I ended up needing to go a different way… but, I had an all natural labor up to the 43rd hour so I do have a few tips to offer!

    1st— REST. I was silly and started cleaning, cooking and walking when my labor began. I thought it would progress the labor. I got my information a little mixed up and while the moving around during contractions does help progress things (gravity and such) I should have been resting in between contractions. For several hours my contractions were 20 minutes apart and I should have been sleeping if possible. My doctor said that part of my problems later in labor were due to the fact that my body was simply too tired to progress things.

    2nd— Move during contractions… the pain, well, I’m not gonna lie. It is bad. But, it is MUCH worse if you are lying down. I cleaned and walked during the beginning of labor to help distract me. During active labor I used the birthing ball, birthing stool and a rocking chair. Then, during transition (the most painful) I used the shower head to focus hot water on my back and stomach… BEST THING EVER.

    3rd— Stay at home as long as possible. It really, really helps things progress. I probably should have stayed at home at least a few more hours, but because it was my first birth I was a little quick on the gun.

    And, 4th— As I’m sure you already know… everyone has an opinion and a story. And, everyone (including me) loves to share them. Your birth experience will be completely unique. Be prepared, know what you want and have your husband know what you want… also, be prepared to change your mind, be prepared to have unexpected things happen… and be open to still having a good experience. In the end you will have your little one in your arms and the *little things* won’t matter near as much as the person in your arms.

    One of the hardest things for me was being *okay* with the fact that I didn’t end up getting to have an “All Natural” birth experience. I mean, people have been having children since the beginning of humanity why do I need drugs to get through it? But, one of my smarter friends reminded me that people also died more often during childbirth and many babies didn’t make it through… so, I ended up having being ordered to have an epidural. It relaxed my body enough to have the baby before his heart rate got so low that something worse happened. Science, medicine and the not-so-natural can be a good thing too and has it place. It certainly had its place in my experience.

  11. Deep breaths in through your nose and out through the mouth… somehow the pain doesn’t seem nearly as bad when you are concentrating on breathing! So you can start practicing now, I found that it help me through heartburns and loads of other things:)

  12. The thing that helped me the most was reading as many birth stories as possible before the big day. And not having picture perfect expectations. Be open to letting the experts do what they think is best – along with what you’re feeling. I think knowledge and an open mind are the greatest tools!

  13. Every day my pregnancy feels more and more “real”, so I understand the feeling you’re describing! I would LOVE to go to a birthing center for my delivery, but unfortunately there aren’t any close by 🙁

  14. I had a natural birth last January at Andaluz. It was a very positive experience for me. The book ‘Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth’ was very empowering for me. I found the more knowledge I had, the less scared I was of labor. If you haven’t read it already, I would check it out, not that you need another book to read 🙂

  15. The stork thing: A long time ago in Europe when the amount of work to be done changed drastically with the season. This meant that the majority of the babies born in these societies where born around the same time in the spring. Right when the white stork would return to the area after being away for the winter. So the storks coming back was a sign that babies were soon to come.

  16. I can totally relate. When I was pregnant with Olivia we hadn’t chosen a name yet, so we referred to her as “the baby.” And now even when I think about or talk about being pregnant with her, I still think of it as being pregnant with “the baby” more than I think of it as being pregnant with Olivia. I know it sounds strange and dumb, but I think mentally it’s still like I was pregnant with “the baby” and then Olivia joined our family. The mind plays weird tricks on pregnant women. Talk about kicking someone when they’re already down. Haha.

    As for choosing a birthing center–go you! I think the best decision you can make is the one that feels right deep down. I know you’ve put a lot of thought into your decision. I think you’ll be really happy with it. Of course, I know nothing about natural birthing. But I still think you’re awesome for choosing it.

    That being said, I can’t help but add my two cents about being somewhat C-section ready. Especially since it’s your very first pregnancy/birth, you really have no idea what’s going to happen when it comes down to it. I think if your body is ready and if you’re mentally ready, you’ll be totally fine. But just keep this somewhere in your back pocket: there are some things that happen during child birth that are totally out of your control. (It sucks.) There are people who disagree with me on that. Those people have never had an emergency C-section. So let me just tell you that it’s true. There really are some things that are completely out of your control. So, whatever happens, know that you are awesome. And your baby will be just fine. And no matter how your sweet baby comes into the world, it will still just as cool as all the other kids.

    Love you Lauren. 🙂

  17. Well, I don’t have any labor stories, but…. I found the image. It’s from http://www.flickr.com/photos/creativedreamstudio/4378885152/ .

    Somehow my comment seems somewhat less intense. Ha. But very much enjoying hearing about your pregnancy, even if I’m years away from it myself!

  18. this is the only thing stopping me….THE PUSH!
    AHHHHHHH scary!
    xo
    B

  19. Ha! I had the same thought a bit after I got pregnant. Oh my GOD I am going to have to give birth to this! I loved reading Birthing from within and if you wanna read my birth story it’s here… http://acollectionofpassions.com/blog/a-big-blog-about-a-tiny-baby

    I’d be happy to talk with you in person too.. =)

    Kacie

  20. I already posted, but I forgot to say that pushing will be a relief, not the most painful thing at all. Then when it’s born…no more pain! Just recovery.

  21. Congrats on joining the club! And good for you wanting to go the natural route…just remember it’s ok if midway through, you decide to change your mind, there is no guilt or feeling bad that things didn’t go the way you want. Babies come when and how they want, and there is NO way of controlling that…they are pretty much running the show from the start. 🙂

    And yes, everyone is different…my firstborn came so quickly I had no time for an epidural (contrary to the 12 hour labor average), so it’s good to have a plan, but don’t feel bad when it gets blown out the window.

  22. Gabrielle Blair at http://www.designmom.com has an archive of awesome birth stories, ranging from natural, home, hospital, birthing center, c-section, and even adoption stories. Reading those helped me to get mentally prepared and feel confident about giving birth 🙂

Leave a Comment

*