My sister-in-law, Tami, and I had a long conversation about all things baby today. We talked about everything from breast pumps, to caring for a circumcision, to epidurals. This all got me thinking about the old show One Born Every Minute and how funny some of the mothers were who came into the hospital with a ten page birth plan typed out and disseminated to all appropriate hospital staff. I never understood this because I wasn't that anal about Trent's birth plan.
When we went to the hospital to give birth to Trent, my only plan was that I wanted to go as long as possible without getting an epidural and if I needed one, I would get one. As my doctor always says, "Would you go to the dentist and get a root canal or a tooth pulled without pain medicine? No! So why would you go without pain medicine when you are literally being ripped open?" Epidurals aren't bad for babies anymore...the babies don't come out all groggy like they did years ago.
With Trent, I went to the hospital the day after my due date so that I could be induced but little did I know, I was having contractions and would have went into labor naturally that day anyway. I was given whatever pill it is to get the ball roll around 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. It didn't push me into active labor so I was given Pitocin around noon and let me tell you, that crap is baby rocket fuel. Less then ten minutes after that stuff hit my IV, I was doubled over in pain. The contractions were coming so fast that I couldn't catch my breath. That stuff is nothing to mess with! Trent's heart rate dropped a little bit so I was given oxygen because like I said, the contractions were so quick!
I instantly began to dilate. I went as long as I could (7cm) but when the anesthesiologist, who just so happened to be the spitting image of the Asian man from The Hangover, came into my room and offered to give me the epidural, it took me one second to say, "YESSSS!" I went from feeling like someone was knotting my insides into little balls and then stomping on them repeatedly to bliss. Talk about instant relief. Mark and I were soon watching movies and napping comfortably. We were occasionally interrupted by the nurse who had to check dilation but it was a breeze from that point on! I dilated the remaining three centimeters in about ten minutes and pushed for a whopping fifteen minutes.
I was glad that I didn't go into labor with this strict idea that the birth had to go specifically as planned like many women do. I just wanted to go with the flow and whatever needed to happen, would happen. We were relaxed the entire time. I appreciate the woman who do it au natural! I have had a few friends who have done it and I look up to you ladies, really, I do. Some women want a natural childbirth just to say that they did it...I have heard time and time again, "If my mom could do it, why can't I?" My answer: I am sure that you can but why would you want to?! Your vag is in so much pain in the days, and in my case, weeks, afterward, why compound the problem?!
My thoughts on the situation, for what they are worth...I would rather enjoy the experience and have the baby enter into this world without the stress of screaming and yelling that accompanies an epidural-free labor. To those of you who can push an, in my case, eight and a half pound baby out of your hoo hah...more power to you! You go girls!
My birth plan this time around: relax and do whatever I feel like doing when I get there! Oh, yeah, and have my parents here with me so that they can not only watch the Trent Monster while Mark and I are in the hospital, but they can help me with two kids afterward. As my dad just reminded however, I am an old pro at this now! I know what to do so I probably won't need as much help as I did the first time around but I'll still take my mom sticking around and cooking us dinners for as long as she wants!
Speaking of which....I have to go make dinner really quick before Mark comes home so excuse any typos in this post...I will not be reviewing it before posting!
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