Hello lovelies! I hope you all had a great weekend! Time for part two of my "15 Things I Wish I Had Known..." series! If you missed my post on "15 Things I Wish I Had Known About: Pregnancy" click here to read it! This time we are talking about childbirth. Disclaimer: I kept it real here, so if you get queasy about the thought of childbirth, then this post is not for you. :)
1. That I should have made a birth plan. When I was pregnant all my books, apps, and the websites I looked on said "make a birth plan", but I thought the idea of that sounded so stupid. I mean, what's to plan? You go into labor, go to the hospital, have the baby...right? Well, now that I've been through the experience I really wish I had written on paper what my expectations and requests were. Once you're in that much pain, life just kind of happens around you and you are completely zoned. I made decisions that I probably would not have made because I hadn't thought them through in advance. In all, my child birth experience was amazing, but there are quite a few things I would have changed if I had the chance.
2. That I should have eaten something on the way to the hospital. We left to go to the hospital around 2:00 AM so food was the furthest thing from my mind. However, by the time we were getting admitted around 5:30 AM I was H-U-N-G-R-Y and not allowed to eat anything but ice chips and popsicles. :( Boo. So while my entourage sat there eating donuts and coffee that morning I watched them...in pain...pregnant as I could be...and starving! No fun. I honestly thought I would have her before dinner time though, so at the time it wasn't too terrible. But by the time 5:00 PM hit I was really feeling it, I was exhausted and hadn't eaten anything in 24 hours. I had her at 7:15 PM and didn't get any food brought to me until around 9:00 PM. At that point I was so famished, I would have eaten anything! In hindsight, I should have had Brian drive through somewhere on the way to the hospital just to get some real food in me before the whole process started. I really think it would have helped. I get the whole reasoning behind the medical staff not wanting you to eat (incase you have to have surgery or incase you puke...which I did...3 times) but personally I think denying a laboring woman food is just wrong!
3. That I should have had someone run and get me food as soon as she was born. This ties in to the same idea as above...everyone was in la-la-land with baby Baylee (rightfully so...she was stinking cute!) that they forgot that I hadn't eaten in forever and had just had the most intense workout of. My. Life. I needed food like yesterday, but of course by the time anyone could get me food the cafeteria was closed except for Subway. I was so hungry that I didn't care, but I would have loved a huge burger and fries or pizza; something that would sustain me more and replace all those calories I burned.
4. That I should have listened to my body more. Laboring in a hospital is really hard for someone like me. All my babies will be born in hospitals for safety and health reasons that I hold important, however I have a "home-birth" personality when I'm in labor. I wanted to move. I wanted to walk. I wanted to bounce on my birthing ball! That's all really hard to to when you're hooked up to an IV drip and all kinds of monitors. I honestly think that I should have waited to let them admit me. Something in my heart told me that I should keep walking around the hospital, but I was so unsure of what I was doing that I just went with it. I was progressing so much faster when I was walking, and as soon as they got me in bed my labor slowed down a bit and the pain of my contractions got sooooo much worse. At one point I literally jumped out of bed because I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to labor standing up and I couldn't. I honestly think this all was a big reason why my labor lasted so long. If I had listened to my body and did what I was feeling like I should do, then I probably would have made it to 10 centimeters a lot faster.
5. That epidurals are your best frenemy. I was always open to getting drugs, and I communicated that to my team. However, I wanted to try to go all natural if I could. In the end, I hit 8 centimeters (transition) and ended up caving in and getting the epidural. That thing was awesome. It allowed me to take a nap and get my strength up for the battle I had ahead of pushing my baby out. Honestly, I am so glad I got it, but I would love to try to go without one for my next birth if at all possible. The pros of an epidural: getting one doesn't hurt and it literally takes most if not all of your pain away; the cons: you're stuck in bed laying on your back the rest of the time, it numbs your legs too, you have to have a catheter, and it makes pushing harder because you don't know when you're having a contraction. The worst part was that I could not feel my left leg until the next morning...that was kind of scary. So by "frenemy" I guess I mean I would get one again, but I'd rather not.
6. That I wasn't going to remember a lot of it. I had heard that laboring women get in this "zone" where all they can focus on is the process of their labor, and it's true. I heard stories of things that happened or that I did later on that I don't remember at all! It's pretty funny actually...apparently there were some "F-bombs" dropped from my end, and I said a few mean things to Brian. LoL. The whole day honestly felt like a blur. When they told me she was born at 7:15 PM I couldn't believe I had labored and pushed that long. It went by in a flash.
7. That pushing is really hard. Probably the most frustrating thing about childbirth is when it's time to push. Unless you are one of those women who can pop a baby out in 2 or 3 pushes (shall I count the ways I envy you?) then it's going to be the hardest workout of your life. I pushed with all my might, but it was so hard to get those "productive" pushes when I couldn't feel much going on down there. Her head would come down and then go right back up again. And just when I finally pushed her low enough that she was ready to come out, the nurses tell me "Ok just hang out...the doctor will be here any minute." Wait...whaaat?! I just did all that work and now I have to "hang out"?! Hahaha...I had reached that irrational point of being ready to catch her myself, but luckily my wonderful doctor showed up within 10 minutes and the most amazing L&D nurse ever stayed after her shift just to help Baylee enter the world...bless both their hearts!
8. That I was going to totally be ready for it. I spent my whole pregnancy kind of freaking out about giving birth. I was scared out of my wits! When the day came, though, I was cool as a cucumber! It was so weird. This feeling of "I got this!" came over me and I knew everything was going to be okay. I really was freaking out for nothing. Yes its hard and painful, but it's definitely what the female body was made to do. I have a super low pain tolerance, and I'm willing to do it all over again one day!
9. That it was going to be the most exhilarating experience of my life! It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. And then you have this beautiful, screaming, tiiiiiiny infant on your chest and there are no words for the pride and excitement you feel! For the next week I felt like a certified badass, because I was! I made a human; that's no small task! The endorphins that are released when you give birth are like you just ran a marathon twice...and it's no joke! I honestly can't wait to feel that feeling again one day! :)
10. That it would make me fall in love with my husband all over again. So cliche, but so true. Just when you think you love and appreciate this man to your fullest extent you see him shedding tears while holding his new little bundle of joy and the heart just swells. Every time Brian held Baylee for her first 24 hours here he couldn't help but get a little emotional because he was so happy and in such disbelief that we had made something so perfect in 9 short months. Those were sweet moments that I will never forget. He really is the most amazing Daddy ever, and he loves his little girl so much!
11. That the worst of the pain comes after the birth. Birthing the placenta as your epidural is wearing off after your doctor just finished stitching your episiotomy...ouch. Having a nurse come in every hour for the next 8 hours to massage your uterus to make sure its shrinking back down correctly...double ouch. Waking up the next morning feeling like you got hit by a train and then had to ride a horse....holy crap. I wish I was exaggerating, but for me it was really that bad. I didn't stop hurting for about two weeks. Thank God for drugs! Whatever the doc prescribes you, take it!!!
12. That I wasn't going to get any sleep for three days. Those first few days and nights with a newborn are totally exhausting, especially with nurses and visitors coming and going. I think I slept a total of 6 hours our whole time there! Once you get home, it gets better; so don't fret! Just don't go in with high expectations of slumber, and if you get too exhausted have Daddy or another relative be on baby duty and try to get some shut-eye in between feedings.
13. That I overpacked for the hospital. I followed all those lists on Pinterest and didn't use half the stuff I brought. Anything medical or baby related the hospital already has for you, and I wore the same PJ pants the whole time. The only things that we really needed were snacks, toiletries, and cute clothes for Baylee. Next time, though, I will probably bring towels from home for showering, because the hospital ones are really small and scratchy.
14. That I was going to feel ridiculously happy and sad at the same time. I was elated that my baby was finally here, but I was kind of sad that it was already over. I will never have that "first baby" experience again, so it's definitely bittersweet. The nice part is that now I know what to expect, so I shouldn't have as much fear and anxiety with the next baby.
15. That watching my baby take her first breath was going to be the best moment of my life. No explanation necessary here. :)
Reliving Baylee's birth makes me so nostalgic. I can't believe over 7 months have gone by since that day! My next post in the series will be things I wish I had known about having a newborn, so look for that in a few weeks! Oh, and I'll be doing a special post next week for my birthday! Woohoo! Until then, I leave you with a picture of my sweet little girl when she was brand-spanking new! :) XoXoXo
2. That I should have eaten something on the way to the hospital. We left to go to the hospital around 2:00 AM so food was the furthest thing from my mind. However, by the time we were getting admitted around 5:30 AM I was H-U-N-G-R-Y and not allowed to eat anything but ice chips and popsicles. :( Boo. So while my entourage sat there eating donuts and coffee that morning I watched them...in pain...pregnant as I could be...and starving! No fun. I honestly thought I would have her before dinner time though, so at the time it wasn't too terrible. But by the time 5:00 PM hit I was really feeling it, I was exhausted and hadn't eaten anything in 24 hours. I had her at 7:15 PM and didn't get any food brought to me until around 9:00 PM. At that point I was so famished, I would have eaten anything! In hindsight, I should have had Brian drive through somewhere on the way to the hospital just to get some real food in me before the whole process started. I really think it would have helped. I get the whole reasoning behind the medical staff not wanting you to eat (incase you have to have surgery or incase you puke...which I did...3 times) but personally I think denying a laboring woman food is just wrong!
3. That I should have had someone run and get me food as soon as she was born. This ties in to the same idea as above...everyone was in la-la-land with baby Baylee (rightfully so...she was stinking cute!) that they forgot that I hadn't eaten in forever and had just had the most intense workout of. My. Life. I needed food like yesterday, but of course by the time anyone could get me food the cafeteria was closed except for Subway. I was so hungry that I didn't care, but I would have loved a huge burger and fries or pizza; something that would sustain me more and replace all those calories I burned.
4. That I should have listened to my body more. Laboring in a hospital is really hard for someone like me. All my babies will be born in hospitals for safety and health reasons that I hold important, however I have a "home-birth" personality when I'm in labor. I wanted to move. I wanted to walk. I wanted to bounce on my birthing ball! That's all really hard to to when you're hooked up to an IV drip and all kinds of monitors. I honestly think that I should have waited to let them admit me. Something in my heart told me that I should keep walking around the hospital, but I was so unsure of what I was doing that I just went with it. I was progressing so much faster when I was walking, and as soon as they got me in bed my labor slowed down a bit and the pain of my contractions got sooooo much worse. At one point I literally jumped out of bed because I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to labor standing up and I couldn't. I honestly think this all was a big reason why my labor lasted so long. If I had listened to my body and did what I was feeling like I should do, then I probably would have made it to 10 centimeters a lot faster.
5. That epidurals are your best frenemy. I was always open to getting drugs, and I communicated that to my team. However, I wanted to try to go all natural if I could. In the end, I hit 8 centimeters (transition) and ended up caving in and getting the epidural. That thing was awesome. It allowed me to take a nap and get my strength up for the battle I had ahead of pushing my baby out. Honestly, I am so glad I got it, but I would love to try to go without one for my next birth if at all possible. The pros of an epidural: getting one doesn't hurt and it literally takes most if not all of your pain away; the cons: you're stuck in bed laying on your back the rest of the time, it numbs your legs too, you have to have a catheter, and it makes pushing harder because you don't know when you're having a contraction. The worst part was that I could not feel my left leg until the next morning...that was kind of scary. So by "frenemy" I guess I mean I would get one again, but I'd rather not.
6. That I wasn't going to remember a lot of it. I had heard that laboring women get in this "zone" where all they can focus on is the process of their labor, and it's true. I heard stories of things that happened or that I did later on that I don't remember at all! It's pretty funny actually...apparently there were some "F-bombs" dropped from my end, and I said a few mean things to Brian. LoL. The whole day honestly felt like a blur. When they told me she was born at 7:15 PM I couldn't believe I had labored and pushed that long. It went by in a flash.
7. That pushing is really hard. Probably the most frustrating thing about childbirth is when it's time to push. Unless you are one of those women who can pop a baby out in 2 or 3 pushes (shall I count the ways I envy you?) then it's going to be the hardest workout of your life. I pushed with all my might, but it was so hard to get those "productive" pushes when I couldn't feel much going on down there. Her head would come down and then go right back up again. And just when I finally pushed her low enough that she was ready to come out, the nurses tell me "Ok just hang out...the doctor will be here any minute." Wait...whaaat?! I just did all that work and now I have to "hang out"?! Hahaha...I had reached that irrational point of being ready to catch her myself, but luckily my wonderful doctor showed up within 10 minutes and the most amazing L&D nurse ever stayed after her shift just to help Baylee enter the world...bless both their hearts!
8. That I was going to totally be ready for it. I spent my whole pregnancy kind of freaking out about giving birth. I was scared out of my wits! When the day came, though, I was cool as a cucumber! It was so weird. This feeling of "I got this!" came over me and I knew everything was going to be okay. I really was freaking out for nothing. Yes its hard and painful, but it's definitely what the female body was made to do. I have a super low pain tolerance, and I'm willing to do it all over again one day!
9. That it was going to be the most exhilarating experience of my life! It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. And then you have this beautiful, screaming, tiiiiiiny infant on your chest and there are no words for the pride and excitement you feel! For the next week I felt like a certified badass, because I was! I made a human; that's no small task! The endorphins that are released when you give birth are like you just ran a marathon twice...and it's no joke! I honestly can't wait to feel that feeling again one day! :)
10. That it would make me fall in love with my husband all over again. So cliche, but so true. Just when you think you love and appreciate this man to your fullest extent you see him shedding tears while holding his new little bundle of joy and the heart just swells. Every time Brian held Baylee for her first 24 hours here he couldn't help but get a little emotional because he was so happy and in such disbelief that we had made something so perfect in 9 short months. Those were sweet moments that I will never forget. He really is the most amazing Daddy ever, and he loves his little girl so much!
11. That the worst of the pain comes after the birth. Birthing the placenta as your epidural is wearing off after your doctor just finished stitching your episiotomy...ouch. Having a nurse come in every hour for the next 8 hours to massage your uterus to make sure its shrinking back down correctly...double ouch. Waking up the next morning feeling like you got hit by a train and then had to ride a horse....holy crap. I wish I was exaggerating, but for me it was really that bad. I didn't stop hurting for about two weeks. Thank God for drugs! Whatever the doc prescribes you, take it!!!
12. That I wasn't going to get any sleep for three days. Those first few days and nights with a newborn are totally exhausting, especially with nurses and visitors coming and going. I think I slept a total of 6 hours our whole time there! Once you get home, it gets better; so don't fret! Just don't go in with high expectations of slumber, and if you get too exhausted have Daddy or another relative be on baby duty and try to get some shut-eye in between feedings.
13. That I overpacked for the hospital. I followed all those lists on Pinterest and didn't use half the stuff I brought. Anything medical or baby related the hospital already has for you, and I wore the same PJ pants the whole time. The only things that we really needed were snacks, toiletries, and cute clothes for Baylee. Next time, though, I will probably bring towels from home for showering, because the hospital ones are really small and scratchy.
14. That I was going to feel ridiculously happy and sad at the same time. I was elated that my baby was finally here, but I was kind of sad that it was already over. I will never have that "first baby" experience again, so it's definitely bittersweet. The nice part is that now I know what to expect, so I shouldn't have as much fear and anxiety with the next baby.
15. That watching my baby take her first breath was going to be the best moment of my life. No explanation necessary here. :)
Reliving Baylee's birth makes me so nostalgic. I can't believe over 7 months have gone by since that day! My next post in the series will be things I wish I had known about having a newborn, so look for that in a few weeks! Oh, and I'll be doing a special post next week for my birthday! Woohoo! Until then, I leave you with a picture of my sweet little girl when she was brand-spanking new! :) XoXoXo
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