Cricket! Thinking of you!! It might be time to start lighting candles and bringing baby into your heart.
Eenee, sending lots of hugs. I'm glad you have your IM. Do your family understand the strain you're under? I think you need lots more help!
The Mrs, I always feel shaky after baby is born and can't walk unassisted so I would struggle with the stairs. My second stage is fast though so my body goes into shock. Both times I have struggled to sleep but you need a comfy place to lie down. I would consider making a little nest near the birth pool with a mattress and pillows and blankets and some books or magazines or iPad etc so you can get cosy after baby is born.
Lots of drinks on hand is a good one though! If it makes you feel any better, DD2 was also a HB in January, so not long past you. And we had the coolest January I remember! So much for all that time I was going to spend in the swimming pool in the lead up to her birth - it wasn't even warm enough to go for a swim until after she was born (and I couldn't then for a few weeks, thanks to post-birth).
I'll be birthing in the same spot and at night it won't be hot at all and if by chance DD3 arrives during the day, well, that's what the air conditioner is for.
We do have a woodfire, but honestly, that would just be one more thing for DP to worry about. And I hate bfing in the middle of the night during winter! So plenty of positives to a spring/summer babe too.
The_Mrs: just remember because of the lack of drugs, etc, you probably will 'feel' more initially, over the first few days. But that's gotta be better than a drugged-out zombie sensation and then the pain. Just felt more like I'd run a marathon and would rather not walk far after DD2. And by the afternoon for the first few days to a week, boy did I need to put my feet up and not move anywhere!
And then there are those of us that just pop out a baby in the morning and then life just goes on as normal. DD1 was born at 7am, home by 9am and I was making morning tea at 10am lol. I was a bit confined to the couch for most of the day after DD2 because of a post birth bleed but I felt normal (besides the freaking killer after birth pains!!). My midwife and I decided against the syntocinon shot for the bleed because it makes the after pains worse so I just kept quiet and all was fine. By day 3 I was back doing the kindy run.
After my bleed with DD3 I was pretty wiped out, had her at 12, was home by 5pm (midwives wanted to keep an eye on me at the birth centre because of the bleeding) and my mum cooked me dinner - which I could barely eat. I was so exhausted I went straight to bed when I got home and just stayed there and mum and DH took turns taking care of the kids and making sure I was eating and drinking. And that was only a 7 hour labour (2 hour active all up!) so obviously I wasn't in very good shape. I was reasonably fit when I fell pregnant this time though so I'm not sure if that will make a difference to how I feel? I was active before but haven't really exercised since about February. I want to start going for walks now but also aware of my SPD - its fine at the time of walking, its the day after that I can barely move.
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