Have a few questions about preparing for my little one. :) H

So..... I know i'm going to sound really retarded, and I promise i'm NOT clueless. I just want to be AS PREPARED as I possibly can be.

I'm 19 and pregnant with my first, Bentley John is due on September 24th.

Now into my last trimester and of course have a million and one little questions and concerns that randomly pop in my mind.

1. What should I bring to the hospital 
- FOR ME
- FOR BABY

2. How exactly do I go about choosing a baby doctor 
- This is a little confusing for me, the hospital where I am planning to deliver is a little over an hour away from where I live. So I'm not sure if I should pick a doctor near the hospital just to check the baby out? I'm not sure how i'm going to go about it.

3. How bad does the epidural really help  Does the injection itself hurt  And are women looked down upon for using pain medication for labor instead of having a baby naturally 
- I have a very bad back. I was in a car accident when I was younger and have a few slipped discs, a chip in a bone, a crack in another, and of course being so young, i'm just supposed to manage the pain until i'm older. My doctor doesn't want to do surgery because i'm so young, and shouldn't have back problems. And also, to top it all off; my little Bentley, as of right now at least, is breech. I know he's got plenty of time to turn around but if he doesn't, i've heard it can be a very painful process if they try to turn him. When my mom had my younger twin brothers, the youngest one tried coming out sideways, and she said it was very uncomfortable for her to have him turned, and so she's worried about me during my delivery.

4. Does breastfeeding hurt or destroy your breasts 
-Before I start getting hate replies about being selfish. I plan to pump regardless, I want Bentley to get the very best nutrition that he possibly can. My only concern is how my breasts are going to react to breast feeding. I've heard all sorts of horror stories about breasts being super saggy and pancake-like after breastfeeding. And again, I'm going to pump regardless, i've just heard from others who have breastfed that having the baby actually attach themselves to the nipple can be painful after the pulling, tugging, teething, etc. Just looking for some information, advice and experience on this.

Any additional information about anything, feel free to share stories and experiences too.

Thanks for those who post.  

1. Not gonna be a great help to ya on this one, as I didn't deliver at a hospital. I only brought my camera, food, a onesie for the baby and the clothes I had on for myself. I left 6 hours after having him, so nothing else was necessary.

2. I switched to a midwife before delivering. But when I had an OB, I had the OB/GYN office I went to (which was located in the hospital I was to deliver at) choose one of their doctors at random for me. Does the hospital you're going to have OBs that work there you could pick from?

Gonna skip to the last one, as I didn't have an epidural and can't help you there.

4. If anything is going to "destroy" your breasts, it'll be pregnancy (and age, of course). I haven't found breastfeeding to be the least bit painful, but I think it's common for it to be a little uncomfortable as you're starting out.

YOUR IN YOUR LAST TRIMESTOR AND STILL DONT HAVE A DR? HAVE YOU HAD ANY PRENATAL CARE AT ALL???

Quoting *WYATTS MAMMA*:" YOUR IN YOUR LAST TRIMESTOR AND STILL DONT HAVE A DR? HAVE YOU HAD ANY PRENATAL CARE AT ALL???"

Good point. My eyes must have missed that bit.

I think she meant the pediatrician. The one who discharges the baby from the hospital.

Yes I meant the pediatrician to discharge him from the hospital, geez.

Quoting *WYATTS MAMMA*:" YOUR IN YOUR LAST TRIMESTOR AND STILL DONT HAVE A DR? HAVE YOU HAD ANY PRENATAL CARE AT ALL???"

I think she's asking about a doctor for her baby...


1. I brought my laptop, charger, phone, clothes for DD, baggy clothes for myself, lots of bigger underwear, and my camera.

2. Pick a pediatrician for your baby that's close to home. The hospital will have a pedi that will check him out and send the info to the pediatrician you choose. I did a meet and greet with DD's doctor around 35 weeks, I suggest you call some pediatricians around you and ask for a meet and greet to get to know them and their practice.

3. My epidural was fantastic, didn't feel a thing after I got it was time to push. Some people will act snobby about he epidural, but they shouldn't in the hospital. It's not about what anyone else wants. YOUR birthing experience is about you and YOUR baby.

4. Pregnancy and breastfeeding destroyed my boobs, and breastfeeding hurt. But give it a try at least. I enjoyed it, but couldn't handle the pain.
My left is a C and my right is a D now  

<blockquote><b>Quoting DevinMarie&BabyBentley:</b>" Yes I meant the pediatrician to discharge him from the hospital, geez."</blockquote>

I would call the hospital and see if they have pediatricians on call that can do it for you. You really don't have to use the same pediatrician as your regular dr if you don't want. My pediatrician was not the pediatrician who discharged him. Also I can't say about epidural as I had a spinal. My son was breech and ob gave zero chance of him turning through the inversion process but he said he would try if I wanted. I had a csection instead.

For yourself pack like ur going to hotel, I bought my own towels bath/shower stuff body lotions/sprays hair ties mouse, my make up just in case I was up to it...
My own underwear, pads (I don't like the 1s in hosp I like kotex because their super soft)
My own can of dermaplast, just in case hosp was stingy lol
Nursing gown or nursing tanks (I hated the hosp gown and felt better in my own reg clothes)
Camera/phones chargers
Slippers or socks
Nipple cream

For baby I bought their own receiving blankets 3 or 4 sleepers 5-6 onsies, socks, mittens, hats, carseat 2 big blankies 1 for carseat 1 for baby, I took my own pump, and few bottles... and going home outfit...

Have them chose dr. For u at hosp. Keep the baby with that dr. Till u can find 1 u like, I went on internet and read reviews on drs in my area then called offices to see if they took our insurance,

Epidural helped me with my 1st delivery I was in labor for 3 days so it helped a lot I didn't even feel when they put it in, my 2nd I didn't need an epi yet but they scared me I broke down and got 1, I wish I hadn't my back is still sore from it and she's 2 1/2 now, my 3rd I just went natural and I loved it, was very happy I was able to experience it...

I've breast fed all 3 babies and my youngest is 9 months and still breats feeding... I pumped till they were all around 6-7 months then I was able to put them on my breast and it wasn't as painful and I was able to enjoy it a lot more than my 1st attemps at feeding from my breasts.
Besides getting stretchmarks and a lil less perky I still have the same breasts...

Quoting ☮Sugar Magnolia:" I think she's asking about a doctor for her baby... 1. I brought my laptop, charger, phone, clothes ... [snip!] ... hurt. But give it a try at least. I enjoyed it, but couldn't handle the pain. My left is a C and my right is a D now  "

Thanks, ya i've heard a variety of different stories about breast feeding, I still want to try it, but not sure. Still want to pump so he gets the best.

And the pediatrician information was helpful, thank you. Wasn't sure if i'd have to have a doctor come from home all the way to hospital to check him out, trying to get everything ready for him has been so chaotic and hard to think about every little detail, but thank you for your input!  

Quoting DevinMarie&BabyBentley:" Thanks, ya i've heard a variety of different stories about breast feeding, I still want to try it, but ... [snip!] ... get everything ready for him has been so chaotic and hard to think about every little detail, but thank you for your input!  "

Exclusively pumping is hard. I'd exclusively breastfeed for at least three weeks before pumping.


Also, my boobs DURING breastfeeding were amazing. They were DD and firm and perky. I miss them lol.

Quoting ☮Sugar Magnolia:" Exclusively pumping is hard. I'd exclusively breastfeed for at least three weeks before pumping. Also, my boobs DURING breastfeeding were amazing. They were DD and firm and perky. I miss them lol."

Haha, ya I was a 32B ish before I got pregnant, now i'm up to a D, they've gotten huge, and I don't mind, they can be uncomfortable and a lot to handle but I think it's just because i'm not used to having much there lol, Im more worried about them being managable and comfortable afterwards, i can be really picky about cloths and the way things feel and fit, not just during my pregnancy

Ur due a day before me(:

1. I brought a change a clothes, something to pull my hair back, toothbrush/toothpaste, chapstick, cell phone, charger, & camera. for baby i brought carseat, going home outfit, & blanket.

2. For me choosing a pedi was really hard. I had first picked the same one my aunt had for her baby who was a few months older than mine but i wasn't a fan of him so i changed to someone i felt more comfortable with & who was closer to where i lived. My best advice is make sure you feel comfortable with the dr you choose and talk to friends and family about who they take their kids to.

3.I had an epidural with my first & yeah not having the pain was nice but the side effects and feeling afterwards for me is making me think twice about getting one again with this baby.

4.I only breast fed for a while with my first but with this one i'm going to try to longer. IMO its better for baby & can help you lose the baby weight. thats a good sounding deal to me.. it was a little weird feeling at first and can be uncomfortable until you get the hang of it.

Quoting Tay bugg♥:" Ur due a day before me(: 1. I brought a change a clothes, something to pull my hair back, toothbrush/toothpaste, ... [snip!] ... a good sounding deal to me.. it was a little weird feeling at first and can be uncomfortable until you get the hang of it."

Oh awesome! yay for September babies