One of the best parts about having a blog is having access to lots of people and their opinions. This post has nothing to do with interior design (other than the pretty nursery pics – the design is by Angie Hranosky) and that’s why I’m posting it on a Sunday night. Thanks for letting me get personal here sometimes.
I am quickly approaching 39 weeks. The end of this pregnancy is very near. I had two very, very different labors and deliveries with my other girls. I expect that this one will be equally unique.
SO!! I want to hear your best advice on labor pain management! What worked for you??
My husband and I have started a list of things to try this time:
Bouncing on an exercise ball
Listening to calming music
Walking, Sitting or standing instead of lying in the hospital bed
Hypno-birthing/extreme focus technique
Not so much interested in the bath idea once my water has broken.
Any quick pieces of advice would be greatly appreciated! You guys are the best!
I love your blog and have been "blog stalking" you for awhile. Thank you for all of your beautiful posts. They make me smile (and wish I was a designer).
Anyhoo- my advice would be to not be scared of the shower. It was my best friend when I was in labor with my first child. I thought that I was in there for only 15 minutes or so, but my husband told me later that it was more like 2 hours. I had a ton of back labor, so my husband just pointed the shower head on my lower back and we worked through our contractions there.
Prayers and blessing to you in this last week and in delivery!!
I googled your blog:) So cute! I'm not a great source, but I found counting during contractions distracted me. My mom said she would sing Yankee Doodle during contractions:)
Squatting is great! It really lets gravity lend a hand.
Or, if you are on your back during pushing, it helps to have something to push off of. My hospital had an upside-down-U-shaped bar that ran over the bed and gave me something to really press against.
Most important of all is having your supportive partner and trying to remember that even godawful pain is finite. Mazel tov!
Prayers.
I went into labor at 36 weeks 3 days so I pretty much prayed my entire labor for a safe and healthy baby. I seriously felt incredibly calm the entire time and we had a great birth experience. I had an epidural also because I had to. That makes it lovely too!
Epidural! I enjoyed both of my sons' labors so much because I wasn't in pain.
Enjoy your last few days of pregnancy! :)
I went all the way to 41 weeks and 5 days – When I went into labor I took a long warm shower and tried to sleep for a little while longer. I did get an epidural and it was a good thing I took my time because my labor lasted 24 hrs.
Good Luck Mama! I love your blog!
Think happy thoughts. Seriously. I took Lamaze and one of the pain management techniques we practiced was visualization. I didn't use it like I should have with my first (and medication free) baby, but I really utilized when I was in labor the second time and surprisingly, it helped! I just imagined a beach and ocean, how it felt, how it smelled, what it sounded like. Maybe sounds strange, but for me it was a lifesaver!!
My other suggestion is always be open to the options you have during labor. You may be convinced that you aren't going to use an epidural, or that you are-but let your body tell you in the moment which is best for you and your baby–not preconceived notions. Good luck!!
I've been enjoying you blog for a few months now. I'm always so mesmerized by how your posts seem to read my mind ("I wonder if there is a simpler way to make roman shades?"). Your style speaks to me and has re-invigorated my own zeal for style (lets just say I was in a funk!). ALSO, we seem to have much in common! (as I soon learned when I shared my excitement with friends) I too am from Mesa MVT '97. And your cousin Bekah is a friend of mine from Oregon while our husbands attended optometry school. Such a small world right?!!!!
ANYWAYS- back to the question at hand. After birthing 3 boys, whose pregnancy and labors are drastically different from each other, I feel the best advice is make a plan but plan to break it or in other words be prepared for change. Epidural/ No epidural? Those decisions are best made in the moment, when your body is dictating what you need. In the end your results is a beautiful baby no matter what pain management you choose. Good luck! You can do it!!
I gave birth to my son naturally earlier this year. I enlisted the help of a doula, but my mom and husband were also on hand for moral (and physical!) support. I found that walking/standing was only helpful during the early/active labor phase (3-7cm dilated), by the time I was in transition, laying down on my side was the only thing I wanted!
My husband applied counterpressure to my lower back during each contraction. That really helped.
Extreme focus and breathing, especially near the end. My doula breathed and counted with me during every contraction. It helped me mentally to know where I was in the contraction, so that I wouldn't panic (it was my first baby, so maybe that isn't an issue for you.)
Best of luck! (I love your blog, by the way! Have been a fan for a long time.)
Bear with me, I think I'm about to write a novel-length comment.
I've had 4 births, some medicated, some not, and you're right — each one is unique. I hesitate to give suggestions, because what actually winds up helping is so completely individual and idiosyncratic. I think you're smart to start out with plenty of ideas to try, because sometimes what you'd think would help turns out not to be your thing at all, and some random thing turns out to be just the ticket.
That said, here are a few things that helped me.
1) Think of the pain as desirable, as the very thing that's making your body stretch and open up so your baby can come. Trust your body and the birth process, including the pain, to "work." This may sound really weird, but I would say things like, "Make it hurrrrrrt" and "Open, open, open, wiiiiiide open" to myself during contractions, and it totally helped. And I would focus on seeing if I could make the contraction hurt even worse than it did (I know, bizarre), because somehow that made me feel less frightened of the pain. Like I was choosing it instead of being completely overtaken and overwhelmed by it.
2) My attending physician at one of my births had me kneel on the bed, holding onto a birthing ball in front of me for support, and really rock my hips back and forth during contractions to help bring the baby down into position. Yes, it still felt like the contractions were going to tear me in half, but at least I felt like I was doing something to help the process — and it did help move the baby into a better position and make things move along better. And it helped give me something to think about besides just how bad it hurt.
2) Focusing on slow, deep breathing or on focal objects really helped me — really keeping intense concentration on the process of taking the air in, imagining it going into all the parts of my body and "flooding" away the pain, and then super slowly blowing it all the way out. I practiced focusing on my breath for a while before labor too and that helped.
3) I had back labor and I wanted nothing more than to have someone push on my lower back — HARD. It was just about the only physical (rather than mental) thing that really gave me some relief.
I hope you have a wonderful delivery. The great thing in this day and age is that whether or not you get to have the labor and delivery you envisioned, one way or another, the babies do get here.
Thanks for your beautiful blog. I mostly stalk here and envy your style and design abilities. :-)
Have had 3 induced labours. All 3 were 2 weeks overdue. The first two I had epidurals which meant that I couldn't move much (but had no pain). With the third I did lots and lots of pacing around the room. Round and round the room, occasionally kicking the chair that my husband kept falling asleep in! I suppose I got myself into a bit of a trance. My contractions were weak and the medication given to strengthen them meant the contractions were long and severe,so eventually,once again, I had an epidural.
When a contraction intensifies, go as limp as possible, and **focus on relaxing the muscles in your abdomen** despite the pain/discomfort trying to tighten you up. "Relaxing into the contraction" was the best advice anyone ever gave me–it made my second labor manageable.
I also told my husband to start counting slowly to ten, and my job was to relax into the contraction until he got to ten. It took lots of concentration, but it worked well.
Good luck!
a few things REALLY helped me:
– to keep telling myself, "this is pain with a purpose". the more it hurt, the more i imagined i was accomplishing. for some crazy reason, this mantra helped me so so much.
– i was able to get through it without an epidural and i swear it was because i had my husband narrate what the contraction looked like on the chart. for ex, if i said, "i am going to die, i cant do this anymore" he would look at the chart and tell me if the last one had been stronger, or that i was halfway through it, or this one was going to be really strong so scream first and then breathe, etc. this really helped…
-i took a few showers. they honestly didnt relieve much pain, but i had to move around and it took up some time so that always helps. and the hot water felt as good as it could when you are in labor.
-i was open to whatever i had to do. i wasnt too agro about my birth plan. i knew what my ideal was, but i was ok if the plan had to change…
I'll pipe in.. my advice is to stand as much as you can.. sitting and laying was so much worse for me. Or bounce on a ball.. but bending over the bed with my hubby rubbing my lower back was wonderful. Or having him across from me and staring him in the eyes and him letting me know that it would be ok.. I could do it..
I had an epidural pretty early on with all my kids except the last was about 45 min. before I had her (not my choice). I'm a huge wimp so that worked well for me.
Good luck.. it will work out ok. :o) (haha my word verification is luckof
I notice that Epidural is not on you & your DH's list. Well, I recommend getting the epidural. My take on it is there are no gold medals for unnecessary suffering in the delivery room. Here are my stories.
I'm a proud mama of 2. With DS I was induced at 41 wks and had a glorious epidural. I felt no pain during the 12 hours of labor and 3.5 hrs of pushing. It was a dream. I credit that epidural with giving me the strength & energy to endure all of that pushing, and helping me avoid a c-section.
With DD I went into labor 2 days before I was scheduled to be induced at 41 weeks. Less than 2 hours after I felt the very first pain of a contraction which let me know I was truly in labor, she was born. They tried to get my epidural to work, but I was already too far gone for it to work like I knew it could.
Moral of the story: if you want a working epidural, get to the hospital early and often! Best wishes!!
I walked a lot initially during labor and then when the contractions started getting stronger I pretty much concentrated on my focal point and breating. I found that concentrating on taking and releasing each breath was very helpful. My first baby was a posterior presentation so I squatted. It sound bizarre but it helped so much with my labor and moving him through the birth canal. Second baby was easier because the labor was faster. I wandered around for a while then spent the balance of my labor on my side.
I read some of the comments regarding the epidural. While I think that it is a good choice for some women, an epidural can very often delay delivery and extend the length of labor. All in all, I personally knew that I could do it the way women did long before there were pain meds.
Best wishes for a fast, easy delivery and a healthy, happy baby!
I did yoga before both of my births (the last one was on Nov 23rd, so still fresh in memory :)), and breathing really helps during the first phase. It's important to breathe all the way down to your stomach to remove some of the pain though. It also helps to stand during the contractions. Not for pain relief, but to make the process go faster. Acupuncture also helps a lot (for me at least) during this phase. 4-10 cm were really tough the last time, because they only took an hour, so the contractions were very intense and close. It made it difficult to breathe properly, so I insisted on an epidural (which the midwife didn't want me to take). I did get the epidural, but not until the contractions were over… (I had reached my 10 cm when the doctor came – still wanted it though… lol.. Didn't let her know the contractions were finished either, was just so exhausted.) However, it made the actual birth beyond amazing. I didn't feel a thing, and she was out in 5 minutes ;)
I am not brave, requested a epidural!!!… sorry….
SHOWER!
I took a plastic outdoor chair and set in the shower and just sat there for i don't know how long.
Then when it started to get cold, I got out and walked around and ate green olives (then threw them up-so DON"T do that part.)
So i was in & out for about 6 hours and just slipped a rob on in between.
um…that would be slipped a ROBE on.
For our fifth child, I had a homebirth and standing in the shower with the hot water beating on my back felt wonderful. The midwife also had me squat by my bedside during a contraction and then stand and relax in between. Slow and steady breathes are the key. Don't talk, it messes up the intricate rythmn of breathing and surrendering to what your body was created to do.
You;re right, lying down or sitting on the bed are terrible positions and cause pain. If you need to sit, sit on the toilet. Not very glamourous and it increases pressure but boy does it speed things up!
Blessings on the babe,
Hannah
Hey Jenny! I still owe you an email- which I'm dying to write and catch up with you, but we're on flu#3 around here.
But I wanted to say GOOD LUCK! before you go into labor. Soon you'll have another sweet little baby, can you bellieve it? She'll be so beautiful, just like Claire and Grace.
I recommend standing in the shower, and make it a hot one because the baby will be fine :) I brought a chair in and just sat, or turned around in it and let the water beat on my back.
People who go natural the whole time try to relax teir body as much as possible during each contraction. If you tighten your muscles during contractions you work against your body's progress and the labor is longer and harder. Easier said than done, but just practice now totally relaxing your body. Try going mentally around to each body part during a contraction and focus on loosening it.
Good luck, you'll do great!
Hey Jenny,
I have had 3 very different labors as well. I have to say, my "favorite" (ha!) was going natural. It was the easiest to recover from. My advice to you is to just keep walking with your hubby. I walked circles in my house and held his hands. By the time the pain got to be too much, it was time to push. I had no idea I had made it that far!
I know your not keen on the bath idea, but warm water REALLY helps those contractions. Maybe the shower?
Good luck and congratulations to you and your family!
I figured out only too late into my first labor that I LOVED the birthing ball (exercise ball). So when I went into labor with my second daughter, I used it from the start because I knew that my body liked it. I swayed, bounced, rocked, etc. and it was awesome.
Also, with my second, I worked much more on my relaxation and breathing. I really focused on keeping my hips spread and relaxed and visualized making room for the baby to come out. Sounds weird, but after a friend suggested it, I tried it and it truly worked wonders on keeping me relaxed and progressing the labor quickly.
Good luck!!
My last labour was so much better than my first , I don't know why , the only thing different was that I had practiced squating right up until the end ,it sure didn't hurt , and when my labour started I made sure to completely relax during the pains to allow them to work and to open the cervix , I also visualized that , my labour was 4 hours of pains and 10 minutes of pushing , that was all it took.
Hope things go smoothly and quickly for you ,
Chris
I didn't have access to a tub, but I did take a long, hot shower when I was somewhere in the 5-7 cm dilated point. The water really helped relieve lower-back pain. Of course, don't think this kind of freedom of movement is an option with an epidural???
Other than that, I just refused to fear the pain. Sounds dumb, I know!
Take Care, and good luck!
How exciting! I had two natural labors. I found nothing helped to get through painful contractions like breathing deeply into the pain. Once in active labor I didn't want to mess around tubs or anything else – just wanted to be ultra-focused on getting through each wave of pain. Just what worked for me….Good Luck!
low grunting/moaning. it's amazing how if you do it too high it doesn't help but once you find the right tone, deep and low it really makes a huge difference! good luck!!!!
Our third (girl) was the only one I went into labor with, the other two I was induced…
I labored at home, all day, it wasn't too bad, called the office after hours so they would send me directly to labor and delivery…
once I arrived at the hospital things moved quickly…I walked, stood, and swatted…I should mention my doctor was wonderfull, she stayed with my husband and I most of the time and talked me through the different stages of labor…no drugs…The third baby usually is in a hurry to arrive…
Wishing a quick and happy delivery!
I just had my first baby (girl) 2 months ago….I was induced at 41 weeks, and got an epidural around 5-6 cm dilated….it was fabulous! I literally felt no pain the entire time, even during the pushing. And I only pushed for 40 minutes before she came. I also had a midwife deliver my baby, which was fantastic…she stayed with us the whole time, and helped make sure I didn't tear. GOOD LUCK! And congratulations!
Jennica,
All three of my labor experiences have been pretty different. With Claire, I had contractions (hard ones) every night for two weeks. But she just wouldn't drop, even though I was dilate to about an 8. Long story. Bad stomach muscles :)
Having birthed three kids sans epidural, I can say that your husband is your greatest asset.
You have to work together. I stand for as much of labor as I can. Let gravity help you out, right? I stand, and put my arms around Clarke's shoulders and sway back and forth and down a bit to work the baby down. And I BREATHE LOW. Whoever else said that was totally right. It is so crucial. It focuses your body so you do not become hysterical. Breathe low. Not up high.
Let Michael keep you distracted with talking. Promises of new clothes. New ebay purchases. Whatever is going to get your mind a little off the pain.
And then tell him that he needs to remind you of what you should be doing: breathing low, etc.
And he needs to cheer for you. Tell you how amazing you are. Because you are. And he should keep that up everyday for the next year. Okay, forever. But you will really need a cheerleader with three. Life becomes a little crazier and less manageable and you need someone who will always believe in you and tell you how awesome you are doing (even if you didn't make dinner, and the house is a mess, and all you did all day was keep your kids alive :)
You will do awesome. You are so tough. Take something pretty to look at. And cover up your clock :)
Good luck. However you get that little one here – I am sure she'll be cute!
Love,
Anna
I have no advice since I've never been through it. but I just wanted to comment — so weird that you posted those pics! I saw those on another blog and they've become my inspiration for the nursery I will someday have. Love your blog! Keep it up!
Have your husband push with al his might on the small of your back if you have pressure in the front during contractions. If it is back pressure then have him push your hips together. My husband said his arms were so sore and tired the next day after each of our two babies were born. This pressure really counteracts the pressure and pain of labor!
I don't really have any advice b/c I was a screaming, cussing mess with baby number 1. I'm expecting #2 in January. But I'm excited to see what your readers say…maybe this time will be more serene. Congratulations and I'm excited to "meet" her on your blog!
I there I have just stumbled upon your blog a few weeks ago and love all the decorating advice you throw out there, THank YOu. I have 15month old little girl, Cecelia. I went in thinking that it will be 20 hours of pain, the worst pain, I ended up with 4 hours of no epidural, two pushes and walking around 1.2 hour later pain. I kept telling myself while in labor that this pain has a purpose and at the end the purpose was the most beautiful little girl I could ever imagine. Always keep in your mind why you are there and what the end result is. I stayed in the bed the whole, time and did breathing, i had all lights off and now music, I also rememberd to laugh once in a while, because i didn't want her to be born into an unhappy place. Yes, it hurt, but it was one of the best experiences of my life. Remember though you can't control this type of experience so just go with the flow and make sure you epidural works if you want one, unfortunatly mine failed! Good Luck!
Another stalker here!! I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to realize that you CAN do it.
I have four children. My first two with epidurals, last two without. I was so scared when I got to the hospital with #3 and realized that I was not going to get an epidural…literally so scared I thought I was going to die! It was some serious pain and I screamed (more out of fear than pain, I think), but I did it. #4 was a very similar situation, only this time I knew I wasn't going to die :)
Anyways, there are several wonderful things that you can do to try and manage the pain, but what works for one person, may not work for another. The best thing you can do is to just believe in yourself and your ability to do anything you set your mind to!
Good luck with everything and thanks for sharing all of your great ideas on this blog!!! It is such a delight!
First: You are adorable and so is your style.
Second: The shower, focus point (red dot on green 7-up can), breathing, being "on top" of the labor. Realizing I was the boss.
Third: my husband repeating these things (which I wrote on a card):
a. your body was designed to do this
b. you're stronger than you think you are.
c. talking about the future, "tomorrow morning you'll wake up, holding that baby. The other kids will be with us. Tuesday, we'll be home watching TV together on the couch,…"
d. counting down contractions and remembering you can do ANYTHING for 5 minutes.
fourth: I am making some roman shades out of my old blinds in my new bathroom! thanks you!
fifth: you'll do great! Yea you!
I've been reading your blog for a few weeks. I actually met you at my in-laws' house last Christmas. Our husbands are friends from high school. (My husband is Stephen Nielson). I love your blog and have been so inspired!
I had a little boy 5 weeks early this last May. I had planned a natural birth center birth but needed to transfer to the hospital because I was only 35 weeks. Thankfully I had a really supportive hospital experience that made the natural part easier.
My prep for natural childbirth involved two hypno birthing courses (Hypnobirthing and Hypnobabies), countless books on pain management and lots of prayer. :) In the moment, regardless of all that hypno practice and study, the two sources that got me through were the books "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin and "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin. Their methods for managing the pain were all I thought of. I would highly recommend reading Ina May's if you have time but the highlights that helped me most were standing and squatting, low moaning, moving A LOT (I swayed back and forth leaning over the bed) and using the power of your mind and encouraging words to imagine opening and progressing. There's tons more in the book.
Good luck! Ultimately it's about a healthy baby and mom. Luckily we have options so everyone can have choices about the experience they are hoping for. Sometimes that's natural childbirth and sometimes that's with much needed and deserved help. Good luck!
And I reminded myself that everyone on this earth got here the same way. If their moms can do it, so can you!
If not using an epidural I would suggest hypnosis. I was trained at a dental school in it and it really worked quite well to manage pain until the epidural.
If you've never had an epidural they are very different now. I could move my legs very easily. Walked shortly after giving birth and enjoyed every minute of labor.
Both children had Apgar scores of 9
and are both healthy, strapping teenagers now.
They both nursed voraciously 15 minutes after birth and were both nursed for a year, so you can see it had no effect on their health or alertness.
This may seem really simple, but it helped me. I focused on always keeping my hands relaxed. Instead of squeezing my husbands hand I would pat his palm to palm. This helped me to stay focused on my goal of "uterus contract, body relax", I would focus on this during contractions! Good luck!
My number one piece of advice, if you're choosing a hospital birth, is to hire a doula. Doulas (labour assistants) have been documented to dramatically reduce both labour length and requests for drugs. One doctor went on record as saying that, if a doula was a drug or procedure, it would be unethical not to use it. If you'd like more information on how to find one, drop me a line.
39 weeks: SOO exciting! I went 41 weeks and 3 days with my first (little one didn't want to come out! lol)
I second MaryMary's advice – that really worked for me as well.
My doula really taught me a lot about embracing the labor and being empowered by it: during contractions, don't fight them! Relax your muscles and let your body do it's work (you were BUILT to give birth – so a lot of labor is learning to TRUST yourself). Especially relaxing my face was hard – my husband would gently touch my forehead to remind me to relax: working with my body was the most important thing to a smooth labor!
I couldn't sit on the bed, or lay down: learning forward on the bed or a ball with him putting pressure on my lower hips was THE BEST!
*don't forget to eat something healthy prior to heading to the hospital: that extra strength and calories will help you a lot!!
Many blessings and best of luck!!
I have been following your blog for a few months now since moving into a new place which is rented. I get lots of ideas from you but when I finally buy my own place, I would like to engage your services for sure! (I live in MD too!) Re pain management techniques, I found going down on my fours, rocking back and forth with a warm water from a shower nozzle aimed at my back very effective. I was determined to go drug free and found that moving around, walking, etc helped the most. I was oblivious to music but they did dim the lights down. All the best for your delivery!
Best of luck! We just had our second little guy seven weeks ago. I had an epidural for both but waited for as long as possible to get it. If that's not your route, I strongly recommend three things: first, yoga breathing. You know how you get through those painful yoga moves (where your muscles are shaking in pain) simply through breathing and focusing? That worked wonders for me during contractions. Second, think of the absolutely whiniest mother you know. It's the perfect way to have a stern discussion with yourself when you are about to lose your mind–if she could do it, so can you. Third, invite people into your room before the pushing begins. It makes you focus on talking to them vs. worrying about your contractions. A perfect distraction.
Hate to make it sound like an athletic competition–but kick some butt and have a wonderful time! We will all be thinking of you…
Firstly, I love your blog and you amaze me with your talent and how much you can accomplish with two little girls!
Now on to the baby talk! I had one natural delivery. For me, focusing on the pain was key. I would pretend I was staring into the pain, instead of trying to avoid it. Pain is progress.
I think my husband kind of felt left out of it, because I was so focused, I really didn't rely on him. I tuned everyone and everything out.
Pick a focal point and breathe!
Side Note: We did not find out the sex of our baby prior to birth.
When the baby was born the Dr. quickly reached down and placed the baby on my chest while announcing, "You have a baby girl!"
I patted the baby, calling her my
little Hannah Lou. Suddenly my husband yells while pointing at the baby, "That's not a girl, that's a BOY!!" It was very strange how in just a few minutes
I had totally begun to bond to my DAUGHTER, and then had to quickly switch emotional gears. It all worked out and now my baby will be 16 yrs. old Dec. 19!
Good luck and remember to breathe and focus!!
Kristen W. in Atlanta
epidural! :) I loved my epidural's. It was a party once I got it and made it so much more enjoyable for me (and DH!). But you have to do what works for you. Most people I've talked to actually didn't enjoy getting in the bath. Since it's hard and you have to kind of hold yourself up. ANyway, good luck!!
EPIDURAL!!!
EPIDURAL!!!!
I had my first three kids at home. Loved it. But there were serious complications after my third. Nothing with the baby, but with me, so we had the last two in the hospital. If you can get an epidural without any other pain meds, it's like a miracle. You can be alert and "there" for the whole thing, but the pain is so minimal. It didn't affect how well I could push, in fact, I think it was easier because it didn't hurt. If any of my daughters ever want to do home birth, I'll support them, but if not, I'll strongly suggest an epidural for them.
Maybe not a bath, but with my second child/labor my doula and husband ran hot water from one of those movable shower head things over my abdomen. It was AMAZING. This was toward the end during transition (I went the no drug route) and the pain was SO much more manageable with the hot water.
Also, my doula did a little bit of aromatherapy with me and, I didn't have much faith in the idea, but the scents were actually really intense. Enough to be distracting from the pain AND actually helped me clear my head to refocus on getting through the pain.
Also, I squatted during pushing. Your doctor might not like this, but my midwife was more than happy to do it this way and it helped so much that I literally only pushed twice for three minutes and out he came. Like buttah! Sort of. :) (I pushed on my back with #1 and it took over an hour.)
So those…plus a lot of back and belly rubbing from Hubby and a lot of crushing of his hand on my part. :)
Blessings to you and your coming baby!