Kendra, Joe and Garrett Duggar, Part 10

[AnnEggBlandHer?]

6 minutes ago, candygirl200413 said:

@nvmbr02 Is that burning the ring of fire I learned about in my women's health class which made me cry and realized I will need the medication if I ever give birth.

I had heard about the ring of fire too, and I very specifically remember a point during pushing when I thought to myself,  “Shit, this is it!” Then a moment later the midwife saying they could *almost* see his head. I could not believe it was about to get worse 

[Coconut Flan]

17 minutes ago, candygirl200413 said:

@nvmbr02 Is that burning the ring of fire I learned about in my women's health class which made me cry and realized I will need the medication if I ever give birth.

For what it's worth, I've had unmedicated childbirth and I've never felt the ring of fire.  I was taught that if you are lined up properly and pushing properly that you push just hard enough to push away the pain.  It worked every birth for me.  Good childbirth instruction is an essential.

[LuckyShot]

My biggest concern when giving birth is getting to the hospital on time. The nearest hospital that delivers babies is over an hour away in good weather. We are trying to time it so I'll be due in the summer, because a snowstorm can make that trip nearly impossible, but we can have freak snowstorms anywhere from September to May, so that's kind of a small window. My husband works away for two weeks at a time and he always jokes that he'll show up at home to me and a baby I delivered myself. I deliver many lambs and calves every year, but I'd really rather not deliver my own baby, lol.

[Iamtheway]

19 hours ago, feministxtian said:

Y'all are gonna hate me but....I took a shower before we went to the hospital to have my youngest. My hair was still wet when he was born and I could still smell my deodorant. 

I always wish other women a birth that will make other women hate them a little so congratulations!

I had the baby that slept so well I never talked about it with other parents. I just wasn’t very tired when he was little. 

[Shadoewolf]

I have clotting issues (APA) and epidurals with 2 of my 3 kiddos. Was using Heparin with Middle, Lovenox with Youngest. It just depended on when my last shot was and they ran my PT/PTT labs 3 times first. But I was restricted to my bed for the very few moments between getting it placed and the kiddos arriving at the speed of fighter jets.

[ElToro]

3 hours ago, candygirl200413 said:

@nvmbr02 Is that burning the ring of fire I learned about in my women's health class which made me cry and realized I will need the medication if I ever give birth.

When my labor started I took myself off to the guest room and put on the radio.... What was the first song that came on? Only bloody Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire'. My husband thought it was hilarious....

[nvmbr02]

@candygirl200413 Yep, that is the one! I'm not going to lie, it was no joke. But it was over as soon as he was born. And I don't remember it being nearly as bad with my 2nd unmedicated birth or with my epidural birth. My sister said she experienced it and she had an epidural so I think some of it may be baby's position combined with how well your epidural is working and all kinds of other factors. 

5 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

For what it's worth, I've had unmedicated childbirth and I've never felt the ring of fire.  I was taught that if you are lined up properly and pushing properly that you push just hard enough to push away the pain.  It worked every birth for me.  Good childbirth instruction is an essential.

And this could very well be part of the issue with my son. He came very quickly and I was trying to get partially undressed and get on to a table or at least in a comfortable position. In the end they cut the pants off and I was on all fours on the bed sideways when he was delivered by a nurse in the ER since I never made it past the triage area to L&D. The only entrance to the hospital after hours was through the Emergency room. They were going to get a me a wheelchair because I said I couldn't walk any further and my son decided that was too long to wait. 

[xlurker]

I've had 2 unmedicated births of big babies, I don't recall a ring of fire.  Not terrible mind altering pain either--but I understand this to not be the norm.  Just remember, don't be a hero, and to take medications if you need them.  Not doing that baby any favors if you are exhausted and in pain and miserable when they make their entrance into this world    

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[SapphireSlytherin]

It burns/hurts like everloving FUCK. Don't let anyone tell you it's just "discomfort" as my labor nurse kept insisting.

[LilMissMetaphor]

I'm still bitter about the fact that my nurse asked why I wasn't being more "stoic" since she'd read my last name off the chart and recognized it to be Dutch, apparently, I was making too big a deal about my pain levels to suit her.

[mstee]

My birth experience is super fresh in my mind (my baby is 6 weeks old) and I’m loving this discussion. I decided to attempt to go unmedicated and do a water birth (in a hospital). I had always heard the term “ring of fire” and thought it sounded terrifying. Sure enough it was very accurate for me! I thought to myself “well shit this is it!”. 

The best advice I got (regarding going unmedicated) was in a labor class at the hospital. The instructor said that a lot of women get to the transition stage and just feel done and want medicine, but she said just to remind yourself how close you are at that point and how far you’ve come already. My active labor was long- 36 hours- and sure enough I was in the tub and I told my husband I wanted my midwife to check me cause if I wasn’t dilated more than I wanted meds ASAP. She checked and I was 9cm, haha. I felt a renewed sense of endurance. I never got sweaty duirng my labor but I did get super shaky in transition. My teeth were chattering uncontrollably. In the end, my baby got stuck and they couldn’t find a heartbeat. I was taken out of the tub with her head hanging out and she was born on the hospital bed. It was very hectic for a few minutes but she was fine thankfully. 

 

[nvmbr02]

FWIW, my biggest baby (who was still only a bit over 8lbs) was my easiest labor, least painful labor, quickest labor but the ring of fire was a killer. Thankfully that part was quick. Both of my first two labors I was very quiet. Even prior to the epidural with my first I was joking with my husband and chatting with a friend. 

My worst labor was my third and she was the smallest baby. It was very painful and I was loud. I am not a yeller at all really I know I yelled during that labor. Not only out loud but at the doctor and the nurses. Seriously. I was a crazy woman. I remember after dd was born and we knew that she was going to be okay I felt horrible about it and kept apologizing. My husband told me a few years later that it really scared him because he had never seen me like that before. 

[SweetJuly]

My daughter is due in about a week, and I am not sure if I am doing the right thing reading here or not However, I keep coming back to this thread in the hope of finding evidence that it won't be so bad

I alternate between naive optimism ("your pregnancy has been pretty good, you'll handle the birth & 'discomfort' no problem") and absolute panic ("it will hurt like hell, and what if something goes wrong?!"), and the worst part of it all is that I have no idea when it will start and how it will go.

So if there's any Fjers or lurkers out there who have positive birth stories to share, please keep them coming!

[mydoggoskeeper]

7 hours ago, SweetJuly said:

My daughter is due in about a week, and I am not sure if I am doing the right thing reading here or not However, I keep coming back to this thread in the hope of finding evidence that it won't be so bad

I alternate between naive optimism ("your pregnancy has been pretty good, you'll handle the birth & 'discomfort' no problem") and absolute panic ("it will hurt like hell, and what if something goes wrong?!"), and the worst part of it all is that I have no idea when it will start and how it will go.

So if there's any Fjers or lurkers out there who have positive birth stories to share, please keep them coming!

My grandmother gave birth to 10 kids naturally. None of them particularly long labors or needing of medical intervention.  

My mother had a total of 4 hours of labor for two children, both with no pain meds.  She walked out of the hospital each time, granted 3 days later because it was 30+ years ago, in her pre-preggo jeans.  She has always maintained that she couldn't complain and the worst part about it was wanting to push and having to wait for the doctor.  

My sister started having contractions, walked home from a friends house, took a shower, ate some dinner, then went to the hospital. She was in the hospital for 3 hours, pushed for 30 minutes and gave birth naturally.  She was in her skinny jeans in a week and ran a marathon 5 months later.   She was in her mid 30s.

Yeah, certainly not possible for all women, especially the weight loss but the women in my family have had relatively easy, non-scary births.  

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

22 hours ago, AnnEggBlandHer? said:

I had heard about the ring of fire too, and I very specifically remember a point during pushing when I thought to myself,  “Shit, this is it!” Then a moment later the midwife saying they could *almost* see his head. I could not believe it was about to get worse 

I thank God, Rufus, anyone who will listen for my c/sections after reading about natural child birth. Then other days I'm sad I wasn't able to do it "naturally", add to that my inability to breastfeed with either of my kids makes me feel cheated at times.  Like my body failed me & my kids because I wanted to do both so badly, even though my body didn't cooperate.  Even 20 & 18 years out from my births I still feel a little cheated, but at the same time I'm grateful because had this happened 100 years earlier I would have died trying to deliver my 1st child and so would he. So while there is a touch of regret, I'm much more grateful that all 3 of us are here.

[AnnEggBlandHer?]

10 hours ago, SweetJuly said:

My daughter is due in about a week, and I am not sure if I am doing the right thing reading here or not However, I keep coming back to this thread in the hope of finding evidence that it won't be so bad

I alternate between naive optimism ("your pregnancy has been pretty good, you'll handle the birth & 'discomfort' no problem") and absolute panic ("it will hurt like hell, and what if something goes wrong?!"), and the worst part of it all is that I have no idea when it will start and how it will go.

So if there's any Fjers or lurkers out there who have positive birth stories to share, please keep them coming!

Didn’t mean to scare anyone! I do consider my son’s birth to have been a positive experience even though it hurt like hell. I intended to go med-free but a few hours in I decided to get some kind of magic IV pain meds and that was good too. I didn’t want an epidural and I don’t want one this time either (I’m due in about 2 more months) but that’s just me personally. The hospital I am going to offers laughing gas and I fully intend to try that from the beginning...mostly because I’m obsessed with Call the Midwife. I also didn’t tear at all and didn’t even take a Tylenol after it was all over, so my recovery was beautiful and easy. You got this! Trust yourself, your body, and your doctors. I’m sure you’ll be fine! 

[Kaylo]

I walked into the hospital to be induced both times - I have great big babies who were late - they asked, “when do you want the epidural?” And I said “as soon as you want to give it to me.”

The first was really really painful, he was almost 10 pounds and had a big head! Epidural or no, it felt like my pelvis was being torn apart with the jaws of life. No ring of fire though.

The second was almost 9 pounds, I pushed about 5 times, no ring of fire, and I could easily have delivered a few more right then.

[VelociRapture]

13 hours ago, SweetJuly said:

My daughter is due in about a week, and I am not sure if I am doing the right thing reading here or not However, I keep coming back to this thread in the hope of finding evidence that it won't be so bad

I alternate between naive optimism ("your pregnancy has been pretty good, you'll handle the birth & 'discomfort' no problem") and absolute panic ("it will hurt like hell, and what if something goes wrong?!"), and the worst part of it all is that I have no idea when it will start and how it will go.

So if there's any Fjers or lurkers out there who have positive birth stories to share, please keep them coming!

Aw! It’s ok! Feeling conflicted, scared, and nervous is pretty normal. I’ll tell you some of what my daughter’s birth was like and maybe that’ll help a bit:

My daughter was a 34 weeker who weighed 5 pounds at birth. I didn’t know I was in labor until the Doctor checked me and found that I was 4 cm dilated. I didn’t have the traditional “THESE FUCKING CONTRACTIONS ARE THE FUCKING WORST!” experience - it was more of a mild discomfort than anything. I was pretty sick though, which apparently can be a sign of labor and that’s actually why I ended up at the Hospital when I did. Note every woman experiences the type of severe vomiting and gastrointestinal upset I did, so please don’t think it’s a given you will. I think I’m just lucky since I started the pregnancy violently vomiting and ended it the same way. 

I mentioned before that I opted for an epidural and it was the right decision for me. I was laid back and joking around even when I first got to the hospital violently sick, but the epidural definitely made it easier to stay relaxed and joke around. It also allowed me to try and rest since I was thee overnight. I didn’t get quiet and really focused until the last 30 minutes of pushing. At that point I was just really tired because I had nothing left in my digestive system other than apple juice. I did feel the ring of fire, but not as badly as some other women do - the epidural number that a bit, but was weak enough at that point that I could feel each contraction. That turned out to be good since I knew when to push and when to stop. 

I knew when she was out. I felt an emptiness. It was a weird sensation, but not painful or anything. The Doctor held her so i could see her for a second or two, then immediately handed her to the NICU Nurses. They checked her over and made sure she was in decent shape before allowing my husband to hand her to me. We had a few minutes of holding her and were so lucky to have my Nurses volunteer to take some photos. Then the NICU Nurses took her back, restarted her breathing (she stopped right after I handed her to them - scariest 30 seconds ever), and then she was off to NICU. I had three tears, but I didn’t need any pain medication to cope with them. My Doctor took very good care of both of us and 19 months out neither my daughter nor I have any lingering side effects from the birth. 

My experience definitely isn’t the norm in many ways. It could have gone much worse than it did though considering she was premature, so I’m just grateful she was as healthy and strong as she was. 

ETA: A few tips!

1. If you’re concerned about nausea then you could try those Preggo Pops things. My sister used them during her first birth and said it helped ease the nausea until she got some less for that.

2. Pack some activities to do. You may not use them, but you may want something to keep you busy while you wait. I packed Mad Libs, a book, my iPhone, and my charger. I ended up not reading the book, but we played a bit of Mad Libs and I used my phone too. I remember posting on the pregnancy/parenting thread we have on here actually - I had mentioned being really sick earlier and figured I should let everyone know I was in labor. 

3. Stay open to the options and flexible about whatever birthing plan you may have. You never know how labor will go until you’re experiencing it yourself, so remaining flexible in your plans can be helpful. 

4. If you can, try to eat something prior to being admitted. Some hospitals and doctors are cool with women eating while they labor in the hospital, but others aren’t. Might as well play it safe just in case. 

Best of luck to you!!! I hope everything goes well and you welcome a healthy little love soon!

[AtlanticTug]

I had the worst pregnancies you can imagine. Hyperemesis until 16 weeks both times, unbearable heartburn for which I had to be medicated, gestational diabetes (insulin-dependent), with my son I had hemorrhoids the size of grapes and such bad carpal tunnel that I almost had to give up driving. With my daughter I also had low PAPP-A protein (placental insufficiency) and the diabetes was way worse plus I had a 6mm kidney stone in my right kidney that passed after she was born. And she was a preemie, but only slightly so (36w).

However my births were easy, uncomplicated although both c-sections. I was back on my feet immediately, dropped all the weight in a week and was running 5K in a month. I felt AMAZING and nothing really hurt. You can barely see the scar and I had no stretch marks either. Basically as soon as the pregnancy ended my body experienced incredible relief. This is a big part of why we are not having more kids - my body just hates getting pregnant (needed IVF), staying pregnant (6 miscarriages) and being pregnant (all of the above).

But the births and recoveries, man, that was a dream and a breeze!

[Kjaerringa]

Ok, y'all...I cannot find a recap for Kendra's Amazing Miracle Baby Birthing Bash... the special that aired last Friday. Help a woman out, please. I'm on an island with no tv and only spotty internet for 7 more weeks. (And delighted to be here, I might add.)

[Shadoewolf]

I had a good mix. 3 hospital births. One natural, one with an epidural, and one with stalled labor/Pitocin/epidural. First birth hurt, especially transition and the Ring of Fire was definitely real but didn't last very long. I felt my middle daughter's shoulders more than her head, even with an epidural, more intense pressure than pain. I HATED the Pitocin experience. The first round was ok but when I wasn't progressing fast enough and they basically doubled it, I completely lost control. Contractions were so close and so hard I couldn't get on top of them. I was alternating between gripping Hubby's shirt and sobbing for him to make it stop and trying to control my screams when they peaked. I eventually told them to turn the Pitocin off or I would rip out my IV so they did. 

Also I'm one of those people who goes from 6 and 7 cm dilation and -3 station to holding my baby within 5 minutes of getting my epidural. Being able to lay back for a minute, breathe and relax was usually all it took. First 2 labors with my girls were 4 and 5 hours, my son was almost 12 hours on the nose. 

With my son, the midwife stripped my membranes at my appointment, and my water broke about 20 minutes later full gush in the parking lot. Back into the office I went, laughing cuz of course that's just my luck, and it was lunchtime. I figured since my other 2 were quick I better get home and shower/ eat before I wouldn't get another chance. The doctors office had called ahead for me to be admitted but I didn't show up until 3 hours later because I wasn't contracting at all. 

I'm certainly a case of every delivery can be different!

[SorenaJ]

It bothers me so much that JoKen says  they are happy that Garrett is a boy, because then he can be a leader. Ah yes, ‘cause a girl could never make a leader. 

[Chewing Gum]

 

3 hours ago, Kjaerringa said:

Ok, y'all...I cannot find a recap for Kendra's Amazing Miracle Baby Birthing Bash... the special that aired last Friday. Help a woman out, please. I'm on an island with no tv and only spotty internet for 7 more weeks. (And delighted to be here, I might add.)

There ya go!

 

[SweetJuly]

10 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

Best of luck to you!!! I hope everything goes well and you welcome a healthy little love soon!

Thank you so much

[DMouse007]

On 7/9/2018 at 8:20 AM, SweetJuly said:

My daughter is due in about a week, and I am not sure if I am doing the right thing reading here or not However, I keep coming back to this thread in the hope of finding evidence that it won't be so bad

I alternate between naive optimism ("your pregnancy has been pretty good, you'll handle the birth & 'discomfort' no problem") and absolute panic ("it will hurt like hell, and what if something goes wrong?!"), and the worst part of it all is that I have no idea when it will start and how it will go.

So if there's any Fjers or lurkers out there who have positive birth stories to share, please keep them coming!

I've read here for ages, but never actually posted until now so I'll end my lurkerdom on this post.  I have five children, and all were swift (under five hours each time) labours on just gas and air (I did have a failed epidural with my first - it failed because she arrived just after it was started) , with my waters rupturing the day before. 

My last was my hardest, as although it was four and a half hours of labour, it was only the last two that were intense because the contractions were back to back.  She also came out with her hand up against her face, so that was a little more painful, but three pushes were all she needed.  She was an in utero monkey (I had unstable lie with her, so every day saw a different position, and with my history of SROM, they had to be sure where she was), and frankly, at almost three, she is now an adorable pain in the arse.

My fourth (my only son) was a homebirth.  I've tried with all of them, but with all of my girls, my waters ruptured and I went over the 24 hours that the homebirth team give you to go into labour naturally for a homebirth.  So I had to go in to the hospital, which is about 10 minutes away by car, and five by blue light.  Two were spontaneous labours and two were after one dose of prostin (the pessary).

I hope that is positive enough for you!