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Missy
I think your birth plan looks great and Lola mentioned most of the things I was going to so I don't need to...but I will second her on really fighting for having the baby put on you right away(it wasn't an issue with us, Doc just plopped her right on me and they left us alone for a while and then Dan cut the cord, I finished delivering the placenta and then Dan and the nurse did the cleaning etc...it was so wonderful that I would hate for anyone to miss out on it if they can help it). Jamie mentioned having another support person to voice the things you want and since it sounds like Jeremy is going to be the only one with you, I think that make sure you are both on the same page so that he can be your voice. Especially if labour is really long or difficult (praying that won't be the case) you may be not as in control as you expect or just plain not able to talk. Dan really clearly told them what I did and did not want when I wasn't able to (such as stopping them from giving me gravol through my IV when I was throwing up more than they wanted.) and I think that helped me a lot knowing that he would help with that stuff because sometimes it feels like the nurses are bombarding you. Also in our case there was shift changes of nurses and they weren't always up to date (might not read your birthing plan)
One other thing that I thought of was that with me they gave me a shot of pictacin(Spelling? and I think that is what it is called) to deliver the placenta quicker....have you thought about that?
Sorry for how long this is but I have one more thing....may not apply to you at all, but if there is anything that I in all my vast experience and knowledge (please read that I am poking fun at myself) have learned, it is that dilation does not always happen according to the book. Apparently you are supposed to be 10 cm before the pushing...I was not, nor was my sister for any of her seven children. Knowing that can make a huge difference.
Anyways, now that I have babbled on, I am tempted to delete but since I spent all that time writing, I can't do it so feel free to disregard everything I said. You know what you are doing and even in the surprises God is with you and will give both of you wisdom.
Jamie
Your birth plan sounds really good, Dee. I think having certain things in bold like that is really important; in my experience, doctors don't really take the time to do more than skim the birth plan, at least not in the heat of delivery, so it is good to have the most important things be very clear. Will you have a doula, or someone there advocating for you and making sure that the doctors/nurses hold to your wishes as much as possible? Sometimes that can be the most important role of a labor support person - just having someone who can keep watch on the overall situation and be an intermediary for you. It sounds like Three Hills is better than some hospitals, though, about respecting wishes for natural birth and such.
You may want to be specific about whether you'd prefer to have stethoscope monitoring or portable intermittent monitoring rather than electronic monitoring, as electronic monitoring will confine you to one location but is often the norm for mothers with gestational diabetes. As far as foods go, you may need to cover specific ones with your doctor to make sure that he will allow you to eat ones like yogurt, etc that are quickly digestible, since many doctors refuse anything but ice chips. If you have any allergies or food aversions, you may want to note that in the birth plan too, so that they don't serve you something like broccoli right after the baby is born (NOT what you want for a first meal!). You might also want to note if you prefer to be kept informed of all medical situations throughout your labor, as a lot of medical staffs will otherwise not tell you what is going on. If you want them to wait a few hours to do a newborn exam or give a vitamin K shot (if he'll have one), I would note that, too. The more specific, the better! Sometimes it's hard to remember in the moment how you want it all to go, especially right after giving birth. I don't know if you'll want to put it in the birth plan, but I recommend at least discussing whether other people will be able to come in the room and how you feel about pictures/videos during labor. Your birth plan is likely also a good place to note whether you want to have your baby with you most of the time that you are in the hospital or if it's okay if they whisk him away to the nursery (not sure how it's usually done in Three Hills, but many places will only bring him to you for feeding). And if Jeremy will stay in the room with you, you might want to ask for a cot or mattress ahead of time.
Just a few thoughts. I am so excited for you, Dee! You're going to do great at this labor thing. :) Can you believe it? Sometime in the next month, you are going to have a son!! How wonderful! I know you have a lot you want to get done, but it's really okay to take a lot of time to rest this month. You will be glad for any extra rest you can get now, and it will help with baby bonding and such too. So many new moms are tempted to take time to clean the house when their baby sleeps, but really, you need and deserve to take whatever rest you can get. I hope this last month is truly restful for you!
Lola
Sorry, I guess I totally missed the eye ointment part even though it was in BOLD :) Sorry.
Oh and you should try the squat bar for pushing at the hospital, woman have always had good luck with it when I've been there.
Lola
Your birth plan sounds great! The only thing I would mention is the eye ointment they put in their eyes. You can either opt out... (it's used in case you have an STD which can cause eye infections and blindness, so if you know you don't have an STD, most people now opt out) or have them delay it until after the initial bonding, nursing time. They are so alert and wanting to look at you and it really sucks when they can't see anything.
Three Hills is really good about the pain med thing and they really are great in general. The only things I had to fight for were delayed cord clamping and having my baby with me right after delivery... they ALWAYS wisk them away, no matter what. (I kinda turned mama bearish with Anna Kate). And for some reason, every single birth I attended there, the nurses washed, weighed, and dressed the baby before ever giving them to their mothers. That is unnecessary so just tell them you want your baby. You may have to remind them because it's habit I think. Ultimately, just decide what's really important to you and remember it's your Baby and you have the right to make all decisions. It will be so great, I know it!
I see that you're experiencing the itchyness eh? It sucks... I had it for about 3 weeks before my delivery and it was driving me absolutely crazy and it was disrupting my sleep. However, my doctor said it was safe to have some Benadryl as it helps with the itching. You may want to try that. Or, anything with aloe or calomine lotion in it helps as well.
Let me know if you're interested in knowing more. You can do it...not that much longer till you get to see your little guy!
We miss you!
Dana
my favourite post as of yet! I didn't do perennial massage, except when I was in labour with Finnley one of the nurses grabbed a hot face cloth and put it on my perineum in between pushing, it was HEAVENLY...it was almost orgasmic, no joke. She would make sure that she got it nice and hot when I would push...It was so nice that I wrote it into my birth plan for Carson, but he came out in one push in the water so no luck. Also, I had a disgustingly itchy belly the last couple weeks of pregnancy with Carson. I used aveeno otmeal bath stuff. I got it at Zellers, it was kind of pricey but toally worth it. I also bought a bottle of vitamin E oil and put that all over and topped off with a really rich and creamy moisturizer. I have cocoa butter from the body shop....be prepared for oily feelings and clothes that stick to your belly, but it was divine!
Kit
A 7-child birthing veteran at our church said that on one of her middle pregnancies she had perenial massages done her last trimester and that it totally helped! She said her baby slipped right out! I tried it the other day and man it reminded me of that lovely stinging feeling when the head's comin' through! I don't know if I"ll do it again. I'm being sorta wimpy about it...
