What daily preparations are you doing for labour? (If any)

[HarderToKidnap]

I'm 34 weeks tomorrow and thinking about what sort of things I need to do to prepare my body and mind for labour. This is DC1 and I am pretty committed to a drug-free home birth, although open minded of course. Are you doing anything specific to prep for the birth and afterwards?

From 34 weeks I am going to:

sit on birth ball twice a day for twenty minutes
do an inversion every day (spinningbabies.com/techniques/the-inversion)
perineal massage every day
listen to hypnobirth CD/practice hypno breathing
yoga DVD twice a week
try and do aqua fit once a week
regular sex

From 36 weeks:

colostrum harvesting
raspberry leaf tea

Anyone else doing anything?

I ddin't do any prep for DC1 as I was told I needed a CS from about 10weeks on then at about 38weeks the drs changed their minds & by that stage I was in no state to do anything. I had a pretty terrible labour & birth experience with various complications but DS was born vaginally with no pain relief & he was back-to-back. Now 30weeks with DC2 & I'm finding it all a bit abstract & can't get into doing anything. I am justifying this by thinking if I could do it for DC1 with no prep & horrendous circumstances then unless I am the unluckiest person in the world DC2 should be easier! Also banking on definitely being able to get an epidural this time if I want it.

idevice Im with you there Im having a epidural as soon as I can we dont live in the dark ages why should we suffer

yes, GirlWithTheMouseyHair, am model of restraint with Gin, but me and the red wine bottle are very well acquainted ...
also, should add, about to book fiendishly £££ massage as due date treat

pregnantmimi because it can lead to a longer labour, it can make giving birth more difficult (you can't move to help baby down the pelvis and you generally have to give birth in the lithotomy position), increased risk of intervention (such as forceps and therefore need for episiotomy, and an increased risk of tearing)

And I say that as someone who nearly kissed the midwife when she suggested I had one.

Having an epidural does not equate to not suffering.

Flisspaps, good point - I don't think an epidural is without those potential risks. Am I right in thinking you had a tricky birth previously so you might know what I mean with the following? I'm only banking on an epidural as I had extreme pain with DC1's birth: synto drip of evil resulting in full dilation taking only 2 hrs with no pain relief & back2back baby, after 48hrs of no progress. If I have a whiff of bad pain with next labour I want an epidural as I will panic that I will experience previous levels of torture.

I have to agree with the epidural point. Yes it DOES take away the pain, but you're basically left on the bed on your back. Moving around is out of the question with a drip on your arm, and a needle in your back.
Because you can't feel the contractions, you don't know when to push and the midwife has to tell you each time, but you don't know how hard you're pushing because you just can't feel anything!!

I very nearly had a forcep delivery - but when I heard them discuss it, I started pushing with every drop of energy I had (even though I couldn't feel anything), and my DD was born. I also tore really badly because of that.

I'm not a hippy or anything, but I would be happier if I didn't have an epidural this time so I could move around during labour and change positions to prevent tearing.

personally (for many many reasons) I don't want an epidural and that's one of my main reasons for opting for a homebirth, but to be honest I think if you need it, you need it - but wait and see how your body copes before deciding to have one as soon as it all kicks off.

idlevice Yes, I did have a tricky birth last time (synto induction, lots of intervention) so this time I am sticking to my plan for a homebirth (including non-consent for induction for any reason, if there is an issue I will consent to CS)

This scared me a little when I first read it, I'm even going to attempt to read some of my barely flicked through pregnancy bible later...

I'm due in February and originally planned on:
Lying on the sofa
Christmas shopping
Eating lots
Baby shopping
Sales shopping
Relaxing before the sleepless nights kick in!

Although now I'm off to re-evaluate my list

32 weeks with dc4...... and I have never ever heard of colostrum harvesting!!

I finish work at 37 weeks and I will be resting and nesting as much as I can for the two weeks I get to myself until dd finishes school.

I've got some hypnobirthing stuff downloaded and love my birthing ball, but honestly it's soo important to get lots of rest and not put too much pressure on yourself.

33weeks today, planning a homebirth (none of that hynobirthing or birthing pool stuff, good ol fashioned pushing, drug free & hoping for the best!), my plan for now & DD (22nd Dec);
Have been drinking RLT for a week now, will start taking Evening Primrose in a few weeks.
Buy all christmas presents online & wrap them.
Have lots and lots of sex (not to bring on labour, just want to have fond memories of being fat & uncomfortable)!
Cross fingers and hope LO arrives a few days early as I'd like to enjoy Christmas!

Due in Feb with baby number 2 and if its anything like last time I will be at work the day before I have the baby!

I do plan on getting my eyelash extensions done though, all the photos of me and DD are featuring me looking like a bus has hit me, Im determined to look more radiant (ha!) this time.

Lots of sex and going to try a birthing ball this time too as I dont get much exercise in my desk job.

Bloody hell OP you do have a lot of time on your hands don't you - is this your first baby? Do you have a job or anything?

Blimey what a list!
colostrum harvesting....really?? Im another one though thats managed to escape leaking and crusty cheese nippes!!!

I think keeping fit/active isn't a bad idea but 3 times a week?!!!! I'd definatley have carked it by now!! Tbh despite good intentions i've been to 1 pregnancy pilates class since 32 weeks. Walks i do do though, but only because i know there is coffee and cake at the end of it!!

I do love my birth ball, but thats seen the bottom of my ass about 5 times in 6 weeks! Im lucky if i remember to do my pelvic floor exercises once a day and i've been avoiding perenial massage even now at 37 weeks...although dh keeps asking me if i've done it....i wonder why this concerns him the most???

Sex????? PMSL!!!! That is way down on my list of things to be doing regularly!

If i wasn't so disorganised i'd be spending my time shopping, lounging, reading and being a lady who lunches. As it is i'm still painting!!!

re epidurals: I had PE, and was induced for the birth of my DS. Contraction pains were unbearable once the drip started and I had an epidural, but as the midwives let me control the dosage, I never got to the point where I couldn't move around, and after the first hour or so I topped up infrequently and could feel contractions, though with very little pain. I felt when it was time to push, could feel the baby going up and down as I did so, and knelt up on my bed to deliver him. Felt him being born too, but just a stinging sensation rather than agony.

I had hated the idea of induction and epidural, but the pain with the drip-induced contractions was unbearable for me, and in the end the epidural was fantastic. It didn't restrict my movement at all, and I'm very glad to have had it.

As for prep, I just tried to think about ways to stay calm during the birth, and did a bit of perineal massage and the odd pelvic floor exercise. Wish I had done more of the latter and am trying hard to keep them up now that I'm pregnant again.

Hi,

I have still have 25 weeks to go but my partner and I have been preparing for labour already. ( I am overly organised)

We have been doing the following:

perineal massage
Sitting on the birthing ball for a few hours a day
Reading up on what to expect (so we do not freek)
My partner has been practicing back massage
yoga

YM1 xxx

Don't be mean to the OP people nothing wrong with preparing - gives you a bit of control as it doesn't always go to plan.

Yes I do have a job - actually, I am a midwife! So I'm fully prepared for what can happen, seen it all and I am under absolutely no illusions that prep guarantees you anything. But actually I am really enjoying the prep I am doing, it adds up to half an hour a day or so, nothing too strenuous, and I like concentrating on the pregnancy and myself for a bit of time every day.

And dudes, don't knock colostrum harvesting!! It's the new pelvic floor exercises, we'll all be doing it in five years.

Hi love to hear people experiances with epidurals my mum gave birth 4 times no pain relief and my sister twice the same and I dont have any one close to me who has had one so its nice to hear how people got on.xx

to be fair OP that's the main reason I do the pregnancy yoga, it's so so lovely to know I have 1.5hours a week to just think and concentrate on my body and my baby, regardless of any prep it may help with, so I do get your point of having something "to do" every day.

Crikey though yummymummy you're doing all that at 15 weeks????

I can't even remember why we ought to sit on the ball - I did, a lot, towards the end of the last pregnancy, because it was the only comfortable place to be, but am a bit suspicious that might be the reason one of the only things that soothed DS through colic was being tightly held and bounced on the sodding ball. It didn't get deflated til he was 6months old!

Re epidurals. I was adamant I was going to have one, and as soon as I got to 5cms I demanded one as I was worried about not being able to get one if I left it later (eg if the anesthetist wasn't free). I can hand on heart say it was probably one of the worst decisions I have made. It stopped my labour, I then had to have a synto drip to start it up again, I was in labour for 30 hrs, baby, who had been in a perfect position, turned back to back from me lying on my back so long, I was exhausted, starving hungry as you can't eat and couldn't feel any push sensation. I ended up in theatre, with forceps which did so much damage they took an hour stitching me up. I didn't hold my baby until he was 3.5hrs old and was so drugged up I can't remember the first time I held him or bf him. The damage caused by the forceps have left me with an anterior and posterior prolapse which will require surgery with a 6 week recovery period once I have DC2 who is due in about 3 weeks. It goes without saying I won't be having one this time around.

Stupid question... if you are colostrum harvesting, how does your body know to keep making colostrum and not move onto the next stage of milk production?

DS had tongue-tie, and I expressed at first for him, but you need to do that amount of expressing in order to build up the correct milk supply.

I absolutely agree that no matter how organised you are, anything can happen from the moment the baby decides to make an appearance. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to get everything under control. I remember what it's like to feel like you have to be 'doing' something, though!

oops, X posts. But still intrigued about the harvesting!

No, your body can't make mature milk in the presence of high levels of progesterone. Progesterone is emitted in huge quantities by your placenta, so until that comes away you can't make mature milk. Colostrum harvesting does increase the amount of colostrum you produce though, gets you used to hand expressing and gives you a little stash for the freezer.

edwinbear thats a awful experiance didnt know they could cause that I will discuss with midwife monday for birth plan about it more