As a mother-to-be who is due to go on labor anytime soon, you've
had less than nine months - ample time - to prepare for the
birth of your child. Whether this is your first, second or third
time to give birth, it would never hurt to be prepared.
The more preparations you make, the less anxious you will be as
your due date to give birth approaches.
Here are some important things to prepare as you near the date
when you would welcome the newest member of the family:
1. Prepare yourself both emotionally and physically.
As a future mother, you might have read every book about
childbirth and labor, or you might have had previous experience.
For first time mothers, talk to other women who already have
children and ask for the physical signs so that you would know
what to look for if you are about to go into labor.
The most common signs that you are on your way are contractions
which may be hard, frequent or far-in-between, cramps which feel
the same way as if it was the time of the month, lower backache,
your water breaking, and that "gut feeling" or instinct that
this is the time.
For second or third-time mothers, remember that you will not
deliver two different babies in the same way, even if they came
from the same womb.
It is also good to prepare yourself emotionally for post-natal
depression, as the date when you are about to give birth nears.
2. Prepare your birth plan.
You might have prepared a birth plan months in advance.
However, as the time nears and you are just counting days before
your child is born, it is better to review and re-check the plan
that you prepared.
Make sure that it carries your specifications to the letter. In
the birth plan, the following are the important things that
should be considered:
-State whether you want to give birth in a hospital, birth
center or at home.
-Specify the person whom you would want to guide you through
your labor: is it your ob-gyne, a midwife or a labor coach?
-State whether you want an Epidural or if you prefer to give
birth the natural way.
-If you have a son, would you want the baby to be circumcised
immediately?
You would also need to specify smaller details, like if you want
to hold your child as soon as he or she is born.
Another thing which is good to specify in the birth plan is the
times that you want the baby to be with you. Would you want to
hold it all the time or is it okay for the child to stay in the
nursery? This, of course would not apply if you are giving birth
at home.
However, the birth plan is not an actual blow-by-blow account of
how your delivery will be. There are unexpected things that
might occur, so just use it as a concrete guide.
3. Assume which member of the family is going to be with you
when you finally go into labor. This may be your husband or
partner, a close friend, your mother or any other relative. Make
sure that whoever you choose is well-acquainted with your birth
plan so as not to go against what you feel is best for you and
the baby.
4. Pack up your suitcase with all the things that you might
need. Prepare this at least a week or a few days before the date
when you are due to give birth. If you plan to go to a hospital,
have a checklist of the clothes, baby things and toiletries that
you will need. Do not forget to include your birth plan when
packing.
If you plan to do it at home, have a specific area where all the
things that you will need will be located so that time will not
be wasted looking for them.
> Prepare yourself for unexpected events. Again, one birth is
different from the other. Your ob-gyne might not be able to
attend to you at the exact time that you are about to give
birth. Who will you settle for as a replacement? What if your
husband is stuck somewhere else at the time that you are in
labor? Who would you want to be with you in the delivery room?
If you planned a natural birth and you cannot stand the pain,
would you go for an epidural?
Taking all of these things and other minor details into
consideration would more or less prepare you for giving birth to
the child that you have carried in your womb for the past nine
months.
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