Hello moms! It’s your resident WAY pregnant mama here to talk more about pregnancy! {I am so looking forward to turning the reigns over to Allison very soon.}
As I move into the last week {give or take} of this pregnancy – 39 weeks today!! – I am really working to get my mind in the right place. All of our ‘nesting’ projects are pretty much done. I’m starting to pack our bags, buy hospital snacks, wash my nursing bras, make a birth playlist, stocking up on groceries and crockpot meals…stuff for the BIG DAY or after!
But I have to be honest…I’m scared about this labor and delivery! I was induced with our son, Trent, and that day did not go as I thought it would (mostly because I was completely unaware of the potential consequences of an unnecessary induction). The day was very traumatic, but I found out very quickly that it was very ‘normal’ for an unnecessary induction. After much research, consideration, prayer, I decided with this pregnancy to go for natural labor.
I feel as prepared as is possible because I’ve read numerous natural birth books, talked to my mommy friends (including Ashlee) who have had a natural birth, hired a doula, and taken a pain management class.
But it’s still a very daunting thought. I was BEGGING for an epidural during labor with Trent!
It also doesn’t help that I get a lot of negative reactions from people. It amazes me how bold people can be when it comes to saying whatever they want about a decision I’M making. How bad it will hurt, how crazy I am to try it, how I will be begging for the epidural… I don’t think they realize that it causes doubt to creep into my mind that I won’t be able to do it. The flip-side, though, is it also ticks me off and makes me think ‘I’ll show ’em!‘
I keep reminding myself that this is what my body was created for and that every day thousands of women all over the world have babies without epidurals {Americans are wimps!}. In our pain management class, we went around the room and read birth affirmations off a list. That list will definitely be going with me to the hospital!
I hope that the next time I’m posting here, it will be with a picture of Baby Gurl {yes, she’s still nameless} and an amazing birth story!
Have any of you experienced natural childbirth? Any advice for me?!?!
