Birth Story

Sunday, Jan 20...I was feeling ill all day. Threw up, diahrea, etc...having contractions...so called doc around 3 pm. They said to come in and get checked out. So, I was having regular contractions, but because I was dehyrdrated. They stripped my membranes...but nothing happened after a few hours, so they sent me home. On Monday my hubby returned to his place of work, about 350 miles from here.

Thursday, Jan 24...3:45 am. I woke up, a bit in pain, like had to pee. Did that, twice..then I was like, hummm, this feels like contractions I think...so went downstairs, took out the dog...while having contractions about every 5 min. I was like yeah, this is it. So I called my hubby at 4:30 am and told him he needed to leave where he was by 6 am so he could hopefully get to see the baby born, I was guessing, around noon. Then I took a shower...called my friend to come and help me get the kids together. She also took them for the day until my mom could get off of work to take them for the afternoon/eve/overnight. I called my other friend to drive me to the hospital which is 40 minutes from here...called her about 5:30am. So, finally got everyone/thing together, and we went out the door about 6:15 am.

Got to the hospital...had to register. They tried to sit me in a wheelchair...um, no thank you, that hurts MORE! So I registered, but did ride back to L & D because it was too far to walk. They checked me and I was 5-6 cm!!! OH MY GOSH!!! So much more than I thought it would be and it was only like 7:30-8 am. They asked me if I waned an epidural..Oh, can you say...YES!!! (looking back, it would have been okay without one..that is, until the set you in the bed and strap you up to the mnonitors..it hurts so much more then). So, I had to get an IV to get the fluid going to get the epi. They stuck me FIVE TIMES!! They had to get 3 people to get the damn thing in, and it took 45 minutes. I was very cold and still dehydrated, so that's why they had a hard time. Thank the LORD they finally got it. So then the epidural man came in. That wasn't too bad..but with this one I felt even more than the first two. So, all this was done around 10 am. There was also some family drama, but I won't get into that...Meanwhile...the friend that drove me stayed with me until my other friend that was going to be around for labor, or until my hubby go there, arrived...so that was around 8:30/9 am..after the whole IV ordeal.

Around 12:30, 1 pm, I am feeling like its getting close. We call my hubby to see where he is on his trip home, and he won't tell me. I dealt with this at first, and understood..because he didn't want me freaking out if he wasn't there when I thought he should be..and he was dealing with snow too...but then the nurses checked me and said my water broke around 1 pm. We called my hubby and told him this and he said he would be right there, sure enough, he walked in. We sent my friend to get some food/drink, she hadn't left me the entire time.

So, they get ready to deliver me around 1:30 and as I'm getting ready to push, there was a little splash. Turns out my water didn't break...but it for sure did when I was getting ready to push. So with the first two pushes he started to come out, along with a moderate amount of meconium. So, they had to call neonatal before he came out...so I'm just holding him there..his head is only out, then they see that the cord is tight around his neck (and I'm watching in a mirror the entire time...which I think helped me know how hard to push, when to wait and why)...and his hand is by his face too as he is coming out. So they cut the cord there, before he came all the way out...then the doc suctioned him with the thing that comes out of the wall, not just the blub syringe..so that was a bit scary...and then I delivered him after that. Just like 2 or 3 pushes...I was a little worried because he was very quite, but I knew they wanted to clear his airway before he cried...

But at any rate, Brendan Patrick was born at 1:46 pm. His dad arrived at 1:15 pm...just as I had planned...it worked out pretty good.

Just gotta figure out if I am going to do it one more time!!! Would love to!!1

8/13/07 ---Yeah, so I told my family. Not the most excited people...think it's going to be such a problem and I am going to die from all the hard work. Doesn't more kids mean more love to go around? The only difficult issue I am currently having is my 3 year old boy won't use the potty on his own. He has no problem with going there, but doesn't go on his own. It is getting VERY annoying. At this rate he and my baby girl will potty train at the same time. In addittion to all of this, I may be having some huge insurance changes at the end of the month which is FREAKING me out. I will be due for my sonogram the first two weeks of Sept, so today I should find out if I need to call the doc and try to see if they will let me get it done on 8/31 when I am 18 weeks. Otherwise everything is fine. I'm at that, is she fat or pregnant state. I want a shirt that says I am pregnant, not fat...and I know they are out there.

8/17/07 - had doc appt today, everything seems to be well. Have u/s schedule for 9/13 at 8:00 am...then we will hopefully find out what it is and I will be able to start a cross stitch for him/her. Hope everyone is doing well!

10/8/07...seems some of my stuff has vanished with the update...so here's what's going on....the 9/13 sonogram said IT'S A BOY!!! Just gotta figure out a name...he looks pretty good...but my placenta didn't look as happy. I have a marginal placenta previa with placental lakes....lots of them. The lakes could retard fetal growth, or hopefully be absorbed back into the placenta....the docs are 99 % sure that the placenta will move up the front so I can have a normal vag delivery, which I really want. We are in the process of waiting for our house to sell (it's been on the market for 2 weeks)...and my hubby goes out to his new job 6 hours away at the end of the month....so, if I will possibly be here alone with 2, then 3 kids when the baby is born...that will really suck with a c-sec recovery. My hubby will get to get home for the delivery (baring there is no snow storm)...but we don't know how long he will get to stay home since it is a new job. I want him home for 3 weeks, but they don't even know that he is expecting yet...so we shall see. My next ultrasound is Oct 16 to check how the placenta is doing...keep ya updated!

10/13/07...my hubby had to work overnight tonight and tomorrow...so I'm home alone, coughing up a storm and peeing myself silly. I usually wear a pantyliner to help with the normal stuff of pregnancy, a little pee, a little lukerhea...but I had to put on a full fledged pad because everytime I cough it just comes out. I would love to take some NyQuil to go to sleep...but just cough drops, that aren't helping. Even in the middle of the night I put a cough drop in to help my throat and hope that I don't choke in the night...ahhhh. I want to be better!

11/21/07...well, our house has been on the market for 2 months today...and I have just about 10 weeks left. So at this point, I just assume stay put...though my hubby now lives 350 miles from here working at his new job already. I just pray there is no bilzzard come Jan/Feb 08. I'm due to have another sonogram in 2 weeks to check postion of the placenta. Hopefully all is well now. I have been very tired, like first trimester tired, and that has been a challenge. It's so hard to cook proper meals for myself and the kids when there is no other adult to feed. If we could eat PB&J every night I'd be happy. But I am doing my best to provide some good meals, because once the baby is born, I know it will be much harder. Looking forward to Thanksgiving, but a little worried because I didn't want to gain over 30 lbs with this baby and I have 3 left, and 10 weeks...I guess the math doesn't work on that. With the other 2 I had morning sickness and food aversions during Halloween and the holidays...no such luck this time!

12/27/07...well, Christmas is over...which means more anxiety about waiting for this little boy. I'm just worried about weather and if I can make it to my hospital of choice and where my other kids will be and if my hubby can make it home before the baby is born. (If there's no weather it will take about 6 hrs, if there's weather, well, who knows). So, I have not been sleeping well at all...either worried about this, or about the house on the market, or about being alone here or about making sure the house looks good for showings, or how to get to the store in my growing state with 2 small kids, alone...so, just plane worried....then worried about how I'm going to get around in the winter time will a newborn and two other small kids. So, that's about it for now. I'm just tired, gonna go lay on the couch and watch cartoons.