Last minute tips!!

Hi guys!

I'm in my 39th week and i've packed and repacked my hospital bag a hundred times, i've been doing all my exercises and read EVERYTHING i can about birth (some hasnt help tbh!!).  Have any of you got any ultimate tips about birth that you wish you'd know?! I want to be as prepared as possible!

J xxx

Hi Jennjenn - well firstly, im guessing that this is your first baby LOL - no amount of reading, excersise or watching videos will prepare you for your first experience of giving birth!!

Its not all bad, im currently expecting baby no.8 so i guess i should know!! LOL  If you like water, have a go at labouring in it, its very relaxing and helps your body with the boyancy and  deffo helps with the contraction pain.  The only thing i can say with absolute certainty is - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY - its the best thing to do, your body knows what it needs to do and you will be fine if you trust your instincts, try and stay as mobile as possible or sit up rather than lie down, use a birthing ball - dont forget to drink little and eat little - it all helps to keep up your energy - and you need that!!! But above all, just remember every small pain that gains momentum and increases also brings your little one closer to your open arms and that very first meeting - GOOD LUCK and try not to worry!!!! ((((HUGS))) xxxxxx 

haha yep first one pretty obivous!!lol thanks karen, for good advice!..soo excited/scared hehe!! xxx

If I'm being totally honest the only tip I'd give is get an epidural!

Thats the advice a colleague gave me and it was the best advice I ever had! It's the best thing in the world! Can't feel a thing!

Hope you don't need it but let them know early if you do. If you are near to being fully dilated they won't give you one.

alixxx

LOL - ali - you woose!!! LOL i gotta say tho i ended up having one with both my first two but it was the WORST thing i ever did - my back hasnt been the same since!!! Yes it was fab at the time, but my god i've suffered with back problems ever since, and that was 21 years ago!!!!!!!! Everyone has their pain threshold, but i would say if you can do without it THEN DO IT!!!! As long as you can move about and get in different possitions, then go with that, it really does help, and sometimes having an epidural prolongs your labour and in some cases increases the risk of having assisted births - so there you have it, one for and one against!!! LOL the choice as they say - is yours!!!

I hope you dont need one, its the best thing in the world to feel you little one come into the world!!!! xxxxx

Hi,

The one thing I wouod say is you will probably be surprised at how you cope. I am the biggest wuss in the world, I have previously passed out when someone was getting a splinter out my finger !  But if I can do it with gas and air anyone can, lol!  I actually didn't have a choice as dd was in a hurry, the short story is 1cm to baby in arms in about 3 1/2 hours so don't worry that all first labours go on for days which is what everyone kept telling me!

The other thing that really surprised me is how your body takes over completley, it is not like on telly with people yelling at you to push.  You don't have a choice, your body just does it, it felt like my body was in control and I was just along for the ride which scared me a bit, I kept thinking why am I pushing, i'm not doing that!  It is incredible though, and once baby is here you would do it all over again.  I'm now pg with no2 due in June all being well and hoping for a home birth this time.  I've been quite lucky that the whole midwife system round me (Ledbury, Herefordshire) has been fab last time and so far this time which really helps as you hear so many horror stories!

I hope it all goes well for you and you must pop back and tell us about it!

Hi Gem - i couldnt agree more - you just feel like you kinda "go into yourself" and everything else ceases to exist almost!

How wonderful you are going for a home birth - they wont let me try this time as my last dd got stuck and weighed 10lb 9oz and this bub is on his top centile line already so i guess im on for another bouncing elephant!! LOL  You cant be that far from me, i could choose either Shrewsbury or Hereford hospital, went for shrews, perhaps i should have done Hereford!!! LOL

All the very best anyways, am sure it will all go fab! xxx