Birth | Pregnancy | Blog

Why is it called nesting, why is it done, and who does it?

Well this thing called nesting is called nesting because it’s kind of an animalistic behavior to prepare for the arrival of the baby. Not that we are animals, well, perhaps we are, but we are civilized so we won’t be filling the bottom of the bathroom closet with dirty laundry to have a litter of puppies in, or fetching scraps of sticks, grass, hair, yarn and feathers to lay eggs in either.

According to the polls, about 73% of pregnant women “nest” shortly before they go into labor. I say, they must me blessed if they only nest shortly before they go into labor. I go through cycles. If people thought I was nesting because I was close to labor, then I’d be “close” for about 3 months.

Nesting comes it a variety of forms I think. Sometimes, just setting up the nursery is enough, other times, the whole house must be made spotless, from top to bottom. In my own case, it’s both and neither, which perhaps is why it goes on for so long.

I recently got on a cleaning kick. I notice more when I’m pregnant. The way things look and smell, even if it’s not all that bad, I’m disgusted by it.

Take our shower for example. I wipe it down almost every time I take a shower because if I don’t the soap scum builds up really quickly and pretty bad, to where even scrubbing with a brush does little. It’s incredibly irritating, especially now. I’m going to be bringing this new, fresh and clean little being into this house and I don’t want the shower reeking and covered in soap scum. That’s right, it stinks too. The ventilation is poor, which I’m sure doesn’t help the situation and perhaps makes it mildew quicker, which is another reason why it is necessary to wipe it down all the time.

And the floors… it’s not even “mud” season. What the heck am I gonna do then? Eh, I’ll get the kids to do it, they like mopping for some reason.

And then to top that off, pets. I love our pets, but of course when you have pets that means their hair and dander is everywhere, unless you have reptiles or shave your pets. Maybe we should consider pet rocks next time?

My grandmother had a “nest” until the day she died. Actually, she had several. One
around her chair for the evening time, one at her desk, two in her work room, one around her bedside table, and one around her chair at the kitchen table. No, she wasn’t preparing for a baby, but she was being prepared. She had pretty much whatever she needed at her fingertips at any given time. That is what new mommies need to. They need to know they have what they need when they want it, and that they are prepared for their babies.

Is this “obsession” okay? Sure. Why not? As long as we aren’t hurting ourselves or our babies
by doing it. I know I use natural and gentle cleaning agents, so the fumes are mild and I’m not worried about something as strong as bleach (or stronger) leaching into my blood stream and harming my baby. And when I get tired, I stop, sit down or lay down and take a nap.

Pregnancy is not a time to do nothing unless of course you have a medical reason for doing so. Pregnancy is not a disease or disorder, so the fact that you are pregnant is not a medical reason. It’s better to keep yourself in good shape for the big day, not use it as an excuse to be lazy and just get fat.

So go ahead and indulge yourself in this thing called “nesting.” It’s just another way of saying “preparing for your baby,” and that is always good.

Tweet-tweet.
-Sheilah

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It’s fact people, plain and simple. The media encourages difficult childbirth.

Watch The Secret. You will start to see, what you think about, comes about. If all you hear all day long is bad stuff, “the war on drugs, the protest against war, fight against whatever, of these terrible circumstances keep happening…” does that make it any better? Hell no.

If there is one bad childbirth, one home birth gone awry, for whatever reason, the facts don’t count, the media will make it terrifying. They have a way of striking fear into the hearts and souls of everyone gullible enough to hang on every word they say. And that is exactly what it is, gullibility.

When you educate yourself, and you know without a doubt that you simply must have a hospital birth, then you are right. By the same token, when you educate yourself and you know without a doubt that you simply must have a home birth, you are right again.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford.

If you have uncertainty, questions, or lingering doubts, find the answers. Don’t just lay down and die because somebody else says that you will.

Has everything good in your life come easily? Or did you have to work for it a little? Should we expect childbirth to be any different, whether it’s a home birth, water birth, hospital birth, or “natural” birth? Yes, it is a natural function of our feminine bodies, but if we aren’t able to believe that, we need to educate ourselves as to why and we need to make a decision on how to handle that. A decision that suits our needs.

For me personally, I know an all natural (no drugs, ivs, or any such thing) home birth water birth is best, but that may not be true for you. But you’ll never know if you don’t find out anything about your options. And you should learn about your options while you still have them, otherwise you may as well bend over.

Please pardon me, I’m really tired of so called “educated” people trying to push around others thinking they know more, that their statistics are any better, or more truthful. While at the same time talking out of both sides of their mouth saying two different things, trying to bend everything and not even taking into account all the loop holes in the so called “studies” they do decide to quote.

“What you can believe, you can achieve.” - Napoleon Hill

“What you think about you bring about.” - Chuck Danes, I guess, it’s also in The Secret.

If all you ever think about are the bad news things, that is what you will bring about. There are some people who are very happy to make a living off of those results. Do you really want to line their pockets at your own expense and your baby’s?

Remember the ratings are better when people are terrified, and so media encourages difficult childbirth.

Success principles apply to life, including the start of life: pregnancy and childbirth, not just business and sports.
-Sheilah

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Are you suffering from leg cramps? The reason why I ask is because I just had a massive one last night. That’s when they usually hit, in the middle of the night when you’re sound asleep, you wake up to this excruciating pain in your leg, right? Well, that’s what happens to me once in awhile anyway.

Usually, my fix is real easy. It usually means I need to drink more water. However, if you are suffering from leg cramps, (or other muscle cramping) it could be an indication of something else, specifically a nutritional deficiency. So if you feel you are getting plenty of water, the next step would be to examine your diet.

Nutrients that help keep cramping at bay (besides being well hydrated with water) include calcium (appropriately balanced with phosphorus and copper for better absorption, and perhaps vitamin D) and potassium.

Absorption of calcium is very important during pregnancy as it goes to your developing baby and if you aren’t taking in enough of it yourself, the nutrients for your baby will come from what is already stored in you own bones. To ensure proper absorption, have your calcium sources separate from sources of concentrated carbohydrates like candy or chocolate and also keep your calcium sources separate from things containing oxalic acid like spinach and beet greens (which happen to be good sources of iron).

Good calcium sources are fortified whole milk (the higher fat content actually aids in the absorption and therefore more effective than skim, low fat or fat free milk), yogurt, cheeses made from whole milk, ice cream (YUM! My kids love this one too), even tofu bean curd, canned salmon (with bones), collard greens, and even dandelion leaves (of all pesky weeds). These aren’t the only sources of calcium, but remember we need to be concerned with oxalic acid intake right now too.

Potassium is a nutrient that athletes need to be concerned with also. It is good for muscle activity, fluid balance, and synthesis of proteins (another important thing for your developing baby). So it stands to reason that potassium intake is also key for an expecting mom too.

One of my favorite sources of potassium is bananas, just peel and eat. Other good sources are potatoes and sweet potatoes (or yams), squash, avocados, raisins and dried apricots, mushrooms, wheat germ, bran and a variety of fish including salmon, tuna, cod, haddock, flounder, sardines, and scallops. You can also find potassium in many meats, leafy green veggies, legumes and other veggies.

If you are uncertain or have any doubts, discuss it with your healthcare provider or perhaps a nutritionalist to find the healthy balance that will be suitable for you.

If you and you health care provider really don’t feel it is a diet related problem, perhaps exercise would be the solution. You circulation changes as your uterus grows to accommodate your baby, and there may not be enough blood circulating to you legs so what you need to do to help encourage good circulation is move around a little bit. Go for walks, and while you’re sitting, wiggle your toes now and then, rotate your ankles, straighten and bend your knees, and gently stretch your leg muscles. Also while sitting, it helps to have your feet propped up so your knees are raised a little. I use a file box, but an inexpensive stool would do nicely too.

Of course, consult with your physician as they may have more options or suggestions to offer given your specific circumstances.

Besides that, grab a willing body and have them massage your legs and feet. Aaahh. That’s the ticket.

Feel free to comment if you have any other suggestions to help relieve leg cramps.

Sleep well tonight.
-Sheilah

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There are several ways of starting and helping labor progress naturally. By naturally, I mean to say without drugs or medical intervention.

Sex is the most obvious, and being that is most likely how you got pregnant in the first place, it’s about as natural as you can get, plus your husband/partner/whatever would probably appreciate it. The stimulation (specifically orgasm) increases the hormone Oxytocin which causes contractions of the uterus during labor. (The medically administered version of this is often called Pitocin.) Semen also contains prostaglandins which will act directly on the cervix. This should not be done if your membranes (your water) have broken. If they have you may still use clitoral stimulation, as long as nothing enters the vagina. Whatever the case, relax and enjoy it, if it works, it’ll be a little while before you can resume this kind of activity again.

Movement is good. Movement encourages endorphins also which will help you feel more comfortable for longer. Consider walking around, rocking, or sitting and utilizing a birthing ball. This works well to keep labor progressing once it’s already started.

Taking a shower can even be helpful if it unwinds the rest of your muscles so that your uterus is the only thing with any tension (from contractions, right?). Some midwives believe that hot water (in a birthing tub anyway) will actually speed up progression by making you so uncomfortably hot that everything, including your cervix, opens up and releases. I myself can’t stand water that is to hot, so I can’t speak from personal experience on that. Another form of this would be to wrap up in warmed up blankets (this is another thing I wouldn’t stand for, I hate being to hot, more than being to cold).

If you are doing a water birth, wait a little before you go into the birthing pool. The more along you are, the more the water will have a positive effect, and more rapid effect on your labor. No you don’t have to be fully dilated, if you are having good and regular contractions already, that is a good start.

Nipple stimulation also helps to release oxytocin. Be gentle when doing this as you don’t want to hurt yourself (or be hurt if your partner is helping you).

There are also herbal teas and tinctures that work well, but this is something that should be used with the guidance of your prenatal care provider as different herbs may have different effects, and if they are knowledgeable in them, they will know what to expect and what might be best for your given circumstances.

Another thing that also works very well but must come with a warning, is castor oil. I know one young woman who used it not to long before I was expecting my fourth baby and she told me all about it (because my doctor suggested more than once that we perhaps should induce before my baby grew to big, we expected at least a 10 pounder). If you are interested, there are places on the Internet you can find the exact way to use it, otherwise, you can ask me here and I’ll let you know. But here is my warning: it gets EVERYTHING going in your whole body when done correctly. The young woman I spoke of was throwing up, had diarrhea, and yes it got her contractions going very well also. Because it has such potential to be so effective, this is another thing I would want to alert my caregiver of before hand.

Enemas are reported to help, and one more thing that I have only recently begun learning about: acupressure. When I learn more about acupressure, I’ll fill you in some more, in the mean time, you can ask your caregiver about it or perhaps find a good acupressurist.

I just had a chiropractor tell me that he has given adjustments to women on the way to the hospital because it speeds up their labor and recovery time, unfortunately he couldn’t direct me to resources to include here, just his own personal experience (of about 30 years) and the women he has “treated.”

As long as you are able, be sure that you are getting plenty of water and go to the bathroom often. Your body needs the hydration to get through labor, and if you can keep your bowels and bladder empty, you’ll be more comfortable and there will be more room for baby on the way out too.

Lastly, being comfortable in your surroundings will help also. So this is something you will want to check into before you go into labor. Where do you expect to be? Is it soft and cozy feeling or cold and way to bright? What would make you more comfortable and can it be done? (This is why I like to be at home).

Keep in mind when you are talking with your prenatal care provider that you may want to ask if there are any medical reasons why you shouldn’t try some of these methods rather than if they think they’d be okay.

-Sheilah

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Yes, yes, wonderful water birth.

If you live in “Small Town, USA,” a rural location or the likes of one, you may have a hard time finding facilities for a water birth, or willing attendants. And if you decide to hop on the net to scope out the possibilities there, you are likely to be led to California.

During this pregnancy of mine, I have been brushing up on my water birth. I’m always looking for new information. The last time I planned an at home water birth and was researching, my father asked me, “Don’t you already know all there is to know?”

For anyone to think they know it all already is very naive. Yes, I knew what I needed to know, but it’s good to review for one thing, and for another, there is also lots of new information coming out all the time. From “studies” and surveys, to new successful birth stories, and I like to get and absorb as much as possible.

The more I brush up on water birth, its history, and read other birth stories, the more I am reminded of how spectacular it is. It worked so well for me, and I love it, although, I can’t imagine giving birth in my bath tub. Sure, it’d be possible, but I spoiled myself with the pool I got, and now that that pool has been enjoyed to death, I need to get a new one, because…
I just do.

If you are considering natural birth, home birth, or perhaps just a more enjoyable birth, you might want to consider “Wonderful Water Birth.”

-Sheilah

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Whether it be a breech presentation, placenta previa, prolasped cord, even twins, when complications arise, it is best to act as swiftly as possible or have a plan in place for if the time comes.

Though far and few between, it’s a wide known fact that complications can occur (in my opinion, to widely known sometimes, but on the other hand, I do like the boyscout motto to “be prepared”). Pregnancy and labor can put a lot of stress on two bodies, (or more in the case of twins, etc, Mom’s and Baby’s) to develop at a fairly rapid and steady rate. Okay, so 9 months might not seem all that rapid compared to some other species here on earth, but when you consider what amazing being is developing in that time, and their potential, 9 months isn’t all that long.

Some complications can be handled relativly easily and harmlessly during pregnancy. Such a thing as breech presentation is one good example, this is a matter of presentation and position of the baby. Yes it’s very possible to give natural, un-druged, un-interviened birth to a breech baby, but it’s likely to be a LOT easier when baby is in the “proper” position (usually occiput anterior, which means the back of the baby’s head is facing toward your front/pubic bone).

Turning your baby before birth can be achieved a varity of ways, such as a hands and knees position, laying with your feet elevated slightly above your head, (I have a friend who actually used an ironing board for this, how I don’t know!), and if necessary, manual manipulation. (You know how sometimes your physician will palpate your belly to “find” the baby? Well, they can actually move the baby this way also.)

Obviously, different complications should be handled different ways. It is not the end of the world if everything isn’t perfect so don’t fret and be sure to discuss anything that comes up during pregnancy very throughly with you physician while you have the time. Know your options and have your plans in place. Even early detection of spina bifida can be handled pre-term, but that is a more complicated proceedure than simply spending time on your hands and knees.

Check out Emergency Childbirth by Gregory J. White, MD for a quick and better understanding of breech complications in delivery.

-Sheilah

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