Sunday, May 2, 2010
Baby Andrew: The Early Weeks
It is completely true what parents say about those early weeks being at home with a baby. They are exhausting and unpredictable, and there is just no way that one can prepare him/herself for the experience.
Waking Up in the Hospital a Mom
I then walked down to my room with Dennis and Erin walking beside and behind me to make sure I was okay. Further down the hall, I could see another couple walking. They were from our prenatal class, and it appeared that she was in the early stages of labor and walking to help with the pain. I had wondered how long they had been there and how long she would be in labor. I hoped not long. As soon as we got to our new room, Dennis and got ourselves situated to sleep. I got the bed, and Dennis was in a pull-out bed. It looked like a chair at first, but it changed into a single bed. Because I was in so much pain and because it was difficult for me to sit and get in and out of bed, I was so grateful that Dennis was there to help. We both settled down to sleep, but for some reason, I couldn't. The light was off, and Dennis found it easy to sleep. The baby wasn't back from the nursery yet, and I really wanted him in the room with us. I also was in a lot of pain, so I think the combination of these two factors made it the most difficult for me to fall asleep.
The nurse finally brought the baby in to the room in his bed, and she stopped just to the right of my bed. It was so wonderful to have him with us. I still couldn't find it in me to really sleep, so I was up most of the night going to the bathroom and listening to the baby. He made some weird noises because his lungs were still filled with the fluid from my belly. He would cough and occasionally spit up/drool in his bed. I was a bit paranoid that he was in danger or hurting, so I just listening to him all night. I also wondered when he would cry. I figured that he would cry when he was hungry, but he was in my room for hours and didn't cry.
The nurse came in a couple of times throughout the night to check on me and the baby. I had asked her around 3:30 - 4:00am whether I should be waking the baby to feed him. I seemed to be paranoid about everything. I just wanted him to be okay. I didn't want to do the wrong thing so early in my motherhood. She helped me get the baby out of his bed on wheels so that I could try to feed him. I didn't trust myself to feed him because I was so sore and it was hard to move. It was difficult to get him to latch on. He and I were both very new at the whole breastfeeding thing, so it took us some time. The nurses were great with helping me. I got help just about every time I needed to feed him. I was starting to think that breastfeeding would be difficult when I got home since I wouldn't have the nurse there to help me. I hoped it wouldn't be so bad. The baby would feed each time the nurse helped me to get him to latch in the hospital.
One bad thing about the hospital stay besides the pain I felt from the delivery was when a nurse came in the room during the early hours of the next day to take blood from the baby. She poked his foot and squeezed the blood onto a card. The baby cried, which tore me apart. I was waiting very impatiently for her to finish, when she said that she would need to poke the other foot to get more blood. The first foot wasn't bleeding enough. I didn't argue, because I just wanted it to be over. He was screaming so much by this point. I couldn't stand it. As soon as she was done, I reached down and grabbed him from her and held him. He eventually calmed down, but I felt horrible. I didn't want anything else to happen to my baby. I knew that he wouldn't be getting any shots while in the hospital, since his doctor and I agreed that his shots would come later in the upcoming months. There was no way that he would be leaving my sight from that point. Dennis was great with helping that first night and all nights thereafter. He held the baby and changed diapers. It was really helpful. The only times that Dennis would leave me and the baby were to get food. Since I was a patient, I was given 3 meals a day, but Dennis made many trips to the hospital's cafeteria. He also went home to shower and check on the house. He came back to the hospital with a necklace for me. It was a present for having a baby, and it was a basic gem representing the birth stone of March for our son. It was perfect.
Early in the day, a lady came to give the baby a hearing test. He passed with flying colors, which was a relief to us. We also were visited by my sister and brother-in-law along with my friend Jil Reints at about the same time as they lady who was in charge of the birth certificate. Dennis and I were forced to watch a video about the importance of the father being in the child's life. It was so odd. Since Dennis and I weren't married, we had to watch the video and fill out special papers stating that Dennis was in fact the father. It made no sense to me. How does a marriage license, a simple piece of paper, prove that a man is a father more than anything else. It was odd, but we watched the video and filled out what we needed to in order to be considered legally attached to our son as parents. No big deal, but we just didn't see it coming. The video was also a bit insulting since it seemed to be more for dead-beat dads or one-night-stands. Whatever!!!
By the time Sunday came along, we were so ready to get out of the hospital. I really wanted to go home, and we were all excited to take the baby with us. I still felt kind of weird. Were they really going to let us take the baby home?!?! :) It just was too good to be true. So far, he was a really good baby, and I would not really know what people meant about being overwhelmed as new parents until the first weeks alone with him at home.
The nurse finally brought the baby in to the room in his bed, and she stopped just to the right of my bed. It was so wonderful to have him with us. I still couldn't find it in me to really sleep, so I was up most of the night going to the bathroom and listening to the baby. He made some weird noises because his lungs were still filled with the fluid from my belly. He would cough and occasionally spit up/drool in his bed. I was a bit paranoid that he was in danger or hurting, so I just listening to him all night. I also wondered when he would cry. I figured that he would cry when he was hungry, but he was in my room for hours and didn't cry.
The nurse came in a couple of times throughout the night to check on me and the baby. I had asked her around 3:30 - 4:00am whether I should be waking the baby to feed him. I seemed to be paranoid about everything. I just wanted him to be okay. I didn't want to do the wrong thing so early in my motherhood. She helped me get the baby out of his bed on wheels so that I could try to feed him. I didn't trust myself to feed him because I was so sore and it was hard to move. It was difficult to get him to latch on. He and I were both very new at the whole breastfeeding thing, so it took us some time. The nurses were great with helping me. I got help just about every time I needed to feed him. I was starting to think that breastfeeding would be difficult when I got home since I wouldn't have the nurse there to help me. I hoped it wouldn't be so bad. The baby would feed each time the nurse helped me to get him to latch in the hospital.
One bad thing about the hospital stay besides the pain I felt from the delivery was when a nurse came in the room during the early hours of the next day to take blood from the baby. She poked his foot and squeezed the blood onto a card. The baby cried, which tore me apart. I was waiting very impatiently for her to finish, when she said that she would need to poke the other foot to get more blood. The first foot wasn't bleeding enough. I didn't argue, because I just wanted it to be over. He was screaming so much by this point. I couldn't stand it. As soon as she was done, I reached down and grabbed him from her and held him. He eventually calmed down, but I felt horrible. I didn't want anything else to happen to my baby. I knew that he wouldn't be getting any shots while in the hospital, since his doctor and I agreed that his shots would come later in the upcoming months. There was no way that he would be leaving my sight from that point. Dennis was great with helping that first night and all nights thereafter. He held the baby and changed diapers. It was really helpful. The only times that Dennis would leave me and the baby were to get food. Since I was a patient, I was given 3 meals a day, but Dennis made many trips to the hospital's cafeteria. He also went home to shower and check on the house. He came back to the hospital with a necklace for me. It was a present for having a baby, and it was a basic gem representing the birth stone of March for our son. It was perfect.
Early in the day, a lady came to give the baby a hearing test. He passed with flying colors, which was a relief to us. We also were visited by my sister and brother-in-law along with my friend Jil Reints at about the same time as they lady who was in charge of the birth certificate. Dennis and I were forced to watch a video about the importance of the father being in the child's life. It was so odd. Since Dennis and I weren't married, we had to watch the video and fill out special papers stating that Dennis was in fact the father. It made no sense to me. How does a marriage license, a simple piece of paper, prove that a man is a father more than anything else. It was odd, but we watched the video and filled out what we needed to in order to be considered legally attached to our son as parents. No big deal, but we just didn't see it coming. The video was also a bit insulting since it seemed to be more for dead-beat dads or one-night-stands. Whatever!!!
By the time Sunday came along, we were so ready to get out of the hospital. I really wanted to go home, and we were all excited to take the baby with us. I still felt kind of weird. Were they really going to let us take the baby home?!?! :) It just was too good to be true. So far, he was a really good baby, and I would not really know what people meant about being overwhelmed as new parents until the first weeks alone with him at home.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Welcome Baby Andrew! (March 19, 2010)
Today marks the end of my pregnancy. Picking up from where I left off in my last blog, Dennis and I stared at each other with absolute shock on our faces. Maybe it wasn't shock on Dennis' face, but I was surely shocked. My mouth may have even been open for all I know. Since the nurse told us that I would be induced, labor was eminently in my near future. This was it!
The nurse told me that my doctor gave her orders to give me Pitocin to get my labor started. My contractions weren't that strong, so the Pitocin would help them progress. The baby's heartbeat wasn't low the entire time, but the occasional drops that the nurse/doctor saw required me to be induced. I was just glad that the baby wasn't in any danger, and I was eager to meet him. I actually didn't get the Pitocin right away, so Dennis and I had some time to talk before the nurse came back with the medicine. Dennis said that he wasn't ready for this, but you could tell that he was also excited. I think that we were both more ready than we were on March 1st, but it was still unexpected. I mean, how ready can a person be when she's about to have her first baby?!? hahah
Sometime around 2:00pm, the nurse came in to enter information about me into the computer and have me fill out paperwork. Dennis only had one paper to sign, so he went to the car to get our things. The nurse had asked for our birth plan, which was in my bag in the car. Luckily, I did some reading in books and on the Internet to know that we needed to make a birth plan stating what we wanted and didn't want to happen at the hospital with me and the baby. She wanted to make sure that things were going as we planned, since this was the beginning of it all. I was glad that we were more prepared this time and that Dennis didn't have to go home to get our things. Who knew how things were going to play out, and I really wanted Dennis by my side as much as possible.
The nurse came back in with the medicine at about 3:30pm. Turns out, Pitocin is administered by an IV. I knew that an IV was inevitable, but I didn't know that I would get one so soon. The IV turned out to be one of the worst parts, believe it or not. The nurse tried my right arm, then my right wrist, and then finally my left arm. She even had someone else come in to try. They both said that I had perfect veins, but it just seemed that things weren't working. I am the type of person who HATES needles. I get panicky and may even get sick or pass out because of the fear. Being poked three times with no luck really made me discouraged, but I suggested to the nurses that the last time I had an IV, it was in my left hand. They said that they try not to put IVs in hands, but they tried it anyway. It worked FINALLY in my left hand. I guess I should have suggested it earlier, but I would have just been upset if I had said something and was poked three times anyway before the nurse found the magic in try number four. Oh, well!
After getting the IV, I was given the Pitocin and some IV fluid. The good thing about the IV was that I instantly felt cooler than before in the room that reached over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For some reason, IV fluid cools a person down. I was glad for that. Because of the bad luck the nurses had getting the IV in my vein, five o'clock came much faster than three thirty had. I was unbelievably patient, though. For a person who was about to be a new mother, I couldn't believe how calm I was. I think that it was mostly because of all those health shows I'd seen during my bed rest. I watched tons of shows about having babies and being in labor, and I knew that many women were in labor for hours, even days. I thought, also, that since I wasn't really in any pain, I had lots of time before things would get crazy.
At this point after the IV, the nurse was coming in quite often. She looked over my birth plan and discussed things with me. She mentioned that the doctor on call was Dr. Mamoud, who was the only one from the GYN practice I went to whom I hadn't met. She also mentioned that he was more on the conservative side and may not allow me to do certain things on my birth plan. This didn't make me feel good. Not only was I already very unhappy with my regular doctor, who happened to be in Romania visiting family, which she neglected to mention to me, but now I get the one doctor in the practice who is from 1950 to deliver my baby. GREAT!! Though I was a bit upset at this point, I told Dennis to get some food in the cafeteria. I wanted him to eat and be back in time to support me with whatever else came my way. Little did I know that this would be a time for lots of things to happen.
Shortly after Dennis left, the doctor came in to meet me and discuss the birth plan. I was ready for a fight, because I wasn't about to let any strange man tell me what I was going to do with MY body. He stood in front of me reading my birth plan to himself, and when he came across something he was against, he addressed it with me. For instance, he didn't want Dennis to assist in the birth or help him pull the baby out. I also wanted that the Pitocin to stop just after the placenta came out, but he seemed to have a hissy about that as well. I told him that those things were fine if they didn't happen, but only as a way to protect the baby. The doctor seemed more concerned with lawsuits than anything. The nurse had said that he was conservative, but it seemed that things would work out for me in the long run. I didn't feel trapped or threatened, but I had my eye on that doctor. He did check my cervix after talking with me and saw that I was 3 centimeters dilated. This was after 5:00pm, and the Pitocin was working. At my early morning appointment with Dr. Batchawaty, I learned that I was dilated to 1 1/2 centimeters, and now, nearly seven hours later, I was at 3 centimeters. I had heard that getting fully dilated to 10 centimeters could take days. I had no idea what was about to happen. My journey to 10 centimeters was going to be much shorter than I could have only imagined.
After checking my cervix, Dr. Mamoud broke my water. It was so crazy that things were happening so fast with Dennis being in the cafeteria. I really wanted him to walk in the door at any moment. I just needed him to be there, but that was not how things went. Dr. Mamoud used a long, yellow, plastic wand to break my water. I had seen this wand before in my prenatal class, so it was familiar to me. I just felt so much like a little girl without her mommy and daddy, since I was alone through this. I had always thought about what it would feel like to have my water break, and I was actually a bit worried that it would happen at school or when I was alone. Instead, it happened in a hospital bed. I guess everyone has her own story about labor. It felt much different than I thought it would. Having my water break wasn't like the feeling urinating. It was a much stronger feeling of rushing water, as if I was sitting in a raging stream. I seriously felt that I was sitting in a puddle. The nurse was quick to change the extremely large pad underneath me because of all the water. I also think that my socks were getting a bit wet, but to be completely honest, I don't think that I really felt that they were wet. It was a bit scary at this point because things seemed to be moving very fast. I had just met the doctor, and he was breaking my water in the same meeting. There was no turning back at this point...as if there ever were. Since breaking my water, the doctor told me that I was in active labor because delivery was sooner than later. He said that I wasn't able to get up, so he put in a catheter and a monitor, which would attach to the baby's head. Yikes!! This means that he would actually have access to the baby's head!!! Crazy! Since I had never been in the hospital before, this was all new to me. It was a bit weird, but I was taking it in stride and staying calm. Before leaving, the doctor said that I could have pain medication whenever I wanted it. I thought that was a bit weird, since I thought I would be in labor for a while. I thought I would try to hold off until I couldn't stand it anymore.
Next, I was given a shot, which also would have been nice to have Dennis near me for that, but he still wasn't back. It wasn't that he was gone a long time. He actually wasn't, but a lot seemed to happen in that short period of time. My contractions were getting stronger at this point as well. Dennis came back just as all the fun was over to find me with more cords attached to me and surprised to hear that labor was starting to pick up. Dennis watched the computer screen, which showed the results of my monitor. This was the monitor that measured my contractions. It was originally on my stomach, but since the doctor's visit, it had been moved to the baby's head via my birth canal. He would see when the contraction was about to start and help me with my breathing. He really did a good job with that. The pain started to get out of control, and I was glad that he was there to help me stay focused.
By 7:30pm, the pain was almost too much to handle. I felt as if I was being stretched apart on the inside during my contractions, which were closer together each time and seemed much stronger. It was the most uncomfortable feeling I had ever experienced. I knew that there would be pain in the form of extreme cramping, but I had not anticipated the stretching feeling. I was begging the nurse for the epidural at this point, but she told me that I had to wait until my IV bag was empty. I hadn't known at this point that I was making this an impossibility because I was squeezing the side of the bed with the hand that had the IV inside it. This was causing the IV fluid to be blocked from entering my veins due to the pressure I was causing. When the nurse saw that the fluid wasn't moving very fast, she suggested that I calm my left hand to allow the fluid to get into my veins. I couldn't believe how easy it was for me to calm that one hand. Being in so much pain, I was able to use my mind to relax at least one small part of my body. The fluid moved much faster after that. This was also about the time of a shift change with the nurses.
As a new nurse came in, she looked over my IV bag and went to get a new one. She changed it but didn't make any comments about my pain medication. I asked her if she could call the anaesthesiologist as she was changing my IV bag. She said that she would like to see me get through half of the new IV bag. I'm not going to lie. This really got me a bit panicked because I couldn't imagine any more pain than what I was enduring at that moment. I told her that the last nurse said that she would make the call when the present IV bag was emptied. The new nurse, Erin, had a great response, which was saying "okay." After she put on the new bag, she said that she would call the anaesthesiologist. This was a relief to me.
The contractions kept coming, and my doctor came in again to check me. I was in the middle of a really strong one when my nurse said to the doctor, "things are starting to go too fast, and I think we need to check her." I was so thankful that my nurse was paying attention to my pain. Who knows when my doctor would have checked me again. At this point, I was in so much pain that I couldn't really tell that he was checking me. It turns out that I was now 9 centimeters dilated. It only took a couple of hours to go from 3 to 9, which was another shock to me. I don't remember any of the women in the shows that I watched to have progressed in their labor so fast. Maybe that was one of the prerequisites to be on one of those baby shows...to have long labors. I guess I would never be on TV. Thank goodness. Those women who endure labor for longer without pain medication are heroes in my eyes. At some point during my pain, my doctor left the room. Where the heck was he going???
It was just after the time that the doctor checked me that I felt a large shift inside. I could feel that the baby had dropped to the birth canal. This severely freaked me out. I yelled, "he's down, he's down." Part of me felt that the baby was so low that he could almost just flip out. Boy, wouldn't that have been much easier!! It was time about time to push, but I still hadn't had any pain medication. ARE THEY SERIOUS??? Was I going to go through all phases of labor without as much as an aspirin?? This was just crazy. Luckily, the anaesthesiologist came in at that point. I remember this part as if it were a dream. I don't know why, but there were quite a few people in the room at this point. Maybe my doctor asked another doctor to sit in while he was out doing whatever it was that he was doing. I had to wait for a break in my contractions to be able to sit up and get the epidural. I really wanted to be sitting during my contractions, but my doctor had put so much inside for monitoring and everything that I wasn't really allowed. Man...I really didn't like this guy. The next baby will have a different doctor delivering him/her. Once I sat up, I felt another contractions coming. It really made a difference to sit up. I wished I would have been in that position to deal with the contractions. It seemed easier, but it was just for the one. I guess it is really hard to say.
While I was pregnant, one of the scary things about delivery had always been the epidural, since I am afraid of needles, but because I was in so much pain, I really didn't feel much when they were giving me the epidural. I was happy for that. I had been told that I would be numb in my entire lower body after the epidural shot, but that never happened. I am under the assumption that I was either given a different type of epidural, like a walking epidural, or that I wasn't given as much as normal. I had feeling all over my body, but the good thing about the epidural was that the pain went from a 10 to a 5. Other mothers had mentioned that all they felt was pressure after the epidural, because the epidurals that they were given were different than mine. I felt pain, not pressure.
I could feel that another contraction was on the way after I got the epidural, so I laid back down. The doctor and nurse were altering the bed at this point to get things ready for delivery, and then the nurse told me to lift my legs into the pushing position. Dennis was standing on my left side, and the nurse, Erin, was on my right side. They each grabbed a leg and bent them towards my body. She said that when I felt a contraction start to bare down and push as hard as I could while they both would count to ten for me. I would then take a quick breath break and start again. This seemed familiar from all the shows I had seen about labor, and believe it or not, pushing was much easier than enduring the contractions and just laying there. I felt pain still, but it was much easier to focus on pushing than focus on dealing with the pain like I tried before. Pushing made the pain manageable.
I ended up pushing for over an hour. It really didn't feel like an hour, which was the good part. My nurse, Erin, was fantastic. She really talked to me the way that I would talk to me in that situation. We really were of the same mindset, which made the whole process easier. I don't even remember my doctor talking. I just remember him being there to "catch" the baby as he came out. It is unbelievable that doctors get paid so much more than the nurses. She did all the work, and he just seemed to show up when the baby was about to come out. He wasn't "there" for me the way that Erin was. I guess it really didn't matter who delivered the baby, but I would love to have Erin by my side if I were to go through labor again.
While I pushed, Erin would help to stretch the opening. It was so painful, but I know that she was trying to help. It was what I had asked for her to do in my birth plan, but I had no idea what I was asking until it happened. I remember screaming during that part because it was so painful. She would just say, "push your hardest, so the baby will come out faster. You want this to be over soon, don't you?" Boy, did I!! I followed her instructions to the T and pushed as hard as I possibly could. The pushing was painful as well since I was attempting to get a baby out! CRAZY!! I had asked to have a mirror propped up so that I could watch the birth, but I noticed that the harder I pushed the more my eyes would water. I also had to wear an oxygen mask to help with my breathing. I was so surprised how determined I was. I didn't panic at all, and I felt in control. Weird!! I think that the only time when I was near panicky was when I was in unbelievable pain before I started pushing. I am glad that feeling didn't last until the birth. That would have been awful. Still, pushing the baby out was surreal. Dennis was such a trouper. He really was focused and didn't get sick or pass out. I'm so grateful. He was great!! When the head was near the opening, the nurse said, "Look at all that blond hair!" I was a bit taken-a-back, since I assumed my baby would have dark hair like I did. It was somewhat shocking to hear that he was going to have blond hair. I was excited to see him. I closed my eyes as I pushed since it just seemed to be easier that way, but I tried to look in the mirror when I was done. At times, the doctor would be in the way of the mirror and of course, my eyes were still watering, but I tried to focus. After one really good push and lots and lots of pain, the head came out. I knew that the shoulders were next, which freaked me out a bit since they were much wider than the head. Yikes!! Dennis looked down at the baby and smiled. He leaned close to my face and said, "he's so beautiful." I was so happy to hear that and so proud that Dennis was more excited to be a dad than grossed out by all of the medical stuff. One big push left, and the baby seemed to just slide out after that. CRAZY!! I laid back, exhausted at all the pushing while Dennis cut the umbilical cord. I didn't even know it had happened because it was so fast. I had moved my gown down so that the baby could rest on my chest, skin to skin, and I hadn't even realized what Dennis was doing. The baby was quickly placed on my chest, and I got to hold my son for the first time. I couldn't believe that he was real and that he was mine. I just had a baby. Andrew was born at 9:30pm on Friday, March 19th, 2010.
The nurse took him from me to do all the tests, wipe him off and wrap him up. It felt like forever that he was away from me. It was a very short time before he cried for the first time. At that point, I heard my mom in the hall. "Is that my grandbaby," she asked. I said, "Yeah, but you can't come in yet." The doctor was finally being worthwhile by showing me up. During the time when the head came out, the doctor had to cut me to widen the passage. It hurt like hell. I'm not going to lie. It felt like he was using a pair of scissors, which he could have for all I know since I didn't see what he was using at that time. As he stitched me up, I told the nurse that I didn't need the mirror anymore. I would hate to have to see that. I'm sure I was in bad shape, and I wasn't eager to check it out. Dennis was right over there with the baby, and he had his camera. He started taking pictures. He was all smiles. He just kept saying, "he's so beautiful." That was nice to hear. We both already loved our son. Come to think of it now, everyone knew that we knew that we were having a boy, so the doctor didn't say, "it's a boy." It still would have been fun to hear him say that. Oh well!!
The nurse finally brought the baby back to me, and I immediately put him to breast. I had been to my breastfeeding class, and I was determined to make it work. I knew that getting the baby to breast as soon as possible was very important. I was so happy when he went straight for the nipple and fed for a good 15 minutes. That was a good sign that things would work in the breastfeeding department. It was about this time that I told Dennis that he could go to the waiting room and get my parents. The doctor was done stitching, and the three of us were just there alone. There was no use having my parents wait, since it was nearly 10:00pm already. I had Dennis call them just after I started pushing. I didn't want them there waiting if it could have taken hours. It turns out that my labor only lasted 6 hours in total from the time of induction to the delivery. Weird! It worked out great that we called them at the point of my labor when we did because they showed up just as the baby came out. Perfect timing!! They only had to wait for the doctor to stitch me up and for me to feed my son! From what I heard from my mom, it was a crazy conversation with Dennis. Since my contractions were so close together, he really didn't have too much time to talk to her before I screamed for him to come back. I needed him to hold my leg when I pushed, and I just didn't want him to be away from me for a second. As Dennis tells it, as soon as my mom picked up the phone, he said to her, "you promised to help me! You're getting a new grandson at Swedish American." Then he hung up, since this was the time when I screamed for him to come back to me. haha My mom didn't know what hit her. She was so confused. Luckily, they figured it out, and she and my dad were there just in time.
Because I was feeding the baby, Dennis didn't get to hold him yet. When my parents came in, I wasn't about to have anyone else hold him except for Dennis. We as parents needed to get out time first, so I passed the baby over to Dennis, who was more than eager to hold his son. I was so happy!! My parents, both, got to hold their new grandson and take pictures. Then, they said their good-byes and left us to get moved to our new room. The nurse, Erin, was back to help me out of bed and to the bathroom. She said that I had to urinate before I went to the next room. She arranged for us to stay in a labor room so that Dennis and I could be alone. If I were to go to a recovery room, I would have to share with another new mom and baby, and Dennis might not be able to stay over with us. I really wanted him there. She said that since I was an excellent pusher and was a perfect patient that she would try her best to get us the labor room. I don't know how much of that is true with me being a good patient, but Erin was truly the best nurse. She sat with me in the bathroom until I could finally pee and then helped me clean myself and wash my hands. I was in pain from the stitches, and she explained everything about how to wash off and use the pads and ice packs. In the meantime, another nurse took the baby to the nursery to give him a bath and things. Dennis took our bags down the hall to our new room, and Erin helped me into the nightgown that I brought with me.
The nurse told me that my doctor gave her orders to give me Pitocin to get my labor started. My contractions weren't that strong, so the Pitocin would help them progress. The baby's heartbeat wasn't low the entire time, but the occasional drops that the nurse/doctor saw required me to be induced. I was just glad that the baby wasn't in any danger, and I was eager to meet him. I actually didn't get the Pitocin right away, so Dennis and I had some time to talk before the nurse came back with the medicine. Dennis said that he wasn't ready for this, but you could tell that he was also excited. I think that we were both more ready than we were on March 1st, but it was still unexpected. I mean, how ready can a person be when she's about to have her first baby?!? hahah
Sometime around 2:00pm, the nurse came in to enter information about me into the computer and have me fill out paperwork. Dennis only had one paper to sign, so he went to the car to get our things. The nurse had asked for our birth plan, which was in my bag in the car. Luckily, I did some reading in books and on the Internet to know that we needed to make a birth plan stating what we wanted and didn't want to happen at the hospital with me and the baby. She wanted to make sure that things were going as we planned, since this was the beginning of it all. I was glad that we were more prepared this time and that Dennis didn't have to go home to get our things. Who knew how things were going to play out, and I really wanted Dennis by my side as much as possible.
The nurse came back in with the medicine at about 3:30pm. Turns out, Pitocin is administered by an IV. I knew that an IV was inevitable, but I didn't know that I would get one so soon. The IV turned out to be one of the worst parts, believe it or not. The nurse tried my right arm, then my right wrist, and then finally my left arm. She even had someone else come in to try. They both said that I had perfect veins, but it just seemed that things weren't working. I am the type of person who HATES needles. I get panicky and may even get sick or pass out because of the fear. Being poked three times with no luck really made me discouraged, but I suggested to the nurses that the last time I had an IV, it was in my left hand. They said that they try not to put IVs in hands, but they tried it anyway. It worked FINALLY in my left hand. I guess I should have suggested it earlier, but I would have just been upset if I had said something and was poked three times anyway before the nurse found the magic in try number four. Oh, well!
After getting the IV, I was given the Pitocin and some IV fluid. The good thing about the IV was that I instantly felt cooler than before in the room that reached over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For some reason, IV fluid cools a person down. I was glad for that. Because of the bad luck the nurses had getting the IV in my vein, five o'clock came much faster than three thirty had. I was unbelievably patient, though. For a person who was about to be a new mother, I couldn't believe how calm I was. I think that it was mostly because of all those health shows I'd seen during my bed rest. I watched tons of shows about having babies and being in labor, and I knew that many women were in labor for hours, even days. I thought, also, that since I wasn't really in any pain, I had lots of time before things would get crazy.
At this point after the IV, the nurse was coming in quite often. She looked over my birth plan and discussed things with me. She mentioned that the doctor on call was Dr. Mamoud, who was the only one from the GYN practice I went to whom I hadn't met. She also mentioned that he was more on the conservative side and may not allow me to do certain things on my birth plan. This didn't make me feel good. Not only was I already very unhappy with my regular doctor, who happened to be in Romania visiting family, which she neglected to mention to me, but now I get the one doctor in the practice who is from 1950 to deliver my baby. GREAT!! Though I was a bit upset at this point, I told Dennis to get some food in the cafeteria. I wanted him to eat and be back in time to support me with whatever else came my way. Little did I know that this would be a time for lots of things to happen.
Shortly after Dennis left, the doctor came in to meet me and discuss the birth plan. I was ready for a fight, because I wasn't about to let any strange man tell me what I was going to do with MY body. He stood in front of me reading my birth plan to himself, and when he came across something he was against, he addressed it with me. For instance, he didn't want Dennis to assist in the birth or help him pull the baby out. I also wanted that the Pitocin to stop just after the placenta came out, but he seemed to have a hissy about that as well. I told him that those things were fine if they didn't happen, but only as a way to protect the baby. The doctor seemed more concerned with lawsuits than anything. The nurse had said that he was conservative, but it seemed that things would work out for me in the long run. I didn't feel trapped or threatened, but I had my eye on that doctor. He did check my cervix after talking with me and saw that I was 3 centimeters dilated. This was after 5:00pm, and the Pitocin was working. At my early morning appointment with Dr. Batchawaty, I learned that I was dilated to 1 1/2 centimeters, and now, nearly seven hours later, I was at 3 centimeters. I had heard that getting fully dilated to 10 centimeters could take days. I had no idea what was about to happen. My journey to 10 centimeters was going to be much shorter than I could have only imagined.
After checking my cervix, Dr. Mamoud broke my water. It was so crazy that things were happening so fast with Dennis being in the cafeteria. I really wanted him to walk in the door at any moment. I just needed him to be there, but that was not how things went. Dr. Mamoud used a long, yellow, plastic wand to break my water. I had seen this wand before in my prenatal class, so it was familiar to me. I just felt so much like a little girl without her mommy and daddy, since I was alone through this. I had always thought about what it would feel like to have my water break, and I was actually a bit worried that it would happen at school or when I was alone. Instead, it happened in a hospital bed. I guess everyone has her own story about labor. It felt much different than I thought it would. Having my water break wasn't like the feeling urinating. It was a much stronger feeling of rushing water, as if I was sitting in a raging stream. I seriously felt that I was sitting in a puddle. The nurse was quick to change the extremely large pad underneath me because of all the water. I also think that my socks were getting a bit wet, but to be completely honest, I don't think that I really felt that they were wet. It was a bit scary at this point because things seemed to be moving very fast. I had just met the doctor, and he was breaking my water in the same meeting. There was no turning back at this point...as if there ever were. Since breaking my water, the doctor told me that I was in active labor because delivery was sooner than later. He said that I wasn't able to get up, so he put in a catheter and a monitor, which would attach to the baby's head. Yikes!! This means that he would actually have access to the baby's head!!! Crazy! Since I had never been in the hospital before, this was all new to me. It was a bit weird, but I was taking it in stride and staying calm. Before leaving, the doctor said that I could have pain medication whenever I wanted it. I thought that was a bit weird, since I thought I would be in labor for a while. I thought I would try to hold off until I couldn't stand it anymore.
Next, I was given a shot, which also would have been nice to have Dennis near me for that, but he still wasn't back. It wasn't that he was gone a long time. He actually wasn't, but a lot seemed to happen in that short period of time. My contractions were getting stronger at this point as well. Dennis came back just as all the fun was over to find me with more cords attached to me and surprised to hear that labor was starting to pick up. Dennis watched the computer screen, which showed the results of my monitor. This was the monitor that measured my contractions. It was originally on my stomach, but since the doctor's visit, it had been moved to the baby's head via my birth canal. He would see when the contraction was about to start and help me with my breathing. He really did a good job with that. The pain started to get out of control, and I was glad that he was there to help me stay focused.
By 7:30pm, the pain was almost too much to handle. I felt as if I was being stretched apart on the inside during my contractions, which were closer together each time and seemed much stronger. It was the most uncomfortable feeling I had ever experienced. I knew that there would be pain in the form of extreme cramping, but I had not anticipated the stretching feeling. I was begging the nurse for the epidural at this point, but she told me that I had to wait until my IV bag was empty. I hadn't known at this point that I was making this an impossibility because I was squeezing the side of the bed with the hand that had the IV inside it. This was causing the IV fluid to be blocked from entering my veins due to the pressure I was causing. When the nurse saw that the fluid wasn't moving very fast, she suggested that I calm my left hand to allow the fluid to get into my veins. I couldn't believe how easy it was for me to calm that one hand. Being in so much pain, I was able to use my mind to relax at least one small part of my body. The fluid moved much faster after that. This was also about the time of a shift change with the nurses.
As a new nurse came in, she looked over my IV bag and went to get a new one. She changed it but didn't make any comments about my pain medication. I asked her if she could call the anaesthesiologist as she was changing my IV bag. She said that she would like to see me get through half of the new IV bag. I'm not going to lie. This really got me a bit panicked because I couldn't imagine any more pain than what I was enduring at that moment. I told her that the last nurse said that she would make the call when the present IV bag was emptied. The new nurse, Erin, had a great response, which was saying "okay." After she put on the new bag, she said that she would call the anaesthesiologist. This was a relief to me.
The contractions kept coming, and my doctor came in again to check me. I was in the middle of a really strong one when my nurse said to the doctor, "things are starting to go too fast, and I think we need to check her." I was so thankful that my nurse was paying attention to my pain. Who knows when my doctor would have checked me again. At this point, I was in so much pain that I couldn't really tell that he was checking me. It turns out that I was now 9 centimeters dilated. It only took a couple of hours to go from 3 to 9, which was another shock to me. I don't remember any of the women in the shows that I watched to have progressed in their labor so fast. Maybe that was one of the prerequisites to be on one of those baby shows...to have long labors. I guess I would never be on TV. Thank goodness. Those women who endure labor for longer without pain medication are heroes in my eyes. At some point during my pain, my doctor left the room. Where the heck was he going???
It was just after the time that the doctor checked me that I felt a large shift inside. I could feel that the baby had dropped to the birth canal. This severely freaked me out. I yelled, "he's down, he's down." Part of me felt that the baby was so low that he could almost just flip out. Boy, wouldn't that have been much easier!! It was time about time to push, but I still hadn't had any pain medication. ARE THEY SERIOUS??? Was I going to go through all phases of labor without as much as an aspirin?? This was just crazy. Luckily, the anaesthesiologist came in at that point. I remember this part as if it were a dream. I don't know why, but there were quite a few people in the room at this point. Maybe my doctor asked another doctor to sit in while he was out doing whatever it was that he was doing. I had to wait for a break in my contractions to be able to sit up and get the epidural. I really wanted to be sitting during my contractions, but my doctor had put so much inside for monitoring and everything that I wasn't really allowed. Man...I really didn't like this guy. The next baby will have a different doctor delivering him/her. Once I sat up, I felt another contractions coming. It really made a difference to sit up. I wished I would have been in that position to deal with the contractions. It seemed easier, but it was just for the one. I guess it is really hard to say.
While I was pregnant, one of the scary things about delivery had always been the epidural, since I am afraid of needles, but because I was in so much pain, I really didn't feel much when they were giving me the epidural. I was happy for that. I had been told that I would be numb in my entire lower body after the epidural shot, but that never happened. I am under the assumption that I was either given a different type of epidural, like a walking epidural, or that I wasn't given as much as normal. I had feeling all over my body, but the good thing about the epidural was that the pain went from a 10 to a 5. Other mothers had mentioned that all they felt was pressure after the epidural, because the epidurals that they were given were different than mine. I felt pain, not pressure.
I could feel that another contraction was on the way after I got the epidural, so I laid back down. The doctor and nurse were altering the bed at this point to get things ready for delivery, and then the nurse told me to lift my legs into the pushing position. Dennis was standing on my left side, and the nurse, Erin, was on my right side. They each grabbed a leg and bent them towards my body. She said that when I felt a contraction start to bare down and push as hard as I could while they both would count to ten for me. I would then take a quick breath break and start again. This seemed familiar from all the shows I had seen about labor, and believe it or not, pushing was much easier than enduring the contractions and just laying there. I felt pain still, but it was much easier to focus on pushing than focus on dealing with the pain like I tried before. Pushing made the pain manageable.
I ended up pushing for over an hour. It really didn't feel like an hour, which was the good part. My nurse, Erin, was fantastic. She really talked to me the way that I would talk to me in that situation. We really were of the same mindset, which made the whole process easier. I don't even remember my doctor talking. I just remember him being there to "catch" the baby as he came out. It is unbelievable that doctors get paid so much more than the nurses. She did all the work, and he just seemed to show up when the baby was about to come out. He wasn't "there" for me the way that Erin was. I guess it really didn't matter who delivered the baby, but I would love to have Erin by my side if I were to go through labor again.
While I pushed, Erin would help to stretch the opening. It was so painful, but I know that she was trying to help. It was what I had asked for her to do in my birth plan, but I had no idea what I was asking until it happened. I remember screaming during that part because it was so painful. She would just say, "push your hardest, so the baby will come out faster. You want this to be over soon, don't you?" Boy, did I!! I followed her instructions to the T and pushed as hard as I possibly could. The pushing was painful as well since I was attempting to get a baby out! CRAZY!! I had asked to have a mirror propped up so that I could watch the birth, but I noticed that the harder I pushed the more my eyes would water. I also had to wear an oxygen mask to help with my breathing. I was so surprised how determined I was. I didn't panic at all, and I felt in control. Weird!! I think that the only time when I was near panicky was when I was in unbelievable pain before I started pushing. I am glad that feeling didn't last until the birth. That would have been awful. Still, pushing the baby out was surreal. Dennis was such a trouper. He really was focused and didn't get sick or pass out. I'm so grateful. He was great!! When the head was near the opening, the nurse said, "Look at all that blond hair!" I was a bit taken-a-back, since I assumed my baby would have dark hair like I did. It was somewhat shocking to hear that he was going to have blond hair. I was excited to see him. I closed my eyes as I pushed since it just seemed to be easier that way, but I tried to look in the mirror when I was done. At times, the doctor would be in the way of the mirror and of course, my eyes were still watering, but I tried to focus. After one really good push and lots and lots of pain, the head came out. I knew that the shoulders were next, which freaked me out a bit since they were much wider than the head. Yikes!! Dennis looked down at the baby and smiled. He leaned close to my face and said, "he's so beautiful." I was so happy to hear that and so proud that Dennis was more excited to be a dad than grossed out by all of the medical stuff. One big push left, and the baby seemed to just slide out after that. CRAZY!! I laid back, exhausted at all the pushing while Dennis cut the umbilical cord. I didn't even know it had happened because it was so fast. I had moved my gown down so that the baby could rest on my chest, skin to skin, and I hadn't even realized what Dennis was doing. The baby was quickly placed on my chest, and I got to hold my son for the first time. I couldn't believe that he was real and that he was mine. I just had a baby. Andrew was born at 9:30pm on Friday, March 19th, 2010.
The nurse took him from me to do all the tests, wipe him off and wrap him up. It felt like forever that he was away from me. It was a very short time before he cried for the first time. At that point, I heard my mom in the hall. "Is that my grandbaby," she asked. I said, "Yeah, but you can't come in yet." The doctor was finally being worthwhile by showing me up. During the time when the head came out, the doctor had to cut me to widen the passage. It hurt like hell. I'm not going to lie. It felt like he was using a pair of scissors, which he could have for all I know since I didn't see what he was using at that time. As he stitched me up, I told the nurse that I didn't need the mirror anymore. I would hate to have to see that. I'm sure I was in bad shape, and I wasn't eager to check it out. Dennis was right over there with the baby, and he had his camera. He started taking pictures. He was all smiles. He just kept saying, "he's so beautiful." That was nice to hear. We both already loved our son. Come to think of it now, everyone knew that we knew that we were having a boy, so the doctor didn't say, "it's a boy." It still would have been fun to hear him say that. Oh well!!
The nurse finally brought the baby back to me, and I immediately put him to breast. I had been to my breastfeeding class, and I was determined to make it work. I knew that getting the baby to breast as soon as possible was very important. I was so happy when he went straight for the nipple and fed for a good 15 minutes. That was a good sign that things would work in the breastfeeding department. It was about this time that I told Dennis that he could go to the waiting room and get my parents. The doctor was done stitching, and the three of us were just there alone. There was no use having my parents wait, since it was nearly 10:00pm already. I had Dennis call them just after I started pushing. I didn't want them there waiting if it could have taken hours. It turns out that my labor only lasted 6 hours in total from the time of induction to the delivery. Weird! It worked out great that we called them at the point of my labor when we did because they showed up just as the baby came out. Perfect timing!! They only had to wait for the doctor to stitch me up and for me to feed my son! From what I heard from my mom, it was a crazy conversation with Dennis. Since my contractions were so close together, he really didn't have too much time to talk to her before I screamed for him to come back. I needed him to hold my leg when I pushed, and I just didn't want him to be away from me for a second. As Dennis tells it, as soon as my mom picked up the phone, he said to her, "you promised to help me! You're getting a new grandson at Swedish American." Then he hung up, since this was the time when I screamed for him to come back to me. haha My mom didn't know what hit her. She was so confused. Luckily, they figured it out, and she and my dad were there just in time.
Because I was feeding the baby, Dennis didn't get to hold him yet. When my parents came in, I wasn't about to have anyone else hold him except for Dennis. We as parents needed to get out time first, so I passed the baby over to Dennis, who was more than eager to hold his son. I was so happy!! My parents, both, got to hold their new grandson and take pictures. Then, they said their good-byes and left us to get moved to our new room. The nurse, Erin, was back to help me out of bed and to the bathroom. She said that I had to urinate before I went to the next room. She arranged for us to stay in a labor room so that Dennis and I could be alone. If I were to go to a recovery room, I would have to share with another new mom and baby, and Dennis might not be able to stay over with us. I really wanted him there. She said that since I was an excellent pusher and was a perfect patient that she would try her best to get us the labor room. I don't know how much of that is true with me being a good patient, but Erin was truly the best nurse. She sat with me in the bathroom until I could finally pee and then helped me clean myself and wash my hands. I was in pain from the stitches, and she explained everything about how to wash off and use the pads and ice packs. In the meantime, another nurse took the baby to the nursery to give him a bath and things. Dennis took our bags down the hall to our new room, and Erin helped me into the nightgown that I brought with me.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Another Unexpected Trip to the Hospital! (March 19, 2010)
Today was my last appointment with the doctor as a pregnant woman, though I didn't know it at the time. Since I had a mandatory faculty meeting on Thursday afternoon, I had to reschedule my appointment with Dr. Bachwaty for 8:45am on Friday, the next day. My consistent contractions from yesterday left me feeling very curious about this visit. I was wondering what would be discovered at this appointment, so I was eager to go at 8:45am.
Things started out as normal. I went in first for my ultrasound, which seemed to show a normal, healthy baby, and then I sat in the small room with a monitor on my belly. I have to admit that I was a bit anxious about seeing some huge mountains on the print-out, which would tell me that I was definitely having contractions and that labor would be soon. From what I could see, there were some small contractions, but it didn't seem like there was anything out-of-the-ordinary to be concerned or excited about. However, when Dr. Bachwaty came into the room to check the print-out, he didn't think that it was normal. First of all, I was surprised when he came in so soon. I would normally sit at the monitor for 40 minutes before anyone even came in to say "hey," but this time was different. He was in to check on me after about 20 minutes, and he saw something that gave him some concern. Apparently, the baby's heartbeat dropped, which worried the doctor. He said, "you're going to hate me." I gave out a small laugh, because it was weird how well he knew how I'd respond, since he wasn't my "main" doctor. I liked him much better than my main doctor, anyway. He said that he was going to send me to the hospital for further testing. I thought that is was a bit unnecessary, but I went along with it since he was the doctor and knew more about this sort of thing than I did.
Upon leaving the doctor's office, I called Dennis to tell him to come home. It was around 10:30am at this point, and he was really shocked to have me calling him. I have to admit that I had no intention of calling him or going to the hospital that day. I even had to call school to tell the secretary to get me a substitute for the rest of the day, which was not a problem.
I got home, and since I wasn't completely convinced that this trip to the hospital would result in an infant, I was slow in getting ready. I watered a few of my plants before going in to pack the rest of my suitcase, just in case. Since we were going to the hospital, we might as well be as prepared as possible. I had a check list of items that I wanted packed in my suitcase, and I went through this list adding what I needed to make sure I had it all. Dennis has already packed his bag earlier, so he was quick to get his bag, the diaper bag and the pillows in the car. He then came back in for my bag and two bottles of frozen water, which were for my back. We both seemed to be moving on auto-pilot as we readied the car and ourselves for the hospital. I really didn't feel that it was all that serious, nor did I feel the need to rush. I did; however, feel a bit worried about the baby. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, and if going to the hospital for a few hours sitting on a monitor would be all I had to do, I was ready to make sure my little guy was okay.
On the way the hospital, I asked Dennis to stop by McDonalds. It was truly one of the only fast food places on the way, and I really thought I should eat something before we got to the hospital. The last time we were at the hospital was March 1st, when we had to sit there for 6 hours on a monitor. I wasn't allowed to eat anything and I was starving. Since it was about 11am, I thought if I didn't eat now, I might not get to for a very long time. I just got a fish sandwich to hold me over, since I really wasn't hungry. I just wanted something in my stomach.
Dennis dropped me off at the door, and I went in to wait for him. Normally, I would use a wheelchair, since I had been on best rest, but I felt like walking up to the labor floor. Dennis had the pillows with him, but we decided to leave the suitcase and bag in the car until they were needed. Afterall, we had no idea if this trip would lead to anything, so why take up all that stuff just to bring it back down a few hours later. We walked back to the elevators and went up to the fifth floor. I have to admit that one of the best things we learned in our prenatal classes was where to find the labor and delivery floor. It was nice to have had a tour of this area during one of our classes before we needed to go their on our own. This was the same place we came to on March 1st, so we really knew where to go. Since my doctor had called ahead of time to tell them that I would be on my way, they were ready for me, and luckily, they weren't busy, which allowed us to get into the labor room right away. I was glad to see that it wasn't the triage room from March 1st but an actual labor room. These rooms were much bigger, and I didn't have to share it with a stranger.
Immediately, I was asked to undress and put on the tacky hospital gown. I then got into the bed, where the nurse attached the monitor to my belly. She gave us the impression that I would be monitored for a half an hour, and then she would call my doctor to tell him what she saw. This was okay with me, and I was certain that after that time, I would be going home. Dennis and I were prepared this time, because we both had brought novels to read. Sitting on the monitor is very boring, since nothing happens. I had just started reading Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series, which was well over 600 pages. That would keep me busy for a while. Dennis also had a rather large book that he was reading, so we both sat and waited to hear what would happen next.
After about an hour and a half, I was sweating pretty badly. It was a nice day outside with sunshine and temperatures in the 50s-60s, but inside was at least 80 degrees. Apparently, the air conditioning wasn't working. Agghhh!!! The nurse who came in to check my monitor said that she could get me a fan, but I would be on a waiting list. Was she serious??? I really didn't think that I would be in there for much longer, so I thought I could endure the heat. I was really hot, though. She checked the computer to which my monitor was attached and said that she would call my doctor and tell him about the reading. She mentioned that there had been one small deceleration in the baby's heartbeat, which I thought wasn't too bad. I guess if it were happening more often, then I would be worried. When she was gone, Dennis and I started talking about what we were going to do that night. It was a Friday, and we thought of going out to dinner. We soon found out that one deceleration was bad enough, because the nurse came in and said that my doctor wanted me induced. My response was a shocked, "INDUCED?" I just couldn't believe it. Dennis and I just looked at each other with big eyes. WHAT!!!!????
Things started out as normal. I went in first for my ultrasound, which seemed to show a normal, healthy baby, and then I sat in the small room with a monitor on my belly. I have to admit that I was a bit anxious about seeing some huge mountains on the print-out, which would tell me that I was definitely having contractions and that labor would be soon. From what I could see, there were some small contractions, but it didn't seem like there was anything out-of-the-ordinary to be concerned or excited about. However, when Dr. Bachwaty came into the room to check the print-out, he didn't think that it was normal. First of all, I was surprised when he came in so soon. I would normally sit at the monitor for 40 minutes before anyone even came in to say "hey," but this time was different. He was in to check on me after about 20 minutes, and he saw something that gave him some concern. Apparently, the baby's heartbeat dropped, which worried the doctor. He said, "you're going to hate me." I gave out a small laugh, because it was weird how well he knew how I'd respond, since he wasn't my "main" doctor. I liked him much better than my main doctor, anyway. He said that he was going to send me to the hospital for further testing. I thought that is was a bit unnecessary, but I went along with it since he was the doctor and knew more about this sort of thing than I did.
Upon leaving the doctor's office, I called Dennis to tell him to come home. It was around 10:30am at this point, and he was really shocked to have me calling him. I have to admit that I had no intention of calling him or going to the hospital that day. I even had to call school to tell the secretary to get me a substitute for the rest of the day, which was not a problem.
I got home, and since I wasn't completely convinced that this trip to the hospital would result in an infant, I was slow in getting ready. I watered a few of my plants before going in to pack the rest of my suitcase, just in case. Since we were going to the hospital, we might as well be as prepared as possible. I had a check list of items that I wanted packed in my suitcase, and I went through this list adding what I needed to make sure I had it all. Dennis has already packed his bag earlier, so he was quick to get his bag, the diaper bag and the pillows in the car. He then came back in for my bag and two bottles of frozen water, which were for my back. We both seemed to be moving on auto-pilot as we readied the car and ourselves for the hospital. I really didn't feel that it was all that serious, nor did I feel the need to rush. I did; however, feel a bit worried about the baby. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, and if going to the hospital for a few hours sitting on a monitor would be all I had to do, I was ready to make sure my little guy was okay.
On the way the hospital, I asked Dennis to stop by McDonalds. It was truly one of the only fast food places on the way, and I really thought I should eat something before we got to the hospital. The last time we were at the hospital was March 1st, when we had to sit there for 6 hours on a monitor. I wasn't allowed to eat anything and I was starving. Since it was about 11am, I thought if I didn't eat now, I might not get to for a very long time. I just got a fish sandwich to hold me over, since I really wasn't hungry. I just wanted something in my stomach.
Dennis dropped me off at the door, and I went in to wait for him. Normally, I would use a wheelchair, since I had been on best rest, but I felt like walking up to the labor floor. Dennis had the pillows with him, but we decided to leave the suitcase and bag in the car until they were needed. Afterall, we had no idea if this trip would lead to anything, so why take up all that stuff just to bring it back down a few hours later. We walked back to the elevators and went up to the fifth floor. I have to admit that one of the best things we learned in our prenatal classes was where to find the labor and delivery floor. It was nice to have had a tour of this area during one of our classes before we needed to go their on our own. This was the same place we came to on March 1st, so we really knew where to go. Since my doctor had called ahead of time to tell them that I would be on my way, they were ready for me, and luckily, they weren't busy, which allowed us to get into the labor room right away. I was glad to see that it wasn't the triage room from March 1st but an actual labor room. These rooms were much bigger, and I didn't have to share it with a stranger.
Immediately, I was asked to undress and put on the tacky hospital gown. I then got into the bed, where the nurse attached the monitor to my belly. She gave us the impression that I would be monitored for a half an hour, and then she would call my doctor to tell him what she saw. This was okay with me, and I was certain that after that time, I would be going home. Dennis and I were prepared this time, because we both had brought novels to read. Sitting on the monitor is very boring, since nothing happens. I had just started reading Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series, which was well over 600 pages. That would keep me busy for a while. Dennis also had a rather large book that he was reading, so we both sat and waited to hear what would happen next.
After about an hour and a half, I was sweating pretty badly. It was a nice day outside with sunshine and temperatures in the 50s-60s, but inside was at least 80 degrees. Apparently, the air conditioning wasn't working. Agghhh!!! The nurse who came in to check my monitor said that she could get me a fan, but I would be on a waiting list. Was she serious??? I really didn't think that I would be in there for much longer, so I thought I could endure the heat. I was really hot, though. She checked the computer to which my monitor was attached and said that she would call my doctor and tell him about the reading. She mentioned that there had been one small deceleration in the baby's heartbeat, which I thought wasn't too bad. I guess if it were happening more often, then I would be worried. When she was gone, Dennis and I started talking about what we were going to do that night. It was a Friday, and we thought of going out to dinner. We soon found out that one deceleration was bad enough, because the nurse came in and said that my doctor wanted me induced. My response was a shocked, "INDUCED?" I just couldn't believe it. Dennis and I just looked at each other with big eyes. WHAT!!!!????
The Starting of Week 37 and much more (March 18, 2010)
Today marked the day of week 37 of my pregnancy, and the baby could have come at any point from here on out. The doctors stressed that I needed to get to week 37 to deliver so that the baby would be healthy. I had heard this since my first scare with preterm labor in the end of January, and it was weird to know that week 37 was finally here. The day was pretty normal. I had been back on full-time days at school for three days, and though I was supposed to go the doctor on this specific Thursday for a normal check-up, I had to reschedule due to a mandatory faculty meeting. After school on this Thursday, I went to the meeting and then decided to skip book club and go to Jil's house. I was having contractions and thought it would be best to take things easy. Book club would have been a 4pm to 6pm thing, which I would have happily have gone to, but I really was feeling these contractions and wanted to visit with Jil, a friend who recently had a baby. I wasn't at Jil's long, just to visit with her and her new daughter Anne Marie. I was timing my contractions, which were now 5 minutes apart for over an hour. She asked if I was going to head to the hospital, but I told her that I would wait. I was convinced that if it was really labor, I would have worse pain with the contractions and/or my water would break. So far, things weren't that much different than other times, and I thought that it could also be the Braxton Hicks contractions that I had had from time to time. I couldn't help but think what the doctor would have said at my appointment today. I guess I would have to wait until the morning, which was when I rescheduled my appointment for 8:45am. I planned on having subs for the first three classes of the day, and then I would return just before lunch for the rest of the day. It didn't really matter, since I had a student teacher teaching all of my classes, but I still had to have a certified teacher in the room with her. Everything was set, and all I had to do was keep track of my contractions and pain until then. No problem!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Some changes really aren't any different (March 11, 10)
Thursday, March 11th was a very confusing day. It started with me feeling a bit squeamish when I woke up at 5:45 in the morning for work. I thought that if something was going to happen, it would, and I couldn't stop it. I just thought that I would get ready for school. Things were pretty normal after that, because I started to feel okay.
When I got to school, I was focused to do some work, and I got busy. It was a normal day. I had a doctor's appointment later on at 2:00 pm, and I was eager to hear if I was any further along with labor. That and my work were the only two things on my mind that day. That was until about 11:15 am when I started to feel that I was leaking fluid. When I stood up to go to the cafeteria to get some lunch, I started to feel the leakage. I thought that maybe I just had a weak bladder, but it just kept coming. It was truly a freaky feeling. I wasn't sure if my water broke or what was happening. I encouraged the lunch ladies to go quickly when making my sandwich because I needed to get to the bathroom. Being very supportive and knowledgeable of my pregnancy, they were nice to help out and work fast. I took my lunch back to my office desk and ate. I was worried that it was the beginning of labor, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat during labor. I ate my sandwich and strawberries very quickly. I also called the doctor's office while I ate to inform them of my situation. They didn't seem as concerned as I was. I wasn't scared, but I was a bit confused. I wasn't really feeling any pain, so I thought that there wasn't a need to rush. I did have lots of back pain, which I had been told was probably back labor. Women can have back labor for weeks, so I didn't stress over it.
The nurse called me back and told me that I should come in for my appointment earlier than my 2:00 pm time at 1:00 pm instead. I thought that this was a bit odd, since I was talking to the nurse at 11:30 am. If things were very serious with my condition, shouldn't I have been seen earlier than 1:00 pm? The nurse informed me that everyone would be gone during lunchtime, so I would have to wait. I just thought that was crazy. My doctor had always said that if things changed, I should either come in to their office right away or go to the hospital. This conversation with the nurse wasn't what I thought it would be, but it also made me start to think that my situation wasn't that bad. She said that if I was bleeding, then I should go to the hospital. I wasn't, so I felt okay about my 1:00 pm appointment. I went to the bathroom after that to make sure I wasn't bleeding, and I ran into my friend Heather. I told her what was going on, and she was very concerned. She went to get the school nurse and bring her to me. I didn't think that was necessary, but I was also too afraid to walk the distance to the nurse's office with this leakage issue. I had no idea what could happen, and I was afraid that it would get messy.
Heather and the nurse, Phyllis, were very confinced that I was in labor and that I wouldn't be coming back to school the next day. They also said that I needed to get someone to take me to my appointment, because it wasn't a good idea to drive. I really didn't want to bother Dennis at work, since I didn't think that my situation was serious. They wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to call Dennis to pick me up for my appointment.
I went to the main office to wait for Dennis, and I informed the secretary and bookkeeper, friends of my pregnancy tales, about my situation. They, also, were very confinced that I would not be coming back to school any time soon. The principal even popped his head in the room and mentioned "get to the doctor," since he was concerned about witnessing a birth. :) What a funny guy!
Dennis and I made our way to the doctor's office, and since we were early, we had to wait about 15-20 for our appointment. This was also another sign that maybe things weren't that bad, since no one seemed to want to rush things. I first went to get checked by the doctor on call, who happened to be the same doctor from my March 1st visit to the hospital, Dr. Leapheart. She said that my water didn't break and that I was pretty much closed up. She didn't say that I was open a "fingertip" like my other doctor did on Monday, but she did say that I didn't show any change. This tells me that everything was the same as Monday, but the only main difference was the gushing of fluid. She reassured me that I didn't pee myself, which was good to know, but she did say that my mucus plug had started to come out. I had assumed that a mucus plug was solid, and I would know when it came out. I guess I was wrong, because she made it seem like it was something that would continuously seep out. That didn't make me feel better. I then went for an ultrasound which showed a healthy baby, and it also showed that I had much more fluid than I did on Monday. She said that this was a sure sign that I wasn't leaking amniotic fluid. I guess that was a good thing. It meant that I wasn't in labor and that I wouldn't be having the baby that day. I still wanted to see how things went with the monitor, so that was my last stop at the doctor's office. I wasn't on the machine nearly as much as I would normally be, which I thought was odd, but the monitor showed that I was having contractions. Yet again, the doctor didn't seem too concerned about this. I guess it is more normal for these things to happen when a woman is at least 36 weeks pregnant. I was exactly 36 weeks pregnant at this appointment. She even told me that if I did go into labor, she wouldn't do anything to stop it and that I could even go back to working full time. I was very surprised to hear that. I guess things are different when you get into the ninth month of pregnancy. I was out of the danger zone, so whatever was about to happen could happen. What first seemed like some major changes with me today turned out to be nothing different than what was normal.
Dennis took me back to my car at school, and I ended up running errands for about two hours before going home to rest. The contractions were still there, but if my doctor wasn't worried, then I wasn't worried. I still think March is the magic month for baby, but with the way things are going, he could very well be a full-term guy.
When I got to school, I was focused to do some work, and I got busy. It was a normal day. I had a doctor's appointment later on at 2:00 pm, and I was eager to hear if I was any further along with labor. That and my work were the only two things on my mind that day. That was until about 11:15 am when I started to feel that I was leaking fluid. When I stood up to go to the cafeteria to get some lunch, I started to feel the leakage. I thought that maybe I just had a weak bladder, but it just kept coming. It was truly a freaky feeling. I wasn't sure if my water broke or what was happening. I encouraged the lunch ladies to go quickly when making my sandwich because I needed to get to the bathroom. Being very supportive and knowledgeable of my pregnancy, they were nice to help out and work fast. I took my lunch back to my office desk and ate. I was worried that it was the beginning of labor, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat during labor. I ate my sandwich and strawberries very quickly. I also called the doctor's office while I ate to inform them of my situation. They didn't seem as concerned as I was. I wasn't scared, but I was a bit confused. I wasn't really feeling any pain, so I thought that there wasn't a need to rush. I did have lots of back pain, which I had been told was probably back labor. Women can have back labor for weeks, so I didn't stress over it.
The nurse called me back and told me that I should come in for my appointment earlier than my 2:00 pm time at 1:00 pm instead. I thought that this was a bit odd, since I was talking to the nurse at 11:30 am. If things were very serious with my condition, shouldn't I have been seen earlier than 1:00 pm? The nurse informed me that everyone would be gone during lunchtime, so I would have to wait. I just thought that was crazy. My doctor had always said that if things changed, I should either come in to their office right away or go to the hospital. This conversation with the nurse wasn't what I thought it would be, but it also made me start to think that my situation wasn't that bad. She said that if I was bleeding, then I should go to the hospital. I wasn't, so I felt okay about my 1:00 pm appointment. I went to the bathroom after that to make sure I wasn't bleeding, and I ran into my friend Heather. I told her what was going on, and she was very concerned. She went to get the school nurse and bring her to me. I didn't think that was necessary, but I was also too afraid to walk the distance to the nurse's office with this leakage issue. I had no idea what could happen, and I was afraid that it would get messy.
Heather and the nurse, Phyllis, were very confinced that I was in labor and that I wouldn't be coming back to school the next day. They also said that I needed to get someone to take me to my appointment, because it wasn't a good idea to drive. I really didn't want to bother Dennis at work, since I didn't think that my situation was serious. They wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to call Dennis to pick me up for my appointment.
I went to the main office to wait for Dennis, and I informed the secretary and bookkeeper, friends of my pregnancy tales, about my situation. They, also, were very confinced that I would not be coming back to school any time soon. The principal even popped his head in the room and mentioned "get to the doctor," since he was concerned about witnessing a birth. :) What a funny guy!
Dennis and I made our way to the doctor's office, and since we were early, we had to wait about 15-20 for our appointment. This was also another sign that maybe things weren't that bad, since no one seemed to want to rush things. I first went to get checked by the doctor on call, who happened to be the same doctor from my March 1st visit to the hospital, Dr. Leapheart. She said that my water didn't break and that I was pretty much closed up. She didn't say that I was open a "fingertip" like my other doctor did on Monday, but she did say that I didn't show any change. This tells me that everything was the same as Monday, but the only main difference was the gushing of fluid. She reassured me that I didn't pee myself, which was good to know, but she did say that my mucus plug had started to come out. I had assumed that a mucus plug was solid, and I would know when it came out. I guess I was wrong, because she made it seem like it was something that would continuously seep out. That didn't make me feel better. I then went for an ultrasound which showed a healthy baby, and it also showed that I had much more fluid than I did on Monday. She said that this was a sure sign that I wasn't leaking amniotic fluid. I guess that was a good thing. It meant that I wasn't in labor and that I wouldn't be having the baby that day. I still wanted to see how things went with the monitor, so that was my last stop at the doctor's office. I wasn't on the machine nearly as much as I would normally be, which I thought was odd, but the monitor showed that I was having contractions. Yet again, the doctor didn't seem too concerned about this. I guess it is more normal for these things to happen when a woman is at least 36 weeks pregnant. I was exactly 36 weeks pregnant at this appointment. She even told me that if I did go into labor, she wouldn't do anything to stop it and that I could even go back to working full time. I was very surprised to hear that. I guess things are different when you get into the ninth month of pregnancy. I was out of the danger zone, so whatever was about to happen could happen. What first seemed like some major changes with me today turned out to be nothing different than what was normal.
Dennis took me back to my car at school, and I ended up running errands for about two hours before going home to rest. The contractions were still there, but if my doctor wasn't worried, then I wasn't worried. I still think March is the magic month for baby, but with the way things are going, he could very well be a full-term guy.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Surprising Doctor Visit (March 8, 2010) and Afterwards
After my short week of bed rest, I returned to a half day of work on Monday, March 8th and then to the doctor. I was feeling some back pain at work and maybe a little cramping, but I didn't really think anything of it. At the doctor, I was first put on the fetal monitor, which was different from my regular routine. I wasn't feeling anything special in the belly area, so I was extremely surprised when I looked at the contraction portion of the print out to find a large hill forming. To someone at 35 1/2 weeks, I was hoping to see a flat line on the contraction portion of the print out, but instead, I saw a hill that reached close to the top of the paper. The closest I had ever come to a hill would have been about a 1/4th of what I was looking at. I knew it meant that I was having some major contractions, but it was o weird to see contractions that I wasn't feeling. I sat on that monitor for over a half an hour without my doctor or even a nurse coming to check on me. The entire time that I sat on that monitor, the hills up without failure. At first, I just thought that it would be one big hill, like a fluke, but after consistent hills, I knew that it wasn't good.
When the doctor finally came into the room, her eyes got very large as she asked me if I felt any of the contractions. I told her that I just felt bloated and the occasional pinch in my belly. She said that what I was feeling was contractions. I just couldn't believe her, and I really couldn't believe what I saw on the print out. She quickly told me to get off of the machine and that I would be having my ultrasound next. The ultrasound showed me that Andrew was moving and doing alright. The tech also pointed out that his lungs were working and strong. I could actually see him breathe! :) It was wonderful to know that he was healthy. The tech seemed pretty confident that if he were born soon, that he would be healthy. I was very happy to hear that. After the ultrasound, my doctor check my cervix in another room. She wanted to see if there was any changes since I was having some major contractions. She mentioned that the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart, which is very close, but she said that it wasn't extremely serious if I wasn't in a lot of pain. She mentioned that I must have a strong tolerance to pain. I knew that wasn't true. Even though I had never been in labor before, I knew that it couldn't be so painless as what I was feeling. I'm sure it was just too soon in the whole process for the pain to be there. I couldn't be so lucky to have a pain-free labor experience. I don't think those exist. After checking my cervix, she told me that I was a fingertip dilated. I don't know exactly how big her fingertip is, but I assumed that since my cervix was now open, I should be a bit prepared for labor at any moment. Especially since she told me that I was also 80% effaced, which means that my cervix was thinned out up to 80%. Everything I had learned about dilation and effacement told me that these were signs of labor. I hoped that it didn't mean that the labor would be coming soon. The doctor said that since I was nearly 36 weeks, she wasn't as concerned about me being in early labor with consistent contractions. She didn't even suggest that I go straight to the hospital. She just said that if the pain started to get bad, that I should go to the hospital. I was determined not to go, because I needed one more day at work to get copies ready for the substitute as well as fulfill my duties the next evening at the German Honor Society induction ceremony.
The contractions started to feel a bit painful at bedtime. That night sleeping was difficult because when I normally would get up to go to the bathroom, I felt the contractions very strongly. I kept thinking if I should wake up Dennis and have him take me to the hospital, but I thought that I would wait for them to get worse. They seemed to feel the same that night until about 3 or 4 in the morning. At about that time, I didn't really feel any more pain. I thought that maybe it was just false labor, but since the doctor's appointment, I knew that what I was feeling was real.
I got up around 6 in the morning to get ready for school. I wasn't feeling bad, and I thought that I could have a good day and was excited to have another day at work. I was feeling some contractions and back pain while at work, but I didn't want to go to the hospital until I felt worse. I was able to get through my half day of work, and I even made it to the honors induction. I was so worried the entire time that my water would break or that I would go into labor somehow. I was feeling contractions, though. My belly was tight, and I was having cramps. Luckily, the evening went fine and I made it through without giving birth. I went home to feel cramping still, and I just knew that the baby would be here very soon.
Dennis was getting excited, because he spent part of Sunday painting the letters to Andrew's name on canvas to place over his crib. We were actually able to hang them up after the induction ceremony. Dennis even took pictures of the room, which is starting to look much more 
ready for the baby to come home. I think that the recent labor scare really helped Dennis get excited about finishing the baby's room. I can't be more excited about it, and I just think that it is the cutest little room that I've ever seen. I'm so excited that it is in my house, and we are going to bring our little boy home to it! :)
When the doctor finally came into the room, her eyes got very large as she asked me if I felt any of the contractions. I told her that I just felt bloated and the occasional pinch in my belly. She said that what I was feeling was contractions. I just couldn't believe her, and I really couldn't believe what I saw on the print out. She quickly told me to get off of the machine and that I would be having my ultrasound next. The ultrasound showed me that Andrew was moving and doing alright. The tech also pointed out that his lungs were working and strong. I could actually see him breathe! :) It was wonderful to know that he was healthy. The tech seemed pretty confident that if he were born soon, that he would be healthy. I was very happy to hear that. After the ultrasound, my doctor check my cervix in another room. She wanted to see if there was any changes since I was having some major contractions. She mentioned that the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart, which is very close, but she said that it wasn't extremely serious if I wasn't in a lot of pain. She mentioned that I must have a strong tolerance to pain. I knew that wasn't true. Even though I had never been in labor before, I knew that it couldn't be so painless as what I was feeling. I'm sure it was just too soon in the whole process for the pain to be there. I couldn't be so lucky to have a pain-free labor experience. I don't think those exist. After checking my cervix, she told me that I was a fingertip dilated. I don't know exactly how big her fingertip is, but I assumed that since my cervix was now open, I should be a bit prepared for labor at any moment. Especially since she told me that I was also 80% effaced, which means that my cervix was thinned out up to 80%. Everything I had learned about dilation and effacement told me that these were signs of labor. I hoped that it didn't mean that the labor would be coming soon. The doctor said that since I was nearly 36 weeks, she wasn't as concerned about me being in early labor with consistent contractions. She didn't even suggest that I go straight to the hospital. She just said that if the pain started to get bad, that I should go to the hospital. I was determined not to go, because I needed one more day at work to get copies ready for the substitute as well as fulfill my duties the next evening at the German Honor Society induction ceremony.
The contractions started to feel a bit painful at bedtime. That night sleeping was difficult because when I normally would get up to go to the bathroom, I felt the contractions very strongly. I kept thinking if I should wake up Dennis and have him take me to the hospital, but I thought that I would wait for them to get worse. They seemed to feel the same that night until about 3 or 4 in the morning. At about that time, I didn't really feel any more pain. I thought that maybe it was just false labor, but since the doctor's appointment, I knew that what I was feeling was real.
I got up around 6 in the morning to get ready for school. I wasn't feeling bad, and I thought that I could have a good day and was excited to have another day at work. I was feeling some contractions and back pain while at work, but I didn't want to go to the hospital until I felt worse. I was able to get through my half day of work, and I even made it to the honors induction. I was so worried the entire time that my water would break or that I would go into labor somehow. I was feeling contractions, though. My belly was tight, and I was having cramps. Luckily, the evening went fine and I made it through without giving birth. I went home to feel cramping still, and I just knew that the baby would be here very soon.
Dennis was getting excited, because he spent part of Sunday painting the letters to Andrew's name on canvas to place over his crib. We were actually able to hang them up after the induction ceremony. Dennis even took pictures of the room, which is starting to look much more 
ready for the baby to come home. I think that the recent labor scare really helped Dennis get excited about finishing the baby's room. I can't be more excited about it, and I just think that it is the cutest little room that I've ever seen. I'm so excited that it is in my house, and we are going to bring our little boy home to it! :)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wake-up Call (March 01, 2010) and Follow-up Visits (March 03 + 05, 2010)
On Monday, March 1st, I went to my regular doctor's appointment, which I have had every Monday since I was put on bed rest at the end of January. I was glad that I spent the morning at work, even though I was still only able to work four hours at a time. It was much better than being on bed rest.
I got to the doctor feeling completely normal. I did feel a bit tight in my belly during the day, but that could have been for any reason. During my doctor's visit, I first went in for an ultrasound, which was normal. Then, I went to sit in a small room where I was hooked up to a monitor to measure the movement and heartbeat of the baby as well as any contractions that I might have had. To me, I didn't feel anything happening, but when the doctor came in to check the monitor, I could tell that she saw something. She didn't say anything at first, and after sitting at the machine for about a half an hour, which also was normal, she came in and asked me if I was feeling any of the contractions I was having. I told her "no." She seemed very serious about it, and she rushed me off of the machine right away.
The next stop in my visit was to go to a room to be examined. This was the third part of my normal routine, but during my check up, the doctor felt my belly and asked, "you don't feel this? You are having a contraction now?" I had to believe her, since this was her job, but it was so weird for her to know that I was contracting when I didn't feel any differently. She asked next if I drove myself to this visit, because she wanted me to go straight to the hospital for further monitoring. I guess the contractions were pretty consistent, and she worried that if they weren't controlled, I would go into full, active labor. She feared that the baby wasn't developed enough, since I was only 34 weeks pregnant. Though I wasn't feeling any pain, the possibility of pain could escalate, so the doctor didn't want me to drive myself. She said that she would call the hospital and tell them I was on my way to Labor and Delivery. I was very shocked at what I was hearing, because I went into the appointment expecting a normal visit, but instead, I left thinking that I could have a baby today.
When I left the building, I immediately called Dennis to tell him to come home. It was just after four o'clock, so he was nearly on his way home anyway. We both had no idea what to expect. Part of me wanted to be prepared just in case, so I worked on finishing the packing of my bag. When Dennis walked in, he took my bag and we got in the car for the ride to the hospital. The entire way there, we discussed our thoughts of what was happening. I just didn't believe that I was having contractions, and I couldn't imagine that this could be THE trip to the hospital. We didn't have a pediatrician, nor did we have the car seat in the car. I didn't have a copy of my birth plan printed, and I was concerned that things were happening too fast for us. We really weren't ready. It was nice that we had had our baby shower beforehand, but we didn't have everything ready at home. It would be an understatement to say that we were on the verge of freaking out! :)
As we got to the hospital, Dennis dropped me off at the main entrance while he went to park the car. He left the suitcase in the car, since I just didn't think that this was the real thing. I thought that if we ended up having a baby, he could come out to get the bag later. We completely forgot the baby's bag at home, but I think that it was again a response to our thoughts of it being a false alarm. Dennis came into the hospital and wheeled me up to the fifth floor where we found the Labor and Delivery department. Luckily for us, we attended prenatal classes at the hospital in January, which allowed us to tour the "baby floor." We actually knew where to go, which was one less stress.
As we got to the check-in counter, the nurse knew we would be there, and she soon moved us to a triage room. The floor was finishing up a remodeling, and this room seemed a bit undone. It was good for what we were there for, but it was very small. It actually had two beds in it, but that was almost all that would fit, besides a chair for each section for the "support person." When I got to the room, the nurse told me to strip down and put on a hospital gown. I did so in the bathroom, and took my spot on the bed. I was then hooked up to the same type of machine that I was on at the doctor's office, but this machine was hooked up to a computer, so I could see the lines for the baby's heartbeat and the line for the contractions much bigger than on the printed tape of the lower part of the machine. Dennis also was able to read the computer and could tell when I was having a contraction. That kept him busy for a time. I couldn't really see what was happening because of the way the computer screen was positioned. It didn't matter. One of the first things that they did to me, which was after about a half an hour, was to give me a shot of steroids to help the baby's lungs, heart, etc. develop faster. I never really thought to ask anyone before about how they gave this steroid called Bethamethazone, but I soon found out. A nurse from pharmacy came in with a needle, and she told me that it would burn going in. The "in" was my hip. I felt like a little kid all over again with visions of a childhood shot resurfacing from my inner subconscious. It wasn't horrible, but I hated needles. No shot would have been better, but this was something that needed to get done in order to project our son from being born too early.
I could also feel some pain in my back, and it was very hard getting comfortable in that bed. I just thought it was a crappy bed, but it ended up being back labor. I was really having consistent contractions. This was such a weird and surreal feeling. Soon, another woman came in to occupy the other bed. The nurse pulled curtains closed, so I never actually saw the lady next to us, but it was not matter. She was closer to her due date from what I overheard her tell the nurse, but her contractions seemed to stop almost as soon as she arrived. Lucky for her, she was able to leave after a couple of hours. My contractions kept coming, so I was given a shot of Terbutaline three times within a course of 45 minutes. The nurse gave each shot in the fat of my upper arm. This was also so fast that it really wasn't that bad, but the aftershock of it was the bad part. The nurse had told me that I would feel my heart racing. I did feel that, but I felt more of a shaky feeling. Dennis asked if I were cold, but it was mostly the medicine making me shake. During the six hours of our time in the hospital, I must have drank four or five glasses of water to help with my contractions, which of course led to many trips to the bathroom. I was also given a glass of apple juice and some graham crackers since I wasn't really allowed to eat anything, and I was starving. I can't imagine being in real labor for hours and possibly days without eating. That is going to be horrible.
With all of the shots and glasses of water that I had to endure during my time there, I was also given an IV. This was not a nice part of my trip. If you know about IVs, you'd know that the nurse takes a needle and sticks it into my hand which is then taped to a tube. The tube is connected to a bag on a tall metal holder. The bag is full of fluid that eventually makes its way into my hand to keep me hydrated. It was awkward going to the bathroom because I would have to wheel it in with me, and being so pregnant and having drank so many glasses of water, I was up every half an hour it seemed. Not to mention, I was also very shaky still from the medicine. It was supposed to stop my contractions, and I was hoping that it worked. The doctor-on-call came in to check me a couple of times to see if I was dilated or effaced, and luckily, nothing happened in that area. The only thing that they could tell was that I was having contractions, which was not enough for me to have a baby that night. I really wanted to go home, since I was starving. I felt bad also that Dennis didn't have anything to eat. I told him to leave and get some food, but he didn't want to leave without me. Also, if we went home that night, we knew that the baby wouldn't be born for a while. Since we were freaked out earlier about not being ready, this was a relief to us. We really went through a wake-up call that night, and when the doctor came in to tell us that we could go home, we were ready. The only bad thing about going home was that I was put back on bed rest for the next couple of days until I saw my regular GYN/OB on Wednesday.
On our way home, Dennis and I decided that we would spend our lunchtime the next day making a list of things to do before we had the baby. We vowed to get some things done over the weekend, just in case. Since the baby was going to wait a bit longer, we wanted to take advantage of this extra time to get ready. The next day at about 6:30 pm, Dennis and I were back at the hospital for the second of my two steroid shots. Luckily for us, we took along books to read, since we had to wait over an hour just to get the shot. I couldn't imagine being in active labor and having to wait in that wait room. It was full of people, and three pregnant women were waiting to be seen before us. I really hope things are as busy for us when it is time to deliver Andrew.
At my follow-up appointment with my regular doctor on Wednesday, the ultrasound tech measured the baby and discovered that he weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. This made me feel much better because I knew that a baby of this size should be fine if born anytime soon. My appointment went as planned with the ultrasound, monitoring and exam by the doctor. It seemed that I was still having some contractions, but my doctor wasn't as concerned as she was two days before. Having had the two steroid shots seemed to calm her, but I think also that my contractions weren't as constant as before. We agreed that my bed rest should continue throughout the rest of the week to be on the safe side. My next appointment was on Friday, where again I was having some minor contractions, but since that was the only thing happening, the doctor didn't feel that I needed to go to the hospital. He, the male doctor that I see at the end of the week as opposed to my regular female doctor, who I see at the beginning of the week, said that he was confident about me delivering anytime after that day. He still hoped that I would be at least 36 weeks pregnant before I delivered, but he wasn't extremely worried if I went into labor. At the point of this visit, I had just started my 35th week of pregnancy, so thinking of delivering in a week was somewhat exciting for me. Though it could be a reality, I still hoped to get one or two weeks of teaching in before I went on my full maternity leave. Yes...I still thought of the things I needed to do at work and how I would love to accomplish them before having the baby! We'll see how the rest of March unfolds, but I have a feeling that Andrew will be in my arms before April, and since my doctor told me that she didn't feel I would carry the baby until the full-term date, I really felt that a March birth was in my future! :)
I got to the doctor feeling completely normal. I did feel a bit tight in my belly during the day, but that could have been for any reason. During my doctor's visit, I first went in for an ultrasound, which was normal. Then, I went to sit in a small room where I was hooked up to a monitor to measure the movement and heartbeat of the baby as well as any contractions that I might have had. To me, I didn't feel anything happening, but when the doctor came in to check the monitor, I could tell that she saw something. She didn't say anything at first, and after sitting at the machine for about a half an hour, which also was normal, she came in and asked me if I was feeling any of the contractions I was having. I told her "no." She seemed very serious about it, and she rushed me off of the machine right away.
The next stop in my visit was to go to a room to be examined. This was the third part of my normal routine, but during my check up, the doctor felt my belly and asked, "you don't feel this? You are having a contraction now?" I had to believe her, since this was her job, but it was so weird for her to know that I was contracting when I didn't feel any differently. She asked next if I drove myself to this visit, because she wanted me to go straight to the hospital for further monitoring. I guess the contractions were pretty consistent, and she worried that if they weren't controlled, I would go into full, active labor. She feared that the baby wasn't developed enough, since I was only 34 weeks pregnant. Though I wasn't feeling any pain, the possibility of pain could escalate, so the doctor didn't want me to drive myself. She said that she would call the hospital and tell them I was on my way to Labor and Delivery. I was very shocked at what I was hearing, because I went into the appointment expecting a normal visit, but instead, I left thinking that I could have a baby today.
When I left the building, I immediately called Dennis to tell him to come home. It was just after four o'clock, so he was nearly on his way home anyway. We both had no idea what to expect. Part of me wanted to be prepared just in case, so I worked on finishing the packing of my bag. When Dennis walked in, he took my bag and we got in the car for the ride to the hospital. The entire way there, we discussed our thoughts of what was happening. I just didn't believe that I was having contractions, and I couldn't imagine that this could be THE trip to the hospital. We didn't have a pediatrician, nor did we have the car seat in the car. I didn't have a copy of my birth plan printed, and I was concerned that things were happening too fast for us. We really weren't ready. It was nice that we had had our baby shower beforehand, but we didn't have everything ready at home. It would be an understatement to say that we were on the verge of freaking out! :)
As we got to the hospital, Dennis dropped me off at the main entrance while he went to park the car. He left the suitcase in the car, since I just didn't think that this was the real thing. I thought that if we ended up having a baby, he could come out to get the bag later. We completely forgot the baby's bag at home, but I think that it was again a response to our thoughts of it being a false alarm. Dennis came into the hospital and wheeled me up to the fifth floor where we found the Labor and Delivery department. Luckily for us, we attended prenatal classes at the hospital in January, which allowed us to tour the "baby floor." We actually knew where to go, which was one less stress.
As we got to the check-in counter, the nurse knew we would be there, and she soon moved us to a triage room. The floor was finishing up a remodeling, and this room seemed a bit undone. It was good for what we were there for, but it was very small. It actually had two beds in it, but that was almost all that would fit, besides a chair for each section for the "support person." When I got to the room, the nurse told me to strip down and put on a hospital gown. I did so in the bathroom, and took my spot on the bed. I was then hooked up to the same type of machine that I was on at the doctor's office, but this machine was hooked up to a computer, so I could see the lines for the baby's heartbeat and the line for the contractions much bigger than on the printed tape of the lower part of the machine. Dennis also was able to read the computer and could tell when I was having a contraction. That kept him busy for a time. I couldn't really see what was happening because of the way the computer screen was positioned. It didn't matter. One of the first things that they did to me, which was after about a half an hour, was to give me a shot of steroids to help the baby's lungs, heart, etc. develop faster. I never really thought to ask anyone before about how they gave this steroid called Bethamethazone, but I soon found out. A nurse from pharmacy came in with a needle, and she told me that it would burn going in. The "in" was my hip. I felt like a little kid all over again with visions of a childhood shot resurfacing from my inner subconscious. It wasn't horrible, but I hated needles. No shot would have been better, but this was something that needed to get done in order to project our son from being born too early.
I could also feel some pain in my back, and it was very hard getting comfortable in that bed. I just thought it was a crappy bed, but it ended up being back labor. I was really having consistent contractions. This was such a weird and surreal feeling. Soon, another woman came in to occupy the other bed. The nurse pulled curtains closed, so I never actually saw the lady next to us, but it was not matter. She was closer to her due date from what I overheard her tell the nurse, but her contractions seemed to stop almost as soon as she arrived. Lucky for her, she was able to leave after a couple of hours. My contractions kept coming, so I was given a shot of Terbutaline three times within a course of 45 minutes. The nurse gave each shot in the fat of my upper arm. This was also so fast that it really wasn't that bad, but the aftershock of it was the bad part. The nurse had told me that I would feel my heart racing. I did feel that, but I felt more of a shaky feeling. Dennis asked if I were cold, but it was mostly the medicine making me shake. During the six hours of our time in the hospital, I must have drank four or five glasses of water to help with my contractions, which of course led to many trips to the bathroom. I was also given a glass of apple juice and some graham crackers since I wasn't really allowed to eat anything, and I was starving. I can't imagine being in real labor for hours and possibly days without eating. That is going to be horrible.
With all of the shots and glasses of water that I had to endure during my time there, I was also given an IV. This was not a nice part of my trip. If you know about IVs, you'd know that the nurse takes a needle and sticks it into my hand which is then taped to a tube. The tube is connected to a bag on a tall metal holder. The bag is full of fluid that eventually makes its way into my hand to keep me hydrated. It was awkward going to the bathroom because I would have to wheel it in with me, and being so pregnant and having drank so many glasses of water, I was up every half an hour it seemed. Not to mention, I was also very shaky still from the medicine. It was supposed to stop my contractions, and I was hoping that it worked. The doctor-on-call came in to check me a couple of times to see if I was dilated or effaced, and luckily, nothing happened in that area. The only thing that they could tell was that I was having contractions, which was not enough for me to have a baby that night. I really wanted to go home, since I was starving. I felt bad also that Dennis didn't have anything to eat. I told him to leave and get some food, but he didn't want to leave without me. Also, if we went home that night, we knew that the baby wouldn't be born for a while. Since we were freaked out earlier about not being ready, this was a relief to us. We really went through a wake-up call that night, and when the doctor came in to tell us that we could go home, we were ready. The only bad thing about going home was that I was put back on bed rest for the next couple of days until I saw my regular GYN/OB on Wednesday.
On our way home, Dennis and I decided that we would spend our lunchtime the next day making a list of things to do before we had the baby. We vowed to get some things done over the weekend, just in case. Since the baby was going to wait a bit longer, we wanted to take advantage of this extra time to get ready. The next day at about 6:30 pm, Dennis and I were back at the hospital for the second of my two steroid shots. Luckily for us, we took along books to read, since we had to wait over an hour just to get the shot. I couldn't imagine being in active labor and having to wait in that wait room. It was full of people, and three pregnant women were waiting to be seen before us. I really hope things are as busy for us when it is time to deliver Andrew.
At my follow-up appointment with my regular doctor on Wednesday, the ultrasound tech measured the baby and discovered that he weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. This made me feel much better because I knew that a baby of this size should be fine if born anytime soon. My appointment went as planned with the ultrasound, monitoring and exam by the doctor. It seemed that I was still having some contractions, but my doctor wasn't as concerned as she was two days before. Having had the two steroid shots seemed to calm her, but I think also that my contractions weren't as constant as before. We agreed that my bed rest should continue throughout the rest of the week to be on the safe side. My next appointment was on Friday, where again I was having some minor contractions, but since that was the only thing happening, the doctor didn't feel that I needed to go to the hospital. He, the male doctor that I see at the end of the week as opposed to my regular female doctor, who I see at the beginning of the week, said that he was confident about me delivering anytime after that day. He still hoped that I would be at least 36 weeks pregnant before I delivered, but he wasn't extremely worried if I went into labor. At the point of this visit, I had just started my 35th week of pregnancy, so thinking of delivering in a week was somewhat exciting for me. Though it could be a reality, I still hoped to get one or two weeks of teaching in before I went on my full maternity leave. Yes...I still thought of the things I needed to do at work and how I would love to accomplish them before having the baby! We'll see how the rest of March unfolds, but I have a feeling that Andrew will be in my arms before April, and since my doctor told me that she didn't feel I would carry the baby until the full-term date, I really felt that a March birth was in my future! :)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Baby Shower (February 21, 2010)
The next best thing about February was that two days after I returned to work, my mom and sister threw me a baby shower at my sister's house. It was rather exciting to know that I was going to have a shower. Dennis was a bit confused about the whole idea of a shower, because it is nothing he's ever really experienced or heard much about. He thought it was kind of weird to register for presents and have a party with a bunch of women all for a baby. After I explained to him that this would be my only baby shower, no matter how many children I had, because a shower is about helping a new mom get prepared to bring home the baby, he started to get excited about the idea as well. He still understood that it would be a woman-only party, so he decided to go to the last day of the Chicago auto show with Lil Dennis and my dad.
I got to my sister's house about an hour early for my baby shower on Sunday, February 21, 2010. I went to the hospital to visit my grandma first, since I didn't think that I would have much time later on. She was having some complications with blood pressure and her kidneys, and she couldn't make the shower. I still wanted to spend part of the day with her, since I was just so glad that she lived so close to us instead of in Ohio. My nephews were really excited about the shower and even called me the day before to try and convince me to have the party early! :) They didn't quite understand that it was a "girl" party, but it was cute for them to be so excited. From what my sister said, Ayden was up all night worrying about missing the shower, that she allowed him to stay. He was going to work with Maddy as helpers.
At my sister's house, my mom and niece, Maddy, were already there helping set up. My sister really went above and beyond with the food, and I was so excited about the cake my mom made. Her cakes are the best. We started out taking pictures of me with everyone and with the cake. I didn't quite feel photogenic being so big, but I know that I would really be glad later to have the pictures. It was so nice for my family to throw the party, and I was excited that so many friends, neighbors and colleagues could make it.
My brother-in-law Dennis and nephew Alek left for a day at the mall and hunting store, so Alek would be occupied while we had the shower. Ayden stayed, as promised, and he and Maddy discuss strategies for handling coats and gifts. They were extremely excited and ready for action. I pretty much just found a chair and tried to relax. I was feeling really tired at this point, since the shower started at 2:00 pm and getting close to my nap time! :)
Sandy, the hall monitor from school, was the first to arrive. She came much earlier
than the others because she was worried about getting lost! :) Jil was also there early with little Anne Marie. Jil and I went through much of our pregnancy together since she was due to have Anne Marie in January, and we discussed ever aspect of pregnancy together. Dennis and I were even the last two people to see Jil before she delivered her baby. There may have been others who visited them in the hospital, but the day before Jil was checked into the hospital, Dennis and I went over to their house to watch a playoff game. We talked about delivery, but we had no idea that Jil would be so close to delivering her baby. Little Anne Marie was just over one month old at this time, and I was able to hold her through much of the party while Jil ate and played games.
Shortly thereafter, more people began to arrive, and just after two o'clock, we started the party with some snacks. I was ready to dig in because my sister made spinach/artichoke dip, which I love, and I couldn't wait to eat some of mom's cake! Yum! Everyone took this time to socialize with one another, and we all were laughing over our fake name tags, which
was a nice way for people who don't know each other to mingle. My name was formula for the party! :)After taking a snack break, my sister started the festivities with a couple of baby games. The first game was a version of "The Price is Right." Each of the guests were given a pen and a piece of paper. My sister had a large pile of baby items, and she asked the group to pick the correct price from a list of three. I have to admit that I had NO IDEA how much any of that stuff cost. My mother and sister, of course, made a comment confirming my thoughts. How they can read my mind is a mystery to me. After guessing the price for about ten different items, a winner was finally found, and my sister graciously gave out one of the Scentsy candle holders she sells. There also was a drawing for another candle holder. This drawing included all those guests who brought diapers to the party. If you brought a package of diapers, you were allowed to put your name in the drawing. It was a nice incentive for people to help me stock my diaper holder, and the prize that was offered was much more valuable than diapers, making it a nice treat to the winner. The last game that the guests played was "Feed Me." Actually, the game didn't have a name, but it should have. This game required people to find a partner and take on the role of either mom or baby. Being the mom-to-be, I didn't play any of the games, but it was fun watching. The people who took on the 
role as "mom" were given a baby spoon and a jar of baby food. My sister made it easy on my guests and gave them baby applesauce, which was much better than creamed corn or turkey or something. :) The other person was the "baby," who was given a disposable bib to wear. The object of this game was for the baby to eat the baby food as fast as possible. My sister pretty much gave them no rules and told them to find the best and fastest way that worked for them. Some teams caught on quickly and the "babies" took the jar out of their "mom's" hands and chugged it. By "chugging" something, one must tilt her head back and let all the contents from the jar slide down her throat. Those were some dedicated players! :) My sister had asked me a few days before the party if my guests were fun. I didn't know why she was asking me, but I told her that they were. I guess they proved it with this game, because there were so many women competing to be the winner. Of course, there were plenty of groups who actually used the spoons, but it was fun to see how some groups really got into the game.
When the games were done, it was time for presents.
Not being one for getting lots of attention, the present-opening portion of the party was a bit awkward for me. I was glad to have one of my helpers by my side to look on. Ayden was such a good boy that day, and he was excited to see what the baby got as gifts. Everything was so little and cute. I loved seeing how different everything was from each other. My gifts included clothes, bath items, kitchen items, swim wear, blankets, toys, books, etc. I loved the outfits, and the frog items were really cute. Not only did Andrew get a really soft and fluffy frog blanket, but he also got a large frog organizer for the bathroom. Other very cute items were little doggy or teddy bear outfits, a wooden truck, and a pair of swim shorts that had surfboards on them. Everything was so unexpected, since I had never had a party such as this before. I was so excited for everything that I opened because I knew that it all would be used soon enough with little Andrew. 
It was even easy for me to envision Andrew as a toddler wearing his green Winnie the Pooh robe and slippers. The day was filled with promise and excitement, and I am glad to have had so many friends there to share it with me. I don't think it could have gone any better. I was very excited to get home and have Dennis see all of the things for his son.
It was soon four o'clock, and the party was over. My sister took pictures of me with my guests before we all said "good-bye."
I got to my sister's house about an hour early for my baby shower on Sunday, February 21, 2010. I went to the hospital to visit my grandma first, since I didn't think that I would have much time later on. She was having some complications with blood pressure and her kidneys, and she couldn't make the shower. I still wanted to spend part of the day with her, since I was just so glad that she lived so close to us instead of in Ohio. My nephews were really excited about the shower and even called me the day before to try and convince me to have the party early! :) They didn't quite understand that it was a "girl" party, but it was cute for them to be so excited. From what my sister said, Ayden was up all night worrying about missing the shower, that she allowed him to stay. He was going to work with Maddy as helpers.
At my sister's house, my mom and niece, Maddy, were already there helping set up. My sister really went above and beyond with the food, and I was so excited about the cake my mom made. Her cakes are the best. We started out taking pictures of me with everyone and with the cake. I didn't quite feel photogenic being so big, but I know that I would really be glad later to have the pictures. It was so nice for my family to throw the party, and I was excited that so many friends, neighbors and colleagues could make it.
My brother-in-law Dennis and nephew Alek left for a day at the mall and hunting store, so Alek would be occupied while we had the shower. Ayden stayed, as promised, and he and Maddy discuss strategies for handling coats and gifts. They were extremely excited and ready for action. I pretty much just found a chair and tried to relax. I was feeling really tired at this point, since the shower started at 2:00 pm and getting close to my nap time! :)
Sandy, the hall monitor from school, was the first to arrive. She came much earlier
than the others because she was worried about getting lost! :) Jil was also there early with little Anne Marie. Jil and I went through much of our pregnancy together since she was due to have Anne Marie in January, and we discussed ever aspect of pregnancy together. Dennis and I were even the last two people to see Jil before she delivered her baby. There may have been others who visited them in the hospital, but the day before Jil was checked into the hospital, Dennis and I went over to their house to watch a playoff game. We talked about delivery, but we had no idea that Jil would be so close to delivering her baby. Little Anne Marie was just over one month old at this time, and I was able to hold her through much of the party while Jil ate and played games. Shortly thereafter, more people began to arrive, and just after two o'clock, we started the party with some snacks. I was ready to dig in because my sister made spinach/artichoke dip, which I love, and I couldn't wait to eat some of mom's cake! Yum! Everyone took this time to socialize with one another, and we all were laughing over our fake name tags, which
was a nice way for people who don't know each other to mingle. My name was formula for the party! :)After taking a snack break, my sister started the festivities with a couple of baby games. The first game was a version of "The Price is Right." Each of the guests were given a pen and a piece of paper. My sister had a large pile of baby items, and she asked the group to pick the correct price from a list of three. I have to admit that I had NO IDEA how much any of that stuff cost. My mother and sister, of course, made a comment confirming my thoughts. How they can read my mind is a mystery to me. After guessing the price for about ten different items, a winner was finally found, and my sister graciously gave out one of the Scentsy candle holders she sells. There also was a drawing for another candle holder. This drawing included all those guests who brought diapers to the party. If you brought a package of diapers, you were allowed to put your name in the drawing. It was a nice incentive for people to help me stock my diaper holder, and the prize that was offered was much more valuable than diapers, making it a nice treat to the winner. The last game that the guests played was "Feed Me." Actually, the game didn't have a name, but it should have. This game required people to find a partner and take on the role of either mom or baby. Being the mom-to-be, I didn't play any of the games, but it was fun watching. The people who took on the 
role as "mom" were given a baby spoon and a jar of baby food. My sister made it easy on my guests and gave them baby applesauce, which was much better than creamed corn or turkey or something. :) The other person was the "baby," who was given a disposable bib to wear. The object of this game was for the baby to eat the baby food as fast as possible. My sister pretty much gave them no rules and told them to find the best and fastest way that worked for them. Some teams caught on quickly and the "babies" took the jar out of their "mom's" hands and chugged it. By "chugging" something, one must tilt her head back and let all the contents from the jar slide down her throat. Those were some dedicated players! :) My sister had asked me a few days before the party if my guests were fun. I didn't know why she was asking me, but I told her that they were. I guess they proved it with this game, because there were so many women competing to be the winner. Of course, there were plenty of groups who actually used the spoons, but it was fun to see how some groups really got into the game.When the games were done, it was time for presents.
Not being one for getting lots of attention, the present-opening portion of the party was a bit awkward for me. I was glad to have one of my helpers by my side to look on. Ayden was such a good boy that day, and he was excited to see what the baby got as gifts. Everything was so little and cute. I loved seeing how different everything was from each other. My gifts included clothes, bath items, kitchen items, swim wear, blankets, toys, books, etc. I loved the outfits, and the frog items were really cute. Not only did Andrew get a really soft and fluffy frog blanket, but he also got a large frog organizer for the bathroom. Other very cute items were little doggy or teddy bear outfits, a wooden truck, and a pair of swim shorts that had surfboards on them. Everything was so unexpected, since I had never had a party such as this before. I was so excited for everything that I opened because I knew that it all would be used soon enough with little Andrew. 
It was even easy for me to envision Andrew as a toddler wearing his green Winnie the Pooh robe and slippers. The day was filled with promise and excitement, and I am glad to have had so many friends there to share it with me. I don't think it could have gone any better. I was very excited to get home and have Dennis see all of the things for his son.It was soon four o'clock, and the party was over. My sister took pictures of me with my guests before we all said "good-bye."
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Bye Bye Bed Rest
February started with little drama since I was 
on bed rest. My doctor had me scheduled to come to get an ultrasound and to be put on the contraction monitor twice a week since January 29th when I was put on bed rest. At each appointment, I hoped that she or he (depending on who the doctor was) would tell me that I could go back to work, but it never seemed to happen. I was able to get two new pictures of the little man, though, which was worth the trip. The only issue with these pictures is that 
you can't really tell what they are. They aren't as clear as the 3D or 4D pictures.
The bed rest saga continued for three weeks, which was a complete shock to me. I had originally thought that bed rest wasn't really that bad at the beginning of the month, since I was able to work on school work and read a couple of books, but by the time my appointment on February 11th came, I really was hoping to hear that I could go back to work. The doctor still wanted to be certain that I wouldn't go into early labor with the minor contractions that I was having. I made sure that I rested as much as possible at home, and I only left the house to go to the doctor. We also had a baby CPR class on the 11th, which I decided to leave the house for. I thought it was important to attend this class, since the bed rest gave me a bit of a scare that the baby would come early. I wanted to get to all of our baby classes before I gave birth. Overall, it was worth leaving the house. I have been feeling a bad case of cabin fever, and I was happy to get to go anywhere outside of the house.
Valentine's day weekend was highly uneventful because of being on bed rest, but Dennis did manage to get some new furniture for the house via Ikea. The week after Valentine's was spent working on building our new kitchen island and a new bedroom dresser. This was the most exciting thing to happen to me during this three week period. It sounds almost sarcarstic, but it was the truth. It was so hard laying down all the time knowing that I could be doing something...anything. I'm such a hyper person that I need to be busy all the time. Not being able to vaccum or clean the bathroom was torture. I needed to get out of the house and back to work. Not to mention, my substitute and student teacher were having some issues at school. I felt that I needed to get into school to set things straight before they got any worse.
Luckily, at my February 18th appointment, the doctor told me that my cervix was a longer and healthier length and that I wasn't having any contractions. I was so excited to hear that. He said that I could return to work the next day for only 4 hours. This was the best news I could hear. Returning to work was very exhausting, but also wonderful. It was great to see the kids again, and it was calming to know that I could be of some assistance to my student teacher who was having some confusion with teaching grammar and classroom management. I was able to finish February strong by coming in for half days up until February 26. My doctor even told me that at my Feb. 25th appointment that I wasn't having any contractions. This made me very eager to hear soon that I would be going back to work full-time. Hopefully, March proves to be a better pregnancy month! :)
on bed rest. My doctor had me scheduled to come to get an ultrasound and to be put on the contraction monitor twice a week since January 29th when I was put on bed rest. At each appointment, I hoped that she or he (depending on who the doctor was) would tell me that I could go back to work, but it never seemed to happen. I was able to get two new pictures of the little man, though, which was worth the trip. The only issue with these pictures is that 
you can't really tell what they are. They aren't as clear as the 3D or 4D pictures. The bed rest saga continued for three weeks, which was a complete shock to me. I had originally thought that bed rest wasn't really that bad at the beginning of the month, since I was able to work on school work and read a couple of books, but by the time my appointment on February 11th came, I really was hoping to hear that I could go back to work. The doctor still wanted to be certain that I wouldn't go into early labor with the minor contractions that I was having. I made sure that I rested as much as possible at home, and I only left the house to go to the doctor. We also had a baby CPR class on the 11th, which I decided to leave the house for. I thought it was important to attend this class, since the bed rest gave me a bit of a scare that the baby would come early. I wanted to get to all of our baby classes before I gave birth. Overall, it was worth leaving the house. I have been feeling a bad case of cabin fever, and I was happy to get to go anywhere outside of the house.
Valentine's day weekend was highly uneventful because of being on bed rest, but Dennis did manage to get some new furniture for the house via Ikea. The week after Valentine's was spent working on building our new kitchen island and a new bedroom dresser. This was the most exciting thing to happen to me during this three week period. It sounds almost sarcarstic, but it was the truth. It was so hard laying down all the time knowing that I could be doing something...anything. I'm such a hyper person that I need to be busy all the time. Not being able to vaccum or clean the bathroom was torture. I needed to get out of the house and back to work. Not to mention, my substitute and student teacher were having some issues at school. I felt that I needed to get into school to set things straight before they got any worse.
Luckily, at my February 18th appointment, the doctor told me that my cervix was a longer and healthier length and that I wasn't having any contractions. I was so excited to hear that. He said that I could return to work the next day for only 4 hours. This was the best news I could hear. Returning to work was very exhausting, but also wonderful. It was great to see the kids again, and it was calming to know that I could be of some assistance to my student teacher who was having some confusion with teaching grammar and classroom management. I was able to finish February strong by coming in for half days up until February 26. My doctor even told me that at my Feb. 25th appointment that I wasn't having any contractions. This made me very eager to hear soon that I would be going back to work full-time. Hopefully, March proves to be a better pregnancy month! :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
A very unexpected January 2010
January started off as they always do with the first of the year. Since Dennis had spent so much time in Denmark recently, we spent some time together. We both went back to work on the 4th, and the month was moving along as it should.
I could feel the baby kicking much more often. He seemed to be awake around 3:00 am, 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, give or take an hour or so. I know this because these are the times when he seemed to be more active in the kicking department. Dennis was always so excited to see my bare belly, which he thought to be extremely cute, but it also made him think more about his son. He was very excited about having a son at this point. Just as I had mentioned earlier, he needed time to adjust to the baby being a boy, but that didn't take long. I could tell that he thought of all the possibilities of having a boy and how much fun it would be. I was equally excited, but when I would feel really hard kicks, I just felt small bits of pain for a split second. :) Dennis was always really excited to feel such hard kicks. He would say "woh" and begin to laugh. Those kicks always made me jump a little. I didn't mind them though, because they made me feel that our little boy was healthy and growing strong. I also was getting up around 4 or 5 times a night to empty my bladder. I couldn't really tell that I had to go, because all I felt was pressure.
During the weekend of the 9th and 10th, Dennis and I met the preacher who would marry us in the summer, and we also spent one last football Sunday with Dan and Jil. Jil was due to have her baby on January 25th, and I was very excited to see her belly and talk to her. The four of us watched one of the playoff games in their basement, but we also did are fair share of baby talk. Not to say that we all had high-pitched voices, but we all were talking about having babies. It was nice to have that night with them. Jil mentioned feeling a bit scared, but I didn't share the same feeling probably because I wasn't due until April. Her days were numbered. Little did we know that the next day, Jil would go in for a routine ultrasound at the hospital and have the doctor tell her to go home and get her suitcase. He felt that she should get to the hospital and deliver soon. She wasn't in serious danger, but he felt the baby should come out soon because of a change in heartbeat. The next time we heard from them was a text message from Dan on Thursday saying they had the baby the day before. On January 13th, little Anne Marie came into the world for them. I was so excited. Jil and I had spent most of our pregnancies together being pregnant, so it was very special for us to know about the birth of their daughter.
Dan and Dennis were signed up for a Daddy Boot Camp at the hospital on that following Saturday. Since Dan was already a dad for a couple of days, both guys went to the 3 hour class to learn more about being dads. From what I heard, Dan stole the show! hahaha This is not uncommon, since Dan loves to talk, and I am glad that they both were able to go. In the meantime, I went over to see Jil and Anne. She was so cute and tiny laying in her bassonet. I held her for about an hour while Jil cleaned up a bit. She mentioned that it was nice having someone around, so she could get some things done. I mentally stored that for later, thinking that I might want to have a person over every so often to help me get things done. Jil was expecting her brother and his family to visit, and from what I've heard, the visitors have been coming steading ever since then. I know that the situation would be different for Dennis and I, since we don't have that many family members in the area, but it did give me something to think about for when the baby comes.
That Monday that Jil went to see her doctor, I was in the neighboring building to see a nutritionist. My blood sugar levels had started acting very strange in December, and my doctor was worried. I got a few good tips on how to regulate my blood sugar that I tried out that week at school. Things were looking up for me, and the baby in my belly was still very active.
January was also the month to work on the baby's room. Dennis had planned that he would paint the baby's room and get the big pieces of furniture put together. Though it took a couple weeks to do on 
the weekends, he was able to get it all done. There was still more to do, but the main and big parts of the room were completed. We still needed to put some supplies in the baby's room and decorate, but that stuff could wait until after the baby shower, which was scheduled to occur in February. My sister actually worked on and sent out the invitations at the end of January.
I had another birthday and was happy to receive some more maternity clothes as well
as household, school and baby supplies. Everything seemed to be normal until the last few days of January. On January 25th, I had a regular appoinment with my doctor, who had told me to be off of my feet as much as possible. I didn't really feel that I was on my feet all that much, so I only listened to this warning partially. She also told me that I needed to get a support belt for my belly if I was feeling that the baby was a bit too low. I also didn't feel that this was that necessary. I don't know why I got so confident at this point, but I should have paid more attention to my doctor. On January 28th, I took some of my classes on a field trip to a Chicago-land museum, and I was on my feel for a few hours. I was in charge of the trip, so I had to run back and forth between the buses as well as go on a tour with my small group of students. I tried to sit as much as possible, and I ended up taking the elevator instead of the stairs towards the end of the visit. I was feeling fine, so I didn't think anything was wrong. When we got back to school, I had a substitute already assigned to my last class, so I just went home to take a short nap.
That short nap ended up lasting 1 1/2 hours, and when I got up, I could barely move. I had so much pressure at the bottom of my belly, and I could barely walk. Dennis came home from work shortly after I woke up, and he was meant to go and play darts that night. I asked him to go to the maternity store beforehand and buy me a belly belt. It felt like the baby was about to fall out whenever I stood up, and I was really worried. I stayed off my feet as much as possible that night, and I even layed down for most of it. When I awoke the next day, I still felt pressure, but it seemed to be much better. I put the belly belt on, which was in two parts: one for my belly and one for my back. All seemed okay until about halfway through my day. I started feeling more pressure, and I thought about calling my doctor. During lunchtime, I ended up being on hold for 28 minutes without anyone even picking up. This was one of many reasons why I was ready to find a new doctor as soon as I delivered. I called again during my afternoon break, and the nurse told me to come in as soon as possible. The walk out to my car was almost unbearable because of all the pressure, which I thought was weird since I was really off of my feet for most of the day.
When I got to the doctor's office, I was given an ultrasound right away to make sure I wasn't dialated. Everything seemed fine, but my cervix was a bit short. That caused them some concern, so they put me on a monitor. This monitor told the doctor that I was having some minor contractions. I really couldn't feel anything, which was strange, since I had always thought that I would know a contraction when I felt one. This wasn't the case because they weren't that strong. The doctor told me that I would have to be on bed rest until they could see me again. I was shocked. I went home with the sole purpose of laying in bed and taking it easy. My next appointment was on Monday, February 1st when I would be told if I could go back to work or not.
The only issue besides not being able to go to work was that we were supposed to
host the main meal portion of our neighborhood's progressive dinner. Though I was on bed rest, we still had the neighbors come over that next night (Saturday) to eat Mexican food. Dennis did the work of cleaning, cooking and setting up, which is why I love him. The neighbors were so supportive and understanding about everything. Theyh even took Dennis with 
them to the last house so he could socialize and have dessert. I stayed at home and got right back into bed. By hosting the main part of the meal, I was able to participate in the night, when I wouldn't have been able to go anywhere otherwise. My sister and her family came over the next day to bring us some food and help Dennis pick up the chairs and tables. That was helpful. Being on bed rest was really hard to get used to, but it got easier the longer it lasted.
I could feel the baby kicking much more often. He seemed to be awake around 3:00 am, 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, give or take an hour or so. I know this because these are the times when he seemed to be more active in the kicking department. Dennis was always so excited to see my bare belly, which he thought to be extremely cute, but it also made him think more about his son. He was very excited about having a son at this point. Just as I had mentioned earlier, he needed time to adjust to the baby being a boy, but that didn't take long. I could tell that he thought of all the possibilities of having a boy and how much fun it would be. I was equally excited, but when I would feel really hard kicks, I just felt small bits of pain for a split second. :) Dennis was always really excited to feel such hard kicks. He would say "woh" and begin to laugh. Those kicks always made me jump a little. I didn't mind them though, because they made me feel that our little boy was healthy and growing strong. I also was getting up around 4 or 5 times a night to empty my bladder. I couldn't really tell that I had to go, because all I felt was pressure.
During the weekend of the 9th and 10th, Dennis and I met the preacher who would marry us in the summer, and we also spent one last football Sunday with Dan and Jil. Jil was due to have her baby on January 25th, and I was very excited to see her belly and talk to her. The four of us watched one of the playoff games in their basement, but we also did are fair share of baby talk. Not to say that we all had high-pitched voices, but we all were talking about having babies. It was nice to have that night with them. Jil mentioned feeling a bit scared, but I didn't share the same feeling probably because I wasn't due until April. Her days were numbered. Little did we know that the next day, Jil would go in for a routine ultrasound at the hospital and have the doctor tell her to go home and get her suitcase. He felt that she should get to the hospital and deliver soon. She wasn't in serious danger, but he felt the baby should come out soon because of a change in heartbeat. The next time we heard from them was a text message from Dan on Thursday saying they had the baby the day before. On January 13th, little Anne Marie came into the world for them. I was so excited. Jil and I had spent most of our pregnancies together being pregnant, so it was very special for us to know about the birth of their daughter.
Dan and Dennis were signed up for a Daddy Boot Camp at the hospital on that following Saturday. Since Dan was already a dad for a couple of days, both guys went to the 3 hour class to learn more about being dads. From what I heard, Dan stole the show! hahaha This is not uncommon, since Dan loves to talk, and I am glad that they both were able to go. In the meantime, I went over to see Jil and Anne. She was so cute and tiny laying in her bassonet. I held her for about an hour while Jil cleaned up a bit. She mentioned that it was nice having someone around, so she could get some things done. I mentally stored that for later, thinking that I might want to have a person over every so often to help me get things done. Jil was expecting her brother and his family to visit, and from what I've heard, the visitors have been coming steading ever since then. I know that the situation would be different for Dennis and I, since we don't have that many family members in the area, but it did give me something to think about for when the baby comes.
That Monday that Jil went to see her doctor, I was in the neighboring building to see a nutritionist. My blood sugar levels had started acting very strange in December, and my doctor was worried. I got a few good tips on how to regulate my blood sugar that I tried out that week at school. Things were looking up for me, and the baby in my belly was still very active.
January was also the month to work on the baby's room. Dennis had planned that he would paint the baby's room and get the big pieces of furniture put together. Though it took a couple weeks to do on 
the weekends, he was able to get it all done. There was still more to do, but the main and big parts of the room were completed. We still needed to put some supplies in the baby's room and decorate, but that stuff could wait until after the baby shower, which was scheduled to occur in February. My sister actually worked on and sent out the invitations at the end of January.I had another birthday and was happy to receive some more maternity clothes as well
as household, school and baby supplies. Everything seemed to be normal until the last few days of January. On January 25th, I had a regular appoinment with my doctor, who had told me to be off of my feet as much as possible. I didn't really feel that I was on my feet all that much, so I only listened to this warning partially. She also told me that I needed to get a support belt for my belly if I was feeling that the baby was a bit too low. I also didn't feel that this was that necessary. I don't know why I got so confident at this point, but I should have paid more attention to my doctor. On January 28th, I took some of my classes on a field trip to a Chicago-land museum, and I was on my feel for a few hours. I was in charge of the trip, so I had to run back and forth between the buses as well as go on a tour with my small group of students. I tried to sit as much as possible, and I ended up taking the elevator instead of the stairs towards the end of the visit. I was feeling fine, so I didn't think anything was wrong. When we got back to school, I had a substitute already assigned to my last class, so I just went home to take a short nap. That short nap ended up lasting 1 1/2 hours, and when I got up, I could barely move. I had so much pressure at the bottom of my belly, and I could barely walk. Dennis came home from work shortly after I woke up, and he was meant to go and play darts that night. I asked him to go to the maternity store beforehand and buy me a belly belt. It felt like the baby was about to fall out whenever I stood up, and I was really worried. I stayed off my feet as much as possible that night, and I even layed down for most of it. When I awoke the next day, I still felt pressure, but it seemed to be much better. I put the belly belt on, which was in two parts: one for my belly and one for my back. All seemed okay until about halfway through my day. I started feeling more pressure, and I thought about calling my doctor. During lunchtime, I ended up being on hold for 28 minutes without anyone even picking up. This was one of many reasons why I was ready to find a new doctor as soon as I delivered. I called again during my afternoon break, and the nurse told me to come in as soon as possible. The walk out to my car was almost unbearable because of all the pressure, which I thought was weird since I was really off of my feet for most of the day.
When I got to the doctor's office, I was given an ultrasound right away to make sure I wasn't dialated. Everything seemed fine, but my cervix was a bit short. That caused them some concern, so they put me on a monitor. This monitor told the doctor that I was having some minor contractions. I really couldn't feel anything, which was strange, since I had always thought that I would know a contraction when I felt one. This wasn't the case because they weren't that strong. The doctor told me that I would have to be on bed rest until they could see me again. I was shocked. I went home with the sole purpose of laying in bed and taking it easy. My next appointment was on Monday, February 1st when I would be told if I could go back to work or not.
The only issue besides not being able to go to work was that we were supposed to
host the main meal portion of our neighborhood's progressive dinner. Though I was on bed rest, we still had the neighbors come over that next night (Saturday) to eat Mexican food. Dennis did the work of cleaning, cooking and setting up, which is why I love him. The neighbors were so supportive and understanding about everything. Theyh even took Dennis with 
them to the last house so he could socialize and have dessert. I stayed at home and got right back into bed. By hosting the main part of the meal, I was able to participate in the night, when I wouldn't have been able to go anywhere otherwise. My sister and her family came over the next day to bring us some food and help Dennis pick up the chairs and tables. That was helpful. Being on bed rest was really hard to get used to, but it got easier the longer it lasted.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
New Years Eve 2009
Since I was now at the beginning of my sixth month of pregnancy, going out to party for New Year's Eve was out of the question. Dennis had just returned from Denmark the day before, and I just wanted to spend time with him. We made some last-minute plans with our friends Dennis and Kristin, another Danish-American couple, to go out that night. Since meeting in 2007, this was actually Dennis and my third New Year's Eve together. The first was spent alone at his parents' summer home in Denmark, see Danish blog for information on that place, and last year, we took a cross country skiing trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota for New Years. Both were wonderful and romantic times alone, so this would be the first time we would actually be spending New Year's with other people.
After calling around to find some place to go and have dinner, we finally made reservations at a local restaurant at Edgebrook. It was a nice place, and I was also looking forward to going out. Dennis and I hadn't really gone out much in December because I was sick for most of it and because he was gone for a week and a half. I was really looking forward to it, though I knew I would be a bit sad not to be able to toast the New Year with a glass of wine. I had been so good my entire pregnancy for not drinking any alcohol, even though I knew other women who would. I didn't want to take any chances, so I would be drinking water all night! :)
The dinner was very nice, and the atmosphere was equally wonderful. All had a good time, except for the other Dennis who wasn't too excited about how his food was cooked. That was the only downfall of the night. Of course, I ended up eating way
too much, but it very hard to know when I'm full until about a half an hour later. My stomach is not only a different shape now, but I think it might be in a different place in my body due to my big belly. I had to take frequent walks around the restaurant to help my food digest, so I would be able to breathe. Sitting was very uncomfortable at this time because I was so full. I don't want to say I was miserable, because I wasn't. This was just another part of being pregnant that wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worst either!
After dinner, the four of us went back to Dennis and Kristin's house to play games
and watch the ball drop. My Dennis had used a gift card he'd gotten for his 30th birthday back in October to buy a new board game called Apples to Apples. I had heard about it from the kids at school as being a lot of fun, so we thought we'd try it. Low and behold to us you needed at least 3 people to play, so tonight would be the first time we would get to play. Everyone got a drink, of course while I drank water, and we had some light snacks of chocolate covered almonds, which I am in love with. Even though I was so full at the restaurant that I had to walk around to make room in my belly and though I was still extremely full that I had to lay down on the couch for the first part of the night, I still indulged in having some of the tasty chocolate. I have no will power.
We started the game at the same time as we turned on the TV to find a channel that would show us the ball dropping in Times Square. For the most part, they were showing bits and pieces of live concerts in different US cities, but we weren't really paying much attention. We spent more time laughing and playing the game. We had a really good time, and my food eventually digested so that I could breathe again! :) When it came to midnight, Little Dennis popped the cork off of some sparkling wine, and we all celebrated by counting down from 10 to
welcome the new year. I, of course, toasted with my water glass. Shortly thereafter, it was time to go home, and being the sober one of the two, I ended up driving us home. :) It was a fun way to celebrate the New Year, though I was very pregnant. I thought to myself...this is going to be a great year!
After calling around to find some place to go and have dinner, we finally made reservations at a local restaurant at Edgebrook. It was a nice place, and I was also looking forward to going out. Dennis and I hadn't really gone out much in December because I was sick for most of it and because he was gone for a week and a half. I was really looking forward to it, though I knew I would be a bit sad not to be able to toast the New Year with a glass of wine. I had been so good my entire pregnancy for not drinking any alcohol, even though I knew other women who would. I didn't want to take any chances, so I would be drinking water all night! :)
The dinner was very nice, and the atmosphere was equally wonderful. All had a good time, except for the other Dennis who wasn't too excited about how his food was cooked. That was the only downfall of the night. Of course, I ended up eating way
too much, but it very hard to know when I'm full until about a half an hour later. My stomach is not only a different shape now, but I think it might be in a different place in my body due to my big belly. I had to take frequent walks around the restaurant to help my food digest, so I would be able to breathe. Sitting was very uncomfortable at this time because I was so full. I don't want to say I was miserable, because I wasn't. This was just another part of being pregnant that wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worst either!After dinner, the four of us went back to Dennis and Kristin's house to play games
and watch the ball drop. My Dennis had used a gift card he'd gotten for his 30th birthday back in October to buy a new board game called Apples to Apples. I had heard about it from the kids at school as being a lot of fun, so we thought we'd try it. Low and behold to us you needed at least 3 people to play, so tonight would be the first time we would get to play. Everyone got a drink, of course while I drank water, and we had some light snacks of chocolate covered almonds, which I am in love with. Even though I was so full at the restaurant that I had to walk around to make room in my belly and though I was still extremely full that I had to lay down on the couch for the first part of the night, I still indulged in having some of the tasty chocolate. I have no will power.We started the game at the same time as we turned on the TV to find a channel that would show us the ball dropping in Times Square. For the most part, they were showing bits and pieces of live concerts in different US cities, but we weren't really paying much attention. We spent more time laughing and playing the game. We had a really good time, and my food eventually digested so that I could breathe again! :) When it came to midnight, Little Dennis popped the cork off of some sparkling wine, and we all celebrated by counting down from 10 to
welcome the new year. I, of course, toasted with my water glass. Shortly thereafter, it was time to go home, and being the sober one of the two, I ended up driving us home. :) It was a fun way to celebrate the New Year, though I was very pregnant. I thought to myself...this is going to be a great year!
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