Labor/Delivery

Posted by Christiane Williams on March 3, 2012

Water: The Magic Labor Weapon!

When I was pregnant with my first child, one of my worries was how I would be able to tell whether it was real contractions or just the uterus practicing. My midwife gave me a very simple solution: take a bath! If the contractions stop, because you relax, it’s not labor – if the contractions increase, because you relax, it’s the real thing!

I was 4 days overdue, when I tried this method for the third time and finally contractions increased instead of decreased. However, even though this meant I should get ready for the hospital, I did not want to leave the tub… it felt sooooo good!

Since I was fully dilated and ready to push when I got to the hospital (with baby #1 and 2), I never had the chance to really take full advantages of the benefits of water in labor. So this time, I am planning a water birth from the get-go. The more I read about what water can do for you in labor, the more convinced I am that’s what I want to try!

Whether you get a back massage with a hot water jet in the shower or sit in one of those Jacuzzi-sized labor tubs, whether you do it at home or in the hospital, as an early relaxation technique or to actually give birth in the water – any of these applications can only benefit you and your birth experience!  (more…)

Posted by Christiane Williams on March 2, 2012

Preparing My Body For Labor

In the back of the pregnancy journal I kept for my first child is a check list for all the things I did daily to prepare my body for labor! Every day for the last 4 weeks I did: a 45 min walk, 200 Kegels, 240 pelvic rocks, 20 min tailor sitting, 30 min relaxation and a perineal massage!

Wow. That seems like a lot in retrospect, but I was also rewarded with a quick 7 hour labor, no tears and a smooth recovery! For the second pregnancy, I tampered it down a bit and now – this is No 3 – I simply don’t have time to do it all… However, I still want to prepare my body for laboring (after an 8 year gap) the best I can, so here is an overview of all the things that will hopefully help me achieve a natural birth with a smooth recovery again! (Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, this is entirely my opinion formed by research and taking into account experiences of myself and friends).

Physical Preparation:

Other than general fitness (achieved by daily walks), there are specific things you can do to strengthen you pelvic floor, which will help during labor as well as with recovery and avoiding incontinence after birth. Kegel exercises (simple pulses, longer holds and three-staged “elevator” holds), pelvic rocks / tilts (cat stretches on all fours, pulsing and holding) as well as squatting (increasingly longer periods if possible) and tailor sitting (bottom of feet together, stretching not bouncing, with a straight back) are all very beneficial and can be done while watching TV! In order for me not to forget the Kegels, I try to do some at every red light while driving and during my sons’ daily violin practice! A prenatal Yoga class often incorporates may of these beneficial moves as well as relaxation techniques.

I am convinced that the main reason I never tore giving birth was the diligence with which I prepared my perineum by stretching and massaging. This is not everybody’s cup of tea, but if you can muster the courage, use some non-scented organic oil (I always used Evening Primrose Oil for reasons stated below) and try to massage and stretch the vaginal opening every evening. If you can’t reach, you could ask your partner to do that, though that’s a whole new level of intimacy! My husband was willing to do it because he was convinced of the benefits, but it was still a bit awkward… But the increased elasticity of the pelvic floor tissue after just a week was proof of the effectiveness of this treatment! (more…)

Posted by Christiane Williams on February 28, 2012

Home Birth Preparations

This is my third child and I am planning a home birth. Most people shake their heads about it and call me brave, but as a matter of fact I am just the opposite – I am scared! Scared that I will have the baby in the car! With No2 I was in the hospital for 17 minutes, already pushing in the elevator, before he shot out. If this one is just as fast or faster, there is no way I will make it to the hospital in time! Total labor from first contraction to birth was under 2 hours, so if that happens again, there is not much time for husband to commute home AND drive to the hospital… So I decided to get everything ready for a home birth just in case – and if it takes longer and/or there are complications, I will transfer to the hospital!

While the last time, all I had to prepare was a hospital bag and make sure I had a friend on speed dial to watch my son, preparing for a home birth is much more involved (and even costly)!

First I had to decide on a location in the house, where I wanted to labor and deliver. We considered the family room (too small for the pool), the living room (too valuable furniture and rug) and finally decided on the nursery, which was still half-empty and has wood floors. Now of course the room is full, since in addition to the changing table and crib we have added a birthing pool and a comfy chair. (more…)

Posted by Laura Vellema on February 22, 2012

Labor? My Birth Story: Part One

You will deliver your baby around the same gestation your mother delivered you. This was an old wives tale I wanted to believe. When I was 33 weeks pregnant, I drove back home to the Chicago area to visit my mom.  She was throwing me a baby shower. The night before the shower she and I dug out the baby book she kept throughout my childhood to look up the details of her labor and delivery with me. My mom delivered me at 37 weeks and four days after her water broke, she went to the hospital and labored less than four hours.  I was her second child and I’m on my first, but apparently the story with her first was quite similar. Her story sounded pretty ideal to me, so I embraced the you-will-deliver-like-your-mother theory.

I had 37 weeks and four days marked on the calendar. Well, not literally, but I knew exactly when that day would arrive in my pregnancy and I started nesting frantically at about 35 weeks, accordingly. First, I stockpiled baked goods in the freezer followed by casseroles. I cleaned rarely touched places in the house and cleaned the car as if I were an auto detailer. The nesting culminated with an exhausting 10 hours of carpet shampooing.

But 37 weeks and four days passed. Two days later, however, I started having frequent contractions. Compared to the several random Braxton Hicks I’d had each day since about 20 weeks, these seemed like they could be the beginning of the real deal at 5, 10 or 20 minutes apart. I called my dad, a perinatologist, to ask him what he thought. He gave me a 50/50 possibility that this was the start of real labor and I was hopeful. This was two days before Christmas. (more…)

Posted by Meagan Church on February 10, 2012

Birth Story: My Waterbirth Experience

This being my third pregnancy, you’d think I was a pro at giving birth. Well, after my 16-hour labor with number one, you’d think that would earn me some sort of pro status. Even still, I know that every birth is different and that scared me. Going in to my third pregnancy, I had certain reservations because my first two had gone so well. Could I be so lucky once again? I felt my time was running out. Not to mention the fact that my open-mindedness from my first pregnancy was becoming a lot more closed off. I did a good amount of research for my first and had a good sense for what I hoped for in the birth. But having done far more reading and fact gathering, my mind was beginning to close off and strongly oppose certain options I had previously been open to. I began to have this feeling that if things didn’t go as planned, I would somehow be disappointed and left to deal with those emotions post-partum. So how did it all turn out? Let’s start at the beginning….

On Wednesday, January 25 (five days before my due date) I woke up with mild contractions around 2:00 a.m. They came off and on without much regularity or intensity. I tried my best to sleep, but knowing that this meant the end was near, task lists and details began running through my head. I got little sleep that night. The contractions did not increase at all as I went about my day. I hesitated telling anyone because I assumed I still had plenty of time. I did tell my husband before he left for work and I also called my mom. With having to make plans for the whereabouts of the two older kids, I needed to at least inform a few people. But I refrained from making any Facebook status updates. After all, I had a history of going post-due. Would this child really come before the due date? (more…)