Note To Pregnant Women

[LadyAndreca]

My mom has a pretty good baby story. When my second brother was born, it was my mom's fourth kid. She was a pro at it by then. However, my Dad, an Army Reservist, was doing field training when she went into labor.

So Mom's calmly calling Dad's unit and telling them she's in labor, getting the babysitter there, making sure us kids are calm, etc etc. Dad's lieutenant was a guy fresh out of training, not even married, much less having kids of his own. Dad's all calm and "okay, let me get a shower and get this camo off" and the lieutenant is "Your wife is in labor, soldier! We're leaving NOW!" (He had to be escorted by an officer since he was leaving his unit.) Dad decides it's just not worth arguing over.

So Dad walks into the maternity ward in full gear and camoflage paint and goes "Where's my wife?!" Mom hadn't even gotten there yet! The nurses made him go take a shower.

To hear Dad tell it, you'd think it was the lieutenant's kid, because the guy couldn't sit still and couldn't sleep at all. The poor guy never imagined being an officer involved something like that.

[fireheart]

So Mom's calmly calling Dad's unit and telling them she's in labor, getting the babysitter there, making sure us kids are calm, etc etc. Dad's lieutenant was a guy fresh out of training, not even married, much less having kids of his own. Dad's all calm and "okay, let me get a shower and get this camo off" and the lieutenant is "Your wife is in labor, soldier! We're leaving NOW!" (He had to be escorted by an officer since he was leaving his unit.) Dad decides it's just not worth arguing over.

At least the lieutenant had their priorities in order!

My cousin was the same when she was to be induced.

[monolayth]

I had an easy baby.

Although I was in labor for two weeks lol. Seriously had contractions every 3-5 minutes for two weeks before he came. I went to the hospital constantly. I was happy that the contractions were only uncomfortable to me.

I was scheduled for induction that Sunday and my water broke that Saturday. I was upset because I was trying to sleep in. So did not happen.

Also my water breaking was the most disgusting experience I have ever been though.

I went in at 10 and around 6 they offered me an epidural. I said sure, as I did not want pain.

The epidural stopped working about 3am. It shifted and caused pain. I was sobbing in terrible pain until the anesthesiologist could find time to come to me at 7am. So for 4 hours they had better things to do than shift my needle. For 4 hours I was in the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life.

After that I refused all other medication. I did not want anyone to touch it unless they were taking it out. So medicine stopped for me and I felt everything. Which was not that bad. I am sure I had lingering medicine in me that cut everything but they were not giving me what they wanted to.

I could get up and walk right away. They did not let me until the epidural was removed. But I was moving around in the bed.

BTW taking my first shower, the bathroom looked like a horror movie when I was done. So much blood.

The fun thing was I had a new dr in there with my doctors and it was his first birth. totally funny.

Also my husband was irritating me so I drugged him. lol.

The thing I hated more than the terrible pain from the stupid needle. The arm pressure cuff. hurting me every 15 minutes. I wanted to kill the thing.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

At least the lieutenant had their priorities in order!

some would debate otherwise, but still-- good on him. The whole story's hilarious...
Monolayth, apparently the mini-not-quite-contractions leading up to labor contractions are supposed to get the uterus in shape for it, so the egregious/strong amount you had was probably why the labor was easier than most.

[Der Cute]

Ok, my birthing story:
Being preggers, you have that freaking blob of water in you. But it can leak. And most of the time, leaks aren't detected. And many of them happen at the TOP of the bag of waters, not down close to where it's obvious.
Also - this is in January 2010. I was due late Feb. At least the cool weather helped with my pregnancy.


I was told: If you have a lot of pee - you are PEEING a lot, go see a doc, that's a labor/getting ready symptom. Fine.
I called the doctor's line, and told them I'm not PEEING, but I'm always wet. It doesn't smell like urine, but it's wet, WTF. Doc on phone told me it's nothing, bleh bleh stay home. But my spidey senses were up. Everytime I sat behind the wheel in the car, my tummy rubbed up against it. This day I called - the stomach/steering wheel had a 1cm gap between them. I thought about it, and said, "Oh, doc said ignore, so I will". I told the dad about it, and he semi-jokingly said, "Don't have your baby yet, I don't want to miss the Super Bowl."

Drove to MIL's apartment and proceeded to watch the Super Bowl. The Dad was having a blast, I'm sitting there fat and miserable, and just bored. We went home, and I didn't sleep much. Called the doctor line again and got my own OB-GYN doc (the other one was not mine). Doc said "Get in NOW".

So we left for the hospital, and Dad was grumpy due to having 4 hours sleep. Me, I'm fine, no contractions, just ..wet ish. My doc was there and we tested that moisture for "bag of waters or something else". Turns out my bag WAS leaking, and with protocol, I was required to stay in hospital, give birth and get lots of anti-biotics due to the risk of having an infection. Dad wasn't all happy.

So I'm in the birth room and the first thing I ask for is, "Where's my epidural?" hehe. Rested a lot, tried to nap a bit. Had some meds to help push the dilation along. Fine. Waddled to bathroom and it broke in there. LORD there is a lot of fluid in that thing!!!!!
Was grounded to the bed, gave birth, and it really didn't hurt that bad. Then again the epidural was good, and I got to cuss the living daylights out of Dad.

[kansasgal]

I think that for each woman it is different and TOTALLY depends on what her medical condition and the baby's medical condition is.

My first, I had 3 days of Labor (yes, 3 DAYS) with the last day being induced since I didn't dilate past 2, then an emergency C-Section, many infections and finally the incision being reopened and having to be packed til it healed. I was miserable.

2nd, I asked for the C-section because of the first experience, and my doctor tried to push me into a VBAC, I told him if he wanted to try it so badly, he should, but I was having a C-Section. Baby was 9 lbs, 24 inches, 15 centimeter head and 35 centimeter chest. I felt fine after the surgery. Baby is now 6 foot 9

3rd I just told the doc I wanted a C-Section and it was arranged. Because they went through the prior scar tissue, I didn't have much pain, and in fact the nurses were chasing me down with my pain meds asking if I wanted them. I was like "Nope". They were amazed..

As to the last month of pregnancy? It lasts a year. Totally sure of that...it's longer then the other 8 months all on it's own, lol!

[teh_blumchenkinder]

o___o That is a big son you have. (I assume it's a he. Not too many women get to be that tall.)

[kansasgal]

o___o That is a big son you have. (I assume it's a he. Not too many women get to be that tall.)

Yup, it's a he. And yes, he's big. A complaint he has is that everyone always comes up to him and says "Wow, you're big!" as if he hadn't noticed, lol.

He also has size 17 feet. Finding shoes for him is fun....

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Heh. I have a second cousin who's 6 6, and his kid, at 10, was about 5 feet. Cory's a big girl. XD How tall are your other children? or is he just a mutant?
Der Cute: I had no idea a lady could spring a leak like that! Thank you for the story... and where was the father?
I imagine the kidlet was well?

[Seshat]

Now, I'm not short (168cm - 5'6"), but I'm the shortest in my family - including extended family - now that my grandmother's dead.
My husband is very tall. His parents, however, are short: at least short by my family's standards.

In our wedding photos, people who aren't looking closely at faces (and aren't familiar with our families) assume my parents are his and vice versa!

[kansasgal]

Heh. I have a second cousin who's 6 6, and his kid, at 10, was about 5 feet. Cory's a big girl. XD How tall are your other children? or is he just a mutant?

He's just a mutant...no, my younger son (14) is 5 foot 8, and will probably be tall himself. I am 6 foot and my hubby is 6 foot 3, so we have tall kids.

My older son was about 6 foot at 14, so my younger son will be slightly shorter then his brother.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I'm 5 8. My sister is 6 foot even-- and she's finally found a guy that's taller than her, and finds height attractive in a woman. She's very self-conscious about a lot concerning herself, and tallness is one of them.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Man, I would so love to be about six foot. I'm five six. Everyone in my family stops growing at five six, male and female. Except my cousin Sal, who has reaching the soaring height of five eight. He's a giant.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Heh. Finding clothes that fit is a bitch though. My sister refuses to wear male clothing (which is reasonable, really) and jeans... she has to coddle each pair, lest she spend 75 minimum every time she wants a new, plain, in-no-way-extravagant pair. And let's not get started on shirts!
Man... having everyone the same height is like something out of Harrison Beregeron (short story by ... Vonnegut, methinks)
EDIT: however... your height would match your personality! You could LOOOOOOOOM over people!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

What's funny is that people consistently guess my height at five eight or more. I don't usually wear heels. But it's a thing with me that people tend to be surprised when they find out I'm "only" five six.

I guess I have a tall personality!

When I was in Rome, I liked the fact that on the average, I was as tall as the men. Most of the women were shorter than I am.

Huh. Is that the female version of "Short Guy Complex"? Wishing you were taller?