From yesterday
So...
What I was going to write about yesterday...
We had our childbirth class last night. It was the one where the instructor told us all about all the pain medications available, what they all could do/could not do, what the side effects were, etc. She is very gung-ho about doing it all without medication, but she told us that 75% or so of women do use some form of medication, and that we shouldn't feel like we "failed" or "chickened out" if we do too. Nice. Some of the discussion was a little intense, and there were a few points when Dan and I were both cringing, but it's good to know all of this ahead of time, instead of trying to pay attention to explanations when you're actually in pain. Also, a lot of the books I've read have been pretty "hippie", so there has been a lot of negative information about drugs of any type, so it was good to hear from a Labor and Delivery nurse that babies are born responsive, awake, etc. even if some kind of medicine has been given.
Dan's cute comment of the evening: "Some of the things Julie said about epidurals didn't sound too great. I don't think I want one." Yeah...cuz they're going to be offering you one, dear :-)
So, physically, I am so ready for this to be over. Sitting is not quite comfortable, lying down, I usually get comfortable at the same time as I have to go to the bathroom again, and sleeping is just a major difficulty. (Although I am a champion napper during the day, I have a hard time sleeping at night.) I want my body back. I want to be able to pick up things I've dropped, to be able to wear normal clothes and see my feet again. I want to be able to get out of a chair without help. I'm not too demanding, am I?
Mentally...hmm....can you ever be ready? The room is almost there. My sister Sarah took a load of my teaching stuff up to Lubbock to my parents' house to store for the year, so that corner is cleared out. Now, the room is just full of the baby's stuff, in an almost-organized fashion. I've read about 20 books on everything from breastfeeding to how to get the baby to sleep like...well...a baby. I've talked to a bunch of mothers of young children, kept up with Andi and Brian's log which is a wealth of good info :-) But, I just feel like it's soooo much bigger than all of that. I know that every moment will be a learning experience. I guess that I'll just have to accept that, and be flexible.
-Laura
posted by babyboyg @ 7:09 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
We were mentioned in the Blog! Sweet
Brian
The only thing I have to warn about, in case it happens, some women shake uncontrollably after giving birth. Dan there isn't anything you can do, it only lasts for like an hour. In NONE of the birthing classes did they warn us that this may happen. It's kind of scary, but it goes away after a bit.
Brian
Oh, that's why Dan might need the epidural :-)
-Laura
Everyday is a learning experience and you'll be ready to write your own book in a few months! Good thing we like to learn right? I'm thinking about you and hope that everything goes well.
About the child birthing classes...I remember a lot of instructors stressing the need to have a birthing plan so everything goes according to plan, you don't make decisions based on emotion at the time, etc... Based on my own experience I would suggest having no other expectation other than you want a healthy baby at the end of the experience. That was my "birthing plan." Had I been gun-ho and all about a natural childbirth I might have been very dissappointed with how things turned out. Who knew my liver and kidneys were going to shut down and a C-Section would be necessary?
Try to stay comfortable and listen to your body. If your body says you need pain medication...TAKE IT! (my personal feeling was that I wanted to remember the moment of the babies coming into the world not my "happy place" so I wouldn't focus on the pain :) )
Andi
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