Mother to be in NC?

[CM6755]

We are first time parents a little later in life than most, although it seems like women are having children later in life nowadays! Guess I am not as different as I thought! We live outside of Charlotte, NC and our Due Date is October 26th, 2008. I am READY to have this baby!!! Dad, not-so-much...he is going out of town for the 10th, 11th, and 12th of October (so is my OB!!!) and is pretty nervous about me going into labor while he is away. It's an important trip and I am (for the most part) okay with him going...it's close enough that if need be he can rent a car and drive back if he can't get an earlier flight home. Timing will be tight if he has to drive back (8 hour drive..he'll probably make it in 6...LOL, no he'd better not get a ticket!!!) but we will survive. I have heard so many different labor stories I can't get too excited or upset anymore...what happens, happens...my neighbor's 1st delivery was so fast that she didn't have time for an epidural, she was in lthe last stage of labor for 2 hours (didn't realize she was in labor all day until later that night...she said the contractions didn't really hurt until evening.) and 4 pushes later she had a little boy!!! On the flip side I have heard of first time mom's being in labor for days too!!! I haven't set any expectations for labor other than it will hurt, it will be worth it and yes...eventually it will be over. We are going to try to have a natural birth...that being said, if I need something to help with the pain I will ask...I don't want to let myself get too exhausted and then NEED an epidural for a forceps delivery! Well, I guess I can stop on that note and quit rambling on. Thanks for reading!!! Congrats to all you preggos!

[oliviascalzo]

Hey! We also live outside of Charlotte, NC...in the Mooresville area. We had our first baby in May of this year. My water broke exactly 2 weeks early and my midwife was on vacation that week, so the doctor had to deliver her instead...luckily we had met him a couple of times, so we were comfortable with him. I thought that I was going to do it without the epidural, but after being at 1.5cm ALL DAY LONG, I finally gave in at 730pm when I had suddenly (finally) progressed far enough to get the anesthesia. I wanted to use the jacuzzi tub, but they won't let you after your water has broken, because that can risk infection. Also, the baby's heart rate kept dropping, so I had to stay in the bed and lay on my side and be constantly monitored. That was the worst, since laying down made it hurt the most. The found that when I layed certain ways, her heart rate dropped, so those positions must have been compressing the umbilical cord. I have heard that epidurals can make labor last longer, but my doctor told me after I had been in labor for 10 hours that it would relax me and that would probably make things progess faster....and he was spot on...3 hours later, Olivia was here! Anyway, what part of Charlotte do you live in? Maybe we are neighbors! Good luck with your delivery and all the fun that comes afterwards!

[lorimojo]

I live in Laurinburg, NC and we are also going to be first time parents due December 8th. Also later in life for us but we are excited and have gone to all the genetic counseling and tests, they say all should be ok so just counting down the weeks now.

[CM6755]

So, I just had my weekly OB visit yesterday...His eyebrows went up so far when he measured me....4.5 cm gain in 1 WEEK!!! Ultrasound scheduled for Friday 17th to see if baby is TOO BIG or it's just a lot of fluid. I think he is big...his father & his brothers were all right at about 9 lbs. and over. OH well, so much for natural childbirth...I told the Doctor, I am NOT pushing a 9+pound baby out, so you just do what you have to do! LOL!!! I will keep you posted!