|
A couple of hospitals here offer $70 childbirth classes but my CNM doesn't think they're very useful for teaching practical information about how to get through labor--just education about "This is what happens when baby comes, these are some of the tools we use". I've gotten all of that information from my own research. Bradley classes would be awesome, but we can't afford them. I feel like I could learn a lot from a book, but I'm not sure. If you took classes, do you think you could have done without? And is there anyone who attempted natural childbirth without taking classes? Second, my husband is stubborn and has agreed to read *one* pregnancy book. I need to choose wisely. I'm trying to decide between NCB the Bradley Way and The Birthing Partner. Which one would be better for him? Finally, has anyone had any success with Hypnobabies? It sounds neat, but I can't find it for less than $150. Maybe natural childbirth is not for the poors 
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2011 05:47
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 2, 2024 01:09 |
|
|
Thanks for all the replies, everyone! It looks like the consensus is that a childbirth class isn't necessary, but useful for the husband. I did call a few Bradley instructors and it ranged from $300 to $400+. One lady offered to drop the price to $250 when I told her we were grad students. I really wish insurance covered these classes--it makes good sense. I will definitely make sure he's on top of the reading and we'll practice some of those pain techniques like massage and counterpressure. Starshine: I had a 1 hr oral glucose tolerance test in my first trimester and I have another next month, and I was specifically told to eat normally. They said just don't chug a soda 20 minutes prior or anything like that. I think if that if the 1 hr test is abnormal, then they'll have you come in for a fasting one.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2011 20:17
|
|
|
My CNM told me that they are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to nailing down the weight. I would be very cautious in using ultrasound-estimated size alone as the basis for an important decision, like induction or C-section.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2011 04:26
|
|
|
Home birth for low risk mothers is safe with the right conditions. One condition is a trained professional. In the US there are two types of midwives: certified professional midwives and certified nurse midwives. CNMs have extensive training (a full six years of education plus residency), but CPMs have apprentice training. There are numerous studies that show no significant difference in neonatal outcomes, and all show less risk of certain interventions, complications, and C-sections. There is only one study that shows an increased risk of neonatal mortality with homebirth compared to hospital birth. However, the study did not control for low v. high risk women, the type of birth attendant (CPM, CNM, or unassisted), or a host of other factors. Yet, while there was a 3x relative risk, the actual risk remains very low. I have all of these studies if anyone's interested in a giant post of risk v. benefits! If you ensure safety by picking an experienced CNM, being a few miles from a hospital, and being low risk--then homebirth is an extremely good option. However, it's not a good idea with risk factors or if you think you might want to go with an epidural. I was planning to go that route, but I have to give birth in my current location instead of my hometown due to my teaching contract--and our place here is such a tiny termite-infested shittdump that I wouldn't want to birth here. Plus, traffic sucks so bad that it would take WAY too long to get emergency care if needed. I have a CNM who welcomes all of my questions and the hospital I'm birthing at seems very supportive of natural birth, so I'm optimistic.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 1, 2011 10:07
|
|
|
I would just say I'm on pain medication for my back or antibiotics. Don't know what to do about refusing a joint though--that wouldn't be affected by medication. Or you can say you got blackout drunk and ended up in a gutter without your shoes and that scared you into drying out for a while, but that might come with its own set of problem 
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2011 00:46
|
|
|
Does anyone have a solution for round ligament pain? It hurts like hell in my lower belly getting up from a sitting or lying position, or lifting my leg to put my shoes on. My husband tried to give me a tummy rub but with no relief. It IS round ligament pain, right? It feels like a very, very bad muscle ache, like my tummy was doing squats all day 
|
|
#
¿
Mar 9, 2011 04:53
|
|
|
Whoa, I didn't know it was so common to dilate weeks before your due date. I'm 36 weeks and have some mean BH contractions very often. They don't hurt, they're just intense and occasionally I feel a little stretch in my cervix. My CNM says that I don't need to worry about them unless they get painful--but if you dilate early is it safe to continue having sex? She doesn't bother with cervical checks during pregnancy unless there's a problem or if we have to consider an induction, but I'd hate to be a few cm open and having something up there. I mean, I know the bag of waters keeps baby safe, but my sister walked around with a slow amniotic leak without realizing it for weeks so what if, what if? I have an irrational fear of infection as someone I know lost their baby to chorioamnionitis. I'm normally very evidence-based but this issue freaks me out!
|
|
#
¿
May 1, 2011 06:45
|
|
|
Yes, it's extraordinarily common. Worrying about it is not going to help any. Lots of women don't know that they are pregnant until a month or two in, and continue their normal lifestyles. I remember a night of blindingly drunk karaoke last year--it would have been about 3 weeks post conception. The rest of the time was my normal consumption of 2-3 drinks on Friday afternoons and a beer here and there the rest of the week, all the way up to about 6 weeks post conception (irregular periods here as well). I stopped after I found out, but everything is fine in the tests so far and I'm optimistic. When I told my CNM she said not to worry--that it was highly unlikely to do any harm. The baby is nourished by a yolk sac for the first few weeks before the placenta forms. Despite the scare tactics, the literature is consistent that it takes a lot of alcohol (a LOT) to cause problems. No FAS or FAE has been reported with moderate consumption. I'm not saying to go drink that you know, but I am definitely saying that the whole risk is grossly overblown and just an example of the crazy pregnancy paternalism you'll encounter in the next 9 months. All of this "one drink will make your baby retarded" stuff is pretty unique to this country! So, I really wouldn't worry about 2-3 wine coolers a day and an episode of drunkeness. I don't know anything about MDMA but I do know that stressing out about it now is not going to be good for you or the baby's well being. And, congratulations
|
|
#
¿
May 1, 2011 20:02
|
|
|
Are you in the UK? Your NHS recommendations used to be no more than a half pint of beer a day, but they were changed in 2007 to complete abstinence like ours. Not because of any new research, but because there's a concern that women don't know what one drink looks like. I find that paternalistic--essentially that women are too stupid to not go nuts with the booze, so let's scare them into complete abstinence. Of course, the problem is that alcoholics aren't going to follow these guidelines anyway, and the result is stressing out the mothers whose habits wouldn't cause complications in the first place! I get really angry when I see scare tactics about lots of pregnancy things, though--caffeine, many OTC medications, medium-rare steaks, tuna, sashimi, soft cheeses (pasteurized), etc. Not anyone has the time and resources and know-how to comb through all the literature and see the evidence firsthand, so many depend on third parties to say what's safe or not. And when they decide on blanket-bans rather than actually educating about the real risks (because we're clearly too stupid for risk/benefit analysis), it results in a lot of stressed and guilty pregnant women for no reason at all. For every post that reads "I ate a carbonara and it was made with raw eggs...is my baby going to die?" or "I had a bite of cake and it was soaked in Frangelico will it cause brain damage?" I want to simultaneously give her a hug and punch some hysterical fear-monger in the face. Sorry, evidence-based health care is a really passionate topic for me  I don't wish to derail. This article kind of sums up my thoughts on the issue. And Panic-Free Pregnancy is a great book that I think all first time moms should have!That said, I don't drink because I've had either nausea or near constant heartburn throughout my pregnancy, (though I always sneak a sip from whatever my husband's having). But after looking at all the research myself I certainly wouldn't glare at preggos with a glass of wine!
|
|
#
¿
May 1, 2011 23:16
|
|
|
I was up two cup sizes at about 3-4 months. I was afraid I would keep growing at that rate but it stopped entirely after that. Don't worry about your band size--those extenders work great if you need them. For now I'd hold off stocking up, though! Maybe one really comfortable one that you can hand-wash and hang to dry so you're not doing a load of laundry every day. I wish I had thought about sports bras-great idea! Speaking of bras, underwires are really uncomfortable in late pregnancy but D cups need that kind of support. I never figured out a solution to that 
|
|
#
¿
May 2, 2011 22:00
|
|
|
I got around the first trimester exhaustion with coffee/tea and powernaps. I would drink something caffeinated, then lie down and try to sleep. By the time the caffeine kicked in I had about 20 minutes of sleep, which made quite a difference. Also, I had really horrible headaches in my 1st trimester and the caffeine helped a lot. Check with your OB to make sure, but its generally accepted that you can have up to 3 cups of coffee or equivalent per day. That was way too much for me, though. Unfortunately, the exhaustion was really hard to work around, especially since I was a grad student. You just have to rest more, no getting around it--you're growing a person! Fortunately, the fatigue goes away after three months! Unfortunately, it's later replaced by even worse stuff when 3rd trimester rolls around. I really, really, really miss my 2nd trimester  Now if you'll excuse me baby is punching my cervix and I need to lie down.
|
|
#
¿
May 12, 2011 09:16
|
|
|
Get this babby out of me  In all seriousness...has anyone had any luck with natural induction techniques? Sex, red raspberry leaf tea, nipple stimulation, etc? I keep reading that none of these things will induce labor unless your body is ready, but if your body is ready than these things aren't actually inducing labor, are they? I mean are they all just bullshit and any "success" is just pure coincidence?
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2011 03:01
|
|
|
So, I have a baby. Apparently sex DOES induce labor, since I started having those normal false labor contractions about 15 minutes we did it, which then progressed into real "holy poo poo this is actually it" contractions within hours. This is baby LuckyDaemon because my husband doesn't want his name posted here   I didn't actually think it would happen so soon, and I kind of feel bad because baby was born at 38+4 weeks and he's small at 5 lbs 8 oz (although I'm 4' 10" and my husband is about 5' 6"--that could explain it). But whatever, he's totally 100% healthy and doing great. Now, a couple of questions-- How do you tell if a diaper is wet? I tried pouring a few teaspoons of water into a clean diaper and waiting, and I really can't tell. Since I can't tell, I was wondering if it's possible for a baby to have the right number of poopy diapers but not enough wet ones? I mean if he's getting enough breastmilk to poop so many times a day I'm probably just missing the pee ones, right? I never knew I could be so obsessed with my baby's rear end.
|
|
#
¿
May 24, 2011 05:59
|
|
|
Hello thread--haven't posted here for 5 weeks because I haven't had two hands free to type! I realize that every baby is different, and there is no way to predict anything at all whatsoever, but that said...when will my 5 week old sleep for longer at night? 2 hours is rare, it's more like a 1-1.5 hours as the longest stretch most nights. He nurses when he wakes up. During the day, he can go for 3-3.5 hours between nursings, but it's usually 2.5 hours. He's currently in a sidecar bassinet because I was enticed by the roll over, nurse him, plop him back down all half asleep, and all the sources that say co-sleeping results in more sleep for mom and baby--but he needs to be burped for 15-20 minutes and changed which wakes him up, and soothed to sleep--and if we lay him down too soon he spits up despite being burped. The whole thing takes about an hour or more. Plus he's a noisy sleeper anyway. And, I tried nursing lying down but milk comes out of his nose and he hates that. My husband wants to put him in another room with a baby monitor, but I'm scared to--I know roomsharing is recommended to help reduce the risk of SIDS and I like to be able to see him and make sure he's okay But he might be right, because on nights that my husband takes over (staying in the living room and just bringing him in for me to nurse), he sleeps a bit longer. Like being next to me is too stimulating/makes him hungry more often? Is this possible? I thought babies slept better next to their mommies.I know I should just hang in there, but I'd love any insight. He was 8 lbs 2 oz at his 4 week appointment (gained 3 lbs since leaving the hospital!) so I'm definitely making enough milk! Here's a picture of him, all chin and cheeks: 
|
|
#
¿
Jun 27, 2011 20:06
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 2, 2024 01:09 |
|
|
Could it be gas pains? I noticed my digestion wasn't up to par during pregnancy. Baby movement back then felt like lovely little flutters. It wasn't until about 30 weeks when I started to get kind of "ow my kidney" type kicks.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 26, 2011 04:42
|
|