Dear Blog,
I am very sorry for having neglected you these days, I am spending way tooo much time on Facebook!
So, last night was the hospital visit and I am officially freaked out. CATHETERS? IVs? Those heart monitor pads like you see in soap operas? I was not aware of all the medical devices that would be used in labour.....you see, I have never spent any time in a hospital. Never an overnight stay, never a broken bone (ok, I broke my big toe when I fell off my bike in grade 6 but I did not even go to the clinic for that), never even a trip to emergency...heck, I have only had three blood tests in my life and 2 of them have been in the past 4 months! So the prospect of getting hooked up to all that stuff is pretty scary to me...I actually set my PVR last night to record "A Baby Story" every day so I can do some "research".
Question of the week: Did you choose to have an epidural? If not, why not? Maybe it's me, but why would someone want to experience the birthing process in pain? Other than hippie, "earth mother" types (and there are quite a few of them in my Prenatal yoga class), is there any reason why you would not want to get one? I know, a needle in the spine is not very pleasant, or maybe you didn't have time, the anesthesiologist was busy, etc, but did anyone out ther consciously decide not to have an epidural?
Question of the week # 2: To breastfeed or not to breastfeed? Actually, let me rephrase...to try to breastfeed until your nipples rae purple and bleeding or to give up and bottle feed? I have heard horror stories about evil nurses saying, "try one more time, it's better for the baby" as your nipples are sprouting blood...is this true? When do you give up and move to a bottle? HOW much better is breatfeeding?
6 comments:
HI!! Came across your blog and decided to give you my opinion....
I am one of those chicks that HATE needles, and couldn't bear the thought of getting one in my spine, so I decided that I was going to try doing it without the epi...and I did..and my baby was over 9 pounds (im pretty small, too!).....and let's just say it was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life!!! I made it through, but just barely. When the pain was totally unbearable, it was too late for the epi.
Wanna know the worst part?? Turns out i had to go back to the hospital a week after because I was bleeding, had to have a D&C, and ended up with a needle in my spine ANYWAY!!!!
So going thru the childbirth without the epi, due to the fear of the needle in my spine...and then having to have the needle in the spine anyway a week later, I know that natural childbirth was a MILLION times worse than the needle!!!
I will know for next time (if there's a next time), i'm definately, definately, gonna have the epidural!!!!! I totally recommend it!!!
Hi Beth,
Love the likes and dislikes of being preggers. It made me laugh because I felt exactly the same.
Good news: Epidural DOES NOT hurt...not one bit! I had two "shots" to the spine, one for epi for contractions and then another when we had to do the emergency Csection. And Exactly...why go through the pain if you dont have to.
Breastfeed not to breastfeed- only you can decide but in my case ( I know I know giving my advice...sorry) after the first week it is easy-peasy. And no sprouting blood but I my boobs will never be the same..they now resemble "sip sacks"
Best of luck in the last weeks....
Another good blog posting Beth...defintely questions everyone thinks about, pregnant or not.
I like the way you write your blogs, you kinda have a Carie Bradshaw from Sex and the City going on. I can hear her voice reading your blog when I look at it..hahaha.
Yeah...to go through childbirth naturally...what the hell is up with that?? Screw that....if it were me, i'd rather be put to sleep and they could wake me up when it was all over. Like everyone says to me...no no...you would never want to do that, those first few minutes as soon as the baby is born, is the most special time. Ya know..screw that shit...you have the rest of your lives to spend together....i'd rather sleep through the rough stuff and wake me up when the worst is over..thank you very much!!
Oh god, i'm going to be such a terrible mother some day...ah well....what can ya do?!?!
Take care Beth!!
As for the breastfeeding and the sick sack boobs...ahhhhh......I don't even want to go there...that does not sounds that great at all!!
epidural? my theory was, I wouldn't have a filling in my tooth done without novocaine, why would I push a baby out of my vag without drugs? I had Jimmy on a bad weekend... everyone in Ottawa was having a baby... I went wayyyy to long without being admitted to a room and without drugs... the nurse who checked me was all "oh wow, 6 cms.. most women need pain relief before then.." I was to weak and tired to yell at her and tell her I'd been in tears, begging my husband to track someone down for the past 2 hours to give me something...
breastfeeding? I know 2 people who haven't had problems... me and my sister... and I know a lot of women who have had kids in the past few years... either we have good nipple genes or our kids have good latch genes or something... I have to admit, breastfeeding, if it comes easy is pretty friggin' handy.. no bottles, no sterilizing (they tell you not to even wash your nipples) so you can up and go whenever you want (provided you are a-ok with nursing in public) But I have friends who in the first few months, each feeding was like an hour or more... I think I would have given up at that point... formula isn't poison...
my nipples did bleed a little in the beginning and were a little sore, but it didn't last longer than a week...
Amy
Good to see you back! The facebook thing is addictive...isn't it?
About your questions:
Epidural: Best medical invention ever! I went in with an open mind about options, but after 3 hours of contractions...that was it for me. Made the birth experience sooooo much better.
Breastfeeding: I must be somewhat masochistic because I dealt with tons of pain and problems for almost 3 months but it's going really well now. Now I can't imagine having to pay for formula or wash bottles. I'm lazy...
But, whatever you do is fine. Your baby will be happy and healthy no matter what happens. Remember that!
Hey Beth,
Well I can't comment on the pregnancy thing...I can about the epidural. I just had one for my knee surgery...its a little weird but not that painful to get. I was actually mostly worried about this part...turns out it was only two seconds...then you don't feel your legs anymore.
You'll be fine...go with!
Jess
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