The Final Days

I know so many girls who are just weeks away from giving birth so this post is in honor of them!

My sister-in-law, Allie and her husband Kevin, are about to have their second child, Oliver. I cannot wait to meet our new nephew and am so excited for them. I have been keeping my phone on by the bed at night just incase we get "the call" and we need to head to Louisville. I hope it's not in the middle of the night so that we can make it, but don't be surprised if I leave my husband and 2 boys behind and head to Louisville by myself. Heck...Allie's first delivery was so fast, I could probably make it there and back by the time they wake up. :-)

Thinking about those last weeks before the baby arrives made me think of writing a post about it. Every pregnancy is different, but most women I know are ready for it to be over by the time they reach the last month and I know I was one of them! Here is what I wish someone had told me when I was at the end of my pregnancy....

Uncomfortable in every way
With both of my pregnancies I started to swell the last month, had lower back pain, up all night going to the bathroom, and just all around uncomfortable. With my first, Eli, I was on my feet all day at school and I remember coming home and crying to Ryan about how much my feet hurt. I remember them just throbbing. With my second, Miles, I wasn't on my feet as much, but I was busy chasing around an 18 month hold and carrying him up and down the stairs. I remember it being so hard to get up off the playroom floor to play with Eli, and I yearned for the days where I could just hop right off the floor. So hang in there...you're not alone!

Enjoyment
With our first, I remember wanting the pregnancy to be over so we could find out if we were having a son or daughter. I couldn't wait to find out the surprise, and everyday, I would pray that he would make his arrival. I remember other parents telling me to not wish the days away as soon we'd be in a whole new life, and I remember it always bugging me. Now that I have 2 children of my own I find myself telling my pregnant friends the same thing. I understand how much you want to meet your child. There is nothing like it. I understand how uncomfortable you are and not being able to sleep at night. But, now I know what others meant by it never being the same. I love being a Mother more than anything, but there are days where I think about the time where it was just Ryan and I. If we wanted to go out and get a bite to eat at 8:00 or just go somewhere on a whim, we could. We didn't have to worry about bedtimes, diaper bags, feeding schedules, etc. The years we spent just the two of us were so special, and although I love being parents, I understand what others meant by "enjoying" the last few weeks of life without children. So if you're reading this and about to give birth...try to enjoy these last weeks you have with your spouse, just the two of you. Go to a movie...go out to eat...sleep in (if possible)...or just spend time doing your favorite things. Try to remember that you are going to be a parent in just a few weeks...this is a fact! Enjoy the time you have when you have no responsibility for other than yourself, because the funny thing is, when you do go on a date night after baby arrives, even though you're alone...you are always thinking about your baby! And if you're reading this and already have a child at home or two or three, enjoy this time with your family being how it is. I treasured those last week with just Eli and us as I knew it would never be just the 3 of us again.

Your Doctor
Nobody knows when your baby is going to make their appearance other than God up above. (well...unless you're having a c-section). Even though you have a due date, this is an "estimated due date." Your son or daughter will be the one who decides when they are finished cooking and ready to make their appearance into this world. Your doctor might say to you "any day now," or even "it doesn't look like he's ready to come out yet," but the funny thing is that not even your Doctor knows. With both of mine I remember getting so excited every time I would go to the weekly appointment. I would wonder the entire week if I had dialated any or if the baby had dropped. Then I would go to the Doctor and he'd report that I was still at 1, or with Miles' case I stayed at 2 cm for 3 weeks. With both of mine, I was told by the Doctor that the baby was still high and he didn't feel as if it would be on time. But, guess what? He was wrong. Your water can break at any moment. You can be 0 cm in the morning at the appointment and just a few hours later can start having contractions. We have NO control over this. No matter what you do, you do not have control over the date of your baby's birth. I remember walking around the neighborhood like crazy, doing jumping jacks, scooter rides, etc, just to get the baby moving on out. None of that helped. They will come when they are ready, so save all of that energy for the delivery! You're going to need it! :-)

Group B
In your 38th week, your doctor will perform a test for what is called Group B Strep or GBS. GBS is a bacteria infection and is fully treatable with antibiotics. All that will have to be done is that when you do go into labor, you will need to go in immediately and be put on an IV that will have an antibiotic running through it. The longer you are on this, the better chance you have of your baby being born perfectly healthy. My Doctor did not make a big deal about this when I tested positive (both times) so I was never worried. I have seen it talked about on shows as such as The Baby Story on TLC and they act like it is a major thing. (I am fully aware that it can lead to serious risks, but with antibiotics, it is 100% curable. ) What I'm saying is that if you test positive as well, don't freak out! I promise it is okay!
Here is some more information on GBS, if you're interested: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/groupbstrepinfection.html


Wedding Day
I kind of compare the "birth day" to your wedding day. Obviously you are not all dolled up and you're in quite of bit more pain, but the feeling of excitement, joy, love, and anticipation is still there. You plan and plan for both events and wait for the day to arrive, and when it does, you are full of so many emotions. I loved being surrounded by my close family all waiting for Baby H to make their appearance. I love meeting my nurse and building a relationship with her for the day (or two). Your nurse is VERY important. Your Dr. will only show up at the end when the baby is almost out, so it is important to love your nurse and befriend her. Get on her good side! I love the moment when all the hard work has paid off and they place that sweet baby in your arms. There is nothing in the world that compares to seeing your child for the first time and knowing that they are yours, and then before you know it, you are back home with your baby, and the delivery day is just a memory. Make sure you document the day well...even if you don't feel like it now. You will want to watch the day over and over again.



If you're under the 4 week mark, make sure you have your hospital bag packed and ready to go. You might go early and you do not want to be running around like crazy trying to remember what to take with you. If you need some help, check out my post here on what to pack.

Good luck and remember...try to enjoy!!

Labor Coach

After my experience with Eli, I started to think how nice it would have been to have someone in the room that was really on my side, supporting my wishes and helping me get through things. Don't get me wrong, my husband was wonderful and supported me 100%, but at times he didn't understand what I was going through. I think it makes a difference if you have someone who has actually been through the experience themselves. Ryan is my best friend and did anything I asked during the labor and delivery of both my boys. He never sat down the whole time.  He held my hand, talked to me through the long hours and encouraged me when I just wanted to give up. Through the recovery and even when I went through the colon issues after Eli, he was the one taking care of me. I never once had to ask him twice to do something for me. He is the type of man who will sacrifice everything for someone else, even if he just met you.

When Miles was born, Ryan wasn't feeling at his best. He was getting a sinus infection and you could tell by looking at him that he didn't feel good. His sister, Allison, who is also an amazing care giver, was at the hospital as well. She works at a hospital now and has always had an interest in nursing since I've known her (which has been since I was 5). She also has an interest in midwifery, which was a huge benefit for me!

My contractions with Miles were very intense. I had an epidural, but didn't want too high of a dosage as I was afraid I would be too numb to push. They were coming so fast and hard that I was starting to get upset. Ryan was holding my hand and telling me to breathe, but Allison grabbed my hand and started to breathe along with me, and just kept talking to me. She was AMAZING! I can't remember at this point everything she was saying to me, but I do remember at one point, feeling so focused that it almost felt like an out-of-body experience. For the remainder of the day, she was on one side of me and Ryan was on the other. Allie counted for me, breathed with me, talked to me, in a way that Ryan wasn't able to. I'm pretty sure I couldn't have gotten through Miles' birth without her by my side.

If you are lucky enough to have short births, then I could see where you might not need a doula or extra support person. If I had been able to push the boys out in just a few pushes, instead of 3 hours later, then I don't think I would have lost focus. But, if you have a longer labor and delivery, having that trained individual by your side makes all the difference in the world.

So, even if your husband is a sweetheart like mine, I would still recommend having an additional support by your side. It can make all the difference!

When I give birth to child #3, you better believe that Allie will be right by my side again!

Birth Classes and Hospital Tour

Most hospitals offer classes to assist parents before the baby arrives. These can be on breast feeding, child birthing, CPR, etc. Ryan and I didn't attend any classes as I had been around babies all my life and didn't feel as if they were necessary. I figured all I needed to know for the actual birth, was how to breathe, and I had that down pat.

Looking back now, I do wish I would have taken a class on breast feeding. I knew it was going to be hard, but I had no idea everything that can go wrong and where to turn for help. Otherwise, I felt prepared for the birth and afterwards. (I'll do another post soon on what I've learned with breast feeding and my experience with both)

If you do not have much experience with babies or are feeling anxious about the birth, then I would definitely take a class! Even if it is information you already know, it can't hurt!

We did however take a tour of the hospital, which I was so glad we did and HIGHLY recommend to other couples getting ready to have a baby. If you're not sure the hospital offers a tour, check out their website or simply call the labor/delivery unit. It was really nice to be able to see where everything would take place. I was able to find out where triage was and where we would go first when arriving on the big day. After triage we were shown an actual delivery room and the nice lady showed us everything from how the bed came apart to where the baby would go immediately after he was born. I felt like there would be enough "unknowns" on the actual day, so being able to become familiar with the hospital was one thing I did not have to worry about. I remember her even walking pass the O.R. and saying "and here is where you will go if you have a c-section." I also remember clearly looking at Ryan and saying "we don't have to worry about that!" haha. How wrong was I!

She was able to answer any questions I had such as: how many people could be in the delivery room, was there an age restriction on visitors, would I get a private room, did they allow video cameras in the delivery room, etc.

So, if you are going to deliver your sweet bundle of joy at a hospital, make sure you take a tour first! That way when you go into labor you won't have to spend 30 minutes trying to figure out which direction you go once you're off the elevators.