AMB's Birth Story

My water had broken and was a slow leak.  I just figured I was urinating on myself a tad more than usual (was wearing full sized pads all of the third trimester for that reason).  I was also experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for at least a week, but had no idea that's what they were.  All I had been told about labor contractions from friends was that I would know when it was time.  My OB had told me what they'd feel like once they were strong, but since every woman is different, she couldn't give me a definite description of what they would feel like for me.

Fiance' and I had gone to my OB for the weekly check-up and I casually mentioned the extra leakage.  She decided to do a nitrozine test just to see if it was amniotic fluid.  It was!  Fiance' had just worked a 12 hour overnight shift and was planning on coming home to take a long nap.  I didn't have any plans in particular since it was my day off.  Our plans were made for us.  OB said we had to go to the hospital that day since I'd been leaking for two days already.  I asked if we could go home and eat and shower first.  She said that was fine, but we shouldn't dilly dally since all of a sudden this was a high risk situation - the amniotic fluid could become septic at any time.  I started crying and fiance' was just in shock.  Our baby girl was on her way a week early!

We drove home, ate lunch (this was the last full meal I would be allowed to have until after she was delivered), and showered.  Thankfully, the hospital bag was mostly packed.  By 11:30 AM we were on our way to Lakeview Hospital.  Latent labor lasted for fourteen hours.  There was lots of walking around the hospital to get real contractions going.  That night, I decided to try getting Stadol in the IV, which was supposed to take the edge off of the contractions.  All it did was make me feel high and give me the shakes. Sometime much later that night, I decided to get the epidural.  At that point, I was dilated seven centimeters. Thanks to the ice storm and late hour, it took the anesthesiologist over an hour to get there; although, physically getting the epidural was much easier than I ever imagined.

Around 10 AM on Saturday, January 25, active labor began. My OB showed up and we began pushing. Three hours later, our beautiful baby girl was born!  She was a healthy six pounds, twelve ounces and measured eighteen inches long.  Just perfect!

Updates

Happy 2014 to all!!

Had our last two week check up today.  Now doctor visits will be weekly until our baby girl arrives. Last visit, she had definitely dropped and my appetite had increased as well as trips to the potty all day and night. This visit, I am no longer dilated, have not been as hungry lately, but still need to go to "my second office" - as we're referring to it at work - quite frequently. I will admit, I am disappointed by this week's news.  I thought surely she'd tell me I was at least 2 cm now. According to the online forums, like Baby Center, this is not unusual.  There are still 2.5 weeks until baby's due, and she may go up and down a few more times until real contractions start.  Thankfully, she is in the correct position - posterior and head down.  There's also only one more layer of the cervix that she needs to go through until I'm dilated again, so she's just a little gun-shy for now I guess.  

I am a reference librarian.  At work, a lot of what we do is help people use computers.  Trust me, when I applied for and accepted this job, I had no idea so much of what's required would fall under the social work category.  I thought it would be mostly helping students will school projects, and every now and again directing people to the health or legal resources they needed for whatever situation they're in.  We get that, too, but a lot of what people need is help filling out government assistance applications online.  How on Earth does this have to do with the mom blog?  Great question.  I recently learned that since I am engaged, therefore, still considered to be a single mom, I can also apply for government assistance to pay the remainder of the medical bills, plus get coverage for our little angel for her entire first year of life.  Filling out the form online for La Moms helped me sympathize with many of those that I help at work everyday.  While I have the necessary typing and computer skills that many of these people don't, the information the government wants is repetitive and sometimes confusing.  Thankfully, it was not a long application and according to my doctor's office, I should know something in about a week.

Baby's room was all nice and ready, although, a little cramped.  Now it's a disaster area because we've temporarily moved the sewing machine out to make room for her bookcase and a night table (and to get it fixed) - stuff is everywhere!  It's renewed the nesting instinct in me that had only gone dormant for about a week.  I'm not even kidding when I tell you that my plan is to drag the garbage can behind me as I walk about the house getting rid of things that we don't need or that I just can't bare to look at anymore.  I'll also put things where they belong as I walk.  Clutter has really been driving me crazy lately.

Other than that, we can't wait to meet our little love and hope that we continue to have a healthy and naturally progressive pregnancy.  Cheers, everyone!

Quick Thoughts on Baby Showers

A party for my baby thrown by friends, family, coworkers that love you.  "Oh what fun!", you'll think.  Don't worry, I'm not going to be a sourpuss, but up until the actual event, it's not all roses.  The constant changing of dates, planning around everyone's schedules, colors/themes/decorations - oh my! Unnecessarily stressful.
Who to invite to which shower or at all.

Post showers - stuff EVERYWHERE!  Hardly anyone uses registry. Lots of clothes and hooded bath towels for gifts! Turned down lots of offers on clothes and baby things thinking we'd get them at the showers. Lucked out for the most part, but wish we'd have been less stressed/more open to hand-me-downs now knowing what we got/didn't get.  I am a clothes horse, so too will be our daughter (as I'm sure is the case for all girls).

Thank goodness for gift cards, though!!!  And the hand-me-downs we have gotten! and the generosity of excited grandparents!  And two anonymous gifts we have received from Target - just recently found out who sent them! Hooray!

Both showers ended up being fun, and we've gotten most of what we need and plenty of fun other items to start our daughter's life off on the right foot.  Thanks to all who planned, attended, sent us gifts, and love us and our new little family!!!

The Drop

I have to admit, the timing of this is making me giggle.  Just a few days before New Year's Eve and we've experienced our own "drop".  This is another term I had been pouring over the pregnancy books for.  What on Earth did it mean, when would it happen, and why did some women experience it and some not at all?  The wonders of the human body and of the entire pregnancy/birthing process never cease!

Honestly, I thought I was having an hour long contraction.  My doctor told us at our last visit that I would start experiencing practice contractions likely anytime.  Probably about two months ago, I had a Braxton Hicks contraction, which was a strange sensation, but it only lasted a few minutes. Yesterday, I was so uncomfortable for so long, I was about to leave work and call my doctor to see if I should come into the office.  It started with being unable to get comfortable in the break room.  That wasn't so hard to believe since it's not super unusual depending on the day.  Then lower back pain really started to kick in about twenty minutes after my lunch break was over.  I took two Tylenol and figured in another twenty minutes everything would be fine. Nope!

Starting to get concerned, I began texting some friends who have had a child within the last several months. I figured they would remember more details since their babes aren't too much older than ours.  My plan was that if the pain hadn't subsided by three o'clock (which would have made the whole ordeal about an hour and a half) and if the friends recommended I seek medical assistance, I would.  Why didn't I just call my doctor right away?  Because we've already been to the ER once with a false alarm, and I don't want to make it a habit, or pay the bills for unnecessary testing.  My texting buds got me through it all, and the pain finally went away at about twenty till three.

At the end of the work day, I found out that a coworker's daughter who is the same week along as me just experienced her baby drop, too.  We discussed all the symptoms - strong menstrual cramp type back pain, difficulty walking, discomfort sitting/standing/walking, increased appetite, much more frequent trips to the potty, and sharp stabbing pains in your cervix (it's shortening/flattening out to prepare for delivery).  All of what I had been beginning to feel over Christmas week, and the experience yesterday afternoon was the culmination of our baby girl dropping.  It is literally and figuratively easier to breathe!  What an interesting experience with such an exciting feeling left behind! Our sweet little love is coming soon and we can't wait to meet her!!

The Trimesters

Thankfully, I've had a healthy and relatively easy pregnancy.  I'm already thinking ahead to having a second child in a few years, much to my fiance's chagrin - he'd like to see how everything goes after our first one is born.  Here's the rundown of my trimesters for you to use as a reference point. Again, everyone is different and you should always ask your doctor if you have any concerns or questions of a more serious nature. Otherwise, ask friends and family whatever pops into your brain!

The First Trimester:  bloating; nausea (thankfully, no vomiting, but tummy issues); hot flashes - generally warmer than normal, especially when sleeping, even night sweats; mood swings worse than PMS sometimes; frequent urination, (but not as frequent as it gets in the third); emotional roller coaster; food aversions (wanted nothing to do with hummus) and cravings (wanted everything to do with macaroni and cheese), general appetite increases (assuming you don't have morning sickness); breasts get bigger - but not right away.  Forgetfulness begins....

The Second Trimester:  just as glorious as everything/one says!  Have energy, no food aversions, healthy appetite, sleep well, life really feels pretty normal except that your belly is expanding and you're finally starting to look pregnant instead of bloated or pudgy.  Time to go shopping for bigger sizes, or for some maternity clothes and bigger bras. Take advantage of this time to be social and get things done, or take a trip/vacation if you can.  You won't feel like it later, trust me. Started sleeping with body/boppy pillow.

The Third Trimester:  Here now. Tireds are back; backaches and headaches occasionally; feet and ankle swelling; so hungry I need to bring a supermarket to work with me everyday to keep up with my appetite. Invest in a back brace - my fave is the Boppy belly support with the built in pocket for heat/ice pack.  Some groin pain, which makes walking too much difficult; and restless leg syndrome, which makes sleeping difficult. Depending on the weather/season, buy appropriate maternity clothes - I lucked out and the majority of my maternity wardrobe has come from thrift stores if you're okay with that.  Otherwise, Target has some things, although limited, and Motherhood Maternity has the most, but is not always the cheapest.  Supposedly Sears and Belk have small sections of things too, but I never made it to either store to see for myself.  Invest in bigger bras again if necessary or if just your width is expanding, Motherhood Maternity sells bra extenders. It's hard to want to rest, but know it's important for me and baby - nesting kicks in high gear! So does forgetfulness - things like last names, or details that previously seemed second nature are quite challenging to retrieve from the memory bank.

Thankfully, my spouse is amazing with running errands, doing chores, and taking care of baby and I. Working full-time while pregnant is challenging, especially during the first and third trimesters mostly because of energy levels.  Part-time seems like it would be ideal, but the grass is always greener, right?  I worked hard to get my master's degree, so I gotta get the most use out of it!  Best of luck to you whether this is your first or fourth child!  I know I've been very fortunate throughout this pregnancy and my heart goes out to those who have dealt with pre-eclampsia and placenta previa among other complications.  Cheers to all mothers!

Know Your Rights

When embarking on a new adventure, be it a trip, a new job, having your first child, or even just trying a new recipe, it's usually wise to read up on where you're going, what's expected, what's involved, and so on.  As I've mentioned before, my fiance' and I are not as young as we look.  My OBGYN records say I'm of "advanced maternal age" - lovely, right?  Makes it sound like I'm in my eighties or something.  Anyway, both of us have several friends who have multiple children.  Our parents friends have grand kids, they know loads of people with kids and grand kids.  Point being, I don't care how old you are or if you've never been married. Whether you're in your twenties, thirties, or sixties, you had to have known people with children at some point in your life, which also means, you've heard things or picked up tidbits over the years on how it all works.  Well, dear readers, you should sit down.  I have managed to meet at least one person who has no clue whatsoever about child raising.  In fact, I think there may be more than one person in this boat.  The sad thing is, these people worked with children on a daily basis, which included working with their parents, too, again leading one to believe that said people would have the slightest clue about child rearing. These people are the inspiration for this post.

Back to the beginning, when you start something new, especially as big a deal as raising a child, you should know the rules.  Yes, there are rules, unsolicited advice, each and everyone's opinion, etc.  What I'm referring to here, however, is literally knowing the laws.  If you don't know your rights, unfortunately, people like the ones referred to above will unknowingly lead you in the wrong direction and possibly try to change how you planned to raise your child.  Thankfully, I was familiar enough about breastfeeding laws to stand up for myself and get things rolling in the right direction without wasting much time.  Here is the Louisiana Law and here is the Federal Law so you can also familiarize yourself.

My dilemma has a happy ending, thankfully.  Unfortunately, I spent an entire lunch break crying in my car and discussing other employment options with my fiance' because of the ignorance I experienced that day.  Pennsylvania has created laws to protect expectant mothers about people touching your belly.  They are the only state so far to pass such a law, but hopefully more follow suit.  Now, if we could just get all the people who think they're doctors that love to say things like, "doesn't look like you'll make it to your due date", to zip it or face consequences, that'd be amazing.

Nesting

I'm sure at some point I heard the term, but I had to look it up once we were expecting to really get the gist.  Nesting is the urge or drive that many expectant mothers get, especially toward the end of pregnancy, to get everything in order before baby arrives. I definitely had spurts throughout the last seven months. It hasn't all been saved for now; however, I've read that at 33 weeks, it really kicks into high gear. I'll find out tomorrow when I begin my 33rd week.

To-do lists, even for small tasks and focusing on trivial things, like getting my fiance' lights for his special Christmas tree and exchanging them for the exact right kind (he was just happy to have a tree and lights, but I wanted it to be just right!), are symptoms I've been experiencing. Then there's keeping up with regular chores, plus being in the holiday spirit on top of everything else. There's baby stuff everywhere post showers, and I would love to start washing her clothes and blankets, but it will have to wait until I have more energy. Apparently, until they're toddlers, the baby things taking over is normal, then there will be toys everywhere.

It's frustrating not being able to do as much as my non-pregnant self, but again, my fiance' is wonderful, and as he reminded me this morning, getting rest is for a good cause.  He's got me on bed rest today while he's out running errands I planned to do.  We attended the Old Mandeville Sips of the Season last night, which was a great event, but I walked WAY too much.  It was painful.  A golf cart or wagon would've been wonderful to ride in!