What I packed in my Birth bag

Having kids is chaotic. How are you supposed to think straight while trying to manage your own life along with another human being’s life, or multiples (also insert your spouse into this mix, if applicable). One thing that makes it easier is making lists. Lists for meal planning. Lists for school stuff. Lists for chores. Lists for stuff that your significant other needs to do. Lists for when to take your medications (hopefully antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds along with ibuprofen). Lists for doing all the endless errands that needs to be done.

This is a bit of a tangent on a post that is simply about what to pack in your hospital/birth center bag when you have a baby. Give me a break; I now have a 6 yo, 3yo and 10 week old. ALL BOYS! I’m exhausted, overwhelmed, and not sure what day it is. 

Everyone is a little different on what they want to bring with them when they have their baby. This was my list for my third after being a veteran. 

1) Yoga pants and comfy clothes. I hate wearing the hospital gowns. I would much rather be wearing my own comfortable clothes instead of a bulky itchy gown that has so many holes, buttons, and ties that I need a seamstress to put it on. I don’t mind wearing it while in labor or for when they are necessary, but I after the baby that sucker is being replaced!

2) Water bottle and snacks. I carry my own water bottle with me everywhere so it’s a necessity. I also bring other drinks that have electrolytes, like vitamin water or a sports drink. This is helpful when you don’t want to eat or drink much during labor and you get calories. Some hospitals will allow you to drink clear liquids and not just water or ice when you have an epidural. Snacks are also essential. If you’re able to eat during labor it can help keep your energy up. Make them light, like crackers, oatmeal, cheese sticks, peanut butter energy balls (look on Pinterest). You’ll also want snacks for postpartum, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and pumping make me ravenous and reaching for anything edible. I eat granola bars, fig bars, and bananas. 

3) Toiletries. I bring my own toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, soap and hairspray (the basics). I usually wait to go home to wash my hair only because I only wash it every few days. It takes a lot of work to manage this full mop of curly hair. I don’t wear makeup, so I obviously don’t bring that with me. I’ve seen many women come in with full makeup ready to have their baby and want to redo it after baby is born. FYI, no one cares what you look like when you’re having a baby! I have looked like I was electrocuted after having my babies because my hair is crazy, but it is what it is. Bring whatever makes you comfortable but stick to the basics. 

4) Hair binders. Get that hair out of my face!

5) An eye mask. I sleep with an eye mask because it helps me sleep and keeps the light out of my eyes. In a hospital, there’s lights everywhere and people always coming in your room and this can help. It can also be helpful during labor. It can shut out everything else going on so you can focus. Each time I’ve given birth my eyes are closed. 

6) Essential oils. Having scents that make you happy can be helpful as well. There’s usually at least lavender available at most hospitals, which most people like. I however hate the smell of lavender and anyone that tries to give it to me, especially during pregnancy. There are plenty of other scents out there though. I love lilacs and citrus. Check with your healthcare provider first before selecting a scent. 

7) A plastic bag. Your owns clothes are probably going to get wet somehow, especially if you have a water birth. It’s a good idea to bring a plastic bag for wet clothing or other soiled items. 

8) Chargers. Bring your phone charger! Bring 2! You will want to take many pictures of this life changing moment and call your friends and family. So, the last thing you want is for your phone to die. 

9) A playlist. When I was preparing for this last birth I made a playlist of songs that I felt were good for me during labor and birth. I looked up birth playlists online and picked out some other songs that I love. This really was a game changer for me and helped me focus during labor. 

10) Headphones. I liked this so I could only hear the music and nothing else. 

11) Your wallet. You are going to at least need an ID and insurance card, but make sure to bring your bank card for ordering food if you want. Yes, you get hospital food, but maybe you want something more. After my second baby we ordered pizza from our favorite pizza place. I was so hungry I think I ate half of a large! LOL 

12) Sandals or slippers. I like to bring my sandals, even if it’s winter because I want something to walk around in, and not just those socks they give you. 

13) One thing I wished I had for my first 2 births is my pillow and a blanket. Hospital linens are well…hospital linens. We’re not at the Hilton here or even a Holiday Inn. You may sleep easier with something of your own from home. 

14) Baby stuff: 2-3 outfits for the ride home (I pack 2-3 depending on what I want baby’s going home outfit to be and the weather), a hat, a blanket, car seat, and burp cloths.

15) An overnight bag for your partner. 

That’s my list. Online there are a ton of lists from other people that include essentials and not so essentials. If it’s your first baby, you’ll probably overpack because this is your first rodeo, but that’s ok. Part of being a parent is making this shit up as you go and hope for the best. 

What No One Tells You About Childbirth

What We Don’t Tell You or You don’t know until you’re in labor

 

If you’ve never had a baby before there are A LOT of things you didn’t know about that happened. Then when they happened, you were blindsided. You may feel embarrassed or surprised and think, “No one told me this would happen! Why didn’t my girlfriends tell me about this?! Is this a joke?” So, I’ve compiled a list of things that you may not be aware of that could happen or that nurses and doctors/midwives don’t tell you.

 

1.   You will poop and pee yourself. IT’S NORMAL!

During the pushing stage, you will most likely poop. You’re using the same muscles and they act as if you’re having a bowel movement and the baby’s head is pushing along your rectum, so it’s only natural that poop will come out. It’s ok. None of us care. In fact, it lets us know that the baby’s head is coming down and you’re pushing effectively. Most nurses and providers won’t mention it and wipe it away discreetly. It’s a non-event for us. Then during postpartum, there’s a good chance that you’ll pee yourself when you laugh, sneeze, cough, if you stand up or if you see Chris Hemsworth.  If you’re lucky, this will last for a short time during your postpartum period. For a lot of women, we’re screwed for life. I’ve had 2 babies and sometimes still pee myself. If I am sick and cough a lot, I have to wear a pad at all times. Yes, it’s gross and inconvenient but it’s life. If it’s really bad for you, you can talk to your provider about it.

2.   Labor and birth is not like the movies!

In movies, moms are rushed to the hospital and it’s a big production with everyone panicking. Labor (especially with your first) can take hours or even days. So, before you head to the hospital, call your provider or the hospital. The rule of thumb in your first baby is to wait until you’ve had contractions that last for 1 minute consistently for an hour and are 5 minutes apart. This is called the 5-1-1 rule. The pushing stage also takes a long time (again especially with your first baby). It can take roughly 2-3 hours, on average. With my first baby, I pushed for 3 ½ hours. However, they made me push as soon as I was 10cm (which takes more work) and he was not in a good position.

3.   Your water breaking is also not like the movies.

It’s not a dramatic event where an Olympic size pool is emptying out of you. Sometimes you can hear a pop and there’s a gush of fluid. Sometimes it doesn’t happen until way later at the hospital. Sometimes it’s a slow leak. Sometimes you can have other leakage of fluid that is confusing and you’re not sure if it’s your water or something else. It could be pee or it could just be vaginal secretions. I myself was convinced that my water broke with my second, but nope it turned out to be vaginal secretions. There are even very rare occasions when the baby is born still inside the bag of water. If you’re not sure if your water has broken call your provider.

4.   Hemorrhoids are literally a pain in the ass.

You may have heard about getting hemorrhoids after birth. It’s very common and there’s medication to decrease the size and discomfort. Hemorrhoids are when you have swollen veins in your rectum or anus. This occurs because of all the pressure being put on the area during birth and pushing. They can be painful to sit on if they are actively swollen, but again there are over the counter medications that you can take to reduce the swelling and pain.

5.   We don’t care about seeing your vagina.

We see vaginas all day, every day. It’s a normal part of our workday and it’s essential for our job. However, we will do our best to be discreet and keep your modesty as much as we can and as much as you are comfortable. I had a patient once who brought a cake for the nurses that read, “You had to look at my vagina, so have some cake!” I died when she gave it to me. I promise, we don’t care.

6.   You are not yourself during labor. You may become a cross between The Hulk and a demon.

When I was in labor with my 2 boys, it was like I was possessed by some other being that was ready to sucker punch anyone! Even my husband or a priest! I have helped many moms in labor whom have yelled at their spouses, the providers, and myself. We don’t take it personally and neither should your family/friends. Shortly after the baby comes, your normal self will come back like the baby performed an exorcism.

7.   Most likely, your doctor won’t show up until the last minute.

That’s right, the nurse will probably be the only one with you until right before the baby comes. This is very common. We are in communication with the provider throughout the labor giving them updates. If you have a midwife, they will most likely be there quite early on.

8.   You will be giving birth twice.

After your baby is born, you need to give ‘birth’ to your placenta. The placenta is a bit of an afterthought because you’re so in love with your baby. Your provider should let you know if you need to push. This process can take anywhere from a couple minutes to 30 minutes.

9.   Your stomach will get pushed on.

After the placenta is born, the provider and nurse will be pushing on your belly. What we are doing is helping the uterus to expect out blood and other remaining clots or possibly bits of placenta. We want to make sure that your bleeding is under control and you don’t lose too much blood. This is a very important process as painful as it may be. This task will happen quite often at first, about every 15 minutes, and then decrease in frequency.

10. You’ll still have contractions after birth.

Your uterus has been expanding for 9 months, and now it’s trying to go back to its normal size. This causes cramping/contractions. This is supposed to happen and is very normal. The intensity of pain is different for everyone; however, it can intensify with each baby that you have. Also, if you decide to breastfeed, this can also cause contractions because it releases the hormone to contract the uterus. This again helps the uterus to go back to normal size.

11.  Your lady business will not be the same.

During birth it is very common for you to tear your vaginal opening. There are 4 degrees of tearing and 1^st and 2^nd degree tears are quite common. You may or may not need stitches. So, immediately following the birth of your placenta your provider may be putting stitches in place. Even if you don’t tear, everything will be swollen and uncomfortable for a while. Don’t be surprised if it’s tender and uncomfortable to sit down. You’ll need some essentials for your new badge of honor afterwards.

·      At the hospital, they will give you mesh panties. These are very comfortable, and you’ll not want to wear your regular underwear.

·      For the first couple days you’ll also need to wear a big ass pad (basically a diaper without sides). It seems intense but you’ll be happy you wore it. Some people opt to buy adult diapers for when they go home. Do whatever makes you comfortable.

·      Ice packs! Yes, ice packs are cold, but they seriously help with the swelling and pain.

·      Witch hazel pads. Most hospitals will give you some, but if not, they are available at any pharmacy. You can even put them in the fridge for a cooling effect like the ice.

·      There’s also numbing spray/creams that are available over the counter. Ask your nurses or providers about this.

·      Stool softeners! Since everything is swollen and tender, it will be difficult to have a bowel movement. Stool softeners will help make the go much easier and more comfortable.

·      One essential you’ll get from the hospital is called a peri bottle; basically, a squirt bottle. This will help to clean your lady parts after going to the bathroom instead of wiping. You’re already wearing a pad so if you’re wet, it doesn’t matter. If you feel like you want to wipe just pat with TP. Do not wipe. It also is helping to spray the water while peeing to dilute the urine. Urine can sting on the tears and this helps a lot.

 

12. Breastfeeding isn’t easy for most.

BF is something that a lot of moms struggle with for many different reasons. If you have difficulty with this, it’s ok! You are not a failure! There are many different resources that can help you with your breastfeeding struggles. Lactation consultants can be very helpful at identifying what’s going wrong and help you fix them. You may also decide that for your mental health, it’s not worth it to you. That’s ok too! The best thing you can do for your baby is feed him/her. I always say, “Fed is Best.” This is a topic that will have its own post at another time.

 

13. Be prepared for the unexpected.

Every labor and birth is different and it never goes as planned. If you have an idea or expectations of how you want it to go, just have an open mind that it may not go the way you plan. My best advice is to have preferences of how you want things to go, but also know that hiccups can happen and don’t be too attached to your original plans.

 

I hope this helps and can make your experience less surprising and stressful. You’ll still have surprises and have no idea what’s going on, but I’d have to write a textbook for everything and this is a simple blog. Happy parenting!

Being Pregnant During A Pandemic: My Story

It's been over 3 months since I've posted or written anything. I was sick from pregnancy, life got busy, COVID happened and my writing fell to the waste side. While I was at my job and trying to navigate through the pandemic as a nurse, it was stressful and overwhelming. Lots of unknowns and hourly changes. I'd go home after work and cry just from the stress, although my hormones probably was a factor also. 

Then at the end of April my company decided to condense their clinics and I went on a furlough. I volunteered because I felt like I wasn't in the right headspace to work and care for my patients and also take care of my family and myself. It was too much for my anxiety. I've been on furlough now for 8 weeks and there is no end in sight as to when I'll go back to work. 

I'm now 32 weeks pregnant. My pregnancy for the most part has gone by without complications, except my mental health. I have an anxiety disorder and I've been on medication for it for years. At first, being at home helped with my anxiety but then I got lonely and depressed being at home alone with very little to do. I upped my medication twice since being home and I've gotten somewhat used to this time of being home alone. I've been able to rest, work on getting ready for the baby and organize my house. We also decided to keep our boys in daycare as to not disrupt their routine and learning and also so I don't become overwhelmed with them at home. I reached out to friends and tried to stay in communication with them. My sister-in-law is also pregnant and I also made a group chat with former co-workers whom are also pregnant during this crazy time. It's been nice to talk to others who are going through the same craziness as I am. 

Being pregnant during this pandemic is scary. They are still learning about this virus and how it works. They are finding new information all the time. I'm at a place now that I've tried to not look at news, articles, and social media too much. When I was working, it was in my face all day and was too much to handle. I keep myself updated on what I need to know and talk with my midwives about what I need to know as a pregnant woman. My husband also tells me what he has learned since he's also a nurse and is still working. 

Where I live, most hospitals are only allowing mothers to have one designated visitor during their stay. Some won't allow anyone in if she is COVID positive. There's also a few hospitals who are not allowing midwives to practice in the hospitals to reduce the amount of staff. This means if the mom is getting prenatal care from a midwife, she will be taken care of by a doctor at the hospital that she doesn't know. I don't agree with this as it can result in a negative outcome. She doesn't know this doctor and they don't know her. Having a relationship with the mom before birth is very important. 

I have midwives that have their own free-standing birth center, which isn't a hospital. This is acceptable for low risk moms and is very close to the hospital in case of complications. The thing that concerns me about this is if a complication happens, my midwives can't come with me nor can my doula who is cleared to be there. However, I'm very thankful that my husband is able to come. There are hospitals across the country who haven't allowed mothers to have any support person with them, including spouses. My heart aches for them and I can't imagine doing birth without my husband by my side or even someone I know. This practice also requires more work for the nurses who are already being overworked during this crazy time. 

I'm also concerned about my postpartum period, as this is a time that I welcome visitors and try to get out of the house to break up the day and keep my anxiety and depression at bay. When this time comes, I'm not sure whom I will be comfortable with visiting and will probably limit myself and baby to only a car ride outside of the house. Thankfully it will still be summer and we can spend time in our yard for fresh air, sunshine, and drive by visits. 

It's also been difficult to be truly happy and excited about this pregnancy. COVID has stolen this time from me. Although, this pregnancy has also been a struggle physically. We recently got all our baby stuff from the attic. Baby clothes have been washed and put away. The nursery is almost ready. My sisters in 

Michigan also created a virtual baby shower for my family out that way even though this is our third child. These things have made me happy and excited again. I wish I could hurry up and get to the part where our little boy is here and we can enjoy him, but for now we will have to wait and I will keep finding ways to to be positive and excited. 

I want to write more blog posts but for now won't put pressure on myself. I will do it when I want to. I have a lot of topics I'd like to share. Hopefully, I will get back into it. I also want to commend my fellow nurses and healthcare workers who are still working, especially those who are pregnant. The ones caring for the COVID patients, in the ER, ICU and other difficult areas, you are the true heroes. For awhile, I felt upset that I couldn't help more or I wasn't in the trenches with you myself. I even considered volunteering to work at the COVID hospital. However, I know that in my current state, I wouldn't be very helpful nor would it be good for me physically or mentally. 

If you're pregnant during this time, let me know what has helped you and how you're doing. Meanwhile everyone stay safe, happy and healthy. 

I'm back and 18 weeks pregnant!

Hello Everyone!

So, it’s been 3 months since I’ve posted anything. Since my last post I became pregnant and it hasn’t been an easy pregnancy. I’ve had very little energy or motivation to do anything; even writing this blog.

I got pregnant a month after my miscarriage. I was very happy to be pregnant but was also scared that it would happen again. Every feeling I had, had me guessing if something was wrong. I had cramping on and off which really concerned me. I had my pregnancy hormones checked and had an ultrasound to reassure me that baby was ok, and my levels were rising like they should be. Everything was going as it should. I have had cramping this entire pregnancy so far. After reading some other women’s experiences, I found that many women experience cramping, and everything turns out ok.

I’ve had far more symptoms of nausea and fatigue in this pregnancy than with my other two. I was so miserable that I couldn’t even feel excited about being pregnant or for the new baby. Which seems weird because I wanted to get pregnant, but that’s the reality when your pregnancy is that difficult.  My nausea was constant. When I say constant, I mean it literally never went away. Luckily, I hadn’t vomited and I was able to eat and drink. I was also very fatigued and didn’t have the energy to do anything else than work at my job. I would come home from work and immediately lay on the couch. I also spent the weekends on the couch. This went on until I was about 11-12 weeks along. I felt so bad for my husband who had to pretty much do everything around the house and take care of the boys. Even though it was a little hard for him to understand what I was going through, he picked up the slack as we do in our marriage whenever the other can’t.

I feel lucky that I’m not working in the hospital right now with this pregnancy, because I would be calling in sick a lot. My job isn’t very physically demanding, so I’m still able to work even though I feel terrible.

I started feeling better when I was 12 weeks along. I was grateful when I wasn’t nauseous 24/7. I’m now 18 weeks and I still have nausea in the morning when I wake up and sometimes don’t have much of an appetite. My energy is much better but still feel like I need more sleep. I’m able to do everything I was doing before for the most part. I have a day off today and decided to start writing again because it’s an outlet that I love to do and I missed it.

We are really hoping for a girl this time but will be happy with either gender. Although I’m almost certain this is a girl because of how different this pregnancy is. We will be finding out soon what we are having. I’m finally excited about being pregnant and having a new baby. I’ve been feeling baby movements which makes it more real and fun. We’ve also been thinking of baby girl names.

As the weeks go by, I’ll keep you updated on the baby and I. I’ll be writing more again and I hope to continue to delight and educate others.

Contractions: The Buzz Word

In relation to labor a contraction is referred to the tightening of the uterine muscles. The uterus is a very strong muscle. So, just like when you’re working out or lifting that heavy Halloween candy basket, your muscles are contracting to do its work. When you get to the end of your pregnancy, the uterus has grown to a very large size to enclose your baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. Normally your uterus is about the size of your fist. So, in the end its main goal is to push your baby out and shrink back down from the size of large watermelon to the size of an orange. That’s a lot of work. The contractions first help the cervix to thin out, then to dilate and ultimately push the baby down into your pelvis.

Your cervix starts out very thick and completely closed and the contractions do a few things to help you get to where you need to be. We use a percentage to measure the thickness of the cervix. We call this effacement and the goal is to be 100% effaced or thinned out. Along with this the cervix needs to dilate enough for the baby to pass through. The goal of this is for it to become 10cm wide. The last thing we look at is how far down the babys’ head is into the pelvis. We look at this in relation to a specific bone in your pelvis and we call this the babys’ station. 

So, when we say the cervix is 10cm, 100% effaced, and +1 station this is a good time to start pushing but not in every situation. If you’re 10cm and 100% the baby may be still high in the pelvis and a lot of nurses and providers will do a practice called ‘laboring down’. This allows the contractions to do more of the work without you pushing. This can save you pushing time and energy for when it’s really time to push. Of course, if the mom feels a strong urge to push that’s ok to push. Again, this is not true in every situation. 

After the baby is born this doesn't mean the contractions are done. The uterus also has to push out the placenta and then, like I said before, the uterus has to get back to its original size. In order for this to happen, it has to contract. Yes this sucks but it's essential. And don't worry, you'll forget how it felt eventually in a delusion vortex somewhere, which is why women decide to have additional children.

Below I have attached a video that is good at showing how contractions work. 

How a cervix thins and dilates

Why You Shouldn't Send Your Kids To School

Last week I wasn’t able to post because I was in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) all week with my 2-year-old son. He got a wonderful combination of an ear infection, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and RSV. Most of the time these infections can be treated at home, however they have the potential to be deadly. Then when they are put together, it’s a perfect storm. During his hospitalization he was diagnosed with asthma. This didn’t surprise me too much since his dad as it as well. 

We took him to urgent care on Sunday, which they had given him the diagnosis of pneumonia and said they had caught it early. So, we started the antibiotics. Then, as the evening went on, he had struggles with breathing. I kept him at home Monday with me and he would have short intervals of fast breathing but then be jumping all over a half hour later. It wasn’t until that night that we decided he was getting worse and we should have him seen again. 

He went back to urgent care, which led to the ER at the Children’s hospital. He couldn’t keep his oxygen at an adequate level, so they decided to admit him. Very early on Tuesday morning, they decided he needed more respiratory support, which meant he would need to be admitted to the PICU. My husband called me at 6am that morning to tell me that his situation was getting worse, but he was stable and able to keep his oxygen up with extra support. 

I took our older son to daycare and rushed to the hospital. We live a bit far from the city, so it took me about an hour to get there. Normally seeing someone hooked up to an IV, oxygen, and multiple monitors doesn’t faze me. I’m a nurse after all. I know what each thing is for and why it’s there. Seeing this on my own child, laying there helpless and struggling is the worst sight I think I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen some crazy shit. My brain was combating with itself between nurse mode and mom mode. I was also having an argument with God. How could you let this happen to a small child? Why my child? Is this really happening? 

During the next few days my husband and I switched sleeping at the hospital and the other caring for our other son. We were both physically and emotionally exhausted. Our oldest was feeling the effects of this as well. He was sad that he couldn’t be with both mom and dad. He was missing his best friend. Tuesday and Wednesday, our little one didn’t seem to be getting better but he wasn’t getting worse. The nurses and doctors assured us that this can take some time for the RSV to clear his lungs and for him to need less oxygen support. 

At this point, I was worried of when we would be able to take our baby home. I knew we’d be staying for more days instead of hours, but I didn’t know how many days. I didn’t know when he’d start to get better. I did know we’d be spending Thanksgiving in the hospital. I did know that we were in the best place possible to care for our little one.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and he finally started to have more of an appetite. He was eating and drinking enough that when his IV broke they didn’t put a new one in. We had a small victory. However, my husband called me saying he was feeling sick. Great another person sick. I demanded that I continue to stay with Finn, so he doesn’t give him more germs. 

On Friday they decided he was doing well enough to put him on a decreased oxygen support system, a simple nasal cannula with regular oxygen. They put him at a low oxygen rate to see how he’d do. He was doing great!  I was not doing so great, though. I was so tired that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The nurse came in and put a blanket on me. She said, “I will watch him. He’s fine watching a movie. You sleep.” She just gave me a great gift. At that moment this nurse was my hero. He continued to do so well on little oxygen that they decided he could be moved to a regular medical floor. Another victory! He was also getting more of his spunk and energy back. I thought, "Okay maybe we can go home soon!"

On Friday evening they took him off of oxygen completely and he kept his oxygen level stable. The only hurtle we had to go over for him to come home was that he needed to be off of oxygen for one night without needing any support. After he went to sleep that night, I was watching the monitor like a hawk. The requirement was he needed to consistently stay above 90% (100% is the best). He kept jumping from 90-92%. I was getting anxious that at any moment it would go down and he’d need oxygen and he’d be here for another night. By 11 o’clock I couldn’t stay awake anymore and fell asleep. When I woke up, I learned that he didn’t need oxygen. I was going to bring my baby home! 

He has been home now for a week and he's doing much better with a daily inhaler. He's back to his old silly self and I'm so grateful he's ok. I can't imagine how other parents deal with their children with worse illnesses spending weeks or even months in the hospital wondering if they are going to come out of this. My thoughts and prayers are with you. 

Now as many other parents know, if your kid goes to daycare or school, germs are everywhere! Sickness happens often. So, if your kid is sick, keep them home! The best way to prevent the spread of disease is washing your hands. However, germs are still spread easily, especially with kids. The next best way to prevent the spread of germs is it contain them. This means staying home away from other people until the person is no longer contagious. 

According to the CDC, “Each year in the United Statesan estimated 57,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized due to RSV infection.” Even more contract the infection without being hospitalized. All children and immune systems are different. Children don’t have too strong of an immune system. Those children who have underlying diseases and the elderly adult population are very susceptible to these infections. Since Finn now has asthma, it’s much more difficult to fight off any kind of lung infection. It scares me to think that he can easily come in contact again with something that could be easily avoided. 

There are many other infections that can be spread, but we can try to avoid it by keeping our kids home if they are sick and prevent other children and teachers from getting sick. I know how difficult it can be to take time off of work or find a babysitter, but nothing is more important than your child’s health. Do the best that you can. 

This is the face of RSV

To find out more about RSV and how to prevent it click on the link below. 

https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html

More Than Epidurals

The last time I sat down and started writing about Pain medication options in labor it ended up being 3+ pages about epidurals. So, here’s another post about the other options that are available. 

One option is IV pain management. What does this mean? This means that if you choose this option, you’ll have an IV and the medication is pushed through the IV. This is not a continuous thing like an epidural. The medication is pushed through with a syringe over 1-2 minutes. 

The pain medication that is most commonly used is fentanyl, which is an opioid. I know what you’re thinking. 

·      Fentanyl? Isn’t that what Prince died from of an overdose? 

·      Opioids? Isn’t there an opioid epidemic? Why would they give laboring mothers something that’s addicting and toxic to her and her baby? 

Actually, it’s not as scary and dramatic as you think. This plan of pain management is only given once or maybe a few times during the course of labor. The mother and her baby are monitored very closely. Which means, being hooked up to baby monitors on the belly and a pulse oximeter on the finger to monitor your heart rate and oxygen level. 

The IV pain medication is best used when the mother is very tired from laboring for a long time. The medication gives her a chance to rest and take a break. The medication doesn’t take away the pain completely, but it helps a lot and she’s is usually able to relax and maybe even take a nap. There are of course cons to this method. Possible side effects of this include nausea, vomiting, feeling drowsy, and it can affect your baby’s breathing and heart rate. This is why we monitor baby and it’s also why we don’t give this option to moms who are close to delivery. Giving it too close to delivery can affect the baby more after birth because the baby isn’t getting the help from mom on the inside to recover and cope with the medication. Another con is that with each time it’s given it loses its effectiveness. 

Every mom, labor and situation is different. Some of these things sound scary, but it’s not right for everyone. For some, it’s a life saver because all they needed was just some short relief and rest to power through the rest of the mountain. 

The third pain relief option is called nitrous oxide or more commonly known as laughing gas. This is the same drug given to you at the dentist that you breathe in, however it’s given in a decreased concentration during labor and it’s mixed with oxygen. It hasn’t been really used in the United States until a few years ago when it started to become popular. It has been used in a lot of other countries for many years though. How it’s used is you breathe in and out through a face mask or a breathing tube during contractions. The mom is the one holding it up to her face, so she is in control. She can use it or not at her discretion.

I used nitrous in my second birth and I liked it. The best way I can describe it is that it doesn’t take away the pain, but it helps you to cope with the pain.  Possible side effects of nitrous are nausea and feeling light headed. 

There are a lot of pros to using nitrous oxide. If you decide you don’t like it or it’s not helping you, it doesn’t stay in your system for very long, only a few minutes. Since it doesn’t stay in your body for very long and it doesn’t have a chance to affect your whole body, meaning it doesn’t affect your baby. Since it doesn’t really affect your baby, this means no monitoring of the baby. This also means that you are able to move around more freely and aren’t hooked up to anything. Hallelujah!

In my own experience with nitrous, I started using it when I was 6cm, although I would have taken it sooner if we had gotten there faster. (Thanks a lot Steve!) (jk, love you) After using it for a while and I was transitioning to the end, it wasn’t helping me anymore and I opted for the epidural when I got to 8cm. 

FYI to dads and other partners at the bedside, don’t try to take a hit. That’s not cool! You need to be there for her, and she doesn’t have time for you be playing with drugs. Plus, if we find out, you might be asked to leave and given an evil stare. 

So, you can switch from one pain option to another, but will have to wait for some lag time between them and you can’t use more than one at the same time. 

So, there are many different options and scenarios to choose from. All of which are relatively safe. There are pain relief options that are not medications, but that’s for another blog post.