Pain in labor is, for most women, inevitable. As I anticipated the birth of our daughter, I knew that before I held my newborn in my arms, I would have to undergo a certain amount of pain. Pain is not something that I seek out, but the pain of labor was something that I had tried to prepare myself for the only way I knew how; by not dwelling on it. I had already experienced a pretty intense labor with my son. I chose to do an intervention free labor and delivery with my son. I found a midwife that … Continue reading →

After about thirty minutes of these stronger contractions, I told my husband to call the midwife. It was about eight in the morning. Once the midwife and her on-call nurse arrived, they checked my progress. I was still only about three centimeters dilated but my cervix was now anterior so there was progress albeit still slow progress in the last eight hours of labor. Soon after the midwife and nurse arrive my contractions continued to get stronger and more painful. The contractions seemed to be right on top of each other. With every contractions I reached for my husband for … Continue reading →

I had the worst hip pain during my pregnancy. It got so bad, that at one point, I couldn’t leave the house. Whenever I walked, I could hear this clicking sound that felt like it was coming from the center of my pelvic bones. It was really hard to cope. The worst part about it was trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. It was nearly impossible. I finally found a few tricks that helped alleviate the pain enough to get some rest. The first trick I tried, which worked until I got too big to maneuver the … Continue reading →

Have you ever wondered why a person will cringe at the thought of a vaccination, but will gladly let someone put a piercing gun to their lobes for a new pair of earrings? Some people hate going to the dentist, but have no problem putting on a pair of rollers blades and burning down the bike path like they have jets on their skates. Pain is relative, and our experience with pain has more to do with our understanding of it than the physical amount of it. Sometimes all we need to endure pain is a sense of purpose and … Continue reading →

Aches and pains are pretty common during pregnancy. They are so common that it’s unusual if you don’t have them. Headaches, backaches and sore hips and joints pretty much come with the territory. The tricky part is dealing with the pain in such a way that will not present any risk to the baby. You may have popped two or three Ibuprofen before you were pregnant, but it’s no longer so simple. While some over the counter pain relievers, such as Acetaminophen, are perfectly safe during pregnancy, other common pain killers, like Aspirin, should be avoided. For those who want … Continue reading →

Reacting to whatever life throws you is so much more simple when you are not pregnant. But when you’re expecting, suddenly you have to consider every decision in a whole new light. This never more true than when you’re deciding whether to take a medication. When your head is pounding, is it okay to just take a pain reliever like aspirin or ibuprofen? Should you consult your doctor? Are there safer ways to cope with a headache? Between the surge of hormones and the extra blood flow associated with pregnancy, headaches are not that all uncommon. They are especially prevalent … Continue reading →

Looking back on my labor experience,I have to laugh. I laugh because I went through a period of latent labor which I grossly misinterpreted as the real thing. As I poured through message boards and repeatedly encountered bits of advice like, “don’t worry, you’ll be able to tell the difference between braxton hicks contractions and the real thing,” I had no idea how true those statements were. The difference between braxton hicks contractions and true active labor contractions is so significant, it is like describing the difference between a jet and a compact car. Yes, they are both modes of … Continue reading →

Let’s add spinal headaches to the list of reasons I am so glad I didn’t get the epidural. One of my favorite shows to watch is Bringing Home Baby on TLC. The other morning there were back to back episodes that featured women who both ended up with a spinal headache for the first week or so after giving birth. I cringed as these new moms confined themselves to bed in agony. They relied on their husbands to do most of the baby care, struggling to sit up when they needed to breastfeed, and one mom even resorted to using … Continue reading →