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Labor Part I

Similar to my first pregnancy, I never lost my mucus plug and did not have bloody show before I went into labor. Labor started without warning this time around too. My contractions began at five in the evening on the first day of my thirty ninth week of pregnancy. The contractions were very mild and felt like menstrual cramps. I mentioned to my husband that I was having some contractions and he started recording them. They were anywhere from four to fifteen minutes apart and lasted twenty to thirty seconds. I had experienced similar contractions a week earlier so I … Continue reading →

Five Basic Exercises for Successful Labor

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Delivering a baby requires a little flexibility. I’m not talking about compromising your birth plan, either. When you’re trying to squeeze a seven or eight pound baby through a space that is pretty small to begin with, you’re kidding yourself if you think you won’t have to contort into a number of rather awkward positions to make it happen. If you don’t stretch and limber up your muscles beforehand, you can expect quite a bit of extra soreness after you deliver. Who wants extra pain? Getting your body ready for delivery is not difficult, it just takes a little planning … Continue reading →

The Final Stage of Labor

A few minutes after my baby boy entered the world, I felt another contraction coming on, weaker than the rest. It felt like a dry heave and like it was second nature, I gave a quick push. The placenta came flying out like a vaginal sneeze. I hope you weren’t just eating dinner while you read that last line. Don’t worry, I had the same reaction. The doctor held it up and I exclaimed, “Ugh, that’s attractive!” To this day, I still don’t know why I said that. My husband still makes fun of me for it because he claims … Continue reading →

The Second Stage of Labor

The second stage of labor is the most exciting part of having a baby. That is probably the reason it is the most portrayed stage of labor on TV. We all have the image of the woman in her hospital gown, hunched over in a pool of sweat and screaming at her husband for getting her in this situation. Ironically, the pushing stage brings relief to the woman who just experienced the most intense pain during the final hours of the first stage of labor. Those last few centimeters are the worst! The second stage of labor is less painful, … Continue reading →

The First Stage of Labor

Your doctor or your childbirth instructor may mention the stages of labor. There are three stages of labor. The division between these three stages is clearer cut on paper than it is in real labor; they exist to help describe where a woman is in the labor process and nothing else. They may seem to blend together during the actual experience. The three stages of labor are dilation (and effacement), pushing, and birthing the placenta. The first stage of labor is often the longest, especially for first time mothers. The cervix must completely open and stretch back into the upper … Continue reading →

Epidurals and Interventions in Labor

Many women consider their epidurals the saving grace during labor. Women have varying beliefs; with some believing a natural birth is the safest thing for mom and baby. Others can’t understand why anyone would ever give birth without the benefit of an epidural. As it turns out, there may be a price to pay for the comfort of little pain during labor. Having an epidural increases the likelihood of certain medical interventions in labor. Some studies show it can raise the risk of needing a c section too. Natural child birth advocates point out studies which show epidurals can increase … Continue reading →

When Children Reach the “Club” Stage

Think back to your own childhood…do you remember the constant starting and creating of “clubs”—secret clubs with passwords and charters and all sorts of membership requirements? Some of our childhood clubs are rather elaborate and others have a more “impromptu” feel. I remember the very old children’s program “The Little Rascals” where the young boys had very established meetings of the “He-Man Woman-Haters Club.” While this is considered pretty politically incorrect these days, it is still a great example of the age and developmentally-appropriate stage of “clubs.” Somewhere around first or second grade, it seems, clubs become a big deal. … Continue reading →

Labor of the Heart

I’m not qualified to make a true correlation between physical labor while giving birth to a child, and the labor pains of the heart in adoption. I have never experienced child birth first hand. I had the honor of being invited while a long time close friend of mine was awaiting the arrival of her and her husband’s first child, a beautiful son by birth. I remember her contractions, the waiting for her next stage of labor to approach (she had a very, very long labor); the praying for her son, and for God to be with my friend to … Continue reading →

Focus on the Candidates – Jill Stein

This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in 2016. This blog focuses on Jill Stein. Jill Stein is a member of the Green Party who is running for President of the United States in 2016. Previously, she ran an unsuccessful Presidential campaign in 2012 (with Cheri Honkala as her running mate). Health Care According to her official website, Jill Stein sees health care as a right. She wants to establish an improved “Medicare For All” single-payer public health insurance program to provide everyone with quality health … Continue reading →

Pregnancy And Dreams

When you are pregnant, sleep does not always come easily. When you do get some rest, you may awaken to find that you had some very, very strange dreams while you were asleep. Strange dreams are par for the course during pregnancy, and it should come as no surprise that there is a connection between these dreams and all of those hormones that have flooded your system. In addition to an increase in the amount of dreams that women have during pregnancy, women are more likely to remember the dreams that they have while they are pregnant than they are … Continue reading →