Baby Corner

[Nizzy 1]

I've been reading some stuff on pain meds used during labor and I am liking these options:

Local Anesthesia

Just as a dentist will inject a drug into your gums to numb your teeth, your health care provider can inject a local anesthetic into the ####### or the area surrounding it to ease pain during delivery. Local anesthetics usually affect a small area, and so are especially useful when the health care provider has to make an episiotomy--a small cut, or incision, made in the perineum (the area between the ####### and the rectum) before the baby passes through. Local anesthetics are also helpful when this incision, or any tears that might have occurred during birth, are repaired.

One advantage of local anesthesia is that it rarely affects the baby. After the anesthetic wears off, there are usually no lingering effects. The main drawback of these drugs is that they do not relieve the pain of contractions during labor.

Systemic Analgesia

Systemic analgesics provide pain relief over the entire body without causing loss of consciousness. They act on the whole nervous system, rather than on one particular area. Systemic analgesics are often given as an injection into a muscle or vein. Sometimes other drugs are given with systemic analgesics to relieve tension or nausea. While systemic analgesics do not completely get rid of pain, they do lessen its intensity.

Systemic analgesics may cause drowsiness and may make it hard to concentrate. Because these drugs can slow the baby's reflexes and breathing at birth, they are usually avoided just before delivery.

Systemic medications

Systemic painkillers such as narcotics dull your pain but don't completely eliminate it. You may also be given a tranquilizer — alone or in combination with a narcotic — to reduce anxiety or nausea, or to relax you. Systemic drugs are either delivered through an IV line to your bloodstream or injected into a muscle, and they affect your entire body rather than concentrating pain relief in the uterus and pelvic area. They may make you feel sleepy, but unlike the general anesthesia that's often given for surgery, they won't make you unconscious.

Does anyone have any experience with these or know more on them?

[Irisheyes 0]

Where is everybody?

My 3d/4d ultrasound is today....I can't wait. We'll finally know what we are having for sure. Assuming everybody co-operates!!

Allison, I have had swelling since early on too. I find now that the more water I drink the less I swell the following day. Keep an eye on it and monitor your BP if you can. Expect your hands to start swelling soon too. I think some people swell more than others, like a predisposition. I know my ankles swell even after a long flight so I guess some people retain fluid more than others.

Nizzy, can't say I know a lot about the pain relief you mentioned except the local anestethic obviously. I haven't really thought a whole lot about it yet and figured I would go as long as I could without it and eventually probably give in and have the epidural! LOL, who knows, I have time to worry about it yet! I'm checking out Lamaze classes at the moment so maybe I will be better informed if I do those!

[AllisonB 0]

We had our ultrasound this morning and we are having a BOY!! The ultrasound was amazing to watch and we are thrilled...

[Nizzy 1]

We had our ultrasound this morning and we are having a BOY!! The ultrasound was amazing to watch and we are thrilled...

wowowowow another boy! I bet hubby is super duper happy! Congrats!

Irisheyes: If it isn't too personal can you post the pics?? I am so curious to see them...

I had another appointment today and the results of my blood work came back. Everything was great and after checking the heartbeat the doctor said he was in a head down position. That explained why I was having trouble breathing...

[MrsAmera 41]

Well we had a check-up appointment today. They want me to come once a week from now until the baby is born to make sure everything is ok. And we found out that the baby has moved and is now breech. They gave me some exercises to try to move him back to head down and next week will schedule me for an appointment in which they will try to physically move him (I can't remember the name for this right now). If that doesn't work then they will schedule me a C-section. I'm just really hoping that my contractions lessen and I can make it through the next few weeks without going into labor with a breech baby. Congrats to all finding out about their little ones. We need some girls - let's get going!! haha

[Nizzy 1]

Well we had a check-up appointment today. They want me to come once a week from now until the baby is born to make sure everything is ok. And we found out that the baby has moved and is now breech. They gave me some exercises to try to move him back to head down and next week will schedule me for an appointment in which they will try to physically move him (I can't remember the name for this right now). If that doesn't work then they will schedule me a C-section. I'm just really hoping that my contractions lessen and I can make it through the next few weeks without going into labor with a breech baby. Congrats to all finding out about their little ones. We need some girls - let's get going!! haha

I hope the baby cooperates and turns around. Come on little one turn around for momma (sending vibes to the baby : )

[keltic 1]

I've been reading some stuff on pain meds used during labor and I am liking these options:

Local Anesthesia

Just as a dentist will inject a drug into your gums to numb your teeth, your health care provider can inject a local anesthetic into the ####### or the area surrounding it to ease pain during delivery. Local anesthetics usually affect a small area, and so are especially useful when the health care provider has to make an episiotomy--a small cut, or incision, made in the perineum (the area between the ####### and the rectum) before the baby passes through. Local anesthetics are also helpful when this incision, or any tears that might have occurred during birth, are repaired.

One advantage of local anesthesia is that it rarely affects the baby. After the anesthetic wears off, there are usually no lingering effects. The main drawback of these drugs is that they do not relieve the pain of contractions during labor.

Systemic Analgesia

Systemic analgesics provide pain relief over the entire body without causing loss of consciousness. They act on the whole nervous system, rather than on one particular area. Systemic analgesics are often given as an injection into a muscle or vein. Sometimes other drugs are given with systemic analgesics to relieve tension or nausea. While systemic analgesics do not completely get rid of pain, they do lessen its intensity.

Systemic analgesics may cause drowsiness and may make it hard to concentrate. Because these drugs can slow the baby's reflexes and breathing at birth, they are usually avoided just before delivery.

Systemic medications

Systemic painkillers such as narcotics dull your pain but don't completely eliminate it. You may also be given a tranquilizer — alone or in combination with a narcotic — to reduce anxiety or nausea, or to relax you. Systemic drugs are either delivered through an IV line to your bloodstream or injected into a muscle, and they affect your entire body rather than concentrating pain relief in the uterus and pelvic area. They may make you feel sleepy, but unlike the general anesthesia that's often given for surgery, they won't make you unconscious.

Does anyone have any experience with these or know more on them?

well, these options are described pretty well... what you need to remember is that labor is unpredictable... you never know WHEN you will deliver (unless its a scheduled C/S, lol)... so, taking a chance with systemic anesthesia or medications is something you have to be very careful with...

since i attend so many deliveries every year as the nurse for the baby... i see a lot of babies that have problems with their respiratory efforts because of medications that are administered during delivery... usually it turns around as the med wears off (there is a med that can be given to reverse it sometimes)...

my personal opinion is that if you want pain control, nothing beats the epidural... it eases the pain, but still allows you to feel pressure so that you can know when to push... it allows you to be able to enjoy more of your labor and be fully concious of your childs birth (not clouded by medications in your bloodstream)... and doesnt cause respiratory depression in the infant...

just my 2 cents

[Nikita2Charles 32]

Congrats!!!!!!!

We had our ultrasound this morning and we are having a BOY!! The ultrasound was amazing to watch and we are thrilled...

[keltic 1]

Well we had a check-up appointment today. They want me to come once a week from now until the baby is born to make sure everything is ok. And we found out that the baby has moved and is now breech. They gave me some exercises to try to move him back to head down and next week will schedule me for an appointment in which they will try to physically move him (I can't remember the name for this right now). If that doesn't work then they will schedule me a C-section. I'm just really hoping that my contractions lessen and I can make it through the next few weeks without going into labor with a breech baby. Congrats to all finding out about their little ones. We need some girls - let's get going!! haha

attempting to move the baby from a breech position to a vertex (head down) position is called a version... they must be going to try to deliver the baby soon after the version... even if the version is successful, babies can turn themselves right back in a short period of time...

when they checked you, was your cervix unchanged? if you hadnt dilated or effaced anymore, then its a good sign that you might be able to make it to 37 or 38 weeks before laboring...

[KiKi 0]

I am a HUGE fan of the epidural........

I didn't have one this time due to having to ahve the spinal for the C-section...yuck hated that, but the epidural is wonderful if you do decide you want pain meds.

[MrsAmera 41]

Well we had a check-up appointment today. They want me to come once a week from now until the baby is born to make sure everything is ok. And we found out that the baby has moved and is now breech. They gave me some exercises to try to move him back to head down and next week will schedule me for an appointment in which they will try to physically move him (I can't remember the name for this right now). If that doesn't work then they will schedule me a C-section. I'm just really hoping that my contractions lessen and I can make it through the next few weeks without going into labor with a breech baby. Congrats to all finding out about their little ones. We need some girls - let's get going!! haha

attempting to move the baby from a breech position to a vertex (head down) position is called a version... they must be going to try to deliver the baby soon after the version... even if the version is successful, babies can turn themselves right back in a short period of time...

when they checked you, was your cervix unchanged? if you hadnt dilated or effaced anymore, then its a good sign that you might be able to make it to 37 or 38 weeks before laboring...

I think that they are going to try to deliver me shortly afterwards if the version works. (Thanks for remembering the name). They have me on meds still to stop the contractions and didn't check me today as of Tuesday I was still at 2cm and they didn't want to "stir things up" anymore. I'm interested to find out more about this version thing as it seemed to me that they didn't have a TON of belief that it would work. My midwife said, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't so hmmm... I'm curious when they would schedule a C-section if it didn't work, as I am horribly uncomfortable and can't imagine how awful the next month will be like this. I'm going to try to make it to work tomorrow (first day in a week) because I just can't take the stress of sitting here and thinking about it. I know it's not the end of the world but I'm in a lot of pain and my husband just doesn't get that this is a big deal or that I HURT!!! I want to talk to him about it but I know I"ll just break down and be unable to have a decent conversation or really get out what I'm feeling. Ah pregnant lady emotions....

[keltic 1]

I think that they are going to try to deliver me shortly afterwards if the version works. (Thanks for remembering the name). They have me on meds still to stop the contractions and didn't check me today as of Tuesday I was still at 2cm and they didn't want to "stir things up" anymore. I'm interested to find out more about this version thing as it seemed to me that they didn't have a TON of belief that it would work. My midwife said, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't so hmmm... I'm curious when they would schedule a C-section if it didn't work, as I am horribly uncomfortable and can't imagine how awful the next month will be like this. I'm going to try to make it to work tomorrow (first day in a week) because I just can't take the stress of sitting here and thinking about it. I know it's not the end of the world but I'm in a lot of pain and my husband just doesn't get that this is a big deal or that I HURT!!! I want to talk to him about it but I know I"ll just break down and be unable to have a decent conversation or really get out what I'm feeling. Ah pregnant lady emotions....

i found this online... http://www.aafp.org/afp/980901ap/980901b.html ... your doctor probably gave you something like this... i thought it was nice because of the pics showing what happens... and that it includes a success rate of 65%!

if you dont think you can tell your husband about it, try writing him a short letter... you need to trust him to be there and support you, even with 'pregnant lady emotions'... that way you could keep those emotions from going haywire while he is learning how you feel... then when you talk about it later, he will have the basics and you can just go from there... if he still doesnt get that it hurts, ask him how he would feel if there was a fully grown watermelon in his belly for a couple of months, pushing on everything that is inside...

i wish those pregnant bellies that you can get for the dads to wear (they are heavy and strap on to make them look and feel pregnant as much as is possible) were more readily accessible... it would help them understand so much more of what we go through... they are just so expensive!

[Nizzy 1]

Aww Amera. Having lots of pain can sometimes make it feel like it is the end of the world so feel free to vent on here. I know that when I tell my hubby about aches and pains I feel dissatisfied with his reaction and don't think he truly understands but I still tell him anyway and then call my best friend or Aunt and tell her. It helps to tell other women, especially those who have gone through pregnancy. Don't swallow your feelings when it comes to hubby, just let him know and if you have a whole breakdown of emotions then so be it. I signed up hubby to get info on my pregnancy week to week so he sees what I go through as well as hears it from me!

[Irisheyes 0]

We had the 4d ultrasound yesterday so I added a couple of pics to my signature. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen and only added to our excitement. It is definitely a girl and we can't wait to meet her! She hid a lot behind her hands and feet and even kicked herself in the head a few times. Too funny! It was well worth the money out of pocket and ended up only costing us $84 after my hubby got the military discount. We got 15-20 mins on DVD and pics on CD, so we have a really nice keepsake for later.

Say hello to Rachel Erin!

Amera, I hope it gets easier for you, not too much longer. Try to hang in there! I know husbands don't understand fully how uncomfortable it can be at times. I get frustrated when I try to explain and I get a blank look back at me, LOL! Luckily I have my Mom and MIL to bounce things off. We all need a female outlet for this stuff! Men are smple creatures, sometimes we expect too much!!

[keltic 1]

We had the 4d ultrasound yesterday so I added a couple of pics to my signature. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen and only added to our excitement. It is definitely a girl and we can't wait to meet her! She hid a lot behind her hands and feet and even kicked herself in the head a few times. Too funny! It was well worth the money out of pocket and ended up only costing us $84 after my hubby got the military discount. We got 15-20 mins on DVD and pics on CD, so we have a really nice keepsake for later.

Say hello to Rachel Erin!

Amera, I hope it gets easier for you, not too much longer. Try to hang in there! I know husbands don't understand fully how uncomfortable it can be at times. I get frustrated when I try to explain and I get a blank look back at me, LOL! Luckily I have my Mom and MIL to bounce things off. We all need a female outlet for this stuff! Men are smple creatures, sometimes we expect too much!!

ok... thats it... we MUST have the 3d/4d ultrasound!!!!

shes beautiful, and i love her name