I’m excited to continue sharing about my personal journey of becoming a mama!
If you missed Part 1, go read my list of 23 tips for pregnancy!
In this post, I am sharing some of my personal experience with labor and delivery, including our packing list, birth plan and hospital stay. This is a long post, but I wanted to include a lot of info!
If you are not pregnant or interested in this topic, check out some of my other posts here.
Read on for Part 2 in the Motherhood Series: Labor and Delivery!
I shared some of these details in Logan’s birth story, but I wanted to share a little more for anyone else who was searching for information. For me, labor and delivery was a source of a lot of fear mostly because it involves so many unknown factors! I read books and blogs and asked friends to share their stories. I was nervous to learn about it, but at the same time finding out what to expect calmed my worries.
Packing for the hospital
A sweet friend shared her packing list with me and I combined it with my own list. I stuck it in a binder that also included our birth plan and copies of our pre-registration forms. I highlighted what would need to be grabbed last minute/by my husband. I kept my bathroom essentials in a small bag in the bathroom so that he or I could just grab them on the way out the door. Because of the way my labor progressed, I didn’t end up using alot of what I thought I would. I packed clothes to labor in but was glad I just wore the gown in the end. I do wish I would have remembered to play music, just to see if it would have helped me stay a bit more calm. I also will make sure I take gifts for our nurses next time around. They were so amazing, and I wish I could have given them something to say thank you! As far as packing for baby, keep it simple. I would also suggest taking sleep gowns so that you can keep them all bundled up during diaper changes. As far as things for our hospital stay, I thought about what would make it more comfortable. I wore leggings and yoga pants with flowy shirts and my robe. I did pack minimal make up and was thankful for it. When we had visitors, it helped me feel a bit more presentable. I took my pillow and my blanket to make the hospital bed a bit more comfy. I should have packed more snacks because I was STARVING and there weren’t many options in the middle of the night.
For those of you wanting a list to use and edit, here is a link to my Hospital Packing List.
Birth Plan
My personal opinion is to treat your birth plan like a list of preferences. Defintely go through and create one with your significant other because it will help you be prepared. Knowing what you want going into labor is important because your brain is focused on other things, and because things will happen and your plan will change. I am so thankful we created a birth plan because it helped me be prepared mentally, but we didn’t even show it to our nurses. I was prepared when they asked questions and knew my options. There are so many available online, and our birthing class included a great one as well.
The hospital
We delivered at a birthing center (loved it!!), and our birthing class toured it and had an entire class about what to expect, etc. That was a huge help in relieving my worries of the unknown. For some reason picturing where all this craziness would take place helped me be more calm about it all. So, if your facility offers a birthing class, GO and ask lots of questions!
My water broke at home and my doctor’s instructions where to go directly to the hospital. Obviously, that situation is different for everyone.
Once we arrived, we checked in – a very quick process thanks to pre-registration (DO THAT) – and were taken directly to a room in the birth center. We didn’t even have to go to the birthing center triage rooms because we arrived at a good time (yay). They did a quick test to make sure that my water had indeed broken (it was super obvious but they still had to). Then, I got changed, they attached the monitors and my IV and proceeded to ask me about a billion questions. My contractions had already amped up quite a bit, so answering questions while breathing through those was obnoxious. So, be prepared for that! This would be the time to share any preferences, especially pain management related, with your nurses. You probably won’t see your actual doctor for a good long while, especially if things are progressing normally. You’ll see your nurses a lot, so if you don’t mesh with them, don’t be afraid to ask for a different nurse. (Or ask your significant other to do it!)
Depending on how you are progressing, you could be walking, bouncing, in a tub, etc for awhile. I did not have that option because of how my labor went. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to try different positions! Everyone is there to help you! I was super timid and shy at first, but I quickly learned to just speak up.
As far as pain management goes, DO NOT feel guilty about whatever you choose to do or not to do. Everyone is different and everyone’s labor is different! I had decided I would probably get an epidural and I was very opposed to meds via IV. I ended up with the IV and no epidural and it was a great choice. A friend told me, “Listen to your instincts and speak up for what you need in the moment and it will be perfect!” It was honestly the best advice I got!
Some other things about labor/delivery:
- Pushing better than contractions because you get to start DOING something!
- Listen to your body because you’re really just along for the ride. Your body totally knows what to do.
- When baby is close to arriving, a lot of people appear in the room.
- If it’s not standard procedure where you are delivering, ask for skin to skin time immediately following delivery. It is amazing and the health benefits for you and baby are immense.
- Don’t forget to have someone take photos of that fresh little baby and you. Some of my most favorite photos are the ones we took immediately following Logan’s birth.
- There will be a giant bright spolight on your lower half. Don’t look at it or you will be both blinded and get a glance of everything going on down there (unless you want to see, then go for it!).
- If you end up needing stiches (and the reality is, you probably will) you won’t feel them! If you do, speak up and say something. Because you SHOULD NOT be in more pain an the will numb you more.
- Someone will help you shower after delivery, but don’t worry it’s not awkward since you just pushed a human out of you in front of like 6 people. 😉
- Ask for ice packs and stool softeners.
- Nurses will come in thoughout the night to check on you and baby, and it usually happens right when you both have fallen asleep. They try to be respectful of that, but I wasn’t prepared and was a little grumpy about it!
- Take snacks to the hospital with you for dad and for you – you will be SO HUNGRY and the cafeteria does close. In our birthing center there was a station stocked with little snacks on our floor, but I needed more food. We started ordering extra at meal times and keeping it aside because I was just so hungry!
- Ask for the lactation consultant’s help multiple times while in the hospital and ask your significant other to participate. They will remember things you don’t, and they will be helpful when you get home and can’t get baby to latch because you’re exhausted and frustrated.
- The first poo post baby is scary, but you can do it. 😉
I know that was really long, but I hope it was helpful! I coudn’t get enough information when I was preparing for labor, so I wanted to share!
Be sure to check back for Part 3 of the Motherhood series next month – I’ll be talking about recovery and some of my favorite tips and products to make it a bit smoother.
And if you missed Part 1, be sure to go back and read it!