This is information that I have gleaned from my midwife and other mothers. It is also things that i have found to be useful during my pregnancy and the 5 months so far that I have been a mom.

On being pregnant:

Books to read while pregnant:
a must read is "INA May's Guide to childbirth." It has so much helpful, POSITIVE information, this book really prepared me for labour. I wasn't scared any more after reading this. I enjoyed the real birth stories that made me feel like I could actually do this. I also found the imagery and blowing techniques extremely helpful in labour and attribute it to how quickly I was able to dilate. My friends who also read this book agree with me as well on this point. My husband likes to say: "Ina May may be a hippie, but hippies know how to give birth."
The 'what to expect while you are expecting' books can be helpful, but they are full of information that may or may not scare you. I would read this with a grain of salt. The only reason I say this is b/c of the labour and delivery section. Ina May's book is more useful. the WTEWYAE book talks about stuff but doesn't go into detail about why or why not you may want to do something.

A good massage therapist! Relaxin starts hitting your system at about 16 weeks. The stretching of your hips can be quite painful.
Maternity belts can help with back pain when you start to get really big. They support and lift up the abdomen. I bought one at motherhood maternity and used it mostly while at work.
A foot bath with bath salts can help to relieve foot swelling, as will elevation.
Teas- one will help to nourish the uterus, one is called 9 month tea- helps to prep uterus for labour. (Gaia gardens is an herbal store here and where i purchased my stuff. You can google them on the internet for a description of what I'm talking about- I'm sure they have something similar where you live too)
Evening primrose oil- Is a natural prostiglandin. Start taking this around 39 weeks to help stimulate labour. Ingest orally (4 caps) and insert vaginally (4 caps)- every night. It softens your cervix which will make dilation easier
Keep exercising as much as possible. Labour is HARD WORK and being in shape will help you before and after. Yoga is a good suggestion for helping keep up your core strength.
Keep up your immune strenth: The last 3-4 weeks of pregnancy is a killer on your immune system. Start beefing it up with a vit c supplement (if you aren't craving fruit of course)
Acidophilous supplement: Acidophilous is a healthy bacterium that is found in our bowel system. It helps us to digest our food and prevents YEAST infections. If you are given antibiotics or are under immune stress (like being pregnant), this supplement will help you to improve your immune system which will take a nose dive in the last month or so as your baby is growing so much. Continue to take it while you are breastfeeding as well as new moms are prone to infections, especially those caused by yeast. A healthy digestive tract promotes good health.

Induction: If you are living in the United states and your doctor wants to induce you, please be aware of the dangers of CYTOTEC. It is a pill that is inserted into your vagina and disolves at your cervix, causing strong contractions to occur. This is a drug that has NOT been approved for use by the FDA for inductions and was designed for use with the treatment of stomach ulcers. Doctors seem to like to use it in the states as it is successful to start labour, however it is so potent a drug that the contractions it causes can rupture the uterus or force amniotic fluid into a womans blood stream. While many women have had successful inductions with its use, it is also quite dangerous, harmful, even fatal in some cases. Please be aware that this drug exists in the US. I have not heard of its use in Canada. ALso be aware to question drugs that your doctor plans to give you. You have a choice and can refuse treatment in exchange for one that is safer for you and your baby.

Braxton Hicks Contractions: Can be very strong and painful at times! They occur more when you are dehydrated as your uterus is actually irritated from the lack of water in your system and contracts in response. IF you have these very frequently, drink water and see if they go away. However, Braxton hicks contractions do train your uterus for labour and prepare baby for the upcoming show.

Dilation and Effaced: This can happen weeks before you are actually going to go into labour. My midwife never bothered to tell me how i was doing in this regards and i was thankful to her for two reasons. #1- Getting a vaginal check is very uncomfortable. I hated her doing it when i was in labour and she kept it down to 3 times. THat was enough and towards the end of my labour, the check was more painful than the actual contractions and i needed the gas to just get through it. #2. You can be dilated for weeks before you go into labour- most women are. However, if you know you are dilated, you get more excited that you will go into labour and stick around the house. My midwife knew lots of women who would sit around the house for weeks because they were dilated and thought they would go into labour at any given time. This just creates anxiety and more stress is bad for you.

Loosing your mucous plug: I lost only a bit of mine. It was exactly that- mucous. It looked like snot from my nose does and I noticed it when i wiped after going to the bathroom a couple of days before labour. When I actually was in labour, more came out at a time and there was blood when i wiped as well. This was the 'bloody show' according to my midwife. This started 3 days or so before i went into labour.

On Labour and while in hospital:
I also suggest having a labour team- I fully utilized my mom, sister, husband and midwife. One person to keep a hot pack on my back, one person kept a cold pack on my head and one person could either relieve the other, go heat up stuff in the microwave, get me water. In labour I was only capable of giving one worded answers, while I could think rationally. SO it was difficult to communicate. Make sure your labour team knows what you want to have done.
The NITROUS oxide gas is amazing stuff. I would ask your care practioner if they use mouth pieces to blow in and out rather than a mask. Many women find it hard to use the mask as much of the gas is lost and the mask can make one clausterphobic. I liked the mouthpiece as I could get as much of the gas as possible. I didn't need an epidural- but everyone is different. I just was expecting the contractions to be much worse than they were.
Get any blood work done when you first arrive at the hospital- It is incredibly difficult to draw blood during a contraction.
Contractions feel like extremely painful menstrual cramps. If you are used to needing heavy duty anti-inflammatories during your period, it may not be too bad for you. I was expecting WAY worse pain.
ARNICA- its a natural anti-inflammatory. Can be bought at an herbal store. Comes in pellets. You want 30ch dose minimally and if you have a lot of tearing or require surgery- ask them for the 200 ch dose. I took these for about 10 days after. Helped me to get over the pain of the c/s. I was walking (slowly) on the street 4 days after labour.
Bring a hot pack with you- something that covers your low back. Will help heaps if you have any sort of back labour
A massage ball helps too
Bring a stockpile of gatorade to the hospital. Great for during and afterwards.
Nursing bras- no underwire (can increase chances of mastitis)
Buy Nightime strength pads for afterwards. I used theirs for the 1st 24 hours, then used mine. I used always night maxi's and it was enough. Had to change it frequently. Was on regular maxi's after a week. Bled for 4 weeks. the last 2 were very light. Keep in mind that you will bleed more heavily if you give birth naturally vs c/s as they clean out the uterus during surgery. And of course, everyone is different
Music- we made a labour playlist. Don't put on songs that may annoy you in any way. Any little thing may be very distracting.
A Exercise ball can be helpful for opening up your pelvis and giving you support during contractions
Surgery is worse than labour. I still have numbness all over my incision area and upper thighs- ie. the skin is numb to the touch.
IF you have a doctor, I recommend getting a doula to help you through labour. Unless you got a midwife. Its just so wonderful to have a professional with you the ENTIRE time, as opposed to nurses that change shifts or a doctor that will only come in when you are about to push.
Lanolin cream is also good for putting in your nose to help with dry air- after 4 days living in the air conditioning of the hospital, we both had bleeding noses.

Keep in mind that while in labour you will loose all sense of modesty. You will not care what happens to you. You may just feel like a wild animal. One thing that really bugged me was checking with the doppler. I couldn't stand ANYTHING touching my abdomen.
Labour is the most amazing experience of my life. Afterwards I coulnd't believe that I was capable of doing it. It made me feel extremely powerful. Women are amazing. Stay positive- you can do anything you put your mind to. This was the most important thing i gleaned from reading Ina May's guide to childbirth.

I went into labour on November 18 at 8am, contracting every 10 minutes until later in the day. At 4pm the contractions started getting stronger but didn't start getting closer together until 10pm. At 1:15 am I called my midwife and mother and sister as the contractions were coming every 3-4 minutes. I was 3-4 cm dilated and during a contraction going up to 7cm. I went to the hospital, got into the tub and started on the portable gas. I stayed there for 4 hours, contracting well and managing the pain well with the gas. I moved to the bed at 6am for a check and I was 9.5 cm dilated. The gas they give you at the bed comes from the wall and is much stronger and mangaged my pain well. The whole time I was trying to break my water myself but it wasn't happening. I asked the midwife to do it at 7:45 when I was at 10 cm and still not feeling good urges to push. She did it and meconium came pouring out. They called the pediatrician. She did another vag check and thought that it wasn't his head after all, but his bottom. ( I was at -2 station and head down on tuesday, the 13th). The obstetrician was called and they used the ultrasound. It was confirmed and I was wisked to the OR within 5 minutes. I had 3 contractions on the way to the OR and before I got the spinal in. That was the worst part- no gas and trying to stay still during the contractions. The surgery was more scary and I couldn't hold the baby of course until I got back to my room, an hour and a half after his birth. Still, he latched right away and has been an expert feeder. He is 5 days old now and I am completely in love. I would do the labour again in a heartbeat- It made me feel so powerful as a woman. I would not do the surgery again if I can help it, I'm still recovering and in pain from that. So VBAC in 2 years or so for me with the next one I guess!

More....

Pregnancy Survey
About You
Name?:	Debra
Age?:	29
Height?:	5'4
Pre-pregnancy weight?:	160
About The Father
Name?:	Adrian
Age?:	30
Height?:	6'4
Are you still together?:	yes
About Your Pregnancy
Is this your first pregnancy?:	Yes
When did you find out you were pregnant?:	March 8,2007
Was it planned?:	yes
What was your first reaction?:	I couldn't believe it. I'd taken a few tests over the past few months when i thought i might have been pregnant and thought maybe those sticks were broken.
Who was with you when you found out?:	no one
Who was the first person you told?:	my husband
How did your parents react?:	excited
How far along are you?:	38 weeks
What was your first symptom?:	constipation
What is your due date?:	Nov. 13th
Do you know the sex of the baby?:	YES
If so, what is it?:	It's a BoY!!
Have you picked out names?:	Nope. Have some ideas though
If so, what are they?:	Isaac, Kaeden, Owen
How much weight have you gained?:	31 lbs
Do you have stretch marks?:	NO
Have you felt the baby move?:	yes since 18 weeks
Have you heard the heartbeat?:	yes
About the birth
Will you keep the baby?:	of course
Home or hospital birth?:	hospital birth
Natural or medicated birth?:	natural
Who will be in the delivery room with you?:	My husband and midwife, mom and sister
Will you breastfeed?:	Yes
Do you think you'll need a c-section?:	I hope not
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?:	probably
What's the first thing you might say to him/her?:	Hi! I'm your mom
Would you let someone videotape the birth?:	Still thinking on that one
Are you excited about the birth, or scared?:	I'm excited! At this point, I'm just really looking forward to getting on with the show!