Miss Maggie is two weeks old today. I have been trying to think of a way to appropriately close out this blog of my pregnancy and what better way than one final "What I Know Now". Thanks to you all for following me along the way on my "secret" blog. It's time to close up shop as I will only be updating my public blog from here on out. And really, since I can't really whine about being pregnant anymore, I won't have much to talk about, ha ha ha.
So here goes - What I know Now that I have a 2 week old baby.
1. The most important day in any running program is rest. Rest days give your muscles time to recover so you can run again. Your muscles build in strength as you rest. ~Hal Higdon Here we go again with the link between parenthood and running. "Sleep when she sleeps". If I hear that piece of advice one more time, I will go bonkers. Of course, people tell you this because it's true. The surest way to go insane is to be sleep deprived. I thought I would be ok with the sleep deprivation since my pregnancy was insomnia-filled. I actually think I am clocking more hours of sleep now than when I was pregnant but am MORE tired. How does that work??! I am not good at sleeping when she sleeps yet. Too much other stuff to do and I don't really think I'm tired. Then 6:00 PM comes and I am WIPED. Trying to get better about this.
2. Breastmilk = Dope for babies. Baby can be screaming bloody murder and the second she gets the boob in her mouth is quiet. 10 minutes later she is a limp noodle. Makes me laugh every time.
3. Breastfeeding is hard..but gets easier! Magster latched immediately in labor and delivery so of course I thought, "YES! This breastfeeding thing is going to be a piece of cake". YEah. Somewhere on the wheelchair ride from labor & delivery up to the mom and baby floor, she forgot everything. We literally had to train her to suck using a syringe full of colostrum and my husband's pinky finger. From there she graduated to my boob with a thin tube taped to it. Thankfully on Day 4, something clicked and she has been a feeding champ since then. For an instant at 1 in the morning while my husband was trying to help me get both my boob and the feeding tube in her tiny mouth, I realized that THIS is probably why people give up breastfeeding. I feel lucky that we figured it out because I don't know how many more days I would have lasted with that feeding tube.
4. WOW does your relationship with your husband change. I'm sure it will go back to somewhere in between but I don't think I have had a conversation with him that wasn't about the baby. My husband literally had to milk me that first night in the hospital because I was so tired that I couldn't do it by myself anymore. So as I tried to squeeze colostrum out of my boob, my husband was there with a plastic shot glass trying to scoop out the drops. Poor guy will never look at my boobs the same way again.
5. I have no idea what I do all day. I am not going to lie - I do miss things like reading, crafting. Maybe one day I'll get to return to these things. Right now, the latest book I read is My Hand, Your Hand. And it is a black and white picture book for babies.
6. Daytime tv is terrible.
7. You do forget what boob you fed with last. Prior to breastfeeding, I thought it would be easy to track which boob I fed the baby with last. Yeah. NOT. Now I rock my yellow Livestrong bracelet on whatever arm corresponds to the boob on deck. Keeps me sane in the middle of the night.
8. I am a leaker. Boobs leak constantly. Baby cries, boobs leak. I tried sleeping without a nursing bra a couple nights and my shirt was totally milk soaked. So sleeping with a bra it is.
9. I feel like I am pretty well healed "down there". Nice. That whole thing was not as bad as I thought it would be. I am really sick of wearing pads but I don't have any pain or soreness so that's nice. I have considered going for a run already, but don't know if it is too soon.
10. I was totally afraid to poop after giving birth. Thank goodness they feed you stool softeners in the hospital.
11. I have to remember to eat. Most days, I don't remember to eat lunch until around 3 PM.
12. Holding your baby is really fun. That's probably what I do all day :)
13. Giving birth is AMAZING. Hands down one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. And it is way harder than running a marathon.
Thanks again for checking in on me and my pregnancy! This blog is officially CLOSED for BUSINESS.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
PROGRESS!
Well, quite the turn around in my mental state in the past couple of hours.
I had a non-stress test this morning to make sure that the baby is indeed happy in there. We passed the test at like minute 2. I still had to be hooked up for 20 minutes but everything is great with baby S.
Then I had my "regular" doctor appt. I lost a pound bringing my pregnancy weight gain to 35 lbs. thus far and my BP is still good - 110/60. Then the cervical check:
THREE CENTIMETERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woohoo!!! So I guess the weekend of contracting was good for something!
3 down, 7 more to go!
I am also 80% effaced.
He asked if I wanted the membranes stripped. He thought now was as good of time as any to do it so I let him. It did not hurt as badly as I thought it would, although I thought it would be horrible. Since then I have had a few really bad contractions so people at work (yes, I'm still at work) think the baby's birthday will be 9/8/10...
...which is my third wedding anniversary! ARGH. Total Murphy's Law. The ONE day I didn't want...we shall see. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but maybe?!?! I know my dad would be THRILLED if the baby was born tomorrow since that is his birthday too.
If nothing happens by Friday, I have to be up in labor and delivery by 5 AM to start the pitocin drip. I asked the doctor if the baby would be born by Saturday since I wouldn't want the kid to have a 9/11 birthday either and he responded, "God I should hope so."
So new poll - 9/8, 9/9 or 9/10?!? What will it be?
I had a non-stress test this morning to make sure that the baby is indeed happy in there. We passed the test at like minute 2. I still had to be hooked up for 20 minutes but everything is great with baby S.
Then I had my "regular" doctor appt. I lost a pound bringing my pregnancy weight gain to 35 lbs. thus far and my BP is still good - 110/60. Then the cervical check:
THREE CENTIMETERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woohoo!!! So I guess the weekend of contracting was good for something!
3 down, 7 more to go!
I am also 80% effaced.
He asked if I wanted the membranes stripped. He thought now was as good of time as any to do it so I let him. It did not hurt as badly as I thought it would, although I thought it would be horrible. Since then I have had a few really bad contractions so people at work (yes, I'm still at work) think the baby's birthday will be 9/8/10...
...which is my third wedding anniversary! ARGH. Total Murphy's Law. The ONE day I didn't want...we shall see. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but maybe?!?! I know my dad would be THRILLED if the baby was born tomorrow since that is his birthday too.
If nothing happens by Friday, I have to be up in labor and delivery by 5 AM to start the pitocin drip. I asked the doctor if the baby would be born by Saturday since I wouldn't want the kid to have a 9/11 birthday either and he responded, "God I should hope so."
So new poll - 9/8, 9/9 or 9/10?!? What will it be?
41 Weeks
Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough.
Hal Higdon
Lucky me - I just love being pregnant so much (heavy sarcasm) that I got an extra week of it. My runner's world quote of the day today is the quote above. I found it very fitting for my current state of mind, which hasn't been the best. In short, I'm going insane.
On the pro side, I have been having a ton of contractions. On the con side, they aren't really going anywhere productive. So if I'm going to be doubled over in pain and woken up several times during the night because of them, I would prefer to get it over with!!
I go to the doctor later today for a non-stress test and regular visit. Otherwise, game plan is still to be induced on Friday. I'm trying to focus on the fact that at most Ionly have 3 more days of being pregnant. After 34 weeks of crappy sleep, I think i can take 3 more days.
Hal Higdon
Lucky me - I just love being pregnant so much (heavy sarcasm) that I got an extra week of it. My runner's world quote of the day today is the quote above. I found it very fitting for my current state of mind, which hasn't been the best. In short, I'm going insane.
On the pro side, I have been having a ton of contractions. On the con side, they aren't really going anywhere productive. So if I'm going to be doubled over in pain and woken up several times during the night because of them, I would prefer to get it over with!!
I go to the doctor later today for a non-stress test and regular visit. Otherwise, game plan is still to be induced on Friday. I'm trying to focus on the fact that at most Ionly have 3 more days of being pregnant. After 34 weeks of crappy sleep, I think i can take 3 more days.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Heard on the street
Well, we are still pregnant. I have to try to keep in mind that I am really only 3 days overdue. Not that much. Yesterday I had a really negative outlook and it was really driving me nuts. Today I'm feeling much better.
I get a LOT of email, facebook messages, phone calls, etc asking if I am still around. I really do not mind all of this - who would mind all of this fun attention?! I've decided to compile a list of some of the comments I've gotten:
"Is that baby ever going to come? You're like me - I had a lazy uterus" (said to me 2x actually, by the same person)
"What if you have the baby on "labor" day?!" (if I had a dollar for every time I heard that one...)
"You should have the baby on 90210 day and name it [insert 90210 character here]" (The hubs was so happy our baby was not born yesterday after he heard this. I on the other hand thought it would have been funny.)
"Knowing you, Baby S is in there absorbed in a good book" :)
"Have you dropped? It looks like you've dropped" (For the record, I think this "dropping business" is a line of sh**. My boss agrees.)
"You're still at work?!?!?" (actually my husband gets this (referring to the fact that I'm still working) more than I do)
"The longer the baby is in there, the better sleeper and eater it is" (fingers crossed that this one's true!)
And then there are the whole host of labor induction methods that people are always eager to dole out:
"Why don't you try...
...walking
...hip circles on an exercise ball
...eggplant parmesan
...spicy food
...having sex
...nipple stimulation
...jumping jacks
...castor oil
...having the hubs take me on a bumpy car ride
I have tried all of these (with the exception of the castor oil). Many of them, we have tried MULTIPLE times. So far...nothing. I'll keep trying though! While doing my hip circles last night I told my husband that at least my sacrum will be really nice and loose by the time labor does start!
This morning my husband tried a new method - he put his mouth by the belly and said, "YOU ARE BEING EVICTED. YOU HAVE TO GET OUT ASAP". Maybe that will work?! Or maybe our child will now have daddy issues for the rest of his/her life...
One of these days I will get to say "I HAD THE BABY!!". It will for sure be within the next week as my induction date is a week from today!
I get a LOT of email, facebook messages, phone calls, etc asking if I am still around. I really do not mind all of this - who would mind all of this fun attention?! I've decided to compile a list of some of the comments I've gotten:
"Is that baby ever going to come? You're like me - I had a lazy uterus" (said to me 2x actually, by the same person)
"What if you have the baby on "labor" day?!" (if I had a dollar for every time I heard that one...)
"You should have the baby on 90210 day and name it [insert 90210 character here]" (The hubs was so happy our baby was not born yesterday after he heard this. I on the other hand thought it would have been funny.)
"Knowing you, Baby S is in there absorbed in a good book" :)
"Have you dropped? It looks like you've dropped" (For the record, I think this "dropping business" is a line of sh**. My boss agrees.)
"You're still at work?!?!?" (actually my husband gets this (referring to the fact that I'm still working) more than I do)
"The longer the baby is in there, the better sleeper and eater it is" (fingers crossed that this one's true!)
And then there are the whole host of labor induction methods that people are always eager to dole out:
"Why don't you try...
...walking
...hip circles on an exercise ball
...eggplant parmesan
...spicy food
...having sex
...nipple stimulation
...jumping jacks
...castor oil
...having the hubs take me on a bumpy car ride
I have tried all of these (with the exception of the castor oil). Many of them, we have tried MULTIPLE times. So far...nothing. I'll keep trying though! While doing my hip circles last night I told my husband that at least my sacrum will be really nice and loose by the time labor does start!
This morning my husband tried a new method - he put his mouth by the belly and said, "YOU ARE BEING EVICTED. YOU HAVE TO GET OUT ASAP". Maybe that will work?! Or maybe our child will now have daddy issues for the rest of his/her life...
One of these days I will get to say "I HAD THE BABY!!". It will for sure be within the next week as my induction date is a week from today!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
BRING ON THE FMLA!!!
You may recall that one of the positives of having a September baby is that my FMLA would be squared away and I would be able to take the rest of 2010 off.
I am excited that we have reached that milestone! My boss was on vacation Monday and Tuesday and she called me last night to find out if I had the baby. She said, "Well, all you have to do is make it one hour tomorrow and you'll have your FMLA set!"
I had contractions last night, some of them the most intense that I have had yet. The hubs was saying, "just a little longer, baby" and I told him he was taking me to work if he had to WHEEL me into my office for an hour.
I'm happy to say that I did not have to get wheeled into work this morning and that I've put in 4 hours already :). Ok, baby, get to work!! We want you on the outside STAT!
I am excited that we have reached that milestone! My boss was on vacation Monday and Tuesday and she called me last night to find out if I had the baby. She said, "Well, all you have to do is make it one hour tomorrow and you'll have your FMLA set!"
I had contractions last night, some of them the most intense that I have had yet. The hubs was saying, "just a little longer, baby" and I told him he was taking me to work if he had to WHEEL me into my office for an hour.
I'm happy to say that I did not have to get wheeled into work this morning and that I've put in 4 hours already :). Ok, baby, get to work!! We want you on the outside STAT!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
40 WEEKS! Update!
Here is my disclaimer that the following may contain too much information.
SO. WEIRD to see the little woman on top of my blog on week 40. (if you read my blog in google reader, you won't see the ticker). It's pretty crazy that I am here. While I don't really think that I will have the baby today, some milestones were hit.
First, my insomnia is back. I had two, maybe even three, great weeks of sleep (well, great compared to insomnia). I was still getting up most nights, but would be able to fall asleep after 20-30 minutes of reading. Starting Saturday night, I have been up for at least 3 hours each night, starting at 2-3 AM.
Yesterday, I had some bleeding throughout the day. I'm still not sure if that was "bloody show" (ewwww) or just from the cervical check my doctor did. CD told me that I should try doing hip circles on an exercise ball to engage the baby. I looked up other exercises said to engage the baby/bring on labor - walking (which I do 3 miles a day), squats (love my yoga squats) and hip circles. So last night, i was in the middle of our living room, curtains open, doing the hula hoop motion while on an exercise ball. It just might have worked...
...because this morning, at 5:30, I went to the bathroom. Something definitely felt different and as I looked into the toilet (which I have been checking for WEEKS now), I saw it. MY M. PLUG! HOLY SHIT. I was totally excited. I went back to bed, tossed and turned and then at 7 when our alarm went off told my husband. "REALLY"?! He was so excited. I cautioned him that while it is exciting, it could still be a while. (As an example, our friend JP lost hers on her due date and her baby was still 10 days late.)
My friend AH asked me if I had tried hand expressing to see if any colostrum would come out. I actually HAVE tried that before with no results. I don't know why this popped into my head this morning in the shower but I tried it and then yelled "OH MY GOD" without thinking. My husband nearly broke down the door rushing into the bathroom. "What?! What's the matter?!". I just started laughing and said, "Oh, sorry, I totally just squeezed some colostrum out of my boob". He just rolled his eyes and cracked, "Honey, don't waste that stuff, it's liquid gold" before heading to work. (If you take/have taken a breastfeeding class, you'll hear a lot about "liquid gold").
So a fun start to my due date day. Any contractions? No. I'm sure the excitement will wear off by this afternoon and I'll be tired as hell for only getting 4 hours of sleep.
SO. WEIRD to see the little woman on top of my blog on week 40. (if you read my blog in google reader, you won't see the ticker). It's pretty crazy that I am here. While I don't really think that I will have the baby today, some milestones were hit.
First, my insomnia is back. I had two, maybe even three, great weeks of sleep (well, great compared to insomnia). I was still getting up most nights, but would be able to fall asleep after 20-30 minutes of reading. Starting Saturday night, I have been up for at least 3 hours each night, starting at 2-3 AM.
Yesterday, I had some bleeding throughout the day. I'm still not sure if that was "bloody show" (ewwww) or just from the cervical check my doctor did. CD told me that I should try doing hip circles on an exercise ball to engage the baby. I looked up other exercises said to engage the baby/bring on labor - walking (which I do 3 miles a day), squats (love my yoga squats) and hip circles. So last night, i was in the middle of our living room, curtains open, doing the hula hoop motion while on an exercise ball. It just might have worked...
...because this morning, at 5:30, I went to the bathroom. Something definitely felt different and as I looked into the toilet (which I have been checking for WEEKS now), I saw it. MY M. PLUG! HOLY SHIT. I was totally excited. I went back to bed, tossed and turned and then at 7 when our alarm went off told my husband. "REALLY"?! He was so excited. I cautioned him that while it is exciting, it could still be a while. (As an example, our friend JP lost hers on her due date and her baby was still 10 days late.)
My friend AH asked me if I had tried hand expressing to see if any colostrum would come out. I actually HAVE tried that before with no results. I don't know why this popped into my head this morning in the shower but I tried it and then yelled "OH MY GOD" without thinking. My husband nearly broke down the door rushing into the bathroom. "What?! What's the matter?!". I just started laughing and said, "Oh, sorry, I totally just squeezed some colostrum out of my boob". He just rolled his eyes and cracked, "Honey, don't waste that stuff, it's liquid gold" before heading to work. (If you take/have taken a breastfeeding class, you'll hear a lot about "liquid gold").
So a fun start to my due date day. Any contractions? No. I'm sure the excitement will wear off by this afternoon and I'll be tired as hell for only getting 4 hours of sleep.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Emotional Rollercoaster
Friday night I thought for sure I was having this baby. I started getting pretty intense contractions at work and left early (3:30ish) because I wanted to be at home. The hubs and I got pizza delivery and got a movie to watch. I was having contractions throughout the movie and we decided to go on a walk after the movie to return it. More contractions through the walk. I went to bed and definitely thought that I would wake up in the middle of the night and have to start some timing.
I woke up Saturday morning feeling awesome...and still pregnant.
Yesterday it was return to the land of nausea and hot flashes. Saturday night I literally was laying on our floor in front of the air conditioning vent with ice packs on my neck because I was so hot. I didn't really have too many more contractions Saturday or Sunday.
This morning I had another doctor appointment. My cervix was deemed "unfavorable" right now. Nice. I have dilated to 1 cm, but the cervix is still pretty thick and the baby pretty high. He started talking about C-sections and membrane stripping. I didn't want anything done today, even though he offered to do the strip. I refused the strip. I go back a week from tomorrow for a non-stress test for the baby and another visit. If the baby is happy in there, all systems go until 9/10 which is when my induction is scheduled for. If the baby is not happy in there, induction happens that day.
In other news, I'm up 36 pounds and my BP is still good - 112/70. The baby's weight guesstimate has jumped too. Now the doctor thinks that baby is "decent sized" and will come in at the high 7s (his previous guess was 7 and a quarter lbs tops).
I was feeling really great mentally about the whole thing saying "the baby will come when he/she comes" before my doctor appointment. Then there were too many naughty words (c-section, inducing, stillbirth) thrown around in a short time period and now I'm not feeling all that great. Oh well. I guess I will definitely only be pregnant for eleven more days tops.
I woke up Saturday morning feeling awesome...and still pregnant.
Yesterday it was return to the land of nausea and hot flashes. Saturday night I literally was laying on our floor in front of the air conditioning vent with ice packs on my neck because I was so hot. I didn't really have too many more contractions Saturday or Sunday.
This morning I had another doctor appointment. My cervix was deemed "unfavorable" right now. Nice. I have dilated to 1 cm, but the cervix is still pretty thick and the baby pretty high. He started talking about C-sections and membrane stripping. I didn't want anything done today, even though he offered to do the strip. I refused the strip. I go back a week from tomorrow for a non-stress test for the baby and another visit. If the baby is happy in there, all systems go until 9/10 which is when my induction is scheduled for. If the baby is not happy in there, induction happens that day.
In other news, I'm up 36 pounds and my BP is still good - 112/70. The baby's weight guesstimate has jumped too. Now the doctor thinks that baby is "decent sized" and will come in at the high 7s (his previous guess was 7 and a quarter lbs tops).
I was feeling really great mentally about the whole thing saying "the baby will come when he/she comes" before my doctor appointment. Then there were too many naughty words (c-section, inducing, stillbirth) thrown around in a short time period and now I'm not feeling all that great. Oh well. I guess I will definitely only be pregnant for eleven more days tops.
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