My Baby
Woohoo! It's time to break out the bubbly! (The sparkling cider variety, of course.) By the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term -- which means she could really arrive any day now. Exciting, sure. Terrifying? Yeah, that too. But no matter how freaked you might be, you're way better off knowing as much as you can about D-day. So here's the deal. No one knows exactly what sets off the big event, but somehow your body knows when your baby's fully cooked and starts releasing chemicals (called prostaglandins) that thin, soften, and dilate your cervix. When produced in large amounts, these prostaglandins will trigger your uterus to start contracting, or making involuntary muscle movements to push your baby down and out. (At some point, your water will break, too, but this is more like a side effect of labor than an actual trigger.)
But contractions alone don't necessarily mean your baby's on the move just yet. They'll get stronger, longer, and more regular before you're actually ready to start delivering. And this early-stage labor can last hours or even days. So sit tight, be patient, and keep a watch handy. Once contractions start occurring about five minutes apart for at least an hour, it's probably time to grab your hospital bag and head out -- you're officially in active labor! (More on that in My Body.)
Woohoo! It's time to break out the bubbly! (The sparkling cider variety, of course.) By the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term -- which means she could really arrive any day now. Exciting, sure. Terrifying? Yeah, that too. But no matter how freaked you might be, you're way better off knowing as much as you can about D-day. So here's the deal. No one knows exactly what sets off the big event, but somehow your body knows when your baby's fully cooked and starts releasing chemicals (called prostaglandins) that thin, soften, and dilate your cervix. When produced in large amounts, these prostaglandins will trigger your uterus to start contracting, or making involuntary muscle movements to push your baby down and out. (At some point, your water will break, too, but this is more like a side effect of labor than an actual trigger.)
But contractions alone don't necessarily mean your baby's on the move just yet. They'll get stronger, longer, and more regular before you're actually ready to start delivering. And this early-stage labor can last hours or even days. So sit tight, be patient, and keep a watch handy. Once contractions start occurring about five minutes apart for at least an hour, it's probably time to grab your hospital bag and head out -- you're officially in active labor! (More on that in My Body.)
My Body
Labor has three stages -- when you get to the hospital you'll likely be in active labor, the second phase of the first stage, where your cervix dilates from 3 or 4 centimeters to 7. Now, contractions will come fast and furious -- lasting up to a minute each or even a bit longer -- and yes, they huuuurt. You'll feel this intense pain radiating through your stomach, lower back, and upper thighs. This is like nothing you've ever felt before -- and each woman copes with it differently. Now's the time when pain-relieving epidurals are usually administered, so don't be afraid to ask for one. Many women who hope or plan to go the drug-free route change their mind midstream, so if you have a change of heart, go for it! It's totally normal to experience a huge range of emotions (intense focus, restlessness, irritability, to name a few) and physical symptoms (like nausea or exhaustion) during this labor stage, but it won't last forever -- most likely a few hours.
Eventually you'll progress to the transition phase, the end of the first stage. Here, your cervix finishes dilating to 10 centimeters, and contractions will strike much, much more frequently -- they'll probably feel nonstop. This is the toughest phase, especially without meds. (They're not usually given this late in the game, but some types may still be available.) Soon you'll be ready for those big final pushes -- the official start of stage two. Your baby's head will appear (crown) near the opening of your vagina, though it might still take as long as a half-hour to 40 minutes to finish delivering her. Once the head's out, your doctor will tell you to take a pause from pushing so she can make sure your baby's breathing okay and check the position of the umbilical cord. Before long, your baby will be out of your womb and ready to say hello!
You may think you're completely done at this point, but a few more things need to happen first. As soon as your baby comes out, the umbilical cord will be cut -- severing your baby from the placenta. You may ask to cradle her right away, then she'll be weighed and examined by a doctor or nurse. While all this is going on, you'll be wrapping up that third and final labor stage -- delivering the placenta. And once it's out, you're all done. Congrats, and welcome to mommyhood! Talk about a day you'll never, ever, ever forget.
Labor has three stages -- when you get to the hospital you'll likely be in active labor, the second phase of the first stage, where your cervix dilates from 3 or 4 centimeters to 7. Now, contractions will come fast and furious -- lasting up to a minute each or even a bit longer -- and yes, they huuuurt. You'll feel this intense pain radiating through your stomach, lower back, and upper thighs. This is like nothing you've ever felt before -- and each woman copes with it differently. Now's the time when pain-relieving epidurals are usually administered, so don't be afraid to ask for one. Many women who hope or plan to go the drug-free route change their mind midstream, so if you have a change of heart, go for it! It's totally normal to experience a huge range of emotions (intense focus, restlessness, irritability, to name a few) and physical symptoms (like nausea or exhaustion) during this labor stage, but it won't last forever -- most likely a few hours.
Eventually you'll progress to the transition phase, the end of the first stage. Here, your cervix finishes dilating to 10 centimeters, and contractions will strike much, much more frequently -- they'll probably feel nonstop. This is the toughest phase, especially without meds. (They're not usually given this late in the game, but some types may still be available.) Soon you'll be ready for those big final pushes -- the official start of stage two. Your baby's head will appear (crown) near the opening of your vagina, though it might still take as long as a half-hour to 40 minutes to finish delivering her. Once the head's out, your doctor will tell you to take a pause from pushing so she can make sure your baby's breathing okay and check the position of the umbilical cord. Before long, your baby will be out of your womb and ready to say hello!
You may think you're completely done at this point, but a few more things need to happen first. As soon as your baby comes out, the umbilical cord will be cut -- severing your baby from the placenta. You may ask to cradle her right away, then she'll be weighed and examined by a doctor or nurse. While all this is going on, you'll be wrapping up that third and final labor stage -- delivering the placenta. And once it's out, you're all done. Congrats, and welcome to mommyhood! Talk about a day you'll never, ever, ever forget.
My Life
If you've haven't already packed your bag for the hospital, now's the time. Just don't be tempted to bring the entire nest with you. After all, you're going to a hospital, not a hotel! Unless you'll be delivering an hour away, your partner or a family member can always swing by and grab anything you've forgotten. You might want to do an initial pack, then sift through your stuff a few hours later to edit out any nonessentials. Another option: Pack one bag with everything you'll need during and just after labor, and another with less-pressing items, like the baby's going-home outfit, diapers, and your check-out wardrobe (plan on the maternity clothes you were wearing at five or six months along). Leave it by the front door and have it picked up later.
If you've haven't already packed your bag for the hospital, now's the time. Just don't be tempted to bring the entire nest with you. After all, you're going to a hospital, not a hotel! Unless you'll be delivering an hour away, your partner or a family member can always swing by and grab anything you've forgotten. You might want to do an initial pack, then sift through your stuff a few hours later to edit out any nonessentials. Another option: Pack one bag with everything you'll need during and just after labor, and another with less-pressing items, like the baby's going-home outfit, diapers, and your check-out wardrobe (plan on the maternity clothes you were wearing at five or six months along). Leave it by the front door and have it picked up later.
Oh boy... We've hit the "Any Day Now" stage! I'm SOOOOOO excited, and I cannot wait to have this baby! Although, I think partly it's that I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore :-) Hey, it's true! Any of you who have been pregnant know that feeling, I'm sure. And look - I DON'T want to hear any more negative stories of labor, or going two weeks past due date, etc. I just don't want to! Everyone's pregnancies are different, and mine is just going to happen the way it happens. So please, please, PLEASE don't think I want to hear about your daughter who was in labor for 45 hours (seriously, someone told me their daughter was in labor for 45 hours). It's not that I don't care, it's just that I don't want to be stressed out about it. I am really not very nervous about giving birth, because I know that I have no control over how it goes, and there's not much I can do about it anyway.
Okay, on a lighter note, last night was the Memorial Middle School concert (where John teaches). John and his co-teacher, Amanda, got RAVE reviews from the parents and the principal was incredibly impressed. I have to say, it was probably one of their best concerts in a long time, which made me very proud of John. I'm proud of him a lot, but it's especially on nights like that. I'm hoping to get a little video up online of it, but I think the video is too long, so I may not be able to.
I may not be able to post again until sometime after Christmas, so I hope everyone has a great one! I had a snow day from work today, so I'll be going in tomorrow instead. Saturday will be spent getting ready for the day, Saturday night we're going to a family event, Sunday we're having the RK people over for a party, and then BOOM! Christmas Eve! Wishing everyone all the best!
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