It seems I cannot sleep in very well, and sleeping in is almost impossible. I think part of this is from the carpal tunnel symptoms I have. I really want to change positions and sleep on my right side, but the only way both hands are comfortable is on my left side. When I lay on my right side, my right hand gets all numb and tingly. Maybe I should invest in a sleep brace for my right hand, too. The sleep brace seems to work fine on my left hand. Sigh. I have a sneaking suspicion that my sleep issues have only just begun.
I have to say it is very strange being one of the many bellies in the OB's waiting room. For so long, I never thought I would have a belly of my own, and the bellies made me sort of crazy. I think we have all been there. Now I have a belly of my own, and I find it is pretty neat. It is nice to know that my body is capable of doing something it was meant to do.
Over the past week or two, I suddenly realized that the baby actually has to come out somehow. I started researching labor and childbirth. I actually found a book written by an obstetric anesthesiologist. It outlines all methods of pain control and relief, from Bradley and Lamaze to epidurals and c-sections. I love it! One of the things I did not like about many of the natural birth books was that they do not give you all the options for pain control during labor. Most of the natural books insist that natural is the only way to go, and that sort of turns me off. I like to know what all of my options are. Bottom line is, I want a safe and healthy delivery for baby and mom. Sometimes that can invovle an epidural and pitocin. Still working out the birth plan, though I have my doubts as to how useful it will be. I think I am going to be pretty flexible and hopefully I will be able to listen to my doctors and nurses when the time comes.
I may post more later. I have hunch it is going to be a slow and lazy day for me. This is the first Saturday in a about a month that I have not had work commitments. Hooray!
4 comments:
Explore all pain relief options! Even if you think you have a high pain tolerance, YOU NEVER KNOW!!!! I know the baby has to come out, but right now, I'm just choosing not to think about it. :)
If I ever chose to have a birth plan(and I won't because of superstitious nurse issues) it would simply say: By any mean necessary.
No work!
Good luck with making the birth plan, it's nice to have a birth plan, and then you can be flexible when the time comes.
I think if I was knocked up I would go for the plan that gave me the least pain and was still safe for baby (as I think I had enough pain for one lifetime).
Oh, yes! I had that same reality moment. It was very unsettling - I mean I ~knew~ how babies were birthed but it always seemed like it would never really happen.
I went with the epidural but the funny thing is, I really don't remember a whole lot about the delivery experience. Maybe because it all happened so fast. I think it may be all a part of God's plan, though!
I'm in denial of the whole birth thing (although I'm also still in denial of there being a possible positive on Tuesday's beta, so I guess thinking about birth is premature to say the least...). But, I also know myself, and I know that in that particular region, I have a very low tolerance for pain. I can suffer through a migrane until the vision-spots start, but I don't cope well with hard cramping. I've also had enough pain in that general region (and enough tears in the general region) for twenty three lifetimes, so I am 100% all about pain relief any way I can get it. I'm already wondering exactly how doped up I can be without causing harm to a little one. I mean, beyond the epidural, can they hit me on the head with a hammer? IV sedation? How about just waking me up at some point a week or so after birth to give the caesarian birth scar some time to start healing? A little dilaudid, maybe? Whatever works...
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