Pregnancy—another look (part 2)

The bestie’s pregnancy experience continued:

My third trimester was mostly filled with eating, extreme nesting, and planning for the big day.  I was really uncomfortable being so big (major heartburn, trouble sleeping, you know, the usual), but it was certainly not the torture the first trimester was, so I tried not to complain as much. 

The nesting really kicked into hyper drive in the last month or so, as I ordered (er, convinced?) my husband to not only paint the nursery, but every room upstairs in our new house.  Luckily he’s a really great guy and only gives me a pat on the head and an "oh, kitten" when I ask for yet another redesign task.  Overall he’s been really really supportive throughout this whole experience.  And it has been an experience, medically as well as all the other "normal" pregnancy stuff.  Our first medical setback was a low-lying placenta diagnosed in the second trimester.  A low-lying placenta isn’t an immediate risk to baby, but if it doesn’t grow up and away from the cervix it turns into a placenta previa and causes a c-section delivery to be necessary.  There is also the *ahem* "pelvic rest" required for 2 months when a placenta is low-lying.  Let’s just say that was my husband’s least favorite part about my pregnancy.  Luckily after the 2 months my placenta had grown up and out of the way, and we were back on track with our natural birth plan. 

About that natural birth plan… I have been afraid of giving birth almost my whole life, but after getting pregnant I for some reason became very attached to having a natural birth.  Perhaps I was just more afraid of getting a catheter in my back for the epidural, or of getting sliced into for a c-section, than having things happen naturally.  Or maybe it was hormones guiding my decisions.  Either way, I was on track to go natural and haven’t wavered in that desire throughout the pregnancy.  But I think rule #1 in pregnancy and childbirth is that you should expect things to go in an unexpected direction.  No pregnancy or birth is the same, and it’s really really hard to try to have any sort of plan.  Which brings me to our second medical setback.  At our second formal ultrasound they noticed my amniotic fluid was low.  It’s not a huge problem to have low fluid levels in the second trimester, as long as they’re not actively decreasing, so they had me come back in for a re-check a week later to make sure the level was stable.  In that week I read that the cause of low fluid levels isn’t known, but they think dehydration can be a contributing factor.  So I spent the week drinking water like it was my job, determined to get my fluid levels back up.  But no dice.  Fluid level at the next ultrasound was the same, so at least for me dehydration was not a factor.  However the fluid level wasn’t dangerously low and wasn’t decreasing, so it was something of note, but no danger to baby for now. 

As it turns out, amniotic fluid levels actually naturally decrease in the third trimester as you approach your due date.  Unfortunately for us, our little Tater Tot (his name is Tate) really liked to use my stomach as a pillow and was unable (or unwilling) to flip into a head-down position prior to the fluid levels getting so low that he couldn’t flip if he wanted to.  So at my 36 week check-up my OB and the ultrasound tech said that the levels were too low both for him to be flipped manually (an external version) or for him to flip on his own, and that we’d have to schedule a c-section.  Additionally, my amniotic fluid levels were approaching the danger level, meaning we may need an immediate c-section if they drop again soon.  So not only was I left to grapple with the loss of my natural birth plan and being sliced into (not excited about that), but I was most likely also not going to get the predictability of a scheduled c-section.  My brain kept screaming "What the HECK!" as the gravity of the situation sank in.  But I tried to focus on the positive.  I’d be getting my kiddo earlier than I thought (which I’m really happy about), and all the inconveniences could be handled.  I went back to work after the appt. and wrapped up all my projects the best I could, letting everyone know that I’m still here but I could be gone tomorrow so they should plan accordingly.  Even my mom has said she has a bag packed waiting by the door so she can fly out at a moments notice (from the west coast!  I have to coolest mom ever).  So it’s not the end of the world.  So long as the baby is healthy, I will consider this adventure a success story.  But it has been an adventure!!  The only thing common from pregnancy to pregnancy and birth to birth is that no two are the same.  That’s what makes life great though, right? 

That’s all for now.  I’ll update you all on the end of our tale when it plays out in the next few weeks.  And I promise the dramatic conclusion will come with cute baby pics. 

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Thanks bestie – wish more than anything I could be there with you and for you!  I cannot wait to see you in May and meet the lil tator tot and have our boys be future friends forever

Pregnancy–another look (part 1)

Hello blends!  It’s been a while since I guest posted on Shanna’s blog, so for those of you who don’t know me, I’m S’s bestie who relocated to Boston a year and a half ago.  We were lucky enough to get engaged on the exact same day (not planned), married only 4 months apart (ok that was planned), and also get pregnant 4 months apart (not really planned, though we were both "trying").  What can I say, we like to do things together!

 

Well since S has filled you in on the wonder that was her pregnancy and birth will the little Soybean, she thought it might be cool to give you another pregnancy story.  It’s amazing how two similar ladies, both pregnant with little boys, can have such different experiences!

Unlike S, I had really icky morning sickness for the first 3 months of my pregnancy.  My diet consisted of mostly crackers during the day, and cheesy rice at night.  Sounds fun doesn’t it?  I never actually threw up, it was just like being extremely hungover for 3 months.  Let’s just say work over that period was a real struggle.  I kept thinking, how do women do this?  And just when I started to enjoy my second trimester and being able to eat more regularly, I got sick, not once, not twice, but FOUR times.  Oye.  One I think was a bad reaction to the Tdap vaccine, one was a violent stomach flu, and one was a cold that lasted more than 3 weeks. 

I finally started to pull through all the icky times near the end of my second trimester.  Throughout the first and second trimesters I was on the low side or around average for weight gain.  But once I got feeling better, I really started to eat.  I mean, really really eat.  Every time I went grocery shopping it was like a kid that just got back from fat camp.  I would pick up all sorts of treats that I would never normally eat, like a canister of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls – which doesn’t sound all that bad until you hear that I baked them on a Sunday and consumed the ENTIRE batch before noon.  Uh, that can’t be normal right?  Well, all that wonderful indulgence means that I gained 44 lbs throughout my pregnancy (I’m currently at week 36 and seem to have stopped both the crazy overeating and the rapid weight gain).  The average woman gains 25-35 lbs, so 44 is certainly *above* average, and not in an "oooh I got an A+" kind of way. Luckily I’m 5’7", so although I feel like a whale, I carry the weight rather well and am able to convince the unknowing bystander that it’s all belly.  It’s not, but who am I to correct them? 

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Stay tuned for part 2 of my bestie’s story.  She recently got some very interesting (?) news!

My birth story–part 2

Sawyer is officially over a week old and I am loving every single minute of being a mom.  Even the middle-of-the-night feedings aren’t so bad, especially when I wake up to his little face!

I’m glad you enjoyed part 1 of my birth story.  It really was a wonderful experience and so different than the somewhat chaotic painful experience I expected.  Part of me thinks it’s because I had been so ready to have him for so long that the (minimal) pain seemed nonexistent compared to the anxiousness I was feeling for him to arrive.  Oh and thank you for the kind comments on my picture.  I was so elated to be in the process that I think it just shined through

We left off at Sawyer just being born and laid on my chest.  After a relatively short time, I started to get very woozy and felt like I was losing my hold on him and had him be taken to be weighed and checked.

I began to notice a lot more frenzied – yet controlled – activity happening around me with the doctor releasing commands continuously.   I was apparently hemorrhaging really bad.  I didn’t know at the time, but it was considered an emergency situation.  They quickly administered a shot in my thigh to help stop the bleeding, but that evidently wasn’t helping since they gave me the same shot in the other thigh moments later.  Side note: hemorrhaging is the number one cause of death during birth..yikes!!!

During this time, I was feeling some pressure and tugging – again nothing painful thanks to the epi, but I was keenly aware of a lot of ‘action’ going on down there.  I could hear the doctors calling out the number of gauze pads in me so they could account for them when pulled out.  Also in the background is when I heard Sawyer’s stats: 8 lbs, 10 oz, 20 inches!  BIG BOY!  I was conscious enough to be in awe by this.  Complete and total awe!   It was no wonder they were going to town on me.  Meep! 

Clearly I wasn’t able to breastfeed during this time because I was essentially going into shock.  I was talking as if things were normal, but was shaking so much they had to layer me in heated blankets and hook up a whole new IV drip in my other arm to pump fluids in me. 

It was around this time that I also overheard ‘9 stitches’ being mentioned.  Oye.  Poor me!  I think I feared stiches more than child birth, but with a big boy like Sawyer, it was inevitable.  Oh and can I just tell you that right before I gave birth, the delivery nurse was convinced the baby was 6-7 lbs?  Where he was hiding in my belly I have no idea!

They tried giving me a Vicodin, but I immediately threw that up and continued to spit up off and on (from what I remember).

I’m not sure how much time passed before they finally gave me a dose of Fentanyl in my IV, which certainly helped but made me beyond loopy. I  felt like I was speaking from a different body and was not in the room with my family.  Very weird sensation. 

I politely asked them if they minded if I fell asleep for a bit.  Ha! 

After I woke up (an hour?), I did try to breastfeed and quite honestly, I remember absolutely nothing of it.  I think I had some success (?);  throughout the rest of my hospital experience I was very much supported in my breastfeeding so overall I’m not concerned with how the first time went.

Once my epi wore off and I was pending being moved to the mother and baby suite, I wanted to get up to try to pee.  2 nurses had to assist me and I could care less about any modesty at this point.  I just knew I had to go. 

Big mistake.  Big.

Walking to the bathroom was okay, but the rest was a hot mess.  Ewww. 

I did everything in my power not to keel over and keep myself where I was supposed to sit, but the shaking started almost immediately.  Not just a shiver shake, but violent full body convulsion-like shaking.  It didn’t help to notice the blood pouring out of me.  Yeah, not fun.

Getting back to my hospital bed was a monumental feat followed by nearly passing out.  My poor family was witness to this and I think it scared the bejesus out of them.  Apparently I was shades of grey that are just not human.  They couldn’t get the blankets on soon enough. 

Eventually I calmed down and they were able to move me to my more permanent room. 

Prior to this ‘emergency’ I was told my IV could come out 6 hours after the epi, but now I was hooked to two machines and at high risk for a blood transfusion so that meant taking my blood every few hours to do a blood count until the following AM.  Ugh.  I swear the IV was the bane of my existence.  There is something unbelievably unsettling about having a needle permanently in your arm and not being able to move freely without that tugging sensation.  {cringe}

The pain I experienced after giving birth was far far worse than labor.  Infinitely worse in fact.  I am so grateful I chose an epidural because had I experienced the work they were doing to stop the hemorrhaging, I would have been writhing and screaming. 

Recovery over the next few days was pretty miserable.  I had to wear ginormous pads and couldn’t find a comfortable spot to sit or lay without feeling pressure and pain.  It wasn’t fun my friends.  Walking to and from the bathroom exhausted me and my biggest venture was on day 2 and that was taking a <10 minute walk around the mother / baby unit.  My lower back ached.  I felt like I couldn’t stand straight.  I was overly aware of the pain down below and there wasn’t a darn thing I could do, but listen to my body and absolutely not push my limits. 

A week later I am still taking it very very easy.  Only small excursions, walks to the mail box, and mild stretching.  I am beyond fearful of tearing my stiches so I’m going to wait it out as long as I have to. 

I’m incredibly grateful to my Mom (Obbie), and in-laws (Cookie and Poppy) for helping out so much.  Cookie did most of the grocery shopping and cooking for us (with leftovers to freeze) and Obbie has been on dog duty and cleaning duty – even folding our laundry!

Oh and I can’t forget the hubby.  I have yet to change one single diaper – he has been the diaper man this whole past week.  He’s becoming a pro. 

And since I’ve bombarded you with enough text.  Here are some more hospital and Sawyer pics

I wrote a pretty condensed version of my birth story and stay in the hospital.  Please let me know if you are interested in hearing more of something or if you have any more personal questions, email me at shannamccord [at] gmail [dot] com