Planning for the delivery

Planning for the delivery

Choosing a hospital and a consultant

I did a lot of online research and picked the hospital within my region that had statistically the lowest deaths and interventions.

My consultant obstetrician and surgeon was nothing short of incredible. I did a lot of research to find him. I checked Mum forums and picked the consultant who had the most recommendations in the hospital I was choosing and who had a private consultation room near me, so that I wouldn’t have to take too much time out of work to go to appointments.

I went in to the hospital on week 37 to check why I had reduced foetal movement and after some endeavours they gave me an emergency C-section.

Birth plan

There is a lot of talk about creating your perfect birth plan which states all of your preferences in relation to how you would like to give birth, sometimes down to the finest detail. I did put energy into this and brought it to the hospital. The process of creating it educated me on all the drugs, tools, words, options, etc. so for that reason, I would recommend doing one.

That said, you need to ready and willing to throw your plan over a hedge or at least be flexibile because sometimes, nature has other ideas. I would not suggest blindly following doctor’s orders to do something different to your state preference either. I would always question why a change of plan is being recommended and, ultimately make a considered decision. Again, the process of creating a plan will help you to understand more about the complexities that can arise.

Caesarean section

I didn’t want a C-section but I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. I was up and about straight away (I kind of had to be) and within five days I was off all pain meds. I do think it’s quite staggering that 5+ layers of the abdomen can be cut through and within a week you don’t need pain relief. What I mean to say is that .. it’s not nearly as bad an option as I had anticipated. Again, my consultant was outstanding. I’m sure that the medical treatment I received was everything to do with my speedy recovery.

10 months later and my scar is still there. I’m pretty sure it’s as good as a c-section gets at this stage given the level of expertise of the surgeon but it’s still not exactly a thing of beauty. I don’t mind though. I kind of see it as the window through which my darling little son entered the world safely and I’ll always be immensely grateful to my body (and Dr. Neil O’Gorman) for making that happen.

I massage it most days when I get out of the shower with Bio-Oil. A post-natal physiotherapist advised me to push and pull/tease the skin a few layers deep rather than just layering the oil on. This helps to break down the scar tissue at a deeper level, I guess.

Hospital must-haves (packing list)

Ear plugs (!), eye shield, sanitising wipes, snacks for night time (e.g. Kind bars, packs of nuts, bananas), pillow from home, guided meditations (I like the Insight Timer meditation app), earphones, dressing gown, slip-on slippers for the corridors, flip-flops for the shower, cosmetic bags that hang on a hook, dry shampoo, shower cap (there was nowhere for me to dry hair), 4-5 night dresses in case you’re in a few days, own water bottle (or two), Lucozade.

For baby

Newborn and 0-3 months clothes if you don’t know what size your little one will be. I was really glad that I packed c 6 short sleeve vests, 6 muslin cloths and 6 baby grows into ziplock bags. It’s important because you want to keep them hygienically clean.

Nappies, Bepanthen, Sudacrem, an outfit for photos if you are so inclined, something warm enough to travel home in, cellular blankets, little hats

Note: Bepanthen is much better than Sudacrem!

Playlist

Here is a Calm Labor & Delivery playlist on Spotify that I found soothing.