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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

Saturday, December 23, 2006

current events in the Neilson household

So, my husband has been home for a little over 6 weeks, and things have been non-stop chaos. There was the wonderful reunion, the honeymoon period, FANTASTIC sex, blah, blah, blah. The twins have readjusted beautifully, and Robby is actually calling Drew "Daddy" almost exclusively now (it's about time after 3 1/2 years!). And now there's real life.




We are broke. Countless soirees, the Ball, honeymoon purchases, Christmas shopping, and all those damn medical bills (that's another story), (oh, and of course there's that 5 weeks we went without a paycheck) have rendered us nearly penniless.



Kieran has visited the ER twice in the past 2 months. The first time was when he got into Robby's meds and ate an Adderall, making him crack-baby-for-a-day. That was 8 unpleasent hours wasted (and $600). Then, a month later, Robby threw a D-cell battery at his head and split the skin, requiring a 7 hour visit for TWO STITCHES (and $1900)! [Look at the difference between prices for a teaching -vs- private hospital!!!! Thank God for health insurance -- we only owe 20 percent of those bills!]



So then, last Saturday, Devin comes down with the flu. It starts off as a high fever and cough and turns into wheezing and an asthma attack. She was admitted to the children's hospital and stayed for 3 days to be on oxygen (her O2 saturation levels were dipping down to 85 percent) and IV antibiotics (somehow an ear infection popped up among all this!). [oh, and then Drew lost his new job the morning after Devin was admitted.]



So, she came home on Wednesday evening, and then Friday morning, Kieran spikes a 104 fever!!! And a cough, and a headache (he puts his hands over his eyes and says "ow-ow-ow!"). It's the flu. Again. Finally Drew and I realized that we must have it too, albeit milder, cuz since Wednesday, we have both felt like shit with eye headaches..



So now I'm taking every precaution to make sure we don't spend Christams in the hospital with HIM! Humidifier, nebulizer treatments, vapor rub, plenty of rest and fluids... all that jazz. He has asthmatic tendancies, too, so we'll just have to wait and see. But now he has diarrhea and threw up on me while I was putting him to bed. OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO BE BARFED AND SHAT UPON AT CHRISTMASTIME!!!



So, of course, we had to cancel our Holiday party that was supposed to be going on right this second. No sense giving our friends the flu for a present.



It's going to be a lovely Christmas. :(