The better recovery and bfing stuff makes me go hmm because my epi wore off within an hour or two of birth, and my kid was super alert from the get go. (He had a terrible latch but that lasted for a month or more so I don't think it was related to my evil epi, lol.)
This is a fair point and the ease of recovery will have a lot to do with the trauma you actually experience, regardless of how you make it to that point.
Avoiding narcotics will definitely help with that first poop.
cactuscookie, there is evidence which suggests that having an epi too early in the process can stall progress and lead to c-section. Was that it?
The better recovery and bfing stuff makes me go hmm because my epi wore off within an hour or two of birth, and my kid was super alert from the get go. (He had a terrible latch but that lasted for a month or more so I don't think it was related to my evil epi, lol.)
This is a fair point and the ease of recovery will have a lot to do with the trauma you actually experience, regardless of how you make it to that point.
Avoiding narcotics will definitely help with that first poop.
cactuscookie, there is evidence which suggests that having an epi too early in the process can stall progress and lead to c-section. Was that it?
Definitely the bolded! This is all I have to contribute though.
cactuscookie, there is evidence which suggests that having an epi too early in the process can stall progress and lead to c-section. Was that it?
I just remembered that I have access to my Kindle books on my work computer.
She found in her research that the use of the epidural is related to a higher use of instruments (vacuum and foreceps), higher c-section rate, longer pushing time, higher use of Pitocin, and a few other things that seem relatively minor.
I went med-free when I had L and plan to again. I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I was completely set/determined to have a med-free birth (well, obviously unless it was medically necessary to do otherwise). I wanted to be free to move around as I please and didn't like the idea of being confined to a bed.
We took hypnobirthing classes, which I felt was the most helpful in preparation for birth. The positive mindset that hypnobirthing teaches really helped erase any fears I had about labor and delivery and, as cheesy as it sounds, it helped me feel more empowered and confident. During labor, I mainly used the relaxation part of hypnobirthing which really helped. Don't get me wrong, it still hurt, but remembering to relax each part of my body (starting with the jaw and working the way down) did help ease the process. Also, remembering to breathe is huge. It seems simple, but it's so easy to hold your breath without thinking when a contraction starts. I also requested that no one ask me to rate my pain level because I really didn't want to dwell on the pain.
For me, labor was bearable, but pushing was way worse than I imagined and I ended up pushing for 3 hours (that was also because L was OP/sunny side up which made it incredibly difficult to push her out). The midwives at my hospital are very open to letting you birth in whatever position you are comfortable with, so standing, squatting, on all fours, sitting, etc. The hospital also has birthing stools, squat bars, and other equipment available to assist in having the birth you want, which I think is pretty great.
Since I did it once before with an OP baby/difficult birth, I'm feeling pretty confident that I can do it again, but this baby better be facing the right direction this time!
ETA: being in the water really helped ease the contractions also, as did H applying firm counter pressure to my lower back during contractions (I had bad back labor).
The better recovery and bfing stuff makes me go hmm because my epi wore off within an hour or two of birth, and my kid was super alert from the get go. (He had a terrible latch but that lasted for a month or more so I don't think it was related to my evil epi, lol.)
I do believe that a vag birth has to be a better recover than major abdominal surgery. I mean, I remember being afraid to laugh, cough, cry, take a deep breath, etc., because of the pain on my incision.
I took percocet for 5 days PP. I had no issues, besides mild headaches. Take a stool softener regularly (twice a day) and stay hydrated and you should be able to avoid most constipation issues if you end up needing heavier stuff.
I will agree, though, that even though it was nearly 3 HOURS after my C until I saw my baby (I've been assured that won't happen again unless there is a problem, which there wasn't the first time) It did not impact our bonding or BFing at all. She latched right away and I went on to EBF for almost 14 months.
I'm really excited for hypnobabies. I started the tracks a couple of weeks ago, and now almost every time, as soon as I play them I go into hypnosis and don't move or notice anything until the end when she says "and now you will awake relaxed and refreshed." It is crazy! I've used them when I was having bad anxiety or some hip pain and I'm able to totally disassociate for a bit, it's incredible. I'm not sure if they will work completely during labor but I think it's a good sign and the price is totally worth the daily relaxation throughout pregnancy!