So, just like a happy camper getting ready, I searched the Internet for a few tips and thankfully, I stumbled upon BabyCenterVideo's Channel on YouTube. It's very educational. And, I also bought their book entitled "Baby: The All-Important First Year".
I've been treating it like a bible and yes, I have learned a lot from it, from how to properly hold your baby to the very tricky breastfeeding. Honestly, I feel overwhelmed by all the information I'm reading. I just kept reminding myself that what I'm doing is for the benefit of my little one.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Yesterday, my husband and I went to see my OB, Dra. Orlina. It seems that I have been gaining the proper weight, which sets my little one to a whopping 1.5 kilos already (so that's the reason why I tire easily!). Isn't it amazing? I really can't wait to see him! I was browsing the net and look at what I've seen:
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| This is what my baby looks like now. |
Oh gosh, just thinking about it makes me teary-eyed. I'm carrying another human being in my tummy and wow, that's so magical I just can't explain it.
Anyway, my OB advised me to see her every two weeks, especially now that I'm in my third trimester. After that, it'll be once a week until I finally give birth. I do hope I'll have a normal delivery because caesarean deliveries are much tougher and harder to go through, not to mention, expensive! I asked for a normal delivery package at MVMC and I was told that it's around 40K. If I have a caesarean, it'll be doubled! Wow, a whopping 80K and more pain? Definitely want the normal delivery.
For you mothers to be, here's what I've gathered from the Internet about the benefits of both the normal delivery and caesarean delivery:
The Many Advantages of Natural Childbirth
Emotional advantages:
The emotional advantages of having a natural childbirth can be huge. Natural childbirth is almost always an empowering experience for women. Many mothers who go through natural childbirth note how powerful they feel, how strong, and how they feel prepared to take on anything, including baby care.
Some mothers who aren't able to have a natural childbirth feel guilty about it or weak. That's not true: any mother who gives birth is strong, no matter the situation, but it doesn't mean that feeling won't come up. There is also research that shows that a newborn and mother on pain medication during birth may have trouble bonding right away, which can be stressful
Advantages of skipping labor induction:
- Freedom of movement: Mothers who receive labor induction also receive constant fetal/mother monitoring and IVs, and lose much of their freedom of movement. Movement is one very important aspect of pain relief in a natural birth and can speed up labor. The mother confined to her bed loses these benefits.
- Normal labor pain: Although it seems contradictory, one of the major advantages of natural childbirth is less pain. For example, there is normal labor pain and then there is induced labor pain. If you talk to mothers who have had both a natural labor and an induced labor, you'd hear most of them say that induced labor pain is far worse than natural labor pain.
- Cesarean avoidance: Mothers who avoid medically inducing labor are more likely to give birth vaginally. This means no major surgery, no cesarean scar, no pain surrounding the cesarean, and a shorter after-birth recovery period. It's been shown that 50-75 percent of women who receive an induction will end up with a cesarean birth.
Keep in mind that babies exposed to labor induction also have to deal with harder contractions, possible complications, and the risk of a cesarean birth. Health wise, it's usually better for babies to be born vaginally because it better stimulates their breathing process. Additionally there are natural induction of labor techniques a woman can try before deciding on an induction.
Advantages of skipping medication pain relief:
There are plenty of pain medications that a mother can take during labor and childbirth from epidurals to narcotics, and more. Most have the advantage of pain relief but come with a slew of possible side effects and no labor drugs have been proven 100 percent safe for babies. Often, basic pain medications end up not working so the drugs are now in a mother and baby's system without cause.
Freedom from labor drugs means the mother and baby are able to be more present during the labor and birth. Medication can make a woman so drowsy or out of it that she may miss big parts of her baby's arrival. A newborn can be groggy as well due to medications.
Without labor medication, there's less risk of c-sections (cesarean sections). Like induction and other labor interventions, pain medication also puts a mother more at risk for a caesarean. Pain medications have some icky side effects like nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, and more. Plus keep in mind that all medications used during labor and childbirth cross the placenta and affect your baby's health as well. In the case of an epidural, the side effects are even scarier. Epidurals can result in major blood pressure drops, fever, detachment from reality, full body itching, lumbar puncture resulting in a spinal headache that can last weeks, and more.
Lastly, another one of the big advantages of natural childbirth is that non-groggy mothers and babies have an easier time getting started with proper breastfeeding.
Caesarean Sections - what to expect
Delivery by Caesarean section is a hot topic for debate between mothers, doctors, midwives and governments. Crucially, Caesarean section has saved the lives of thousands of women and babies and has played a part in drastically reducing the number of deaths during childbirth. However, as with any operation, there are immediate risks and potentially long term complications which fuel the controversy about Caesareans – it is often a difficult decision for mothers and doctors alike.
Too posh to push?
In my experience, the ‘too posh to push’ attitude is very rare amongst British mothers - most women prefer to have a normal delivery but will undergo the procedure for the benefit of their baby or themselves if advised by a health professional.The World Health Organisation has suggested that hospitals should aim to have a Caesarean rate of less than 10-15%, however in most NHS hospitals the rate is closer to 20%. Caesarean sections are only performed in NHS hospitals when there is a concern about the safety of mother or baby.
Whether you are already planning an ‘elective’ Caesarean, you have been given the option of Caesarean or you are planning a normal delivery, it is well worth understanding what is involved in this common operation as this can alleviate a lot of fears.
Understand the Process
Before you have a Caesarean section the reasons for this delivery should be explained very clearly to you and your birthing partner, and the doctors will only go ahead if you have agreed to the operation.The major risks of Caesarean are blood loss and infection, but your Obstetrician will be doing everything they can to minimise these risks. You will also meet the anesthetist to talk about the anesthetic and pain relief for the operation. Most Caesarean sections are performed in an operating theatre located on the labour ward, probably even on the same corridor. This means you will have to be transferred to your local hospital if you are delivering at a birth centre or at home. Although the prospect of an operation may be terrifying, most women are pleasantly surprised that it was not as bad as expected - it can still be a very fulfilling experience for you and your birth partner.
Most Caesareans are performed under some form of regional anesthetic which will either involve using the epidural you had for pain relief in labour, or sitting you on the edge of the operating table and putting a ‘spinal’ anesthetic in your back. You will then lie down on the operating table and the anesthetist will spend time testing with a cold spray to check you are numb from the top of your tummy to your toes. This type of anesthetic means you are awake for your operation and can still be involved in the delivery of your baby. It is also much better for your baby because, unlike a general anesthetic, regional anesthetic it does not reach your baby.
You will also have a thin tube, called a catheter, in your bladder to drain urine and a drip in your hand to give you fluids and additional drugs. When you and the anesthetist are happy that you cannot feel anything, the Obstetrician will clean your tummy gently with an antiseptic. A large drape will then cover you and also act as a curtain so you are not watching what is happening.
You will feel the sensation of pressure but not the feeling of pain. People often describe it as ‘someone doing the washing-up inside their tummy’.You will be talking to the anesthetist and your birth partner who will help you relax and take your mind off the procedure. The Obstetrician will test the sensation once more and if you are completely pain free the operation will start. This usually involves making a cut across the lower part of your tummy just above the hair line. In the future the scar will be hidden by your knickers or bikini.
The operation involves opening the various layers of the abdominal wall to reach the womb. The bladder lies in front of the womb and this is carefully pushed away before opening the womb. The obstetrician slips their hand into the lower part of the womb and levers out the baby’s head, or bottom if your baby is ‘breech’. The assistant pushes on the top of your tummy and the baby is gently pushed out. Sometimes the curtain can be lowered at this point if you would like to see the baby coming out - don’t be scared to ask for this.
Delivery
The baby is usually delivered within the first five to ten minutes from starting the operation. The baby will be handed to a midwife who will check that the baby is ok and wrap it up, if you are having an ‘emergency’ caesarean section there will be a baby doctor to do the check. Your birth partner can observe the baby check at the cot if you are relaxed enough to let them leave your side for a few minutes. The baby is then brought back to meet you whilst the operation is still going on and you can give your baby a cuddle.The obstetrician will deliver your placenta after they have delivered your baby through the same cut in your womb. They will then carefully stitch up all the layers which were cut to deliver the baby. This usually takes about thirty minutes. The skin is closed with different types of stitches in different hospitals. Stiches can be ‘dissolvable’, ‘non- dissolvable’ which are removed after five days, or ‘clips’. After the operation is completed, a bandage covers your wound and the drapes are removed. Blood clots are removed from your vagina with a swab and you are covered with a blanket.
You will be taken to a recovery area where you can sit up in bed, cuddle your baby and see your friends and family. You can try to breast feed and have a cup of tea or a light snack. A midwife will monitor your blood pressure and keep a drip running into your hand. Your anesthetic will relieve any pain for another two hours, but your midwife will check that you do not require any extra pain killers.
Recovery and planning for next time...
Most people are in hospital recovering for about three days. The first day you will still have a catheter in your bladder and a drip in your hand. When these are taken out, you will be able to start to walk around the ward and by the third day most people are feeling confident enough to go home. After your Caesarean section you should have an opportunity to talk to the doctors and midwives involved with your delivery. You may have some more questions about the operation and recovery at home. It is also worth discussing how it would be sensible to deliver a baby in the future, if you have had just one caesarean section you may be offered to try a normal delivery in your next pregnancy (a Vaginal Birth after Caesarean or VBAC).Most Caesareans are straight forward but of course some are more difficult depending on the reason for Caesarean and the circumstances of delivery. The best weapon to keeping control over your own delivery is to understand why they are performing the operation and what will be involved. Think about all the delivery possibilities during your pregnancy, so you are not asking all the questions when there is little time and you are tired. Remember this is your child birth experience, don’t panic and you will stay in control. -Meg Wilson
Anyway, I hope these articles helped you, one way or another. I'm a bit tired now so I guess I'll sleep. Can't make my little one an insomniac, right? Haha. Good night!
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