To My Future Pregnant Self...

...I guess just assuming I will have more kids ones day :)

There are a few things I want to remember for my next go around of being prego and going through labor. I would like to do a few things differently so that hopefully I can have a better experience next time, and maybe some other mama's to be can pick up a few tips. **Although, I do realize that every pregnancy, labor, and baby will be different no matter what I do**

1. You can do it. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it was the hardest thing you have had to physically do in your life (note that I've never run a marathon, played on a real sports team, or broken/drastically injured anything before, so perhaps one of those things would be harder?). But you did it! And you survived.

2. Find a doctor you like. This one is hard for me because I'm a major people pleaser and I did not want to be that person who walks in with a 10 page birthing plan and won't budge from it. Well, I still don't want to be that extreme, but I was way to easy going about everything. I have decided that I am paying the doctor, and I don't have to do everything he says. This is my body and my experience and I can make choices about it!

3. Get induced. (I actually wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is anti-epidural because it's going to intensify your contractions a lot). I know there are a lot of people out there who are really against this, but I am not. I probably wouldn't have scheduled an inducement with Tavvin because he was my first (I'm not actually sure doctors will let you do that), but I would really have liked to be induced much earlier than they let me with Tavvin. I don't see the harm in kicking my body into gear a little faster once it's already started anyway? By the time I had suffered through two days and nights of contractions I was SO exhausted that I couldn't even function, let alone try to enjoy the birthing process.

4. Ban binki's, bottles, and shields... until I have had a decent chance to try breast feeding. I realize this sounds extreme, but it's only for the first few days, and I had 4 long months of breastfeeding failures so I think this is worth it. It may or may not make any difference, but after having the absolute worst time trying to get Tavvin to breastfeed, I want to try harder from the start next time, at least to see if it makes a difference. The nurses made me feel like my baby was going to die if I didn't give him a binki or a bottle because he wasn't breastfeeding, but everything I've read said they don't need hardly any calories for the first few days. I would rather keep them a little hungry for a day or two than suffer through 4 months of breastfeeding trauma!

5. If the contractions come before the medicine again, BREATHE. I don't know how I missed this, but apparently breathing really helps with the pain of contractions. After two days of pain every 3-5 minutes, a nurse finally took me by the shoulders, looked me in the eyes and said "Honey, you have to breathe." She sat like that and took really deep breaths with me until I figured out the rhythm and it helped so much. Go figure, just had to breathe.

6. Hospital Essentials. I was so stressed about having everything I needed at the hospital, but really you will be just fine if you bring nothing but clothes to wear home, and they can be the same ones you arrive in. They can give you everything you need. My strongest suggestion would just be to bring huge clothes. I brought a big scrub t-shirt and my biggest sweats and they still weren't big enough. I should have brought a large mens t-shirt and big mens sweats. This is because your belly is still going to be big, and not in a cute pregnant way anymore, and you will basically be wearing adult diapers stuffed with an ice pack. Just forget about what you will look like and bring huge clothes, trust me, it's more comfortable.
---> other than huge clothes, it's really up to you what you would like to bring. It's just like going on a 2 day trip to a well equipped (but not as fancy) hotel. Some snacks, a hair brush, tooth brush, and makeup (if you really want to put the time and energy into that) would be nice. I think it's most convenient to wear the hospital's gowns while you're there. If your house is nearby, it's not a pain to send your hubs or someone to retrieve things for you.

6. Stay active. During my pregnancy I got so worried that if I did any physical activity I would hurt the baby. So wrong! If you are healthy to begin with, staying active isn't only OK, it's good for you and the baby! By the time I figured this out I had gotten so out of shape and it was so hard to get back into exercise again, so next time I need to be active from the get go.

So there. Have more babies Brooke, you are capable! :)