receiving help after coming home

Thanks, everyone!

Boy, am I nervous. I have the option of going to the hospital (if I go the induction route) either Monday night or Tuesday morning. Dh says I should go on Tuesday morning, but I just know I'm not going to be able to sleep the night before if we do it that way. Of course, there's no guarantee if I go on Monday night that I'll sleep on Sunday night either.

FWIW, when I went in to be induced w/Quinn, I did the night before thing. My docs started with the cervadil (I think) that is just supposed to get your cervix ready and help things along, rather than going straight to pitocin. Granted, I'd already had one, non-induced, easy birth, but I think that was their protocol anyway. Have you asked your OB what she intends to do?

Other than that, as Alison says, walk, walk, walk! With Mattie I went (with Davita) apple picking about a week before she was born, then the day before I went into labor I drank 64 oz of raspberry tea & watched the first presidential debates. Also - a pedicure. There are pressure points on your feet that can help you go into labor ...

You'll be GREAT!

tulips -

yeah, it's true. I had a friend who was barely 5' tall, and she had two babies over 10 lbs - no c-section. it's all about what your pelvis can do (how it moves around -- and that part is amazing) -- not how big or small you are.

[spotty_dog]

Um, is that true about the 4'10'' woman? Not to hijack but it's a concern of mine (I'm 4'11 and DF is 6'8'') - I figured I'm in for a c section.

I'll find you an example but I just read this page -- http://homebirth-only.com/TooSmall/TooSmall.htm and the last one is an 85 pound woman with an 8.5 pound baby. And a woman I met a few weeks ago is 4'11" or maybe just shy of 5', she had pituitary dwarfism at birth and received growth hormone therapy around puberty but still has some oddly fused bones in her pelvis and spine. Her husband is well over 6' and her ~9 pound baby came without a hitch.

[DCJenn]

I know two women who took themselves to the mall and literally walked the ENTIRE mall- went into every store on all floors. and that did it for both- both first babies, too.

They also took themselves out for lunch at the mall and bought themselves a treat, too.

Jenn

[alison]

Um, is that true about the 4'10'' woman? Not to hijack but it's a concern of mine (I'm 4'11 and DF is 6'8'') - I figured I'm in for a c section.

I don't think Alison is referring to a specific 4'10" woman, but is basically making the point that it is possible for a person of that stature - which I happen to be - to give birth to a 10-pounder (dh's birth weight). You'd be surprised at how it all works out... Just because the father of the baby is tall/large (my dh is 6'3"), doesn't mean that you've got a one-way ticket to a c-section. It's a crap shoot!

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I don't think Alison is referring to a specific 4'10" woman, but is basically making the point that it is possible for a person of that stature - which I happen to be - to give birth to a 10-pounder (dh's birth weight). You'd be surprised at how it all works out... Just because the father of the baby is tall/large (my dh is 6'3"), doesn't mean that you've got a one-way ticket to a c-section. It's a crap shoot!

Wow, that's awesome. Well good luck!! Do you know how big your baby is measuring?

[SuzySunshine]

It is a crap shoot - I'm 5'2", DH is 6'4", Adele was only 7lbs 8oz but we had to have a forcep assisted delivery and an episiotomy because they could not get her big noggin unstuck

alison, you'll know when you're in labor - the pressure is normal. I had NO symptoms, NO contractions until about 7pm the night before, we went into the hospital at 3am and A was born the next afternoon.

[alison]

Wow, that's awesome. Well good luck!! Do you know how big your baby is measuring?

It's not an exact science, and different people have told me different things... The nurse practitioner I saw at week 38 said the baby was "huge," probably around 8-8 1/2 pounds. This week, my regular OB said the baby was probably between 6 1/2-7 pounds (at 39 weeks).

[alison]

It is a crap shoot - I'm 5'2", DH is 6'4", Adele was only 7lbs 8oz but we had to have a forcep assisted delivery and an episiotomy because they could not get her big noggin unstuck

alison, you'll know when you're in labor - the pressure is normal. I had NO symptoms, NO contractions until about 7pm the night before, we went into the hospital at 3am and A was born the next afternoon.

I guess I'll think of you, A, and Alison's advice to just corkscrew this baby out.

[JaneDoe]

It is a crap shoot. Dh is 6'3 and I'm just shy of 5'9. I expected us to have big babies. Both kids were born of average weight and length (Dd was 8lbs and Ds was 7lbs 5o). Subsequently, I expected their growth to be at the upper end of the spectrum and it wasn't. Dd hovered around the 20% in weight during her first year and the 80% for height. Ds' weight was around the 10 -15% for weight and only 50% for height. Based on how tall Dh and I are, this really took me by surprise.

It really is a crap shoot.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

It is a crap shoot. Dh is 6'3 and I'm just shy of 5'9. I expected us to have big babies. Both kids were born of average weight and length (Dd was 8lbs and Ds was 7lbs 5o). Subsequently, I expected their growth to be at the upper end of the spectrum and it wasn't. Dd hovered around the 20% in weight during her first year and the 80% for height. Ds' weight was around the 10 -15% for weight and only 50% for height. Based on how tall Dh and I are, this really took me by surprise.

It really is a crap shoot.

So how tall are they now? I think DF will be sad if we end up with runty kids. I think he always assumed that his kids would be tall since he's SO tall. Obviously healthy is most important but I think he has dreams of sons who are also 6'8''.

I'm in awe of all you pregnant ladies! Good luck on healthy deliveries (no matter how big or small the babies!)!

[Flynn]

I'm "small boned" but 5'8 and DH is 6'5."

My first child was almost 42 weeks when we had her and she was 9.13 and 23 inches long. She was HUGE. She almost didn't fit into the glass bed they have for newborns.

My larger friend has had barely 6 pound babies. She's beautifully curvy, about a size 12 and in high school had a killer fastball in softball.

It's a crap shoot.



(DS #1 was born at 40 weeks and was 9.4 pounds, DS #2 was a C section at 38 weeks and was 8.12)

[JaneDoe]

So how tall are they now? I think DF will be sad if we end up with runty kids. I think he always assumed that his kids would be tall since he's SO tall. Obviously healthy is most important but I think he has dreams of sons who are also 6'8''.

Dd is tall for her age. If I remember correctly from her last well child check, she is in the 90% for heighth. I think she is in the 50% for weight. She is definitely a string-bean, tall and lean. Ds hasn't seem to have hit a growth spurt yet. I think he is hovering around 50% for heighth and weight. Both kids are very healthy, so I don't really understand how this growth thing works.

[SuzySunshine]

My mom says the growth charts are for the beans as well, I was in the 70% until I was like 10 - they were just positive I was going to be tall. Hah!

This is going to sound ridiculous, but it feels like there's so much pressure down there that the baby's just going to fall out.

That's not ridiculous...I felt the same way with my babies. If only it were that easy.

Good luck, Alison. I'll be thinking of you. Everything will be just fine, I promise!!