I'm still working on the play-by-play story of your birth, but I'm not quite finished yet.
Today we left the house for the first time. After a rough couple of nights I finally called and made an appointment with a lactation specialist. Yay! You were pretty happy too, because you probably had a pretty full tummy. We learned some tricks to help you get more food without causing me toe-curling pain. It's a win-win situation! Hopefully tonight goes a bit better.
You also had your first pediatrician appointment. Sorry about that heel prick! I made your dad hold you, I guess we've designated him to be the one around when there's pain involved. You were pretty mad, but once again, got over it pretty quick. You're looking a little orange, and you've lost your allotted 10% body weight, so hopefully with my milk coming in and getting better at feeding you both of those should take a turn for the better.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Your story
I need to write this down before I forget. I'm sure I'll forget certain aspects of your birth story (which is why women do this again and again) but, I want to make sure it's written down.
3:45 pm November 21
Your dad and I showed up for our 39 week pre-natal appointment with Dr. Cox. We had been watching my blood pressure (it was a little high for the previous 2 weeks) for signs of preeclampsia. My blood pressure wasn't too bad, but the level of protein shot up to a 4 (I guess a 2 and higher is pretty bad) and I had gained 5 lbs that week. So, Dr. Cox came in and said, we're having a baby today. We did a 'check', I was still dilated to a 4, 70% effaced, -2 station (pretty much what I had been for the previous 2 weeks). We talked about possible scenario's once we arrived. The best case would be breaking my water would induce labor, but I'd have to be continuously monitored, well, YOU would have to monitored.
5:30 -ish
We had gone home and gathered all of our stuff. Which, was a lot, surprisingly. Your dad gave me a blessing and we arrived at the hospital. It was a busy night in the labor and delivery floor, and they didn't have a room or a nurse available, so they sent us to the cafeteria. Your dad ate dinner, and I had some jello.
6:30 -ish
When we finally got settled Dr. Cox came in and broke my water and the nurse started an IV and got us on the monitor. Which, proved to be quite difficult to continue to find throughout the night -you were pretty active. Our first nurse was Lynne. We didn't like her too much. First of all, we talked about our 'birth plan' because I didn't want an epidural (among other things), and her response was, "Well, in my experience, 95% of birth plans end of with a C-section". She was one of those, 'I've been doing this for 22 years' type of a nurse. For the first hour or so while she was our nurse she kept threatening to do an internal monitor because she couldn't get a good reading on you. At this point your dad started trying to move the monitors around, just so she wouldn't come in.
8:00 -or so
Contractions had started, but were fairly mild. I had dilated to a 5 (started as a 4) and we got a couple of new nurses, Libby and Stephanie. They had a lot more patience with you -trying to get a good reading on your heart rate. I kept getting up every hour, to go to the bathroom, and really just to switch the side I was laying on. My hips were killing me laying on my side. They started me on Pitocin at a 2. I'm not sure what the 2 meant, but it was the lowest dose. Contractions started to pick up a bit, but were still pretty manageable.
9:00
Grandma and Grandpa Hardcastle came by. We were all going to my cousin's play that night, and we ended up respectively declining the outing after our dr's appointment. I think they stayed about an hour. Contractions were still okay, I didn't talk a lot during them, but I was okay in between.
10:30 -ish
I think my parents left around this time. When the nurse came in and checked me I was a 6 and she increased the pitocin to a 4. I'm not sure why I didn't ask her why we were increasing it, or if we really needed to. I just said okay. I had told your dad to sleep for a bit because the contractions were manageable and I figured I'd need his help later on trying to relax myself. I definitely felt the increase from a 2 to a 4, but I still felt okay.
1:00 am November 22nd
I asked your dad to help me to the bathroom. The pain seemed to increase as soon as I got up. It was a pretty big struggle to get back in the bed and when the nurse checked me. She asked if I was thinking big numbers, and I responded that I didn't want to get my hopes up. She said I was a 7, and gave me her warning about feeling an urge to push. She said if I felt like I needed to push or go to the bathroom I needed to tell her, because she'd need to check me.
At the peak of the very next contraction I kind of felt like I needed to push. By the time the next contraction came (60 seconds later) I knew I felt like pushing. I made your dad stay for one more and then he went to get the nurse. I guess when he told her I needed to push she said "Well, did you tell her not to?"
She came in to check me and without saying anything she hurried out of the room. I was worried something was wrong, because there was no denying the fact that my body wanted me to push. I didn't realize it at the time, but the nurses changed and started prepping the room for a delivery. I guess a bunch of women were pretty much delivering at the same time so we were all hoping Dr. Cox arrived soon, since there were no spare doctors around.
In our birth class our instructor always told us when we were ready to push it would feel better to push than not to push. Oh, she was right. The nurses tried to get me to breathe through the contractions and not push -it was horrible! About every other contraction I could manage to not push, for the most part, but it was really hard and painful. I think it became pretty clear, pretty quickly, that I needed to push. They got me on my back and I had probably pushed during two contractions when Dr. Cox arrived.
1:30 am ish
Okay, it was really painful and difficult to NOT push, but I soon found out it REALLY hurt to push too. Most people describe crowning as a 'burning' feeling, and while I don't disagree, I think that description is used because there isn't a better way to say it. It really, really hurt! I had great cheerleaders -your dad and the nurses, which made it easier. The best part was that it was pretty short, by 2 am, I was done. Your dad thinks I pushed through about 10 contractions before you were here. I remember after your head came out thinking your body was taking forever to get out, and the shear relief once it had. I didn't even think to ask if you were a boy or a girl, I was just so glad it was over!
2:09 am
Your dad actually said "It's a boy" and they put you on my chest. Dr. Cox waited a few minutes before she had your dad cut the cord. I tried breastfeeding, and got you to at least latch on both sides for a bit. The nurses were really good about leaving you on me for quite a while before taking you to get you weighed and everything. I tore a bit and had 2 stitches, which didn't hurt a bit until the local wore off. I'm still feeling it, but the worst of it was over in about 10 days.
The rest of the story includes more pain that no one really talks about, from the nurses contracting my uterus, to the difficulty going to the bathroom and moving around later. I felt good, I think, considering everything I had gone through. And, as dumb as this might sound, because I'm saying this with FULL recollection of the event, I'll do it without an epidural again.
Actually, saying I'll repeat the last 10 months again at all seems a bit crazy, but somehow (and sometimes) it all seems worth it!
3:45 pm November 21
Your dad and I showed up for our 39 week pre-natal appointment with Dr. Cox. We had been watching my blood pressure (it was a little high for the previous 2 weeks) for signs of preeclampsia. My blood pressure wasn't too bad, but the level of protein shot up to a 4 (I guess a 2 and higher is pretty bad) and I had gained 5 lbs that week. So, Dr. Cox came in and said, we're having a baby today. We did a 'check', I was still dilated to a 4, 70% effaced, -2 station (pretty much what I had been for the previous 2 weeks). We talked about possible scenario's once we arrived. The best case would be breaking my water would induce labor, but I'd have to be continuously monitored, well, YOU would have to monitored.
5:30 -ish
We had gone home and gathered all of our stuff. Which, was a lot, surprisingly. Your dad gave me a blessing and we arrived at the hospital. It was a busy night in the labor and delivery floor, and they didn't have a room or a nurse available, so they sent us to the cafeteria. Your dad ate dinner, and I had some jello.
6:30 -ish
When we finally got settled Dr. Cox came in and broke my water and the nurse started an IV and got us on the monitor. Which, proved to be quite difficult to continue to find throughout the night -you were pretty active. Our first nurse was Lynne. We didn't like her too much. First of all, we talked about our 'birth plan' because I didn't want an epidural (among other things), and her response was, "Well, in my experience, 95% of birth plans end of with a C-section". She was one of those, 'I've been doing this for 22 years' type of a nurse. For the first hour or so while she was our nurse she kept threatening to do an internal monitor because she couldn't get a good reading on you. At this point your dad started trying to move the monitors around, just so she wouldn't come in.
8:00 -or so
Contractions had started, but were fairly mild. I had dilated to a 5 (started as a 4) and we got a couple of new nurses, Libby and Stephanie. They had a lot more patience with you -trying to get a good reading on your heart rate. I kept getting up every hour, to go to the bathroom, and really just to switch the side I was laying on. My hips were killing me laying on my side. They started me on Pitocin at a 2. I'm not sure what the 2 meant, but it was the lowest dose. Contractions started to pick up a bit, but were still pretty manageable.
9:00
Grandma and Grandpa Hardcastle came by. We were all going to my cousin's play that night, and we ended up respectively declining the outing after our dr's appointment. I think they stayed about an hour. Contractions were still okay, I didn't talk a lot during them, but I was okay in between.
10:30 -ish
I think my parents left around this time. When the nurse came in and checked me I was a 6 and she increased the pitocin to a 4. I'm not sure why I didn't ask her why we were increasing it, or if we really needed to. I just said okay. I had told your dad to sleep for a bit because the contractions were manageable and I figured I'd need his help later on trying to relax myself. I definitely felt the increase from a 2 to a 4, but I still felt okay.
1:00 am November 22nd
I asked your dad to help me to the bathroom. The pain seemed to increase as soon as I got up. It was a pretty big struggle to get back in the bed and when the nurse checked me. She asked if I was thinking big numbers, and I responded that I didn't want to get my hopes up. She said I was a 7, and gave me her warning about feeling an urge to push. She said if I felt like I needed to push or go to the bathroom I needed to tell her, because she'd need to check me.
At the peak of the very next contraction I kind of felt like I needed to push. By the time the next contraction came (60 seconds later) I knew I felt like pushing. I made your dad stay for one more and then he went to get the nurse. I guess when he told her I needed to push she said "Well, did you tell her not to?"
She came in to check me and without saying anything she hurried out of the room. I was worried something was wrong, because there was no denying the fact that my body wanted me to push. I didn't realize it at the time, but the nurses changed and started prepping the room for a delivery. I guess a bunch of women were pretty much delivering at the same time so we were all hoping Dr. Cox arrived soon, since there were no spare doctors around.
In our birth class our instructor always told us when we were ready to push it would feel better to push than not to push. Oh, she was right. The nurses tried to get me to breathe through the contractions and not push -it was horrible! About every other contraction I could manage to not push, for the most part, but it was really hard and painful. I think it became pretty clear, pretty quickly, that I needed to push. They got me on my back and I had probably pushed during two contractions when Dr. Cox arrived.
1:30 am ish
Okay, it was really painful and difficult to NOT push, but I soon found out it REALLY hurt to push too. Most people describe crowning as a 'burning' feeling, and while I don't disagree, I think that description is used because there isn't a better way to say it. It really, really hurt! I had great cheerleaders -your dad and the nurses, which made it easier. The best part was that it was pretty short, by 2 am, I was done. Your dad thinks I pushed through about 10 contractions before you were here. I remember after your head came out thinking your body was taking forever to get out, and the shear relief once it had. I didn't even think to ask if you were a boy or a girl, I was just so glad it was over!
2:09 am
Your dad actually said "It's a boy" and they put you on my chest. Dr. Cox waited a few minutes before she had your dad cut the cord. I tried breastfeeding, and got you to at least latch on both sides for a bit. The nurses were really good about leaving you on me for quite a while before taking you to get you weighed and everything. I tore a bit and had 2 stitches, which didn't hurt a bit until the local wore off. I'm still feeling it, but the worst of it was over in about 10 days.
The rest of the story includes more pain that no one really talks about, from the nurses contracting my uterus, to the difficulty going to the bathroom and moving around later. I felt good, I think, considering everything I had gone through. And, as dumb as this might sound, because I'm saying this with FULL recollection of the event, I'll do it without an epidural again.
Actually, saying I'll repeat the last 10 months again at all seems a bit crazy, but somehow (and sometimes) it all seems worth it!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Oh, baby!
Welcome! We're so excited that you've finally made it, and you're a healthy baby boy. I won't lie, I was getting pretty anxious for you to arrive, but it was mostly selfish reasons - I was tired of being pregnant, and I wanted to know if you were going to be a little Emily, or a little Hyrum.
You were born on my cousin's birthday (Nacole and Paige) and they couldn't have been more excited! I guess that's second best to coming on your dad's birthday next week. You've spent your first day and a half surrounded by great doctors and nurses and a lot of family and friends. Everything thinks you're just the cutest thing with beautiful soft hair and a little man face when you're get mad. Even when you get mad, you don't stay that way for long, you're pretty content and sleep most of the time.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
One week and counting
Okay baby... any time now. We're ready and waiting your arrival. According to babycenter, you're ready too...
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.
I'm still working (mostly) full time. I took quite a few hours off during the day last week, but my blood pressure has been back to normal, so I've been in 10 hour days this week. However, after tomorrow, I don't have much to do, so I'm not sure if I'll continue. Hopefully the next time I write, I'll have something more exciting to say.
But, I'm trying to not get too excited.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Close, but not close enough
Well, baby... we thought we'd see you this week, but my blood pressure came back down with some time off work and we're hanging in there.
This week we've been watching the price of gasoline come down (slightly, but we haven't seen that for a while) and I thought I'd do a post of other interesting things about life right now.
Average price of a gallon of gasoline: $2.00. (This is pretty significant because earlier this summer it was close or over $4.00 a gallon).
Movie tickets: $8.00 about $5.50 for a matinee.
Utah's poplulation is about 2.5 million, and the US has about 300 million people.
Minimum Wage is $6.55 an hour
Current President is George W Bush, President Elect is Barack Obama.
The US has the highest national debt ever: 10,586,881,875,335.10 (sorry)
Average price of a new car: $28, 715
Midvale's average household income is $51,500
Midvale's average home price $225,000
This week we've been watching the price of gasoline come down (slightly, but we haven't seen that for a while) and I thought I'd do a post of other interesting things about life right now.
Average price of a gallon of gasoline: $2.00. (This is pretty significant because earlier this summer it was close or over $4.00 a gallon).
Movie tickets: $8.00 about $5.50 for a matinee.
Utah's poplulation is about 2.5 million, and the US has about 300 million people.
Minimum Wage is $6.55 an hour
Current President is George W Bush, President Elect is Barack Obama.
The US has the highest national debt ever: 10,586,881,875,335.10 (sorry)
Average price of a new car: $28, 715
Average price of a private four-year college degree $25,143
Average price of a public four-year degree $6,585 (your dad and I went to a private university for undergraduate)
Church membership worldwide is over 13 million
Closer to Home:
Midvale, Utah has about 30,000 peopleMidvale's average household income is $51,500
Midvale's average home price $225,000
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Ready, Set...
Here's the latest update...
I went from 3 minus centimeters to "3 plus -almost a 4", and the baby has moved down a bit and is at a negative 2 station. (The stations start at -3, and go to -2, -1, 0 and then 1, 2 3 -which is pretty much crowning).
This is all good news, as far as I (and my doctor) am concerned.
However, my blood pressure is 'creeping' up. So... I am supposed to 'take it easy' -work less, more laying down, etc, for the next little while. If my blood pressure gets up much higher and stays that way, we'll need to take the baby early. And, when you're wanting a unmedicated child birth, taking the baby early is not a good thing. More interventions (breaking my water, starting pitossin, possibility of a c-section) creates a difficult (or impossible) environment to have natural childbirth.
Here's the dilemma... do I take it easy, and hope my blood pressure stays where it is, or bump up my efforts to induce this baby on our own? (Long walks, massage, magical/mythical pizza from Cafe Trio).
Either way, this baby will most likely be making an entrance before Thanksgiving -and I still have a TON of things to get done at work!
I went from 3 minus centimeters to "3 plus -almost a 4", and the baby has moved down a bit and is at a negative 2 station. (The stations start at -3, and go to -2, -1, 0 and then 1, 2 3 -which is pretty much crowning).
This is all good news, as far as I (and my doctor) am concerned.
However, my blood pressure is 'creeping' up. So... I am supposed to 'take it easy' -work less, more laying down, etc, for the next little while. If my blood pressure gets up much higher and stays that way, we'll need to take the baby early. And, when you're wanting a unmedicated child birth, taking the baby early is not a good thing. More interventions (breaking my water, starting pitossin, possibility of a c-section) creates a difficult (or impossible) environment to have natural childbirth.
Here's the dilemma... do I take it easy, and hope my blood pressure stays where it is, or bump up my efforts to induce this baby on our own? (Long walks, massage, magical/mythical pizza from Cafe Trio).
Either way, this baby will most likely be making an entrance before Thanksgiving -and I still have a TON of things to get done at work!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Full Term
Well, I've made it! I'm officially 37 weeks along, which means baby is full-term (although full term REALLY goes from 37-42 weeks). Here's what babycenter has to say:
Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.
To be completely honest, I'm ready ANYTIME now -so feel free to show up a little early. I have a pretty full work schedule through the 19th, mostly because I'm trying to fit in a months worth of work in 9 days. However... on November 20th I'm going to take matters into my own hands (or at least the skilled hands of my masseuse). This will include a massage hitting all of my pressure points, the labor-inducing pizza at Cafe Trio, and a long walk -no matter how cold it is. So... if you're ready to come, that would be a great time to start making your big entrance!
In other term news... just for a bit of history. Although you will be born while President George W. Bush (the W. is important, look it up in your history books) was the president, the nation just elected Barack Hussein Obama. Your dad and I are proud to say that even if he didn't get any electoral votes from Utah, he did the the 2 votes available from our house!
Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.
To be completely honest, I'm ready ANYTIME now -so feel free to show up a little early. I have a pretty full work schedule through the 19th, mostly because I'm trying to fit in a months worth of work in 9 days. However... on November 20th I'm going to take matters into my own hands (or at least the skilled hands of my masseuse). This will include a massage hitting all of my pressure points, the labor-inducing pizza at Cafe Trio, and a long walk -no matter how cold it is. So... if you're ready to come, that would be a great time to start making your big entrance!
In other term news... just for a bit of history. Although you will be born while President George W. Bush (the W. is important, look it up in your history books) was the president, the nation just elected Barack Hussein Obama. Your dad and I are proud to say that even if he didn't get any electoral votes from Utah, he did the the 2 votes available from our house!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Change
I can't take credit for this one, but I wanted to share it.
Things that change when you have a baby
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
by Rebecca Woolf
Things that change when you have a baby
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
by Rebecca Woolf
Monday, November 3, 2008
Progress and Presents
Well baby... things are slowly progressing. Which, is probably the speed that I'm comfortable with right now. On Friday I was dilated to a 3 minus (just about a 3), 80% effaced and still at a -3 station, but baby is 'well engaged' and still head down, so I'm sure you'll stay that way.
You also received a LOT of wonderful gifts from thoughtful friends and family. I didn't want to buy much of anything until I had a couple of showers, and November 1st was a day of showers. I think we're set on newborn diapers and ducky outfits. That must be the clothing item of choice for 'gender neutral' babies. We started making a short list of things to fill in the blanks of items we need at the beginning, so I'll work on that next week. To be honest, we've got diapers, a car seat, and some onesies, so you'll survive for a while.
We're getting very excited to meet you and introduce you to... everything and everyone, I guess. I'm also very glad because I'm sure you are getting to know you're Grandma Petersen before you arrive. She was really looking forward to meeting you, in fact, maybe she was a little too impatient and wanted to meet you before any of us! Tell her that we love and miss her, and we're glad that she's finally with Grandpa again.
You also received a LOT of wonderful gifts from thoughtful friends and family. I didn't want to buy much of anything until I had a couple of showers, and November 1st was a day of showers. I think we're set on newborn diapers and ducky outfits. That must be the clothing item of choice for 'gender neutral' babies. We started making a short list of things to fill in the blanks of items we need at the beginning, so I'll work on that next week. To be honest, we've got diapers, a car seat, and some onesies, so you'll survive for a while.
We're getting very excited to meet you and introduce you to... everything and everyone, I guess. I'm also very glad because I'm sure you are getting to know you're Grandma Petersen before you arrive. She was really looking forward to meeting you, in fact, maybe she was a little too impatient and wanted to meet you before any of us! Tell her that we love and miss her, and we're glad that she's finally with Grandpa again.
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