June 9, 2011

Mentally Preparing for Labor

5 weeks 5 days to go! It would be nice to cut one week off from that count down!!


When I first found out I was pregnant, I never really asked my doctors any questions. I think I was still in shock about being pregnant and also, everything that I wanted to know I found in my baby books and online. But now every time I visit the doctor's office, I go through never-ending lists of questions I feel the need to ask... and re-ask. I'm getting really exciting to meet my daughter. MY DAUGHTER. How strange does that sound!? Crazy!! I will officially have my own family. Mommy, Daddy, & Baby. I've been excitedly asking more and more questions about the process of labor and delivery. I want to know as much as I can before I go into labor...

What are the signs of labor?
What do contractions feel like?
Who do I call to see if it's a good time to go into the hospital for delivery?
When is a good time to go to the hospital?
When will I get an epidural? Do I have to wait until I'm dilated to a certain extent first? When do most women choose to have an epidural?
Why do women have Cesarean sections?
Who exactly will be helping delivery my baby? 
How long will I be in the hospital for recovery?
What doctor visits do I have to go to after delivery?
Are their vaccinations my fiancé and I will be recommended to take to prevent the baby from getting any possible sicknesses?

My list goes on and on! All these answers make me more excited but nervous as well. My doctor says that I should wait until my contractions are 5-10 minutes apart before coming into the ER. She says that I can call the OB nurse on call for any questions after hours. If my water breaks, I need to come into the hospital immediately and will most likely be induced to avoid infections since the amniotic sac won't be there to protect against germs. Apparently there is no pressure to wait extra long before I get an epidural. On average, women wait until they are between 3-5cm dilated before getting an epidural but they want me to be as comfortable as possible so I can have it whenever. After reading about epidurals, I'm kinda scared of the idea of having my entire lower body paralyzed. This makes me more motivated to have a natural birth... ha. I probably will not feel this way when my body trying to force a baby out of me... but anyways. C-Sections are necessary when the doctors think the baby will not be able to undergo a normal birthing process for various different reasons. [I made my mom have a C-Section... Wow in a way that means I failed at life... Thank you technology or I may not have been here!] As long as everything goes normal I can expect to stay in the hospital for a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 48 hours. I will have a check up 2 and 6 weeks after delivery. Then I will go back to my regular caretaker. [I will have a baby to take to a pediatrician!! Aww.... I'm super excited & giddy I know.]

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Thanks for reading!
xx Monica xx

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