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Things I wish I had done/known and tips about birth and just after... - Page 3

post #41 of 61
10/31/08 at 2:27am
Sorry if I am repeating there are a lot of posts here. Thanks for all the ideas an refreshers. Here are some of mine.

Quote:
Keep a basket next to the place where you will most frequently nurse (for me, the couch) of things you may need ... )
.

Definitely I would add a paper and pad to write down any ideas you have while breast feeding, I got two easy to open with no hands water bottles so they can be exchanged easily as soon as you start to get a good latch BF you get super thirsty.

I loved writing down my birth story while it was fresh, it is amazing how much you actually forget over time.

You will need more light day's pads then huge ones. You bleed a little bit for a long time and you don't want to be stuck in huge pads

If you have a home birth your midwife doula may need a place to sleep or rest.

If you choose birthing music be aware you might never want to listen to it again.

Right after birth you get really hungry so make sure someone saved you a yummy snack or meal. All I had was some dry toast which didn't do it.

Soak it in it is so special you only get to do it a few times. Happy baby making!

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post #42 of 61
10/31/08 at 3:40am
Make a list of important phone numbers for before, during, and after labor and post it by every phone in your house. Also store them in your cell phone.
post #43 of 61
11/3/08 at 4:05pm

yay!

Thanks for starting this thread. I am just about 5 weeks pregnant and adjusting to the idea. Using this thread to make some lists is helping to sort out my brain. Also, I'm new here - hi.
post #44 of 61
11/3/08 at 4:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrshawwk View Post

A rice sock is nice to abdominal pain from birth or afterpains (which for me were so much worse for 2nd and 3rd children!). Take an old tube sock, fill it with rice and tie a good knot at the end. Then just pop it in the microwave for a couple minutes and it is nice and warm and adjustable for anywhere you need relief.

Rice socks are good for the baby as well. My MW said to bring several to the birthing center to keep babe warm right after birth. As well as freezing one for labor...

Wear *depends* while in labor so when your fluids come out you don't have to keep changing clothing/panties.

Wear a nightgown during labor that is a *tank* and short so that you don't get over heated plus they can check you easily.

Have a family member bring some nutritious food for right after babe is born bc you will be ravenous.

MW suggested to start using breast cream NOW so that your nipples get used to being soft and not chapped...it will help with the transition when you start nursing.

Olive oil- small and unopened- to use when baby is crowning...no oils that have *scents* in them bc it might get into their eyes.

large cans of frozen OJ to get moms sugars back up after birth. And clear fluids to drink during, including Gatorade type drinks.

food, drinks, and water for guests that will be attending the labor/birth.

Letting the family know when they CAN come over and at what time. Leave it short and sweet and don't give in to them.
post #45 of 61
11/3/08 at 4:49pm
Had to sub even though I already have a 5 year old. There are things you just don't think about when you have placenta brain!
post #46 of 61
11/3/08 at 5:45pm
I kept my labor a total secret! I had told family members that I didn't want anyone waiting "in the waiting room" at the hospital, but I was afraid that MIL and step-FIL wouldn't listen. So, we didn't call anyone until after DD was born. It was so nice to be able to hold and bond with DD for as long as I wanted and not feel like I had to let others hold her (besides DH) until I was ready. It was also totally fun to make phone calls at 6:30AM and tell people that DD had arrived! They were shocked!
post #47 of 61
11/3/08 at 5:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jecombs View Post
I kept my labor a total secret! I had told family members that I didn't want anyone waiting "in the waiting room" at the hospital, but I was afraid that MIL and step-FIL wouldn't listen. So, we didn't call anyone until after DD was born. It was so nice to be able to hold and bond with DD for as long as I wanted and not feel like I had to let others hold her (besides DH) until I was ready. It was also totally fun to make phone calls at 6:30AM and tell people that DD had arrived! They were shocked!
That is such a great idea! You could just say "It all happened so fast we didn't have time call ANYONE!!!" LMBO! I love it!!!!!!!!!
post #48 of 61
11/10/08 at 2:53am
Thank you, mamas! I am 40w4d today with #2 and I thought I had all the gear! You have helped me remember the feeling of being in a cave when I last newborn and given me good ideas! I have a page of notes here on things I want to get pre-birth.

The Depends are a common theme and I plan to get some.

Cabbage leaves were my best friend last time on my achy breasts, and maxi pads that I had wet and frozen in the freezer were so kind on my post delivery sore perineum.
post #49 of 61
11/10/08 at 3:01pm
Moved to Birth and Beyond.
post #50 of 61
11/10/08 at 3:06pm
Good idea for a thread!
1. BFing is much harder than I had thought. Read up - I recommend Dr. Sears. Make sure your LCs are good! Don't waste your time with bad LCs - thinking you are getting help, while things just continue to spiral downward.
2. Even if your baby is due in summer, have gowns with mittens & hats.
& bring your own receiving blankets. I didn't like the felt-like ones at the hospital. They left little fuzzies on DS' lips, which then got embedded into my nipples! A knit fabric is better. Plus a honey-comb knit is stretchy & thus allows you a tighter swaddle.
3. Bring baby emery board to the hospital for those little nails!
4. Get info on post-partum healing. I was too clueless on this. I had such confidence that my body would be fine through birth! I didn't give postpartum healing any thought.
post #51 of 61
11/10/08 at 3:17pm
:
post #52 of 61
11/10/08 at 5:02pm
* If you are having your first, I would definately suggest having a doula. Even though my husband and I both went through Bradley courses, we really needed the doula to remind me to breathe and to help ease my mind.

* Take all the post-partum pads you can from the hospital and ask for more for those first few days after the birth.

* Take home the hospital booger-sucker. Take two, if available. The ones you buy in the store cannot compare.
post #53 of 61
11/10/08 at 9:17pm
Find your camera way before your due date. I went three weeks early and we were in such a rush I couldn't find the camera. Thanks to that DD has one crappy picture on the camera phone of her first day.
post #54 of 61
11/11/08 at 4:32pm
What great suggestions!
I found that I went into my births feeling the most relaxed when I knew things at home were taken care of. So I had lots of frozen meals, things were clean (one of the best gifts I got at my shower was a gift certificate for a cleaning service), I had care for the dogs lined up and had all the things I'd need for after (peri bottle, pads, witch hazel, lanolin, etc.) ready to go.
post #55 of 61
11/11/08 at 9:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wholewheatmama View Post
And, DEPENDS! I know it sounds horrible, but trust me! I was totally against this idea but grabbed a package the day I went into labor, and boy was I glad to have them. I actually wore them during labor (homebirth) because I leaked a steady leak the whole time and was going through pads way too fast. They were wonderful for PP bleeding as well for that first few days. Once you get past the ick factor of wearing adult diapers, you will LOVE them!
YES! You are a wise woman!

They are so much more comfortable than a pad stuck to underwear. Plus, the same size fit great both when I was leaking during labor AND for the PP bleeding after, which is more than I can say about my underwear. If you were planning to freeze pads for soreness you can just stick them inside like normal, too, and then you don't even have to worry about leaks!

Plus ... less laundry!
post #56 of 61
11/11/08 at 10:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alexsam View Post
Yes... And menstrual pads
And witch hazel (put some on a pad, put the pad in the freezer, trust me, you might LOVE it). I had some tearing.
post #57 of 61
11/12/08 at 2:02am
Love this thread! DD is only 22 months but Ive forgotten ALOT about when she was a newborn.. Heres my contribution:
-Practice the smile and "thank you" before hand since everyone seems to be a newborn expert. I would get upset at some of the dumb things people told me, smiling and ignoring would have been a ton better.
-Depends is your best friend. I bled pretty bad and they were so much more comfortable for the couple weeks (yes, weeks) I had to use them.
-If your hospital is like the one I was at they had these wonderful pads that weren't pads, they were ice packs. Bring some home. The nurses were great in sneaking me a ton to put into my bag so I had them when I got home.
-Just because labor wasn't as hard/long as you expected doesn't mean you don't need rest or time to heal.. Also, tears hurt like the dickens when they are healing and bad tears take a while to heal.
-Hospitals run out of diapers that fit at times. When I was there they ran out of newborns and I had to try to get size ones to fit on my DD. She blew out of every diaper
- Bring some books or something to occupy yourself while at the hospital. I can't sleep while Im in the hospital and spent a long time staring at the wall and walking around the room.
- Contray to what they will tell you, NO you won't drop your baby if you carry him/her around shortly after birth. There is no reason the baby needs to stay in the little bassinet they put them in.
-Stock up on extra diapers if you are using disposables. DH had to go out the third day home and get more because we ran out.
-You don't have to let everyone and their mother hold your child. It doesn't make you a bad person to want to keep your baby close to you.
-Burp clothes are great for spit up, recieving blankets are also great. Make sure to pack a couple of each, and a few changes of clothing if your child is like mine.
-Lanolin isn't for everyone and yes you can be allergic to it. I was told it was impossible to be allergic to it and its great for everyone, which lead to a LOT of problems in the beginning.
-Make a big sign with the babys name and birthday and hang it on your front door with another that says "baby sleeping do not disturb".. Also, record a voice message saying the same and turn off your phone. It solved a few nosy neigbor problems when DD was born.
-Make sure the nurses know how to use the camera. I had two great ones who wanted to take pictures of DD for us but didn't know how to use the camera. We ended up with a LOT of blurry pictures because of it.
-Its good to tell your nurses you want to breastfeed while in L&D. Thats one of the first things I told them when I got into the delievery room and I found out that they were both LCs and were super excited that I wanted to breastfeed. They were very supportive throughout the start and stopped by my PP room afterwards to see if I had any questions. I wish they were my PP nurses (the two I had PP formula fed their babies and didn't understand why people would want to bf).

Im sure there is more but I have a toddler climbing all over me.
post #58 of 61
11/16/08 at 7:24pm

new and unknowing

Quote:
Originally Posted by Qestia View Post
The one thing I'd wish I'd known was that DS wasn't going to starve to death. There's so much pressure to supplement with formula, which I gave in to, and I think it permanently damaged our breastfeeding relationship. Now I know better--and I won't let them scare me again.
I'm really new to this site and being pregnant. What do you mean by "going to starve" and why would supplementing with formula damage that breastfeeding relationship? Can anyone point me to info about this or maybe just fill me in quick? Thanks. I really appreciate this thread too, there's so much I don't know!!
post #59 of 61
11/16/08 at 7:32pm
UNless there is a legitimate reason, it is very damaging to the bf relationship to give a newborn formula. For every feeding of formula given, that is less milk that the mom's breasts will produce, and it often spirals into a cycle of formula- less milk- formula- even less milk- until all of a sudden, the baby is completely on formula.
post #60 of 61
11/16/08 at 8:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mariekitt24 View Post
I'm really new to this site and being pregnant. What do you mean by "going to starve" and why would supplementing with formula damage that breastfeeding relationship? Can anyone point me to info about this or maybe just fill me in quick? Thanks. I really appreciate this thread too, there's so much I don't know!!
A huge difference in formula feeding and breastfeeding is quantity- Colostrum, or the first milk (before the buckets of milk are produced) is HIGHLY concentrated and it the PERFECT balance of fat/carbs/protein for a newborn gut, BUT there is usually not a lot, visibly, atleast. Newborns literally have to nurse almost nonstop to stay full (atleast my little fattie did). But it is enough for them, and the baby will NOT starve, however sometimes hospitals like to encourage/force moms to supplement with formula because they're more interested in quantity of milk vs. quality.

If you let your baby nurse nonstop/on-demand ASAP after birth, you LO will be perfectly nourished, don't let nurses tell you otherwise.
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Pregnancy and Birth › Birth and Beyond › Things I wish I had done/known and tips about birth and just after...