Silly Question - Eyeware

[Anguschick1]

I'm basically blind w/out glasses or contacts. W/ds I don't remember what I did and dh said I wore my glasses for a while then took them off.

Did you wear your glasses or contacts? I plan to use the tub and waterspots on glasses really bother me, but if I have my contacts in for longer than ~15 hours my eyes go buggy. Should I wear glasses until I know it's "it" and then put in the contacts? Wear contacts until my eyes start getting wiggy and then take them out?

Man - if only this were my most serious concern!

[PortraitPixie]

Wear your glasses if your most comfy in those---and dangit just tell someone to clean them whenever the need arises! That's what support ppl are there for!

[Sagesgirl]

Keep a towel nearby. :LOL That's what I always do when I'm reading in the tub. I'm gonna have to wear my glasses; I'm legally blind without 'em, and I don't like not being able to see.

[wendy1221]

I took out my contacts at the hospital w/ ds1. I am also blind as a bat. I found my glasses to be a major pain, cuz they kept sliding down, etc. W/ my second, I can't even remember what I did. I think I may have had my glasses on teh whole time cuz I woke up in the middle of the night and my labors are very hard and fast from the beginning.

I'm having a waterbirth this time and I am plannin on getting those contacts in no matter what! LOL! I usually wear my contacts all day, but I have to use rewetting drops frequently and I can always feel them. So they're not terribly comfortable. ANd like you, I can't wear then too long. Probably 12-14 hours, like you. But my glasses give me headaches cuz they're too heavy.

I'm wearing my glasses today. I know this baby is coming this weekend. We filled the tub last night, cuz dh was sure it would be then, but it didn't happen. So I'm going to wear my glasses for at least half the day today before I switch to my contacts. Just in case. If I were you, I'd leave the glasses on until you were sure this was it. JMO.

[birthjunkie27]

I wore my contacts with my first two. I'm also legally blind without my glasses/contacts but my glasses would have been too annoying to deal with. I don't like them anyway, I KNOW they'd bother me while laboring. And I didn't want to be "blind" when the baby was born.....sorry, but that's one memory that I don't want to be fuzzy, but instead crystal clear.

[ZanZansMommy]

Ha Ha :LOL Sorry I'm laughing but this happened to me during my DD's birth. While pushing I was sweating so much my glasses kept sliding off my nose so DH took them. When DD came out & they mw put her on my belly she said look what you got? I for the life of me could not tell AT ALL despite her being on my stomach :LOL :LOL --yeah my vision is that bad. So I squinted really HARD & bent forward to look between her legs & then asked "Is it a girl"? DH quickly got me my glasses & yup it was a girl.

Despite this I cannot imagine having my contacts or or trying to get them out so I'm going for my glasses again.

[Peony]

I had to laugh at this thread. I wear glasses and am so blind without them, I took them off in the tub when laboring with dd because they kept fogging up, and somehow forgot about them. When dd was born, I couldn't see her, was yelling for my glasses, no one could find them :LOL anyway I finally got to see her and willnever make that mistake again! :LOL

[wendy1221]

Originally Posted by ZanZansMommy

Ha Ha :LOL Sorry I'm laughing but this happened to me during my DD's birth. While pushing I was sweating so much my glasses kept sliding off my nose so DH took them. When DD came out & they mw put her on my belly she said look what you got? I for the life of me could not tell AT ALL despite her being on my stomach :LOL :LOL --yeah my vision is that bad. So I squinted really HARD & bent forward to look between her legs & then asked "Is it a girl"? DH quickly got me my glasses & yup it was a girl.

Despite this I cannot imagine having my contacts or or trying to get them out so I'm going for my glasses again.

Yep! That's how blind I am too! ROFL!

[LianneM]

I just kept my contacts in the whole time... which ended up being 21 hours until he was born, so it was a little while after that before we all went to bed and I took them out. If you feel like labor is going quickly, I'd put in the contacts. If you aren't sure I'd wear the glasses until you feel like it's getting close or you're ready to get in the water, then put in the contacts

[WinterBaby]

It doesn't sound silly, it sounds like an important easily overlooked detail, lol. I'd go with wearing your glasses til they drive you batty and then moving to the contacts. The glasses will likely only annoy you more the further into labor you get. I'd also make sure to have a spare pair of glasses set aside in a place you can locate them easily in the event like above where the 1st pair get misplaced when they're so important to your vision.

[ZeldasMom]

Originally Posted by Anguschick1

if I have my contacts in for longer than ~15 hours my eyes go buggy.

Would putting some drops of saline solution in your eyes help with this? (also, last time I threw up towards the end, which can help lubricate your eyes) If not, I would probably wear the contacts as long as I could and then switch to glasses if you had to.

I don't think it's a bad idea to think through this kind of thing. With DS I remember having no tolerance for having my hair falling in my face or having any clothing hanging down. I have heard amish women labor and give birth with long dresses on--that would really bug me!

[BusyMommy]

I think I wore contacts the whole time. I guess I'd wear glasses until you know it's really labor then quickly switch over. And, keep eye drops and glasses handy. I bet if you're in the shower or tub, it'll help keep your eyes dry. I think glasses could be really irritating; ie divert your focus.

Is there some rule about contacts at a hospital birth; ie. in case of emergency c/section?

[alegna]

I vote contacts. I wore mine through all of it... and even though it was way, way, WAY longer than I'm usually comfortable wearing them I never remember them bothering me.

-Angela

[applejuice]

I thought that you could not wear contacts in the hospital, but whoops this is the homebirth forum...

Good for you...do what is comfortable because that will be the bottom line when you get there....

good luck and easy birthing vibes your way

[ZeldasMom]

I did wear contacts for a hospital birth--the topic never came up. But I wouldn't have taken them out if they had asked.

[teachinmaof3]

I wear glasses. My 3rd birth was a home waterbirth. I don't think my glasses got wet at all.

[wendy1221]

Originally Posted by ZeldasMom

I did wear contacts for a hospital birth--the topic never came up. But I wouldn't have taken them out if they had asked.

When I was taking mine out w/ my firs, they told me I could keep wearing them and seemed to think I should (and now I agree. LOL!) I was in a hospital. I gues different places have different policies.

[wendy1221]

Well, I have been in early labor for well over 24 hours now and I got into the tub in the middle of te night last night to try and relax so I could back to sleep. It definitely worked! I was wearing my glasses and they didn't get wet at all. HTH!

[veggiekicks]

I wore contacts through my labor and they didn't bother me a bit, even though they usually get uncomfortable after a long day. I like the idea to keep saline drops nearby, also a contact case and your glasses just in case you must take them out. Whatever you choose, good luck with your birth!

...and good luck to wendy1221!!

[phatchristy]

With my first, on the day I went into labor I just wore my contacts like usual. I had her at 2 AM the next morning, so, just a few extra hours than I normally wore them. With my second, I was sure I was in labor around 10:30 PM. I took my contacts out, took a shower and intended on going to sleep. Well, baby had other ideas, a little later I was in transition and right after the mw got there I put my contacts back in and then pushed her out an hour later (also around 2 AM).

My idea...go with the flow, whatever is more comfortable for you! I am very much legally blind without the contacts or glasses, but my contacts were just more comfy for me.