At 31 weeks, I'm starting to think about where I will be when it's time for my twins to be born. If I'm at work, I'm actually a short walk away from the hospital. If I'm at home, it's a drive over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan and uptown, which could take anywhere from 10 to over 30 minutes depending on traffic.

Last week, one NYC woman had her baby in a taxi.

In all my readings about labor and delivery there is one word that continues to stand out and totally freak me out -- EPISIOTOMY. 

I cower in fear to that word.

I love an orgasm as much as anyone though it's sort of the last thing on my mind when I'm thinking about birth. But it shouldn't be.

An orgasm equals pleasure -- and it doesn't have to be sexual, it can be a feeling of intense excitement. And the pleasure of seeing my twins for the first time is probably going to be the best feeling I can ever feel. But! There are hormonal surges that can happen during birth that can be orgasmic -- different than a sexual orgasm.

An anonymous mom-to-be really wants to know how to have one of those.

Photo by kailanni

Some people snicker at the thought of a birth plan. But I like the idea of having a plan. Sure...things don't always go as expected, but it's good to have a plan A. What about a plan B? Plan C?

One mom I know ended up having strangers deliver both her babies because her doctor was unavailable at go-time. Another mom had an unplanned home birth.

As a first-time mama-to-be, this possiblity is super scary to me.

Photo by hopinforanother

CafeMom hopinforanother planned to deliver her baby in the hospital with her midwife and OB. But it didn't turn out that way. Not even close.

She wrote an amazing play-by-play of her baby Carter's Unplanned Home Birth in Journals. Read her full story to find out what led up to it and see more great photos, but allow me to tease you with some of the most exciting parts:

"I had to rush to the toilet. My bowels began to release everything. My contractions became intense and I lost the ability to relax. I felt my son descending lower into my pelvis ..."

I'm a twin mama-to-be and I am scared to give birth. I'm nervous for a c-section and nervous for a vaginal birth. I'm just nervous. But I was very inspired when after a specialist told me that I had to have a cesarean because of multiples, my OBGYN said there was no reason I couldn't give birth naturally. Of course it depends on the situation, but I'm so happy to know this is an option.

My OB is even a mom of twins!

And then I found this video after spending some time in the Pregnancy group on giving birth to twins naturally. Big thanks to Cafe Mom ttaylor1998 for posting this!

Photo from yourwaterbirth.com

Instead of packing my bag for the hospital, I've been buying and organizing supplies for a homebirth. My midwife gave me a list of items to have on hand and I've got everything stacked up in my bathroom (and in my freezer!) ready for the big event.

It's been fascinating to me to learn about homebirthing as I've gone through this process, so I thought I'd share some of the items I'll have on hand to give you a peek behind the scenes if you're new to homebirth, too.

If you've already had a Caesarean delivery, and are wanting to have a vaginal delivery for your next baby, there are some things to keep in mind.

Photo by MamaMadge; Laura, back left, with her husband and their gang.

Laura (MamaMadge) is one busy CafeMom. She's got four kids (on view in the adorable photo, above), and she went back to school to become a labor and delivery nurse. I met her in the Pregnancy Questions and Concerns... Get Answers! group and thought, who better to give tips to first-time moms on labor and delivery?

Here's how she juggles the craziness of a busy family and work life. And -- yo, listen up! -- here are her best tips on getting through childbirth, regardless of how you deliver.

Ugh, maxi pads.

But you'll need them.

Here's another one to file under gross, TMI pregnancy concerns, right along with the mucus plug. But it's all part of labor and delivery, and you may as well be prepared.

An inquisitive mom-to-be, who happens to have some expensive white cotton sheets that she'd like to keep looking nice, asked ladies in Pregnancy about bleeding after birth. How much? How long after you come home from the hospital?

Here's what moms said to expect.