Okay, so the countdown has begun... only 6 more weeks! I'm measuring fine, and Connor is head down, for the moment. BUT... my resting pulse is a little elevated and so is Connor's; his was around 185 (about 20 BPM higher than normal), which means I'm too stressed out! This past week has been really hectic with Christmas, my sister moving in (LOTS of rearranging, cleaning, reorganizing, etc.), and now the twins' birthday coming up (party tomorrow). Add to that the fact that my kids have all been home with me for over a week (no rest for the weary!), and it's no wonder I'm stressed!!!
So our midwife has ordered me to "rest more" and "put my feet up", whatever the hell THAT is! I made sure Drew heard her say that, though, so there's no *confusion* about "using pregnancy as an excuse to be lazy" (AHEM!). So I'm trying. It will be easier after this party tomorrow, since we are still cleaning up Christmas messes and trying to get the house presentable at the same time. Oh, and I have to wrap presents and bake/frost the cake, too. PLUS, the mild cold/allergy thing I've had is moving down to my chest, so I have that achy, tight-throated cough going on now!
I can't wait till the kids go back to school and I can actually have a chance to put my feet up. :(
Friday, December 28, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
31 week checkup
First of all, have you SEEN the 4D ultrasound pics??? How cool are they?!
Not much new except that I gained 5 pounds in 3 weeks! AHHH! First I couldn't gain any weight and now I can't stop! Robby came with me to my check-up, and when the nurse asked about the 4D ultrasound (he was there), he said "Yeah, and we got a GREAT shot of his PENIS!" looking all proud of himself for getting away with "potty language." I about DIED!!! hahaha...
Anyway, I'm well into my 3rd trimester now, and it's really showing its horrid little face. From out of nowhere, my temper is nearly nonexistent, my ankles are swelling, my feet hurt by 11am, my belly aches, my back hurts, my ribs hurt, I can't breathe, and I'm sooo tired! I weigh more than I ever have in my life, and it's only going to get worse!
The midwife I saw yesterday implied that Connor will be a big baby, I guess because of my rapid weight gain. I'm sure it has mostly to do with my *borderline* diabetes and the fact that I'm no longer watching my diet or checking my blood-sugar very much. I'm predicting a 7.5 pounder, which WILL be my biggest baby. Lord I hope he's no bigger than that!!! I'm on a 2-week check-up schedule now, so more then.
I know, I know, I need to get more belly pics up... but first they have to be taken! And hopefully we will have some sort of family x-mas pics done soon... time's running out!
That's all for now, tootles!
Not much new except that I gained 5 pounds in 3 weeks! AHHH! First I couldn't gain any weight and now I can't stop! Robby came with me to my check-up, and when the nurse asked about the 4D ultrasound (he was there), he said "Yeah, and we got a GREAT shot of his PENIS!" looking all proud of himself for getting away with "potty language." I about DIED!!! hahaha...
Anyway, I'm well into my 3rd trimester now, and it's really showing its horrid little face. From out of nowhere, my temper is nearly nonexistent, my ankles are swelling, my feet hurt by 11am, my belly aches, my back hurts, my ribs hurt, I can't breathe, and I'm sooo tired! I weigh more than I ever have in my life, and it's only going to get worse!
The midwife I saw yesterday implied that Connor will be a big baby, I guess because of my rapid weight gain. I'm sure it has mostly to do with my *borderline* diabetes and the fact that I'm no longer watching my diet or checking my blood-sugar very much. I'm predicting a 7.5 pounder, which WILL be my biggest baby. Lord I hope he's no bigger than that!!! I'm on a 2-week check-up schedule now, so more then.
I know, I know, I need to get more belly pics up... but first they have to be taken! And hopefully we will have some sort of family x-mas pics done soon... time's running out!
That's all for now, tootles!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
7-month pregger checkup & more
Haven't written in a while, since checkups have been uneventful, but I figured I'd give an update anyway. I'm measuring perfectly, baby Connor is VERY active, and his kicks are now embarrassingly visible from across the room. ALIEN INVASION!!! Last night Robby laid his head on my belly and felt Connor kick him in the ear! Then he heard my stomach rumble, and told me that Connor had farted, hahaha... I'll try to get some new belly pics up soon... along with the 40,000 other things on my to-do list, that is. I've gained back all the weight I lost plus 10 lbs! I now weigh as much as I did when I gave birth to the twins! AHHH!!! I told my midwife that people were remarking about how SMALL I look for 7 months, but after she examined me and saw that everything was fine, she told me to tell people to "bugger off" (she's Scottish). Awesome.
So, somehow I PASSED my 3-hour glucose tolerance test, meaning that even thought my blood-sugar goes up, it comes back down within a reasonable amount of time. That's good; I don't have to watch my diet quite so closely. And I'm glad, because the strict diabetic diet gets REALLY depressing after a while. My midwife told me that when they got the results from the lab, the nurse came running down the hallway yelling "She passed, she passed!" Apparently they were happy about that, since if I hadn't passed they would have had to boot me out of midwifery and up to the OB doctors, and NONE of us want THAT, haha.
Drew finally got a job, and I am enjoying being back in my housewife role again, although last week I think I wore myself out a little with all my pent-up enthusiasm. I know he feels better now, too, being back in the manly-man breadwinner role. ***Proud of you, hun!*** <3
Probably the biggest news of all regarding our *little* family, is that we have taken Robby off his AD/HD meds. It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, due to the negative side effects (e.g. NO weight gain, and a crabby disposition), but have been putting off because I was nervous about all the changes that we would have to make. But he got a bad cold about 3 weeks ago, and I didn't give him the meds while he was sick, since they were unnecessary and interfered with his recovery. By the time he was well, the "withdrawal" period was over, and I liked all the smiles and laughs I was seeing. So I read up on it, and even though it was sudden, we have implemented a bunch of lifestyle changes to accommodate his "special needs." These include more structure/routine, less TV, more outside play/exercise, stricter discipline (NOT to be confused with HARSHER discipline), and enormous amounts of patience on everyone's part. I also started him on some vitamin/mineral and herbal supplements that are formulated for AD/HD, which DO actually seem to help, and he has started seeing a behavioral therapist.
Robby is like a whole new little boy. He is eating better, sleeping better, smiling and laughing more, and coming up to me and hugging me, talking to my belly, and telling me that he loves me ALL THE TIME! It makes me sad that the meds were suppressing this sweet kid for so long. But I can't let the guilt get to me; I was desperate when I put him on meds, alone with 2 babies and an out-of-control preschooler when my husband left me for 11 months to go to Iraq. And it's good that I'm making these changes before too much damage was done. Robby has grown and matured and is more responsive to the discipline, even though the symptoms of his AD/HD are still QUITE apparent. I'd rather have a happy, affectionate, hyperactive child than a whiny, miserable, relatively compliant one. But he sure can be exhausting!
That's all for now. Next week we are having a 4-D ultrasound (anniversary present from the in-laws), and I will be sure to post the pics as soon as I can!
So, somehow I PASSED my 3-hour glucose tolerance test, meaning that even thought my blood-sugar goes up, it comes back down within a reasonable amount of time. That's good; I don't have to watch my diet quite so closely. And I'm glad, because the strict diabetic diet gets REALLY depressing after a while. My midwife told me that when they got the results from the lab, the nurse came running down the hallway yelling "She passed, she passed!" Apparently they were happy about that, since if I hadn't passed they would have had to boot me out of midwifery and up to the OB doctors, and NONE of us want THAT, haha.
Drew finally got a job, and I am enjoying being back in my housewife role again, although last week I think I wore myself out a little with all my pent-up enthusiasm. I know he feels better now, too, being back in the manly-man breadwinner role. ***Proud of you, hun!*** <3
Probably the biggest news of all regarding our *little* family, is that we have taken Robby off his AD/HD meds. It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, due to the negative side effects (e.g. NO weight gain, and a crabby disposition), but have been putting off because I was nervous about all the changes that we would have to make. But he got a bad cold about 3 weeks ago, and I didn't give him the meds while he was sick, since they were unnecessary and interfered with his recovery. By the time he was well, the "withdrawal" period was over, and I liked all the smiles and laughs I was seeing. So I read up on it, and even though it was sudden, we have implemented a bunch of lifestyle changes to accommodate his "special needs." These include more structure/routine, less TV, more outside play/exercise, stricter discipline (NOT to be confused with HARSHER discipline), and enormous amounts of patience on everyone's part. I also started him on some vitamin/mineral and herbal supplements that are formulated for AD/HD, which DO actually seem to help, and he has started seeing a behavioral therapist.
Robby is like a whole new little boy. He is eating better, sleeping better, smiling and laughing more, and coming up to me and hugging me, talking to my belly, and telling me that he loves me ALL THE TIME! It makes me sad that the meds were suppressing this sweet kid for so long. But I can't let the guilt get to me; I was desperate when I put him on meds, alone with 2 babies and an out-of-control preschooler when my husband left me for 11 months to go to Iraq. And it's good that I'm making these changes before too much damage was done. Robby has grown and matured and is more responsive to the discipline, even though the symptoms of his AD/HD are still QUITE apparent. I'd rather have a happy, affectionate, hyperactive child than a whiny, miserable, relatively compliant one. But he sure can be exhausting!
That's all for now. Next week we are having a 4-D ultrasound (anniversary present from the in-laws), and I will be sure to post the pics as soon as I can!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
5 month checkup and baby's gender!
So yesterday we went for our checkup and they told us there had been a scheduling mishap regarding the ultrasound. We had to wait until this morning to have it done! Drew was pissed, and I have to say I was quite frustrated myself. But the checkup went fine, everything is growing like it's supposed to, and I've gained back 5 of the 10 lbs I had lost. Whoopee. And tomorrow I go to the lab for my early glucose tolerance test to officially diagnose the gestational diabetes.
So, the ultrasound went fine today... baby is perfectly sized for the gestational age, ten fingers, ten toes, four heart chambers, perfectly sized brain, blah, blah, blah...
What? What's that you say? Hurry up and tell you the gender, you say?
Okay.
Drumroll please.....
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BOY!!!
AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
You should have heard the curses. THREE BOYS?!?!?! Devin and I are SCREWED!!! I am screwed.
"You and your damn Y sperm!" I said to Drew.
Three boys and a girl. Grrr...
Poor Devin is going to have a hell of a time dating when she's older.
And she will be a spoiled little princess for the rest of her days.
A spoiled little princess with hard-ass tomboy tendancies. Hmph!
And someday three of my four children will tower over me with their six-foot-somethin' asses.
Boys.
Ahhh, it's alright. I love the little demon-spawn anyway. I'll be a little boy expert when it's all over and done with (which it NEVER will be until I'm haunting them). I'll take this opportunity to raise up three fine young men (and one fine young lady) to be exceptional boyfriends/husbands/fathers to their women/children later in life.
But alas, we have no name for this little man growing inside me. We had a girl's name all picked out. Annabelle Marie. What to name this child? We welcome suggestions, but don't be offended if we don't pick any of them! :)
Drew should start memorizing the theme song from "My Three Sons." Heh.
So, the ultrasound went fine today... baby is perfectly sized for the gestational age, ten fingers, ten toes, four heart chambers, perfectly sized brain, blah, blah, blah...
What? What's that you say? Hurry up and tell you the gender, you say?
Okay.
Drumroll please.....
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BOY!!!
AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
You should have heard the curses. THREE BOYS?!?!?! Devin and I are SCREWED!!! I am screwed.
"You and your damn Y sperm!" I said to Drew.
Three boys and a girl. Grrr...
Poor Devin is going to have a hell of a time dating when she's older.
And she will be a spoiled little princess for the rest of her days.
A spoiled little princess with hard-ass tomboy tendancies. Hmph!
And someday three of my four children will tower over me with their six-foot-somethin' asses.
Boys.
Ahhh, it's alright. I love the little demon-spawn anyway. I'll be a little boy expert when it's all over and done with (which it NEVER will be until I'm haunting them). I'll take this opportunity to raise up three fine young men (and one fine young lady) to be exceptional boyfriends/husbands/fathers to their women/children later in life.
But alas, we have no name for this little man growing inside me. We had a girl's name all picked out. Annabelle Marie. What to name this child? We welcome suggestions, but don't be offended if we don't pick any of them! :)
Drew should start memorizing the theme song from "My Three Sons." Heh.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
16 week (4 month) preggo checkup
Not much new. Baby is healthy, strong heartbeat. Jane (midwife) says she thinks it's a boy since *it* was doing flips while she was trying to listen to the heartbeat.
I have felt a LITTLE bit of movement, like bumps and flutters every now and then, but not nearly as much as I would have expected by now based on my past two pregnancies, which makes ME think it's a girl (Devin was pretty laid back in the womb, whereas the boys wouldn't give me a moment's rest!). However, Janes says that since the twins stretched my uteras so much that it may simply not be tight enough in there yet to feel too much movement. (haha, I said tight)
I have been having horrible sinus headaches which finally peaked into a sinus infection last week -- felt like a damn migraine! I took antibiotics for it which made me even sicker; lost 4 lbs in 6 days! *sigh* Every day is punctuated by various bodily dysfunctions. :(
I have lost a total of 10 lbs now; brings me back into my "fat" non-maternity clothes. I have a little belly, but so skinny elsewhere! There is actually space between my thighs again - holy cow! I know I will start packing on the pounds soon; within the next month or so, and my belly will balloon out like nothing else.
Next month we will do the official blood-glucose tolerance test, as well as have the ultrasound -- and find out the gender! WOOHOO!!! It better be a girl!!!
I'm still sooo tired; I need 10 hours of sleep and still ready for bed by 4pm! This has been my most difficult pregnancy so far, probably due to the THREE young'uns I already have underfoot. I think I must have blocked the past pregnancies out of my memory or something! This is definately the LAST one!
I have felt a LITTLE bit of movement, like bumps and flutters every now and then, but not nearly as much as I would have expected by now based on my past two pregnancies, which makes ME think it's a girl (Devin was pretty laid back in the womb, whereas the boys wouldn't give me a moment's rest!). However, Janes says that since the twins stretched my uteras so much that it may simply not be tight enough in there yet to feel too much movement. (haha, I said tight)
I have been having horrible sinus headaches which finally peaked into a sinus infection last week -- felt like a damn migraine! I took antibiotics for it which made me even sicker; lost 4 lbs in 6 days! *sigh* Every day is punctuated by various bodily dysfunctions. :(
I have lost a total of 10 lbs now; brings me back into my "fat" non-maternity clothes. I have a little belly, but so skinny elsewhere! There is actually space between my thighs again - holy cow! I know I will start packing on the pounds soon; within the next month or so, and my belly will balloon out like nothing else.
Next month we will do the official blood-glucose tolerance test, as well as have the ultrasound -- and find out the gender! WOOHOO!!! It better be a girl!!!
I'm still sooo tired; I need 10 hours of sleep and still ready for bed by 4pm! This has been my most difficult pregnancy so far, probably due to the THREE young'uns I already have underfoot. I think I must have blocked the past pregnancies out of my memory or something! This is definately the LAST one!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
3 month pregnant lady checkup
Yesterday we went to our 12-week checkup with our midwife. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat on the doppler!! It was srtong and regular. Jane (our midwife) wasn't sure we would be able to pick it up this early, but I assured her we would, and I was right! She said my uterus is "growing nicely", but I have actually LOST 7 lbs. Typically, I should have gained 2-5 lbs by now, but my *morning* sickness was so bad, and I've had a lot of GI issues, so my body is wasting away!! But the baby is getting what s/he needs, and that's what's important. I've got a little pooch now, and having to wear some maternity shorts, even thought they are all still a little big on me. :P
I'm starting to show some VERY early signs of gestational diabetes, though (excessive thirst and urination, fatigue, moodiness [imagine that!], and stomach upset), so she's got me on blood-glucose monitoring to track my levels and watch the patterns closely. My fingertips already look like sprinkler heads! The placenta favors a diabetic environment, so the bigger it gets, the more difficulty my body will have processing sugar. This is nothing new to me, though, as I developed it with the twins, but usually people don't get it until about 6-7 months. I'm only THREE months! Oh, well... Splenda, here I come! Yich...
That's all for now! We go again in a month.
I'm starting to show some VERY early signs of gestational diabetes, though (excessive thirst and urination, fatigue, moodiness [imagine that!], and stomach upset), so she's got me on blood-glucose monitoring to track my levels and watch the patterns closely. My fingertips already look like sprinkler heads! The placenta favors a diabetic environment, so the bigger it gets, the more difficulty my body will have processing sugar. This is nothing new to me, though, as I developed it with the twins, but usually people don't get it until about 6-7 months. I'm only THREE months! Oh, well... Splenda, here I come! Yich...
That's all for now! We go again in a month.
Monday, July 2, 2007
8 week checkup + ultrasound
We went to see our midwife today for our first prenatal checkup, and she ordered an ultrasound to make sure there are NO MORE TWINS... and hooray, there's ONLY ONE baby in there!!! "Peanut" is doing great; strong heartbeat, measuring a tad big for his/her age (by three days, no biggie). I had to high-five Drew in the room when we saw it was only one... we are both SOOO relieved. So, that's the update... more in a month after the next checkup!
- Michelle
- Michelle
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
pregnancy sucks donkey dick!
I'm so fucking tired you'd think someone drugged me. there are not enough hours for sleep at night. i am ready for a nap by 11am. my children are driving me up the goddamn wall. i have turned into a drill instructor becasue i have no patience for them right now. my husband lost his job, and now he's out of town. i don't know how i am going to make it through the rest of this semester.
i just want to sleep. not go to school. not change endless diapers. not shuttle children all over the place. not do laundry. not clean up puppy piss. not cook meals. not do the dishes. just....fucking...sleep.
i would rather be battling morning sickness than this severe fatigue. cuz then at least i could puke and get on with my day. can't have caffeine. just have to deal with fatigue that borders on drowsiness. seriously, i will fall asleep if i sit down for more than 5 minutes.
i am losing hope that this will ever end, even though i know it will. but time is creeping by so friggin slowly right now, and all i want is to rest. i swear i'm so tired i'm on the verge of tears. try functioning as a (temporarily) single mother of three and part-time student while tranquilized, 24/7. I know drew's only out of town for another week and a half, but OH MY GOD. i will be watching the clock in agony until he's back.
i am grumpy.
i just want to sleep. not go to school. not change endless diapers. not shuttle children all over the place. not do laundry. not clean up puppy piss. not cook meals. not do the dishes. just....fucking...sleep.
i would rather be battling morning sickness than this severe fatigue. cuz then at least i could puke and get on with my day. can't have caffeine. just have to deal with fatigue that borders on drowsiness. seriously, i will fall asleep if i sit down for more than 5 minutes.
i am losing hope that this will ever end, even though i know it will. but time is creeping by so friggin slowly right now, and all i want is to rest. i swear i'm so tired i'm on the verge of tears. try functioning as a (temporarily) single mother of three and part-time student while tranquilized, 24/7. I know drew's only out of town for another week and a half, but OH MY GOD. i will be watching the clock in agony until he's back.
i am grumpy.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
my birth stories
All of my babies were born au naturale... well, sort of. Robby (my first) was born at a birth center, and it was a horrible experience. First the midwife didn't get my page (at 11pm, when she KNEW I was in labor), so I had to go to the hospital, where they made me change and pee in a cup. Then my midwife showed up, checked me, and I was 8 cm (and very much in transition). So then she asked me if I wanted to go back to the birth center. Of course I said yes, but was hoping she wasn't going to give me that choice at that point.
So we went back, and when I got in and sat on the bed, she told me to start pushing, even thought I wasn't yet complete. Then I asked her to break my water, and she said that wasn't necessary. So I started pushing, and POP went my water, all over the place. Then Robby's head slammed into my not-complete cervix, with the combined pressure of a contraction, pushing, and floodgates opening, and his cord got pinched and his heart-rate dropped to 60 bpm.
So now everyone's panicking, they tell me I have to get him out NOW, so they drag me off the bed and put me in a squat on the floor and tell me to push as hard as I can. [Needless to say I had hemorrhoids for 8 months after that.] But then his heart-rate came back up and things were calmer. But all-in all, I pushed for over an hour, and my hips cramped when his head was half-way out, but I couldn't close my legs!! And it hurt like a mutha, and my dear son came out with his hand by his face, which caused a nice tear. He wasn't breathing at first, cuz he had "juicy" lungs, and then had to go to the NICU for 2 days, so we ended up back at the hospital anyway!!! AHHHHH!
My twins' birth, on the other hand, was much more peaceful. I really got lucky with them. My water broke at 9am on a Thursday morning (at 36 weeks), but I wasn't feeling any contractions, other than B-H ones. But since I was high risk, I was going to the hospital to be monitored, and they wanted me there around noon. So we went, and my midwife said she'd check in around 5pm. Still, all afternoon, the contractions were minimal, hubby and I were taking walks around the duck pond outside, and things were fine. So 5pm comes around and my midwife checks me, and I'm already 6cm! Totally painless!
Then they make me have an epidural, but I don't let them dose it becasue I want to be able to walk (they made me get one placed in case of an emergency C-section). But when she checks me again an hour later and there's no change, she says my contractions aren't strong enough so she's going to start the pitocin. ugh. So they let the pitocin do it's job for several more hours, and still, at this point, it's really like mild, early labor contractions.
They check me again and say there's still no change, we think their heads are lodged together, we are going to have to do a C-section. And I'm dissapointed and pissed and I say, "fine, but I'm going to pee first". When I got up to pee, I felt some weird dropping feeling, and all of a sudden the contractions are hard and fast. But I manage to go pee (and have like 5 contractions!), but on the way back to the bed I start to faint, and apparently I also said "I'm dying, I'm dying!" They took my blood pressure (it was 90/40!), and my midwife went to check me again (mid-contraction - ouch!) and she says "she's complete."
So then it's a lot of chaos, phone calls to the O.R. "we're ready for the twins!", people coming in and throwing yellow paper gowns at my mom and Drew, and then they are rolling my bed out the door and into the hallway, and my eyes have rolled back into my head and I'm chanting "epidural-epidural-epidural" with every contraction. My midwife is yelling "can we get anesthesia over here, please?!?!" Apparently, I had changed my mind about not having pain relief, as the memories of Robby's birth had come flooding back the moment Devin's head dropped and I hit transition.
So now we are in the O.R. (I had to deliver there, just in case), and they actually expected me to climb off my bed and onto the table. Somehow, I did it. And I can't start pushing cuz the Dr.s not there yet. grrr... and then the anesthesiologist finally gets there and shoots my catheter up with the meds. I ask "how long does this take to kick in?" and they say, "oh, only about 10-15 minutes." and that's when I start to cry, cuz I KNOW that Devin isn't going to wait that long.
And she didn't. The minute the doctor walked in I started pushing, and about 5 pushes later, Devin came out, 4 pounds, 10 oz. Her cord was wrapped aroung her neck twice, though, strangling her to the point that her tongue was sticking out, and of course, she wasn't breathing. So I didn't get to hold her, she went straight to the isolette where they intibated her.
I am panting and relieved, but then I say "That epidural didn't work for shit!" Yes, right there in front of God and all 13 hospital employees, and my Catholic doctor. heehee. Meanwhile, they are doing an ultrasound on me to make sure Kieran has fallen into the right position when Devin came out. I remember feeling relieved that Devin was out, and then realizing that I was STILL pregnant, and that I was about to have to do it all over again!
So the doctor sticks the vacuum in me, since Kieran was bigger than Devin, my cervix wasn't dilated enough for him, and apparently my doctor was in a hurry to get out of there. So he pulls Kieran through my cervix, and then tells me to start pushing again. Again, about 5 pushes later, comes Kieran, screaming and cheesy, 5 pounds, 10 oz.
So, the epidural NEVER did kick in. Not even after they were both out. I was up and walking about 20 minutes later. So, I have had three children vaginally with no pain relief. Even though it wasn't planned that way. And now I'm wondering why the hell I'm having a home-birth this time instead of a nice druggy hospital birth!
So we went back, and when I got in and sat on the bed, she told me to start pushing, even thought I wasn't yet complete. Then I asked her to break my water, and she said that wasn't necessary. So I started pushing, and POP went my water, all over the place. Then Robby's head slammed into my not-complete cervix, with the combined pressure of a contraction, pushing, and floodgates opening, and his cord got pinched and his heart-rate dropped to 60 bpm.
So now everyone's panicking, they tell me I have to get him out NOW, so they drag me off the bed and put me in a squat on the floor and tell me to push as hard as I can. [Needless to say I had hemorrhoids for 8 months after that.] But then his heart-rate came back up and things were calmer. But all-in all, I pushed for over an hour, and my hips cramped when his head was half-way out, but I couldn't close my legs!! And it hurt like a mutha, and my dear son came out with his hand by his face, which caused a nice tear. He wasn't breathing at first, cuz he had "juicy" lungs, and then had to go to the NICU for 2 days, so we ended up back at the hospital anyway!!! AHHHHH!
My twins' birth, on the other hand, was much more peaceful. I really got lucky with them. My water broke at 9am on a Thursday morning (at 36 weeks), but I wasn't feeling any contractions, other than B-H ones. But since I was high risk, I was going to the hospital to be monitored, and they wanted me there around noon. So we went, and my midwife said she'd check in around 5pm. Still, all afternoon, the contractions were minimal, hubby and I were taking walks around the duck pond outside, and things were fine. So 5pm comes around and my midwife checks me, and I'm already 6cm! Totally painless!
Then they make me have an epidural, but I don't let them dose it becasue I want to be able to walk (they made me get one placed in case of an emergency C-section). But when she checks me again an hour later and there's no change, she says my contractions aren't strong enough so she's going to start the pitocin. ugh. So they let the pitocin do it's job for several more hours, and still, at this point, it's really like mild, early labor contractions.
They check me again and say there's still no change, we think their heads are lodged together, we are going to have to do a C-section. And I'm dissapointed and pissed and I say, "fine, but I'm going to pee first". When I got up to pee, I felt some weird dropping feeling, and all of a sudden the contractions are hard and fast. But I manage to go pee (and have like 5 contractions!), but on the way back to the bed I start to faint, and apparently I also said "I'm dying, I'm dying!" They took my blood pressure (it was 90/40!), and my midwife went to check me again (mid-contraction - ouch!) and she says "she's complete."
So then it's a lot of chaos, phone calls to the O.R. "we're ready for the twins!", people coming in and throwing yellow paper gowns at my mom and Drew, and then they are rolling my bed out the door and into the hallway, and my eyes have rolled back into my head and I'm chanting "epidural-epidural-epidural" with every contraction. My midwife is yelling "can we get anesthesia over here, please?!?!" Apparently, I had changed my mind about not having pain relief, as the memories of Robby's birth had come flooding back the moment Devin's head dropped and I hit transition.
So now we are in the O.R. (I had to deliver there, just in case), and they actually expected me to climb off my bed and onto the table. Somehow, I did it. And I can't start pushing cuz the Dr.s not there yet. grrr... and then the anesthesiologist finally gets there and shoots my catheter up with the meds. I ask "how long does this take to kick in?" and they say, "oh, only about 10-15 minutes." and that's when I start to cry, cuz I KNOW that Devin isn't going to wait that long.
And she didn't. The minute the doctor walked in I started pushing, and about 5 pushes later, Devin came out, 4 pounds, 10 oz. Her cord was wrapped aroung her neck twice, though, strangling her to the point that her tongue was sticking out, and of course, she wasn't breathing. So I didn't get to hold her, she went straight to the isolette where they intibated her.
I am panting and relieved, but then I say "That epidural didn't work for shit!" Yes, right there in front of God and all 13 hospital employees, and my Catholic doctor. heehee. Meanwhile, they are doing an ultrasound on me to make sure Kieran has fallen into the right position when Devin came out. I remember feeling relieved that Devin was out, and then realizing that I was STILL pregnant, and that I was about to have to do it all over again!
So the doctor sticks the vacuum in me, since Kieran was bigger than Devin, my cervix wasn't dilated enough for him, and apparently my doctor was in a hurry to get out of there. So he pulls Kieran through my cervix, and then tells me to start pushing again. Again, about 5 pushes later, comes Kieran, screaming and cheesy, 5 pounds, 10 oz.
So, the epidural NEVER did kick in. Not even after they were both out. I was up and walking about 20 minutes later. So, I have had three children vaginally with no pain relief. Even though it wasn't planned that way. And now I'm wondering why the hell I'm having a home-birth this time instead of a nice druggy hospital birth!
Friday, February 23, 2007
my surgery
So, I had surgery yesterday to have my IUD removed. What a lovely experience! My recovery hasn't been as bad as I thought it would, but I'm still kinda run-down feeling from all they did to me.
For those of you who don't know, and IUD is and IntraUterine Device designed to prevent pregnancy. Mine was AKA a "Copper T." I have been having numerous problems with mine over the past 2 years, and decided I was fed up and had to get it out. They tried TWICE to remove it the conventional way, in the doctors office, but to no avail. Suspicions were that it had embedded itself into the side of my uteras, which is NOT GOOD. So I had to schedule a D&C (dilation and curettage - basically an abortion), to have it removed.
So yesterday morning I rose at 5:30am, took a shower with anti-bacterial soap, as instructed, and Drew and I arrived at the hospital at about 6:40 to check in. They got me into a gown, took my vitals and started my IV. Drew fell asleep siesta style in the chair waiting for them to take me back. I thought about peeing, but they'd told me they were going to drain my bladder with a catheter as soon as I went in, so I figured I'd leave them something to drain, heehee. Then, a bunch of nurses and doctors all of a sudden came into my little curtained cubicle, shot me up with "something to relax you," and whisked me away. The last thing I said to Drew was "Drew! Wake up! I'm drugged and I'm going in!" all while feeling like I was coming down from a BIG inhalation of nitrous oxide.
When I got into the O.R., they had me move to the table (reminded me of the twins' birth), shot me up again (this time with the sleep cocktail), and started to stick the monitor stickers to my chest. I asked, "how long does it take to kick in?" and the nurse said "It's pretty immediate." Then I asked (feeling VERY drunk at this point) "Is my butt supposed to be in the crack?" (meaning the break in the bed). I think she said yes, or something. And finally, I told her the first monitor sticker she'd put on had come off as soon as she walked away. She helped me fix it, and that's the last thing I remember.
About an hour and a half later, I woke up in the recovery area, feeling disoriented and rather violated. The first thing I asked the nurse was "Did they stick a tube down my throat?" because it was kinda sore. She said yes. SHe then told me I had to pee and keep some food/drink down before they'd let me go. Then the anesthesiologist came in to assess my pain, and subsequently shot me up with a dose of Fentonyl. Ahhh, a few seconds later I felt NO pain whatsoever. Then I drank over a QUART of Gatorade and some saltines. Then I had to pee.
So I peed, and then had to pee again a few mintues later. The doctor came in and said everything went well, that it wasn't embedded, but that the strings were wrapped around it, which was why they couldn't get it out in the office visits.
They sent Drew down to get the car, and put me in a wheelchair. When the elevator opened on the first floor, I swear I saw Greer Glover (some of you know who that is) about 11 months pregnant, standing there waiting to get on, looking ever so cute in a little maternity dress, her huge belly threatening to smother me, as I was right at its level. But I was still pretty drunk-feeling, so maybe it wasn't her.
Anyway, then we went home and my husband waited on me hand-and-foot for the rest of the day. WHEW! Okay, that's all you get. Tootles!
P.S. WOOHOO! I'm fertile again!!! Get ready for Neilson baby #4!
For those of you who don't know, and IUD is and IntraUterine Device designed to prevent pregnancy. Mine was AKA a "Copper T." I have been having numerous problems with mine over the past 2 years, and decided I was fed up and had to get it out. They tried TWICE to remove it the conventional way, in the doctors office, but to no avail. Suspicions were that it had embedded itself into the side of my uteras, which is NOT GOOD. So I had to schedule a D&C (dilation and curettage - basically an abortion), to have it removed.
So yesterday morning I rose at 5:30am, took a shower with anti-bacterial soap, as instructed, and Drew and I arrived at the hospital at about 6:40 to check in. They got me into a gown, took my vitals and started my IV. Drew fell asleep siesta style in the chair waiting for them to take me back. I thought about peeing, but they'd told me they were going to drain my bladder with a catheter as soon as I went in, so I figured I'd leave them something to drain, heehee. Then, a bunch of nurses and doctors all of a sudden came into my little curtained cubicle, shot me up with "something to relax you," and whisked me away. The last thing I said to Drew was "Drew! Wake up! I'm drugged and I'm going in!" all while feeling like I was coming down from a BIG inhalation of nitrous oxide.
When I got into the O.R., they had me move to the table (reminded me of the twins' birth), shot me up again (this time with the sleep cocktail), and started to stick the monitor stickers to my chest. I asked, "how long does it take to kick in?" and the nurse said "It's pretty immediate." Then I asked (feeling VERY drunk at this point) "Is my butt supposed to be in the crack?" (meaning the break in the bed). I think she said yes, or something. And finally, I told her the first monitor sticker she'd put on had come off as soon as she walked away. She helped me fix it, and that's the last thing I remember.
About an hour and a half later, I woke up in the recovery area, feeling disoriented and rather violated. The first thing I asked the nurse was "Did they stick a tube down my throat?" because it was kinda sore. She said yes. SHe then told me I had to pee and keep some food/drink down before they'd let me go. Then the anesthesiologist came in to assess my pain, and subsequently shot me up with a dose of Fentonyl. Ahhh, a few seconds later I felt NO pain whatsoever. Then I drank over a QUART of Gatorade and some saltines. Then I had to pee.
So I peed, and then had to pee again a few mintues later. The doctor came in and said everything went well, that it wasn't embedded, but that the strings were wrapped around it, which was why they couldn't get it out in the office visits.
They sent Drew down to get the car, and put me in a wheelchair. When the elevator opened on the first floor, I swear I saw Greer Glover (some of you know who that is) about 11 months pregnant, standing there waiting to get on, looking ever so cute in a little maternity dress, her huge belly threatening to smother me, as I was right at its level. But I was still pretty drunk-feeling, so maybe it wasn't her.
Anyway, then we went home and my husband waited on me hand-and-foot for the rest of the day. WHEW! Okay, that's all you get. Tootles!
P.S. WOOHOO! I'm fertile again!!! Get ready for Neilson baby #4!
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