2nd: Pregnancy

Materials to help prepare for pregnancy and birth

• Book: Pregnancy Day by Day Illustrated Guide
• Book: The Birth Book by Williams and Martha Sears
• Childbirth Class: 8 week Bradley Method taught by a Doula
• Documentary: The Business of Being Born
• Documentary: Pregnant in America

Second Pregnancy (39 weeks and 2 days)

Overall, it was a healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy. In the beginning, I did have a cough that required my obstetrician to put me on an inhaler and a sinus infection. I did have one yeast and urinary tract infection and a prolapsed cervix again. This time I did not need preventive medicine for urinary tract infections or anti-nausea medicine. I had nausea, but no vomiting. At 17 weeks at an early ultrasound, we discovered the gender. I also was able to take my pre-natal vitamins the entire time and as a result, I was not found to be anemic. I did see my dentist who said I had pregnancy gingivitis for both teeth cleanings. I had acid reflux at night and a couple of times I found blood in the nose. I received the rogam shot, because I am RH negative and my husband is RH positive. Since we know this, I will always be given the rogam shot while pregnant and I will only be given the rogam shot after delivery if any of my children are born RH positive. Because we are a RH positive and negative couple, we can have both RH positive and RH negative children. At my 37 week visit, I received the results that I was Group B Strep negative. I failed my 1 hour glucose test with a very high 190, but passed my 3 hour glucose to my obstetrician's surprise. I started this second pregnancy heavier than my first, at 137 pounds. That is 17 pounds over my starting pregnancy weight in my first pregnancy. Because I was starting out heavier, my Obstetrician recommended gaining only about 30 pounds this pregnancy, instead of the recommended amount of 25-35 pounds I was told in my first pregnancy. It would seem an impossible task for me, since I had gained 32 lbs by 37 weeks of pregnancy. At 38 week visit, I was 170 lbs. At my last check up, I had dropped from 170 lbs to 168 lbs as my final weight gain. However, my obstetrician was very pleased with how this pregnancy went overall. He said my first pregnancy was a good one, but this one was even better. He also said I do a good job being pregnant, which made me feel so relieved, because I know some women with Endometriosis are considered high risk and may go on to have complications with their pregnancies. To me this was a stamp of approval for having more children if we chose too (which we want to). To Shave or Not to Shave? The second time around I was equally nervous and excited for labor and delivery, but I knew a little more what to expect. So around 39 weeks, I shaved everywhere that needed shaving, cut and painted my toe nails and straighten my hair with a flat iron. I agree with what I said before it is a personal choice and doing whatever you're comfortable with. The second time around, I knew that you can't really plan for birth to go a certain way. So instead of calling it a birth plan, I called it birth preferences. It covered my preferences for an un-medicated birth, a section for pain relief options in case I changed my mind and wanted it to become medicated, as well as a section if induction / intervention or c-section are necessary. My heading was If induction / intervention is necessary and I requested not to have my membranes stripped until  I was at least 39 weeks and to not be induced until at least 41 weeks. It is said that even though "37 weeks" is considered full term, the March of Dimes is now saying full term should be considered "39 weeks".

Cervical Checks: Cervical Checks are said to be unnecessary by some, because they sometimes increase your chances of infection and can sometimes pre-maturely rupture your membranes. It can cause some cramping and spotting for some women after receiving the check. It can also be painful and uncomfortable for some women during the check. They are also said to cause some women to be disappointed when there is no progress / change with their dilation, effacement or station. Only speaking for myself, I don't think having the checks really make me disappointed the second time around since I know more now then I did with my first.  I think the first time around since everything about pregnancy and labor and delivery is unknown, it is easier to get disappointed. This time, I know the checks are an estimation, not a certain thing and progressing or not progressing doesn't mean anything until something is wrong or you have to be induced. So I think knowing that allows me to be excited when things do change and to say its normal when it doesn't. At 35 weeks and 6 days, I received my first check. My obstetrician said he could feel my baby's head and I was already 2 cm dilated. At 37 weeks, I received my second check and I got even better news. I was a "tight" 3 cm dilated and 50 percent effaced. I could hardly believe this, because throughout my second pregnancy I was not really feeling any contractions. Comparing my second pregnancy to my first one, I had Braxton Hicks contractions since the second trimester and on. For this pregnancy, I had one noticeable one and a few times the stomach felt rock hard, so I assumed I was having one even though I didn't really feel it. Having painless and un-noticeable contractions almost seemed too good to be true, but this was a reminder that every pregnancy is different. My obstetrician reassured me nothing was wrong, in fact that I was lucky. After coming down with the common cold, I had the opportunity to be checked again at 37 weeks and 3 days when I had to see my obstetrician again, but there was no change. At my 38 week appointment, I was hoping for some change, but not getting my hopes too high since I had already made more progress than I expected to. To my surprise, my obstetrician said I was a "loose" 3 cm dilated and 80-90 percent effaced. He thought it might be possible for me to make it to the month I was due, but didn't think I would make it to my due date. At 39 weeks and 2 days, I had another check at what could possibly be my last OB appointment for this pregnancy. I was nervous and excited, because I didn't know if it was possible for my body to progress any farther without being in active labor and to my surprise it did. My OB said that baby had dropped, usually baby drops in second time moms right before labor, so that was a nice surprise. He also said my mucus plug was gone and I was now 4 cm dilated and my cervix was so soft that effacement didn't matter anymore. He also stripped my membranes, which I didn't even feel. After the appointment, I did start to have mild cramping.

Challenges with an un-medicated hospital birth: For our first attempt at an un-medicated birth my husband and I agreed we wanted to be in the hospital in case something went wrong or I changed my mind about going without medication. However, choosing to attempt an un-medicated birth in the hospital did present some challenges. I will address if these challenges did occur when attempting my un-medicated birth in the hospital and how it did or did not affect me in the labor and delivery section.

Challenge # 1:  The first challenge was going to be birthing position. It seemed I would most likely have to birth on my back laying flat or semi flat in a hospital bed. When I discussed with my obstetrician the option of birthing in a different way, he discussed the benefits of the standard hospital position. Anyone who reads about birthing positions, especially in terms with "natural", it will often say birthing on your back is the worst position and is easier for the doctor. My obstetrician said I could push on my side, but I was told by a midwife that side laying is not a great position either. So there is conflicting advice about birthing positions depending on a more medical or natural approach. My only experience with the lying on my back to push was positive, because my first baby came out in a few pushes quickly. As far as the opportunity to try to push  in a different position, such as standing or squatting, I doubt I will have it.

Challenge # 2: The second challenge is when you plan to labor at home for as long as you can before leaving to give birth in a hospital, it is hard to know for certain where you are in your labor and when to go to the hospital. You don't have anyone there to check and see how you are progressing every couple of hours, as they sometimes will do in a hospital. Sometimes you can be in so much pain and feel done, but then you are only dilated to a certain cm instead of the shining 10 cm or a number close to that when you do arrive at the hospital. And if you go too early to the hospital, some women might be tempted to get pain relief options, because they are not as far as they hoped they would be and not sure how they are suppose continue coping with the pain when they aren't close to the end. The other downside about this, is you don't know for sure how long to stay home, because you want to get to the hospital before you start crowning and feeling the urge to push. If you wait too long, it might be hard to drive to the hospital while resisting the urge to push out your baby and you don't want to give birth before you make it to the hospital if you're planning a hospital birth. The bright side is you or your partner can always call you doctor to discuss what is happening and see if your doctor would advise you to leave for the hospital. My first birth was 2 hours of pre-labor and 5 hours of active labor, equaling a total of 7 hours of labor. Because I am progressed farther this second pregnancy, then I was with my first, I probably would not stay home longer than 5 hours in the event I labored  faster.

Preparing my body for labor:
These techniques may not work for every pregnant woman.

1) Suppose to help baby get in right position

• Rocking and bouncing on the birthing ball 
• Crawling on hands and knees
• Tailor Sitting

2) Suppose to help strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles

• Kegels 
• Squats

3) Suppose to be the best cardiovascular exercise for pregnant women

• Walking

4) Suppose to help induce labor

• Pelvic Rocks
• Intimacy

Preparing home: The best advice I got about laboring at home was making your environment comfortable. I set out to do just that. I made a labor drink basket with different drinks to keep me hydrated while I labored at home. Inside my basket, a large container of juice, a large container of Gatorade, 1 large water bottle, 2 packages of coconut water and 2 regular size water bottles with a package of emergen-c taped on the outside. I also decided if I was not in the mood to drink fluid, I could munch on ice similar to in the hospital. I was struck with the idea that my snow cone maker could make me shaved ice like in the hospital. So I had them set on my counter ready to go for when I went into labor.