the birth process

EmilyRanae22

Calling all veteran mommies! So I'm not wondering how the baby gets out and all the physical logistics. I'm wondering what the process from admittance to the hospital until discharge is. I'm going to talk to my OB about it but I'm wondering, what things (like IV's and stuff) do they just to right off the bat.

I've heard about the doc rushing the baby off before you really get to hold him/her, and all the shots they give the baby and then the baby sitting in the nursery.

A friend of mine recently said "I wish someone had told me that I could say 'no' to just about anything they do" so what are some things I (and other first timers) should be aware of so I can decide if I want to just roll with it or tell them I don't want it before they even start...

does any of that even make since?

EmilyRanae22

also, not to be gross, but do you poop when you give birth? I'm wondering if that just about always happens or just for somep people LOL

RBXChas

also, not to be gross, but do you poop when you give birth? I'm wondering if that just about always happens or just for somep people LOL

I did not, but yes, it happens. It gets immediately cleaned up, and they won't tell you unless you ask. They've seen everything, so you shouldn't be embarrassed if you do.

RBXChas

Calling all veteran mommies! So I'm not wondering how the baby gets out and all the physical logistics. I'm wondering what the process from admittance to the hospital until discharge is. I'm going to talk to my OB about it but I'm wondering, what things (like IV's and stuff) do they just to right off the bat.

I've heard about the doc rushing the baby off before you really get to hold him/her, and all the shots they give the baby and then the baby sitting in the nursery.

A friend of mine recently said "I wish someone had told me that I could say 'no' to just about anything they do" so what are some things I (and other first timers) should be aware of so I can decide if I want to just roll with it or tell them I don't want it before they even start...

does any of that even make since?

So much of this depends on where you are int he world and what hospital/birth center policies are. Even in the same geographic area, things can be different between facilities. Hopefully someone has a great link that covers the possibilities!

I will say that they may take your baby away right away. You can insist on having time with your baby before they take him/her away to run all their tests and whatnot. I wish I'd had that, but my son was grunting rather than crying when he was born, so they needed to check his pulse-ox and told me they'd bring him right back. He was fine, but instead of bringing him back, they did their whole work-up and didn't bring him back to me for several hours. I was PISSED! But now I know not to be a pushover again.

FitMama2013

Are you taking a birth class offered through your hospital? That's where I learned most of my information about the process at my hospital and it was pretty helpful. At mine, as long as the baby is breathing properly, they hand the baby to you immediately for skin-to-skin contact and attempt to breastfeed. They do the tests and whatnot a bit later. Most hospitals allow you to either choose to room-in or keep the baby in the nursery and just bring them for feedings - my hospital doesn't keep babies in the nursery unless there's an issue, and it's all room-in. At my hospital they do a vitamin K shot to help clot and the eye cream to prevent infection, as well as Hep B shot for the baby. Many people disagree with the Hep B shot, so you can decline or delay the shot if that's your cup of tea. They prick the baby's heel to run a number of other tests (I seem to recall it's required by law? but I could be wrong - don't quote me!). I'll have an IV in my forearm from the beginning and I'll stay for 48 hours as long as everything goes as planned. The OR is attached to the maternity ward in the event I need an emergency C-section. Again, I learned most of this through my birth class, so if you have the opportunity to take one at your hospital, take advantage!

Jenny_Rose77

I just did a hospital tour with my OB yesterday. The run-down she gave me was pretty similar to the one FitMama just outlined above.

God, I hope I don't poop. This is why I want my husband up by my head holding my hand! :-)

EmilyRanae22

God, I hope I don't poop. This is why I want my husband up by my head holding my hand! :-)

:laugh:

sounds like a birthing class at the hospital is a good idea! But I don't know if I will be here or in CA when I deliver so I guess I'll have to wait until I know where I'll be

Pepper2185

With regards to the poop:

I was petrified it was gonna happen. It was one of the things I feared most about labor. My husband watching me poop on a bed? Oh. My. God. No.

When it came down to it, the same muscles you push with are the same muscles you poop with.

I was upset during pushing and kept yelling out that I thought I was going to poop. My husband grabbed my hand and said "just get the baby out, poo if you have to"

I couldn't tell if I did during labor. I asked him afterwards and he said "maybe a bit, I don't know"

My point: just get those babies out, and when the time comes, you will be worried about other things.

RBXChas

I just did a hospital tour with my OB yesterday. The run-down she gave me was pretty similar to the one FitMama just outlined above.

God, I hope I don't poop. This is why I want my husband up by my head holding my hand! :-)

I didn't want to see the baby coming out, nor did my husband, plus he knew pooping was a possibility. I don't use the bathroom with the door open for a reason. So yeah, he was by my head, and I was cool with that (we declined the mirror).

RBXChas

My point: just get those babies out, and when the time comes, you will be worried about other things.

Agreed! By the time your baby is born, you'll have shown your lady parts to so many people that you won't care that much what is going on other than your actually giving birth. You are really not concerned about modesty after a while.

FitMama2013

I just did a hospital tour with my OB yesterday. The run-down she gave me was pretty similar to the one FitMama just outlined above.

God, I hope I don't poop. This is why I want my husband up by my head holding my hand! :-)

I didn't want to see the baby coming out, nor did my husband, plus he knew pooping was a possibility. I don't use the bathroom with the door open for a reason. So yeah, he was by my head, and I was cool with that (we declined the mirror).

In birth class on Sunday they asked us to all tell one thing we learned in class - my husband said "epidurals are good and no mirrors" hahahaha. He cracks me up!

jamie31

We will also forgo the mirror! lol. I dont think i can honestly see what it actually happening down there without feeling weird everytime we have sex. lol

blink1021

With my first we didn't do the mirror because I didn't want to see. My husband was right down there with the dr. so he saw it all and told me that I did not poop. As soon as my son came out they laid him on my belly for a minute and then took him to the corner of the room to be cleaned up and for my husband to take pictures while I delivered the placenta. After he was cleaned up and suctioned they did let me hold him and anyone who was in the waiting room to see him and hold him before taking him away for a bath and tests. I think as long as nothing is wrong they will let you hold the baby right away. If there was a problem I would want them to rush my child out for any additional testing needed even if it turned out to not be needed just the possibility scares me. The hospital I delivered my son in was very good about taking him when I needed rest and bringing him back when I was able to take care of him. I am delivering this time in a different state so I am not so sure. My water broke at 12:30am with my son I delivered him that morning at 7:17am this was all on a Tuesday and I was released that Thursday morning. They told me I needed to stay the extra day since I had strep b for antibiotics otherwise I could have gone home on Wednesday.

RBXChas

With my first we didn't do the mirror because I didn't want to see. My husband was right down there with the dr. so he saw it all and told me that I did not poop. As soon as my son came out they laid him on my belly for a minute and then took him to the corner of the room to be cleaned up and for my husband to take pictures while I delivered the placenta. After he was cleaned up and suctioned they did let me hold him and anyone who was in the waiting room to see him and hold him before taking him away for a bath and tests. I think as long as nothing is wrong they will let you hold the baby right away. If there was a problem I would want them to rush my child out for any additional testing needed even if it turned out to not be needed just the possibility scares me. The hospital I delivered my son in was very good about taking him when I needed rest and bringing him back when I was able to take care of him. I am delivering this time in a different state so I am not so sure. My water broke at 12:30am with my son I delivered him that morning at 7:17am this was all on a Tuesday and I was released that Thursday morning. They told me I needed to stay the extra day since I had strep b for antibiotics otherwise I could have gone home on Wednesday.

Yeah, I will say that if you are strep B positive, they are going to try to delay things so that they can give you appropriate doses of antibiotics at various times. I was ready to start pushing a good while before they let me because they needed to get that second dose in. I was admitted around 1AM on a Thursday, had my son around 10:30AM that same day, and was discharged on Saturday. Had I not been strep B positive, I could have left on Friday.

I did not "room in" with my baby because the nurse giving the childbirth class recommended that you not do it so that you can get some rest. I told the nurses, then, to please bring my baby in when he needed to eat so that I could nurse him. Well, they took it upon themselves to just give him formula to let me sleep... which was likely a major factor in my issues with breastmilk supply. (I've heard others say the nurses did the same for them in other hospitals, even if they said "no formula.") The lactation consultant gave me a really hard time about it, but I assured her that it was not my fault. Anyway, this time I will be "rooming in" and going home as early as I am able/allowed to.

EmilyRanae22

I did not "room in" with my baby because the nurse giving the childbirth class recommended that you not do it so that you can get some rest. I told the nurses, then, to please bring my baby in when he needed to eat so that I could nurse him. Well, they took it upon themselves to just give him formula to let me sleep... which was likely a major factor in my issues with breastmilk supply. (I've heard others say the nurses did the same for them in other hospitals, even if they said "no formula.") The lactation consultant gave me a really hard time about it, but I assured her that it was not my fault. Anyway, this time I will be "rooming in" and going home as early as I am able/allowed to.

I would be LIVID! I would flip out on them and cause a big stink and whew....I'm all heated right now just thinking about it! Sounds like rooming in is the way to go! (I was planning on it anyway but that confirmed it!)

MrsCarter00

I did not "room in" with my baby because the nurse giving the childbirth class recommended that you not do it so that you can get some rest. I told the nurses, then, to please bring my baby in when he needed to eat so that I could nurse him. Well, they took it upon themselves to just give him formula to let me sleep... which was likely a major factor in my issues with breastmilk supply. (I've heard others say the nurses did the same for them in other hospitals, even if they said "no formula.") The lactation consultant gave me a really hard time about it, but I assured her that it was not my fault. Anyway, this time I will be "rooming in" and going home as early as I am able/allowed to.

I would be LIVID! I would flip out on them and cause a big stink and whew....I'm all heated right now just thinking about it! Sounds like rooming in is the way to go! (I was planning on it anyway but that confirmed it!)

I second that!!!!!!!!!! I would be beyond furious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even want them giving my little man a pacifier until I'm ready! (To avoid nipple confusion) I'm with Emily, I'm getting all worked up just thinking about it LOL!

Mewlingstork

My hospital was very much like a birthing center - they're all about skin-to-skin as soon as baby is out, breastfeed as soon as possible, rooming in with both partner and baby, and no shots if we didn't want them. They also let me keep my placenta so I could encapsulate it. I refused the Hep B, but we did the eye cream and Vit K. I wanted delayed cutting of the cord, but since my little man had terrible shoulder distocia and was stuck for so long at his big shoulders, they had to cut the cord right away. The nurses had a heck of time prying my hand off of him to take him and check him out, which they luckily did right in the room with us. I told them no bath, so they didn't do that. Babies have vernix and brown fat to protect themselves and I didn't want them to wash it off too soon. I was more of a crunchy hippie than they usually have, but not in a crazy way, and they let me have exactly the birthing experience I wanted (minus the tearing because of him being so big in the shoulders).

As to pooping, I didn't, but it happens with some people. They've seen it all and I second the post about just get the baby out. I was more concerned about that then them seeing my "bits". I didn't want to see baby crowning, so declined the mirror. Although, my husband was behind the doctor and saw everything. When Devon was stuck, my hubby irrationally was thinking to himself, "Oh my god, he's going to pull the baby's head off!". I laughed so hard when he said that once Devon was out.

Also, you can be as prepared as possible, but remember, things don't always go how we want/plan them to, so be flexible and be easy on yourself if things don't happen exactly how you want. More love, less guilt. Congrats on your baby!

nursenikki829

Watch The Business of Being Born. It is very informative and helps you see different option. A new version just came out.

EmilyRanae22

I want to have my baby here http://www.sactobirth.com/ I hope my insurance will cover it

I watched the business of being born and it made me want even more to have a natural birth

nursenikki829

I want to have my baby here http://www.sactobirth.com/ I hope my insurance will cover it

I watched the business of being born and it made me want even more to have a natural birth

Sometimes it takes some fighting with the insurance companies, but most of the time they will cover everything! Good luck! I have had to fight with my insurance company for my homebirth that I am planning, and they are a pain!