Were you ready for the birth of your baby?

[BellyBelly]

Every one of us has such different backgrounds and so very different lives which are so very complex. There are so many factors surrounding mother and baby that can effect the outcome of birth - social issues, physical issues, psychological issues, spiritual issues... bearing this all in mind, in the bigger picture, when it was time to birth your baby - do you think you were ready for baby to come when he/she did? Or were you unsure? Let's have a poll and see how everyone else felt. Voting is totally anonymous so please feel free to vote! Please feel free to discuss!

[Astrolady]

I was totally ready. At 7 months gestation in my pregnancy with Kameron i had everything organised and the nursery done. So physically I was ready and mentally I was also ready. At 37wks I was so excited knowing i was going to be a mum soon, not knowing at the time it was to be just 6 days later.


Love

[{sarah}]

I said unsure!

I had everything organised by the time I had my baby shower in mid-January - nursery set up, clothes washed & everything done so in that sense I was ready.

But my mind didn't grasp the idea that I was going to be a mum if that makes sense? The whole pregnancy went so fast & when I went into labour I couldn't quite believe that it was happening so soon (says someone who took 2yrs to conceive LOL).

[kazz30]

I was ready. The nursery was all set up, by 7 months pg and I had my bags packed about 6 weeks before Nicholas's birth. I just couldn't wait for him to come, but then he was 3 days late.

[nellbe]

I was sooo ready, in my heart and mind I was ready, nursery really wasn't as we were in our rented house with the threat of moving very soon, regardless I was ready to meet my little man and be a mum!

[Lucy]

I was so ready it was beyond a joke. We were financially ready a few years beforehand, and had practiced living off one salary for ages.

Emotionally we were ready.....I had done so much soul searching before TTC, during TTC and over the period of 3 years TTC (including a loss) & really questioned ourselves on our parenting readiness. For me, the only positive thing about a loss is that it forces you to really look at all the reasons behind wanting to become a parent, so I felt like we had "earned our stripes" and really come together as a couple to "be ready"

In terms of the practical stuff we were orgnaised and ready......that was the easy bit in comparison!

Having said all of the above, one thing that never fails to amaze me about motherhood is that you can "know" intellectually what it involves (ie the sleepless nights, the total responsibility, the life change) but with me it "hit" emotionally when Olivia was about 3 days old. I can remember looking down at her, thinking, OMG, I now finally comprehend what everyone is on about!

[Mumma2three]

I was ready in that nursery was set up, bag packed and I was literally waiting for contractions to hit. What I wasn't so ready for was coming home afterwards. Even though breastfeeding was fine (after initial mastitis on day 5) and 5 days of baby blues, I just couldn't quite comprehend that I was now solely in charge of a life.
I think I was so scared about the birth, that I didn't spend alot of time getting prepared for after. What saved me was mothers group, although I didn't get out of the house until week 6. Most people started at week3. Next time I would force myself to go early, as I just found the support and being with people in the same situation, invaluable. A bit like belly belly but face to face!!
I was ok after that, but the initial shock of having a baby is what really threw me. I suppose all first time mums have some adjusting to do, but maybe next time (It's been 7 years for me) I will plan a bit ahead. xo

[kirsty]

I said I wasn't ready for my baby to be born for a couple of different reasons.

As far as at home went I was ready, had the cradle all set up & clothes organised.

But as far as physically being ready there was no way I was anywhere near ready. My waters broke at 31wks & I can still remember the midwife asking if we had bags packed (I had to be flown to Melbourne to have our baby) to which the answer was a resounding "NO" ~ I mean I thought I stil had 3wks of work left & plenty of time to pack bags. She also asked if I'd been to antenatal classes & that was very firm "NO" as well. Was due to start them the week that James was born.

So while I was ready to be a mum ~ we had tried for 3yrs to concieve James so was definetely ready to be pg ~ I also was no where near organised for how things turned out.

[mumofbundlezofjoy]

Luckily for me I am one of those, get there 1/2 hr early girls, coz with the twins i was ready ( bags packed etc) at 28 weeks, I had visited the SCN just in case etc etc, which was just as well since they came at 33 weeks, but had a bloody show 3 days before, so knew they were on the way, as cervix fully effaced too!
With #3 I had a feeling would be early again, and was right at 36 weeks. Am ready now with this one but dont really "expect" to go for another few weeks. If I go over, now thats something Im NOT ready for!!!!!

[Tracey]

I was so ready & so prepared etc, I was in hospital on & off with contractions for 2 days, so i was so ready by the time she was born...
But as with others, I was in shock once I was home alone & had this pooing, weeing, wriggly thing that solely I was responsible for & that's when I sobbed my heart out by myself wondering what the hell I had done...
I was single at the time & had moved home to Mum & Dads. I ahd no idea, I had never planned for kids in my life ever & now this thing depended entirely on me...

I coped & have a perfectly adorable daughter!!!

Another on the way now almost 7yrs later!

[Debbie Lee]

Not really. I was ready in the respect that I had all her things organised (labour bag packed etc.) but not physically or mentally. I think I could have easily gone another week to 2 weeks without being majorly uncomfortable. Gabby wasn't engaged and I hadn't even experienced BH contractions.
I was induced because my BP was high and they wanted to avoid complications. Instead, I was in agony for 5 days with 3 lots of gel (a 4th refused by me), the cord wrapped around Gabby's neck (and I wonder if that would have happened if she was engaged??) and I ended up with a c-section anyway! You live and learn, hey?

[katanya]

By the time he came I was more than ready (especially when he was overdue)! Mentally, emotionally...everything but financially, but somehow we coped..

Not sure whether it was my body or Felix wanting to stay put but he wouldn't budge until coaxed out with an induction..I'm planning on trying to wait next time..

[christy]

I'd have to say unsure, because although I had "everything" ready, once it happened I realised I wasn't ready.... 8-[

[Juliette]

I have to say I'm with Christy on this one. I thought I was ready - had a lovely nursery set up, the house cleaned, definately physically over pregnancy...but now that she's here I'm not so sure about things. I am now faced with the scary realisation that I have no idea about babies, and having just come out of (hopefully) the baby blues period I feel far from psychologically ready...

[Ambah]

I would have to say that I was unsure...
I guess I was physically ready.
And although I was dying to meet my son, I dont think I really knew how to mentally or emotionally prepare for it. So when my waters broke and I knew it was all about to happen - I was sh*t scared! And labour was nothing like I imagined - I felt so emotionally detached. And the first few months of Aidyns life sort of felt like I was in shock or in a daze...
We also werent financially ready... that would probably have taken us another 10 years at least! LOL

[BellyBelly]

*bumping thread*

[hannanat]

I was reall y ready with all my other babies, but I'm not with this one. I start 35 weeks tomorrow and still have to by all the stuff for my labour bag. Its just been more hectic and I alternate between wishing the time would fly and feeling overwhelmed that everything is happening so fast, lol...

[Tobily]

Not really ready.
Her coming 3.5 weeks early didn't help
I wasn't ready in terms of having her stuff organised - I'd only just finished work a few days before and planned to do it the 3-4 weeks I had left. HA.
So not having that organised didn't help the mental preparation either. I still had in my head "oh there's still a month left yet" and I just kept procrastinating constantly.
I hadn't done a birth plan, or given much detailed thought to pain management or pain relief in labour....I hadn't thought much about labour at all. I think I was in denial LOL.

When my water broke I continued being in denial for about an hour and then I realised it was really happening and I nearly died of shock.

This time I have been much more proactive and at 27 weeks I'm more prepared than I was at 36 weeks last time. I really don't want to get caught unawares like that again.