Labor + Delivery

Hey all,
39 weeks today, and getting really close to welcoming our little babe into the world. 39 weeks has also brought on an instant urge to re-educate myself on labor and delivery; what to look for leading up to labor and how to prepare yourself for the actual act. I gave birth to Lincoln in May 2015, so I definitely have some brushing up to do. This post will detail some of the most important takeaways from my actual labor and delivery to notes that I took from my first pregnancy. Hoping this will help any mamas prep for the big day, especially now that I have already gone through one successful labor and delivery! Again, this is my story and everyone has their own, so take what I say with a grain of salt, as everyone mama has a different journey. Here we go...

PRE-LABOR: SIGNS TO LOOK FOR
I knew I was getting close when I started experiencing the following symptoms. Again, these are different for all mamas, but for me, this is what started to happen in the weeks and days leading up to labor.

• Dropping: baby definitely dropped lower both visibly and physically in my first pregnancy. People kept telling me that I was carrying so low and thus, it might be a boy. This pregnancy, the baby has indefinitely dropped; I can see this in the mirror and also can feel the increased pressure, which brings me to...
• Strong pelvic sensations and pressure down there: because baby had dropped, I had strong pressure on my nether regions including sharp pains and an uncomfortable pressure. I didn't feel uncomfortable 24/7 but I did consistently feel strong pains and/or pressure down there. This happened in both pregnancy; I have stronger sensations and increased pain in this pregnancy as opposed to my first at this point in the game.
• Increased cramping and Braxton Hicks: These started coming on stronger and stronger, especially with physical exercise like walking or group exercise classes. If I run, my belly tightens like crazy. This indefinitely happened in my first pregnancy when I was walking. I had intense tightening. During this pregnancy, I feel this most when I go to my exercise classes. My second pregnancy has also brought on a lot more menstrual cramping; I don't remember having this menstrual cramping in my first pregnancy. I attribute it to the fact that I am much more dilated this pregnancy as opposed to my first. My first, I was only a tight 1cm dilated at 40 weeks. This pregnancy, I am already 2cm dilated and was at 38 weeks. This pregnancy, my Braxton Hicks aren't as present but they are still there.
• Increased discharge: I noticed this during both pregnancies. In fact, I thought it was me losing my mucous plus. Either way, this is a sign that labor is drawing near.
• Desire to walk or exercise: Had this during both pregnancies, especially my first. All I wanted to do was walk, walk, walk, despite the fact that it was getting increasingly challenging with the discomfort of braxton hicks and cramping. I think the urge to walk is both a natural urge and also is a desired urge due to the fact that it can help bring on labor.
• Gradual loss of mucous plug: I noticed this especially in my first pregnancy. My mucous plug started dislodging 5 days before I went into labor. During this pregnancy and the first, I noticed I lost a little bit of my mucous plug after the doctor checked my dilation and effacement, and also sometimes after sex.
• Diarrhea: happened during both pregnancies. I had to go all.of.the.time. This pregnancy, I will get menstrual cramps, then notice that sometimes this makes me have to go to the bathroom; similar to what happens to me during a bad period cramping sesh.

WAYS TO HELP INDUCE LABOR (in my humble opinion)

• ​Walking or exercise: for some reason, I feel like walking definitely helped me go into a healthy and quick labor. All I wanted to do was walk; in fact, the day I went into labor I think I had walked like 6 miles or something crazy like that. This pregnancy, I am continuing my exercising and can feel my body preparing or almost going into labor with cramping and braxton hicks when I do so.
• Sex: if you're feeling up for it, which honestly, I am not haha, simply due to the fact that my belly is so big and it doesn't even feel that great because I am so uncomfortable. I also notice I cramp more. However, I believe that having sex does help progress your labor situation.

THINGS I DON'T BELIEVE INDUCE LABOR (again, totally my opinion)

• Herbal teas: really?
• Castor oil: I would never do this.
• Nipple Stimulation: hmmm, I don't know. I'd opt for sex. My nipples are already super sore and I don't want anyone going near them.

YOU'RE GOING INTO LABOR SOON IF...
These were the symptoms that transpired literally hours before my water broke and my contractions started. This is what I will be looking out for to alert the hub that I'm actually going into labor soon.

• You experience the "bloody show": we were at dinner the night I went into labor and I went to the bathroom, almost feeling as if I maybe was going into labor. I noticed that I had way more mucous coming out and this time it was tinged with blood. It was about 7pm and my water ended up breaking at midnight that night.
• Your Braxton Hicks are off the charts: the day of leading up to my water breaking, we walked around the city for miles. I had the most insane Braxton Hicks, sometimes that I had to stop. They weren't painful, just very very strong tightening in my tummy all over, making my tummy hard.
• You have a strong "feeling" that it's going down/you feel as if you will go into labor at any moment: When we were at dinner, I just had a feeling that I could go into labor at any moment. There were even times that I told everyone that I might be going into labor. I remember being so specific about telling everyone that this could be the night; I simply knew it was about to happen. We went to bed that night and then I awakened to my water breaking at midnight. Thereafter, my contractions started right away.
• Your water breaks: You know you're in labor if your water breaks :) Mine broke at midnight after experiencing a day and night full of the above symptoms. I went to bed and then my water broke that night.

LABOR + DELIVERY NOTES
The below notes are important anecdotes from a birth class we did during my first pregnancy. I was reading over them and pulled out the ones that I think may help for this labor and delivery:

• Stay hydrated and eat healthy in the last week of pregnancy and near your due date. You will need all of the energy you can get should you go into labor!
• Ask the hospital if clear fluids are allowed and if so, bring drinks like clear sports drinks, etc.
• Bring music to calm you down and distract you
• Bring 2 outfits for baby
• Ask for extra mesh underwear
• Nausea/vomiting may indicate you are in labor
• Relax, if you go into labor. Take a nap or sit down to preserve your energy for what is to come; elevate your feet and drink water
• Fiber diet is important at the end of pregnancy; try to get out all of the "waste" inside of you
• Get rid of any anti-bacterial soap in the house! Don't have a sterile house either. It is good for baby to build good bacteria and be exposed to germs. Pet are good!
• Get a lot of rest, rest, rest! If you're tired, take a nap!
• Take a calcium supplement and drink lots of water
• BREATHING: in through your nose and out through your mouth; practice deep breathing which lowers your blood pressure, heart rate and cortizal levels.
• When having contractions, take a deep breath before/at the start of a contraction; end the contraction with a deep cleansing breath. Also, ask your husband to breath with you to ensure you are going slow and doing it correctly (in through nose; out through mouth)
• Go to the hospital at 5-1-1 ! This is when contractions are coming every 5 minutes, lasting 1 minutes in length and you have this go on for an hour straight.
• Remember, when you are 10cm dilated, you can start pushing!
• If your water breaks, bring a towel and trash bag in the car because you will likely continue to leak fluid (this happened to me! So glad we had a towel)
• Go to the hospital right away if water breaks
• If you're curious about how you may birth your baby, talk to your mom! It is likely you'll have a similar experience.
• Don't get epidural until about 4 to 5 cm dilated
• Lie on the side that is hurting when you get the epidural
• Wait for doctor to break water until 6 cm dilation
• Get your epidural before the doctor breaks your water
• Do position changes to get baby to come down (while in labor)
• Get a softening agent before you get pitocin
• Don't induce baby until 40 weeks
• Only get a c-section if the doctor is seriously concerned about yours or baby's health
• Don't bathe the baby for 24 hours
• Keep baby close to your face
• Don't let others hold the baby for 24 hours; this is important for bonding and sensatory bonding
• Let dad do skin to skin too!

Alrighty mamas! Sorry for the sporadic notes, but these were the tidbits that I found to be helpful. Rock on and hopefully you're hanging in there this last and final week of pregnancy.

xx,
​ILA