joy
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Post by joy on Jun 16, 2017 14:06:09 GMT -6
Tell us something that happened during labor that nobody warned you or told you about.
Me?
- That epidurals can fail in certain places. Mine worked on the right (front/back) and left (front) but not left back.
- You can feel the epidural up into your arms. That's okay and it won't paralyze your breathing.
- You will be touched by anyone and everyone near the end of labor and after birth. They don't care if you protest.
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yummeecookee
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Post by yummeecookee on Jun 16, 2017 15:01:08 GMT -6
-Don't take off all your belly monitoring devices to try and go to the bathroom
-Labs have to be run before an epi can be administered. This is fine if your labor is going to be long-ish, but if you arrive at the hospital and feel you already need one, you will have to wait until your bloodwork is processed (they will put a rush on it)
-I was also surprised by how much I could still feel despite having an epi. That "ring of fire" is no joke.
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Post by gimmesugar on Jun 16, 2017 15:40:42 GMT -6
- If you follow the 5-1-1 rule (contractions 5 minutes apart lasting for 1 minute for 1 hour) and you go to the hospital, they might send you home after checking your cervix. Go when your doctor tells you to go, but be prepared for lack of progress. I was so sad to hear 1cm after almost 12 hours of laboring at home and thinking that I was making progress because my contractions were getting closer together.
- You might be able to feel your legs when you have the epidural, and that's ok.
- You might vomit during labor. I didn't throw up at all during the pregnancy, but it did happen at the hospital once I got to my room (not that I had much of anything in my stomach at that point).
- Not sure if this happens with a vaginal birth, but if you have a c-section, nurses will be checking your vital signs at all hours of the night. So, if baby hasn't woken you up, a nurse will.
- If you do get the shakes, ask for a warm blanket. It helps.
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 16, 2017 16:24:40 GMT -6
-you may never follow or meet the 5-1-1 rule. When in doubt, call your provider and go when they tell you
Be prepared to go med free, even if you plan on an epidural.. you may not be able to get one for whatever reason or it may not take effect before you have the baby. My second came so fast that the epidural didn't take full effect, partially due to the anesthesiologist taking an hour to get up to L&D after being called.
- you may feel the ring of fire with the epidural. It's no joke, but you'll get through it
- you may get the shakes; I'm talking about shaking so hard that you can't even hold the baby. It's normal and will go away
- the nurses will come and give you uterine "massages." Massages, my ass.
- you will have people help you get out of bed the first time after delivery, even if you think you're fine. Wait for them to come to help you before attempting to get up. I almost passed out after getting up post delivery for the first time with DS1
- your birth plan may be thrown out the window at any time. Prepare with one if that's your thing, but be prepared for nothing to go how you wish.
- your nurses know what they're doing if the doctor/midwife doesn't make it to delivery. Trust them. In both cases, my provider barely made it and my nurses were prepping to do the delivery themselves.
I'm sure I'll be back with more
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 16, 2017 16:57:33 GMT -6
Oh, read up on a newborn's second night so you know what the hell you are in for...
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Post by thechickencoop on Jun 16, 2017 17:28:00 GMT -6
You may be told, "Oh you're 9 and 3/4, almost there!" for about an hour after you told the nurse you feel a TON of pressure. This might be because there are 15 other people in labor at the same time and giving birth in the FUCKING HALLWAY.
It was....a hectic evening for babies apparently.
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Post by thechickencoop on Jun 16, 2017 17:29:13 GMT -6
Also, they may have to turn off the epidural meds because while you were only able to push that damn button every 20 minutes, it was still way too much and you can't feel anything to push 🙄
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Post by thechickencoop on Jun 16, 2017 17:31:04 GMT -6
How I told them I needed to push vs how I couldn't feel to push is a mystery. I blame having an extra hour to numb myself up 😂
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 16, 2017 17:56:21 GMT -6
It may be your hospital's policy to give a bag of pitocin post delivery WITH NO PAIN MEDS. I just wanted a damn Advil or 20...
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yummeecookee
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Post by yummeecookee on Jun 17, 2017 5:03:06 GMT -6
gimmesugar- they do the all day/night vitals checks for vag deliveries too 🙁
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 17, 2017 6:06:23 GMT -6
Here's another- every provider who comes in, be it a nurse, doctor, or anesthesiologist, will have differing opinions on everything
I take baby aspirin throughout pregnancy and go on lovenox post delivery. First time around, this was not an issue. I was given Advil around the clock, had no problem with an epidural despite low-ish platelet count, and had my first injection less than 8 hours after the epidural was removed.
This time, after it took an hour for the anesthesiologist to come to the floor, she spent another 15-20 debating if I could get an epi (only difference is I didn't have low platelet numbers this time around). I also wasn't allowed Advil after 3am since my first injection was to be at 9am so I only had 6 hours of pain relief since I'm allergic to Tylenol. This is despite my MW and MFM both saying it's okay for me to take Advil with the lovenox. I didn't get the lovenox until over 18 hours post delivery, much to my MFMs dismay
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 17, 2017 6:07:11 GMT -6
gimmesugar- they do the all day/night vitals checks for vag deliveries too 🙁 Yup. I was woken every 4 hours despite them taking the baby to the nurses station so we could sleep
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 17, 2017 6:09:54 GMT -6
Oh! Ask your provider and hospital on the rules regarding how long you have for a vaginal delivery after your water breaks. Some places have a hard 24 hour rule whereas others will let you go longer and just monitor for an infection. I say ask both because you may not have your provider, or even their office, as the ones doing delivery
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joy
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Post by joy on Jun 17, 2017 6:38:59 GMT -6
After a vaginal delivery, your muscles down below may not work well. Stay near the bathroom. Seriously.
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Jun 17, 2017 6:57:24 GMT -6
After a vaginal delivery, your muscles down below may not work well. Stay near the bathroom. Seriously. This - so much this. Also, if you are someone who bleeds a lot (like I did) be prepared for your bathroom to look like a murder scene for the first day or two. I felt so bad for housekeeping the first day.
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rachydc
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Post by rachydc on Jun 17, 2017 7:42:11 GMT -6
- I had no idea an epidural could "fail". Learned that the hard way since my DD came down on a nerve/my back. - Back labor is real and painful and you literally feel like you're going to poop your baby out. - Shaking/shivering/freezing after the epidural is normal, but I didn't know it would last for hours after delivery. - The "ring of fire" as yummeecookee stated above, is really real! - It is real and possible and not fun at all for an induction to take a solid 48 hours NON SCARY - My first PP poop was nothing. It didn't hurt and it was just like any other poop I had pre pregnancy
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 17, 2017 10:34:16 GMT -6
After a vaginal delivery, your muscles down below may not work well. Stay near the bathroom. Seriously. Oh yes, and rebuilding your pelvic floor is more than doing just kegels
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cnf
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Post by cnf on Jun 17, 2017 11:33:33 GMT -6
- Just because you ask for an epidural doesn't mean you'll get one. Be prepared for the pain despite your wishes.
- If you don't want people in recovery, make it known.
- If you get a nurse you don't jive with you can ask for a different one. Yeah, I'm looking at you, bitch who scolded me for being upset when I asked for an epidural and got told no. /resentment
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Post by beachbum22 on Jun 17, 2017 11:54:49 GMT -6
Yes to the epi only working on one side, and also wearing off (they just gave me more.)
Yes to being woken ALL hours of the night after birth. I left the hospital a day early because I couldn't get any rest.
I'll add that getting stitched up after birth might hurt way more than giving birth. Epi might've worn off by then.
If you're thinking about getting an epidural: The epi (the needle part) might seem scary at first, and you might want to opt out because of fear, but after it's administered, you'll be very happy and grateful. After they were done putting it in, I was like, "that's it?!”
When your legs go numb, you might be tempted to poke them for fun. I wouldn't recommend it, because it feels REALLY gross.
Eat food if they let you. Sleep if you can.
Also, your trustworthy and intelligent partner might turn into a complete useless idiot during labor and birth, so use the nurses as much as possible. That's what they're there for - support, and to help you.
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joy
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Post by joy on Jun 17, 2017 12:15:18 GMT -6
- If you get a nurse you don't jive with you can ask for a different one. Yeah, I'm looking at you, bitch who scolded me for being upset when I asked for an epidural and got told no. /resentment I wish I knew this!! My nurse was - I'm sorry - a bitch. The uncontrollable shaking scared me - don't scold me for being scared. I was just asking if it was normal to feel an epidural in my arms - don't tell me to calm down. I was sofaking done with people touching me so when you had to massage my uterus after and I was hysterical the least you could have done was apologize and have a shred of understanding. I asked for a chair because my hips hurt too much to be in the bed - don't act like I asked for the moon. And I will kill the person who admitted to some nurse that I have anxiety. WTF. Yeah, I do, but ffs - who doesn't when they're giving birth to their first? They treated me like a half insane person after that. EDIT - I had a doula and she was the bees' knees. She was also angry at how the nurses treated me.
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cnf
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Post by cnf on Jun 18, 2017 11:05:48 GMT -6
- If you get a nurse you don't jive with you can ask for a different one. Yeah, I'm looking at you, bitch who scolded me for being upset when I asked for an epidural and got told no. /resentment I wish I knew this!! My nurse was - I'm sorry - a bitch. The uncontrollable shaking scared me - don't scold me for being scared. I was just asking if it was normal to feel an epidural in my arms - don't tell me to calm down. I was sofaking done with people touching me so when you had to massage my uterus after and I was hysterical the least you could have done was apologize and have a shred of understanding. I asked for a chair because my hips hurt too much to be in the bed - don't act like I asked for the moon. And I will kill the person who admitted to some nurse that I have anxiety. WTF. Yeah, I do, but ffs - who doesn't when they're giving birth to their first? They treated me like a half insane person after that. EDIT - I had a doula and she was the bees' knees. She was also angry at how the nurses treated me. I'm thinking of hiring a doula this time around. I know you can ask for a new nurse, but I had been in labor for 30 hours and was so exhausted and frustrated it never occurred to me in the moment. She kept scolding me and yelling at me for being frustrated and upset. Coupled with not getting any pain meds, I was a mess.
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 18, 2017 17:10:36 GMT -6
Here's another. Your sex Drive may come back within hours of delivery. I have no drive when pregnant, but it came back full force within 3 hours of giving birth both times. I was not expecting to have just pushed out a baby and really wanting to have sex
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cateyes
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Post by cateyes on Jun 18, 2017 18:57:32 GMT -6
-Inductions can fail. It is not a guarantee that labor will start and you may end up getting a c-section
-Breastfeeding/milk does not happen for everyone, more than 5% of woman cannot produce enough milk for babe despite all attempts and want
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jexxa
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Post by jexxa on Jun 18, 2017 19:18:40 GMT -6
After a vaginal delivery, your muscles down below may not work well. Stay near the bathroom. Seriously. They also might fail to work altogether and you may have to be catheterized. Which actually hurt worse than my contractions.
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thatgolfb
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Post by thatgolfb on Jun 18, 2017 20:19:14 GMT -6
You might be told not to push when you are ready to push because your doc hasnt made it to the hospital yet. 😳
You might pass out/black out for a second or two on the last push.
If you have high BP, you might be put on liquid restriction for 24 hours due to needing IV magnesium sulfate. And it may cause you to want to kill someone for the water in their hand.
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cmb
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Post by cmb on Jun 19, 2017 3:51:55 GMT -6
Let's talk the postpartum time period for a second- make sure both you and your partner know the signs of PPD/PPA. They can get it, too.
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Post by katespade on Jun 19, 2017 5:09:55 GMT -6
The biggest thing I think people need to know is that it is okay to advocate for yourself. I didn't want to be pushy or annoying and I ended up being forgotten, and it wasn't until I broke down crying to a nurse about how poorly I had been cared for that I finally was heard.
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jftb
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Post by jftb on Jun 19, 2017 7:14:01 GMT -6
+1 to a lot of these:
Newborn's second night. It is NO JOKE. For me, it was third night too.
I don't think I had the "ring of fire." My epidural was a dream. You do feel the pressure of the baby coming out though.
Speaking of epidural, I freaked out and squeezed my nurse's poor arms while getting it because it's more of a foreign feeling rather than a pain.
You will inevitably pee yourself at some point in the weeks after giving birth.
My first PP poop was not a problem. Colace is your friend.
People swear by sitz baths. I hated them. I only did one before I started refusing them in the hospital. I felt like I was pulling my stitches.
Everyone tells you to try to sleep when you're in the middle of a long labor. Just a warning: it probably won't happen. I could only sleep in 15 increments before there was a beeping, or a nurse came in, or I had some kind of pain, or H snored, or, or, or....
If you don't like your nurse, ask for a new one. If you're in for a long labor and like your nurse, ask for her when she comes in for her next shift. I LOVED my first nurse. Due to her schedule and my long labor, she was able to be my nurse again when she came back on shift. I specifically asked for her when I realized I was going to be in L&D for awhile. We even bought her dinner from a local place.
Labor and delivery is unpredictable. If you're a planner and need a birth plan, more power to you. Just remember that things can change in an instant and you may have to throw those plans out the window.
Post-delivery: I feel like this needs to be said because I went through a huge range of emotions about this... YOU ARE NOT A BAD MOM IF YOU ASK FOR YOUR BABY TO BE TAKEN TO THE NURSERY FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. I was exhausted, couldn't keep my eyes open, and was terrified I was going to drop my baby. She wouldn't let me put her in the bassinet and I was so scared of hurting her, BUT I NEEDED JUST TWO HOURS OF SLEEP TO FUNCTION LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING AGAIN! One nurse made me feel a little shitty about it, and I cried...A LOT...about sending her to the nursery. But I felt like a new woman after some sleep and there were a lot of other babies in the nursery. That helped with my guilt.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2017 9:03:05 GMT -6
Thanks so much for sharing all of these! I'm both terrified of this info, but glad I have it.
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Nymeria
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Post by Nymeria on Jun 19, 2017 9:32:11 GMT -6
After a vaginal delivery, your muscles down below may not work well. Stay near the bathroom. Seriously. This - so much this. Also, if you are someone who bleeds a lot (like I did) be prepared for your bathroom to look like a murder scene for the first day or two. I felt so bad for housekeeping the first day. Along those same lines... If you can, make sure you get out of bed regularly. I waited too long between bathroom breaks while still in the hospital and pretty much gushed blood everywhere when I stood up because it can pool while laying down. The one not-so-nice nurse I had (everyone else was AWESOME) pointed out it was because I hadn't gotten up frequently enough.
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