XXXIII: Labor and delivery

OK, so I said I'd post a labor and delivery story when I got more sleep. That's not going to happen any time soon so here it goes...

I woke up on Oct 25th feeling very crampy and uncomfortable. I had been feeling like that for a while now so I just ignored it and went on about my day. I figured they were contractions, but I wanted them to be closer before going to the hospital. By the afternoon they were getting stronger but were still irregular so I decided to put my toddler and self down for a nap. We woke up at 7. While walking down the stairs they hit pretty hard. Making sure they were not Braxton-Hicks's, I decided to walk the dog and called up my good friend. She then timed my contractions while I walked the dog. They were two-minutes apart at 1 minute length. I decided I should go into the hospital that night as I had been advised to go in when contractions started. I had had a previous c-section and wanted to try a VBAC. Since there is risk for uterine rupture, they have to monitor the labor at all times.

I let my husband know while he made dinner. Luckily I had everything packed and ready to go for weeks, so I didn't have to worry about anything else except for my ID and insurance which was sitting on the dining table in a neat pile.

After dinner my contractions were hitting harder and I just wanted to cry. I have a pretty high pain tolerance so I could function just fine, but that didn't mean it wasn't hurting like hell. So we grabbed our toddler and the bags and got everything in the car and hauled ass to the hospital. The drive is normally 45 minutes. We made it there in half the time.

J was very sweet and held my hand the entire time while I was in pain, which helped. I needed something to hold on to when I was in pain.

I did all the regular stuff when I got there and they placed me in the L&D room with all the monitors hooked up. It was sometime passed 8 when I got there...

Almost 24 HOURS LATER--My contractions are still 2 minutes apart, 1 minute long, hurt like hell. I'm crying every once in a while from the pain and guess what...My body was not responding to it...AT ALL. I was at 1 cm 50% effaced when I got there and stayed there through the entire night. My OB came in and gave me some alternatives. She knew I did not want another c-section and I explained to her my reasons. (I had a crappy experience the first time.) She understood and was willing to do other things if I was still wanting to wait it out. She was very considerate and gave me time to think. After bawling like a baby that my body was just not going to do this naturally, I talked to my husband and decided it would be best to do another cesarean. Everyone was supportive and my OB was actually shocked that I had chosen the C instead. She kept asking me if I was sure. I let her know that my body didn't tolerate labor last time, it obviously wasn't going to do it this time either. I was exhausted and in a lot of pain. I couldn't go home b/c of the risks. I was willing to suck it up and take the surgery.

And so, with my husband, some awesome anesthesiologists, goofy nurses, my OB and the resident OB, my daughter was delivered that night (26 Oct) at 8:38.

It was a better experience than my last cesarean. I had people who supported me and didn't nag me. I had a great staff helping me. There was no emergency so there was no rush. And now my husband fully understands what it's like to have a c-section since he watched the whole thing.

My personal recovery time was incredibly short. I was on the phone the minute the rolled me out of the OR and put me in my room. I was there for three days. The only pain I was suffering from was from the incision as it healed and from my edema (which got so bad I couldn't walk sometimes.) My husband took a week off of work and helped out. He started going back a couple of days ago, and I've actually been okay being alone with the girls. I was expecting worse, but Lily has been a good big sister and Iris sleeps 98% of the time.

I've gotten the hang of breastfeeding (FINALLY!) to where I no longer supplement with formula and where I can walk around the house with her still attached to my boob and me hold her in one arm as I chase my toddler down the hall who has something in her hand she's not supposed to.

Iris is a week and a half (4 days) today. Her umbilicus fell off this morning so she now has a regular belly button. So now I don't have to worry about putting her in her onesies and footies and can give her a regular bath.

*sigh* It's nice having two gorgeous baby girls. (Even if one isn't so much a baby anymore.)

XXXII: Pics and Vids

If you haven't already looked at our newborn baby girl, who is absolutely gorgeous, check out her pictures (which in the first hour of delivery, her daddy filled up the memory card in the camera ;) ) go to the following websites.

Family pictures of Iris can be found at HERE
Videos of Iris can be found along with her sister's at HERE all titled PixofIris for your convenience. :D

The hospital photo can be found at HERE

ENJOY! :)

XXXI: Baby!!

I will be posting a more thorough post (pictures, labor&delivery, etc) when I have more time and sleep. This is all you get for now

IT'S A GIRL!!
Name: Iris Marie Ames
Born: October 26, 2007
Time: 08:38 PM
Weight: 7lbs, 9.4 oz
Length: 20 inches
Hair: Dark brown and wavy; but far less than what her sister had.

The End.

XXX: Pics and Vids

1. I have been having false labor since Friday night. I am still contracting and in pain, but they are not strong enough (I can have whole conversations through them) and not regular.
2. I am sitting here, laughing my ass off. Why? B/c Lily is trying to put on a pair of sweat pants....over her jeans! She is super pissed that it's not working. LOL. She's taking out her frustrations on the furniture. Hey, at least it's not the dog.
3. Her pictures and videos have been updated. Go HERE (pics) and HERE (vids) to view them. Enjoy!

XXIX: 9 months

CAN I GOZE NTO LBR NOW PLZ?! KTHNX!!

My everything hurts. I just keep getting bigger. (I'm slightly larger than the picture. Not by much, but still bigger.) I'm at 150 lbs now. I gained 4 lbs in a week. Iris is about 7 lbs according to the U/S's. I have a little less than a week until my due date. Nothing else to report.

XXVIII: Can I go into labor now?

Ugh. I'm so sick of waiting.
Either I lost a lot of weight during this pregnancy, or Iris will be bigger than her sister. During Lily's, my belly button never popped out. It did this weird duck-bill thing at the top but that was it. At 8 mths (almost 9), you look at my belly and you can say "Turkey's done!" My back hurts, my head hurts, my everything hurts...my hands and feet keep swelling. I'm still getting sick from my low BP... *sigh* Did I mention I'm sick of waiting?

I cleaned out the car (almost). It was the most disgusting thing (next to month old dishes) that I have ever seen. J comes out and goes, "Don't throw away the cups from the gas station. I said too bad and threw them away. I was peeling random shit out of the carpet; we were not keeping anything from that car. I'm not done. I want to scrub those carpets and clean the rest of the stuff I missed before Iris gets here. The only reason I didn't finish is b/c my husband started lunch and then pestered me outside. But at least it's decent enough right now. I'm still not satisfied. I do not want to place my newborn child who has no immunities yet in a trash can on wheels.

Her crib is built; I have the co-sleeper set. My back is packed. Her bag is packed. Her sister's bag is packed. The laundry's done. She has most of what she needs. The car seat is set up in the car... Can she come now? I'm done! :)

Anyway, here are belly pics of the 7th and 8th month. I'll be taking a belly pic in a couple of weeks for the 9th.

What I think is amusing is that you can now see my veins. Why? Because I am so stretched out i have NEW stretch marks and my skin hurts so bad, even after putting on lotion. This child is either going to be large, or I just lost a lot of weight.

That is all.

XXVII:

SO my blood pressure has dropped considerably. Which explains all my dizzy spells and nausea and everything that I have been having. My BP, which is usually 120/58, was at 96/46. My OB saw no problem with this. I understand her logic, but she doesn't seem to understand my panic. I have a toddler. She's 20 mths old and likes to terrorize not only the house, but the dog. I have to constantly chase after her to make sure she doesn't kill herself, the dog, or me. My husband works nights and is asleep during all this commotion. I do not drive and walk everywhere. I CANNOT have my BP drop to God knows where and take the risk of passing out. True, I know that BP drops at the middle and goes back up again near the end...*ahem* I'm in my 8th month, when exactly is "the end"?

*sigh* It's just frustrating. I've done everything I can possibly do to not get dizzy. I eat small frequent meals to keep my sugar up. I drink water every half hour. I get up slowly, and if I lay die it's on my left side. I am cooped up in the house b/c the temp is in the 70s and not the 90s like it is outside. I still get dizzy, I still get sick and if I don't lay down IMMEDIATELY, I collapse. This is getting ridiculous.

32w5d