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Savager

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Ridgefield, NJ
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Ok. Me and my wife is expecting a baby on Nov. 18th. Atleast that is the due date. So it's any time now. I am very nervous. I was just wondering if there's any sign of labor? Any tips? This is our first. Everytime, my wife calls me, my heart stops hehe.
 

grknyer

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New York
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CONGRATS!!!!!! I wish I was in your shoes right now at least I'd be getting some sleep.I'm sleep deprived.Get your sleep NOW!!!.LOL
I have two babies under 2years old. I wish I could give you some advice but both times it was scheduled and funny thing is with the second pregnancy when we showed up at the hospital as scheduled she was having minor contractions and didn't even know it till the nurse hooked her up to the fetal monitor. It can happen at any time I guess.
Hopefully you will around when it happens and don't panic.
Trust me the best feeling in the world is when you will be holding your baby for the first time.
Congrats again.
P.S. Your tank might suffer abit but don't sell it.Maybe just to me.J/K I have been seeing a lot of tanks for sale after pregnancy and birth announcements so hang in there.
 

vanceny

Senior Member
Location
Woodside, Queens
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It usually happens at night when she is sleeping. That's when they are more relaxed. I would put some towels under her in case her water breaks. I hear that it can smell. You may want to do that for the car as well. Dont want to have to replace the car becuase of an odor you can't get rid of. My wife has had 2 c-sections so I dont have first hand knowledge of the actual labor thing.
 

pmui

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NYC/NJ
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It usually happens at night when she is sleeping. That's when they are more relaxed. I would put some towels under her in case her water breaks. I hear that it can smell. You may want to do that for the car as well. Dont want to have to replace the car becuase of an odor you can't get rid of. My wife has had 2 c-sections so I dont have first hand knowledge of the actual labor thing.


I second that! or just put a layer or garbage bags under the sheets for easy clean up, yes put some towles on the car seat.
 

emps

Tired Member
Location
Great Neck
Rating - 97.8%
45   1   0
Congrats on the upcoming baby. Wife and I just had our first in Sept, and we were 3 weeks early. Without grossing everyone out (stop reading if you don't want to hear the details :)), the mucus plug that blocks the uterus will be the first to start oozing out as your wife begins to dilate. This can begin as early as 4 weeks before your due date. It's like the consistency of snot :).

There are 2 signs of water breaking, a slow leak which is called a high leak (typically a tear in the upper portion of the sac, and the gushing kind which is from a break on the bottom side. If any of these happen, call your doctor immediately. They will make you go into the hospital within2-6 hours depending on the leak. We had a high leak and was told to be at the hospital within 6 hours. But just so you know, statistically, only 1 on 10 women actually break their water. The rest have normal contractions and the nurses break the water once they know you're in real labor.

Contractions are similar to your wifes cramps and will be in regular intervals, and will be short and longer apart during the first stage. You should call the doctor, but they'll probably tell you to hang out at home for a bit until the contractions are more frequent and last longer. You'll need to be in the hospital by then.

Have you guys taken any breathing classes or decided on an epidural?

It's a wonderful experience and something that can't be really explained by words, but it's a bit scary going into it. We did alot of reading and took some lamaze and birthing classes before hand to be prepared and it helped alot.
 

Savager

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Location
Ridgefield, NJ
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Have you guys taken any breathing classes or decided on an epidural?

It's a wonderful experience and something that can't be really explained by words, but it's a bit scary going into it. We did alot of reading and took some lamaze and birthing classes before hand to be prepared and it helped alot.

We didn't take any class, but we read alot about it. And yes we definately take epidural. I will leave the room while they inject the epidural to my wife though, but I have a fear of needle, I heard it's quite big.
 
C

Chiefmcfuz

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My first was the surprise My advice is when the water breaks get to the hospital.
Get sleep now and when wifey is at the hospital cause when they both come hom you won't sleep for about 30 years :lol2:
 

jejton

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk
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BTW sex and nipple massages ( on hers not yours ) can actually bring on labor and often times the nurses/doctors will recommend it if the woman is late. Also have a plan on how to drive to the hospital because you dont want to find her in labor during rush hour and you not knowing an alternate route.
 

NYreefNoob

Skimmer Freak
Location
poughquag, ny
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the sex part was told to us also by the doctor, and there is no set time after water break when she will have the baby, and as stated get as much as sleep as possible now. and buy what ever you always wanted cause after the baby is born you wont be able too :irked:
 

daisy

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there are lots of things to bring on labor, not just sex, by the way - if you need to go that route. spicey food, lots of walking, and there are also some really gross-sounding stuff she could eat that might work, though I would NEVER try them (way too gross....)

but it seems to me that's not what you're asking.

labor is a lot like menstrual cramping. it can happen in the lower back, anywhere on the belly. it starts out not so bad and pretty infrequent, and when it's true labor, it will progress to the point where it's regular cramping that lasts for a few seconds to maybe 30 seconds and then goes away. When she begins to feel the cramping has some regularity to it, she should time her cramps (contractions). At this point, she needs to call her OB/GYN and let him or her know what's going on. When they are consistently 10 to 6 minutes apart and possibly but not necessarily quite painful, she needs to get herself to the hospital.


In terms of water breaking, as you've already read, it does not always happen, but if it does, they will make sure the baby is born within 24 hours or so, because w/o that water, the baby can't stay in the uterus safely for long. And yes, I think it will ruin the mattress. It's not like a gush of water usually, though - it's more like not realizing that you're peeing....

A due date is pretty arbitrary within two weeks plus or minus, by the way, so all of this could be happening tomorrow, or it could be December 1. You never know.

I have had two kids, just so you know. I had an epidural with the first, and no drugs at all with the second. I was scared to death with the first, and not scared at all with the second. I did not even experience any pain at all with the second until the last maybe half hour of labor. my waters never broke.

I strongly suggest you look up something called "hypno-birthing." it's basically a self-induced trance that works to totally remove the laboring mother from pain. I did not do it with my first child, and I think that the pain I felt made the labor three times longer and scarier and just plain awful. I was just so scared because of the pain. I was afraid of each next contraction. but with the second child, I removed the pain from the scenario (can't tell you how i did it - i was in a trance basically...) and it went so smoothly.

I learned the hypno-birthing stuff in the last weeks before the labor. I don't have the materials any more, but i bet you could google it and get it off the internet if you wanted to. There are probably also books out there on it - it was amazing, I'm telling you.

...but the best advice at all - make sure your health insurance is all in order and then...

SLEEP

best of luck!
 

emps

Tired Member
Location
Great Neck
Rating - 97.8%
45   1   0
We didn't take any class, but we read alot about it. And yes we definately take epidural. I will leave the room while they inject the epidural to my wife though, but I have a fear of needle, I heard it's quite big.

You don't need to leave the room, they won't let you behind her while they do it for safety reasons. You should be in front of her holding her hand while they do it for support.
 

Savager

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Location
Ridgefield, NJ
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
Thank you so much guys. And thank you Daisy, I show your writing to my wife and my wife felt much better now. I guess most of us has to go thru atleast once in our live. I hope we can go thru smoothly. I can't wait to hold my baby daughter, that's so exciting just thinking about it. I think I might cry, I do that alot, hehe.
 
C

Chiefmcfuz

Guest
Rating - 100%
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When they handed me my daughter I cried. My son as well. Just be supportive of your wife. That's the most important thing and remember you have a few days to get whatever you need snuck into the house and into your tank before she will even notice :lol2:
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
Rating - 100%
182   0   0
labor is a lot like menstrual cramping. it can happen in the lower back, anywhere on the belly. it starts out not so bad and pretty infrequent, and when it's true labor, it will progress to the point where it's regular cramping that lasts for a few seconds to maybe 30 seconds and then goes away. When she begins to feel the cramping has some regularity to it, she should time her cramps (contractions). At this point, she needs to call her OB/GYN and let him or her know what's going on. When they are consistently 10 to 6 minutes apart and possibly but not necessarily quite painful, she needs to get herself to the hospital.


In terms of water breaking, as you've already read, it does not always happen, but if it does, they will make sure the baby is born within 24 hours or so, because w/o that water, the baby can't stay in the uterus safely for long. And yes, I think it will ruin the mattress. It's not like a gush of water usually, though - it's more like not realizing that you're peeing....

A due date is pretty arbitrary within two weeks plus or minus, by the way, so all of this could be happening tomorrow, or it could be December 1. You never know.

I have had two kids, just so you know. I had an epidural with the first, and no drugs at all with the second. I was scared to death with the first, and not scared at all with the second. I did not even experience any pain at all with the second until the last maybe half hour of labor. my waters never broke.

I strongly suggest you look up something called "hypno-birthing." it's basically a self-induced trance that works to totally remove the laboring mother from pain. I did not do it with my first child, and I think that the pain I felt made the labor three times longer and scarier and just plain awful. I was just so scared because of the pain. I was afraid of each next contraction. but with the second child, I removed the pain from the scenario (can't tell you how i did it - i was in a trance basically...) and it went so smoothly.

I learned the hypno-birthing stuff in the last weeks before the labor. I don't have the materials any more, but i bet you could google it and get it off the internet if you wanted to. There are probably also books out there on it - it was amazing, I'm telling you.

...but the best advice at all - make sure your health insurance is all in order and then...

SLEEP

best of luck!

Daisy has explained it very well! I had 4. With all of mine the labor pains began in my lower back. First time I didn't even know I was in labor until I told my neighbor I had a little pain in my back.lol
I also remember being very fearful with my first. I'll never forget the older lady on the bus that told me having a baby was like (gross) having a bowel movement when constipated.lol
My very best wishes to you both, may you have a wonderfully beautiful baby, and may all your fears be put to rest very soon. God Bless
CONGRATULATIONS
As you have all ready been told repeatedly here.

GET ALL THE SLEEP YOU CAN WHILE YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Savager

Advanced Reefer
Location
Ridgefield, NJ
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
BTW, my mother in law will stay with us for few months after we have our first baby. She lives in Texas but she is coming here this weekend. So I think I don't have to wake up in the middle of the night and take care the baby :)

I am not sure which on is worse, sleepless or living with mother in law. Well, I think living with mother in law is better than countless sleepless night.
 

duke62

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
224   0   0
watch the mother in law thing.when i had my first child i was 20.living at my inlaws.i was very close to my mother inlaw.afterv the baby was born she took over.telling me what to do.gave my son his first bath while i wasnt there.when i changed him for the first time she bumped me with her hips and told me she got it.we got into a bad fight over everything that stressed my wife and i to a point we almost broke up.not saying its going to happen to you but i will sit her down and get the ground rules out of the way so there is no tension.trust me it can happen
 

Savager

Advanced Reefer
Location
Ridgefield, NJ
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
watch the mother in law thing.when i had my first child i was 20.living at my inlaws.i was very close to my mother inlaw.afterv the baby was born she took over.telling me what to do.gave my son his first bath while i wasnt there.when i changed him for the first time she bumped me with her hips and told me she got it.we got into a bad fight over everything that stressed my wife and i to a point we almost broke up.not saying its going to happen to you but i will sit her down and get the ground rules out of the way so there is no tension.trust me it can happen

Thanks man. I hope it doesn't happened to me but you never know. Actually that isn't what I am worrying about. I am just worrying about my mom. She isn't happy about this whole situation. If my mom lives close by, I would rather give it to my mom than my inlaw since my mom has so much more experience on this department, she took care our brother and sister's babies. Plus, in our culture, guy hardly ever lives with his inlaw unless he can't support his own family financially. Anyway, I was talking to my mom on the phone yesterday, and I could tell she isn't too happy. She isn't saying it but I can tell.
 

Phyl

Experienced Reefer
Location
Jackson, NJ
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
You may want to do that for the car as well. Dont want to have to replace the car becuase of an odor you can't get rid of.

A good detailer can clean a car good as new. Thankfully. We still have the car that my first was born in.

Contractions don't have to hurt to work. Take any regular pattern seriously.
 

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