15...16...Who's counting?

[wayfaringwordhack]

At the beginning of my pregnancy, when I consulted a gyno for the first time, she gave me to understand that I was not 7 weeks along, as I had thought, but only 6.  Because of previous miscarriages, I was understandably worried about the development of the baby (yeah, I know there are "correct" terms for each stage and "baby" isn't the accepted medical term at that particular point, but whatever), and I think that, due to the baby's small-seeming size, the gyno may have allowed me to understand (to alleviate worries) that the pregnancy wasn't as far along as I thought.

In any case, I consulted a midwife yesterday, and she said, "So, you're 16 weeks and 4 days along."  And here I was thinking I was only in the 15th week. Even though Junebug was being a slippery eel (to quote the midwife), we were able to hear a heartbeat and were much relieved that things continue to be progressing well.

Last night in bed, I felt a distinct movement. I had felt things earlier but never wanted to say for 100% that they were caused by the baby.

So, I'm starting to relax more than ever, and my energy is coming back, allowing me to plan more for the future.  At the moment, I'm researching why I vomited with every. single. contraction (up until I was fully dilated) with Sprout.* I understand that it is normal for women to throw up during labor, but yeah, I'd really like to avoid it this time around if I can.  I'd like to have more memories of the lead up to bringing Junebug into the world than heaving my guts out from pain, which, according to the hospital midwives' little contraction-intensity-detector machine, was "not that bad." sunflower_sky (or anyone else who knows), does/can hynobirthing help with this?


______________
* I had a cantaloupe-sized cyst on an ovary when I was 18, and just before it was removed, I spent the entire night vomiting from the pain. Maybe it has something to do with displaced organs and bile ducts and well, I don't know... Any ideas?

Comments

base balls and cantaloupes

[me-1956.livejournal.com]

How well I remember that night. And a certain male counselor trying to blame it on a navel piercing. I guess I'd be kicked out now, my daughter had her lip pierced and now has a tattoo. haha glad things are going well

Re: base balls and cantaloupes

[cafenowhere.livejournal.com]

" a certain male counselor trying to blame it on a navel piercing"

Oh good grief. I think the human you were pushing through your body had more to do with it than a little mod near your belly button. He's lucky you didn't sock him. (unless you did, in which case, Cheers!)

Re: base balls and cantaloupes

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Hehe. She is actually referring to the cantaloup-sized cyst that I had. That was at 18. It took me another (almost) 18 years before I was able to have a baby.

Oy. That puts the passage of time in a new perspective...

Re: base balls and cantaloupes

[cafenowhere.livejournal.com]

Oh! Thanks for setting me straight.

But still...that dude doesn't come off much better. :D

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we were not impressed with his "logic." >:-}

Re: base balls and cantaloupes

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that nasty piercing. I was definitely being "punished" for it, wasn't I? :P

[pjthompson]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WOW and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Exciting times. :D

[pjthompson]

They are!

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

I don't know what to tell you on your question.

I am so excited for you though!!!!!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :D

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I spent the entire night vomiting from the pain

:-(

That sounds awful!

It sounds from how you describe it as if there's a link somehow between pain and vomiting for you? Does it happen with other sorts of pain too?

I don't know much about hypnosis, but at least theoretically, it seems to me that you ought to be able to do a whole lot with breathing and relaxation response. If either you were able to reduce the sense of pain from the contractions or else reduce anxiety about the vomiting, either thing might help.

I'm also so glad Junebug seems firmly *with you*, and back on schedule for 16 weeks <3

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yes, it happens with migraines. Sadly, I don't feel anxiety about vomiting. I say "sadly" because if I did, then perhaps I could work on getting over the fear and see results. I'm of the sort person who prefers vomiting to feeling bad, that is when I'm sick to my stomach. Convulsing heaving due to pain...eh, I could do without.

I'm really relieved about Junebug, too, but I'm still not 100% relaxed. It sounds silly to put it like this, but I wish I had never had miscarriages. It makes it impossible for me to thoroughly enjoy my pregnancies. There is always fear that something will happen before I hold a healthy baby in my arms.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I understand about not relaxing. I had a miscarriage between Little Springtime and the healing angel, and I recall just going week to week during the pregnancy with the healing angel until we crept into the range of weeks where surviving birth got more and more likely for him.

Where, all things being equal, will you give birth?

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I would prefer to give birth in Egypt. It is the easier, more relaxing choice. I don't want to have to come back to France a month early; I don't want to have to lodge with my mil. I want J to be able to be there, which would not be possible if I came back to France. Also, it might be possible for me to have a homebirth in Egypt. Not so in France, or rather really not as likely to do.

[cafenowhere.livejournal.com]

No advice re: the vomiting, sorry.

But I love how tricksy Junebug sounds already: "now, I'm 15 wks, now I'm 16 wks. I'm a bug, no, I'm an eel! Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread girl!"

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

It is funny, but I feel the same about the tricksy bit, like Junebug is already exhibiting personality. :P

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

No guarantees, but Hypnobirthing may definitely help. (My sister is taking Hypnobabies and says it's more comprehensive; you can order a self-study kit online, not exactly cheap but it's less expensive than a childbirth prep class in Israel is, including shipping.) Vomiting is a pretty common response to the "transition phase", which is right before pushing and when labor is most intense; your labor was pretty much all transition! Relaxation and deep breathing can help you signal to your body that even if the contractions are very intense, everything is okay, and that might help your body avoid reacting that way. My Hypnobirthing instructor and doula said that she definitely sees a lot less vomiting during transition when her clients use Hypnobirthing techniques. I remember very clearly in my first birth (which was also very fast and intense) sitting on the bed doing the Hypnobirthing breathing and feeling my body respond dramatically to the signal I was sending it that everything was okay. Suddenly everything seemed to calm down and the contractions were much more bearable.

I agree with asakiyume that it may very well be that vomiting is a way your body tends to respond to pain, and that it might help even to reframe what is happening, from, say, "OMG I'm vomiting, this is horrible, my body is going crazy" to "My body is getting rid of all the 'extra stuff' and preparing to push my baby out". A lot of women (me included) describe the fetal expulsion reflex as feeling a lot like vomiting--an incontrollable convulsion of your body, just aimed through a difference orifice ;)

And remember that there is always the possibility that this birth will be completely different, especially if your waters don't break until later on in labor. (Labor tends to go a lot faster and more intense once the water has broken, which is why manual rupture is sometimes used to move things along.)

~D

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I just learned about the existence of Hynobabies and admit that I don't know anything really about any form of Hynobirthing. I heard of it for the first time through your posts. :D I would like to learn how to send my body a signal to calm down...and have it listen.

But like you said, since it does seem to be my natural response (I also vomit when experiencing migraines) to pain, I think I'm going to have to work on acceptance and casting a positive light on it.

I'm fine with the birth being different. As long as different doesn't mean 20+ hours. :D

[sunflower-sky.livejournal.com]

Given the pace of your last birth, I'd say a 20+ hour labor is extremely unlikely. ;) Even my "weirdly slow" second and third births (that is, compared to my first birth...) didn't last longer than 8-9 hours when they finally got really going--and when they did, the whole thing was much more gradual, giving me a chance to get used to the new level of intensity before taking it up a notch. And, you know, to rest and hang out and breathe in between contractions... The hard part was the long transition, but even that didn't last more than an hour and a half or so. (Even if it felt like forever!) Overall I preferred my first birth, and hope to have another fast birth if/when I have another baby, but there was definitely something nice about the gradual pace.

I found Hypnobirthing incredibly helpful, in preparing for labor, in labor itself, and in life in general. When I had my wisdom teeth out recently I used the techniques to relax before and during the procedure, and the dental surgeon was very impressed with how relaxed I was. I use it every time I get a blood test too. I find hypnosis mp3s more effective for helping me fall asleep than other kinds of guided relaxation or meditation. Sometimes I listen to the relaxation tracks to help me fall asleep even when I'm not pregnant ;) and I have wished sometimes that I had a track of positive affirmations to listen to that were about life and/or motherhood rather than birth (I think Hypnobabies actually has one about motherhood, but sold separately from the self-study kit.)

I definitely recommend giving it a try.

~D

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that info. I"m going to look into it.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

I'm a pain vomiter, always have been. Any severe, prolonged pain and you might as well just hand me the bucket.

So... my guess would be some sort of pain control, and yeah maybe hypnosis would be an option.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Why oh why do I have to be your sickpea in this of all things?

[frigg.livejournal.com]

No clue. I think you should stick to just the good sick pea stuff, though. ;)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear!

[secritcrush.livejournal.com]

Congrats! Sorry, I have no help for the vomiting. I assume you don't want to go down the epidural route?

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

No, I don't really want an epidural, but from what I've read, that doesn't even help and can even make things worse if a person is already sensitive to anesthetics. :(

[mindseas.livejournal.com]

My second labor was much less painful and also much faster than the first. I think this is pretty usual. I also had changed obstetricians, as the first one was mean to me. And I exercised up until the day before my son's birth (mowing the lawn and swimming). I think any mental and physical exercise you undertake to prepare yourself will help. :)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

S's birth was fast for a first one (5hrs50min), so if the usual holds true, Junebug will arrive super fast. :D

And yes, I need to do more of both mental and physical work this time.

[melinda-goodin.livejournal.com]

I used a TENS machine to help with the back cramping, and now feel lucky I didn't vomit. Just make sure you turn it off before they try to run stress-tests :) if you do use a TENS machine though.
I did end up having an epidural - not a fan of pain at all. May be why I didn't vomit.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look into what a TENS machine is. I've never heard of it. Thanks for the idea!

TENS machines

[melinda-goodin.livejournal.com]

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator. It pulses very mild currents through the skin into locked-up muscles to make them spasm and then relax. You control the intensity and it can feel like a mild prickle. Makes the muscles move on their own which is a bit odd at first, but helps loosen knots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerve_stimulation

It's from Wiki, so not exactly authoritative, but a decent explanation. Dad uses TENS machines for chronic pain relief and migraines. I found it helpful for sciatica during the pregnancy and to help relieve the back ache in early labor. But the electrical current can interfere with medical machines unless turned off.