January 9, 2008

BIRTH STORY 12/11/07

So here's how it all went down-----I watched my due date of December 5th come and go, so the doctor told me that we will induce starting on Monday, December 10th starting at 6:30 am if I don't go in on my own before that. Well, he had no plans of coming anytime before the 10th, so off we went to the hospital and got there at 6:30 (I used to think that was REALLY early in the morning--NOW I KNOW what really early in the morning is with a newborn that has no sense of time!) Everything went smoothly as I had pre-registered with the hospital months before the due date. Everyone was so nice, and they got us into our room. A little later, they hooked me up on the fetal monitor and I could see that I was having contractions on my own, but I couldn't feel them. So that told me that I would have probably gone into labor on my own in the next few days. So they started me on the Pitocin around 8am and I was having more contractions but wasn't really feeling them so every half hour they came in and upped the dosage of Pitocin to get things going. I would say I didn't really start feeling contractions until about 1pm and they were not that bad. At this point I was still only dilated at 2cm, so they continued upping the dosage and around 4pm I fell asleep only to be woken up at 5pm to my water breaking on its own!! It sounded like a big POP! on the fetal monitor and then a gush of fluid--ewww! They checked to see if it was indeed my water that broke with some strip test and it was. They told me that since my water had broken, the contractions would probaby start to get stronger, well, they were right! After maybe another hour, the contractions were getting really strong and I knew it was only going to get worse so I asked for the epidural and they told me the anesthesiologist was next door setting up another woman that came in after me who was progressing faster than I was (this was her second child and my first). Then after a little while longer I asked again and they told me he had to go to an emergency surgery and he will be there as soon as he can. WHAT?!?! I was in pain by this time, and it was not for another 2.5 hours until I got the epidural, I wanted to cry. The anesthesiologist was not the nicest person in the world, but I didn't care as long as he made the pain go away he was my best friend! So while I was waiting for the epidural my Dad was there with my Husband and he (my Dad) kept making corny jokes and every time a contraction came I just wanted to strangle him because I just wanted everyone to be quiet during the contraction. My husband was great, he was sneaking me some snacks and stuff while the nurses were gone, but I messed up and left a crumb on the snow-white sheets of the bed and the nurse saw it!!! She didn't say anything, but looked at me and asked if I wanted some Jello! LOL, I love her! So after two or three jello cups they came in to check me and around 11:30pm they told me I was at 9-9.5 cm!! Whoa, I never felt a thing after the epidural--it was so great to see the contractions on the monitor but not feel them! By midnight I was at 10 cm so they told me I could start pushing! Well, I pushed this baby for two hours and I was exhausted! They didn't want to give me any water so I had ice chips from hubby and I sucked the water off his fingers! I'm not kidding, I was so thirsty I just didn't care! Everyone kept telling me, "You're doing really good, that was a good push!" After a while I didn't want to hear that anymore. I just wanted to hear, "Congratulations, Chrissy, he's here!" I wanted to tell them that if I was doing so #$#&%^$#$#% good, then why isn't he out yet??? Well, Eli Milo finally made his entrance into the world at 2:02am on December 11th weighing 7lbs, 14 oz and 20 inches long. He was so beautiful, I just cried when I saw him. It was a little surreal the whole thing, looking back it seemed like it went so fast but while I was there it seemed SLOOOOOOWW. I heard him crying and it was such a sweet cry, oh I can't describe the love I felt for him and for my husband. So then the doctor was stitching me up as I needed an episiotomy and I also tore a little on my own when the doctor became a little concerned that my uterus was not contracting back and my blood would not stop flowing, as a matter of fact it was not clotting. They started talking in 'doctor-talk' so my husband wouldn't become concerned, but I was losing too much blood and they were worried so I ended up in surgery and it turns out that the doc thinks I have HELLP Syndrome, but that it will only affect me during pregnancies. So I needed a blood transfusion, 4 units total. That was scary, I never had to do that before. My platelets were very low and my blood just couldn't clot so we ended up being in the hospital for 5 whole days recovering. I had the epidural catheter in me the WHOLE 5 days becasue with my platelets so low, they were afraid to take it our for fear that I wouldn't stop bleeding and get some massive infection! So finally after a few days, my blood values were back up and they took the epidural catheter out and we were free to go! It was great being there in the hospital becasue those few extra days gave me extra time with the lactation specialist and we asked as many questions as we could so when we left, we felt pretty prepared and it was a good feeling. So now we're home for almost a month now and things are going really well. I seriously don't know what I did with my life before this little miracle, he's amazing and we feel really blessed! Even with all the complications, I would do it all again over and over! We definitely want more children, perhaps a girl next time?!?Sorry it has taken so long to post this--we've been busy!! All the best to everyone!

Hugs and kisses, Chrissy

January 3, 2008

He's here! Eli Milo was born on December 11th, 2007! As you can see it has been a while since then but we have been jam-packed with things going on that I just didn't have time to get on here to announce it! I know I don't have to explain this to all you ladies, you know exactly what I mean ;-)

He's beautiful, at birth he was 7 pounds 14 ounces, 20 inches long. I think he will have chocolate brown eyes like his daddy with dark brown hair--nothing like my blonde hair and blue eyes, oh no he will be his daddy's clone! Sot that means he will be handsome!

We had the Jewish ritual circumcision 8 days after he was born and that is totally healed now, thank goodness! What can I say, he's just perfect--the answer to all my prayers thanks be to God.

It's been an honor sharing this journey with all of you ladies and I really appreciate all the things we've talked about and discussed and worried over. I actually miss being pregnant sometimes, one of the highlights of my days while pregnant (second to eating of course!) was coming home from work and checking on all of you ladies and chatting with you and I do miss that.

I wish you all the best for the new year with your new babies, take care and I'll post the birth story later!

Love,

Chrissy

December 5th, 2007

Well, here we are on my due date and no baby yet! He is nice and snug in there, he's not making a move until he absolutely has to. So if he's not born this week, I am being induced on Monday December 10, 2007 starting at 6:30 am! In less than a week, we will be parents! I have a nonstress test on the 8th so we will see--really down to the wire here!

November 17th, 2007

Alright, 37 weeks! We made it to full term! I wake up every day wondering if it will be the day--kind of exciting and kind of annoying because I just don't know. I feel really good, no complaints. The only thing is trying to sleep at night with these achy hips. We had an ultrasound this past Tuesday adn the tech said he weighs approx 6.5 pounds and his head is low and he is int he right position. On a funny note, she showed us how both of his testicles have descended to the outside of his body--apparently this is a good thing--LOL! Is it strange to think how funny it is that right now I have both boy and girl parts right now?!?!LOL!

November 2, 2007

Had my 34 week appointment and the doc says the baby has dropped as I am now measuring smaller. That would explain the extra pressure I feel in my lower abdomen and pelvic area. Hmmmmm, so we're getting close and I'm still not finished organizing everything--will we ever be really, really ready?? So I have an ultrasound scheduled for 11/13/07 to check the baby's position and weight and all that fun stuff, I can't wait. Remember when we could see the whole baby in the ultrasound photos and now we can only see parts since they are so much bigger--amazing. Anyway have a great weekend ladies!

October 28, 2007

Hello my lovely ladies! I hope you are all doing well. Well, another two weeks has gone by and I will be at my 34 week appointment tomorrow at 9:30am. I thinka t this appointment I will have an ultrasound scheduled to check the baby's weight, position, and growth for around week 35-36 or somewhere in there. I can't wait to see him again, it will be so exciting.

Yesterday was my baby shower, almost everyone showed up except for those out of state and out of country of course! It was so fun, so much fun that I am now dealing with a headache from all the laughing and crying I did. I CANNOT believe all the things my friends and family blessed us with, it is so amazing. We received a 3 in 1 Rocker, Bassinet, Baby Einstein Play Gym, TONS and TONS of clothes I will never need to buy more (just kidding!) a beautiful dresser, a glider chair for 3am feedings, a high chair, car seat(s), bedding sets, a new hamper for the baby, the list goes on and on.....Now we have to build most of the big pieces and organize all the small stuff! Oh yeah and I still have to get my hospital bag together! YIKES!! Anyone else as unorganized as me???????

October 14, 2007

Well another week has gone by and tomorrow I will be going to my Week 32 doctor's appointment. I wonder how much I've gained this time! With all the Taco Bell Bean Burritos (with sour cream thank you very much!) I can only imagine! I think I will be having a Beta Strip Test at my 34 week appointment and I should have an ultrasound soon to check the weight of the baby and position and all that fun stuff, shoot I just wanna see him again!! I think I have been feeling the Braxton Hick's contractions from the way everyone describes them. I've only had 3 in the past 2 weeks that I can remember. My abdomen gets really tight and I become crampy but then it goes away after a few minutes. I was wondering what those feelings were and now I think I know! HAve a great week ladies!! Love ya!

October 8, 2007

EEWWWWW, I threw up last night for the first time in maybe 3 months! So many flashbacks from the first trimester came swirling through my head. I remember thinking that I don't know how I threw up 4 times a day for 3 months--so I came to the conclusion that I (and every other woman) am SUPERWOMAN! Yup, that's right I said it!

September 2, 2007

Thought this was fun...Just about the time you think you can't handle hearing one more "when is that baby going to pop?", your baby will decide to make it's appearance. We predict your baby will be born 3-7 days before its due date. Your baby will most likely be born in the morning. Justmommies predicts that your baby will weigh approximately 7.5 pounds and that your labor will be about 12 hours long.

August 10, 2007

23 weeks and counting!! This little baby boy is all over the place, he seems to go crazy when I step into the shower. I think he's reacting to the sound of the water on my belly! I have my glucose test on 8/20/07, not too worried about it. So far I have gained about 5 pounds and I am feeling really good these days. When I wear tank tops you can tell I'm pregnant but for the most part if I don't tell someone they still can't tell which for me is a bummer--I guess I'm in the "Is she just fat or is she pregnant?" stage! I'm thinking about having a 3D Ultrasound, but they're kinda expensive, we'll see! Talk to you all soon. Love, Chrissy

July 21, 2007

So my quad screening came out good, no problems for this pregnancy. I have to say I wasn't really worried. Last year when I was having the ectopic I worried all the time and I think I did a really good job of reprogramming myself to just not worry so much because anyway what can I do about things that aren't in my control, ya know? Anyway I hope you ladies are having a geat weekend! Love, Chrissy

July 19, 2007

Hi Ladies, I hope you're all doing good this week. This week was pretty good for me, no sickness or vomiting just tons of eating it seems! I finally got back to the weight I was before becoming pregnant after losing all that weight from M/S! These past couple of weeks we had a lot of family in town and I forgot how quiet it can be in our house when everyone is gone, I miss them. Tomorrow is 20 weeks, halfway already I just can't believe it! I can feel him every day although he is mostly active toward late afternoon and night time. Yesterday I swear he did a backflip! Talk to you all soon. Love, Chrissy

July 10, 2007

It's a BOY!! Yay, we were secretly hoping for our little miracle to be a boy and that's what we're having!! This house is electric with all the excitement! I was told to drink 32 oz of water before coming in but throughout this pregnancy so far drinking too much water in a short period of time has made me sick and this morning was no exception! Just before we left to go to the ultrasound there I was again yelling at the toilet! During the ultrasound he looked like he was burrowing his head in me, oh my God it was so cute and then he stretched his leg. He was facing my back the whole time during the ultrasound and so we didn't get the most ideal profile but I am happy anyway. I'm in love....

July 7, 2007

Hi Ladies, How are you all doing today? Things are still going well in my boat, we have the ultrasound to go to on 7/10/07 and I am sooo excited! Everyone keeps telling me not to eat too much beforehand because the baby gets a rush from the food energy and sometimes isn't still enough to get a good pic of between the legs! I figured I'll just eat like I regularly do. I'm still feeling little thumps every day but it is sporadic and I really only notice it when I sit down or after eating. Every time I feel it I smile, I can't believe that I am this blessed. My husband and I have done something very special here having made this little thumper in my belly. I'm so happy about this baby I could just burst!! I hope you all have a great weekend! Happy 07/07/07!! Love, Chrissy

July 3, 2007

Oh yeah, definitely ate all day at Wet N' Wild and had a blast at the wave pool. It's a little scary though with everyone kicking and swimming so near your stomach, I swear I can't even look at people fighting on TV anymore without covering my stomach. Funny how the protective instinct kicks in so fast. My family in town had a great time at the park so all in all it was a nice day! I hope you all had as good a day as me! Love, Chrissy

July 1, 2007

Hello ladies, Here on the site today because I just wasn't feeling so good this morning. Had a backache when I woke up and ended up having a bout of vomiting to start my day. I was going to go in to work with hubby today (we work Sunday to Friday) but just couldn't get motivated enough to move much faster than a sloth so here I am on my favorite site! I have family coming into town tomorrow night and I just pray to God that I will be feeling good while they are here, I can't wait! Hubby and I are going to take them to Wet N' Wild, of course I can't go on the rides so I will be in the Lazy River all day long while they do the faster slides, oh yeah I'll be eating all day too since my appetite is COMING BACK!! Yes!! Talk to you all soon, have a great week ladies! Love, Chrissy

June 30, 2007

Hi Ladies, 17 weeks now and counting! I have a definite little bump these days and can feel the little one after eating a full meal. It feels like little very light plucking in the lower abdomen, it is so awesome! We will be (hopefully) finding out the sex on July 10th, we just can't wait! A friend of mine told me not to eat too much the morning of because she did and the baby was so active after all that food that they were not able to find out the sex the whole pregnancy. Anyone have any other ideas or input? With my insurance, this may be the only shot I have to find out as I have already had two other ultrasounds so far. Wish me luck! Love, Chrissy

June 25, 2007

Hi everyone, my name is Chrissy and my husband Elan and I live in Palm Harbor, Florida. We have been married for about three years and together for almost eight years total. We have been trying to have children for over a year now and became pregnant last year only to find out we were having a tubal pregnancy. If you aren't sure what that is, it's when the baby is growing in your fallopian tube and not in your uterus as it should be and this type of pregnancy is not a viable one whatsoever. So it turned out that I was bleeding pretty badly on the inside without knowing it because the baby continued growing even in the tube! I did have visible bleeding but you know how they say it can be normal in early pregnancy. One day I was at work, and I felt like I was going to faint which never happens to me, so I just left work and everyone told me I had turned white (Well I'm already white but turned REALLY white!). I went home and noticed my lower right abdomen was throbbing and my hubby wanted to take me to the hospital but I said maybe it will pass. Well, of course it didn't and the next morning we went to the Emergency Room and after some tests and an ultrasound that showed nothing in the uterus even after multiple positive pregnancy tests, they concluded it must be ectopic (tubal). I had a laparoscopy and emergency surgery (salpingectomy) and had my right tube taken out with the little one in it, like I said they are not viable pregnancies--there is as of yet no way to transport an implanted baby from the fallopian tube to the uterus. This happens to about 1 in every 70-100 pregnancies and I was the one...but anyway it's over and I believe that God and my husband really got me through it without going into a really bad depression. We have both always really wanted children and my hubby has been ready for over 5 years now! We are almost eight years apart, and I wasn't quite ready when he was. We have a really good and trusting relationship, we share the same faith which is our backbone and I couldn't ask for more. God really has His hand on us I just know it.

So I have only my left tube and it WORKS because as of right now I about 16 and a half weeks along and honestly I just can't be more thankful. I know everyone says it, but when you go through a rough pregnancy where you end up losing your baby and then have one that seems almost textbook you are so much more appreciative of even morning sickness!

My symptoms so far have been: Nausea, TONS of vomiting ( I lost eight pounds and am still trying to gain them back), lower back pain, bleeding gums, hip pain, lightheadedness, I fainted while they took my blood for testing, of course the nonstop peeing, round ligament pain just started kicking in, and I am just a tad more emotional but I try to keep it in check, let's not forget the sore and swollen boobs with veins all over them.

I just can't wait to have a buddha belly, I really think pregnant women are so cute! I notice them so much more now that I'm pregnant and wonder which one I will look more like--their bellies are all so different!

I will have a ton of people coming to see our little arrival God-willing in December. My hubby's family will be coming all the way from Israel and I will have tons of family coming from NJ. We told them to give us a month to get acquainted with out little one first, nothing would be more frustrating than trying to learn the ropes of breastfeeding with 10 people in your house, ya know what I mean??

So I'll chat with you ladies later, here's to healthy pregnancies for us all!! :-) Love, Chrissy

Pregnancy Survey
About You
Name?:	Chrissy
Age?:	26
Height?:	5'3"
Pre-pregnancy weight?:	140
About The Father
Name?:	Elan
Age?:	34
Height?:	5'9"
Are you still together?:	Yes
About Your Pregnancy
Is this your first pregnancy?:	No, my first pregnancy was tubal.
When did you find out you were pregnant?:	The end of March 2007
Was it planned?:	We were hoping...
What was your first reaction?:	I cried because I couldn't believe it, I just kept thanking God.
Who was with you when you found out?:	My husband
Who was the first person you told?:	My Grandmother
How did your parents react?:	They wree happy, everyone knew we were hoping for children in our lives.
How far along are you?:	17 weeks and 2 days as of 7/1/07
What was your first symptom?:	Spotting--implantation bleeding
What is your due date?:	December 5th, 2007
Do you know the sex of the baby?:	Not yet, hopefully on 7/10/07
If so, what is it?:
Have you picked out names?:	Yes
If so, what are they?:	Sorry, Jewish tradition has us wait until the birth to say!
How much weight have you gained?:	None, I lost 8 pounds due to M/S but am slowly gaining it back!
Do you have stretch marks?:	Not yet, but sure that I will!
Have you felt the baby move?:	Yes, it is amazing...
Have you heard the heartbeat?:	Yes, another amazing experience!
About the birth
Will you keep the baby?:	Yes
Home or hospital birth?:	Hospital
Natural or medicated birth?:	Whatever happens
Who will be in the delivery room with you?:	My husband
Will you breastfeed?:	I am certainly going to try
Do you think you'll need a c-section?:	Not sure, you never know.
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?:	I'm crying now so I know I will then!
What's the first thing you might say to him/her?:	"You and your father are the best things to ever happen to me."
Would you let someone videotape the birth?:	No
Are you excited about the birth, or scared?:	Definitely both!

So here is one of the 3D photos they took today, he's covering his cute little face with his arm! 8/14/07