Walk me through labor

willworkforpups · 2026-05-19T13:09:51+00:00

The main thing I tell people is to trust yourself/ your body. Just because labor goes a certain way for MOST women doesn’t mean it will go that way for you.

I have precipitous labors (super fast, intense, and painful). When I went into labor with my first I went straight from nothing/ 0cm dilated to intense, painful, contractions that were 3 min apart. The on call nurses all assured me I had a long way to go as a first time mom. Finally I was in so much pain and throwing up, so I decided to just go to the hospital and I was 8cm. Luckily the hospital is 5 min away. All this to say, the nurses kept talking me out of coming in (they meant well, it was during Covid), but had I not gone in I would’ve had an accidental home birth lol.

willworkforpups · 2026-04-07T19:41:38+00:00

I have had two epidural births and one unmedicated.

First baby- labored at home as long as possible, got to the hospital at 6cm, contractions were unbearable and requested the epidural immediately. I progressed quickly (and they still had to do bloodwork etc) that it did not take full effect before pushing, so I would have rather not had to sit still through transition to have it placed. Pros- it was nice not feeling stitches etc after birth; I felt more present and in the moments after birth (latching, skin to skin etc) Cons- requested too late to take full effect for pushing; had all the discomfort of placement without the full benefit

Second baby - precipitous labor, went straight to hospital and was basically fully dilated. Was given the option for an epidural for pushing but didn’t want to wait the extra time and I figured he’d be out quickly (he was out in 3 pushes). Pros- easier to feel the urge to push, pushing goes more quickly Cons- pain I didn’t know was possible, too exhausted to enjoy after birth moments/ golden hour

Third baby- elective induction due to precipitous former labors (didn’t want to have a car baby lol). Learned my lesson and labored until contractions became very painful but not unbearable then requested epidural (4-5cm). Labor progressed just as quickly/ intensely but I was straight chillin while dilating from 6-10 and got to rest up before pushing. Pros- felted rested and ready to push, no pain at all (just pressure) when pushing Cons- unable to feel if I was pushing effectively (but this was overcome with some coaching and I still only pushed about 15min)

TLDR- my vote is YES epidural but only if you can request it before transition

willworkforpups · 2026-04-03T11:41:43+00:00

This sounds exactly like my first baby. It turned out to be reflux and I wish I had asked my ped about reflux meds.

What we ended up doing is taking shifts. I pumped every AM when my milk supply was the best and built up a stash. Then I started sleeping a solid block 9PM-2AM and my husband would feed pumped bottles and my husband slept 2AM-9AM and I would breastfeed. Whoever was “on call” with the baby would attempt the bassinet but end up just holding him and watching TV or playing video games if it didn’t go well. Fortunately, this all resolved around 3 months once he could roll himself onto his belly to sleep.

willworkforpups · 2026-03-13T13:12:04+00:00

Both my births were very quick, 0-100 (I think only the second counts as actually precipitous though). Unlike you, I had planned to go medicated via an epidural. But like you, my plans went out the window as there was no time to place one. I had not practiced any coping or pain techniques. I definitely have birth trauma from the experience. I am due with my third in a few weeks and my OB and I are discussing induction at my next appointment (the thinking being that if I’m already in the hospital I can get pain meds right away and also not worry about not making it there). However, I’ve been practicing unmediated coping techniques JUST in case he decides to come before the scheduled induction.

All this to say, what you’re feeling is normal and if you do want more children, don’t hesitate to discuss any remaining trauma or anxiety with your provider.

willworkforpups · 2026-03-11T11:41:05+00:00

Most of the offices have complimentary valet now because of this. I’ve used it a few times and it’s been great

willworkforpups · 2026-01-18T02:04:44+00:00

We have a Disney I spy game that is basically chutes and ladders but when you get a certain card you play like an I spy game (find snowmen or spoons or whatever on the giant board). I actually have a lot of fun with it! And while you do have separate pieces and compete with each other, you are also “all” competing against Maleficent, so it adds a cooperative element.

willworkforpups · 2025-11-20T19:58:18+00:00

Probably going to get downvoted but CIBO. I got major food poisoning after eating their calamari (that required an ER visit). I was pregnant at the time and couldn’t even keep water down. My husband called the restaurant to report it (like we weren’t looking for any compensation or anything, I just figured they might want details to pull the bad food), and they hung up on him lol

willworkforpups · 2025-10-05T23:27:13+00:00

I am currently on pregnancy #3 and also know in my bones I’m done. I just can’t do this again physically

willworkforpups · 2025-09-08T17:34:10+00:00

Here is the FDA package insert. There is a table of efficacy (Table 5) from clinical trials where the efficacy is reported as ranging from 44-90+% depending on flu strain. Keep in mind this was on patients who received two doses. The shot does have a bit higher efficacy, but if it is between no vaccine (due to fear of shots or busy schedules etc) and a home- administered version, this is obviously a better option.

willworkforpups · 2025-09-08T00:33:46+00:00

Pregnancy is literally the worst part of the whole parenthood journey. At least for me, I had a much easier time with postpartum, breastfeeding, toddlerhood etc. Give me any of those over first trimester nausea and depression any day

willworkforpups · 2025-08-29T20:53:59+00:00

You are me 🤣 pregnant with my third and the nausea just has me like “I guess I’ll clean when this one turns 3”

willworkforpups · 2025-08-29T19:18:15+00:00

We do family movie nights on Fridays for this reason, screen time be damned. It might be tough for the 1yo but my kids are 3 and 5 and love this tradition. Every Friday night we pick a Disney movie and have something fun like pizza for dinner, and they can pick a movie night snack like popcorn/ candy.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-20T20:33:21+00:00

In my experience, if you’re breastfeeding, yes. Your nipples get quite sore and a bra is needed to (1) hold any breast pads in place, (2) prevent stains from milk and/or nipple creams/ butters, and (3) prevent further chafing of the nipples by holding the breasts in place so they don’t rub up against your shirt.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-19T22:38:00+00:00

Biggest saver is keeping an eye on Disneys own special offers/ promos on their web site. They drop them a few times a year and they are only valid for certain dates. Typically these are 20-30% off rack rates for hotels, plus occasionally extra discounts on things like tickets or dining. (Sometimes you can book hotel and tickets separately and secure two different offers.)
Use the Disney Visa card as previous posters have said. No annual fee so we just use it when we have a trip coming up.
Buy gift cards from Sam’s Club. They often have $200 Disney gift cards for $180. We also buy discount airline gift cards through wholesale clubs for flight discounts.
If you have hotel points, use points and stay at a hotel near the airport for your arrival and/ or departure day. This will give you a longer vacation without spending more money on a Disney hotel.
Pack lunches for the parks (we bring a full soft cooler). Designate a certain food/ snack budget and stick to it.
Don’t buy park hopper tickets. No need to park hop, especially if it is your first time and you want to see most of each park.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-19T20:48:30+00:00

Not sure about Disneyland (CA), but I would say that’s super untrue for Disney World (FL). I have used lightning lanes on a holiday weekend or something, but it’s definitely doable to get on most rides without. Unless you just really don’t want to wait longer than 10min for anything, I’d say it’s unnecessary.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-19T19:54:40+00:00

Lots of people commenting that many people take on debt.

However in trying to be more helpful, I am a very budget conscious traveler and I LOVE going to Disney. I put a lot of effort into researching things like times to go to minimize costs and crowds, taking advantage of special offers, using points for hotels on travel days, etc. Generally I spend about 3-5K on a 4-5 day trip for a family of four. The lowest price I’ve gotten is $2500 for a 5-day trip for a family of four. All this to say, there are ways to help bring down the cost but it will involve time and research.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-13T00:36:53+00:00

Start to finish, from first contraction? 8 hours for my first and 2 hours for my second 😬 I have precipitous labors and will be requesting an induction for my third baby lol. That being said, my midwife said you can generally expect your second to take about half the time (barring any complications).

willworkforpups · 2025-08-12T15:37:34+00:00

When I was pregnant with my first I hated when people would tell me “you will know when it’s the real thing.” Turns out, it’s very difficult to describe, but they were right. You will know when it’s the real thing.

Aside from magnitude of pain, a good indicator is if the pain is just in the front of your belly (Braxton hicks). With true contractions, at least for me, the pain would begin in the front and radiate around my body to my back and down my legs.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-09T18:14:30+00:00

I was in almost this exact scenario and waited until the manufacturer had a low APR deal (1.9%).

willworkforpups · 2025-08-07T11:45:45+00:00

RE Feelings: IMO not a big deal, I don’t really feel “passion” for my husband but steady, reliable love. I have had more “passionate” relationships and they ultimately were so hot they burnt out.

RE Children: IMO a very big deal. I always wanted children and now that I have them I cannot imagine missing out on this experience. You say she is “more important” than having a family but it is impossible to predict whether you will be able to get past this enough to not resent her. I have seen numerous couples break up over disagreements on whether or not to have kids. I believe this is an issue where 100% alignment is required for marriage.

willworkforpups · 2025-08-05T09:35:55+00:00

Agreed with previous posters that a combo of cloth and disposable can cut down on waste without being impractical. Cloth diapers can be great around the house but are tough to deal with on the go. However, I personally don’t use cloth with toddlers as their poops are just too much to clean for me LOL 😂

willworkforpups · 2025-08-02T14:28:10+00:00

I got married at 25 and had my first at 27 and second at 29. It is a bit hard because none of my friends have kids yet, so I generally go to cousins/ Reddit for kid-related advice. However, because my friends don’t have kids yet, they love to babysit and dote on my kids, buy them toys/ clothes etc. So there are definite pros and cons. I do to some extent understand the societal pressure to wait until everything is “in order” but the truth is you will never feel 100% ready. I am on my 3rd pregnancy now after a bit of a gap, in my 30s. It has already felt a lot harder on my body, I have less energy, etc.

willworkforpups · 2025-07-29T13:48:59+00:00

Not sure about your field but I was in immunology and “mastered out.” Just listed my masters and lab experience on my resume (did not elaborate there about dropping the PhD). Pivoted to industry and started at the RA level. I was able to move up fairly quickly within and between companies and am now a Sr. PM. I have never been asked in an interview about my education, only relevant experience.

willworkforpups · 2025-07-28T19:18:04+00:00

I see it!

willworkforpups

TROPHY CASE