Going into my second delivery, I am much more at peace and have a calmness this time that I didn’t have last time. There was a whole lot of unknown with Hudson’s delivery because I had never done it before. But I feel a lot better when I think about this delivery and remember the pieces of information that I picked up during my first go-round that will help me get through this next time.
What did I learn last time that I’m taking with me into this time?
1. Pregnancy lasts for 10 months, not 9 months. And sometimes it feels like 10,000 months. It is a lengthy little process. But just because I think I’m ready to deliver at 36 weeks, I’m not. And the best thing for my baby is to stay put for a few more weeks.
2. Even with a vaginal delivery, you can have surgery. And stitches. And major pain.
3. Your husband will get the best sleep of his life in the hospital room. Pack a very large noise maker in your bag so you can wake him up to help you to the bathroom in the middle of the night!
4. I want to stay in the hospital as long as possible this time. I will not beg to go home. Home is the place where no one sleeps!
5. I will also use the time in the hospital to sleep as much as possible. And my sweet little newborn will go to the nursery during the night and return to me to eat every 3 hours thanks to the super wonderful nurses and nursery staff.
6. I will plan to wear my maternity pants until at least July even though I’m not going to be pregnant after early May. Facts are facts and my post-baby tummy doesn’t lie.
What fun facts will/did you take with you into your second delivery?
Well my children are adopted from Russia. I have nothing to add about a delivery however I did learn not to wear a lime green ski coat in Russia. I did when we adopted our first. I did not when we adopted our second!!
This is great! As someone who will be experiencing her first delivery I’m very nervous. I’ll be sure to pack a noise maker to wake up Hubby. I also saved a copy of your hosptial packing list. Always great to see what other Mom’s used/needed most. Hope your second experience is wonderful.
Haha! The noise maker comment was a joke, but I did have to make the alarm on my phone go off just to get him to wake up. 🙂
What an awesome post. With my 2nd I had prepared for things to be different and for the most part they were. At least I knew what I learned from the first time. I love the idea of the noisemaker.
I packed myself a diet sprite in case I was thirsty after delivery since I was after the first and the nurse brought me yucky cola!
My dr referred to my vaginal deliveries as surgery, I always laughed.
the calmness and the knowing will help with your recovery. I do worse with surgeries I’m unfamiliar with.
Christi
Thanks for sharing. As someone who is entering the last trimester with their first, I’m really nervous. Thanks for the tips!
AMEN X 6!!! I will also know that even my stretchiest pre-pregnancy stretchy pants aren’t stretchy enough for 2 days post delivery! 🙂
Great tips Erin! I think anyone who keeps their baby instead of sending them to the nursery at night must be insane. Mommas need that time to rest!
You sound prepared! I was one of those weirdos who actually looked forward to being in the hospital so I could relax and have people bring me stuff instead of the other way around. Ha! And God bless those nurses:)
I am 2 weeks and 2 days away from my delivery…a scheduled c-section this time after an unplanned c-section last time. Regardless, I agree that knowing what to expect is so helpful. Here’s my thoughts..
1. I will ask for pain medication when I need it. I didn’t realize I needed to ask for it last time, so I recovered from a c-section with almost no pain medication…seriously. I took it once a day for the three days I was in the hospital because I didn’t want them to think I was a druggie. STUPID. I will not be doing that again.
2. I know that things don’t always go the way you expect them to. Take a deep breath and remember a healthy baby is what matters in the end…not how they get here.
3. Anesthesia makes me ill. It is what it is, I know it this time and I’m hopefully ready to deal with it!
Good luck to you!
I think it’s important to have a plan, but to also be prepared to just make it happen. The end result (a healthy baby and mama) are the most important things. I also think that no matter how much you think you know going in, you just don’t really know until you’ve done it! I completely agree about the snacks, etc….I delivered at 11:14pm and they could only dig me up a gross turkey sandwich! I was starving! It’s really hard work having a baby!!
Now I know that when/if my water breaks to go immediately to the hospital! Last time I took a shower and was taking my time when labor started moving super fast. They say it might only be 2 hours this time so I am extra paranoid. I’m only 35 weeks but every lower back pain makes me worried I’m in labor and that I won’t make it in time. I know I’m lucky to have fast deliveries but it’s a little nerve wracking.
These are great tips, Erin! I think so many new moms are just dying to get home, but it’s true – you get so little sleep and are forced back into a routine that it’s just hopelessly draining.
I agree with all of your tidbits of delivery knowledge! I had c-sections with both of mine, and it was scheduled the 2nd go around. My experience was positively lovely. I’ll second what someone else commented.. Take the pain meds when you can take them (not over do it, just when it’s time for more, do it). My pain was extremely manageable when I did, and allowed me to get up and moving the afternoon of my surgery. Have a good pillow around to hold on your incision area when laughing/coughing/etc., and the elastic girdle thing they give you to wear?! Lol, I wore mine for like 6 weeks. It was my bestest friend ever.
(And maybe TMI, but also if the dr/nurses ask if you’ve had any gas.. Tell them! That was probably the most uncomfortable thing about the c-section for me!)
I didn’t treat my hospitals stays like a mini-vacation until my 3rd delivery. Best thing I ever did and don’t know why I didn’t before. 🙂
totally agree about husband and hospital sleeping…man…I would be, like “Hello???” it’s not like the rooms are that big LOL…and taking full advantage of the nursery and wonderful staff! This last time in the hospital when I had baby #4, I stayed in as long as they would keep me…a mini vacay for me and my other 3 hung out with their grandparents and LOVED it…we were all happy! Great post 🙂
i’m glad you said pregnancy was 10 months and not 9. I did a post about that not long ago and I got a really snarky anonymous comment that “ummm, pregnancy is NOT 10 months” I shrugged it off but had to laugh when I read that in your first bullet point. I love reading all your prego related posts. Makes me think about things I hadn’t thought of. I still have time (July) but you seem to get me thinking in the right direction. 🙂
Hahaha. I loved this post! I especially loved the noise maker comment. I had a LONG complicated delivery with my first and THAN decided that I had to have him in my room the whole time. I was recovering from a C-section and could not get out of bed and the baby was crying and I was yelling at my husband to wake up for what seemed like an hour!!!
So, on my second, I sent that sweet boy to the nursery and SLEPT. AND brought comfy maternity pants to go home in. AND I stayed till they kicked me out. AND i ordered extra food, cause I didn’t have to make it myself. 🙂
On a C-section note, MAKE sure that you either have a “movement” or they give you something to help you go… you don’t want to deal with that. It was horrible. I asked for a softener with my second, a VBAC, cause I was not going to run into that problem. Really TMI, but oh so important.
YES YES YES to staying as long as possible!!! I got 3 nights with all 3 kids and it was fabulous!! I thought I was on vacay!!! Oh, and yes to sending the baby to the nusery!! Only my kids were formula fed so the nursery had them all night long!! WOOHOO!!!! I loved being in the hospital!!!!!!
Yes to sending the baby to the nursery. I wanted to be with my daughter every second but it was so hard on me. I kept checking to make sure she was breathing and held her the whole time instead of getting rest. I will sleep in the hospital next time.
I did not allow many visitors and did not let many people hold my daughter the whopping 48 hours I was there. I will do this again with my future children until the bfing relationship is well established.
I just gave birth to my 1st last month. I’ve got 9 nieces and nephews and had been in the delivery room with some of them, so I knew a little bit of what to expect. But this time, I was living in Scotland. They do things different here.
-I had natural childbirth. Enough said.
-They won’t induce you in Scotland until you are 12 days past your due date. I delivered 12 days after my due date.
-There is no nursery in the hospital. The baby stays with you in your little cubicle at all times.
-Husbands are not allowed to spend the night in the hospital. They are restricted to visiting hours.
-I would sleep as much as I can. I don’t have any family who live here and limited friends, so I was up doing things immediately.
When I have my second, I will do things a lot differently!!
Great post! And great comments, too. Especially for those of us who are in our first pregnancy.
Thanks, Erin! Any tips for the first-time delivery? Mine should be sometime in the next four weeks! 🙂
I am due to have my 2nd child in a week and a half…only this time I am much more nervous because my first delivery was sooooo smooth and easy. I am panicked that this one won’t be so easy. However, I am very ready to have my baby here and be over this whole pregnancy thing. It does not agree with me 🙂
Here are some of my thoughts:
–We stayed 2 nights with my daughter. The first night I kept her all night and the second night I asked the nurses to keep her in the nursery. A great decision as I felt more rested the next day when it was time to go home
–I HATE, HATE, HATE my maternity clothes (just because they remind me of pregnancy) and have nothing but long pants and sweaters since I spent the majority of my pregnancy during the winter months. I don’t know what I am going to do about clothes when I am trying to lose 40 lbs during spring/early summer.
I LOVE your blogs and LOVED this one since I feel like we are in the same “place” in our lives 🙂 Thanks Erin!
YES! Stay in the hospital. Hospital = sleep and childcare (for both your child(ren) at home and the newborn in the newborn nursery.) Home = real life. And there’s plenty of time for that later. 😉
Good for you about sending him to the nursery at night and having him brought to you to feed. That’s the way I did it and don’t even kinda feel guilty about it.
And I’m also crazy anti-social for a few weeks after birth. I never wanted visitors. Is that rude? I look like crap. I feel tired. I’m bleeding and breastfeeding and leave me alone please. And you can kinda use nurses and hospital staff to keep visitors out. Or put a sign on your door that says “No visitors”. That’s a tad harder at home.
Love what you said about maternity clothes. That’s another thing I learned after baby #1: what was once a cute hard round stomach is now a flabby soft stomach with folds of fat that trap leaking milk. Not so cute.
Oh but I should say.. or feel compelled to say since you don’t know me.. that I love my kids. They’re great. I love being a mom. And I LOVED delivery days. Great days! For me, it was just the days (or maybe weeks) right after that I didn’t love so much. And you’re right. First time around you can’t wait to go home. You’re smarter the second time. 😉
I’m gearing up for my first and I am dreading the stitches that can come with a vaginal surgery. It freaks me out!
I also plan on having my baby boy brought to the nursery at night and brought to me to feed so that I can sleep a little bit.
I have a feeling I will be in maternity pants for a few months too
When they want to give you pain pills AND ambien at night, don’t ask questions, just say thank you! 🙂
That is so funny about a noise maker to wake up the hubby! Maybe a cowbell would do the trick? 😉 haha! That would be hilarious!
I didn’t see anything about pain pills – lots of pain meds – especially at night! 🙂
I laughed out loud at the “Your husband will get the best sleep of his life” – THIS IS SO TRUE!!! LOL!
GREAT POST!! Cheers to staying at the hospital as long as they’ll keep you 🙂 My post partum nurses were my heroes!!!
I was induced with my first two and learned after the first one to tell them to turn off the pitocin until my epidural was in place. With my third, who was born 5 weeks early, I was happy that I spoke up loudly when I was in pain. My third ended up with jaundice that I wish we had known about while still in the hospital. He ended up in a light machine at our house and at the same time I checked back into the hospital with a serious case of pneumonia. Neither of us were well enough to leave the hospital in the first place and I wish I had spoken up more so we could have stayed a bit longer.
I loved #5!!! That is so true for me too! I couldn’t wait to have my first baby rooming in with me. With # 2 and #3 they went off to the nursery and I slept!
I will DEMAND the ice packs down there! It was optional last time. Oh also, I won’t go grossed out by the GALLONS of blood coming out of your vagina after giving birth…oh wait, yes I will.
A noise maker might be good – I ended up using a lotion bottle to throw at my sleeping husband 🙂
when i was pregnant with my second child last year, i was so ready for everything…i knew what a c-section was going to be like, i knew what to expect out of my hospital stay, i knew i wanted the baby to stay in the nursery…i was prepared for it all…except when, poof, my water broke at 33 weeks and i was suddenly on hospital bed rest and delivering a 4 pound preemie (who just celebrated his first birthday, happy and healthy!). and as scary as it was, because he was my second, i knew i needed to speak up. when i was on bedrest and they told me they were only going to check his heart-rate once a day, i fought for 4x/day checks. when i was feeling contractions and the night nurse shrugged it off to go watch the duke/unc bball game, i buzzed her every 5 minutes until she started to take me seriously (he was born an hour later!). when it was time for my drugs, i politely reminded them. because he was my second, i knew that i needed to be the one to advocate for the both of us.
and, because he was my second, i also knew the best way to avoid getting the catheter put back in, was to drink sweet tea! 🙂
With my second I sent the baby to the nursery and then couldn’t sleep! It was awful just laying there knowing I should be sleeping while I had the chance. By night #2 I asked for a Benadryl. The other thing I did differently the 2nd time was to bring a flannel robe. I bought one in the mens dept at Macy’s. It was a great decision. I could nurse and get in and out of bed without exposing too much of myself. And I was comfortable and warm.
I went into my first delivery hearing the advice to “keep the baby in the nursery at night”. I was ALL FOR THAT, and knew I should take advantage of the sleep while I could. What I was not prepared for was how incredibly in love I would be with my new baby, and how protective I was. The first night, I decided to keep her in the room, and then around midnight I was exhausted and she was pretty squeaky, so I called and had them take her to the nursery. I fell asleep for about an hour, and then tossed and turned and PANICKED and called to have her back. I decided I would just keep her because I was just so excited to be a new Mommy. Now that I know this, I will probably take the sleep with my second (God willing) considering how much life will change with 2! Next time around I will also be a much bigger advocate for myself in the hospital instead of being so damn polite. All that lead to last time was a failed epidrual and feeling like I was left in the dust at the worst part of my contractions. Thank you for this list!
I don’t know why my URL keeps showing up wrong…here is the correct one linked!
Love all your thoughts. I was confused about the whole 40 weeks thing too until someone explained to me that week 1 actually is before you are actually pregnant, since they start counting the first day of your last period. It also reassured me that 40 weeks would only equal 10 months if every month was only 28 days. 🙂 Does that make sense? So, maybe it’s not 10 months, afterall!
And I’m soooo with you on using the nurses overnight! I totally took advantage of that because I knew that I wouldn’t have that kind of help at home.
Im not so sure about the Noise maker. Perhaps a squirt gun? HAHA!!!
Here are my tips.
1) Even if you plan on an epidural, some times baby just comes, and fast. Therefore, lamaze classes, because if i did it once without meds I’ll do it again.
2) Hospitals tend to have the fancy schmancy rooms for scheduled indutions/ c-sections. If you go in to labor on your own then you are on the list to get moved to a crappy room. If this happens again, I will fight for my right to have a nice room. Because I carried a child for 10 months, I deserve not to have to try to share a bed with my husband the night I deliver. And lets face it, him sleeping on a chair that wont fold down isnt happening.
3) Nursing tops: Because staff just walk in unanounced and bring visitors with them. Also if your doing baby pictures in the hospital They may want you in them, and that college tee isnt so cute in your first offical family photos.
4) Have a dozen cheap undies and tucks pads at home. Along with pads. So much easier to toss those things away… multiple times a day.
I learned that you should get your epidural AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Waiting it out can mean waiting too long!!
That’s funny about the hospital stay? I hated the hospital with both of my kids. My second one was born last June and I could not wait to get out of the hospital. Even though they would take my baby for me at night, they still had a nurse in my room pushing on my stomach and checking my vitals every few hours.. annoying. I also think the beds are uncomfortable and I just like my own home so much better. I learned that the second time around, overall, was so much better. I think it was because I had an incling about what I was getting into. I also feel like while sleep deprivation still exists, it wasn’t nearly as hard to function on little sleep as it was with my first one. I learned that while the first delivery was so exciting and overwhelming.. the second seemed so much more calm and sweet. I learned from my first delivery that I would be STARVING after I gave birth so I packed a bunch of yummy treats in my hospital bag and that was the best plan ever! I broke out a granola bar shortly after delivery! Lastly, pack really comfy socks. GOOD LUCK!
I completely agree with the stretchy girdle comment! My twins are 16 months old, and I still wear mine! HaHa! P.S. C-Section body recovery is a whole new world!
And, I was lucky to have recovery nurses that knew much better than me. They insisted I take my pain meds on a schedule. I actually had a better recovery with a c-section than a vaginal delivery. Lastly, if you feel nauseous from the anesthesia, tell them!!! They have meds for that! And I was off everything 2 days after arriving home! All the best for a healthy delivery!
Love this! For my next (God willing), I will not be packing so much for the hospital! I had a 6 day/5 night stay, thanks to a VERY long induction, yet barely touched what I brought. It’s much easier to use the hospital gowns and personal care items post-delivery. I will also pack extra socks next time. By the time I was ready to deliver (late Thursday night…I checked in Monday evening), I felt like I was sticking dirty feet in the nurse’s face. I also now know to ask for lots of help from the nurses/LC with breastfeeding. I didn’t take advantage of it enough with my first one and we struggled when I got home.
Erin – I’m totally with you on #2! Did not expect surgery after a vaginal delivery. Now, I know to expect the unexpected.
Nexttime I know how to work the sits bath and I will be all over that little bit of me time.
I will take two of the little squirt bottles home from the hospital because inevitably I’ll be using the bathroom in the one with no bottle.
So true about hubs getting the best night of sleep. Our hospital requires the babies to “room in” and they were in and out checking us the entire first night. He didn’t hear a thing. The baby had no interest in sleeping alone and I didn’t realize the bed was so high and almost fell out of it. You know that felt awesome after stitches Fred slept through the whole thing!
We considered not taking advantage of our full two nights and felt pushed to leave, but I’m so glad we stayed. They interrupted less on the second day, we had access to help with nursing, and the worst of the bleeding was done in the hospital where I had all the “supplies” I needed-going to the bathroom felt like going off to war. It was really a project. I was also really anxious and modest about nursing at first. Being in the hospital helped me get over that because the clinical setting made it feel more appropriate.
Good luck with number 2!
What is it about the flipping hospital room that puts men to sleep?? That is all.
Next time around I will try things like a birthing ball and a warm bath before getting an epidural. It only worked for about 2 hours (out of 21 hours of labor and 2.5 hours of pushing), and my insurance apparently saw it as unnecessary and only covered 50%. I felt like I should have been given some sort of deal on the cost of the epidural since it didn’t work when I needed it to 🙂
I will also bring some sort of robe to put on after birth. I look back at the pictures and it is not pretty. I am pretty sure I asked for a new gown before visitors came in, but I didn’t get one. I tried to cover up with a blanket, but my gown was still gross from Graesen being laid on my chest.
Next time around I will not sit up on the computer googling “am I in labor” in between contractions. I mean really, I could barely breathe during the contractions, how could I not know it was real labor?
Finally, I have already chosen a new doctor for next time. He believes that women who give birth to big babies or breast feed are saints (yes, he did say that). This is a huge plus, because when my female doctor was out of town when I gave birth I about cried when the male doctor who came in was the same one who told me I gained too much weight and “must be feeling a little uncomfortable.” New doctor is also a big Christian and prays with his patients (if he knows that the are also Christian).
Call me crazy, but I enjoyed having my baby in the room with me and I was really ready to go home two days later…even after a c-section. Not that I think anyone should feel bad about wanting to get some rest, but I think I would have had a panic attack if she had been taken away at night. She slept (quite well actually) right next to me while we were in the hospital. Once we were home though, it was all about her being in her own bassinet or crib! And like a few other people have said, the stretchy elastic band is a lifesaver. I wore mine for almost 6 weeks.
My daughter (1st) was born at 38 weeks due to my high blood pressure. I was taken directly to Labor and Delivery from my doctor’s office in a wheelchair and given insane amounts of pitocin. It was a horrible experience. I went to work all day, then was in labor all night, and gave birth early in the morning. I was exhausted.
My son (2nd) was born a day after my due date. He was over 9 lbs. I talked my doctor into breaking my water and letting me walk around. Labor started in 10 minutes. My blood pressure was fine because I gained 15 lbs that time around, instead of 25 with my daughter. Delivery was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed EVERY minute of it!
What I learned from my first and changed with my second:
1. Pack a “labor and delivery” bag with all of the things you want for your labor, including a set of clean socks, soap and shampoo. Leave it in your car.
2. Actually PACK your bags for the hospital. I put this off, figuring that I would be able to do this in early labor at home. It is REALLY hard to tell your husband over the phone which underwear and and nursing bras to pack. He WILL pack the wrong stuff.
3. Pitocin really sucks- avoid it at all costs. Get the epidural ASAP if you have to have it. You don’t get a trophy for being a martyr, and you WILL NOT have fun. You will bleed for a LONG time and have golf ball sized clots because of it post partum. If you can talk your doctor into breaking your water and letting you walk around, chances are, your labor will start on its own= not as much bleeding or ridiculous contractions.
4. Send that baby to the nursery and send your husband home to take care of your other kids. Otherwise he will just sit in your room and play TV remote commando AND refuse to change diapers. That will probably make you want to throw something at him.
5. Make a plan with your night nurses to coordinate you and your baby’s middle of the night care for when the baby is awake (ie. feeding time). You’ll get woken up less often and feel less resentful.
As a result of what I changed, I was well rested, happier, and in WAY less pain.
Good luck to everyone about to deliver, especially you, Erin!!
I cracked up at the noise maker for your husband. With my third I threw my boppy at hubby’s head. He look startled and I said, “hello, remember me? I just gave birth to your third child… and I have giant, gaping incision… and I need help to the restroom? May I interupt your nap for a little assistance? Please?” I had to apologize later for being ugly, but seriously??? Did you not hear me calling you??
Also, my experience with every birth was different… so my best advice is to expect the unexpected and don’t expect everything to go like it did last time.
I bought maternity jeans at JC Penney when I was first showing. They had just a small piece of “elastic” on each side. Nothing except a zipper and snap in front. I LOVED them! Wore those suckers out!!!! And I wore them for a LONG time after he was born! Because no one even knew they were maternity. No UGLY panel!!!
Here’s what I learned for my second:
1) I reacted horribly to the narcotics the first time. I told my doctor ZERO for me the second time. She looked at me like I was crazy! They gave me High Powered Tylenol or Advil (can’t remember), and that was all I needed for pain. Me+PAIN MEDS=Not nice person!
2) I had carpal tunnel syndrome AFTER my first was born. I started having it a little bit at the end of my 2nd pregnancy….nothing too bad though. AFTER my second baby was born (in the hospital), my carpal tunnel was EXCRUCIATING!!!! I sent my baby to the nursery expecting to get a wonderful night’s sleep (like I did with my first). The carpal tunnel kept me up ALL night! It was terrible. My husband slept like a baby. The only time he woke up was during my moving around in the squeaky hospital bed. He would murmur, “How can I help you?” I said through clenched teeth, “You can’t unless you can make this pain in my ARM go away!!!” Who thought my arm would be hurting and NOT my NETHERREGIONS!!!
3) We were SO ready to leave the hospital the 2nd day that I didn’t even dress the baby in the gown that my first son came home in! Boy #2 came home in one of those kissy kissy onesies! Poor second babies!
Second time around, I knew to either bring food OR push that kid out BEFORE the cafeteria closes!
Between this post, your packing list and the sleep schedule chart you posted, I feel like one educated girl! I hope I will be blessed to need these tips in the future 🙂 Love your tips!
Just had a baby boy 2 months ago- our first and only stayed in the hospital 36 hours. will most definitely stay as long as i can next time. oh and sleep after i get my epidural. have food on hand for after delivery. went to hospital at 5 am and didn’t deliver until 10:30pm. Was starving and the cafeteria was already closed so my MIL went to McDonalds for me- not what I really wanted but something is better than nothing!
AMEN. To ALL of it.
i think next time i’ll stock up on hospital underwear too 🙂 haha
btw i LOVE your blog! i’ve followed it for a while!
I had to laugh about the point where you said your husband would get the best sleep of his life at the hospital. My husband slept miserably while there, and I was there for 5 nights (due to a preemie delivery). I guess though, with him being 6’5, nothing but our King will satisfy him 🙂
Going in for my second I was most sad about leaving my oldest daughter for several nights. Even though I knew I’d see her every day there was just something different about not putting her to bed. My wonderful sister saved the day there, and I did fine. 🙂
Like you, my first was an unplanned c-section. I was very sore. I can remember getting out of bed to use the bathroom for the first time and felt like an old woman b/c I couldn’t stand up straight. I was totally amazed after the 2nd c-section that I wasn’t nearly as sore, and didn’t take as many pain killers. 🙂 I hope you have the same experience.
I’m all for staying at the hospital as long as you can. Meals served, no laundry, sleep (w/ minor interruptions), and no cleaning to be done!
Good luck.
I had an emergency c-section the first time. The second time as a scheduled c-section, and I was so much more mentally prepared and calm. I tried to really enjoy the experience and take it all in rather than just react. It was beautiful.
I will say that my first c-section was SO EASY to recover from; however, the second, not so much. I was in a lot of pain and for a much longer duration. Ladies, TAKE THE MEDS!
And my swelling definately lasted longer with my second. I wore my maternity jeans for about 3 months afterwards.
But the most important thing I learned was that, regardless of their advice, I was STARVING after both of my deliveries and was craving an ice cold coke. I had a friend on stand-by to bring me “goodies” undercover to my room–sounds disgusting, but it made me feel so much better–one nestle crunch and one coke! lol