I had my 34 week appointment a day early this week and I mentioned to my OB some of my worries about the baby’s movement. Some days she is so active that I wonder why I even worry…and other days I panic when I don’t feel her for a few hours or feel very minimal movement throughout the day. My OB put me on a fetal monitor during my appointment yesterday for 20 minutes for what’s called a non-stress test (NST). I had heard of them before but never had one. The baby was really active during the test and her heartbeat and everything else was great (also, no contractions at all detected, which didn’t surprise me because I haven’t yet experienced any Braxton Hicks).
My OB ordered me to have a 20-minute NST once a week for the rest of my pregnancy. I was surprised that my OB recommended this but I also learned through both my OB and an online forum for moms and soon-to-be-moms that it’s not uncommon— a lot of women have NSTs throughout their pregnancies and especially in the last trimester. More than anything, it feels reassuring to know that the baby is okay—and also to know that if anything was out of the ordinary, I would know sooner.
I’m a chronic worrier and I was actually really proud of myself during this pregnancy for being relatively calm and anxiety-free…until third trimester came along and then a lot of my worries just flooded back. I think it’s normal to feel anxious at this stage because it’s so close and you’ve got all of this anticipation and you just want your baby to be okay. I’m glad my OB errs on the side of “better safe than sorry.” I have a family history of clotting issues so it provides more peace of mind for me to have weekly monitoring for these last several weeks.
Speaking of my OB appointment, another thing we discussed is baby girl’s position. She is still in a transverse lie so my OB ordered an ultrasound for my 36 week appointment in two weeks to check on both position and growth. I have started doing inversions from spinningbabies.com as well as pelvic thrusts to try and get the baby to turn. I know I still have time, but the larger the baby gets, the more difficult it can be for baby to turn (though it’s still possible, of course, some babies turn at the last minute). She seems comfortable in there but I’m trying to do everything I can to get her to turn because I’d really like to have the option of a vaginal birth. If she is not turned by 36 weeks, my OB will schedule a c-section and then of course that will be cancelled if she does end up turning prior to that date. I’m not willing to try an external version—the success rate is not high (and the baby can turn back around even if the doctor manages to turn the baby) and the risks are personally something I’m not willing to chance. I know there are risks with everything, but even my OB does not like to do external versions and I value her advice and experience.
At the end of the day—my birth plan has and always will be to be educated about my options and then to make choices based on what is best for the health of the baby and myself. I don’t have a “dream” birth plan—my only wish, hope and dream is that I am holding a healthy baby in my arms at the end of it all—and that I’m healthy too.
That may sound cheesy but that’s truly how I feel. Labor is unpredictable for every woman. You don’t know how you’ll feel, how your body will react, etc. I always wondered how someone could say “I would NEVER get an epidural” because I always felt that’s a decision I personally couldn’t make outside of the moment of actually being in labor and experiencing those sensations—and then deciding what I wanted based on that. I think every woman should do what she feels is right for her and her baby—I’m just very open to whatever kind of experience brings my baby girl into this world safely.
There are of course some things that I do really care about when it comes to my post-birthing experience—and those are immediate skin-to-skin and attempting breastfeeding as soon as possible after delivery. Other than those two things, I really don’t have a pre-determined vision of how it will all go.
One of the reasons I don’t want to become too wrapped up in a formal plan or vision of how I hope my birthing experience will go is because I don’t want to potentially set myself up for disappointment during such an emotional and life-changing time. I don’t want to put myself in a position where I will be upset if something doesn’t go the way I had hoped—because labor is just one of those completely-out-of-your-control things…so to try and fit that experience into a really constructed plan isn’t a good choice for me.
Usually I like to feel in control and have a plan for everything in life—but this is one of the few areas where I have an “anything goes” mentality. I’ve heard from so many moms and read a lot of birth stories online where women were really disappointed with their birth experiences and my motto has always been healthy baby in my arms= successful and amazing birth experience, no matter how it all went down. This isn’t to say that my “plan” or way of thinking will ensure that I am happy with every aspect of what ends up happening, but I think it will allow me to have a more open and relaxed attitude. Only time will tell.
Did you have a birth plan/vision of how your birth would go when you went to the hospital or was your attitude more like mine?
How far along? 33 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I’m actually 34 weeks today). Just 6 more weeks to go! Eeeepp!
Total weight gain/loss: I found out at my 34 week appointment that I’ve gained 22 lbs. so far.
Maternity clothes? I’m basically wearing a uniform at this point. I’ve moved all of my favorite pregnancy tops to the front of my closet and I just rotate like five different outfits. Not exciting, but I’m still working full time and I need to be comfortable at work. Most days I wear my black GAP skinny pants with flats and a tank and blazer. Sometimes I wear a stretchy-material dress. I’m also still wearing the shelf bras that I talked about in last week’s post. On weekends, I pretty much exclusively wear maxi dresses or Lululemon gear.
Stretch marks? Not yet, I’m continuing to use Belli’s Elasticity Belly Oil, Mamma Mio Tummy Rub and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation.
Symptoms: The same as last week—rib pain, tiredness, back pain when I’m sitting for a long time and overall just feeling more emotional.
Sleep: I feel like I get a good amount of sleep. I never feel too draggy in the morning, but I get really tired around 3 PM everyday. I am still waking several times a night to pee, as expected when baby is on your bladder.
Best moment this week: Celebrating our baby girl at my second baby shower and spending time with one of my best friends Heather who flew in from Canada. One of my best friends from back home also gave birth to her beautiful baby girl last Saturday and I had a total meltdown when I saw her photo (total ugly-cry). I am just so happy for her and was so overwhelmed with emotion that one of my best friends became a momma. Love that baby girl so much already.
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Being able to sit at my desk without being incredibly uncomfortable
Movement: As you read in my post today, some days baby girl seems to be having a dance party and other days she is kind of on and off with her movement. Today, for example, she has been all over the place rolling, kicking and swooshing around in there. I find that when I’m really busy or walking around a lot I feel her less. I know it’s normal for babies to have periods of wakefulness and sleepiness—I find that if she has a super active day one day, she will be quieter the next day.
Food cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios with milk, Reeces peanut butter cups, cookies n’ cream ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely!
Baby is a: Girl!
Belly Button in or out? Complete outie and oddly flat. I am not regretting piercing my belly button…twice (top and bottom) because those holes are not looking good all stretched out. They never closed even after years of no jewelry in them and now they are taking on a whole new look.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy—and emotional.
Looking forward to:
Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going ๐ I also welcome everyone’s advice and comments about pregnancy!
Steph Sterjovski says
You look gorgeous! I love your coral dress ๐
Hannah Ruth says
I think it can be good to feel relaxed about your birth plan. I also decided I would just take it as it came and ended up having a great natural birth, with no pain relief, and I think it helped that I'd been so relaxed about it.
I've just written a blog entry about looking after yourself in the early days of motherhood – you may be interested!
https://thesublimetimes.blogspot.co.uk/
Hannah x
JMMarden says
You are so smart to be so open minded about the birthing process–the best thing you can do is try to relax and take it all in, you only get to do it a few times in your entire life and it truly is magical. I am a total type-A controller but one thing you learn as soon as you go into labor is that you no longer have control- you have to submit it to the baby, and that's ok! Wishing you a relaxing last few weeks!
Mandy Brown says
Hopefully baby girl will flip and get into the right position soon; vaginal deliveries are so much easier to recover from! I didn't have an epidural with my daughter and was up and on my feet an hour after having her…I was amazed at how good I felt throughout my entire recovery. I fully support every moms labor decisions as every labor is different but you might want to look into the statistics with epidurals. Sadly it's not something that medical professionals feel the need to pass on to expecting mamas ๐
natasha {schue love} says
I totally hear you on the worrying! I actually bought a fetal heart monitor just so I could check in every now and then. I think I only used it twice…once it the beginning and once in the end but it helped to have the piece of mind. You look fantastic and I'm so glad to hear you're doing well! 6 weeks will fly by!!
Shadowy Lady says
def go into birth open minded, as you are right you'll never know what will happen. I had a "loose" birth plan and wanted to try for a natural birth as best I could. I like to be in control of situation and the idea of being numb and not controlling my own birth did not appeal to me. It so happened that my labour was so quick (3.5 hours from start to finish) that I did manage w/o an epi.. It was super painful and I did ask for an epi but by that time I was fully dialeted and had to push her out ๐
Just keep in mind, no matter what, birth is a short time in the life your baby. What comes next is the most important: raising that child ๐ Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy. Hope your baby turns downward, but if she doesn't you will both still be ok ๐
maria says
I felt exactly like you about a birth plan and everything ended up working out. I gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby girl and even though I experienced an unexpected complication afterwards I wouldn't have changed it for anything. I am a worrier as well, but was calm and relaxed about giving birth. My worrying is in high gear now that she is here!! Good luck to you and enjoy these last few weeks of your pregnancy.
Marion Green says
I seriously look forward to your update posts every week Veronika! So glad to hear that things with baby girl are healthy + good.
Also good to read that you are taking avery balanced approach to the upcoming birthing process. I kinda did the same thing…I tried to be very present and just go-with-the-flow when I went into labor. The husband and I didn't do an elaborate birth plan…we just trusted that God would be along for the ride and we would have our healthy baby boy at the end.
Btw, you are such a gorgeous mommy-to-be! I love these photos…
xo – Marion
Jen says
Glad your OB is being pro-active with the NSTs. A little extra reassurance goes a long way. You look great ๐ I have had two very different birth experiences and one of the best pieces of advice I could possibly give is to relax and go with whatever happens. I had one delivery with an unplanned c-section and one planned c-section. The planned version was the most relaxing and calm morning of my life honestly. You'll do great either way!
Alexandra Hovatter says
My third trimester was so tough, not like my second trimester which was a breeze! I felt like I was going to give birth any second! I thought it was a myth, but a week before baby was due, my nesting instinct kicked in on overdrive, and my body just sloooowed down. I remember going grocery shopping, and at the checkout I realized I forgot to get milk. I just looked down the 5 isles and thought "eff it, no way". Hopefully your third trimester will be much better… btw, you look fabulous!
Rebecca says
I felt exactly the same way about my birthing "plan", which was really no plan at all. I just wanted my little girl to get here okay and for me to make it out (relatively) unscathed. ๐ It's great that you're being so open-minded about the process. Hopefully the next few weeks go by smooth for you!
theproactiveprofessional.com says
I'm so glad to hear everything is well with the baby! I'd never heard of a non-stress test before, and I agree–better safe than sorry!
Candace
http://www.theproactiveprofessional.com
Judy says
Not sure if you are still planning on adding more to your reading list but I am just about finished with Cherish the First Six Weeks by Helen Moon and think it's a pretty neat book to get tips from. You're further along than I am so I would recommend it if you haven't read anything similar to the first few months of your baby's arrival. ๐
Judy says
Forgot to ask you, are you still planning on taking maternity photos, infant classes, etc? It feels like you are getting so close to giving birth!
Nicole says
I think you have a great mind-set regarding your delivery. I encourage all pregnant ladies do their research and make the best decision for your family. And I 100% agree with you that sometimes it is best not to have a super specific birth plan, as sometimes things do not go as expected and the guilt can be debilitating. I had a great delivery, but my baby was unable to nurse effectively (we nursed/pumped/supplemented), and I cannot explain how guilt-ridden I was, and still am 14 months later. I so wish I had your wonderful perspective!
Oh, and you look great, as always!!
https://theheirtoblair.com says
oh, friend. You're doing great!
Harrison was transverse until 36 weeks – he turned the night before my 36 week appointment, when we were going to start talking c-section. (p.s. the good news is that you will KNOW when she turns…because transverse babies have less space vertically in the uterus & have to get around your hip bone at that point, you will know!) I did spinning babies & I definitely think it helped.
I remember before he turned feeling sad that I wouldn't get to know what labor felt like or push, but to me, the important thing was that he was here safe & I was safe. I think you have a perfect attitude going into this.
Praying for that babe to spin!
Elizabeth Martin says
I am a chronic worrier and a planner. But when it came to a "birth plan" I didn't have one. Which was surprising for my DH. I knew things were out of my control and anything could happen because it is all up to baby & God.
So the day I did go into labor I was very calmed and relax. More than anybody in the room. Everyone else was freaking out. I just went with the flow (not like me). I think because of that I had a quick delivery (10 minutes of pushing).
I am glad you have an open mind. I agree whatever you need to do to have baby in your arms healthy.
Delerious Daphne says
I'm glad that you're keeping an open mind about your birth plan. Pregnancy and labour is very dynamic, things change, most of the time they're supposed to. I'm an obstetrician, I see my role as a healthcare provider to guide my patients in making informed decisions.
Delerious Daphne says
I'm glad that you're keeping an open mind about your birth plan. Pregnancy and labour is very dynamic, things change, most of the time they're supposed to. I'm an obstetrician, I see my role as a healthcare provider to guide my patients in making informed decisions. In cases of malpresentation that are suitable for external cephalic version, I do encourage it if my patients are keen for a trial of vaginal delivery. The risks are minimal, if it didnt't work, you proceed with a section electively as planned. However, if it did work, there's a big bonus.
catiaspi says
i poked my stomach when my son wasn't active. you can also drink something sweet and the baby will start flipping out, although you will gain weight. it is super easy in these last weeks.
my birth plan was natural. i wanted to experience natural birth but i also wasn't completely against getting an epidural. i went to the hospital too early (6am) in labor so they started threatening with c section (8pm). to me hearing c section was a scary threat. i absolutely didn't want one. i felt like it wasn't necessary. my son and i were not in any danger. i was just occupying a labor room. you might see that when you give birth how quickly they want you out of there. the attitude is move it along.
i think that moms who are extremely adamant are just confident and believe that they are going to have a healthy baby. birth is no longer extremely dangerous. your body will do what it is supposed to. i hope the weekly infant monitoring gives you peace of mind.
Delerious Daphne says
I'm glad that you're keeping an open mind about your birth plan. Pregnancy and labour is very dynamic, things change, most of the time they're supposed to. I'm an obstetrician, I see my role as a healthcare provider to guide my patients in making informed decisions. In cases of malpresentation, if moms are keen for a trial of vaginal birth, I do encourage external cephalic versions in suitable cases. The risks are minimal, if it didn't work, you proceed with an elective section as planned. If it did work, it's a big bonus and can have an impact on future deliveries as well.
stylestyle2010 says
I am 3 days overdue with my first baby today, was at the midwife who still couldn't feel my cervix as it's up too high. I have been given an induction date of 25th April, seems like such a long way away and feel like my baby girl should be here already especially as I finished work 7 weeks ago due to SPD. I don't have a birthing plan as such, just going to see what happens as it is such an unpredictable thing, and especially with your first as you have no idea of your pain threshold etc. x
Lizzy says
I love your birth plan attitude. It is definitely the way to go! A positive attitude is what makes the experience beautiful. As for trying to flip the baby, I have heard lots of swimming helps, especially when you can do a breast-stroke type swim because the "lean-forward" motion, which we don't do often in our lifestyles, could encourage the baby to turn naturally with the gravity. Also, if you are relaxing watching TV, try to sit on the edge of the couch and lean forward on something, or maybe hands and knees if you can, to encourage the flip. Not sure if they would work, but I did a lot of that at the end of my pregnancy. Best of luck. And as always, you are glowing!!
thecurvyaccountant says
So you're 34 weeks today? I'm glad your 34th week went well. May your 35th go just as smoothly!
Abby B says
First of all you look just amazing! And second, I had my first son vaginally, but my daughter was stubborn and turned breach midway through. I did spinning babies too and like you refused the external version because of the risks. I was SO worried at the thought of a C/S and just did not want one! I was scared. But this little girl of mine just didn't turn, and so C/S it was. I will say, it's definitely different, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The recovery afterward took longer, but it wasn't worse than my recovery from my son (just longer). And as it turned out, when the Dr. pulled her out the cord was wrapped around her neck 1.5 times, so I was SO thankful that we live in a time when this kind of surgery is so readily available and there are so many skilled surgeons who can perform them. I hope Baby Girl turns for you though! But if she doesn't, just know it isn't all bad. ๐ Also, if you do go the C/S route, I HIGHLY recommend an Abdominal Binder..I don't remember what brand I had (I can find out) but it made my life and recovery SO much easier. I didn't get mine for a bit after delivery, but you can put them on right after surgery and I wish I had had mine in the hospital.
Either way I know you will do great! You have such a great attitude.
Oh and now that I've written a book..I didn't really do any birth plans for either. My thoughts were "how can I plan for what I don't know"..and as it happened neither delivery went as I would have imagined anyway ha!
Diana says
I never really had a "birth plan". I knew that I wanted an epidural, that I DIDN'T want my husband peeking as I was pushing or cutting the cord, and that, although I didn't want to breastfeed, I wanted immediate skin-to-skin after he was born. Well, I got my epidural – and it didn't take on the left half of my body. My husband DID look and gave me a play-by-play throughout my 2 hours of pushing even though I literally yelled at him not to look or talk, and I didn't get to even see my son until almost 5 hours after he was born (he was immediately taken to the NICU for breathing issues). Definitely didn't pan out as I had it in my mind, but I had a (overall) healthy baby after all was said and done and that's all that mattered.
[email protected] says
abby–thanks so much for the tip ๐ I plan to get a belly bandit whether I have a c-section or not! glad it worked for you!
RobinSC says
I am 30 weeks with twins and my plan is much like yours. My main concern is we are educated before any major decision is made and that I am not ever separated from my husband should an emergency arise.
J-Berg says
You have the best attitude about labor and delivery. You're educating yourself and you are well informed of your options. That will be your greatest asset when it's time to deliver your little girl.
I had the same attitude when I had my son 9 months ago. I'm so glad I didn't stick to one plan or one opinion. A lot things did not go as planned during my delivery but in the end I had a beautiful baby boy and that's all that matters.
Lots of love and luck to you. I love your blog!
Audra says
Oooh, thanks for the chambray shirt recommendation! I have been looking for one that's long enough, and I'll be able to wear it soon (3 weeks to go!)
I went in to my first birth experience very open minded like you, and I'm glad I did. I ended up being induced due to low fluid, had an epidural, and honestly had a wonderful birth experience. Hoping for a relatively "easy" experience again this time. Good luck to you! ๐
Elizabeth says
My baby girl was transverse at my 34 week appointment and had turned on her own by my 36 week appointment. Hope the same goes for you! I didn't do any special exercises to get her to move.
Olivia Lynch says
You may want to look into a prenatal chiropractor for an alignment. I'm planning to go in my third trimester as it's been shown that labor and delivery times are reduced from having an alignment done during that time. An added bonus can be that once your body is aligned, your baby will move head down on her own. Good luck!
DC in STYLE says
First of all congratulations on your pregnancy!!!!!!! You look beautiful and glowing! I'm almost 39 weeks and didn't have any contractions, but I feel like a ticking bomb right now:))) Don't worry dear, relax and enjoy every second of this beautiful period of your life
https://dcinstyle.com/
Mandy Brown says
Saw this yesterday and thought of you. Chiropractic adjustments, especially the Webster Technique, is great for turning breech and transverse babies. Something you may want to look into ๐
Melissa Nadine says
These pictures of you and your girlfriends are so adorable! You look amazing in that color! Congrats on another beautiful baby shower. ๐
Melissa Nadine
Melissa Nadine Illustration
Kristen says
it's crazy what pregnancy twins we are! so happy we have each other to email and talk to
Luba Lovely says
You look absolutely gorgeous! Love all these photos!!
I understand where you are coming from. Its hard to plan something so unexpected. You never know what can happen. I did so much research and knew I really wanted to try for a natural birth without any intervention. I remember driving to the hospital, and we stopped by for a bite to eat (they won't let you eat as soon as your admitted) and it hit me I forgot my birth plan! I called my brother, had him log into my email and print it out. It was very important I had it because in the birthing process things happen very quick if you don't at least have some guidelines, decisions will be made in the mist of everything. I have family who had very horrible experiences and highly recommended having one (even if things go differently, I put that into my birth plan too). It is like a contract and they must follow it. I had a great experience and was able to go through with it. I did want to mention, I did watch the epidural video just in case as well. I didn't know the pain level I can handle. However in the birth plan, I made a note not mention epidural unless I insisted. Many of my friends thought I was crazy not to just take it right away, but I have had bad experiences in the past and didn't want to risk it.
I think what made everything easier was my husband being right there with me through everything. My widwife was heaven sent as well. She has a calmness about her and she believed in me. And through it all I prayed out loud lol. Aw and when they had you the baby it is unreal. The flood of love is out of this world!
I pray everything goes smoothly for you V! You lil princess will be beautiful!!
Luba
Katie {Miss Dixie} says
I think all of the anxiety you are feeling is completely normal. I had a ton of it the last trimester- off and on. I would have a good week and be really positive, then the next week something would pop in my mind and I would worry like crazy for days. Weeks had his fair share of crazy movement days, and then some days that were not as active. I find that he is almost like that still- some days more energetic and some days a little calmer. That's how we are too, right? I'm sure you will be relieved to know every week is going well with the NST. Almost there Momma!
Erin says
I'm doing an OB rotation right now and so happy to hear that you don't have a set "plan". We encourage moms not to have a plan, but birth requests. Some many things change once labor actually starts and it's awesome that you are so flexible. On the epidural…girl you gotta do what is right for you, but it makes things a whole lot easier! I don't have kids and always said I wouldn't have an epidural, but having delivered babies when mom didn't have an epidural, I have changed my mind ๐ Best of luck getting baby girl out of transverse!
Elisa says
I think you have a great attitude about your labor. I felt the same way as I approached my own. I had also heard stories from people who were disappointed when their birth plan did not go as planned. To me, it seemed that having a strict plan was setting myself to be disappointed in some way. Since I hadn't given birth before, I didn't know what to expect. In the end, I was really pleased with the delivery of my sweet son. I'm wishing you a smooth labor and delivery!
LT says
hey V,
my attitude was pretty much the same as yours…i wanted to be educated going into it, but having a "plan" was not for me. i wanted to be open to all possibilities & let my body do its thing.
figures, the ONE scenario i hadn't really thought about much was the one that happened. i call it "failure to launch", lol. i hadn't considered the scenario that my water would break rather unceremoniously and then 24h later not much would have happened. no major contractions and only 2-ish cm dilated! i ended up being induced, but all the waiting with nothing happening totally threw my head game. so don't forget to consider that one, lol.
ps-sounds a bit kooky, but a pregnant friend of mine's baby was breach. her OB flipped him manually (fun), but the next day he flipped back to breach. my friend was totally stressing, tried all kinds of wives' tale-y things, then eventually went to a highly-recommended chiropractor. she wasn't all too keen on the idea but was willing to try, and go figure, shortly afterwards her son ended up flipping on his own and she had a normal vaginal delivery. who can say if it was due to the alignment issue the chiro said she had…but maybe an option worth considering/discussing with your OB?
K says
This line stood out to me: " I find that when I'm really busy or walking around a lot I feel her less."
A few years age, I observed a simulation of the inside of the human body for a class. It is incredibly loud in there! The whoosh of breathing, the gurgle of the digestive system, the thump of the heartbeat- my professor explained that the fetus is much less active during the daytime (when mom is typically moving about, causing her heart to beat faster/take deeper breaths/eat and digest). It's just noisy for baby! There's nothing unhealthy about the noise, just explains why the baby/fetus may seem much less active during the day.
I thought that simulation was a very useful explanation since obviously none of us can remember how noisy it was in the womb. Best of luck, you look amazing!
Izi says
Hi Veronica, my baby was breech but I never had any intention of putting her under stress by doing the external maneuvre. So, I just let Nature do its thing and at the end was so happy to have done a schedulled C-section, because I wasn't exhausted from pushing and pain. Besides, as we found out, my pelvic canal wasn't big enough anyway, so she'd have been stuck had she turned. Sometimes, Nature is trying to tell us something and we shouldn't really interfere.
I was relaxed and ready to receive in my arms the most precious thing. It was very sweet and emotional. And when she latched to my breast straight after, it's the most amazing feeling, I honestly can't remember my way back from the Operating room to my room, as I was in awe looking at that miracle.
Don't worry, either way you're at weeks of having your life changed forever!
Good luck!
THE MARTINS says
I attended the labor and delivery class with my husband, but I didn't have a set โbirth plan" or a hospital bag packed when my 1st DD was born. She decided to come 4 weeks early and labor started while I was at work (my OB decided to have me come in since it was my first so I drove myself to the hospital since I thought it was Braxton Hicks starting).
My labor and delivery was not like the typical you learn about in the class especially for a 1st delivery. Checked by doctor 1cm, while giving me discharge orders my water broke, admitted and checked into L&D, since I was early I didn't have the results on a strep B so as a precaution they gave me the antibiotic just in case, I requested an epidural since my contractions were strong and I was really feeling them in my back (my epidural was great and I was told my labor would probably slow down after receiving it), this was not the case with me approximately 2 โ 2 ยฝ hours later I was pushing, so less than 5 hours from my water breaking and contractions starting my beautiful DD was laying on my chest.
Follow your heart and what works best for you, your husband and the safe delivery of your precious baby girl. Try to relax and enjoy this special time of your family becoming 3.