April 25, 2007

edited birth story...

I am one of those women that I didn't think existed anymore.  When you look back at the history of women and giving birth, you see the disturbing number of women who have died in childbirth.  Sometimes in reading books, they'll mention that so-and-so died in childbirth and not really say why.  If I lived back then, or even now in most of the countries of the world (not ours thank goodness) I would have probably died giving birth to my second child, but I most certainly would have died giving birth to my third.  My DR said he has a colleague that works in South America - she is a chiropractor and as the person in the town w/the most medical experience, she is also the one that delivers the babies.  She is the medical care for these people - in towns like these, women still die in childbirth. 

I had always thought women died in childbirth because the DRs didn't know what they were doing, not that there would be complications w/the human body that caused the problem.  Since becoming pregnant for the first time, you start learning of these things - breech presentations, babies who are simply too large to fit through, babies who start to be delivered and then get stuck, etc. 

**** WARNING: TMI ahead *****

About ten minutes after having BabyJ, I hemorrhaged.  Severely in my opinion, though not enough to warrant a transfusion.  This is one of the things women used to die from in childbirth (some of the others being the presentation of the baby, ie breech, etc.).  Even with today's medical knowledge and the wonderful medications they gave me to help me stop bleeding it took a couple of hours to get it all under control.  I am VERY THANKFUL that I decided to give birth in a hospital and not at home and that the nursing staff, my DR, and the emergency anesthesiologist they had to call in are so talented and work well in situations like these.

So, here is the birth story up to when BabyJ was born...

Wednesday afternoon, 39 week DR appt:  I goto my DR and I tell him that I am done.  I cannot take it anymore, being ENORMOUS and chasing 2 kids and working is killing me.  I knew that the hospital was already booked for inductions thru Saturday (I had called earlier to check) but seriously, so. done.  He said that HE is the one working the hospital shift Thursday (instead of the office shift) and he would squeeze me in, especially since he thought my labor would be SUPER FAST and easy (I had already been warned by him if my water broke or I saw any pattern in contractions to head to the hospital as he seriously thought we would not make it in time).

Thursday morning: Hubby drops me off at the hospital at 7:30 and takes the kids to my mother's.  I get into my L&D room right away and hooked up to an IV and my anti-biotics immediately.

8:30 a.m. My DR breaks my water and they start pitocin.  About 9-ish I start to feel contractions and they are pretty good ones.  I look at the monitor, which shows my contractions and the other woman my nurse is watching on the same screen.  I see the "pretty" contractions on the monitor, but they are not registering as very strong, even though I would definitely classify them as such.  The other lady, she's got GREAT BIG MOUNTAIN contractions that look like they are running about 90 seconds long.  I fear for when my contractions get that bad if they hurt this much and are only little mountains on the screen.  I ask the nurse about them and she points out that MY contractions are the ones on the bottom, thank goodness!  They won't get any stronger.  I ask for my epidural, pointing out that I am already 3 cm and I labor quickly and I don't want to miss my window for getting one.  I remind her several times in the next few minutes, probably once w/each contraction.

At about 9:45 a.m. I get my epidural.  It is wonderful, as is usual for my experience w/this hospital.  It is nice and even, no pain, and I can feel the contractions and pressure, but it doesn't hurt.

I complain about the pressure.

I complain about the pressure.

At 10:15 a.m. the nurse checks me and declares me at 4 cm.  Goodness, I think, this is going to take FOREVER.  My DR comes in to say he's going to do a C-section and be back, and I'll probably be ready to push then.

10:25 a.m. I REALLY complain about the pressure.  The nurse checks again.  OH MY.  She says that I am complete and ready to push but there is no DR (remember last time, they didn't call the DR in because they thought my labor would be longer and I had to "wait" at 10 cm for AN HOUR for him to get there).  Remember, he's in surgery.  The other DR is not my DR.  Which would I like?  I decide to wait for my DR since I know I can wait for a bit, but they warn me if it's uncontrollable to push for the nurse.

11:00 - my DR runs in, having left the resident to stitch up the other lady.  "DON'T COUGH!" he says when he LOOKS down there and can see the baby.  There is a great flurry as they rush to break down the bed and get other nurses in the room.  I pushed through one contraction and **POOF** , BabyJ is born!

April 23, 2007

postcards from the edge...

BabyJ is doing just fine - she had her 1st ped appt this morning and is declared perfect!  ( I knew that! )

And my suspicion, thank goodness, was right - it was harder to adjust to 2 kids than it is ( SO FAR ) adjusting to 3.  We just need to keep a careful eye on the 1 year old to make sure he doesn't accidentally hurt the baby.  Otherwise, we're already up all the time, making many meals a day + snacks, etc.  The only difference, of course, is the night waking, but we'll give that one some time...


April 21, 2007

she's here!

born: April 19, 2007 @ 11:07 am after induction and 3 minutes of pushing!

April 17, 2007

The shooting

how did this happen?

My heart breaks for all the families of the people killed and injured, this is such a nightmare.  I have such wonderful memories of that place, I cannot believe what has happened.

How does one person shoot 60 people without some of the other people in the building attacking him?  I hope the full story comes out soon.


April 11, 2007

get big org icon too (32x32) from KIM

38w4d!

According to today's DR appt...
 
2 cm dialated
70% effaced
-2 station
 
No weight change (which means, in the last week, the baby gained a pound and I lost another one) to keep me at 18 pounds for this pregnancy.

Now we just continue waiting!

April 08, 2007

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!  I am tired - hubby is still traveling and it's KICKING MY BUTT taking care of 2 kids for this long w/out a break.  To quote Jamie Buchman (ie. Helen Hunt) from Mad About You --> "remember all those times I said I was tired?  I was a wuss".  Consider mine kicked.  And house is a sty and all the cleaning/organizing projects I started this week are 1/2 done, making the house MORE of a mess than it was.

Send help please!

BTW, 38w2d on Monday.

April 05, 2007

still here...

37w5d today.

Just tired.  The gang from work gave me a gift card today for the baby and cupcakes!  It was so nice of them!  And to my favorite store.

I don't have much to say.  Just trying to handle being SO PREGNANT and having hubby out of town and taking care of the other 2 children!

April 03, 2007

Westminster Security....

we get a bill from them, I call today to set us up on an auto-charge to our credit card.
 
ME: hello.  I would like to set us up on the auto-pay program.
 
Westminster Employee (WE): do you have your bill?
 
ME: yes
 
WE: fill out the back and mail it to us w/the credit card info.
 
ME: well, everytime we or our online banking service has EVER tried to mail you anything, you guys mail it back saying invalid account number.
 
WE: well, use our new mailing address this time.
 
ME: no, it gets TO you.  But you guys always send it back.  I thought this was already set up to auto-pay anyway, which we would have set up ON THE PHONE, since you always return our mail.
 
WE: what is your account number?  Let's verify that you are using the right one.
 
ME: ( i read her the number ) and we always send in your payment slip, w/the number on it.
 
WE: well, i can't take that info on the phone for an auto-pay, but I can take it for a one time payment.
 
ME: I don't want to pay you just this once, I'd like to setup autopay
 
WE: well, we just moved,  If you use the new address it shouldn't get returned to you
 
ME: no, it always GETS to you, you guys just keep sending it back
 
WE: wait, you were charged on March 20 for this.
 
ME: thru auto-pay?
 
WE: yes

ME: then why did you send me an invoice?  And if you have me setup on auto-pay, it's because we did it on the PHONE because you never accept our mail!
 
WE: I JUST TOLD YOU, we got a new computer system.  You got an invoice even though you're on auto-pay.
 
ME: ?  That doesn't make any sense.
 
WE: because it's a new system, it sent invoices out that aren't right
 
ME: sounds like a great system.
 
WE: so you don't owe anything.
 
ME: even though YOU sent ME a bill?
 
WE: correct.
 
ME: okey dokey then - this has been a great conversation!

37w3d

omg.  am still amazingly tired, despite 8 hours (although I got up once w/Son and twice to pee) of sleep.  I cannot WAIT for my first post-baby nap - you sleep so well once you're not pregnant!

The nursery is coming along!  It's not done, but it's close enough to bring baby home.  We will be working on it shortly though.

Son is off this week on spring break.  We are LOVING the warm weather.  BabyT is amazing.  Last summer, hubby made our playground more challenging, to suit the advanced atheletic ability of our older son.  WELL - BabyT is able to walk up the super steep climbing wall, ladder and slide un-assisted.  Amazing.

Son starts soccer again next week, which is also very exciting!

Me, I'm just waiting.  18 pounds up so far w/this pregnancy, which is GREAT for me.  Considering you usually come home from the hospital 20 pds lighter, I think this will work out just fine.

Over and out - man, i really wish i had time for a nap!