What are you doing to prepare for giving birth?

Question

I feel like I've been obsessed with my pregnancy this whole time. Not just the pregnancy but the baby and everything that comes along with him. I read articles about going into labor but I don't know what else I could do. My significant other and I started taking a birth preparation class and after tonight's class he really started getting on my case about how I need to stop worrying about cribs and bottles and start preparing for the labor. He says I have a low pain tolerance and he thinks the pain is going to be worse for me because I'll "freak out and stress/anxiety will bring on more pain" ...

I know this will be an adventure. I don't think it will be a walk in the park but what can I do? He says I need to start working out more. But I'm too tired. I'm 31 w 3days. I'm just shot and sleep a lot. Anyway, what are you doing to prepare? If you've had your baby what could you have done to be more prepared physically and mentally?

Answer

I'm 29 week along and I feel entirely ready and excited to bring my baby girl into the world! We're planning a water birth in a freestanding birth center, with my husband in the tub with me to catch her. I've also done an insane amount of research about pregnancy and birth and I honestly have no fear! My body was made for this.

I'm reading a book on hypnobirthing, which is amazing! I also just started drinking red raspberry leaf tea once a day, I plan to increase that to 2-3 times daily as I get closer. I do some yoga, light stretching, and multiple sets of squats just about every day. I read that eating dates often in the last six weeks is supposedly beneficial for an easier birth, won't hurt to try!

For me, being calm and centered is what's giving me such confidence, along with educating myself as much as possible.

Answer

To be 100% honest, I'm not sure anything can prepare you for labor. Everyone's story is different, no two are exactly alike. I took the birth classes with my first and I didn't regret it, but honestly didn't feel like it helped at all. I didn't make a birth plan becuase every time I read about someone's birth story every single person said that they didn't follow it at all or something got it the way of following it. So I decided to go it with no expectations becuade I didn't want to be disappointed that I didn't follow a little piece of paper when I had no clue what to expect. The few things I would talk with your dr about are about cord banking vs waiting to cut the cord and medication they give the baby after birthing vaciness.

Answer

I literally tried everything for preparing my self, and ended defiantly not the way I wanted to my biggest advise is don't go in nervous and expect Anything to happen you may want to go all natural but don't leave that as your only option because your body may have other plans. My story I was dead set on giving a natural birth no epidural or anything no matter what the pain was, I was reading a lot towards the end of my pregnancy that if you get pictocin to help speed up your contractions it makes the pain 10*s worse and it's best to get the epidural changed my mind after I read that and said I will get an epidural if I have to get the pictocin. We'll ended up having to get it and I have a really high tolerance pain and I couldn't take it so I got the epidural which felt amazing, after about 4-5 hours my epidural wasn't helping bc the baby was positioned wierd so I was having full on back labor it was aweful but I dealt with it I was in labor for 33 hours and had no sleep at all when the dr comes in and tells me I'm only 6cm dialated my body and my mind literally couldn't take anymore and they told me I should probably think about getting a c-section, I cried my eyes out because I was so against getting it and was terrified bc I have never had any type of surgery. I got the c section and I forgot about everything after I heard that first cry, so my advise expect anything and go in there cool calm and collective bc no matter what happens once your baby is born none of that other stuff will even matter! Good luck!!!

Answer

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What are you doing to prepare for giving birth?

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