Dreaming Pink Due Date Group: TTC and Beyond

[GeCon]

2LB, lovely to finally see you on here. I have added your due date to the 1st post.

I originally found it quite difficult to keep track of threads on here too, but have now found an easy way.

You can subscribe to a thread by clicking "Thread Tools" at the top of the thread and then it will show you all your subscribed threads in "Quick Links" --> "Subscribed Threads" or here:

http://genderdreaming.com/forum/subscription.php

I think you automatically subscribe to a thread when you reply to it. In the Subscribed Threads you will always see when there is a response to one of the threads as the title is bold.

Hope this helps.

[2lovelyboys]

Thank you GeCon, I'm a nightmare at this stuff!

How is every one feeling?

I'm having one of those days! Both boys poorly, both up far to early this morning, been pouring with rain all day so they are ill, bored and tired! Roll on bed time! That sounds awful and I always feel guilty for feeling like this when they are in bed but arrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

[Charlee]

Hello ladies

So I have a question for all of you who have had drug free births (without pain medication)... would you all recommend it? Was it absolutely terrible or does your body mask the pain for you somehow?

I'm asking because I'm thinking about going natural this time as I've never had a natural birth... because of my history they induce me at 38 weeks and I've always gotten the epidural. I want to experience a natural birth at least once though! I don't know if it will be more painful since they will induce me again this time and use pitocin to get contractions going. I've heard this is more painful but of course don't know for sure since I've never experienced natural labor...

Should I try it? Did you all enjoy your natural birth experience? Do tell!

[Charlee]

2LB- don't feel guilty for wanting to put them to bed on days like that!! The way I see it, when they are as miserable as you are there is no reason to prolong the madness... We've been stuck inside because of the heat for a few days and I felt the exact same way. My boys have destroyed my house because of boredom! Haha

[I Love Ladybugs]

Charlee....I will humour you with the good stories then!! My DS1 was the birth story that I would like to repeat in many ways, no meds, no interventions, and easy healing afterwards. Active labour started around 3:30 pm, he was born at 7:27 pm....had been have contractions since about 7:30 am. I won't lie and say it did not hurt, but the pushing was the best. I so wanted DS2 to arrive in the same fashion and up until 10 centimeters dilated it was....then because he was suddenly footling breech, I got to experience an epidural and urgent C-section to get him out...although I have to say, it was a very calm surgery and nicely done. My MD was present for both boys births, so I can hope for the same again!!! My plan is VBAC all the way baby!!!

[Niva]

Charlee, that's great that you're considering natural, but no, your body does not mask the pain somehow. Wish it did! I took a natural birth class before DS was born (I highly recommend taking a class) and we learned ways to deal with the pain and not focus on it, but it's still there. In a smooth med-free birth you can usually get by, especially if you've taken a class, because the contractions are not constant -- you get a break between contractions. And then the end is wonderful. But if you have back labor, it's the pits and you feel like your whole body is being slammed in a car door and the door never opens!

Med-free with pitocin is another matter, and not one I would suggest trying out. I did try to have DS med-free, but after a certain point he wasn't progressing and I was given pitocin. After that, the game was over. If I hadn't had back labor maybe -maybe- I could have made it through despite the pitocin, but with the pitocin AND back labor the pain was way too much to bear and I got an epidural.

I might try natural birth again with pg#2 when it happens, but I won't be dead set on no meds if I need pitocin and/or have back labor. The pain of back labor plus pitocin was one I won't soon forget!

[2lovelyboys]

Charlee, I LOVED my natural delivery, certainly was painful but it is one experience I hope to repeat with this pregnancy!

With DS1 I was induced and he was back to back, apparently both induction and back to back babies are more painful, it certainly was painful, I got to 8cm completely medication free (including gas and air) things then started to go wrong I ended up with an epidural (great stuff) and an emergency csection
With DS2 I was determined to have a successful VBAC I also wanted to have my wits about me and remember his delivery clearly. I started the gas and air at 5cm, felt in control the whole time and have fond memories of his birth!

If you want to try med free then I would say go for it as you can always introduce meds if it becomes unbearable, just be realistic! Know what you want for and from your delivery and aim for it, if plans change don't be hard on yourself! Remember its your day!!!

[GeCon]

Charlee, good on your for considering a natural birth.

As I said earlier I do think that I had a lovely birth and I would be delighted to have another one like it. From hearing other people's birth experiences I appreciate just how lucky I was with my birthing experience. I went into it with an open mind, but being quite sure that I would go for an epidural for the pain. But it looks like it wasn't meant to be and I went without anything but G&A. Yes, it was painful, but I would be happy to do it again like this. Of course, everyone's situation is different and I think it is also important to go with the flow and not beat yourself up about it if things don't go the way you were hoping for.

[GeCon]

Niva, nice to see you on here.

How are things with you?

[Niva]

Hi GeCon! I'm still lurking around. It's so nice to be able to stick with this group instead of having to move on to a new ttc month thread, since this was the lucky bfp month for so many of us. Such a good idea to make it open to those still ttc as well as you gals with a pg ticker.

I'm currently waiting for O to return after my chemical... it's taking its good old time, too. I would have been very optimistic about this month's chances of a bfp, but I've decided to do a really strict bd attempt with all the things that reduce chances while swaying harder. I've been swimming in hormone soup since the chemical ended, and I'm completely at a loss as to whether the extra stress has been swaying pink or blue. I've finally decided to go ahead and try anyway, but to tighten up my sway and have a really strict bd attempt just in case I need to compensate for extra T production. But I feel really in limbo right now since I'm well aware I could be passing up a super sway month if my hormonal anxiety has been making pink stress instead -- there's just no way to know! It totally sucks not knowing because it somehow feels like this month is "the" month after last month's false start and I could probably get another bfp quickly, but then I'd kick myself if I had been swaying blue by accident. And all this fretting about having too much blue stress has of course fueled the stress into a kind of feedback loop, so no chances of mellowing out in time, haha. I definitely have a super hormonal sway going on, but I can't decide whether to jump at the chance or avoid a bfp like the plague, so I'm taking the middle ground.

Anyway, that's my situation, sorry for dumping on the party! I'll be very glad when this month is over and next month can be like any other where ttc is again in the background of normal life and my cortisol levels don't surge every time I think about it.