Stories from the delivery room

In this episode all 5 moms share their experience of labour and delivery and while there are many similarities, each of us had a unique experience. We all delivered beautiful, healthy baby girls ranging from 5 1/2 weeks early (preemie) to being 6 days overdue. Selin, Rita, Erin and Jenny delivered their babies vaginally whereas Karen delivered via c-section.

As you can imagine, this was a lengthy discussion with several laughs and groans so we've tried to summarize them as best we can. For the complete podcast, tune in here:

Going to the hospital:

• Be packed and ready to go (this includes Mom, Dad and Baby!). We suggest packing your bag approx. 2-3 weeks in advance of your due date. And ladies - pack your own bag unless you want 3 nightgowns and no toothbrush (right Erin?!). Don't forget to pack for the men too - they will be at the hospital for an extended period of time as well, so they too will need to be packed (pillows, comfy clothes, phone numbers, toothbrush etc)
• Essentials to pack for Mommy: BIG pads, BIG underwear, chapstick, toiletries (toothbrush, brush etc), comfy pants, slippers and a pen (to fill out forms).
• Make sure that your baby car seat is installed! The hospital will check to ensure that you have put the baby in the car seat and have him/her buckled properly before releasing you. (Note: This applies even if you do not have a car. The baby should be in a car seat regardless of the mode of transportation: cab, streetcar, bus etc).

Epidurals:

• Think about the right time to ask for your epidural. Once you have it, you will be on a catheter and be stuck in bed. As Selin discovered, she had her epidural as soon as she walked in the hospital and was in bed for 27 hours! However, don't ask for it too late because sometimes your body has progressed too far and you cannot have it, or as Erin & Karen discovered, the anesthetist was not available when we asked for the epidural.
• Check with the nurses re: the availability of the anesthetist. When I (Karen) checked into the hospital they told me that there was only 1 anesthetist on-call after 5pm.
• Once you have the epidural it's common to have chills - which is a welcome relief if you're having a summer baby!
• You will not feel anything which may or may not be a good thing. As Erin mentioned, she loved the empowering feeling she got when she was delivering Emme since she was able to feel her moving through her belly and into the birth canal, whereas Selin didn't feel a thing.
• It's recommended to try and forgo an epidural if your baby is premature

Vaginal Delivery:

• If your water breaks at home, you'll need to replace the carpet. Both Erin & Jenny experienced the "gush" at home while the rest of us had our water broken in the hospital. When your water breaks, it is just that - a gush ... over and over again.
• Erin was able to use a hypno birthing technique to keep herself calm however this was not as effective as she hoped at being able to breathe Emme down
• As I'm sure many of you know, it's very likely that you won't have your regular OB delivering your baby. In Erin's case, her midwives were present at the birth but acted more in a coaching capacity since Emme was a preemie.
• If your baby needs vacuum assistance to be delivered, ask the nurse to get you "the good vacuum". As Jenny was beginning to push she heard "oh no, we don't have the good vacuum" which is definitely not something you want to hear!

C-Section Delivery:

• Of course Ashley had to be "special" and was the only baby among the 5 to be delivered via c-section (obviously she just didn't want to get goop in her hair!)
• My c-section was done by choice despite being in labour for only 5 hours and being fully dilated. Ashley wasn't dropping entirely into the birth canal so to avoid extra stress and fatigue, the c-section was scheduled.
• Recovery from the c-section wasn't as bad as I thought. It was very tender and I was very slow when trying to stand up, sit down or walk. Basically anything that required any kind of abdominal strength was tender and difficult but manageable with help from others.
• I was cut horizontally along my pubic bone and now (almost 8 months later) I have a very faint hairline scar which cannot be seen when wearing a bikini or underwear etc.
• Downside of having a c-section: (1) I wasn't able to hold the baby right away - although on the upside it was a great bonding moment for my hubby and (2) in some cases a c-section will slow down the process of your milk coming in. In my case, I had a lot of difficulty breastfeeding as it took 7 days for my milk to fully "come in".

General Info:

• One of the biggest fears after birth was having your first BM. We all agreed that we were worried about ripping our incisions whether it was from an episiotomy or c-section. Thank god for the little red pills (stool softeners). All joking aside, the nurses should ensure that you do have a BM before discharging you from the hospital.
• Rita experienced PUPPS rash all over her belly during the last 2-3 weeks of her pregnancy which put her through a lot of pain and discomfort. This ultimately led to her being induced as the rash was becoming unbearable. Interestingly enough, they say that 70% of women who have PUPPS rash during pregnancy are carrying boys, but in Rita's case she had a girl.
• Rita & Selin both opted to have blood cord samples drawn. If you're going to have this done, order your kit approximately 1 month before your expected delivery.

Tips for the Men:

• do NOT breathe on your wife when she is having contractions
• do NOT text message everyone in your contact list while your wife is in labour
• do NOT take pictures of your wife while her face is beat red and squished so tight she feels like her head is going to explode
• Relax ... we know that you feel helpless, but there really is nothing that you can do for us. Believe us when we say that if there is anything we need - we will tell you.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
During the podcast we touched on a number of things that may require further explanation and/or research. Below are some links to additional resources that you may find helpful:

To learn more about an episiotomy visit http://www.babycenter.ca/pregnancy/labourandbirth/labour/episiotomy/

For a complete review on the difference between pitocin and oxytocin and the circumstances for each use, visit http://pregnancy.about.com/od/induction/a/pitocindiffers.htm

For more information on your baby's apgar score please visit http://kidshealth.org/parent/newborn/first_days/apgar.html

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At the end of each episode, we will share our "MOMMY-SENTIALS" with you.

• Health Pod - http://www.healthpod.ca/ - Recommended by healthcare professionals and guided by the expertise of doctors, each section of HealthPod Baby guides you to track your child’s most vital health and medical information in a clear and concise format.
  
• Toy Strap by http://www.pippalily.com/ - Attach baby's favourites to the car seat, stroller, shopping cart, wagon etc... to keep them off the ground. Adjustable Velcro strap accommodates literally everything from teethers, sippy cups and our fave - Sophie!
  
• Lunch Bag/Cooler by http://www.soyoungmother.com/ - Why should kids have all the fun? Use it as a bottle bag for baby, pack your child's drinks and snacks in it, or leave the kids at home and take your lunch with you wherever you go. Need an extra hand? These versatile bags can be snapped onto stroller handlebars or worn in either messenger or backpack style.
  
• Hooter Hider by http://www.bebeaulait.com/ - Hooter Hiders are the world's most famous patented nursing covers. Invented in 2004, Hooter Hiders have become one of the top must haves for breastfeeding mothers. Featuring a rigid neckline and our signature prints, Hooter Hider Nursing Covers allow you to breastfeed anytime, anywhere, and in style!

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We recently posted a poll regarding labour and the results are in: 87% had an epidural, 50% had a natural birth, 37% used forceps, 1% used a vacuum, 1% used a mid-wife, 1% had a c-section and 0 people had a water birth.