Monday, March 30, 2009
a growing family
While looking through the old pictures, I decided that it would be fun to share our growing family. What better way than with the typical hospital bed shot!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
birth experience number three
This is a fairly detailed account of my third childbirth experience. I tried not to be too graphic, but please use your own discretion when deciding whether to keep reading or not. Also, this is a book...sorry...but it's mostly for me anyway.
Friday, March 13th was my due date. I had a scheduled OB appointment that morning. I was hoping when I went in that I would have made some progress from the previous week (3 cm, 75% effaced). However, there was no change. It felt like a bigger deal than it normally would have because my doctor was going out of town for a week. She told me that she was on call until that evening so it was very unlikely that she would be delivering my baby. However, she kept telling me that I needed to wait until she got back to have the baby. I responded that I didn't think I had that much control over the situation. :)
On Saturday, March 14th, I woke up about 12:40 and decided to go sleep on the couch. As I headed down the hall, I realized that my water had most likely broken. I stopped by the bathroom and then headed to the couch. I only laid there a few minutes before my contractions got strong enough to be quite uncomfortable laying down. I knew at that point that I was in labor and that I wouldn't be sleeping. So, I got up and headed to the computer. You know, you can always occupy your time at the computer! :) One of the things I did during that time was to time my contractions. I used an online calculator to keep up with them so that I didn't have to think about it too much. Plus, I wanted to know how long they were lasting...and I didn't want to focus on them as much as the continuous timing would have required. Anyway, the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and were lasting about 1 minute. After a little while of timing, I went back to the bedroom for something and let Matt know that I was in labor. I suggested that he should go ahead and get up...especially if he wanted to get a shower before going to the hospital. My contractions weren't unbearable, but they were definitely stronger than they had been that early with Caroline. I figured that we wouldn't be hanging around the house as long this time.
About 3:00, I called my mom. When she answered, I said "Good Morning" and she responded "Oh Yeah?" I thought it was funny. I told her that I was in labor and asked if she would head to our house. I told her not to rush, but that it would be good to head that way. Matt and I set about gathering things that we wanted to take to the hospital. After Mama got to the house, we finished getting things together and then headed to the hospital. As we got just a little ways from the house, I had a good contraction and told Matt that he really REALLY needed to drive gently. Luckily, I didn't have another one until we got to the hospital. By the time we got checked in at the hospital and were taken to a room, it was about 4:15.
The lady who took us to the room (I have no idea what her position was) gave me a gown to change into and a cup to pee in. She said something to the effect of "If your water has already broken it won't matter if we get a sample because we can't run it, but go ahead and do it anyway." I assured her that my water had broken but she still thought I should leave a sample (I didn't). Then, she wanted me to lay down in the bed. I told her that I had no intention of laying down until they were ready to do something because contractions hurt much worse that way. After going back and forth for a minute, she assured me that the nurses would be in right away to get things going so I went ahead and got in the bed...and the nurses came in as I did. (Yes, I was being a bit difficult, but I fully intended to stay "in charge" of my own labor as much as possible.) Anyway, the nurses hooked me up to the contraction and heart rate monitors. We chatted about what was happening and such. Then, the main nurse (I had two because one was a new-to-this-hospital nurse.) spotted my list of preferences for labor and delivery. Since I knew that I would not have my own doctor, one of the things I did while busying myself on the computer that morning was to type up this list. I thought that it would help the nurses and the doctor to know what I wanted. Anyway, after she spotted it, she sat down and we went through each point to make sure that she was clear on what I wanted. Both nurses were very much on board with me wanting to have a natural labor and delivery. I was very thankful for that!
After we finished going through the list, the nurse said it was time to check me. She said that once they checked me I might be able to get up, but that they needed to make sure everything was good because the baby's heart rate was not changing with the contractions like they like to see. She had the training nurse check me. After checking for a minute, she decided that she couldn't tell what she was feeling and that the main nurse needed to check. The main nurse came around to check me and immediately knew what was going on. She told me that I had a prolapsed cord (the umbilical cord was between the baby and my cervix) and that they needed to immediately "stand me on my head." I knew the danger of prolapsed chord and made sure that Matt was fully informed. (He didn't know ahead of time what it was, but with a description, he figured out the dangers very quickly.) So...she stood me on my head (tilted the bed so I was head down). She said that the baby's heart rate was still good, so it wasn't a major emergency. She also hesitantly told me that it was almost definite that I would be headed for a c-section. She told me later that she hesitated because she knew that I really wanted to do things naturally. She left to go call the doctor that was on call for my doctor - Dr. Nguyen (they all pronounce it "win"). When she came back, she said that he expected to do a c-section and that he would be in to check me soon. She said that the only way I wouldn't have a c-section is if the baby had moved and the cord was no longer in the way. At this point, I was confident that I would be headed for a c-section and was a bit anxious about it. I knew, however, that it was the safest route for the baby. I was ok with what was going to happen, but it still made me shake with nervousness. The nurse told me several times that Dr. Nguyen was one of the best. She told me that he would make a good decision for me and my baby. And she told me that he was one of the best at sewing up the incision after a c-section. Some of these sentiments were repeated by other nurses along the way as well.
When Dr. Nguyen came in, he confirmed the location of the cord and told me that we would be headed for a c-section. He did an ultrasound to check the position of the baby and cord. I worked to see the ultrasound under his arm, but I couldn't really tell what anything was...even when he pointed things out. Dr. Nguyen said that the baby was laying kinda diagonal so that her neck was what was pointed down. The bad part is that this position may have been what allowed the cord to move where it did. The good part is that her head was not pushing against the cord and was not cutting off the blood flow to her. Once he left, a flurry of activity began around me. The admissions lady came in with lots of papers for me to sign. A nurse came in to put in an iv. Another lady came in to draw blood. My labor and delivery nurses gave me all kinds of information about the c-section and also prepped me for surgery. There were literally at least three people doing something or trying to talk to me the whole time. During this whole process, Matt read papers for me to sign and filled in whatever was needed other than my signature. He also called my mom to let her know what was going on. I'm sure he did some other things, but I really didn't have much of an idea because of all the activity. (Matt, you'll have to fill in here.) At one point, I had two people talking to me and I think I said something like "Who am I supposed to be listening to?"
Before long, they were wheeling me down the hall to the OR and Matt was slipping on scrubs. He had to wait in the L&D room until they got me settled. In the meantime, I think my dad got there (Mama was at our house with our still sleeping kids). Again, Matt will have to fill in here. When we got to the OR, there was a lady on the side of the room counting very loudly. It was rather strange sounding. Just as I was about to ask what she was doing, somebody explained that she was counting all the instruments and that they would count again when they finished to make sure they had everything. They moved me to the operating table and the anesthesiologist quickly got to work. She had already explained to me that she would do the spinal (actually, I was thinking it would be an epidural) while I was laying down since I couldn't sit up due to the situation. She also told me that it was harder to do it laying down so I would need to really curve my back and be really still. I asked if we could wait until the current contraction was over (yes, I was also having strong contractions through all of this). She said that we could, but that I was going to have to stay in that position through several contractions. I have to say, I was a little nervous of the prospect of somebody sticking something into my spine. Again, though, I was trying to stay calm because I knew that what was happening was the safest for the baby. It took her a while to get to where she needed to be to inject the medicine. In the meantime, she hit something (my spinal cord?) that sent a feeling like a shock down my left leg. I kinda twitched and made a sound and she quickly asked where I felt it. She said that it would let her know where she was. Once she was able to get the medicine in, things started moving quickly.
She asked me if my lower half was feeling warm and within less than a minute it was. She told me that the doctor would do a "pinch test" in several places to see if I could feel anything. I kept waiting for him to say "ok, I'm going to pinch now" but he never did. Within a minute or two, the anesthesiologist told me that he had already cut me. Honestly, it was a bit of a relief to know that he had already started and that I felt nothing. I was kinda nervous that it wouldn't work and I would feel something. I know...they do this all the time...but I was still a little nervous about it. Not much later, Matt came in and they had him sit near my head where he could hold my right hand. My arms were stretched out on either side of me straight out. They weren't tied down or anything, but it was weird to be in that position. They also had a blanket over my arms. I think they probably put it there because I was shaking. Unfortunately, the shaking had nothing to do with being cold. I thought at first that it was just my nerves. It turns out that it was probably mainly the medicine that they had given me. I have to say, the shaking was really one of the most annoying parts of the whole process. I shook for hours...well, the top of me anyway...the bottom of me couldn't move. I was thankful that I didn't have a problem with the other side effect that the anesthesiologist had warned me about - difficulty breathing. They did have oxygen on me, though, until the baby was delivered.
It didn't take long after Matt came in the room before they told me that they were about ready to get the baby out. They said "you're going to feel a lot of pressure" and then the went ahead. (In hindsight, I wonder how you can feel a lot of pressure but never feel any pain.) They pulled her head out and I remember somebody asking if it was a girl (was that you Matt?) and they said that they didn't have her out enough yet. Then, they pulled her out the rest of the way and held her up where Matt could see. I remember him saying that she had her mouth wide open like she was ready to scream. I was just waiting to hear her. To me, that would be the indication that she was ok because at this point I still couldn't see her. It didn't take long before she was screaming loudly. I smiled. They announced that she was born at 6:27 AM. (I had to ask several times before I could remember what time they said.) After Matt had gone over to see her, I asked him if he had the camera. He had it but had not started taking pictures yet...but he did so quickly. Within a minute or two, somebody (who turned out to be the pediatrician) brought her over for me to see. I was instantly filled with joy at seeing with my own eyes that she was out and ok. (This is the moment in the picture that was posted previously.)
Matt stayed with the baby while they checked her out. They weighed her and announced that she was 9 lbs, 7.7 oz. I don't know when they measured her length, but she was 22 inches. Before heading to the nursery, they brought her over to let me see and touch her again. Matt stayed with her when they took her out of the OR. As he was about to walk out the door (which I could see), I hollered to him "So, are we going with the name we talked about?" and he gave a quick "Yes." Then, he left to follow the baby. The doctors and nurses in the room quickly asked me what her name was and I announced that it was Sara Katharine. They all thought that it was a pretty name (but they have to say that, don't they?). The doctor continued to work on finishing things up and the anesthesiologist hovered around my head. There was some discussion of popular music between her and one of the nurses. At one point, I heard one of the nurses say something about moving my bladder out of the way. I have to say, that was an odd thing to overhear. It was also a little bit discouraging for me because it had been a while (though I couldn't see the clock) and I thought that they were already sewing me up. At any rate, it took a while to finish things and sew me up. Somewhere along the way, the main L&D nurse came in and sat and held my hand. She chatted with me and tried to help me calm down some so that my shaking wouldn't be so bad. Somewhere along the way, I asked if I could see the placenta. We have pictures of the other two (weird, I know) so I wanted to at least get to see it. One of the nurses brought it over in a plastic ziploc-type bag. Eventually, they finished up, took the sheet down that blocked my view, and wheeled me to the recovery room.
After getting to the recovery room, Matt joined me. I was still shaking and really wanted to see Sara. It didn't take them too long to bring her to me. They told me that she could stay for a little while, but they would need to take her back after I tried to nurse so that they could get her a bath. We spent some time with our new little girl and took some pictures. I nursed her and then we let her go back to the nursery. Matt hung out with me and we chatted with the recovery room nurse. I'm not exactly sure how long we were there (maybe an hour and a half?), but somewhere along the way, Mama came in to see us. I guess that she and Daddy had switched out at some point. After she checked on me, she went back to our house to get the kids up and ready to come to the hospital.
Once the nurse confirmed that I was stable and I started to be able to wiggle my feet a little, they moved me to a postpartum room. I was expecting Sara to join us before long, but they were waiting for her to warm up after her bath. While we were waiting, my parents arrived with Nathan and Caroline. About 10:30, they finally brought Sara in from the nursery. The kids were very interested in seeing her. They each took a turn holding her. Caroline had a little trouble with that first visit. She didn't seem to have a problem with Sara specifically, but she was being quite ornery. I think having Mommy in a hospital bed who she basically couldn't touch and having a new baby was all a bit too much for her. By her visit later that afternoon, though, she was handling things much better. And by the time we went home, she was much more settled. Nathan seemed to handle the whole thing beautifully. He, of course, was interested in all the little things - what was the thing in my hand, what was the thing with the bag hanging from it, what was the tube running from under the sheets, why did he have to not touch my belly, etc.
As far as how things went the rest of the day for me...I was in a bit of a fog. I was really having to work hard to think straight and also to stay awake. By the evening, they removed my catheter and let me get up to go to the bathroom. That trip to the bathroom was definitely an effort and was quite painful. I made a point to get up several other times, though. I knew that it would be best for me to get moving when I could. On Sunday, I got up and walked down the hall several times. The hardest part was getting up. I guess after sitting for a while, it just took a little time to stretch everything back out again. It was definitely not a pretty picture. I honestly thought that it would take a while before I could get rid of the pain medicines. But by Friday, I was completely off of them. We went home on Monday - only two days after having a c-section. I think they let me go because I was doing so well getting up and because I really wanted to get home - especially because it was my birthday on Monday. And one more thought before I finish up. I never had any pain at the outer incision itself. And it has looked great the entire time! The nurses were right. Dr. Nguyen did a great job sewing me up!
Matt's filling in the blanks:
While the nurses were prepping Jennifer for surgery, I called my parents and let them know what was going on. I also tried to help answer questions and reassure Jennifer. After they took her off to the OR, I stayed behind and hung out. I called our Sunday school teacher to ask him to pray and let him know what was happening. Jennifer's dad arrived after that and we sat in the room waiting for them to come get me. I ate some of a granola bar that I had brought -- I was extremely hungry.
I did not ask if it was a girl during the C section -- I just looked.
Friday, March 13th was my due date. I had a scheduled OB appointment that morning. I was hoping when I went in that I would have made some progress from the previous week (3 cm, 75% effaced). However, there was no change. It felt like a bigger deal than it normally would have because my doctor was going out of town for a week. She told me that she was on call until that evening so it was very unlikely that she would be delivering my baby. However, she kept telling me that I needed to wait until she got back to have the baby. I responded that I didn't think I had that much control over the situation. :)
On Saturday, March 14th, I woke up about 12:40 and decided to go sleep on the couch. As I headed down the hall, I realized that my water had most likely broken. I stopped by the bathroom and then headed to the couch. I only laid there a few minutes before my contractions got strong enough to be quite uncomfortable laying down. I knew at that point that I was in labor and that I wouldn't be sleeping. So, I got up and headed to the computer. You know, you can always occupy your time at the computer! :) One of the things I did during that time was to time my contractions. I used an online calculator to keep up with them so that I didn't have to think about it too much. Plus, I wanted to know how long they were lasting...and I didn't want to focus on them as much as the continuous timing would have required. Anyway, the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and were lasting about 1 minute. After a little while of timing, I went back to the bedroom for something and let Matt know that I was in labor. I suggested that he should go ahead and get up...especially if he wanted to get a shower before going to the hospital. My contractions weren't unbearable, but they were definitely stronger than they had been that early with Caroline. I figured that we wouldn't be hanging around the house as long this time.
About 3:00, I called my mom. When she answered, I said "Good Morning" and she responded "Oh Yeah?" I thought it was funny. I told her that I was in labor and asked if she would head to our house. I told her not to rush, but that it would be good to head that way. Matt and I set about gathering things that we wanted to take to the hospital. After Mama got to the house, we finished getting things together and then headed to the hospital. As we got just a little ways from the house, I had a good contraction and told Matt that he really REALLY needed to drive gently. Luckily, I didn't have another one until we got to the hospital. By the time we got checked in at the hospital and were taken to a room, it was about 4:15.
The lady who took us to the room (I have no idea what her position was) gave me a gown to change into and a cup to pee in. She said something to the effect of "If your water has already broken it won't matter if we get a sample because we can't run it, but go ahead and do it anyway." I assured her that my water had broken but she still thought I should leave a sample (I didn't). Then, she wanted me to lay down in the bed. I told her that I had no intention of laying down until they were ready to do something because contractions hurt much worse that way. After going back and forth for a minute, she assured me that the nurses would be in right away to get things going so I went ahead and got in the bed...and the nurses came in as I did. (Yes, I was being a bit difficult, but I fully intended to stay "in charge" of my own labor as much as possible.) Anyway, the nurses hooked me up to the contraction and heart rate monitors. We chatted about what was happening and such. Then, the main nurse (I had two because one was a new-to-this-hospital nurse.) spotted my list of preferences for labor and delivery. Since I knew that I would not have my own doctor, one of the things I did while busying myself on the computer that morning was to type up this list. I thought that it would help the nurses and the doctor to know what I wanted. Anyway, after she spotted it, she sat down and we went through each point to make sure that she was clear on what I wanted. Both nurses were very much on board with me wanting to have a natural labor and delivery. I was very thankful for that!
After we finished going through the list, the nurse said it was time to check me. She said that once they checked me I might be able to get up, but that they needed to make sure everything was good because the baby's heart rate was not changing with the contractions like they like to see. She had the training nurse check me. After checking for a minute, she decided that she couldn't tell what she was feeling and that the main nurse needed to check. The main nurse came around to check me and immediately knew what was going on. She told me that I had a prolapsed cord (the umbilical cord was between the baby and my cervix) and that they needed to immediately "stand me on my head." I knew the danger of prolapsed chord and made sure that Matt was fully informed. (He didn't know ahead of time what it was, but with a description, he figured out the dangers very quickly.) So...she stood me on my head (tilted the bed so I was head down). She said that the baby's heart rate was still good, so it wasn't a major emergency. She also hesitantly told me that it was almost definite that I would be headed for a c-section. She told me later that she hesitated because she knew that I really wanted to do things naturally. She left to go call the doctor that was on call for my doctor - Dr. Nguyen (they all pronounce it "win"). When she came back, she said that he expected to do a c-section and that he would be in to check me soon. She said that the only way I wouldn't have a c-section is if the baby had moved and the cord was no longer in the way. At this point, I was confident that I would be headed for a c-section and was a bit anxious about it. I knew, however, that it was the safest route for the baby. I was ok with what was going to happen, but it still made me shake with nervousness. The nurse told me several times that Dr. Nguyen was one of the best. She told me that he would make a good decision for me and my baby. And she told me that he was one of the best at sewing up the incision after a c-section. Some of these sentiments were repeated by other nurses along the way as well.
When Dr. Nguyen came in, he confirmed the location of the cord and told me that we would be headed for a c-section. He did an ultrasound to check the position of the baby and cord. I worked to see the ultrasound under his arm, but I couldn't really tell what anything was...even when he pointed things out. Dr. Nguyen said that the baby was laying kinda diagonal so that her neck was what was pointed down. The bad part is that this position may have been what allowed the cord to move where it did. The good part is that her head was not pushing against the cord and was not cutting off the blood flow to her. Once he left, a flurry of activity began around me. The admissions lady came in with lots of papers for me to sign. A nurse came in to put in an iv. Another lady came in to draw blood. My labor and delivery nurses gave me all kinds of information about the c-section and also prepped me for surgery. There were literally at least three people doing something or trying to talk to me the whole time. During this whole process, Matt read papers for me to sign and filled in whatever was needed other than my signature. He also called my mom to let her know what was going on. I'm sure he did some other things, but I really didn't have much of an idea because of all the activity. (Matt, you'll have to fill in here.) At one point, I had two people talking to me and I think I said something like "Who am I supposed to be listening to?"
Before long, they were wheeling me down the hall to the OR and Matt was slipping on scrubs. He had to wait in the L&D room until they got me settled. In the meantime, I think my dad got there (Mama was at our house with our still sleeping kids). Again, Matt will have to fill in here. When we got to the OR, there was a lady on the side of the room counting very loudly. It was rather strange sounding. Just as I was about to ask what she was doing, somebody explained that she was counting all the instruments and that they would count again when they finished to make sure they had everything. They moved me to the operating table and the anesthesiologist quickly got to work. She had already explained to me that she would do the spinal (actually, I was thinking it would be an epidural) while I was laying down since I couldn't sit up due to the situation. She also told me that it was harder to do it laying down so I would need to really curve my back and be really still. I asked if we could wait until the current contraction was over (yes, I was also having strong contractions through all of this). She said that we could, but that I was going to have to stay in that position through several contractions. I have to say, I was a little nervous of the prospect of somebody sticking something into my spine. Again, though, I was trying to stay calm because I knew that what was happening was the safest for the baby. It took her a while to get to where she needed to be to inject the medicine. In the meantime, she hit something (my spinal cord?) that sent a feeling like a shock down my left leg. I kinda twitched and made a sound and she quickly asked where I felt it. She said that it would let her know where she was. Once she was able to get the medicine in, things started moving quickly.
She asked me if my lower half was feeling warm and within less than a minute it was. She told me that the doctor would do a "pinch test" in several places to see if I could feel anything. I kept waiting for him to say "ok, I'm going to pinch now" but he never did. Within a minute or two, the anesthesiologist told me that he had already cut me. Honestly, it was a bit of a relief to know that he had already started and that I felt nothing. I was kinda nervous that it wouldn't work and I would feel something. I know...they do this all the time...but I was still a little nervous about it. Not much later, Matt came in and they had him sit near my head where he could hold my right hand. My arms were stretched out on either side of me straight out. They weren't tied down or anything, but it was weird to be in that position. They also had a blanket over my arms. I think they probably put it there because I was shaking. Unfortunately, the shaking had nothing to do with being cold. I thought at first that it was just my nerves. It turns out that it was probably mainly the medicine that they had given me. I have to say, the shaking was really one of the most annoying parts of the whole process. I shook for hours...well, the top of me anyway...the bottom of me couldn't move. I was thankful that I didn't have a problem with the other side effect that the anesthesiologist had warned me about - difficulty breathing. They did have oxygen on me, though, until the baby was delivered.
It didn't take long after Matt came in the room before they told me that they were about ready to get the baby out. They said "you're going to feel a lot of pressure" and then the went ahead. (In hindsight, I wonder how you can feel a lot of pressure but never feel any pain.) They pulled her head out and I remember somebody asking if it was a girl (was that you Matt?) and they said that they didn't have her out enough yet. Then, they pulled her out the rest of the way and held her up where Matt could see. I remember him saying that she had her mouth wide open like she was ready to scream. I was just waiting to hear her. To me, that would be the indication that she was ok because at this point I still couldn't see her. It didn't take long before she was screaming loudly. I smiled. They announced that she was born at 6:27 AM. (I had to ask several times before I could remember what time they said.) After Matt had gone over to see her, I asked him if he had the camera. He had it but had not started taking pictures yet...but he did so quickly. Within a minute or two, somebody (who turned out to be the pediatrician) brought her over for me to see. I was instantly filled with joy at seeing with my own eyes that she was out and ok. (This is the moment in the picture that was posted previously.)
Matt stayed with the baby while they checked her out. They weighed her and announced that she was 9 lbs, 7.7 oz. I don't know when they measured her length, but she was 22 inches. Before heading to the nursery, they brought her over to let me see and touch her again. Matt stayed with her when they took her out of the OR. As he was about to walk out the door (which I could see), I hollered to him "So, are we going with the name we talked about?" and he gave a quick "Yes." Then, he left to follow the baby. The doctors and nurses in the room quickly asked me what her name was and I announced that it was Sara Katharine. They all thought that it was a pretty name (but they have to say that, don't they?). The doctor continued to work on finishing things up and the anesthesiologist hovered around my head. There was some discussion of popular music between her and one of the nurses. At one point, I heard one of the nurses say something about moving my bladder out of the way. I have to say, that was an odd thing to overhear. It was also a little bit discouraging for me because it had been a while (though I couldn't see the clock) and I thought that they were already sewing me up. At any rate, it took a while to finish things and sew me up. Somewhere along the way, the main L&D nurse came in and sat and held my hand. She chatted with me and tried to help me calm down some so that my shaking wouldn't be so bad. Somewhere along the way, I asked if I could see the placenta. We have pictures of the other two (weird, I know) so I wanted to at least get to see it. One of the nurses brought it over in a plastic ziploc-type bag. Eventually, they finished up, took the sheet down that blocked my view, and wheeled me to the recovery room.
After getting to the recovery room, Matt joined me. I was still shaking and really wanted to see Sara. It didn't take them too long to bring her to me. They told me that she could stay for a little while, but they would need to take her back after I tried to nurse so that they could get her a bath. We spent some time with our new little girl and took some pictures. I nursed her and then we let her go back to the nursery. Matt hung out with me and we chatted with the recovery room nurse. I'm not exactly sure how long we were there (maybe an hour and a half?), but somewhere along the way, Mama came in to see us. I guess that she and Daddy had switched out at some point. After she checked on me, she went back to our house to get the kids up and ready to come to the hospital.
Once the nurse confirmed that I was stable and I started to be able to wiggle my feet a little, they moved me to a postpartum room. I was expecting Sara to join us before long, but they were waiting for her to warm up after her bath. While we were waiting, my parents arrived with Nathan and Caroline. About 10:30, they finally brought Sara in from the nursery. The kids were very interested in seeing her. They each took a turn holding her. Caroline had a little trouble with that first visit. She didn't seem to have a problem with Sara specifically, but she was being quite ornery. I think having Mommy in a hospital bed who she basically couldn't touch and having a new baby was all a bit too much for her. By her visit later that afternoon, though, she was handling things much better. And by the time we went home, she was much more settled. Nathan seemed to handle the whole thing beautifully. He, of course, was interested in all the little things - what was the thing in my hand, what was the thing with the bag hanging from it, what was the tube running from under the sheets, why did he have to not touch my belly, etc.
As far as how things went the rest of the day for me...I was in a bit of a fog. I was really having to work hard to think straight and also to stay awake. By the evening, they removed my catheter and let me get up to go to the bathroom. That trip to the bathroom was definitely an effort and was quite painful. I made a point to get up several other times, though. I knew that it would be best for me to get moving when I could. On Sunday, I got up and walked down the hall several times. The hardest part was getting up. I guess after sitting for a while, it just took a little time to stretch everything back out again. It was definitely not a pretty picture. I honestly thought that it would take a while before I could get rid of the pain medicines. But by Friday, I was completely off of them. We went home on Monday - only two days after having a c-section. I think they let me go because I was doing so well getting up and because I really wanted to get home - especially because it was my birthday on Monday. And one more thought before I finish up. I never had any pain at the outer incision itself. And it has looked great the entire time! The nurses were right. Dr. Nguyen did a great job sewing me up!
Matt's filling in the blanks:
While the nurses were prepping Jennifer for surgery, I called my parents and let them know what was going on. I also tried to help answer questions and reassure Jennifer. After they took her off to the OR, I stayed behind and hung out. I called our Sunday school teacher to ask him to pray and let him know what was happening. Jennifer's dad arrived after that and we sat in the room waiting for them to come get me. I ate some of a granola bar that I had brought -- I was extremely hungry.
I did not ask if it was a girl during the C section -- I just looked.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
blessed by sleep and other news
Am I blessed or what? My kids have always been good sleepers. When Nathan was little, he started sleeping about 5 hours at a time at 5 weeks...6 hours at 6 weeks...etc. When Caroline was little, she started sleeping about 12 hours at 5 weeks. Wow! Well, last night, Sara took a 5 hour stretch from 3 to 8. Oh...how nice! That means that I (and Matt) got almost 8 hours of sleep in only two pieces! I can't tell you what a blessing that is!
In other news, we have been doing well. Everyone is starting to get settled. Caroline is still having a little transition trouble, but I can't link it to anything specific. I am feeling much better these days. I am off of one pain pill and I think I'll be able to get off the other in a day or two. I am so thankful to have Matt as my husband. He has done such a wonderful job of taking care of everybody!! If he weren't so on top of everything, I know that I wouldn't be doing as well. Thank you, Matt! Thank you also to our Sunday School class who is bringing us food and to my parents and grandparents who have helped out a bunch!
In other news, we have been doing well. Everyone is starting to get settled. Caroline is still having a little transition trouble, but I can't link it to anything specific. I am feeling much better these days. I am off of one pain pill and I think I'll be able to get off the other in a day or two. I am so thankful to have Matt as my husband. He has done such a wonderful job of taking care of everybody!! If he weren't so on top of everything, I know that I wouldn't be doing as well. Thank you, Matt! Thank you also to our Sunday School class who is bringing us food and to my parents and grandparents who have helped out a bunch!
Monday, March 16, 2009
home
We're home. It took us a while to get packed up and out of the hospital. We got here about 1:30. Matt is busy taking care of all of us. In fact, he hasn't even eaten full meals like normal the last two days. There's a lot more for him to do than we expected since I had the c-section. The recovery is just going to take longer. Please pray that we can at least settle into some sort of routine soon and things won't be too crazy!
fixing to leave the hospital
Though the doctor assigned to Jennifer (her real OB is out of town) forgot to come see her this morning, the girls are cleared to be discharged today. We are packing things up and getting ready to go. Nathan and Caroline will be here in a bit and we'll all go home together. It'll be nice to be home, and it's Jennifer's birthday today, so it'll be particularly nice for her not to have to be in the hospital all day.
shame on Mommy
Sorry about not updating anything about Sara yesterday. Shame on this Mommy! I guess you can tell what my focus was at the time. Sara is doing well. She has been eating very well from the get-go. She has had some trouble sleeping at night, but Daddy has really spoiled her during the day. He held her while she slept just about all day yesterday. :) I think she may be having a little reflux problem. Hopefully, it's just "normal" newborn reflux and not something that will continue or get worse. I'm sure we'll find out just as soon as my milk really comes in.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
an update from the hospital
I will take some time after we get home to write in length about the experiences of the last two days, but for now, I thought I would just give a quick update. Things are going pretty well. I didn't get much sleep last night for various reasons (I tried...really), but I've been holding up ok today. I've been in a good bit of pain...that's to be expected. I've been getting up and walking down the hall. My food has been pretty good - once I started getting "real" food. Honestly, though, I'll just be really glad to get home. I will be so much more comfortable! I'm sure I will sleep better. I just hope that they'll send me home with plenty of good pain meds!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
a quick resolution
Sara Katharine Moseley joined our world this morning at 6:27, weighing 9 lbs 7.7 oz. and measuring 22 inches long! She was delivered by emergency Caesarean section. Everybody is doing well. It's not what we were expecting or planning on, but the upside is that the whole labor experience didn't last long and didn't hurt Jennifer very much. Recovery is going to be more difficult, however. Sara has a head of cute short hair and has chubby cheeks.
Okay, so on to "why emergency C section?". When we got to the hospital at ~4:15 AM, we got checked in and into a room and met the nurses. They went over Jennifer's list of preferences and how she wanted things to go and were supportive of her desire to do things naturally, without being hooked up to machines and confined to the bed. We already knew her doctor was not available and were going to have someone we had never met. Fortunately, it turned out to be a doctor who Jennifer had heard a lot of positive things about.
Okay, so on to "why emergency C section?". When we got to the hospital at ~4:15 AM, we got checked in and into a room and met the nurses. They went over Jennifer's list of preferences and how she wanted things to go and were supportive of her desire to do things naturally, without being hooked up to machines and confined to the bed. We already knew her doctor was not available and were going to have someone we had never met. Fortunately, it turned out to be a doctor who Jennifer had heard a lot of positive things about.
Then the nurses checked on how things were progressed. Not much had changed since yesterday (besides her water having broken about 12:30 AM or so). However, the nurses were immediately concerned. They had found that Sara's umbilical cord was between her and freedom, which is very dangerous. One of the nurses couldn't figure out exactly what the situation was by touch. The other nurse found the umbilical cord in the way but could not find a pulse in it; however, we did know that Sara had a good heartbeat. The danger in having the umbilical cord where it was is that the cord can come out or otherwise get constricted and stop the blood flow. The nurses told us that it was pretty certain the delivery would be by C section, unless things happened to shift around on their own quickly.
The doctor showed up and talked with us a bit, then did an ultrasound to see what could be seen. He could see that the umbilical cord was looped kind of through her elbow. Her shoulder was pointed down and her head was off to the side, which was probably good because it would keep her head from constricting the cord. There was at this point no question about needing the C section. Things were moving very fast with a lot of people doing things in the room to get ready. I made a couple of phone calls to let people know what was happening. They gave me some operating room clothes to put on, which were rather small. Then without much warning they took Jennifer to get anesthetized and I stayed behind in the room. After they got her sedated (local only was the intention), they would come back and get me to come in and watch. That is, if they didn't have to go with a general anesthetic, in which case they would come back and tell me I couldn't go in.
After a while one of the nurses came back and got me. I went in and they had Jennifer on the table already working on her. I got to go sit back with her and hold her hand. She was doing really well despite all the unexpected things that had happened. I couldn't see much of what was going on with the surgery. They worked pretty quickly it seemed, then got her out and I could see her. She had her mouth wide open like she was screaming, but no sound was coming out. They cut the cord and took her over to check her out. I went to watch and take photos. They eventually took her over to let Jennifer see, then did some more work on her and got her ready to go to the nursery. On the way out of the OR, Jennifer called out to ask if we were going to give her the name we discussed; I said yes, and I went with (now) Sara to the nursery for some more checks, first shots, etc.
So more description to come, including some from Jennifer. I also didn't put in any parts about other people (Grandma and Granddad, the kids, etc.). It is nice to have wireless Internet in the hospital room...
The doctor showed up and talked with us a bit, then did an ultrasound to see what could be seen. He could see that the umbilical cord was looped kind of through her elbow. Her shoulder was pointed down and her head was off to the side, which was probably good because it would keep her head from constricting the cord. There was at this point no question about needing the C section. Things were moving very fast with a lot of people doing things in the room to get ready. I made a couple of phone calls to let people know what was happening. They gave me some operating room clothes to put on, which were rather small. Then without much warning they took Jennifer to get anesthetized and I stayed behind in the room. After they got her sedated (local only was the intention), they would come back and get me to come in and watch. That is, if they didn't have to go with a general anesthetic, in which case they would come back and tell me I couldn't go in.
After a while one of the nurses came back and got me. I went in and they had Jennifer on the table already working on her. I got to go sit back with her and hold her hand. She was doing really well despite all the unexpected things that had happened. I couldn't see much of what was going on with the surgery. They worked pretty quickly it seemed, then got her out and I could see her. She had her mouth wide open like she was screaming, but no sound was coming out. They cut the cord and took her over to check her out. I went to watch and take photos. They eventually took her over to let Jennifer see, then did some more work on her and got her ready to go to the nursery. On the way out of the OR, Jennifer called out to ask if we were going to give her the name we discussed; I said yes, and I went with (now) Sara to the nursery for some more checks, first shots, etc.
So more description to come, including some from Jennifer. I also didn't put in any parts about other people (Grandma and Granddad, the kids, etc.). It is nice to have wireless Internet in the hospital room...
the beginning...
Well, I think this is it. I think I am in the beginning stages of labor. I woke up a little over an hour ago. I'm pretty sure that my water has broken. In addition, my contractions are actually painful now. These feel like the real thing. Yay! Oh no! Yay!
Next step...hang out at home for a while and debate about when to go to the hospital.
I do believe that we'll have a little girl here with us before the day is over!
Next step...hang out at home for a while and debate about when to go to the hospital.
I do believe that we'll have a little girl here with us before the day is over!
Friday, March 13, 2009
nothin' doin'
Well, nothing has changed since last week. So...we're in the same holding pattern. If the baby has not come by next Friday (when my doctor will be back) then we will go over to the hospital for a non-stress test and an ultrasound to make sure the baby and fluid levels are ok and then keep holding if all is fine. I would say that I don't think that we'll make it to Friday, but then, I didn't think we would make it to today either. At this point, I don't have any intelligent guesses.
due date
Well, I never thought that we would make it to today without a baby. It's kinda weird. I have an OB appointment at 10:00 this morning, so it will be interesting to see what she has to say. The whole thing is especially interesting because she's leaving town tomorrow for a week. At this point, it's looking like somebody that I've never met will be delivering this baby. It's not my most favorite idea, but I can't worry too much about that. Of course, it's always possible that I'll go into labor today and things will go quickly. It's a continuous wait and see game...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
watch out
***If you're a guy who doesn't like to know about girly things or a girl who doesn't want the details of pregnancy, quit reading now...you've been warned!***
For a while, this little girl inside me has been jumping around on my cervix (at least that's my best guess about what's going on). Thankfully, it doesn't happen all the time...mostly just in the evening when she really gets to moving. However, it is a very strange and uncomfortable feeling! It often makes me jump. Has anybody else ever had this happen?
For a while, this little girl inside me has been jumping around on my cervix (at least that's my best guess about what's going on). Thankfully, it doesn't happen all the time...mostly just in the evening when she really gets to moving. However, it is a very strange and uncomfortable feeling! It often makes me jump. Has anybody else ever had this happen?
Monday, March 09, 2009
update on the update
So, the newest news is that Nathan has the flu. Luckily, he isn't feeling too bad, but still. As much as I would like for the baby to go ahead and come, it just might be best for her to wait a few days until Nathan gets better. All along the way, though, I've been praying that she'll come when she can be most healthy and labor can be easiest. I think we'll just have to trust that God knows best and will keep her healthy!
morning update
I had a few things going on over night that I haven't had lately, but I'm not jumping to any conclusions. I think I'm having more contractions this morning than normal (they usually come more at night), but again, I'm not paying much attention. The main reason for not paying attention is that I'm taking Nathan over to the doctor this morning. He's been running a fever since yesterday morning and occasionally has a really nasty sounding cough. I wouldn't normally take him so soon, but with the baby coming, I really want to get him cleared up if at all possible! I hope the doctor will agree with my sentiment!
Oh yeah...and I have PUPPP. It's just dandy. Basically, it's a rash that itches like poison ivy that pregnant women get on their stretch marks. Luckily, I only have it on my belly...so far...but that is MORE than enough!
Oh yeah...and I have PUPPP. It's just dandy. Basically, it's a rash that itches like poison ivy that pregnant women get on their stretch marks. Luckily, I only have it on my belly...so far...but that is MORE than enough!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
here and there
Well, I've been having some contractions here and there, but again, nothing too regular. I guess that's about all the update I have about that. :)
On a more fun note...I think this little girl is all limbs! I feel her arms and legs moving all the time. It's so funny. I rarely feel anything else. However, I often feel multiple arms and legs at the same time. I think she likes to stretch out and wiggle everything all together. In case you find it as interesting as I do, I'll tell you about what I feel where. Near my left ribs, I often feel what I think is a foot. Toward the left at the bottom of my belly there is often a hand or elbow that runs across...usually left to right. All the way around my right side just under my ribs, I feel another limb...probably a foot. This one I also feel slightly around the front at times. And the other hand (I guess) I feel on occasion near my right hip. As I sit here typing, I am feeling both of the ones on the right. Even though this is my third pregnancy, it's always fun to feel body parts that you can identify. And with this little girl, it's fun (and often shocking) to feel one of these limbs move quickly across my belly. It still amazes me that she can move so fast at this point!
On a more fun note...I think this little girl is all limbs! I feel her arms and legs moving all the time. It's so funny. I rarely feel anything else. However, I often feel multiple arms and legs at the same time. I think she likes to stretch out and wiggle everything all together. In case you find it as interesting as I do, I'll tell you about what I feel where. Near my left ribs, I often feel what I think is a foot. Toward the left at the bottom of my belly there is often a hand or elbow that runs across...usually left to right. All the way around my right side just under my ribs, I feel another limb...probably a foot. This one I also feel slightly around the front at times. And the other hand (I guess) I feel on occasion near my right hip. As I sit here typing, I am feeling both of the ones on the right. Even though this is my third pregnancy, it's always fun to feel body parts that you can identify. And with this little girl, it's fun (and often shocking) to feel one of these limbs move quickly across my belly. It still amazes me that she can move so fast at this point!
Friday, March 06, 2009
no such luck?
Well, I was hoping to have something interesting to update today. However, there is nothing interesting going on. I am still having a few contractions, but nothing regular like yesterday. I'm just hoping that my body is working lots every time it fakes me out and I'm going to end up very dilated without any pain! A girl can hope. :)
Thursday, March 05, 2009
yay Matt!
Everybody cheer for Matt! He received a promotion today. He is now a "Software Engineer 3". Yay! He continues to do a great job that is recognized by his peers and bosses at work. They continue to reward him for a job well done!
6 minutes
For those that are interested and are getting updates here...
I am still having contractions about every 6 minutes. They have been this way at least since lunch. They are not painful, but have seemed to be getting a little stronger lately. I fully suspect that things are going to keep moving along. It's just a matter of when they decide to get closer and stronger. But I fully expect to have a baby here within the next couple days.
I am still having contractions about every 6 minutes. They have been this way at least since lunch. They are not painful, but have seemed to be getting a little stronger lately. I fully suspect that things are going to keep moving along. It's just a matter of when they decide to get closer and stronger. But I fully expect to have a baby here within the next couple days.
progress?
Yes! I had my weekly OB visit this morning. While I waited (longer than normal), I noticed that I was having more contractions than I have been lately. I didn't really pay too much attention, though. After all, I've been having contractions for months and they come and go. Earlier in the week I was having more and thought something might be coming...and then they stopped for a day and a half almost completely. So anyway, when I finally got to see the doctor, she asked if I wanted her to check me. I told her I did so that I would know if anything was happening (I was completely closed last week). I'll save you the details, but it turns out that I was 3 cm and about 75% effaced. So, I don't know when the progress happened, but sometime in the last week my body has made some progress. You never know...these contractions that I'm having today might just be working to get a baby out soon. I intend to update on here if I know anything, so stay tuned.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
38 weeks and family
Here is a picture of me and my big belly from today. I am 38 weeks (and a couple days).
We attempted to take some pictures of the whole family. I decided that this was the best one. :)
We attempted to take some pictures of the whole family. I decided that this was the best one. :)
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