Sunday, October 3, 2010

Birth Story

Here goes my very long and late birth announcement.

My due date was June 17th from very early ultrasounds and those throughout the pregnancy. On November 30th I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hemorrhage, basically a blood clot, that was covering 3/4 the gestational sack and separating the placenta. I was told that the pregnancy most likely would not go far from there due to the amount of placenta that was detached. I was put on strict bed rest from that point, until it resolved about 6 weeks later and then I was on modified BR until the end of the pregnancy. I was given ultrasounds every 6-8 weeks until 32 weeks and then weekly AFI and monthly ultrasounds. I was also doing twice weekly NST's. Since the placenta had reattached everything was looking better but there were still many risks, including scar tissue from the clot on the placenta. My doctor and I agreed that going over my due date would not be in the best interests of either baby or I.

On June 15th we scheduled an induction for my due date, and she stripped my membranes again. I was crampy and not feeling well all day but nothing regular so I didn't think much of it. That night Carl and I were watching a movie and I just didn’t feel good so I went to bed. He came to bed later and within minutes of him coming to bed I got up to go to the bathroom. I was a little damp and felt a little funny so I just made a mental note of it and went back to bed. About 40 minutes later I rolled over and felt a huge rush of water and knew that I had either peed the bed or my water had broke. I told Carl and ran to the bathroom leaking the whole way there. When I finally go to the toilet it just kept coming and I was soaked and there was Carl cleaning up all the fluid that I had leaked throughout the house. I called the Dr and was told to head to L&D so I changed my clothes and within 10 minutes I had soaked through those too, so I just walked around to finish getting everything together with a towel between my legs and a pad. We got “D” up and ready. By this time it was about 2 AM. We got to L&D at about 3:40 and they confirmed that it had been my water (we all knew that anyways).

I had been planning on a natural birth so I started walking as soon as I could and got my hep lock put in. I walked and walked but my contractions would not get regular. They decided to check me at about 6:00 and I was only at 3 and 50%. I walked some more and when the new Dr came on she decided that we had gone long enough and started the Pitocin at about 9:30. It was okay because I could still walk with the telemetric monitors on. They stopped working and I was forced back into the bed due to the Pitocin. They thought that they had fixed the monitors and started the bath. I was at 5 now and 80%. The monitors were not fixed and I was in excruciating pain so I broke down and got a half dose of narcotics and that did NOTHING for me so I got an epidural. I was so heartbroken from not being able to get into the water. I had some issues with the epi and at one point had it turned off because I couldn’t feel my neck and got scared. At about 7:00 I asked to be checked and I was at 9.5cm 100% and she was at a +2. The Dr had to go back and see one more patient but would be right back. I had the epi turned off again so that I could push without it. I began pushing at around 7:50 and the doctor told me to stop pushing so that she could finish getting ready. That was the hardest part because I was burning and felt that I had to push but I waited. She was born at 7:59pm. She weighed 8lb 9oz and was 19in long, her head was 14.5 in. She was absolutely beautiful. She had no cone head like my DS because she went from being +2 to out in so little time.

After the labor was when things got super crazy. I ended up hemorrhaging and having to get 4 pints of blood. At the lowest point my hematocrit was at 17, normal is anything above 35. I got there and it was 34 so I was still low but nothing like that. At one point the Dr had to reach inside me and pull out clots and she filled a small bucket up with blood. They were changing my pad every 20 minutes and the sheets were getting changed every hour or so due to the blood. It was the scariest thing of my life! I was getting pumped full of narcotics because I was in excruciating pain from all the Pitocin and them trying to help my uterus contract manually but nothing was helping. After the Dr pulled out all the clots everything seemed to get a little better and I was able to get 2 bags of blood that night.

After everything else “A” was diagnose as being Jaundice and was taken to the special care nursery to be put under the lights and I was forced to supplement BM with formula because my milk was not in, and didn’t fully come in until around a week PP. We came home after almost 6 days in the hospital.

Birth Story

I am so sorry that I haven't taken the time to update everyone on the birth of our beautiful baby girl "A". You may notice that I have removed our children's names and replaced them with a letter. Most likely everyone reading at this point knows who I am talking about but I just don't feel comfortable with their names being on my blog.

Anyways, I am posting my birth story on the next post.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Excited

I am starting to get excited about this pregnancy. I have been so scared this time around that I haven't really taken the time to enjoy it. I am still trying to not get too excited because of all the risks I still face, but it is hard when I am feeling the baby move every now and then and knowing that there is a baby in me growing. I have decided that it is okay for me to start planning for the baby and the possibility that it may come early.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, the 12th and she will then order the ultrasound and we can hopefully find out what I am having and if my uterus has healed and how the baby is doing. Carl doesn't think that she will take me off of bedrest, but I am hopeful that she might, or at least change it to modified bedrest, as I am not following the bedrest part as well as I should at times.

Anyways, I have decided that I want to get a sling for the baby instead of one of the "carriers" that they have. The problem is that they are like $50.00 for a nice one. I have decided that I want to make one, and have seen a few that look simple enough to make, so that is what I am going to try to do... If anyone has a sewing machine that they would let me use I would be forever grateful. Also I have posted a link to one of the "no sew" ones I am looking at and any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

"No Sew" Sling: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/no_sew.html

Friday, January 8, 2010

Baby

As you all know by now, I hope, I am pregnant. I am now 17 weeks. My due date is June 17, 2010. But as some of you may not know, I have been experiencing many problems with this pregnancy, including being on bedrest for close to 2 months already. This has been a very hard road for both Carl and I but we are really feeling that things are taking a turn for the better. Hopefully we will be finding out what we are having soon, I think it is a girl, but I really don't have a good idea yet. Whereas with "D" I just knew it was a boy.

During this next ultrasound we will also find out of the clot has gone away, possibly been reabsorbed or if not how big it is. I am very scared as this can create many problems for both the baby and me if it is still there. I do not remember what the doctor called it but I believe it is a subchrionic hemorrhage, or a placental abruption but before 20 weeks.

Thank you everyone who has been praying for us, it really means a lot to all of us and we are very grateful for all of the prayers and the good thoughts.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

OMG!!!!

Okay, so anyone who has read any of my previous posts knows that I have been wanting a baby but have resigned myself to wait until I closer to being done with school. Well, that is not an option now. I just found out about a week ago that I am pregnant!!! On one hand I am surprised but on the other I kind of expected it. I didn't do much to prevent it so I must be expecting it... I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. I just got my Marina IUD out just over a month ago. According to my last period, I am 5 weeks pregnant... Wow, I will be due in June 2o1o.

On the other hand, I have another cyst that is causing me some pain in my stomach, so that isn't fun. This pregnancy I am determined to not gain so much weight. I still have half of the weight that I gained with "D", and will no get as big as I was with him, I am doing everything that I can to prevent it, but it is hard. I am hungry a lot more that I was before, and I am totally exhausted most of the time. Other than that it is going well so far.

I am still a little scared because it is so early and I don't want something to happen and it not work out, so I am trying to not get too excited.

I will keep you all posted.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

School, Time, Fun, LIFE....

I cannot believe how fast this quarter is flying by. I am am nose deep in homework and reading but still feel like I am actually learning something. Which is amazing. I am glad that I am only working one day a week, I actually have time to study and try to take a breath. I love being home with "D"! I just wish that we got to do more fun/educational stuff than me studying so much, but I still love it!

We have been doing a lot of art activities, and he is loving every minute of it. Any ideas for fun things for us to do/make?

Also, we are down to speech therapy once a week, as two weeks ago I got a call from Cascade saying that they had talked to Molina and that was our last visit, they called me on the morning of, which pissed me off a bit (I like to know these thigns ahead of time.) So we met with that speech therapist that day and that was it, I miss her, but the other one is GREAT! So we still have speech twice a week.

Also, "D"'s Apraxia seems to be almost resolved, he is talking up a storm, but still stumbles at times. The Dysarthria seems to be a bit more of an issue, his voice still sound funny to me, but that might be just my hearing... I don't know, but the therapist says that she isn't worried about that too much.

But I am loving this "free" time with "D" and Carl. But the money thing is taking some getting used to, I have never had to be so strict with myself, when I had money I am used to spending it right away and then being upset with myself later, but now I HAVE to save it... We will see how it goes.

"D" got pictures taken yesterday at Walmart, their prices have gone up and they are more like the other studios now, the pressure and everything...

My Review of Bendaroos 500-Piece Mega Set

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Bendaroos amazing flexible building sticks! It's magic wax super strong string gives children hours and hours of pleasure and fun. Bendaroos is the toy that always gives kids more and new fun things to do. They are never bored with Bendaroos! Easy to use, the enjoyment is endless simply unbend...


Fun to build!

By Lyndsey from Seattle, WA on 10/11/2009

 

4out of 5

Pros: Good Variety, Lasting Fun, Easy To Use

Cons: Messy

Best Uses: Long Term Use, School, Art

Describe Yourself: Parent

Primary use: Personal

These are fun, they work a lot like they are described in the commercial. You can build with them, take them apart and build with them again, but they make a mess. They are sort of hard to take apart because they are so sticky.

They are definitely a toy for young kids to play with older people with. They are a lot of fun and you can build some great stuff with them!

(legalese)