Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The adorable reason I haven't posted





Carter James was born at exactly 37 weeks gestation; on February 9th at 11:19 am, weighing 7 lbs even and was 19 inches long.
Here is our birth story. :)

Tuesday, February 8th was a pretty uneventful day. I cleaned the house and laid around most of the day. Robert got home and I noticed I was having a few sporadic contractions, nothing I really thought twice about. So I started cooking dinner, we were having breakfast for dinner, sooo yummy!! We even had chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes.

So we get the kids in bed and I notice I’m still having the contractions, but they’re still pretty far apart. So I start cleaning up after dinner, I even mopped the floors and took care of some laundry.

So after about 3 hours of my contractions being between 1-3 minutes apart, I finally broke down and went to L&D even though they weren’t hurting. I took one last belly picture, woke up my husband and drove myself to the hospital; it’s hard making arrangements for 3 kids for just a false alarm (which is what I thought it was at the time). I got to the hospital at about 4am. They hooked me up to the monitor and no one was acting like it was anything. One nurse even told me to remember my insurance card next time I came up there, insinuating I was there for nothing and would be back. I guess if you don’t walk in screaming in pain they don’t think its labor.

So my wonderful doctor is on call and he tells them to monitor me for an hour and recheck me. I was 2cms and 50% effaced when they stopped my labor at 35 weeks and when I got to L&D this time I was 3cms and 70% effaced. Which was progress from last time I was there, but they needed to see progress WHILE I was there. So after an hour the nurse checks me again and I’m still 3cms and 70%, so I’m starting to think this is “practice labor” where the contractions aren’t progressing me and I get sent home and they fizzle out. So she goes to call my doctor and I’m sitting there almost positive I’m going home. She comes back and my doctor ordered me to be watched another hour since my contractions are still coming regular.

Well within that hour they start getting stronger and I start getting a tad uncomfortable b/c I’m being forced to lay there on my side. She comes back to check me and I’m 5cms, 80% effaced and Carter went from “floating” to engaging and my waters bulging. So at 6:00 a.m. on Feb. 9th, I’m admitted to have Carter, there was no turning back!! I get into my room (which the walking instantly made the contractions not uncomfortable anymore) and get settled in. They start my IV, I decline the epi for the time being, and my hubby gets up there and we just wait.

At this time my contractions start to fizzle out, they’re still there but have moved to 5ish minutes apart and I wasn’t really noticing them as much anymore. So the Dr. decided to break my water and start me on the lowest dose of Pitocin to give me a little jump start. At that time I decide to go ahead with the epidural since I knew I was getting Pitocin. It wasn’t originally what I wanted, but I was totally okay with it. Between 8:30 to 8:50 I get my epidural, get my water broken, and get rechecked and I’m at 7cms, 80% effaced and Carter is at +1 station! I was shocked since I wasn’t in any pain with the contractions! He held off on the Pitocin to see if breaking my water would do it on its own. Well by 10:00 am I hadn’t made any progress so they decided to go ahead and start the Pitocin. It was started on the lowest setting at 10:29 a.m.

The nurse came in to check on me frequently since we knew it wouldn’t take long, she bumped up the Pitocin just a tad after about 30 minutes. After that I felt Carter with each contraction and exactly where he was. It was all pressure in my butt, so the nurse checks me again and I’m at about an 8 and 90% effaced, so she stays there and waits and rechecks again about 5 minutes later and I’m at a 9 and 100% effaced and she can feel his head coming down. (So can I, I might add; the epidural didn’t do its job). So she checks me during my next contraction (OUCH!!) and I’m complete and Carter is coming fast! So she calls for my doctor and I’m scared to death he won’t get there in time. My body automatically starts pushing and I tell the nurse he needs to hurry because Carter is coming, she assures me that she’s delivered babies before, which was actually not that reassuring; I wanted MY doctor! So my body starts automatically pushing for a second time and I feel exactly where Carter’s head is, I know he’s about to be out.

My doctor finally gets in there! To me it felt like an eternity, but there was really only about a 5 minute interval from the time I was complete to when my doctor came in. So now I’m comfortable and ready to push, my doctor goes to check and Carter’s head is right there, he tells me one big push and his head will be out. So I push one time, and out came his head, and then I push a second time, and it was over, he was here!! It happened so fast! I only pushed with my body and the contractions two times and he was out. Carter James came into the world on February 9th at 11:19 am, just shy of 7lbs and 19 inches long! I was exactly 37 weeks but his APGARS were 9 & 9 and there was no doubt how healthy he was with those lungs and how he was screaming.

I got cleaned up, no tears, rips, cuts or anything. I delivered him only 5 hours after being admitted and just 40 minutes before shift change and my doctor would have gone off call. I didn’t get the 100% natural childbirth that I wanted, but I still feel accomplishment in getting to 7cms without feeling pain. I was totally okay with my choice to get the epidural after I knew I would be getting Pitocin and I feel like I had an easy and laidback (and fast) birth experience. Carter is the most amazing little guy and no matter how he came into the world, I’m just so thankful he’s here.

Monday, February 7, 2011

If I Were on Wife Swap

Who would they switch me with? I'm sitting here watching the show now, which I do daily even though I really don't like it. I've noticed that they manage to find the two most extreme families. I honestly think that if I applied for the show, I wouldn't be extreme enough in any of my beliefs to actually get on the show.

Thats the thing about my lifestyle and parenting choices. I've most likely, PROBABLY done it already. I've breastfed and formula fed; I cloth diaper, yet I still use disposables. My kids have a bed time, but its not always the case. We eat dinner together, but not every night. I also cook, but eat out as well. I'm a stay at home mom, but I think that my husband and myself have a great balance on him helping with the kids and chores.

The thing I've learned about parenting and marriages, is you don't really "know" anything until you're in it. Then you learn as you go, and I'd be lying if I said I had it all figured out. I still change parenting techniques to find what works best for us, and I still bicker with my husband about little things, like remembering to take out the trash and put his own socks in the laundry basket.

I'm definitely curious to see what kind of woman that the show would find as my total opposite. I feel that I'm too flexible to be a "type", but I could definitely be wrong. I guess if I had to pick one myself, it would be a working mom with nannies who focuses a lot on her career. I don't feel that thats a bad thing at all, just not the way I chose to raise my children. Which I guess is the point of the show, sometimes you have to take a second, and walk in someone else's shoes. You can never judge another mother until you do. ;)

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Hello Foot, Meet Mouth

Yea, I really helped myself with my last blog post. *insert eye roll* I was bragging about how wonderful everything was going with this pregnancy, and low and behold. BAM!! I stuck my foot in my mouth and ended up in Labor & Delivery. The reason? Surprise, surprise... Carter was trying to make an early appearance! I think I have four of THE most impatient children and no clue where they get it from. ;)

So after 7 hours in the hospital, a shot of terbutiline, some IV fluids, etc..etc... I got to go home extremely exhausted, but thankfully, still pregnant. It also reminded me that I need to get on the ball, seriously. Its not like trying to have my babies early is a surprise for me, so I'm trying to figure out why I've procrastinated on getting prepared for Carter. Luckily, I didn't have THAT much left to do, and I'm almost done (now).

Hopefully I'll be pregnant for another 2 weeks (plus) and next time I make a trip to L&D I'll be far enough along to have him and not have labor stopped. I am very excited to meet our newest addition, however, I think I can't wait just a bit longer until he is fully "baked". :)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Update On Me!

Wife, mother of 3, pregnant with number 4, freak ice storm, etc etc, I can come up with all sorts of excuses to explain why I haven't blogged in a while. The truth is, I've honestly just let it slip my mind! Don't worry though! I've come up with quite a few topics and can't wait to get blogging about them!! Oh how I've missed this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, an update on whats going on with us! :) Rileigh is doing great in school, she'll be the big F-I-V-E in March!! Gavin just turned 3 on the 23rd, he can identify all his letters and count to 15! Logan is a walking, jabbering, but completely adorable monster. His vocabulary is excellent, even his meow has a profound pronunciation. (LOL)

I will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow and I'm honestly expecting a baby within the next 3 weeks with my history, however, you never know!! He could extend his arms and refuse to come out until 42 weeks! So far the pregnancy has been great, no pre-term labor, no magnesium sulfate and steroid shots, no repeat gestational diabetes. If it wasn't for the constant head butts to the cervix and toes in the ribs I would probably question my pregnant status. I am definitely enjoying my last pregnancy though, it really has flown by so fast. Its definitely bittersweet, but we're a complete family and I think four is just our number. :)

Now that you're all updated, be on the look out for a few things that have been on my mind lately! :) :)