Thursday, March 24, 2011
Water Baby
At two weeks we were able to give Sidney her first real bath, no more lotion baths. We were so excited, but I was nervous whether she would like it or not. Luckily, she loves bath time! She is able to relax and just enjoy the water. I think she will definitely be a water baby.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Its a love without end amen...
I just love seeing Arthur with Sidney. There is just something about baby girls and their daddies. I know they will have such a special bond. Here are some photos of the two.
1 week
So the first week was very difficult but we made it through. I had visitors come and stay with me to help me out. I was not able to get around very well after the C-section. On Sidney's one week birthday Jessica was in town and stayed with me. She helped me take some newborn pictures of Sidney. I love how they turned out.
Monday, March 21, 2011
When two became three
On February 22nd Arthur and I introduced a new member to our family. At 8:12pm our baby girl entered the world. We were over whelmed with excitement, how could we create something so beautiful and perfect. We could not believe it. I had a hard delivery but it was completely worth it to see our little girl. She weighed a whooping 9 lbs 3 oz and was 20.5" long. I was induced a week early, can you imagine it I went full term.
I wanted to create this blog as a way to document our lives with this sweet baby and as a way for family and friends to stay updated with what is going on with baby Sidney. Hope you enjoy!
I thought it would be nice to write my birth story so that I will always be able to remember everything because I know I will forget it over time.
From the beginning I wanted to go on my own and not be induced. I had heard so many horror stories about people being induced and them not being ready so they had problems. I didn't want this I wanted to go on my own and when baby Sidney was ready. Fast forward 9 months later and my opinion was completely different. I was ready to have this baby and did not have any oppositions to being induced. My doctor decided to induce me on 2/22/11. She wanted to make sure I was at least 39 weeks. The baby was also measuring really big so I was not opposed to going sooner. I didn't want to end up waiting and then have to have a C-section because the baby was too big.
I went in on Monday night at 7:30 to check in. They started the cervidil at 8:30, which would ripen my cervix and help me dilate. I was at a 2 when they started the cervidil and was 80% effaced. That night I was pretty comfortable, I did not have any pains just restlessness knowing I was actually going to have the baby. The time had finally come and it was really happening.
At 7:30am the next morning my doctor came in to check me. She removed the cervidil and my water broke. It felt so weird when it breaks, I had all these ideas of what it would be like but nothing like I thought. It pretty much felt like I was peeing on myself and could not stop. I would just sudden rushes of water down my legs. It would just start coming and would pour if I stood up too.
They went ahead and started the pitocin at 7:45am. At this time I was a 3. At this time I was having contractions but I did not feel them. They did not hurt at all. By 11:00 I went ahead and asked for an epidural. My contractions were not that painful, just uncomfortable. I just wanted to go ahead and get the epidural before I started hurting. I was really nervous that I would wait too long and become really uncomfortable and then the anesthesiologist would be in a C-section or surgery and would be able to get to me and I would have to wait forever. The resident came in with the attending and the nurse to administer my epidural. They had me sit on the side of the bed and lean over, which is really uncomfortable when you have a huge belly in your way. The resident stuck me several times and was not able to get the epidural in the right spot. The attending then tried and stuck me several more times before she was finally able to get it in. I think I was poked about 6 times. Not fun! They said I had such a small space for the epidural. After a while my contractions really started to pick up. I could feel them in my belly even though I had the epidural. My legs were numb but my stomach was not. The anesthesiologist came in again and gave me a top up to see if he could get the medicine to go higher. I worked and I finally started to get relief.
At 5:00pm I was complete and ready to start pushing. I call my friend Katrina who was going to come an photograph the birth. My doctor was delivering another patient at a hospital near by so she told my nurse to have me start pushing and she would be there in a little bit. At first it was really easy and I thought this was going to be a breeze. I could totally handle this. It was fun and I was excited. At 6:30pm I was still pushing, my epidural was wearing off and I was very uncomfortable. The charge nurse came in and felt, they discovered that Sidney was face up instead of face down. I was having back labor. They had me lay on my side and try pushing, then lay on the other side and try pushing. Pretty much any way possible. At 7:00pm it was shift change and my night nurse came in. We pushed for about 30 min more, 2.5 hours at this point. My epidural completely wore off, I felt everything, my back hurt more than I could possible describe and I was ready to quit. At this point I think I had frightened Katrina to death, she had just had a baby 4 months before this but her delivery was a very different story. My doctor came in and tried to use the vacuum to pull Sidney out but it did not work. We finally decided to have a C-section. I did not want a C-section at all during my pregnancy it was my biggest fear. I was completely terrified of it, but at this point the pain was so bad I was begging for a C-section. I didn't mind if they completely cut me open and stuck there hands in and pulled that baby out, from downstairs or my belly. Nothing mattered but getting the baby out.
They rolled me to the OR and started to prep me. The doctor poked me with a needle on my belly and asked me if I felt it. I told her I did and they were in shock. They tried giving anesthesia through my epidural but it did not work. I think it was at this point they really realized that my epidural was not working at all and that I felt EVERYTHING. They told me they would have to put me under general anesthesia since the epidural was not working. This scared me to death, I knew I would not wake up and I would never get to see me baby. Looking back on it I guess it was not that bad because I didn't have to see everything and feel the pressure of them pulling the baby out, however since I was under general Arthur could not be in the OR. I was all alone with the doctors. He didn't get to see Sidney come out or cut the cord.
When I woke up they were rolling me down the hall back to my room. I saw Arthur holding Sidney and just started weeping. After everything I had been through it was finally over and I just saw my husband holding our perfect little girl. There are no words to describe how amazing it felt. The love that you have for your baby is just indescribably, it was a feeling I had never had before and never imagined. I heard the nurse mention she weighed 9 lbs and 3 oz. I was completely shocked I thought big but not that big, I was expecting around 8.5 lbs. So glad they induced me a week early she would have easily been 10lbs.
The nurses finished giving her a bath and getting her cleaned up. They brought her to me so that I could breastfeed. By this time my family was extreamly freaked out and worried. It had been around 4 hours since they had seen me last when I started pushing. When I put her near me she immediately latched on, she knew what she wanted and how to do it. She was a big hungry girl! The nurses even mentioned how big her umbilical cord was. All the family came in at this time and was overjoyed. They love her as much as I did. My sister and her husband had to drive back to Amarillo the same night because she had school the next day. My mom and dad and Arthur's mom headed home a little later.
That night was really ruff. They didn't get my morphine pump till 5 hours after surgery. So the whole night the medicine could not catch up, I had extreme pain. Then you have to wake up every two hours to breastfeed. Which was painful for me. She is very strong. The nurse was finally able to give me a shot to relieve some of the pain so I could get some sleep.
The next couple of days went really well, I was feeling good and was smiling. My doctor said that was a really good thing. I was worried about postpartum depression. While I was emotional and cried very easily I was still happy. My throat hurt really bad though from the oxygen mask that they put on me during surgery. I was also very surprised at the amount of bleeding. I guess I just thought you wouldn't bleed very bad if you had a C-section, I was wrong. My doctor also said I pretty much had a vaginal delivery and a C-section. Yay, go me!
The last day I was very excited to go home and spend some quality time with my baby and husband. You don't get much time to yourself at the hospital, between the nurses and visitors you have no alone time.
Everything was great until I opened the door to our house. I saw the dogs and Arthur's mom and just started bawling. I was so overwhelmed. I didn't want anyone at the house and just wanted to be left alone. I didn't know how I was going to deal with everything. This lasted for about a couple of weeks. I was very edgy and emotional. Your body goes through so many changes and so fast it is hard to adjust to everything. Luckily though everything did get better.
I am so glad to have my baby girl, she is the best thing that has ever happened.
Now for some hospital pics...
I wanted to create this blog as a way to document our lives with this sweet baby and as a way for family and friends to stay updated with what is going on with baby Sidney. Hope you enjoy!
I thought it would be nice to write my birth story so that I will always be able to remember everything because I know I will forget it over time.
From the beginning I wanted to go on my own and not be induced. I had heard so many horror stories about people being induced and them not being ready so they had problems. I didn't want this I wanted to go on my own and when baby Sidney was ready. Fast forward 9 months later and my opinion was completely different. I was ready to have this baby and did not have any oppositions to being induced. My doctor decided to induce me on 2/22/11. She wanted to make sure I was at least 39 weeks. The baby was also measuring really big so I was not opposed to going sooner. I didn't want to end up waiting and then have to have a C-section because the baby was too big.
I went in on Monday night at 7:30 to check in. They started the cervidil at 8:30, which would ripen my cervix and help me dilate. I was at a 2 when they started the cervidil and was 80% effaced. That night I was pretty comfortable, I did not have any pains just restlessness knowing I was actually going to have the baby. The time had finally come and it was really happening.
At 7:30am the next morning my doctor came in to check me. She removed the cervidil and my water broke. It felt so weird when it breaks, I had all these ideas of what it would be like but nothing like I thought. It pretty much felt like I was peeing on myself and could not stop. I would just sudden rushes of water down my legs. It would just start coming and would pour if I stood up too.
They went ahead and started the pitocin at 7:45am. At this time I was a 3. At this time I was having contractions but I did not feel them. They did not hurt at all. By 11:00 I went ahead and asked for an epidural. My contractions were not that painful, just uncomfortable. I just wanted to go ahead and get the epidural before I started hurting. I was really nervous that I would wait too long and become really uncomfortable and then the anesthesiologist would be in a C-section or surgery and would be able to get to me and I would have to wait forever. The resident came in with the attending and the nurse to administer my epidural. They had me sit on the side of the bed and lean over, which is really uncomfortable when you have a huge belly in your way. The resident stuck me several times and was not able to get the epidural in the right spot. The attending then tried and stuck me several more times before she was finally able to get it in. I think I was poked about 6 times. Not fun! They said I had such a small space for the epidural. After a while my contractions really started to pick up. I could feel them in my belly even though I had the epidural. My legs were numb but my stomach was not. The anesthesiologist came in again and gave me a top up to see if he could get the medicine to go higher. I worked and I finally started to get relief.
At 5:00pm I was complete and ready to start pushing. I call my friend Katrina who was going to come an photograph the birth. My doctor was delivering another patient at a hospital near by so she told my nurse to have me start pushing and she would be there in a little bit. At first it was really easy and I thought this was going to be a breeze. I could totally handle this. It was fun and I was excited. At 6:30pm I was still pushing, my epidural was wearing off and I was very uncomfortable. The charge nurse came in and felt, they discovered that Sidney was face up instead of face down. I was having back labor. They had me lay on my side and try pushing, then lay on the other side and try pushing. Pretty much any way possible. At 7:00pm it was shift change and my night nurse came in. We pushed for about 30 min more, 2.5 hours at this point. My epidural completely wore off, I felt everything, my back hurt more than I could possible describe and I was ready to quit. At this point I think I had frightened Katrina to death, she had just had a baby 4 months before this but her delivery was a very different story. My doctor came in and tried to use the vacuum to pull Sidney out but it did not work. We finally decided to have a C-section. I did not want a C-section at all during my pregnancy it was my biggest fear. I was completely terrified of it, but at this point the pain was so bad I was begging for a C-section. I didn't mind if they completely cut me open and stuck there hands in and pulled that baby out, from downstairs or my belly. Nothing mattered but getting the baby out.
They rolled me to the OR and started to prep me. The doctor poked me with a needle on my belly and asked me if I felt it. I told her I did and they were in shock. They tried giving anesthesia through my epidural but it did not work. I think it was at this point they really realized that my epidural was not working at all and that I felt EVERYTHING. They told me they would have to put me under general anesthesia since the epidural was not working. This scared me to death, I knew I would not wake up and I would never get to see me baby. Looking back on it I guess it was not that bad because I didn't have to see everything and feel the pressure of them pulling the baby out, however since I was under general Arthur could not be in the OR. I was all alone with the doctors. He didn't get to see Sidney come out or cut the cord.
When I woke up they were rolling me down the hall back to my room. I saw Arthur holding Sidney and just started weeping. After everything I had been through it was finally over and I just saw my husband holding our perfect little girl. There are no words to describe how amazing it felt. The love that you have for your baby is just indescribably, it was a feeling I had never had before and never imagined. I heard the nurse mention she weighed 9 lbs and 3 oz. I was completely shocked I thought big but not that big, I was expecting around 8.5 lbs. So glad they induced me a week early she would have easily been 10lbs.
The nurses finished giving her a bath and getting her cleaned up. They brought her to me so that I could breastfeed. By this time my family was extreamly freaked out and worried. It had been around 4 hours since they had seen me last when I started pushing. When I put her near me she immediately latched on, she knew what she wanted and how to do it. She was a big hungry girl! The nurses even mentioned how big her umbilical cord was. All the family came in at this time and was overjoyed. They love her as much as I did. My sister and her husband had to drive back to Amarillo the same night because she had school the next day. My mom and dad and Arthur's mom headed home a little later.
That night was really ruff. They didn't get my morphine pump till 5 hours after surgery. So the whole night the medicine could not catch up, I had extreme pain. Then you have to wake up every two hours to breastfeed. Which was painful for me. She is very strong. The nurse was finally able to give me a shot to relieve some of the pain so I could get some sleep.
The next couple of days went really well, I was feeling good and was smiling. My doctor said that was a really good thing. I was worried about postpartum depression. While I was emotional and cried very easily I was still happy. My throat hurt really bad though from the oxygen mask that they put on me during surgery. I was also very surprised at the amount of bleeding. I guess I just thought you wouldn't bleed very bad if you had a C-section, I was wrong. My doctor also said I pretty much had a vaginal delivery and a C-section. Yay, go me!
The last day I was very excited to go home and spend some quality time with my baby and husband. You don't get much time to yourself at the hospital, between the nurses and visitors you have no alone time.
Everything was great until I opened the door to our house. I saw the dogs and Arthur's mom and just started bawling. I was so overwhelmed. I didn't want anyone at the house and just wanted to be left alone. I didn't know how I was going to deal with everything. This lasted for about a couple of weeks. I was very edgy and emotional. Your body goes through so many changes and so fast it is hard to adjust to everything. Luckily though everything did get better.
I am so glad to have my baby girl, she is the best thing that has ever happened.
Now for some hospital pics...
Had to have make-up put on so I wouldn't look like death in my photos.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)