Things They Didn’t Tell Me In Lamaze Class

Whenever I hear one of my friends is expecting her first child, I always have good intentions of telling them all things I wish I would have known before my 8^th month of pregnancy. I keep thinking of and learning things to add to the list so check back; you may find just the thing you would have wished you had known before you had your baby. Some items are related to pregnancy and childbirth. Some things just have to do with itty bit once he or she is here.

1. Red Raspberry – drinking red raspberry tea or taking red raspberry gel tabs during pregnancy tones the uterus.
   
2. Braxton Hicks – maybe they tell moms-to-be about these stinkers these days but they didn't tell me….ever. I didn't really have them until baby 3 or 4 and still hadn't heard of them. Braxton Hicks are allegedly "painless" practice contractions that, for me, start 2-3 months before my due date. Sometimes they're once in awhile; sometimes they're all day long. They usually just feel tight and I feel like I've been running laps without going anywhere! They wear me out! Closer to due date, they do start to smart a bit.
   
3. Evening Primrose Oil – get these gel tablets at a health food store. The last month of pregnancy, take two or three times a day, I believe, AND, this is weird, you can insert one up to your cervix two to three times a day and this stuff softens/ripens the cervix. Faster, easier labor, ladies. Your doctor will probably be clueless and may be downright skeptical if you approach him or her about natural stuff like this so you can ask your doc about this is you want to but I've learned that I can read, I can read blogs and websites and books, and I'm smart enough to figure out what works and what doesn't (something it seemed like in my Lamaze class they didn't think possible).
   
4. Pressure points – 3 to 4 fingers above the ankle is a pressure point that will encourage labor. Someone just needs to massage it once in awhile. I'm sure there are others pressure points. Google.
   
5. Okay, this one ticked me off. NO ONE, NO BODY bothered to tell me it hurts, hurts, hurts like crud AFTER having the first baby. I felt like I had slid into home on my crotch and I walked like Robo-cop for a week! Stock up on Tucks and Hydrocortisone Cream. Also, get one of those condiment or dessert squirt bottles. They might give you one at the hospital or they might give you a sitz bath. I found that by the time I set up the sitz bath, I was about to wet my pants! Too much trouble. Whenever you have to use the pot, fill the bottle with WARM water then while you're going, squirt yourself with the warm water to relieve the sting. They did tell me when I had my first baby that it would sting to use the restroom but they didn't mention walking, sitting, standing….The good news is after your second, it doesn't hurt near as much. I was only sore for a day and was strolling the hospital halls just hours after giving birth. Now-a-days, I hardly feel like anything had happened just shortly after giving birth.
   
6. Right after getting out of the hospital, Craig had to run out and get pads, his favorite thing to buy at the store. Yea, it's goofy looking back, now, but I was 19, and only had the births in movies to go on. In Lamaze class they said there would be "some bleeding" for a "short" time after birth. Excuse me? A month is a short time? Longer as I've had more children. Invest in Always or Stayfree.
   
7. The Crockpot – they tell you in Lamaze class that you might require an episiotomy. The fact is, hospital births have more to do with what the doctor wants than what the mommy wants. Episiotomies have more to do with convenience for the doc than safety for the mom and baby. Even if a mom tears, she heals faster and with less scarring than with a cut. What would be even better is if the skin is able to stretch. Lamaze did instruct our class about perineal message but I had to have 5 babies before I was told about the Crockpot. If you're having a hospital birth, you'll have to ask about his way ahead of time. They may say absolutely not. But, if you can talk them into it, heat some water up in a slow cooker (some midwives add herbs), toss 4 or 5 washcloths in it, and when it gets near to delivery time, your midwife, nurse, mom, DH, whomever can start applying the hot compresses to the perineal area and swap them out when they cool off. At the hospital, they may insist on a fresh washcloth for each application. If not, just drop your cooled off washcloth in the slow cooker and pull out a fresh, warm one and apply. Do this all the way up to delivery. This works miracles. A water birth is probably even better but I've never done one of those. Anyhoo, I was given an episiotomy with baby #4 (she was 9 lb., 15 oz. and wasn't coming out fast enough for them) but I haven't had so much as a paper cut delivering my little ones since then.
   

   At the hospital
   

8. They don't let you eat…anything. No matter how long you are in labor, you must be prepped for a possible C-Section meaning no food in your stomach. I believe there is a place for c-sections but they are way too routine and planning for a c-section that most likely won't happen is borderline unethical. A mom in labor needs her strength. She eventually gets to a point that she doesn't feel like eating anyway so telling her she can't have so much as a cracker is cruel. I can understand it for high risk pregnancies for planned c-sections but give the mom a break! After my first, we started sneaking in crackers just to settle my stomach because…
   
9. …..some moms get nauseated during labor. I threw up with the first half of my deliveries…before snacking on crackers!
   
10. Vitamin K – God does know what He's doing…really folks. With baby number 7, just after bringing my beautiful baby boy into the world, some nurse was shootin' up my lad with Vitamin K without even asking us if the little guy would be getting a circumcision. Craig asked the nurse in question what she was doing, she said Vit. K for the circumcision. He informed her that we would not be doing a circ that day and she got this confused look on her face and was like, "Oh." We wait until the 8^th day. Because were Jewish? No. But we took the time to find out why, if at all, we would circumcise our boys if and when we had any. One thing we did learn was that a baby boy's Vit. K is really, really high on the 8^th day. Go figure. WHAT a coincidence. I wonder if God knew about that when He told His chosen people to circumcise their boys on the 8^th day. Hmmmmmm…….
    
11. Circumcision – I was told in birthing classes that, unless one is Jewish, the only reason people circumcise their boys is for cosmetic reasons. Really? I used to wonder what God was thinking by making circumcision mandatory for his chosen people. As with everything He does, He knows what is best:
    
    1. The American Academy of Pediatrics used to give you the facts about the medical benefits of circumcision but in recent years changed their stance completely and now say there are NO benefits whatsoever. Really? 1. So they know better that God? 2. Doctors and people you know have story after story of problems that arose because a boy was not circumcised. Just in my circle of friends and family, I have heard no less than 2 dozen tales of problems i.e. chronic urinary tract infections, infections of the penis, etc. And 3. Follow the money. The AAP just like the FDA and others receive a lot of "donations" from interesting groups. That's a whole other blog post. Their change of heart coincides with advent of political correctness. Another coincidence, I'm sure.
       
    2. Circumcised boys are less likely to get a urinary tract infection (UTI) compared to uncircumcised boys
       
    3. Circumcised men are less likely to get cancer of the penis anytime during their lifetimes compared to uncircumcised men. Infant circumcision gives almost 100% protection, and young adult circumcision also gives a large degree of protection.
       
    4. Balanitis is an unpleasant, often recurring, inflammation of the glans. It is quite common and can be prevented by circumcision.
       
    5. Human papillomavirus (HPV) lasts longer in uncircumcised men http://doctor.ndtv.com/storypage/ndtv/id/004375/HPV__circumcision.html
       
    6. Cancer of the cervix in women is due to the Human Papilloma Virus. It thrives under and on the foreskin from where it can be transmitted during intercourse. An article in the British Medical Journal in April 2002 suggested that at least 20% of cancer of the cervix would be avoided if all men were circumcised. Surely that alone makes it worth doing?
       
    7. Circumcision may lower risk of genital wart virus, among other things.
       
    8. I could go on but there are so many benefits that outweigh the risks and so much politically correct info being disseminated, you can do more homework here.
       
12. Gas drops – I think they're Simethicone anti-gas drops. I find them at Wal-mart or Meijer. Get 4 bottles: 1 for the diaper bag, 1 for the nursing basket (I'll get to that in a minute), 1 for your nightstand (assuming you keep itty-bit in your room the first 3-6 months like we do), and 1 for the medicine cabinet as back-up for when you realize you've run out of gas drops. THESE WORK! They're safe for baby and relieve gas pain almost instantly – keep a burpee nearby incase of spit-up.
    
13. Lansinoh – get Lansinoh if you're nursing. Trust me.
    
14. Nursing hurts – every time with every baby for the first couple of weeks. It takes getting used to but it's worth it. I've heard some moms say it only last a couple of days, others two to three weeks. Any longer than this, baby isn't latching on right or something.
    

That's all I can think of for now. I hope this helps somebody!