what to expect from here on out!

Stefie - posted on 11/29/2009

Try not to worry! I know it is hard to actually do, but everything will turn out okay. As for the position of your baby all I know is that in the two weeks before my little girl was born she did many 360 rotations (at least the doctor said she was in a complete different position all the time).
Leaking is a good thing for breast feeding. I would just start putting in breast pads now. They are not uncomfortable.
Labor for me was obvious. It hurt like the worst period pain ever time 100. I did get an epidermal. I delivered with no problems. After we got out of the delivery room I cried in bad pain. They did not give me any thing after the epidermal , but I had a tear (I forgot what it is called). They had to give me pain meds. It only was horrible because they were on a shift change and apparently you can't get a nurse for over an hour when they have a shift change(likely that it was not the best hospital) . If you have a tear and drugs, ask for pain meds before you leave delivery room. By the time you leave the hospital labor and delivery will seem like no big deal because of the angel in your arms. Don't freat over what might happen, it is good to know what you want, but all that really matters is that you and baby are okay.
Your body will be a little sore, and you will be tired. If you can get help take it. Your body does need rest, so it is good to sleep when your baby sleeps. This is like 20 out of 24 hours. Your body goes back to normal after all that stretching. After two weeks I felt good (still tired).
I had an awful time getting a latch. I spent over a month pumping and giving a bottle. I had baby blues (probably because I really was pressured to breast-feed and told that basically I was lazy if I failed, not that I was given any good advice except that my family would look down on me if I did not breast feed! Hope you have better support). My husband found me some tea called mother's milk. It was awesome! It helped keep me calm. We got it online, but my doctor did approve it (I would ask your doctor about it). Eventually she latched on and I nursed until she was 14 and 1/2 months. We quit because I am expecting and had a low supply. Totally worth the effort!
After a few weeks you and baby get settled in to the normal for you. You don't have to worry about not hearing your baby. You will! I think it is instinctual.
Soon baby is just part of life. There is so much joy in the first few months, but then they get more independent (crawling, eating other food, talking) and they are more fun than you can imagine.
If you are following the what to expect series I would recommend the what to expect the first year. It is pretty good, but be ware some of these books may have ideas that you do not agree with. I particularly dislike the what to expect the toddler years take on weaning at 12 months, that is a personal thing.
Remember that you are boss of this baby. You get to decide what is good and bad. There are tons of resources on the web for everything that comes up. I used the web and several books to help me out.
Good luck!
You are already a good mother, because worrying before your first child gets here makes you a good mother!

Ashley - posted on 11/29/2009

Thank you so much Yvette! I am already beginning to feel terrified and my little man isnt here yet! I know that is just pre-baby jitters but I keep thinking, what if I dont hear him and what if I dont know what to do in a certain situation. My boyfriend keeps telling me Im gonna be a great mom and I know he will be a great dad. I just worry a lot.

Thank you so much for all the advice and help.

Yvette - posted on 11/29/2009

From the sounds of it you already have a pretty good idea how your baby is lying. Feet in the ribs is a huge indicator that he's head down. As far as what you can expect I can't describe lightening as I've got a little man laying sideways and even though this is my second child my daughter did not drop and was induced 2 days before my due date.



The pains that you are having probably have more to do with the weight of the baby on your groin and on your round ligaments. The pains on your sides are from the skin being pulled tight and if you too feel pains in your cervix you can crack that up to the baby as well. It's normal and unless it feels like cramping, period cramps, you shouldn't worry. Your breasts can leak colostrum months before your baby comes and it does not affect your ability to breastfeed. It only poses the problem of leaking on your mattress, invest in a liner as this leaking will only get worse once you actually have your milk come in, and in your bra causing spots on your clothing so I reccommend breast shields or pads.



As to how I felt after I had my daughter I was terrified. I've never cared for a baby before her and it was a complete shocker. It got better though and you'd be surprised about how much is just common sense. After the birth I was tired, breastfeeding will do that to you. My groin felt like I'd been kicked cause of the bruising I'm sure. The pain was bad, but manageable with meds.



I'm not sure how to answer your last question because everyone reacts to labor differently. But not everyone goes on their own. They need help sometimes with an induction as I did first time. I guess just have your bags packed around 37 weeks and watch for signs such as loss of your plug, and cramping that becomes worse. Good luck with your little one.