Last trisemester & still feeling clueless

[Emma1979]

i wouldn't worry to much about when you go into labour, its usually quite tame and uneventful and SLOW.... you might start to get period pain, and then it progresses.... there is LOADS of time to get to the hospital (usually, i know there are the exceptions of people's baby's coming in an hour etc, but you'd have to be pretty dam lucky/unlucky for that to happen)...
you could call an ambulance, or if you are going to the hospital early i don't see anything wrong with driving yourself, i know they would advise against it, but if its in very early labour with just mild period pain contractions, it could be done.... or call a taxi! ambulance or taxi - easy options...

its usually only in the movies where your waters break in some public place and thats the first inkling you have of labour, again i know there are exceptions to the rule...

i have a student midwife who has been going to my appointments with me and who will be present at my birth, maybe if you don't have a doula, you could ask if there is a student that would like to be present, and meet them before hand... chances are they would be dying to see a birth... my student has two kids, one c-section, and one VBAC so is a wealth of knowledge through experience... just an idea.

honestly the going into labour while exciting is not terrifying, as said above... its slow and steady in most cases.... i stayed at home for a good 12 hours before going to the hospital, then had another 15 hours at the hospital, hopefully yours will be quicker than that, but you can see there is loads of time to get to the hospital before the real action takes place (usually!)

good luck!

[Emma1979]

for what its worth, having been through a long labour, and then a emergency c-section, if i were going it alone i would definitely opt for the labour...

there is ALOT more to consider if you are having a c-section - you still have to get yourself to the hospital and will have time constraints there (you can go whenever you like with a labour)... you will also need alot of help support after the birth....

once you get to the hospital you will have the support of the midwives, and getting to the hospital honestly won't be anything like what you have seen in the movies.... go fairly early and it will just be a normal journey with the occassional cramp/contraction... if your waters break you just sit on some towels...

[blackduckies]

Hi have you posted on here looking for a doula, or trainee midwife, there are usually a few that are looking for woman to support as a part of their training and they will do it for free. It would be nice to have a support person, but you will find that when it comes to the time a midwife will be wonderful and if you let your OB and hospital know I am sure they will be able to find someone who will be suited to you, perhaps a more mature midwife, more motherly???
I have had both natural birth and c-section and survived both, I am going back for baby no 5crazy I know!!! I am undecided whether to try for a natural birth again or c-section, only because natural is likely to end in c-section again and I wonder if I should just go straight to it, but the girls are right what makes me want to try natural again are:

1: a lot better for baby to choose their own birth date then you know they are ready.

2: like to know that I at least tried, and I got to experience labour again, you might be surprised at how it goes, and a lot of girls ahve regrets at not having laboured afterwards.

3: recovery is a lot easier, I can relate to sleeping in a chair it was a huge shock at how incapaciated I was, my cs after the first weren't too bad though.

4: after cs you won't be able to drive for 4 weeks, that might complicate things.

5: excitement about going into labour verus the dread/count down of impending c-section (but thats just me? others it would'nt worry I guess?)

What about asking your OB for a trial of labour? and if you don't cope, find it too much, then go to cs, obviously he is entertaining the idea of you having a cs??

First baby you will find you will have more than enough time to get to hospital, if your waters did break a towel (depending on how broken they are?) or often a pad or 2 is enough, I have thought it would be a bit embrassing but now think if it happens it happens, tis fairly obvious you are pregnant and have no say in the matter!!!

Wishing you the best of luck, it is a nervous time, I don't think there are many of us who did'nt have some kind of worries first time around, it is really that you don't know what to expect..and the reward at the end however it happens is you get to meet your gorgeous baby.