Labour Preparations « Back to Group Discussions

[Teles]

Now that I'm 36.5 weeks, I've started doing some things every day that I have heard might make labour and delivery a little easier. I thought it might be nice to have a thread where we can share our preparations and maybe learn a thing or two.

Although I think this baby is going to come earlier rather than later, I'm willing to do just about anything (no long as there's no chance of harm) to maximize how smoothly her delivery might go. I'm pretty sure I'd go out and howl at the moon every night if someone told me it might shave 20 minutes off delivery time.

For example:

I'm now drinking just about two cups of Raspberry leaf tea everyday and I've recently discovered this research about dates, so I'm eating just about six everyday.

I know that I should be doing perineal massage, but I just can't figure out how to work it into my day.

[buko]

I just read an interesting post on perineal massage.  FWIW, I don't think I'm going to do it, personally, but I think the available evidence could point either way.

http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=5899

[Gillmoro]

As soon as I hit 36 weeks I'll start my Mother's Cordial 3x/day, I'm looking forward to this the most because it tastes so yummy. I've already started taking floradix everyday and eating red meat 2x/week since I had a hemorrhage last time and want to have the
best hemoglobin possible going into it. I have
also been on pelvic rest so I figure getting
back into the swing on things in the bedroom
will likely cause some things to start.
Towards the end last time I would get hours
of regular contractions after we dtd, they never turned into real labor but I'm sure they did something. Ill also be off bed rest and am
hoping to get some vigorous walks in.

Red raspberry tea just gives me an irritable uterus and I've never really been into perineal massage but I know lots of other ladies who get much benefit from both.

[Amor Rays]

I love red rasberry tea and drink it a lot.  so good cold with honey. yum,  I've been thinking about using evening primrose oil, I've never used it before.

[rachieface]

I was thinking of starting a thread like this!

I'm drinking RRL tea too, although I should do it more often and be more consistent. I also plan to start evening primrose oil soon, but my CNM advised I wait until 37 weeks. I might start just a bit before that because I'm quite doubtful of it working *that* well, but we'll see. I'm officially (latest possible date) 36 weeks on Tuesday.

I'm sort of doing hypnobirthing, so I should practice more on a daily basis...

[rachieface]

And ugh, I have next to no interest in doing perineal massage. I'll probably just skip it.

[kellybeth]

we have been doing the perineal massage 3x weekly. it doesn't feel so great, kinda burns, but it's a good way for hubby to remind me to relax and breathe through it, so we've been bonding that way. i just tense up so much and forget to breathe when i feel pain even though i have a high tolerance that i feel like the not-so-massagey-massage is beneficial in that way, too.

i've also been drinking raspberry leaf for weeks. it tastes really nice as an iced tea, so i brew it as a sun tea with raspberry leaves from my garden. i think i still have 3 pounds of them dried. 

there are some mp3 tracks that i've started to force myself to listen to lately. they are SO LONG and i have a hard time concentrating or taking meditation tracks seriously, but it helps put me in a place, i suppose. i don't remember where i downloaded them from online, but they title is "birthmadeeasy" tracks 1-3. i just stick on my headphones and blank out for a few hours. it takes about an hour for me to even want to pay attention and stop my mind though. 

that's all i've been doing. hubby is reading the birth partner still, too.

[Gillmoro]

I forgot all about evening primrose oil, thanks for the reminder ladies!

[typebug]

I'm just trying to get my iron levels back up and keep hydrated. DH and I are playing with the swiss ball together with moves to relieve my braxton hicks which we can also use to help in labour. 

[etsdtm99]

I'm just now 36 wks so i'm not doing much yet - as soon as i get to the store (tuesday maybe?) i'll get some evening primrose oil though i'm leaning toward not starting that until the weekend..  (about 37 wks) I will also start RRLT at that point i make it a quart or two at a time and try to drink it all each day (cold with honey!) , it causes me to have lots of ctx so i don't like to start it earlier, they are generally the painless kind though i wonder if it will be different this time because my BH have been more painful..   i also plan to pick up the pace in the bedroom, we've been at about one a week the entire pregnancy but i usually try for every other day after 37-38 weeks .. I'll also keep up the cleaning and walking and bouncing away on my birth ball ..  as done as i feel i really don't know that i feel ready to start this stuff yet!! none of it has ever put me into labor before.. except maybe walking..  but i just feel like its so far away, and no part of me wants to have this baby before 39 weeks.   

[josie423]

I've been taking Christopher's six week Birth Prep. Well, when I remember to take it, lol!

[loveandgarbage]

-also trying to drink RRL tea

-relaxing baths at night

-visualizing the labor I want

-squatting and kegels whenever I remember

I've heard varying things about perineal massage, too. I'll just stick with kegels I think.

[Jenny01]

I take floradix every day and I have a big bag of RRLT and dates but I keep forgetting to actually USE them   Thanks a lot pregnancy brain.  Going to go make some tea now!

[kellybeth]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

-also trying to drink RRL tea

-relaxing baths at night

-visualizing the labor I want

-squatting and kegels whenever I remember

I've heard varying things about perineal massage, too. I'll just stick with kegels I think.

whenever i have those painful shooting cervix jabs, i do kegels and the pain goes away. it's pretty amazing. 

[shazrael]

I've been looking at spinning babies to try and prevent a second OP baby, but I'm not feeling too hopeful. This one is well positioned at the moment, but DS1 was as well. In my last labor everything was fine until I reached 10 cm with a small anterior lip. My midwife asked me to lean back a bit so she could push the lip out of the way and my son's head would put pressure on it, but as soon as we did that he went OP. I know I have an android pelvis as well. Does anyone have any thoughts? 

I haven't bothered bringing it up at appointments to try and work out a plan because my practice has ten OBs that deliver and I'm only going to be able to meet three of them prior to going to the hospital and seeing who is on duty, unless I change my mind and drive two or more hours to various offices spread all over the state. Changing practices is also not going to happen. DS1's birth cost me 10k out of pocket, and this time I am at the only practice and only hospital that my new insurance will cover, but everything is also going to come to under $500. I'm specifically looking for any information people may have come across on preventing OP with an android pelvis or what can be done to shift the baby back during labor.

[Cat77]

Have been drinking about a quart of RRLT daily for about a week now, and prior to that off and on, a cup a day here and there when I remembered.

Thought about perineal massage, but don't think I'll be doing it.
EPO I think I might consider should I go beyond my EDD and get really uncomfortable.
Have Hypnobirthing CDs and been listening to a track here, a track there, definitely not as much as I could be...
Teles Could you share the info on dates pls?

[Teles]

Originally Posted by Choco Mom 

Teles Could you share the info on dates pls?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21280989

[Cat77]

Thanks Teles

[Brambleberry]

Originally Posted by Teles 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21280989

Wow! pretty neat.  any guesses why?

[HouseofPeace]

because date lovers are more relaxed, indulgent and give themselves delicious treats!!!     i suspect chocolate and PMS are similar sometimes!

i also have read mixed reviews on perineal massage, and my poor husband wasn't comfortable with it so i never started it.  i'm less scared of tearing now on baby number 5 b/c i know that my body's natural pushing along w/ perineal support from the midwife has worked well for the last 4.  i may tear, but i haven't torn yet on any other birth.  and my first was OP and i was on my back w/ an epidural....

i'm still at the 'not quite ready' phase.

so relaxing baths, massages (back and belly), visualizing my birth (or is it daydreaming!?!), squats, breathing, making love 3-5x a week, and just welcoming the baby in my heart and out loud.  we've got to go through this next adventure together, so i start encouraging the little one that we're gonna meet soon and it's gonna be great.  and to just hang out for a while.  when in labor i also tend to talk to the baby.

might start RRL, but probably won't do much except what i'm already doing.  i've tried so hard in the past to have babies near on time, that i just really can't convince myself that anything other than being relaxed, ready and at peace is gonna get this baby anywhere....