LilSugar

Bring it On, Baby! 5 Ways to Get Labor Moving

Lisa Horten — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:27:09 PDT

If you're past your due date, then you'd probably like to give your baby a gentle reminder that he or she must have missed a very important memo to c'mon down. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. But before the doctor starts talking meds or induction, there a few natural methods of moving labor along that are worth trying out. Click through and see what might be a good fit.

And if we missed a technique that did the trick for you, then please let us in on your secret!

Lil Community: Who Watches the Kids During a Late Night Labor?

Lil Community — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:00:44 PST

Motherhood can be a mind-boggler! Go2Girl submitted this question in our The Mommy Club group.

I am trying to help my sister with some options for late night coverage for her 4-year-old twins. She is due in March, and already stressing about the possibility of going into labor late at night and not having adequate coverage for her children. Unfortunately, her immediate family does not live close by, and would have to take a flight to be there. Her due date is somewhat up in the air, so it's hard to pin down when it could happen.

I suggested having a familiar face whether that be someone at the children's preschool or a friend of my sister's be somewhat "on call" during that time frame. Ideally, she wants her kids to be with someone who they know, so that she does not need to worry about them if she is at the hospital.

Would love to hear any suggestions that have worked for other mom's out there that have encountered a late night labor with kids sleeping.

Do you have a treasure trove of sweet baby suggestions? Start sharing your advice and tips in our The Mommy Club! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Where Did Your Water Break . . . Chime In!

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:00:00 PST

Having had two c-sections, with nary a contraction to be felt, I always envied women who experienced movie-like water-breaking scenes, where out of the blue, their water breaks and it is a mad dash to the hospital. Over the weekend, a friend had just that.

One month away from her due date with her third child (the first two were both over a week late), my friend thought she was safe to head to the 'burbs for dinner and shopping. With her older tots safely snuggled under the covers at grandma's, she and her husband began their date night at Toys R Us to play Santa. Standing in the middle of the Bakugan aisle, dressed in her new hot over-the-knee boots, her water broke, leaving a huge puddle on the floor. Some quick-thinking saleswomen helped her to the door while her husband ran to get the car, and two hours later their son arrived.

Did you have a dramatic water-breaking situation? Share it with us below, or get the conversation started in the Pregnancy Posse group!

Upside Down Pregnancy: Was Your Baby Breech?

LilSugar — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:00:00 PDT

Humans live right side up, but most babies are born upside down. Once a woman is late into her pregnancy, a doctor or midwife usually monitors the baby's position. Some medical professionals encourage the expectant mom to schedule a c-section if the tot doesn't turn, but one in 25 babies is born in a breech position There are three types of breech babies:

Frank breech: The fetus' buttocks are aimed toward the birth canal and the legs stick straight up in front of the body. The feet are near the head.
Complete breech: The buttocks are down, with the legs folded at the knees and the feet near the buttocks.
Footling breech: One or both of the fetus' feet are pointing down and will come out first.

Was your baby born breech?

How Long Were You Dilated Before You Delivered?

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:45:26 PDT

Pack the bag - it's time to have baby . . . or not. When a first-time mom-to-be hears she's dilated, she may want to head straight to the hospital, but it can be days or even weeks before the cervix is ready for a wee one to pass through. An expectant mother has to be 100 percent effaced and dilated 10 centimeters for baby to debut (via vaginal delivery). Were you dilated for a while?

Baby It's Time! How Did You Try to Bring on Labor?

LilSugar — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:30:16 PDT

At a certain point in pregnancy, a mom-to-be is more than ready to meet her little one. Some women walk until their legs tire hoping to stir up their babe, and others take a Castor oil concoction to get things moving. Whether it's eating prego pizza or having sex, many ladies take a chance on these methods to try to induce labor. Which did you do?

Lil Community: Epidural or Natural?

Lil Community — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:00:30 PDT

Pregnancy is a journey filled with growth and learning. LilSugar reader Beaner has been bringing our readers along on her journey and is asking the Community for their thoughts on delivery in The Pregnancy Posse group.

In my Prenatal Yoga class last week, one woman said that she's camping out a week before her due date so she can get the epidural as soon as she has her first contraction. I know that giving birth will involve pain, but after reading a lot about natural childbirth, and seeing the documentary The Business of Being Born, I have a whole new perspective on how going drug-free will benefit both me and my baby. I was curious though to see what you other moms-to-be are planning on doing for your births.

Want to talk pregnancy with other expectant mamas? Get the conversation started in The Pregnancy Posse group!

Source

Bringing Out Baby: Test Your Induction Knowledge

babysugar — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:00:00 PDT

Many mamas-to-be aren't playing the waiting game as they anticipate the arrival of their lil ones. According to new research, labor inductions nearly doubled between 1992 and 2003, bringing more babies into the world before a pregnancy reaches 40 weeks. Labor induction isn't always on an expectant mama's birth plan, so take this quiz to see just how much you know about the process.

Take the Quiz

May Day! What Do You Know About Ladies of Labor?

TresSugar — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:00:52 PDT

Though May Day doesn't mean much in the United States, across most of the world, it's a labor-centric holiday with demonstrations by unions and other workers' groups. In honor of this first day of May, I decided to do a little research about some of history's great ladies of the labor movement. Test your muscle by taking my quiz.

Source: Flickr User Mariana Mansur

Take the Quiz

Do You Really Feel For Your Friends While They Are in Labor?

LilSugar — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:00:02 PDT

Thanks to modern technology, most moms have a support group once they head to the hospital to labor and deliver. Whether it's via text message, instant messenger, email, a phone tree, or social networking updates - friends and family are kept up to date on all the details from the water breaking and the epidural being administered to the announcement of the actual birth.

Once a woman has been through the process herself, it's hard not to feel sympathetic (and slightly nauseous) when you hear the needle is going into the spine or empathetic (and exhausted) when you realize the mama-to-be has been pushing for three hours. Or get teary eyed when you see the first stunning photo of your friend holding the bundle of joy? Do you truly feel the experience of fellow women?