Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Chillaxin...
I really wish I had a better camera at my finger tips but since the magic of the moment prevents me from moving, the webcam on the laptop will have to do....
He says - "No more pictures mom"
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Obsess much?
So, someone on the bump.com posted a link to an online tool to track sleep, feeding, and other baby related things. When I first looked at it I said, "No - I'm not that obsessed". Sure, I keep track of feeding times and diaper changes but it's all very low tech on a pad of paper (which means I'm not obsessed, just merely need reminding when I last fed my child or how many poopy diapers he's had today - you know, for informational purposes. Sleep deprivation does funny things to your brain).
Well, the product manager in me decided that a quick look at the app would be beneficial for educational purposes (work related) - it is considered software as a service after all and that's the area I work in so I'm furthering my career by checking it out. Ummm..yea, that's it! Anywho, out to babybix.com I went.
What a cool app! I created an account and started to document little mans comings and goings (again, researching for work remember...I'm looking at ease of use, feature functions etc..). It's super easy to use, cool enough to make you want to keep playing with it and just feature rich enough to be useful to those that want to know everything about their childs patterns (or in Noah's case - the lack there of!). The best feature is the sleep trends graph. It helps see, graphically, if/when there's a pattern to your childs sleep. Again, with Noah the pattern is one of chaos:) The only thing relatively consistent it his wakings overnight. His daytime schedule is way wacked out. Check it out - 6.5 days of sleep tracking for Noah:
So, of course after my research was completed (yes, I'm delusional now - I just needed an excuse to try it out because i couldn't possibly be that controlling and work is the perfect cover) I decided to keep my account and continue to track his info. I just take the laptop to the nursery in the evenings and back downstairs in the AM when we wake (if I had the iPhone I could use their app instead of lugging the pc around with me - hint to hubbsy hehe). I'm actually finding it quite useful and it feeds my neurotic need to document everything. It is habit forming thought....just what I need!
Well, the product manager in me decided that a quick look at the app would be beneficial for educational purposes (work related) - it is considered software as a service after all and that's the area I work in so I'm furthering my career by checking it out. Ummm..yea, that's it! Anywho, out to babybix.com I went.
What a cool app! I created an account and started to document little mans comings and goings (again, researching for work remember...I'm looking at ease of use, feature functions etc..). It's super easy to use, cool enough to make you want to keep playing with it and just feature rich enough to be useful to those that want to know everything about their childs patterns (or in Noah's case - the lack there of!). The best feature is the sleep trends graph. It helps see, graphically, if/when there's a pattern to your childs sleep. Again, with Noah the pattern is one of chaos:) The only thing relatively consistent it his wakings overnight. His daytime schedule is way wacked out. Check it out - 6.5 days of sleep tracking for Noah:
Friday, March 26, 2010
Debating...
I'm sitting here next to little man who's fast asleep lounging in the Boppy and I'm debating with myself. You see, from 3 feet away I can smell his stinky diaper. I know that I should probably wake him and change it but he looks so peaceful and obviously is not bothered by it at all (he can't stand pee diapers but poop diapers are okay to sit in apparently). Wondering if this hurts my chances at mother of the year??
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
G diaper FAIL
Okay, so it may be a bit early to call it a total FAIL but my first attempt at using g diapers did not go well. We sprung a leak around his belly and had poo flowing out the side by his leg:( I had to wash the plastic liner and throw the cloth liner in the wash after one use. If that keeps up we'll be bankrupt trying to either keep them washed or buying enough to get thru a few days worth of diapering.
I read a lot about them leaking (only after I'd bought the set up of course) but read that it gets better as they get bigger and fit the diapers better. Noah's on the low end of 8lbs which is the lower end of the range for the small gpant so I figure I'll keep trying them here and there until I find something that works.
If anyone out there reads this and has had success please enlighten me:)
I read a lot about them leaking (only after I'd bought the set up of course) but read that it gets better as they get bigger and fit the diapers better. Noah's on the low end of 8lbs which is the lower end of the range for the small gpant so I figure I'll keep trying them here and there until I find something that works.
If anyone out there reads this and has had success please enlighten me:)
1 month old...
OMG...I have a one month old. I can't believe it! It was one month ago at this time that I was laying in a hospital bed snoozing thru my contractions and waiting to be checked by the doctor again!
Few things we've learned about our 1 month old:
- he's a grunter! Randomly, while he's sleeping, he starts grunting and groaning. Generally it's because he's trying to pass gas or poop but sometimes I think it's because he has a bad dream or something.
- he's a noisy sleeper! We need to keep him in his own room if either of us are going to sleep. Random grunts, groan, and screams are not uncommon from him (even from a dead sleep). Generally he calms down on his own, occasionally I have to go in and soothe him.
- he loves loves loves (did I say loves?) being on his belly. Make that belly to chest contact and he's in heaven. It's an almost sure fire way to calm him or ensure a nice long nap. The Moby wrap has been very helpful in letting me get things done when he's in a clingy mood. The nurses noticed this as well while he was still in the hospital. He spent most of his time on the billi bed on his belly.
- he has no preference between bottle or breast. As long as he's getting fed and getting fed quickly he's a happy camper. No nipple confusion here...
- he gets the hiccups a lot! I felt them when he was in my belly and now that he's out he gets them at least once a day if not twice or three times. Sometimes it's right after eating, other times it's just random. The books say it doesn't hurt him but you can tell, as they go along, that he gets frustrated.
- overall he's a very pleasant baby. He has his crying fits but can generally be consoled quickly (watch, now that I say that colic will set in and I won't be able to console him!)
And here's his 1 month picture:) We needed the binky this morning when I took the pic because he was cranky for some reason.
I still can't believe he's mine (err...ours..:) )
Few things we've learned about our 1 month old:
- he's a grunter! Randomly, while he's sleeping, he starts grunting and groaning. Generally it's because he's trying to pass gas or poop but sometimes I think it's because he has a bad dream or something.
- he's a noisy sleeper! We need to keep him in his own room if either of us are going to sleep. Random grunts, groan, and screams are not uncommon from him (even from a dead sleep). Generally he calms down on his own, occasionally I have to go in and soothe him.
- he loves loves loves (did I say loves?) being on his belly. Make that belly to chest contact and he's in heaven. It's an almost sure fire way to calm him or ensure a nice long nap. The Moby wrap has been very helpful in letting me get things done when he's in a clingy mood. The nurses noticed this as well while he was still in the hospital. He spent most of his time on the billi bed on his belly.
- he has no preference between bottle or breast. As long as he's getting fed and getting fed quickly he's a happy camper. No nipple confusion here...
- he gets the hiccups a lot! I felt them when he was in my belly and now that he's out he gets them at least once a day if not twice or three times. Sometimes it's right after eating, other times it's just random. The books say it doesn't hurt him but you can tell, as they go along, that he gets frustrated.
- overall he's a very pleasant baby. He has his crying fits but can generally be consoled quickly (watch, now that I say that colic will set in and I won't be able to console him!)
And here's his 1 month picture:) We needed the binky this morning when I took the pic because he was cranky for some reason.
I still can't believe he's mine (err...ours..:) )
Monday, March 22, 2010
Family Pic!
Finally got a good pic of the family - our first one had us looking a bit haggard (DH in a bathrobe and me on about an hour of sleep:) ). These are much better!:)
Video fun...
I finally got around to uploading a few of the videos we've taken of Noah in the last few weeks. Most are videos that only a mother (or grandmother) would find entertaining:)
This one we were just chillin on the couch and he was making faces - mostly poop induced I think but still cute:)
This was a milk induced coma!
Turn your volume up for this one...he was cooing in his sleep...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
My Favorite Things...
So, being a new mom I didn't know what to expect or what products I'd need/like/hate etc. I relied on the wisdom of other mothers around me to help guide that. I figured I benefited so much from that wisdom that i'd pass it on...Here are my top 10 things I can't live without in the first few weeks as a new mom (in no particular order):
1. The BreastFriend! - My cousin bought this for me and boy I'm glad she did! The best thing about the Breastfriend is that it buckles around you, has a back support and actually stays in place. That's not to say I don't love my boppy too but for nursing the Breastfriend is the best!
2. Blankets, blankets, blankets - Particularly the Dwell Studio Flannel blankets from Target and the Aden and Anais muslin blankets. I thought I had wayyyy too many but no, they're all coming in handy! Noah tends to like to pee on things when you change his diaper and he has impeccable aim and manages to hit the blanket each time! We've been going thru them pretty quickly - in fact, i know it's time to do laundry when we run out of blankets to swaddle him with.
3. Changing stations both up and downstairs - never thought it would be that much of a PIA to have to walk up and down the stairs to change his diaper but really, when you have a sleep infant on your chest, it's just much easier to stay on one level (plus, when you're sore after delivery, it's just easier to stay on one level and leave the stair climbing to once or twice a day)
4. The swing - my sister in law gave this to us as a gift and it's come in handy. Since we have nothing downstairs to put little man in (the pack n' play is upstairs in our room) the swing is a great place to stick him and he's actually starting to like the motion (at first it was too much for him)
5. Medela Pump in Style breast pump - Noah's a slooooow nurser...like 30 - 40 min per side to get an adequate amt of milk to keep him sated for more than an hour. He just likes to nosh and snooze...after about a week of that not only was I very sleep deprived but my poor nipples were about to fall off. To top it off I was so nervous that he wasn't getting enough to eat and due to his jaundice I was just a mess. I'd started pumping in the hospital to help my milk come in (because I couldn't feed him as often as I needed to due to the bili bed stay) and just continued once I came home. I'm not as diligent as I need to be but right now I'm getting enough to keep him in milk. I'm generally pumping a day ahead of what he eats - although after this growth spurt I may be in trouble.
6. My laptop - So not necessarily a new mom "product" - I can't live without it! It has been my constant companion from the day we came home from the hospital. Dr. Google, thebump.com, and babycenter.com have been my saviors (in addition to Momma K and K).
7. A good water bottle - the hospital gave me this great water bottle that I've been carrying around everywhere. Since I'm breastfeeding (or pumping) I'm constantly thirsty and for some weird reason, I prefer to drink water out of a straw than out of a glass - call me odd. Plus the water bottle keeps things nice and cold for a long time.
8. The Moby wrap - especially lately. Noah's been clingy and only sleeps well when he's sleeping on me. That of course is a problem when you need to get things done so I broke out the Moby. Today I actually used it outside the house at Baja Fresh and Starbucks (it was actually easier to plop him in the wrap than it was to pull the car seat out, break out the snap n' go, and wheel him in to a crowded fast food restaurant - plus it kept prying fingers away from his mouth and face). There's been a lot in the press about slings and wraps and positional asphyxiation which of course has me paranoid - but - I've found a position with him that keeps his head up and I can constantly check on him to make sure he's doing okay.
9. My Canon 50D with a 50mm 1.8f prime - Again, not a new mom "product" but again something that I use at least daily and couldn't imagine not having. It may be a bit large and not the best for outings (the point and shoot takes care of that), it takes amazing pictures and allows me to document all of Noah's cute moments!
10. My hubby - yes, not a new mom "product" but again, he's been a life saver. I know it's hard for him because I'm the milk machine tend to be able to calm Noah when no one else can but he such a loving father and an amazing hubby and he wants to help out wherever he can! He's taken over all the other duties of this house including cooking, cleaning, full duty with the pup and relieving me in the evenings on Noah duty. He's even jumped out of bed at the wee hours of the AM when I just can't take it anymore and handles little man.
1. The BreastFriend! - My cousin bought this for me and boy I'm glad she did! The best thing about the Breastfriend is that it buckles around you, has a back support and actually stays in place. That's not to say I don't love my boppy too but for nursing the Breastfriend is the best!
2. Blankets, blankets, blankets - Particularly the Dwell Studio Flannel blankets from Target and the Aden and Anais muslin blankets. I thought I had wayyyy too many but no, they're all coming in handy! Noah tends to like to pee on things when you change his diaper and he has impeccable aim and manages to hit the blanket each time! We've been going thru them pretty quickly - in fact, i know it's time to do laundry when we run out of blankets to swaddle him with.
3. Changing stations both up and downstairs - never thought it would be that much of a PIA to have to walk up and down the stairs to change his diaper but really, when you have a sleep infant on your chest, it's just much easier to stay on one level (plus, when you're sore after delivery, it's just easier to stay on one level and leave the stair climbing to once or twice a day)
4. The swing - my sister in law gave this to us as a gift and it's come in handy. Since we have nothing downstairs to put little man in (the pack n' play is upstairs in our room) the swing is a great place to stick him and he's actually starting to like the motion (at first it was too much for him)
5. Medela Pump in Style breast pump - Noah's a slooooow nurser...like 30 - 40 min per side to get an adequate amt of milk to keep him sated for more than an hour. He just likes to nosh and snooze...after about a week of that not only was I very sleep deprived but my poor nipples were about to fall off. To top it off I was so nervous that he wasn't getting enough to eat and due to his jaundice I was just a mess. I'd started pumping in the hospital to help my milk come in (because I couldn't feed him as often as I needed to due to the bili bed stay) and just continued once I came home. I'm not as diligent as I need to be but right now I'm getting enough to keep him in milk. I'm generally pumping a day ahead of what he eats - although after this growth spurt I may be in trouble.
6. My laptop - So not necessarily a new mom "product" - I can't live without it! It has been my constant companion from the day we came home from the hospital. Dr. Google, thebump.com, and babycenter.com have been my saviors (in addition to Momma K and K).
7. A good water bottle - the hospital gave me this great water bottle that I've been carrying around everywhere. Since I'm breastfeeding (or pumping) I'm constantly thirsty and for some weird reason, I prefer to drink water out of a straw than out of a glass - call me odd. Plus the water bottle keeps things nice and cold for a long time.
8. The Moby wrap - especially lately. Noah's been clingy and only sleeps well when he's sleeping on me. That of course is a problem when you need to get things done so I broke out the Moby. Today I actually used it outside the house at Baja Fresh and Starbucks (it was actually easier to plop him in the wrap than it was to pull the car seat out, break out the snap n' go, and wheel him in to a crowded fast food restaurant - plus it kept prying fingers away from his mouth and face). There's been a lot in the press about slings and wraps and positional asphyxiation which of course has me paranoid - but - I've found a position with him that keeps his head up and I can constantly check on him to make sure he's doing okay.
9. My Canon 50D with a 50mm 1.8f prime - Again, not a new mom "product" but again something that I use at least daily and couldn't imagine not having. It may be a bit large and not the best for outings (the point and shoot takes care of that), it takes amazing pictures and allows me to document all of Noah's cute moments!
10. My hubby - yes, not a new mom "product" but again, he's been a life saver. I know it's hard for him because I'm the milk machine tend to be able to calm Noah when no one else can but he such a loving father and an amazing hubby and he wants to help out wherever he can! He's taken over all the other duties of this house including cooking, cleaning, full duty with the pup and relieving me in the evenings on Noah duty. He's even jumped out of bed at the wee hours of the AM when I just can't take it anymore and handles little man.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bath time...
So, I can't publish the video of his first bath because they have naked baby parts and while I was okay with the ultra sound reveal, we're going to try to keep his real live boy parts censored. So, until I can figure out how to blur or star out this important bits in the video, you'll have to do with still shots:)
He's actually okay with his bath now. You just have to make sure to cover him up with a warm wash cloth quick and he'll calm down and just kind of sink back into the water.
He's actually okay with his bath now. You just have to make sure to cover him up with a warm wash cloth quick and he'll calm down and just kind of sink back into the water.
where's my sweet baby?
I'm hoping this is just the 3 week growth spurt but I want to know who took my sweet little boy and replaced him with this clingy, crabby, grunting, non-sleeping, feeding every hour monster....
Friday, March 12, 2010
Noah Dances...
Just a lazy sunday on the couch. Noah was falling in and out of sleep and a good song came on the radio so I decided we needed to dance!:) I will teach this kid to have rhythm and to love music!
The song previous to this was probably better but we were slow on the uptake and couldn't find the camera in time.
The song previous to this was probably better but we were slow on the uptake and couldn't find the camera in time.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
2 weeks old!
Okay, a day or so late but I can't believe he's 2 weeks old already! He's growing quite a bit and is eating like a champ. I'm resorted to pumping most of his meals mostly for my sanity but also to allow DH to participate in feeding activities. That's going well although I think I need to pump more frequently to beef up my supply because little man is starting to eat more and more (he's up to 2.5 - 3oz every 2-4 hours) and I'm only able to pump a days worth of milk ahead of time.
We're still working on the sleeping pattern but you can almost guarantee to be wake by 3am and up till 5am or so. Also, he much prefers to sleep on someone rather than by himself however he will sleep in his crib if I put him down once he's asleep.
He's still a very pleasant baby (when he's not hungry) and spends quite a bit of time awake and just looking around. I can't imagine what he's thinking since he can't really see much outside of 8inches or so from his face. While he's awake we spend countless hours singing songs and dancing around the house. I've tried the activity mats and the bouncer but he's not all that interested yet.
The pic here is with the owl that my mom bought the day he was born (or maybe the next day...it's all a little hazy). Right now the owlie is the same size as him....we'll see that change as he grows:)
Anyways, he's awake again and wanting fed....tata for now:)
We're still working on the sleeping pattern but you can almost guarantee to be wake by 3am and up till 5am or so. Also, he much prefers to sleep on someone rather than by himself however he will sleep in his crib if I put him down once he's asleep.
He's still a very pleasant baby (when he's not hungry) and spends quite a bit of time awake and just looking around. I can't imagine what he's thinking since he can't really see much outside of 8inches or so from his face. While he's awake we spend countless hours singing songs and dancing around the house. I've tried the activity mats and the bouncer but he's not all that interested yet.
The pic here is with the owl that my mom bought the day he was born (or maybe the next day...it's all a little hazy). Right now the owlie is the same size as him....we'll see that change as he grows:)
Anyways, he's awake again and wanting fed....tata for now:)
Macie meets Noah...
I have a few videos from our first days home and thought this one was particularly funny. It shows how Macie reacts to the new occupant...
She still likes to climb up behind me when I'm sitting in that corner. Mostly just to lounge but a few times she's done it to protect us (from what, i'm not quite sure but she moved to that position only after barking at all corners of the house.)
She still likes to climb up behind me when I'm sitting in that corner. Mostly just to lounge but a few times she's done it to protect us (from what, i'm not quite sure but she moved to that position only after barking at all corners of the house.)
First Successful Solo outting!
Noah and I managed to actually get out of the house, to the store, grab a bite to eat and bask in the sun! All in all we were only out for an hour or so and it took us at least 2 hours to get ready to go out but we made it:) I successfully got the carseat in and out of the car and Noah slept thru the whole thing:)
Next time I'll be sure to take the camera for some pictures!
Next time I'll be sure to take the camera for some pictures!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
More Noah Pics...
Being the proud mom I am, I can't help but take lots of pics of our little man. I had a mini photo shoot this am for him (which he was none too pleased about) but I did manage to get a few really nice ones....
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The things they don't tell you about recovery...
So, I'm just a few day into my postpartum recovery and pride myself in all the research i did in preparation for this period (it's rough, I can't lie) but none one can prepare you for everything....here are a few of the things I didn't know
1. The swelling doesn't go away after the birth. In fact, it gets worse! My feet are more swollen now than they were prior to delivery. They told me it was due to the extra fluids they gave me during labor. It's all settled into my feet. (okay, 10 days later they're finally back to normal!)
2. The random, non provoked, absolutely no reason crying fit. I'm not normally a weepy person but this pregnancy has done me in! More than one time in the past week the tears just started flowing for no reason what.so.ever. Thankfully hubby has been more than understanding and doesn't hold them against me:)
3. The intensity of the emotions you feel. I never fathomed that I love my husband any more than I already did nor did I know I could love something so much that I barely knew - Noah.
4. How little sleep a person can function on (or how an hour or two nap can rejuvenate you)
5. The need to have the baby with me at all times or else I feel lost - forget sleeping when he's not right there next to the bed
6. That I can spend hours just staring at him - sleeping, awake, even when he's crying. It's really counter productive most days:)
7. That I can learn something new about myself, my husband, my marriage, and my child every day.
I'm sure this list will grow with time as I'm only 10 days postpartum.
1. The swelling doesn't go away after the birth. In fact, it gets worse! My feet are more swollen now than they were prior to delivery. They told me it was due to the extra fluids they gave me during labor. It's all settled into my feet. (okay, 10 days later they're finally back to normal!)
2. The random, non provoked, absolutely no reason crying fit. I'm not normally a weepy person but this pregnancy has done me in! More than one time in the past week the tears just started flowing for no reason what.so.ever. Thankfully hubby has been more than understanding and doesn't hold them against me:)
3. The intensity of the emotions you feel. I never fathomed that I love my husband any more than I already did nor did I know I could love something so much that I barely knew - Noah.
4. How little sleep a person can function on (or how an hour or two nap can rejuvenate you)
5. The need to have the baby with me at all times or else I feel lost - forget sleeping when he's not right there next to the bed
6. That I can spend hours just staring at him - sleeping, awake, even when he's crying. It's really counter productive most days:)
7. That I can learn something new about myself, my husband, my marriage, and my child every day.
I'm sure this list will grow with time as I'm only 10 days postpartum.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Happy Birthday Noah - the condensed version!
Okay, here's the short and sweet of it for those that don't feel the need to read the novel to come!
Feb 22 - 4:00 pm
Doc decides enough is enough and sends me to the hospital to be induced today - a week earlier than planned. Lots of phone calls to DH, my parents, and work ensue. Lots of last min packing and hysterics also ensue.
DH is my rock - I'm unusually frazzled and freaked out and he's simply calm, cool, collected and actually quite excited:)
Feb 22 - 6:00pm
Stupid traffic - it took over an hour to get to the hospital. We check in and they send us up to labor and delivery. The only space open is triage - leave it to us to try to have a baby on one of the busiest days this hospital has seen in a long long while.
Feb 22 - 9:00pm
Cervidil is inserted - OUCH! and the induction starts. The process they used for me consisted of trying to soften the cervix and get it to start to dilate on its own. Then we'd start pitocin the next morning to really get things kicked into high gear.
Feb 23 - 4:30am
Finally moved into our own Labor, Delivery and Recovery suite (LDR). The time between 9:00pm and 4:30am was filled with very little sleep, lots of moaning and screaming women in active labor and no food. Triage is not the place you want to be stuck for any extended period of time although DH and I tried our best to keep our humor up and understood that we were low men on the priority pole at that point in time (I mean, I wasn't in active labor at all while these poor moaning and miserable souls were).
Once in our own LDR we were able to catch a few zz's.
Feb 23 - 6:00am
Cervidil is removed and they check me - still no dilation however I have been having some mild mild contractions - wooohoo....my body knows what's up!
Feb 23 - 7:00am
They start the pitocin and contractions start to pick up in intensity a bit (a very little bit...like a 2 on the scale of 1 - 10).
Feb 23 - 10:00am
1 cm dilated and the doc breaks my water to get things moving faster - double OUCH! I about crawled off the end of the bed when she did that....
Contractions go from 2/10 in pain to 9/10 in pain almost instantly. At this point I'm focusing everything I have to breath thru them. Mom's trying to help me visualize and I'm trying to crack jokes....it's a theme of the night I think.
Feb 23 - 10:30am
Screaming for the epi....please give me the epi...I made a pact with myself before this happened to let it go where it wants to and not be afraid to ask for the epi if I needed it. At this point I'd felt the contractions, knew what they felt like and knew that I couldn't handle another x hours of it and still push him out so I caved. Plus, I knew it could take a while to get the epi so I ordered it early:)
Feb 23 - 11:00am
Sweet relief - love the epi man!!!
Feb 23 - 12:00pm
Dilated to 4cm! And watching the contraction monitor in awe....I couldn't feel a thing!!
Feb 23 - 2:00pm
Dilated to 8cm! Between 12 and 2 I caught up on some much needed sleep.
Feb 23 - 4:00pm
10 cm and complete - time to push!
Feb 23 - 5:15
Doc stops things to consider our options as he's not descending like he should. She offers a c-section or we could try forceps. She's confident we could do it with forceps and leaves us to discuss.
Feb 23 - 5:30
In a effort to avoid major surgery we choose the forcep option and left the c-section as a last resort. They upped my epidural since I was starting to feel things alot. The doc got into position and we continued to push again.
Feb 23 - 6:00
Mad dash around the hospital to find smaller forceps. Noah decided to try to come out with his hand by his face which made the normal forceps in effective. 9 packs of forceps later and no dice. Doc takes things into her own hands - literally - and reaches in to help pull him down, hand by his face and all.
Feb 23 - 6:20 (i'm guessing)
Doc stops things and quiets the room - she needs to talk to me. Told me that the only way this guy is going to make it into this world is vaginally and that I needed to push with everything I had in order to get him out.
Feb 23 - 6:27
Noah Andrew arrives!
All in all a pretty uneventful labor - the epi was heaven. Delivery was the complicated part but even at that I had a great team of doctors who were willing to do everything in their power to help us deliver without a c-section!
Feb 22 - 4:00 pm
Doc decides enough is enough and sends me to the hospital to be induced today - a week earlier than planned. Lots of phone calls to DH, my parents, and work ensue. Lots of last min packing and hysterics also ensue.
DH is my rock - I'm unusually frazzled and freaked out and he's simply calm, cool, collected and actually quite excited:)
Feb 22 - 6:00pm
Stupid traffic - it took over an hour to get to the hospital. We check in and they send us up to labor and delivery. The only space open is triage - leave it to us to try to have a baby on one of the busiest days this hospital has seen in a long long while.
Feb 22 - 9:00pm
Cervidil is inserted - OUCH! and the induction starts. The process they used for me consisted of trying to soften the cervix and get it to start to dilate on its own. Then we'd start pitocin the next morning to really get things kicked into high gear.
Feb 23 - 4:30am
Finally moved into our own Labor, Delivery and Recovery suite (LDR). The time between 9:00pm and 4:30am was filled with very little sleep, lots of moaning and screaming women in active labor and no food. Triage is not the place you want to be stuck for any extended period of time although DH and I tried our best to keep our humor up and understood that we were low men on the priority pole at that point in time (I mean, I wasn't in active labor at all while these poor moaning and miserable souls were).
Once in our own LDR we were able to catch a few zz's.
Feb 23 - 6:00am
Cervidil is removed and they check me - still no dilation however I have been having some mild mild contractions - wooohoo....my body knows what's up!
Feb 23 - 7:00am
They start the pitocin and contractions start to pick up in intensity a bit (a very little bit...like a 2 on the scale of 1 - 10).
Feb 23 - 10:00am
1 cm dilated and the doc breaks my water to get things moving faster - double OUCH! I about crawled off the end of the bed when she did that....
Contractions go from 2/10 in pain to 9/10 in pain almost instantly. At this point I'm focusing everything I have to breath thru them. Mom's trying to help me visualize and I'm trying to crack jokes....it's a theme of the night I think.
Feb 23 - 10:30am
Screaming for the epi....please give me the epi...I made a pact with myself before this happened to let it go where it wants to and not be afraid to ask for the epi if I needed it. At this point I'd felt the contractions, knew what they felt like and knew that I couldn't handle another x hours of it and still push him out so I caved. Plus, I knew it could take a while to get the epi so I ordered it early:)
Feb 23 - 11:00am
Sweet relief - love the epi man!!!
Feb 23 - 12:00pm
Dilated to 4cm! And watching the contraction monitor in awe....I couldn't feel a thing!!
Feb 23 - 2:00pm
Dilated to 8cm! Between 12 and 2 I caught up on some much needed sleep.
Feb 23 - 4:00pm
10 cm and complete - time to push!
Feb 23 - 5:15
Doc stops things to consider our options as he's not descending like he should. She offers a c-section or we could try forceps. She's confident we could do it with forceps and leaves us to discuss.
Feb 23 - 5:30
In a effort to avoid major surgery we choose the forcep option and left the c-section as a last resort. They upped my epidural since I was starting to feel things alot. The doc got into position and we continued to push again.
Feb 23 - 6:00
Mad dash around the hospital to find smaller forceps. Noah decided to try to come out with his hand by his face which made the normal forceps in effective. 9 packs of forceps later and no dice. Doc takes things into her own hands - literally - and reaches in to help pull him down, hand by his face and all.
Feb 23 - 6:20 (i'm guessing)
Doc stops things and quiets the room - she needs to talk to me. Told me that the only way this guy is going to make it into this world is vaginally and that I needed to push with everything I had in order to get him out.
Feb 23 - 6:27
Noah Andrew arrives!
All in all a pretty uneventful labor - the epi was heaven. Delivery was the complicated part but even at that I had a great team of doctors who were willing to do everything in their power to help us deliver without a c-section!
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