AllaMoms, a question for you...Follow

Here's hoping that you dilate to 10 in less than an hour so you can get it all over with quick to hold the baby. Actually, if I'm hoping for anything, I hope that the labor pains are just not there.

Actually, yeah, kinda wondering about the pain thing myself, because I know some women who say they never experienced pain more intense than moderate menstrual cramps. The apprentice midwife told me to come back in to the birth center when the contractions are intense enough that I can't function through them--what happens if I never get to that point? I'd really rather not deliver by the side of the road when I realize I waited too long...

Still, the respite isn't a bad thing. I only slept for about 2 hours before I realized my water had broken, so if I can manage a nap (I couldn't at the birth center--too much adrenaline) it will definitely be for the good.

Yes, feeling like you need to have the world's biggest crap is the best description for labor. No one people call their kids "little shits."

In all honesty though, I couldn't even remember how the labor pains felt a month after giving birth.

Congrats on starting labor, although I'm not looking forward to a reason for you being even more pedantic on the topic of childcare.

QFT

One of my friends needed forceps because she gave up on pushing. I watched her just lay back down and refuse to do anything. I was like "How the hell do you NOT push with that kind of pressure?"

QFT. This is exactly how it feels like.

Ambrya I hope things are starting to move. I know after 18 hours if there isnt anything going on they'll start to give you something due to risk of infections.

what woman in her right mind doesn't wear a pad for the first few weeks? I mean who the hell cares about pee wetting your panties. WHAT ABOUT THE BLOOD.

Two words:

Kegel exercises.

Yes, they do serve another purpose than to give Mr. Ambrya an extra special mid-coital jolly.

Thanks. The good news is, I'm started to get contractions when I'm on my feet and moving around, and the contractions are starting to feel like they mean business--maybe a 5-6 instead of the 2-3 I started out with this morning.

The bad news is, the interval is actually much longer now than it was earlier. Earlier sitting still, I was having them 3 minutes apart, and they would end when I changed activities. Now they're 10 minutes apart, but consistent.

They won't be giving me anything at the birth center no matter how long I go with prolonged rupture of membranes. The danger of infection comes from two considerations--the first is Group Beta Strep, for which I tested negative. The second is excessive internal examinations (or internal fetal monitoring), which they don't do. I've only had one internal exam this whole pregnancy, at my prenatal visit last weekend. Now that my water has broken, we're keeping them to an absolute minimum (there have been none so far) because the more times someone shoves a hand up there to check the cervix, the more danger of infection being introduced.

We will be keeping an eye on my temperature and if it looks like I'm getting a fever, we will transport to the hospital, but other than that, it's basically just hands off (and out!) and leave things alone to progress on their own. Since I'm not on a time-clock to deliver this kid like I would be under hospital procedure, there's no need to keep checking on how I'm dilating.

There's actually a video out called "The Birth of Sabine" which was done at my birth center, and the mom in the video had a PROM seven days before she went into labor, and was perfectly healthy. At the end of the video, the captions cite a study published in the 1996 NEJM that showed that danger of infection to women with up to 4 days PROM was no higher than to the women who were induced/augmented within 24 hours with the hands-off approach (I'm assuming this was controlled for factors such as GBS, though it didn't say so specifically.)



Edited, May 22nd 2007 2:34pm by Ambrya

May I congratualte Mr. Ambrya on his choice of such an astute and giving natured wife? Mid-coitaled squeezes are a fine example of the obvious wonderful qualities you possess, ma'am.

I doff my hat to you.

Totem

Heh, c'mon, I'm not that mean spirited. Just because I can have an acid tongue doesn't mean I don't care about each and every one of you dear Asylumites. Especially for those among us who are heavy with child.

May I RACK you, my dear, on your impending contractions and labor? After all, if you ladies didn't do it, us guys would have to squeeze the equivilent of a watermelon through a drinking straw, and no amount of Kegels would ever fix that. Our... <ahem> anatomy would look like a deflated hot air balloon.

/shudder

Totem

I just spoke with my midwife and she told me the consistent intervals are not as important as the intensity--if I can still speak through the contractions, we're not ready to go back to the birth center yet. So, looks like we're still waiting...

Its still not too late to give it away.

Adoptions didnt end in the 1950's you know