Based on my extensive medical training, I think this baby is transverse. It's pretty uncomfortable, but not any more uncomfortable than a baby that is head down. Just different uncomfortable. I don't have any feet in my ribs, which is a plus. Here's why I think that:
1. I don't have any feet in my ribs.
2. I feel a butt (or head) sticking out of my left side.
3. I feel a head (or a butt) sticking out of my right side.
I have trouble sleeping on my side because I am either laying on the baby's head or it's butt. Also, I think the baby is facing downwards because it is weird sitting up with feeling all kinds of movement all over my underbelly. I rarely feel any movements at the top of my belly. I don't think this is a big deal at the moment. 31 weeks is still plenty of time for a baby to shift positions. Some of my doctors feel around to find the baby's position and some don't. The last time a doctor did this, she couldn't tell where the baby was. It's little butt hides sometimes.
I had an appointment last Wednesday and all was fine. We filled out the paperwork for the cord blood donation. I hope that works out. Then we talked about the scheduled c-section. We picked a date so I could get the same doctor that did my previous c-section. The date is August 7th. I haven't told people this yet because it is not "officially" scheduled yet. Our families will go crazy and start taking days off and all that as soon as they know anything. M is very happy to have this date, he wants to just go in and have the surgery and be done. I, the one who has to actually HAVE the surgery, am feeling pretty good about it too. I had a phase where I was going to do really try for a VBAC. But I never felt like I was going to go out of my way or lie about due dates or change doctors to get one. It will be nice to experience a regular birth. But it will also be nice to have everything worked out and the baby here after a full night of sleep.
My birth experience with W was rough. Recap: In the hospital at 8 am to be induced, uncomfortable labor around 2 pm, crappy epidural, pushing by 7:30, stopped pushing around 10:30, c-section at midnight, "sleeping" from 2:30 to 4:30 and then awake for the day. Full story.
Absolutely, utterly exhausting.
It led to an emotional and upsetting post-partum hospital stay. I really, really, really don't want to go through that again.
One thing that I kind of gloss over in the birth story is that I had no idea when W was actually born. I had no "IT'S A BOY!" moment that I had been waiting for. I never saw him covered in goo. My epidural wasn't cutting it during labor and it wasn't good enough to completely numb me for the surgery. The anesthesiologist gave me some strong stuff to get through the cutting and it made me black out for that part. Yes, I'm happy I didn't feel it. I don't blame him. He did the right thing.
But that moment... I really want that moment. I feel like I'll get that with the scheduled surgery. I know I'd get it (and more) with a VBAC, but I feel like it I could always end up back in the OR anyway. And that is why I'm ok with the CBAC.
Showing posts with label Birth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birth. Show all posts
Monday, June 10, 2013
Friday, June 11, 2010
Everything C-Section
This is my c-section preparation post. You know how people sometimes tell you that they are telling you the "Stuff no one tells you?" They are lying. This is for real - the stuff absolutely no one tells you. Some of this is TMI. Be ready!
Last updated: October 13, 2013
******
What to pack:
Regular pillows - this is on every list, but I need to add it again. Bring your own pillows!!!! We had one for each of us. That would be the bare minimum.
Boppy pillow (or whatever) - I couldn't really move myself around, so moving me, pillows and a little baby to different positions was a lot of work. If I had my boppy, I would have had a much easier time with the nursing, just getting in the right position was enough work!
Drawstring pants - Maternity pants all have the elastic band really low (right at the incision) or have the elastic high and a seam right at the same height as the incision. Drawstring pants are perfect. You can wear them all high and look funny but the don't touch the sensitive area. At 2 weeks, I could wear maternity sweatpants or pants with the low elastic. I can wear the jeans (with the high elastic) if I wear a tank top that is long enough to protect me from the seam. Not that it hurts, it is just funny feeling.
Dry Erase marker - My room had a board where one nurse wrote her name and the date. That was one of the best things. We usually had no idea what day it was. And then I could ask for my nurse by name when I called the nurses station. None of the other nurses did it because they didn't have a marker. You could even bring your own like you had on your door to your dorm room.
Tank tops - The hospital gown is crap. You'll have to wear it until the IVs come out (because you can't put shirts on over the tubes), but then you will NEED your own clothes.
Nursing bras - Again, you'll be there for several days. You'll want your bras.
Pen and notebook - You'll want to write down what is happening, visitors, notes about appointments and all that stuff. Also, the nurse will give you a confusing sheet to keep track of nursing and diapers. That sheet is ridiculous. Keep track your own way so you won't be all confused when they ask questions. The nurses don't seem to realize you are on crazy drugs.
High fiber snacks - You'll thank me later.
Husband - Get yourself an amazing one. Mine held my leg back during labor, hugged me while I was in pain. Held our son when I couldn't. Changed all the diapers for the first few days because I couldn't stand. Helped me take a shower. Took me to the bathroom. Changed my pads. Walked slowly with me at home. Gave me an enema. He is amazing.
What not to pack: Your own socks. I took socks. They are in the trash now.
*****
Preparations before you go in:
Take a breastfeeding class. Know as much as possible before your baby is born.
If you have stairs in your house, get duplicates of everything: Butt paste, nipple cream, wipes, whatever and have a huge stash on each floor. They tried to tell me I could only use the stairs once a day... and I live on a 3-level townhouse. I had to ignore that advice.
Eat a high-fiber diet for a week before... lots of whole wheat and activia yogurts! Get that system primed!
Purchase stool softeners and some other supplies. Maybe a suppository or a mineral oil fleet enema. They might come in handy and there's nothing worse than sending your husband out for these things when you need them.
Find some fruit paste and have it ready. Bring some to the hospital! Have some at home! I had my MIL bring me one activia yogurt each day I was there. (Thanks to Katie for her post on dealing with the c-section constipation)
Get your pump supplies sanitized and read the manual. I had to pump at the hospital and at home. Somebody told me to get it all ready beforehand and I am so grateful.
Make sure your husband knows (and agrees with you) about your birth plan and breastfeeding plans. He is the one you are going to lean on the most, and he will be the one making decisions when you can't. He'll also be the one in the trenches with you afterwards, so it's easier for both of you when he knows what you want.
Here's a resource all about c-section stuff: ICAN - International Cesarean Awareness Network.
*****
After surgery:
Get out that notebook! Write down all the drugs you are getting and their dosages and timing. I had some nurses that would bring me drugs at the right times. Others wouldn't give me anything unless I asked. I was on Oxycodone (spelling?) and some sort of ibuprofren mixture that made a good strong drug. The oxycodone helped the pain and the ibuprofren helped the soreness. They are two very different pains and I wanted to stay ahead of them. I usually knew which one to ask for, but I would have done better if I had the schedule written down.
Make sure you are getting stool softeners.
Get out of bed as soon as they will let you.
Walk down the hall to get your own water.
Don't eat like a pig - don't eat food that will stop you up. If the hospital food isn't what you need, have someone bring you something better.
If you are close to your mom or mother in law (and don't mind them seeing your boobs), have them come visit you that first day and help you. My husband had never changed a diaper in his life and he was overwhelmed at first. I couldn't get out of bed, so I wasn't any help. I called his mom and she came to spend some time with us. I only did this because she is amazing - I wouldn't have called a mother in law that wasn't completely supportive.
On my last day, the nurse gave me some pads to put over my scar to keep my clothes from rubbing on it. Awesome. I had about 1 weeks worth and it made wearing pants easier.
Talk to the lactation consultants every day. They will have different ones, so try to get to all of them. You will learn something new from each one. The second one you see will contradict something the first one said. Listen to all of it and make the decisions for yourself. They are not in charge of you or your baby - you are.
Stand up for yourself. You are going to be in the hospital for a long time. You are going to have multiple nurses looking after you and multiple nurses looking after your baby. In a perfect world, everyone would have the same idea and opinions on breastfeeding and basic baby care as you and you'd all work together as a team. That is not my experience, and it hasn't been the experience of most c-section moms. I hate to say it (because my mom is a nurse and her friends are lovely people), but my situation was us vs. them. With a typical vaginal birth, you are out of the hospital after one night, but I was there from Tuesday at 8 am to Saturday at 3 pm. I posted about my care here. I am happy that I stood my ground about the breastfeeding, but I'm not happy about the way I was treated. I don't think that you should go into the hospital looking for a fight, but I do think that you should educate yourself as much as possible on breastfeeding and basic baby care so YOU know your own opinions. Look into a supplemental nursing system. It's hard to stand up for yourself when you don't know what you want to do. And it's even harder when you are in a post-surgery fog and haven't slept in 3 days. You are not yourself in those early postpartum days.
*****
Here is the story of my actual surgery:
Warning! This is about an unplanned c-section after labor. For a planned c-section, click here.
The lead up to surgery was a little crappy. I had to stop pushing, but I was still having contractions. The anesthesiologist came in and made me drink a little cup of something gross. M got dressed in the scrubs and I pretty much laid on my side and whimpered to my mom until the OR was ready.
I was a little afraid. I always heard that you could feel pulling and tugging. I was afraid that I'd feel pain. And I was feeling more than I was supposed to - the doctor was pricking me with a sharp thing on my stomach for a while and I kept telling her that I could feel it. The anesthesiologist was surprised and gave me some stronger drugs. He was a very nice man and talked to me a lot. This is where I stop remembering some things. I remember M walking in and sitting next to me. Then I remember hearing a baby crying and looking over my shoulder and seeing a tiny hand sticking up from the baby station in the corner. Then I somehow knew I had a boy. M told me that he was allowed to come in and saw them opening me up. He claims the anesthesiologist told him it was a boy and then M told me. He also says that he saw W pee all over the place when they were cleaning him up.
Once W was cleaned up, M was able to hold him. I just laid there and watched them look at each other. M got pretty emotional (and of course I did, too!). Every few minutes, M would peek over the curtain and tell me I was still getting stitched up. I could feel little tugs, but nothing painful. And I actually didn't care at all what they were doing to me.
It took about 5 minutes for W to come out and another 45 min to an hour to get me all back together. I have a horizontal incision just above my pubic bone. It is about the length of my hand. I was sown up from the inside and I had steri-strips on the outside. For the first day, I had a big bandaid thing across my belly.
Once I was finished, they gave me W to hold while I was wheeled back to my room. I cried the whole time. We arrived back in our room and our parents came in. M took W into the alcove and the nurse pushed on my belly to get some gunk out. I felt gross (it did hurt a little). I got more pitocin to contract my uterus and some antibiotics.
I could lift my butt off the table almost immediately, so they took me to my post-partum room right away. This was when they took W to the nursery. They need to see the baby within 2 hours of birth, so away he went. I missed him.
I had a catheter and IV in for the first day. I didn't move from the bed and that was ok with me. I was in a little pain, but the IV meds kept me feeling good. In the afternoon, a tech came in and told me I was getting out of bed. She didn't give me the option. She was great to me. I told her I was afraid of the mess and she said it wasn't a big deal and she would clean it up. I walked to the bathroom (slowly) and made a mess. I cleaned myself up - which was very strange with the catheter and IV and everything. But I felt much better. Getting in and out of bed took forever because I could barely lift my legs. It's amazing how much you use your abdominal muscles!
Later on (I can't remember when), I got my catheter out. That meant I had to go to the bathroom on my own. That first time was a little rough. It didn't hurt to pee, it was just hard to get there. At the end of my pregnancy, the pee sensation had kind of changed to just pressure. It was the same way after the surgery. I didn't really know when I had to pee. I kept an eye on the clock and made sure I went every few hours. I had to pee in a container and I filled it up every time.
My IV got taken out sometime, too. But they left the port in. That was annoying. After a day or two I told them I needed it out. It was catching on everything and making me crazy. I learned that if you are annoying about something, the nurse will take care of it for you. But you have to be annoying.
Nurses would check my incision and my vital signs every few hours. I had a huge gas bubble in my abdomen and they would tap on it. Sometimes they would push on my belly (that hurts). One doctor came in and told me she was checking my incision and she ripped off the bandage. She did it quick and I am thankful. Holy crap, that would have hurt a lot more if she had taken her time. I was able to move a little more after that.
Coughing was the worst. I could not cough unless I had help. M would roll up a blanket and hold it against my stomach so I could cough. I felt like me body was going to split in half. It didn't. After the first cough, it got easier, but it still sucked. It was able to cough normally in about a week. The nurses gave me a thing to breathe into to make me cough. I did not use it as much as I was supposed to. (thank you jill for reminding me about this!)
Once I was on pills, it got harder to get my medicine. I had to ask for it and they would ask me about my pain level. This is why I wish I had written down my doses and times I could take everything. I would wake up at night in pain and I don't like that.
The rest of my hospital stay wasn't really about me. I basically took care of myself (except for getting medicine). My mom helped me take my first shower. M helped with the second. I dressed myself and started walking around in the hallways. Walking is the key and the only way to get better. WALK!!
One week after the surgery, I still hadn't pooped. I was in pain. I called the doctor and they told me to take stool softners. I said those weren't cutting it. She said to get suppositories and if that didn't work, to get an enema. I skipped right to the big guns (I was crying because of the pain at this point). M had to give it to me. Then I labored in the tub for about 1.5 hours until it happened. This is where childbirth class came in handy. It was gross. But I felt SO MUCH BETTER. I was alive again. I didn't need a second c-section to get the poop out.
The doctor pulled off the steri-strips at my 2 week checkup. She told me I could drive again.
Four weeks later, I'd say I'm at about 90%. I was so lucky to have the doctor I had. Lots of nurses told me she was meticulous with her surgeries and I can tell. I could walk just fine within a few days. I can carry my baby in his carseat. I can go for long walks. My incision does not hurt at all anymore, but the area above it feels funny.
Here is more on my postpartum care.
*****
A final note: Only one thing matters in this whole world: That little baby. This sounds like total BS: No matter how much pain I was in, the second my son was in my arms, all of that pain was gone.
Also, I'd do it all over again. Even the poop part.
Last updated: October 13, 2013
******
What to pack:
Regular pillows - this is on every list, but I need to add it again. Bring your own pillows!!!! We had one for each of us. That would be the bare minimum.
Boppy pillow (or whatever) - I couldn't really move myself around, so moving me, pillows and a little baby to different positions was a lot of work. If I had my boppy, I would have had a much easier time with the nursing, just getting in the right position was enough work!
Drawstring pants - Maternity pants all have the elastic band really low (right at the incision) or have the elastic high and a seam right at the same height as the incision. Drawstring pants are perfect. You can wear them all high and look funny but the don't touch the sensitive area. At 2 weeks, I could wear maternity sweatpants or pants with the low elastic. I can wear the jeans (with the high elastic) if I wear a tank top that is long enough to protect me from the seam. Not that it hurts, it is just funny feeling.
Dry Erase marker - My room had a board where one nurse wrote her name and the date. That was one of the best things. We usually had no idea what day it was. And then I could ask for my nurse by name when I called the nurses station. None of the other nurses did it because they didn't have a marker. You could even bring your own like you had on your door to your dorm room.
Tank tops - The hospital gown is crap. You'll have to wear it until the IVs come out (because you can't put shirts on over the tubes), but then you will NEED your own clothes.
Nursing bras - Again, you'll be there for several days. You'll want your bras.
Pen and notebook - You'll want to write down what is happening, visitors, notes about appointments and all that stuff. Also, the nurse will give you a confusing sheet to keep track of nursing and diapers. That sheet is ridiculous. Keep track your own way so you won't be all confused when they ask questions. The nurses don't seem to realize you are on crazy drugs.
High fiber snacks - You'll thank me later.
Husband - Get yourself an amazing one. Mine held my leg back during labor, hugged me while I was in pain. Held our son when I couldn't. Changed all the diapers for the first few days because I couldn't stand. Helped me take a shower. Took me to the bathroom. Changed my pads. Walked slowly with me at home. Gave me an enema. He is amazing.
What not to pack: Your own socks. I took socks. They are in the trash now.
*****
Preparations before you go in:
Take a breastfeeding class. Know as much as possible before your baby is born.
If you have stairs in your house, get duplicates of everything: Butt paste, nipple cream, wipes, whatever and have a huge stash on each floor. They tried to tell me I could only use the stairs once a day... and I live on a 3-level townhouse. I had to ignore that advice.
Eat a high-fiber diet for a week before... lots of whole wheat and activia yogurts! Get that system primed!
Purchase stool softeners and some other supplies. Maybe a suppository or a mineral oil fleet enema. They might come in handy and there's nothing worse than sending your husband out for these things when you need them.
Find some fruit paste and have it ready. Bring some to the hospital! Have some at home! I had my MIL bring me one activia yogurt each day I was there. (Thanks to Katie for her post on dealing with the c-section constipation)
Get your pump supplies sanitized and read the manual. I had to pump at the hospital and at home. Somebody told me to get it all ready beforehand and I am so grateful.
Make sure your husband knows (and agrees with you) about your birth plan and breastfeeding plans. He is the one you are going to lean on the most, and he will be the one making decisions when you can't. He'll also be the one in the trenches with you afterwards, so it's easier for both of you when he knows what you want.
Here's a resource all about c-section stuff: ICAN - International Cesarean Awareness Network.
*****
After surgery:
Get out that notebook! Write down all the drugs you are getting and their dosages and timing. I had some nurses that would bring me drugs at the right times. Others wouldn't give me anything unless I asked. I was on Oxycodone (spelling?) and some sort of ibuprofren mixture that made a good strong drug. The oxycodone helped the pain and the ibuprofren helped the soreness. They are two very different pains and I wanted to stay ahead of them. I usually knew which one to ask for, but I would have done better if I had the schedule written down.
Make sure you are getting stool softeners.
Get out of bed as soon as they will let you.
Walk down the hall to get your own water.
Don't eat like a pig - don't eat food that will stop you up. If the hospital food isn't what you need, have someone bring you something better.
If you are close to your mom or mother in law (and don't mind them seeing your boobs), have them come visit you that first day and help you. My husband had never changed a diaper in his life and he was overwhelmed at first. I couldn't get out of bed, so I wasn't any help. I called his mom and she came to spend some time with us. I only did this because she is amazing - I wouldn't have called a mother in law that wasn't completely supportive.
On my last day, the nurse gave me some pads to put over my scar to keep my clothes from rubbing on it. Awesome. I had about 1 weeks worth and it made wearing pants easier.
Also, right before you go home, find out when you are due for medicine and how much. Don't forget about medicine in all the excitement of going home. It will haunt you in the middle of the night. Get your prescription for the heavy stuff - I wasn't going to, but I needed it 2 or 3 times. I skipped the motrin and just took advil so I could take less than 800 mg as needed.
Talk to the lactation consultants every day. They will have different ones, so try to get to all of them. You will learn something new from each one. The second one you see will contradict something the first one said. Listen to all of it and make the decisions for yourself. They are not in charge of you or your baby - you are.
Stand up for yourself. You are going to be in the hospital for a long time. You are going to have multiple nurses looking after you and multiple nurses looking after your baby. In a perfect world, everyone would have the same idea and opinions on breastfeeding and basic baby care as you and you'd all work together as a team. That is not my experience, and it hasn't been the experience of most c-section moms. I hate to say it (because my mom is a nurse and her friends are lovely people), but my situation was us vs. them. With a typical vaginal birth, you are out of the hospital after one night, but I was there from Tuesday at 8 am to Saturday at 3 pm. I posted about my care here. I am happy that I stood my ground about the breastfeeding, but I'm not happy about the way I was treated. I don't think that you should go into the hospital looking for a fight, but I do think that you should educate yourself as much as possible on breastfeeding and basic baby care so YOU know your own opinions. Look into a supplemental nursing system. It's hard to stand up for yourself when you don't know what you want to do. And it's even harder when you are in a post-surgery fog and haven't slept in 3 days. You are not yourself in those early postpartum days.
*****
Here is the story of my actual surgery:
Warning! This is about an unplanned c-section after labor. For a planned c-section, click here.
The lead up to surgery was a little crappy. I had to stop pushing, but I was still having contractions. The anesthesiologist came in and made me drink a little cup of something gross. M got dressed in the scrubs and I pretty much laid on my side and whimpered to my mom until the OR was ready.
I was a little afraid. I always heard that you could feel pulling and tugging. I was afraid that I'd feel pain. And I was feeling more than I was supposed to - the doctor was pricking me with a sharp thing on my stomach for a while and I kept telling her that I could feel it. The anesthesiologist was surprised and gave me some stronger drugs. He was a very nice man and talked to me a lot. This is where I stop remembering some things. I remember M walking in and sitting next to me. Then I remember hearing a baby crying and looking over my shoulder and seeing a tiny hand sticking up from the baby station in the corner. Then I somehow knew I had a boy. M told me that he was allowed to come in and saw them opening me up. He claims the anesthesiologist told him it was a boy and then M told me. He also says that he saw W pee all over the place when they were cleaning him up.
Once W was cleaned up, M was able to hold him. I just laid there and watched them look at each other. M got pretty emotional (and of course I did, too!). Every few minutes, M would peek over the curtain and tell me I was still getting stitched up. I could feel little tugs, but nothing painful. And I actually didn't care at all what they were doing to me.
It took about 5 minutes for W to come out and another 45 min to an hour to get me all back together. I have a horizontal incision just above my pubic bone. It is about the length of my hand. I was sown up from the inside and I had steri-strips on the outside. For the first day, I had a big bandaid thing across my belly.
Once I was finished, they gave me W to hold while I was wheeled back to my room. I cried the whole time. We arrived back in our room and our parents came in. M took W into the alcove and the nurse pushed on my belly to get some gunk out. I felt gross (it did hurt a little). I got more pitocin to contract my uterus and some antibiotics.
I could lift my butt off the table almost immediately, so they took me to my post-partum room right away. This was when they took W to the nursery. They need to see the baby within 2 hours of birth, so away he went. I missed him.
I had a catheter and IV in for the first day. I didn't move from the bed and that was ok with me. I was in a little pain, but the IV meds kept me feeling good. In the afternoon, a tech came in and told me I was getting out of bed. She didn't give me the option. She was great to me. I told her I was afraid of the mess and she said it wasn't a big deal and she would clean it up. I walked to the bathroom (slowly) and made a mess. I cleaned myself up - which was very strange with the catheter and IV and everything. But I felt much better. Getting in and out of bed took forever because I could barely lift my legs. It's amazing how much you use your abdominal muscles!
Later on (I can't remember when), I got my catheter out. That meant I had to go to the bathroom on my own. That first time was a little rough. It didn't hurt to pee, it was just hard to get there. At the end of my pregnancy, the pee sensation had kind of changed to just pressure. It was the same way after the surgery. I didn't really know when I had to pee. I kept an eye on the clock and made sure I went every few hours. I had to pee in a container and I filled it up every time.
My IV got taken out sometime, too. But they left the port in. That was annoying. After a day or two I told them I needed it out. It was catching on everything and making me crazy. I learned that if you are annoying about something, the nurse will take care of it for you. But you have to be annoying.
Nurses would check my incision and my vital signs every few hours. I had a huge gas bubble in my abdomen and they would tap on it. Sometimes they would push on my belly (that hurts). One doctor came in and told me she was checking my incision and she ripped off the bandage. She did it quick and I am thankful. Holy crap, that would have hurt a lot more if she had taken her time. I was able to move a little more after that.
Coughing was the worst. I could not cough unless I had help. M would roll up a blanket and hold it against my stomach so I could cough. I felt like me body was going to split in half. It didn't. After the first cough, it got easier, but it still sucked. It was able to cough normally in about a week. The nurses gave me a thing to breathe into to make me cough. I did not use it as much as I was supposed to. (thank you jill for reminding me about this!)
Once I was on pills, it got harder to get my medicine. I had to ask for it and they would ask me about my pain level. This is why I wish I had written down my doses and times I could take everything. I would wake up at night in pain and I don't like that.
The rest of my hospital stay wasn't really about me. I basically took care of myself (except for getting medicine). My mom helped me take my first shower. M helped with the second. I dressed myself and started walking around in the hallways. Walking is the key and the only way to get better. WALK!!
One week after the surgery, I still hadn't pooped. I was in pain. I called the doctor and they told me to take stool softners. I said those weren't cutting it. She said to get suppositories and if that didn't work, to get an enema. I skipped right to the big guns (I was crying because of the pain at this point). M had to give it to me. Then I labored in the tub for about 1.5 hours until it happened. This is where childbirth class came in handy. It was gross. But I felt SO MUCH BETTER. I was alive again. I didn't need a second c-section to get the poop out.
The doctor pulled off the steri-strips at my 2 week checkup. She told me I could drive again.
Four weeks later, I'd say I'm at about 90%. I was so lucky to have the doctor I had. Lots of nurses told me she was meticulous with her surgeries and I can tell. I could walk just fine within a few days. I can carry my baby in his carseat. I can go for long walks. My incision does not hurt at all anymore, but the area above it feels funny.
Here is more on my postpartum care.
*****
A final note: Only one thing matters in this whole world: That little baby. This sounds like total BS: No matter how much pain I was in, the second my son was in my arms, all of that pain was gone.
Also, I'd do it all over again. Even the poop part.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Baby W's Birth Story
This took forever, but I didn't want to forget a thing. It's rough to stay away from this little face for too long, so most of this was written with my foot rocking a car seat and that little face giving me dirty looks whenever I stopped! Now he is snoring!
Things are going pretty great now. He's eating a ton and gaining weight like a crazy guy. Nursing is exhausting and I can see why people give up. Nipple sheilds are my savior - I have inverted nipples! Who knew! That does not mean they are innies, it means they retract when I squeeze my boob. He's sleeping great and has a fun little personality. This is wonderful.
So here's the birth part of the birth story. It's long and doesn't even begin to describe they whole experience.
We woke up around 6 am to get ready for the induction. I had cheerios and water for breakfast. It wasn’t very satisfying. I wanted to eat a lot, but the instructions I had said to eat lightly that morning. I should have ignored that! I went to the bathroom shortly before leaving the house and saw that I lost my mucus plug. Hooray! Labor would happen in a week or two!
We arrived at the hospital around 8 am and I was in a room and hooked up to the monitors by 8:10. The weather outside the window was grey and steamy – we were looking out over a bunch of roof vents. M was freezing and I was sweating. The baby’s heart rate stayed in the 130s and 140s and I was so relaxed knowing it was ok and I would be seeing my baby soon! My IV went in at 9:12 and Pitocin started at 10:10. They upped the Pitocin drip at noon and stripped my membranes. I believe I was up to 3 cm at the time and the contractions were barely noticeable. We watched HGTV for a while and read. I tried to nap, but I was so excited. M and my mom got some lunch and ate it in front of me. The nurses kept saying that I could eat whatever I wanted as soon as the baby was here. I wanted everything I saw advertised on the TV.
My contractions started getting more intense around 1:45. They were getting painful and coming in regular waves. I decided to hold off on the epidural a little longer. Then I started crying through contractions and my nose would get stuffed up (I was still recovering from my awful cold!) and I wouldn’t be able to breathe and I’d start coughing. Those three things would send me into a panic. We decided I needed some pain medication at 3:00. I had a student do my epidural, but a real anesthesiologist was there with her. M and my mom were sent out of the room (that made me sad) and I was left with the nurse. She did a good job of calming me down and getting me into the position I needed. I am grateful for her doing that. The worst part of the whole process was the numbing needle. Everything else was painless (except for the contractions I had while they were working on me). I also got the catheter put in and that broke my water fully. It was gushes and gushes and felt gross.
The epidural was great for about 2 hours. Then it wasn’t great anymore. I was having strong contractions that I could feel down my right leg. We learned that epidurals are gravity fed afterwards… I had been propped up on a pillow at some point for some reason, so the medicine didn’t go all the way to the right side. Bummer.
At some point, the alarm for the epidural pump kept going off saying there was a kink in the line. I sat up and they inspected the whole thing, but no one could find the problem. Hearing that alarm go off was driving me nuts!
Around 7:30, I decided I wanted to push. They checked and I was close to 10 cm, so I just had to wait for the doctor. Someone opened the epidural pump and saw that the kink in the line was inside the pump, so that got fixed. The medicine wasn’t at 100%, but at least it was something. I could feel that I was having contractions, but they weren’t crazy painful. I was also scared out of my mind. M and my mom were right by my side holding my legs in the position I wanted and giving me love.
The doctor showed up and we were pushing. It took a few tries to get the hang of it and then I was an expert. You know how I knew I was an awesome pusher? Because I pooped the ENTIRE time - with every push. The poor nurse. I could feel it. It was funny and gross. Mike said it was not as funny as I thought. At some point I told the nurse to shut up. The blood pressure cuff would tighten during the contraction and I would lose the ability to push. I was sweating like crazy and my last push with every contraction turned into a scream. I pushed with the handle bars, I pushed holding my own legs, I pushed with the tug of war. I pushed for over 3 hours. No dice. I could tell when the head was close because M and my mom would get so excited and tell me to keep pushing. But he wouldn’t come out. The doctor finally called it off. I was getting tired and the baby couldn’t be having too much fun, either. The heart rate stayed wonderful for the entire time, so that was good to know. They checked out the OR and we had to wait for an emergency c-section to finish before I could go in.
At this point, M got pretty upset. I wasn’t afraid or anything, but I imagine it’s pretty traumatic to see someone you love go through all this at once. That 1-hour (plus) wait was rough. I still had contractions and the baby’s head felt like it was going to explode out of my butt. I made the nurse reassure me that I didn’t have hemorrhoids. She said I didn’t. That made me feel better. So the contractions were killing me and M took pictures. We have a great one of me in pain and him all dressed in scrubs and smiling.
I went into the OR first. M had to wait for me to be completely numbed up before he could come in. I remember them sticking me with sharp things to check my numbness. I kept feeling it. They were surprised and just gave me more drugs. Then I was very happy and very numb. Suddenly, M was next to me. I was happy to see him. Then I looked over towards the baby area and I could see a small hand reaching up into the air. I had no idea the baby had even been born. I could not believe what I was seeing. M told me it was a boy and just cried. I just remember being so happy. After a few checks, M was able to hold him while I got sewn up. I could feel little tugs, but nothing bad. Who cared what they were doing to me. I had a son! My husband was holding our baby! M got pretty emotional (who wouldn’t!). I think it took more than 45 minutes to get me all back together. We just looked at out little boy. He was wide awake and so beautiful.
The nurses put him in my arms to get me back to recovery. I cried the whole time. We got back to my room and M went to get the grandparents from the lobby. He didn’t tell them anything except that we were fine and happy. They walked in and I introduced them to their grandson. The grandmas screamed and cried. I cried. M took the baby into the room alcove to meet everyone while the nurses finished some stuff with me. They pushed on my belly some more and changed some pads and got me ready to leave labor and delivery.
W had to go to the nursery at 2 hours old. I hated seeing him go. I wasn’t allowed to try to nurse him (it makes sense now – so many drugs!). I also could not have anything to eat or drink. I had to beg for ice chips. They tasted like heaven. Once I was able to lift my butt with my own power, I was moved to post partum where I would stay for the next few days.
Things are going pretty great now. He's eating a ton and gaining weight like a crazy guy. Nursing is exhausting and I can see why people give up. Nipple sheilds are my savior - I have inverted nipples! Who knew! That does not mean they are innies, it means they retract when I squeeze my boob. He's sleeping great and has a fun little personality. This is wonderful.
So here's the birth part of the birth story. It's long and doesn't even begin to describe they whole experience.
We woke up around 6 am to get ready for the induction. I had cheerios and water for breakfast. It wasn’t very satisfying. I wanted to eat a lot, but the instructions I had said to eat lightly that morning. I should have ignored that! I went to the bathroom shortly before leaving the house and saw that I lost my mucus plug. Hooray! Labor would happen in a week or two!
We arrived at the hospital around 8 am and I was in a room and hooked up to the monitors by 8:10. The weather outside the window was grey and steamy – we were looking out over a bunch of roof vents. M was freezing and I was sweating. The baby’s heart rate stayed in the 130s and 140s and I was so relaxed knowing it was ok and I would be seeing my baby soon! My IV went in at 9:12 and Pitocin started at 10:10. They upped the Pitocin drip at noon and stripped my membranes. I believe I was up to 3 cm at the time and the contractions were barely noticeable. We watched HGTV for a while and read. I tried to nap, but I was so excited. M and my mom got some lunch and ate it in front of me. The nurses kept saying that I could eat whatever I wanted as soon as the baby was here. I wanted everything I saw advertised on the TV.
My contractions started getting more intense around 1:45. They were getting painful and coming in regular waves. I decided to hold off on the epidural a little longer. Then I started crying through contractions and my nose would get stuffed up (I was still recovering from my awful cold!) and I wouldn’t be able to breathe and I’d start coughing. Those three things would send me into a panic. We decided I needed some pain medication at 3:00. I had a student do my epidural, but a real anesthesiologist was there with her. M and my mom were sent out of the room (that made me sad) and I was left with the nurse. She did a good job of calming me down and getting me into the position I needed. I am grateful for her doing that. The worst part of the whole process was the numbing needle. Everything else was painless (except for the contractions I had while they were working on me). I also got the catheter put in and that broke my water fully. It was gushes and gushes and felt gross.
The epidural was great for about 2 hours. Then it wasn’t great anymore. I was having strong contractions that I could feel down my right leg. We learned that epidurals are gravity fed afterwards… I had been propped up on a pillow at some point for some reason, so the medicine didn’t go all the way to the right side. Bummer.
At some point, the alarm for the epidural pump kept going off saying there was a kink in the line. I sat up and they inspected the whole thing, but no one could find the problem. Hearing that alarm go off was driving me nuts!
Around 7:30, I decided I wanted to push. They checked and I was close to 10 cm, so I just had to wait for the doctor. Someone opened the epidural pump and saw that the kink in the line was inside the pump, so that got fixed. The medicine wasn’t at 100%, but at least it was something. I could feel that I was having contractions, but they weren’t crazy painful. I was also scared out of my mind. M and my mom were right by my side holding my legs in the position I wanted and giving me love.
The doctor showed up and we were pushing. It took a few tries to get the hang of it and then I was an expert. You know how I knew I was an awesome pusher? Because I pooped the ENTIRE time - with every push. The poor nurse. I could feel it. It was funny and gross. Mike said it was not as funny as I thought. At some point I told the nurse to shut up. The blood pressure cuff would tighten during the contraction and I would lose the ability to push. I was sweating like crazy and my last push with every contraction turned into a scream. I pushed with the handle bars, I pushed holding my own legs, I pushed with the tug of war. I pushed for over 3 hours. No dice. I could tell when the head was close because M and my mom would get so excited and tell me to keep pushing. But he wouldn’t come out. The doctor finally called it off. I was getting tired and the baby couldn’t be having too much fun, either. The heart rate stayed wonderful for the entire time, so that was good to know. They checked out the OR and we had to wait for an emergency c-section to finish before I could go in.
At this point, M got pretty upset. I wasn’t afraid or anything, but I imagine it’s pretty traumatic to see someone you love go through all this at once. That 1-hour (plus) wait was rough. I still had contractions and the baby’s head felt like it was going to explode out of my butt. I made the nurse reassure me that I didn’t have hemorrhoids. She said I didn’t. That made me feel better. So the contractions were killing me and M took pictures. We have a great one of me in pain and him all dressed in scrubs and smiling.
I went into the OR first. M had to wait for me to be completely numbed up before he could come in. I remember them sticking me with sharp things to check my numbness. I kept feeling it. They were surprised and just gave me more drugs. Then I was very happy and very numb. Suddenly, M was next to me. I was happy to see him. Then I looked over towards the baby area and I could see a small hand reaching up into the air. I had no idea the baby had even been born. I could not believe what I was seeing. M told me it was a boy and just cried. I just remember being so happy. After a few checks, M was able to hold him while I got sewn up. I could feel little tugs, but nothing bad. Who cared what they were doing to me. I had a son! My husband was holding our baby! M got pretty emotional (who wouldn’t!). I think it took more than 45 minutes to get me all back together. We just looked at out little boy. He was wide awake and so beautiful.
The nurses put him in my arms to get me back to recovery. I cried the whole time. We got back to my room and M went to get the grandparents from the lobby. He didn’t tell them anything except that we were fine and happy. They walked in and I introduced them to their grandson. The grandmas screamed and cried. I cried. M took the baby into the room alcove to meet everyone while the nurses finished some stuff with me. They pushed on my belly some more and changed some pads and got me ready to leave labor and delivery.
W had to go to the nursery at 2 hours old. I hated seeing him go. I wasn’t allowed to try to nurse him (it makes sense now – so many drugs!). I also could not have anything to eat or drink. I had to beg for ice chips. They tasted like heaven. Once I was able to lift my butt with my own power, I was moved to post partum where I would stay for the next few days.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
We're Home!
[family picture removed]
Hi Everybody! I can't post much, but I wanted to say thanks for all the congratulations!
W was born at 12:10 am on May 19th. He is 8 lb, 6 oz and 21 inches long. He is a dream come true. I had a long labor with 3 hours of pushing when my doctor decided it was time to stop. When she went in with the C-Section, he was stuck with his head and shoulder all wedged together. He came out screaming and is a very healthy little boy.
We had some issues with feeding, he was so big and my milk wasn't coming in. We supplemented with some formula (with an SNS system - look it up - pretty cool) and it looks like I had some of the real stuff today. I'll have the full story at some point. I can't go up and down stairs a lot and the computer is int he basement, but I'll get it ALL on here.
Thank you so much for all the support and love. I can't wait to catch up with everyone else.
xoxoxo
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