Would You Still UC?

[delicate_sunshine]

My little boy is very sick. DH has also been sick. I think it might be the flu. I'm 41 weeks along, so baby is coming any day now. I'm really praying and hoping that baby will wait until everything blows over, but if I go into labor while everyone is still sick I don't know what I'll do. I've had prenatal care and was planning on "oopsing." I do feel comfortable with my doc, and should give him mad props for never pushing me to do any tests or anything I didn't want, and I feel like he would be alright during the birth. I really want to stay home, though. But not if it isn't safe. What would you do? Any suggestions?

[PinkinPA]

Yikes! Not sure. How long would your hospital stay be? You'd still have to go home.

[delicate_sunshine]

Probably 2 days or so. The thought that I would still have to go home is what makes me really wonder what to do. But the stay might be long enough to let them get over it.

[Dewberry]

Originally Posted by PinkinPA

Yikes! Not sure. How long would your hospital stay be? You'd still have to go home.

Going home after labor, and birth is a lot easier than dealing with sick family at home while in labor. She could always put baby in a crib or carrier to tend to sick family. She'll wouldn't be able to tend to them while in labor, for obvious reads. ha ha

Can someone supportive (like a friend or family member) come to stay with you to tend to your sick family?
Good luck!

[dex_millie]

Is there anybody that can assist you w/ your UC so you don't have to be alone. The only advantage I see going to the hospital is that you will have help(and who knows how that will be). Other than that you have already been expose to them and would would still have to go home whether or not they get better.

[MittensKittens]

If the thing you are worried about is the new baby getting sick, I would UC, yes. The germs your baby will be picking up are more familiar than the ones in the hospital. As for taking care of other people, that is obviously not something you should have to worry about in labor. Is it as bad as having to battle with hospital staff though?

[cristeen]

You've already been exposed to it, so home or hospital, baby will be exposed to it.

I'd stay home, personally. And if you're stressing about it, chances are good that stress will keep labor from starting anyway.

[ScarletBegonias]

Originally Posted by cristeen

You've already been exposed to it, so home or hospital, baby will be exposed to it.

I'd stay home, personally. And if you're stressing about it, chances are good that stress will keep labor from starting anyway.

ITA!

i got a nasty cold 2 days before i uc'ed. dh and dd had it too. it eventually became bronchitis. we were all coughing and sneezing, but baby never got sick. the cnm i had on consult told me the same thing cristeen just said, the baby has already been exposed and has antibodies. don't stress about it!!! as pp said, your lo would be more likely to get sick if you went to the hospital to give birth, plus you're just coming home to a sick house anyway. hth!

eta: this may be tmi, but i was sneezing and coughing so violently, that it actually helped me expell retained bits of placenta. ds's placenta was *really* weird, it was falling apart in chunks after i birthed it. about 3 days after my uc, i sneezed, and a softball size piece of placenta was expelled. i know it was not a clot, because it had vernix and veins through it. i honestly think that if i hadn't been sick and sneezing, it would not have been expelled, and i might have ended up with a uterine infection.

[Funny Face]

Did you plan to have any help other than your dh? Also, is there somewhere you can send dh and ds until they get better? Relatives, friends?

I'd probably send them to the hospital to be honest, they're the ones that are sick!

[lightinmyhands]

love and light

A sick family's germs is much better for a newborn to be exposed to than the germs that are in a hospital. And if it's the assistance from DH that you were looking for..... I've managed to do a lot of work pretty ill. I imagine that when labor happens, he'll be more useful than he seems now The anticipation will probably to some degree override the symptoms. However, if you have any supportive family or friends that could be there as well--- i wouldn't hesitate to ask them for help. It's not the best of circumstances, with your loved ones feeling under the weather, but at a hospital you have all their germs and the nurses and docs under goddess knows what kinds of stress?. Who really feels good anyhow--- especially when they're at work?. Good luck to you. I wish you the best with whatever decision you make.

love and light

[delicate_sunshine]

Thanks for all the replies. I have a doula coming, and DH is on the upswing. Today he seems completely better. My mom lives down the road and so DS would probably end up there anyway. I think I just needed to put it down in words and look at the situation to make my decision. So, I'm thinking I'll end up at home.

[blissful_maia]

Originally Posted by delicate_sunshine

Thanks for all the replies. I have a doula coming, and DH is on the upswing. Today he seems completely better. My mom lives down the road and so DS would probably end up there anyway. I think I just needed to put it down in words and look at the situation to make my decision. So, I'm thinking I'll end up at home.

Glad you're feeling better about everything! Have a lovely birth. :

[TzippityDoulah]

I'm praying everyone gets well before you go into labour!! (and please let us know when you do!! or if nothing else, when the baby comes )

I'm having serious contractions today (but then again this happens a lot to me) an my daughter seems to be coming down with something. ugh. I was just thinking how bad a timing that would be! and then I read this. funny.

thinking of you!!!

[delicate_sunshine]

Thanks, everyone seems to be on the upswing around here.:

But I'm 10 days over and I don't feel like I'll ever have this baby, I'm really starting to feel depressed about it. Starting to consider castor oil or something to get things moving. I've had about 4 false starts that seem to just go nowhere after an hour or so. This is so difficult. DS came a day early, so I didn't have to do this waiting game then. I was on the verge of tears all day yesterday b/c I was so sure I had been in labor Saturday night. I almost kissed the Wal-Mart cashier yesterday and wanted to call her a prophetess when she told me I would probably have the baby last night. But alas, she's a false prophetess. Praying for tonight. Tonight will be better than last night anyway - my doula will be back in town.

[seraphim0517]

Sorry it's so hard waiting, my DS was 15 days "over" no issues at all and he was only a couple oz bigger than DD who came at 40. Personally I avoid castor oil and the like, it most likely won't work if you're not ready, and can be pretty unpleasant for you as well. I used affirmations, saying that my baby would come right on time, even if my calendar disagrees. Best wishes!!

[TzippityDoulah]

((hugs))

[fyrebloom]

You need something to distract you from not having your babies birthday already. Do something really fun and relaxing, some fun might just be what the labor wanted. You're not 10 days over, you're just not privy to when baby's due date really is .

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by fyrebloom

You need something to distract you from not having your babies birthday already. Do something really fun and relaxing, some fun might just be what the labor wanted. You're not 10 days over, you're just not privy to when baby's due date really is .

What she said!!!

[delicate_sunshine]

Thanks! I try to stay out of the house and do something fun with DS everyday, since he only has a few more days with me to himself. We go to Sonic at happy hour and get slushes. We go to the park, we visit people. It really does help. I just get depressed when I wake up in the morning and realize another day has gone by and I haven't gone into labor. I keep telling myself that God has a perfect time for this baby to come. I truly believe that. It just gets irritating waiting on His perfect timing. I really don't think I would try castor oil or anything like that for at least another week. It's just starting to get tempting. I think I can hold off a little longer, though. I really don't want to do castor oil. All the stories I've heard of women who've done it say they had excruciating labors. My grandmother went about 2 weeks over with my aunt (she went over with all of her babies) and had a 45 minute labor. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. Not planning on it - just hoping for it, lol.

[burke-a-bee]

I haven't UC but with my 2nd son I gave myself a list of what I needed to get done. Not a huge list something that would put me in a satisfied frame of mind. Then I sat on my birthing ball and was very quiet. I told my son all the things I had done (the list) and that everything was ready. Then i told him his daddy had the weekend off and now was a good time to be born. An hour later I went in to labor. Don't know if that will help!