Labor & delivery shtuff

[houseelf]

Yup, throw the labor plan out the window.

Those post delivery contractions do hurt a lot more with second babies.

Don't count on your second delivery being shorter than your first. (21 hours then 24--can I have my medal please )

There is no resting at the hospital. Have your DH or mom be a guard dog once you get home to ward off well meaning visitors. I had 22 people in my apartment on my first day home and I was serving them food. With my second one I was happily a bitch about needing my time alone those first few days.

DS had the mighty vac but the doc gave me a decision: did I want a c-section or try the mighty vac first? After three tugs, he came out with a nasty hematoma and a black eye, but so far he is o.k.

Nurse as soon as possible.

You will lose every body fluid and you really won't give a hoot. (I have done them all including lots of puking-but with a nickname like "Two Beers" you know that I"m a puker by nature.)

This will be one of the most special days of your life.

Kelly

[HeartRN]

Regarding VBACs...I think the trend now (at least per an OB I know) is to move away from attempting them and just go straight for the scheduled c-section. I'm not sure what the rationale is, but I do know that I, for one, will go straight to the OR for the next baby!!!

[mommax3]

My husband still has patients who VBAC and he is fine with it, particularly when the initial section was done for reasons such as the ones in your case, and not for shoulder dystocia-type problems. He trained at a place that tried to keep their section rate very low, and so he is comfortable delivering babies vaginally when a lot of doctors would without question do a section. There does seem to be an art to "reading" the bones of the baby's head as it descends and being able to picture how things are going as it progresses through the birth canal. Neither of his partners (both trained on the east coast) are able to gauge progress this way......if your doctor can't do this, or isn't comfortable with a VBAC, or YOU aren't......go for the scheduled section. The convenience of that (esp. when you have other kids) would be tempting if it were me.

Sally

I love reading all of your helpful insights. Although, they do make me a little nervous.

Can anyone recommend a helpful book on labor and delivery that is not biased one way or another? All the books out there seem to be totally against medical intervention, and I honestly think my husband believes the more medical intervention the better.

I really, really don't know how I feel on this subject, and I would like to be better informed, but it seems like everyone out there has a bias one way or another.

One that I really liked is Birthing from Within.
It's a wee bit touchy feely. Ok, a lot touchy feely.

Why I liked it: for me, it was the best resource I found on pain management techniques. The Lamaze breathing just didn't do it for me. I still use the "spiraling" one when I'm at the dentist. Even if you want an epidural, you will likely experience discomfort ranging to pain before you get it so it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve. The book does promote drug free deliveries but is not militant about it. I didn't feel "judged" by the book for having had an epidural with both deliveries.

I haven't read, but have heard good things about, the Dr. Sears birthbook. As with any pregnancy or parenting book, it's nice to have a couple of different sources to draw from.

[SueC]

Another tidbit I figured out with the third baby, is that it's helpful to have one of those "donuts" that old people use. Between my episiotomy (never had one with the other two so I didn't know how much different my healing would be) and other lovely pregnancy side effects, I couldn't sit for long periods of time without the darn thing!

[mommax3]

I don't have any birth books to recommend, but my childbirth class was great and I learned a lot from it. I never had an episiotomy. I had second degree tears with my first two (although the placement of the tear must have an effect, too, because the tear I had with my first was MUCH more painful and bothered me for longer than the tear I had with my second. With my third, I didn't tear!

Whatever you decide, PAY ATTENTION to the pain management techniques. My epidural didn't work above the tops of my thighs with #2, and I was really close to freaking out and just starting to scream because I didn't remember any strategies from the childbirth class I took prior to having #1. My doctor finally helped me find a breathing pattern that calmed me down while I got a spinal and then got the baby out......but if she hadn't been able to help, it would have been ugly!

And about resuming your sex life......have PLENTY of K-Y jelly (or whatever) on hand.

Sally

Jen, this is my first so of course I've never had a VBAC, but I know that my doctor supports VBACs. In the handbook that I received from his office, it says, "VBAC, even with its limitations, is still safer, in most situations, than a repeat cesarean." Of course, I'm sure many doctors will have a different opinion, especially older ones. One reason for this has to do with the possibility of the uterine scar tearing. But I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that VBACs require a lot more of the doctor's attention. My doctor's office requires VBAC patients to go to the hospital as soon as labor begins and they often times require monitoring of uterine pressure during contractions. Also, the doctor is required to be available during the entire labor process rather than just show up during the last stages.

My doctor has a video that patients who are candidates for VBACs can watch in his office and it runs through the pros and cons of the procedure. I have no idea what it is called, but you may want to check with your doctor to see if he has a similar video.

Erica