“When you say ‘as big as a bagel,’ do you mean the circle in the middle of the bagel or the whole, entire bagel?” A father-to-be posed this question during the labor and delivery class I was taking years ago at Martha Jefferson House. “The whole, entire bagel,” the instructor answered, concluding her primer on cervical dilation. The man sat speechless, his jaw dropping open to the length of an éclair.
The instructor was trying to convey the shock-and-awe of pregnancy peaks during delivery. Weeks later, when my daughter was born by emergency C-section, I remembered the instructor, and how she’d tried to prepare us for the unpredictable when preparing for birth.
Expect the Unexpected at Birth
Fortunately, most deliveries progress without complications, but not all. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, over 3.6 million babies were born in the United States. Of those, 8.5 percent had low birth weight, and 10.5 percent were born preterm, a number that has slightly increased in recent years.
“My advice is to expect the unexpected,” says Taylor Burley, a local mom whose son, Brayden, was born four weeks early. Though overall her pregnancy progressed normally, at 32 weeks, her water broke. Within thirty minutes, she was admitted to UVA Hospital.
Burley’s delivery was difficult. Her baby became stuck in her pelvis. “He was stuck for five or ten minutes and lost oxygen,” Burley recalls.
Burley credits her fiancé, Dustin Pritchett, for getting her through the delivery and the long days that followed. Brayden remained in the NICU for two weeks after Burley was discharged. Now, Burley counts her blessings. Her son is doing well, and her appreciation for Dustin continues to grow.
A Local Mom Shares Tips on Preparing for Birth
Expectant mothers can take steps to be as prepared as possible in the event that they or their babies need extra medical support:
- Pack a hospital bag early. Burley’s advice: Don’t raid the bag before baby’s due date. That way, it’ll be ready at a moment’s notice.
- Make a list of friends and family to help with meals, rides, errands and communication to other family and friends.
- Partake in the 24/7 counseling services offered at the hospital.
- Designate a friend to serve as a health care advocate. They can accompany you to appointments, take notes and manage paperwork.
- Use social media to share family updates rather than face the backlog of email/voicemail/text messages.
- Take showers. Burley found refuge in them when Brayden was in the NICU. “I could cry and scream in the shower without worry,” she recalls. “Sometimes I took several a day.”
Prepare with Charlottesville Birth Classes
Expectant parents in the Charlottesville area have many local resources at the ready. Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital and UVA Health both offer numerous educational classes for you and your partner. Area doulas and midwives offer birthing classes, too. As a parent, you want to be both physically and mentally prepared for every stage of childbirth. Some helpful birth classes to consider taking include:
- Preparation for childbirth,
- Breastfeeding,
- Basics in baby care,
- CPR,
- Car seat safety,
- And prenatal and postnatal care.
Fitness During Pregnancy
It’s only normal to want to maintain a sense of normalcy with your fitness while pregnant. Fitness is a great tool in maintaining your overall health. And the benefits of fitness during pregnancy are supported by research. Remember, though, that your body is changing. Your balance changes as your center of gravity adjusts. Your joints become more relaxed, making injury more of a risk. And the further along you are, certain areas of your body will need more support throughout the day. All-in-all, it’s important to discuss exercise with your OBGYN before continuing with any heavy weight or high-intensity workouts. Be sure to also stay hydrated.
Some of the benefits of exercising while pregnant include:
- Helps maintain a healthier weight gain,
- Can reduce back pain,
- Assists in easing constipation,
- Improve postpartum recovery,
- And can help lower your risk of complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
A few exercise ideas are:
- Walking,
- Biking or zoom cycle for cardio (this lessens the pressure on the pelvic floor),
- The “Tone It Up” app for pre- and post-natal approved programs,
- Swimming,
- Body-weight moves,
- And yoga.
Once baby comes and the doctor gives you the “all clear” to resume your favorite fitness regime, consider your new bundle of joy in your planning. The article “You & Your Little Yogi” has a lot of great ideas for moms and babies to get started doing yoga together. There are many Mommy & Me Classes in Charlottesville to consider, too.
Prepare a Birth Plan & Support Team
Bringing a baby into the world is unlike any other life experience. Because there are so many unknowns that can occur during delivery, your doctor will recommend you devise a birth plan and team. Your birth team can be your voice and support every one of your preferences both during and after delivery. Some birth teams look different for women planning on a home birth over a hospital birth. Regardless, birth teams typically consist of your birthing partner, an obstetrician, a midwife, a nurse and/or a doula.
Some details to consider when creating your birth plan and team include:
- Location of your delivery (in the hospital vs. at home),
- Who you want present,
- What, if any, types of pain management medication you want,
- If you want to move freely during labor,
- What positions you comfortable using,
- And whether or not you want your baby continuously monitored.
To help you in devising your birthing team, we’ve compiled a helpful list of the top Charlottesville-area pregnancy and birth resources:
Bringing Baby Home
Bringing home a baby for the first time is a surreal moment. Emotions of every kind are normal. If you are feeling more anxious than normal though, be sure and talk to the nurses. They will be able to ease doubts and provide local resources for support should you need it.
A few things to discuss with the staff before heading home include:
- Bathing baby before their belly button and/or circumcision heals,
- Frequency of bathing,
- How to handle cradle cap,
- Safe sleep practices,
- What needs done the first few weeks (ordering a birth certificate, adding your little one to insurance, etc.),
- Tips on traveling with baby,
- And tips with transitioning baby’s sleep schedule.
If breastfeeding and/or pumping, ask to speak to the lactation consultant before heading home. She can give you tips on feeding positions, how to help with discomfort, how to use your breast pump and more. Other great local resources for breastfeeding baby are the latch videos from La Leche Charlottesville. Don’t forget to sterilize breast pump accessories or bottles and nipples before using them.
Other items that should be prewashed are baby’s clothes, burp cloths and towels, and toys. Using a more sensitive detergent can ease the transition for baby’s fresh and more sensitive skin, too.
Also, before heading home, it’s encouraged that you make your baby’s first checkup with the provider of your choice. Be sure to consider the new dynamic the baby will introduce at home, too. Does baby have an older brother or sister waiting to meet them? Are their pets at home that will need to be introduced to baby? Welcome Home Baby has some tips for bringing home baby, introducing baby to siblings and fun welcome home ideas for big brother or sister.
Although it’s not required, to ease your mind as a parent, consider taking a baby CPR class with your partner. No new parent ever regretted being over prepared and knowledgeable.
Making Baby’s First Car Ride Safe
Baby’s first car ride is a bittersweet moment for all involved. Infant-only car seats set up to be rear-facing are the best option for a new baby. This allows you to pack up baby in the hospital with help before heading home. Nurses can show you firsthand how to properly and safely buckle up your new bundle of joy. For instance, they will show you how tight to strap them in (tight enough that only a caregiver’s finger can fit between the clip and the baby), how to align the clip at baby’s nipples and how to safely snuggle your baby in with blankets over top of the seatbelt. Nurses will also check the manufacture date, since car seats should only be used for five years from the manufacture date.
A tip many parents forget to do is to register their new car seat. This will ensure you are notified about any problems or recalls. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants and toddlers ride in a rear-facing seat until they are 2 years old or until they have reached the maximum weight and height limits recommended by the manufacturer.
If baby surpasses the height and weight limits of the car seat before their second birthday, advance baby to a rear-facing convertible car seat. It is still recommended to keep baby rear-facing until their second birthday. Kids who are small can even remain in rear-facing seats after age 2. For more car seat safety tips, see the Virginia Department of Health’s article on Child Passenger Safety.
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