Shortsightedness....and being in labour.

[~Flossie~]

hi, great post.. i remember asking a very similar question at my anti natal classes! ( i wear -5.00 contacts.. so very blind!)

Ok for my 1st bub, i was induced so i was actually asleep and had no glasses or contacts on, and didnt actually realise how quick every thing was going ! they examined me and bubs was crowning already ! so i had DH find my glasses ! and i put them on..

for DS ( 2nd bub) i was more in the know and i left my contact in , no probs.. great to see bubs when he was born ..

I was so worried about popping my contacts out when i pushed, however this wont happen! so dont stress about this at all!!!

[Sequoia]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

[Laranna]

I'd not thought of this yet! Great question shoegal. I'm shortsighted (-1.5) and usually wear glasses at work so I can take them off when I'm in front of the computer and wear contacts when I go out. I tend to wear my glasses if I'm going or driving somewhere I'm not familiar with. Since I've been pregnant I've found I've hardly worn either glasses or contact lenses at all, they seem to be too uncomfortable for my eyes.

So I think I might start out wearing my glasses but only if I remember to put them on when it's time to go to the hospital, so if I do I think I will probably end up taking them off during labour cause I think they would irritate me.

[Karina]

I'm shortsighted and I wore my glasses when I arrived at the hospital in labour, but after a short while, I just couldnt handle having anything on or near my face so I had to take them off. I think I would have gotten annoyed with them as I was under the shower for a bit and they would have gotten splashed. I dont see why you wouldnt be able to wear them though. Just do whatever feels comfortable. When Claire was born she was handed to me straight away and she was right near my face and I was able to see her no problems.

[Jesstibb]

I didn't wear mine for either birth. I didn't miss them during the labouring but I remember after Miss 3 was born, it was in the bathroom of the birthing room after me being on my knees and I was looking down at her on the mat and just kept asking "What is it? What is it?" because we hadn't known the sex and I couldn't see anything but a baby shaped pink blob! LOL. I wasn't distressed by this.

This second time I was on a bed and they brought the baby right up to my chest and I saw her fine.

I think its personal choice. I rolled around alot during labour and I think if they had fallen off or become damaged I would have been annoyed. Maybe keep them close and have your support person put them on you as soon as baby is born.

[Nelle]

Remember a few posts back when I said I hardly had any visual memories at all, despite having great vision? Well, we just had my birth support partner over for dinner (she supported with Riv and will with this one too), and she was like 'umm...you had your eyes closed most of the time'.

So yeah. That might be another reason you won't need your glasses.

[Sequoia]

Just thought I would update....

I ended up with my eyes closed nearly the whole time! Concentrating on my contractions and pushing was too much to have my eyes open. I was induced and was done in 4 hours. I made sure DH had my glasses close by when Baxter was placed on my chest.

SG
xo