Once I was in the OR, I started to shake. It was cold and I was scared. Everything looked so much more serious than the tone of everything back in my room. I saw all the tools and screens and all I could think was to "just take everything a step at a time. The doctor has done this so many times and there was nothing to worry about. I was strong, the baby is strong." So they had me sitting up on the table with my legs hanging over. The anesthesiologist, was preping. I had heard the spinal was going to be the worst part, so I was really scared and nervous of all this "pain" about to come from the spinal. I had asked so many people to make sure Cole could be there for me through the spinal so that I would be okay. They said yes, and probably were wondering why I had even asked.
Everytime the anesthesiologist touched me, I jumped. Not a good sign. I didn't want to jump when he was actually sticking me with a needle! I explained my nerves to everyone. Also, I was worried I would do something stupid like fart. I mean, I was in one of those backless gowns, top of my bare butt open to the poor anesthesiologist. They were about to give me the numbing medicine for the spinal, and I had my doctor, a nurse, (Laura) and Cole all standing in front of me trying to distract me. Then the anesthesiologist warned me that I would feel a pinch and some pressure. Here was the moment.... and it was exactly as he said. It was a pinch and pressure. It was nothing. Getting IV's were much worse in my opinion. Then he again mentioned a little pressure for the spinal, so I clenched and felt a very small amount of pressure. I couldn't believe that was the most "painful" thing.
Once that was over, they had me lay on my back, arms out. They put a wedge under one of my hips, put a curtain up around my breasts and positioned my feet so the bottoms of my feet were touching. From there, the anesthesiologist sprayed something on me to check that the medicine was working. They put in the cathader, which btw was STILL uncomfortable, I still was nervous it wouldn't take. But my dr reassured me that they wouldn't start unless they knew the spinal had worked. So the curtian is now up and I hear my dr say "can you feel this? I'm pinching you". I felt something, but nothing painful. I figured, maybe shes a light pincher? I later found out from cole that she was pinching me with plyers and if I felt it, I would have probably been screaming.
Also, since I had told my dr to not tell me what was going on, I had no idea what was going on. Cole told me right after the pinching, they sliced me right open. I was so oblivious to it all. From there, I could see Cole peeking over everyonce and awhile but he also kept me in the dark. During the time that they actually had me open, I was thinking they were still preping. I had no idea what it actually looked like to have a C section, thank goodness, and if you don't want to know either, avoid googling it. I made that mistake later on.
Cole was great. I was very nervous and the spinal was actually making me shake a lot. I could feel stuff going on around my stomach but it wasn't specific and it definitely didn't hurt at all. Everything just felt like touching, or tugging or pulling, but not in a painful way. I guess having a little one inside kicking you for a couple months gets you accustomed to that feeling. Cole told me stories of our lives to distract me. It was so helpful. With my memory having become SO terrible with the pregnancy, it was nice to hear stories to remind me of things like little things on our wedding day, past holidays, honeymoon, and the dogs. Then I hear, "you have a beautiful baby girl!"
As happy as I was about it, I tired to not 1. look, or 2. panic. Why would I panic? Well... I didn't hear her crying. It made me really nervous. Cole could see and he was smiling, but when he leaned toward me I said "I don't hear crying. Is she okay?" he reassured me that no one seemed nervous, or panicked or scared. She didn't cry, but the neonatologist was in the room and just standing back looking while the nurses were working on her. Another reason to not worry since he wasn't in there getting his hands dirty. I could barely see the top of her head through all the people. But I knew that I wasn't going anywhere since I was being put back together.
Originally, I was soo scared of the surgery that I asked Cole to stay with me through the WHOLE procedure and to not leave when the baby did. But once the baby was out, I told him to go ahead and go with Elyse. I was okay and we both wanted to know what was going on. They took Elyse to the NICU and Cole went with them. I was a little nervous (again) after Cole left because I then remembered that the longest part was them sewing me up, and I just let my main distraction walk out the door!! I guess I had to listen to the drs now. Thankfully they weren't talking about what was going on AT ALL! They were talking about the UW basketball team. Whew! Although I couldn't pitch in on the conversation because I didn't know much about the UW team, it was nice to be distracted anyways. Cole came back for the end and told me about our new little addition and how she was doing. I felt calm after Cole had updated me.
Once they were done, The curtain came down and I was rolled over to my room. As I had mentioned before, I haven't had surgery and was pretty impressed by everything. They had something under me that inflated and then moved me from the table to a bed, then that bed to my bed. They got me all settled, my dr came in to talk to me about how well the surgery went and some side effects I would feel with the medication. After what felt like an eternity, Cole came to the room and showed me pictures of Elyse. Then he was gone again!
I was so jealous that Cole was able to move around and see her. I felt completely fine (thank you meds) and wanted to jump out of bed and go, but I guess not being able to feel the bottom half of my body changes things. He came back to finally let me know that Elyse's transportation was here and they would bring her by really quick for me to see her before she was off. When I finally did see her, I was shocked. She was so small and I couldn't believe she had just come out of me. That my body (with Cole's help) was able to make something so amazing! Thats all the time I got before she had to leave though.
The whole experience was so surreal. After being in that room and that bed for 3 weeks pregnant, then returning and no longer having her there was just strange. I missed her already and was still in shock from everything. Needless to say, I did okay emotionally. Waiting to get out and see her, and finally being able to. I didn't break down a lot or cry too much. I was forewarned, and I knew what was coming and that all the decisions made were for her best interest. Those thoughts were calming.
So the night of June 18th 2011, Elyse Suni Van Gundy was born. She was 4lbs 13oz, and 18 3/4 inches long. She was born in Bellevue, Washington and transferred to UW Hospital in Seattle. After 2 weeks in the NICU, she was able to come home, where she is now :) Being loved
PS. Lastly, the most common question asked about the surgery has been "what was the most painful part?" To be honest, the most painful part was that after the cathader came out, and I had to pee for the first time without it, it was SOOOOO painful. I was upset that I wasn;t warned about this pain at all!!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
The Story of Elyse - Part One
So she's arrived!
Here's a little about how it went down and how shes been doing. Last I blogged, I was in the hospital, on bedrest. Busniess as usual, I was still on bedrest, the morning of Saturday June 18th. Felt a little drained and weak, but I assumed the effects of being in bed for three weeks were finally getting to me. My Dr came in and asked how I was as usual. I told her I felt fine, still leaking AF, and the only thing different was sometimes when I had to change my pad of AF, it was a little pink. The Dr said that was normal and if it continued to happen to let her know.
So about an hour later, I went downhill. I was starting to really feel sick and achy. Cole usually spends the morning with me on saturdays, then goes and run errands for the coming week, then comes back and spends the rest of the day with me. (yes, he's a very loving husband) So on this particular Saturday, he needed to go home, do laundry and get his hair cut. Just before he left the hospital, he knew I was starting to not feel well, and told me to let him know if there was anything I wanted. I just let him know I'd call him and let him know how I was doing.
Once he left, I was still pretty miserable. The nurse came in to check on me, and I let her know how I was feeling and that I wasn't feeling great and it was getting worse. She told me that could be an infection, either with myself or the baby and that she needed to let my Dr know. I honestly didn't realize it could be effecting the baby since I had been sick a handful of times throughout my pregnancy, but I was glad the nurse was telling me and keeping me in the loop. After she had told the Dr, and I was put on an IV and NPO. I forgot what NPO stands for, but I know it meant I couldn't have any food or any drinks, not even water. This was a sign that they were thinking surgery.
The Dr comes to talk to me, and she does an exam. As suspected, the pinkish color in my pads was from dilating. There wasnt much, but I was about 1.5cm dilated and it would continue. My contractions were getting stronger (oh... did I mention I was having mild contractions throughout my whole bedrest?), there was no AF left, baby was breeched (definite c section), and my blood test came back saying I had an infection. Unfortunatley, the blood test can't tell us if it is just a cold for me, or if I was sick because of an infection in my uterus. So, knowing all this, it was best to have the c section that day.
Although my emotions have been up and down during the pregnancy, I felt that I would cry and the craziest things and have a heart of ice on others. This was one of those times I decided to cry. Nothing was really sad about the situation though. We were prepared that the baby would be early and in NICU, and we knew that everything that was being done was in the best interest of the baby.
But I felt like crying. I knew I needed to get it together and call Cole and let him know. But first, to get ahold of myself so that he didn't get freaked out by my crying. So I collected myself and called him. Once he said "Hey babe" on the phone, I did everything I could to fight back the crying, which came out as a shaky voice, which I am sure was WAY worse. Soo I let him know everything and that his little girl was coming today. He left the house so fast. He was a little sad I didnt tell him earlier that I was feeling worse and so he could have skipped a few errands to be there when the Dr was.
Once he got there, he too had to calm down and collect himself. He also had to tell our family about the change in plans....we waited a few hours before we did so that we knew as much info as possible. (and because we wanted to relax and not have our phones ring and beep like crazy) I have never had surgery before so this was a big deal in my mind. I wasn't sure if I had a high tolerance for pain or if I would pass out. I didn't really know what to expect as far as how "I would feel" throughout the process. Would I feel it? Would I not? Will I be dizzy? What kind of pain will I be in? Will I hear the baby scream? Will I get to see her? Will she be okay? Will Cole be able to be with me during the spinal? So many things were rushing in my mind and I know that no one could really answer those questions for me.
What I did know was that my c section would be around 7pm or 730pm, Cole could be there the whole way, I didn't want to know what was going on and when, I knew I would feel touching and pressure, and I knew my nurses pretty well for being there 3 weeks. I was extremely comfortable and confident in my Dr and even thought to myself that she was so extremely nice and I was so lucky to have a doctor that was so comforting. I knew that my baby would be named Elyse and I would soon be a mother.
As the time drew closer to when I was going to go into the OR, we were trying to stay calm and not let the nerves and excitment take over. We knew it was a busy day in Labor and Delivery but we really didn't think the most of it. Then our nurse told us some bad news. Due to the amount of recent pre term deliveries that day and the previous days, that they didn't have enough staffing to cover Elyse over the night. They would want her to have a nurse 1 on 1 if she has trouble breathing. So if she comes out with some trouble breathing, they will stablize her and then transport her to University of Washington Hospital. But if she comes out fine, then they would be able to leave her at Overlake. Unfortunately, they felt the chances of her staying at Overlake were slim and wanted us to be prepared.
This is when my emotions when to the ice hearted side. There was nothing I could do, and they were making the decisions based on Elyse's well being. So I signed the papers knowing I wouldn't get to be with my child for a few days after she was born. It should have been an extremely emotional and heartbreaking moment...which it was. But I was unable to so that. All I could think was "make sure she's okay!!! I just want her to be okay".
Finally, the time came. Cole was given his "dad suit", and I was given a gown and cap, moved to a wheelchair and brought into the OR. Never in my life had I been in one before and all I could think was "I'm coming out of this room without my baby, but still a mother".
Here's a little about how it went down and how shes been doing. Last I blogged, I was in the hospital, on bedrest. Busniess as usual, I was still on bedrest, the morning of Saturday June 18th. Felt a little drained and weak, but I assumed the effects of being in bed for three weeks were finally getting to me. My Dr came in and asked how I was as usual. I told her I felt fine, still leaking AF, and the only thing different was sometimes when I had to change my pad of AF, it was a little pink. The Dr said that was normal and if it continued to happen to let her know.
So about an hour later, I went downhill. I was starting to really feel sick and achy. Cole usually spends the morning with me on saturdays, then goes and run errands for the coming week, then comes back and spends the rest of the day with me. (yes, he's a very loving husband) So on this particular Saturday, he needed to go home, do laundry and get his hair cut. Just before he left the hospital, he knew I was starting to not feel well, and told me to let him know if there was anything I wanted. I just let him know I'd call him and let him know how I was doing.
Once he left, I was still pretty miserable. The nurse came in to check on me, and I let her know how I was feeling and that I wasn't feeling great and it was getting worse. She told me that could be an infection, either with myself or the baby and that she needed to let my Dr know. I honestly didn't realize it could be effecting the baby since I had been sick a handful of times throughout my pregnancy, but I was glad the nurse was telling me and keeping me in the loop. After she had told the Dr, and I was put on an IV and NPO. I forgot what NPO stands for, but I know it meant I couldn't have any food or any drinks, not even water. This was a sign that they were thinking surgery.
The Dr comes to talk to me, and she does an exam. As suspected, the pinkish color in my pads was from dilating. There wasnt much, but I was about 1.5cm dilated and it would continue. My contractions were getting stronger (oh... did I mention I was having mild contractions throughout my whole bedrest?), there was no AF left, baby was breeched (definite c section), and my blood test came back saying I had an infection. Unfortunatley, the blood test can't tell us if it is just a cold for me, or if I was sick because of an infection in my uterus. So, knowing all this, it was best to have the c section that day.
Although my emotions have been up and down during the pregnancy, I felt that I would cry and the craziest things and have a heart of ice on others. This was one of those times I decided to cry. Nothing was really sad about the situation though. We were prepared that the baby would be early and in NICU, and we knew that everything that was being done was in the best interest of the baby.
But I felt like crying. I knew I needed to get it together and call Cole and let him know. But first, to get ahold of myself so that he didn't get freaked out by my crying. So I collected myself and called him. Once he said "Hey babe" on the phone, I did everything I could to fight back the crying, which came out as a shaky voice, which I am sure was WAY worse. Soo I let him know everything and that his little girl was coming today. He left the house so fast. He was a little sad I didnt tell him earlier that I was feeling worse and so he could have skipped a few errands to be there when the Dr was.
Once he got there, he too had to calm down and collect himself. He also had to tell our family about the change in plans....we waited a few hours before we did so that we knew as much info as possible. (and because we wanted to relax and not have our phones ring and beep like crazy) I have never had surgery before so this was a big deal in my mind. I wasn't sure if I had a high tolerance for pain or if I would pass out. I didn't really know what to expect as far as how "I would feel" throughout the process. Would I feel it? Would I not? Will I be dizzy? What kind of pain will I be in? Will I hear the baby scream? Will I get to see her? Will she be okay? Will Cole be able to be with me during the spinal? So many things were rushing in my mind and I know that no one could really answer those questions for me.
What I did know was that my c section would be around 7pm or 730pm, Cole could be there the whole way, I didn't want to know what was going on and when, I knew I would feel touching and pressure, and I knew my nurses pretty well for being there 3 weeks. I was extremely comfortable and confident in my Dr and even thought to myself that she was so extremely nice and I was so lucky to have a doctor that was so comforting. I knew that my baby would be named Elyse and I would soon be a mother.
As the time drew closer to when I was going to go into the OR, we were trying to stay calm and not let the nerves and excitment take over. We knew it was a busy day in Labor and Delivery but we really didn't think the most of it. Then our nurse told us some bad news. Due to the amount of recent pre term deliveries that day and the previous days, that they didn't have enough staffing to cover Elyse over the night. They would want her to have a nurse 1 on 1 if she has trouble breathing. So if she comes out with some trouble breathing, they will stablize her and then transport her to University of Washington Hospital. But if she comes out fine, then they would be able to leave her at Overlake. Unfortunately, they felt the chances of her staying at Overlake were slim and wanted us to be prepared.
This is when my emotions when to the ice hearted side. There was nothing I could do, and they were making the decisions based on Elyse's well being. So I signed the papers knowing I wouldn't get to be with my child for a few days after she was born. It should have been an extremely emotional and heartbreaking moment...which it was. But I was unable to so that. All I could think was "make sure she's okay!!! I just want her to be okay".
Finally, the time came. Cole was given his "dad suit", and I was given a gown and cap, moved to a wheelchair and brought into the OR. Never in my life had I been in one before and all I could think was "I'm coming out of this room without my baby, but still a mother".
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The last few weeks....
So, after reading this you'll think... "why didn't she write this eariler?" Well, I just knew it would be a long story and was still getting used to typing on my netbook. Warning, everything is TMI but it is how it is...
On Friday, May 27th after work, I noticed I felt a "leaking" feeling. Almost like I had lost muscle control and was peeing. It was so awkward! So I rushed to the bathroom leaking on my way there. Then I thought to myself "well, maybe this is just a random pregnancy thing. I'm 29 weeks pregnant!". Then it would happen every 20 min afterward. Before this started, I was feeling a little neasuaed, so I took some medicine that will help and also make you sleepy. So, I was constantly leaking/peeing and super tired... I put down 5 towels and laid down to sleep. Getting up constantly running to the bathroom all night. I was so tired, I kept telling myself "I'll call the doctor in a few minutes...". Cole was also working overtime all week and exhausted, so he also didnt think anything of it and wanted to sleep, just like I did. So finally, 730am on saturday morning comes around and im rushing to the bathroom again. Cole wakes up and I tell him, I don't think its pee, but i dont know whats going on. So he pulls out his "emergency numbers" card we got from our hospital tour.
On the card it says "if you are experiencing leaking or a gush of water, call your doctor immediately". whoops....
So Cole calls the doctor and the doctor says she will call labor and delivery and we should head there right away. So we bring our few dry towels left from the night and a few wash rags since I had no pads in the house at all, and head to the hospital. This is memorial day weekend and we were planning on heading to Idaho to visit Cole's family later that day. On the way to the hospital, we're still thinking that its probably something that could be a "quick fix".
I wasn't in pain or anything, just leaking a ton of liquid! So we get to the hospital and get checked in and they bring me to the oasis. Once in there, we explain the situation to the nurse and she tells me to change into the hospital's mesh panites and a huge pad. As the nurse helps me change and Cole is holding me up, guess what....it had been 20min and I leaked all over the nurse. She was confident in telling me that my water broke.
I moved straight from the oasis to a post pardum room. There they did a few other tests, started an IV, ultrasound and many other uncomfortable tasks...They basically told me they were going to try to prevent me from going into labor for at least 2 days so that the steriod they had given me would help the baby mature her lungs.This is when it set in for Cole and I that we were no longer going to Idaho.
They put me on a few antibiotics to help avoid infection, Magnesium to help avoid labor, and a ton of pads. We saw a perinatologist along with an OB from my OB's practice. They told me that women who rupture their membrane, (aka break their water) about 75% go into labor with in a week.
Well, its now June 16th and I am still in the hospital on bedrest. On saturday, I will have been here for 3weeks. Its been tough to get used to and also knowing how this was not in the plans. But I take everyday as it comes and know that my baby will be here someday and the more I stay, the better for her. At this point, She has lost most of her amniotic fluid but sitll has a solid heart beat. As if the lack of fluid isn't bothering her. She was 3lbs 7oz when we came in in May, and is now 4lbs 4oz. So the time here has helped her. Unfortunately, within that time, she has decided to flip over and is now breeched. So she earned herself a c section. Also, not in the plan.
I weight the pros and cons in my head about the c section, even though there isnt a choice in the matter now. Having major surgery scares me but I know that there isnt a way around it now! So the game plan is if the baby decides shes not happy in my belly, they will go get her. But if she seems fine, they will wait till July 1st to deliver. I have an appt on July 1st at 4pm to have the c section. So we'll see!!
With all this bedrest I have had a hard time. My butt is always numb, I've been leaking non-stop, and they dont encourage me to walk around. Needless to say, I've seen the outside of my room twice since ive been here. Its been very tough mentally to be so confined, but I remind myself that its not about me now.
On Friday, May 27th after work, I noticed I felt a "leaking" feeling. Almost like I had lost muscle control and was peeing. It was so awkward! So I rushed to the bathroom leaking on my way there. Then I thought to myself "well, maybe this is just a random pregnancy thing. I'm 29 weeks pregnant!". Then it would happen every 20 min afterward. Before this started, I was feeling a little neasuaed, so I took some medicine that will help and also make you sleepy. So, I was constantly leaking/peeing and super tired... I put down 5 towels and laid down to sleep. Getting up constantly running to the bathroom all night. I was so tired, I kept telling myself "I'll call the doctor in a few minutes...". Cole was also working overtime all week and exhausted, so he also didnt think anything of it and wanted to sleep, just like I did. So finally, 730am on saturday morning comes around and im rushing to the bathroom again. Cole wakes up and I tell him, I don't think its pee, but i dont know whats going on. So he pulls out his "emergency numbers" card we got from our hospital tour.
On the card it says "if you are experiencing leaking or a gush of water, call your doctor immediately". whoops....
So Cole calls the doctor and the doctor says she will call labor and delivery and we should head there right away. So we bring our few dry towels left from the night and a few wash rags since I had no pads in the house at all, and head to the hospital. This is memorial day weekend and we were planning on heading to Idaho to visit Cole's family later that day. On the way to the hospital, we're still thinking that its probably something that could be a "quick fix".
I wasn't in pain or anything, just leaking a ton of liquid! So we get to the hospital and get checked in and they bring me to the oasis. Once in there, we explain the situation to the nurse and she tells me to change into the hospital's mesh panites and a huge pad. As the nurse helps me change and Cole is holding me up, guess what....it had been 20min and I leaked all over the nurse. She was confident in telling me that my water broke.
I moved straight from the oasis to a post pardum room. There they did a few other tests, started an IV, ultrasound and many other uncomfortable tasks...They basically told me they were going to try to prevent me from going into labor for at least 2 days so that the steriod they had given me would help the baby mature her lungs.This is when it set in for Cole and I that we were no longer going to Idaho.
They put me on a few antibiotics to help avoid infection, Magnesium to help avoid labor, and a ton of pads. We saw a perinatologist along with an OB from my OB's practice. They told me that women who rupture their membrane, (aka break their water) about 75% go into labor with in a week.
Well, its now June 16th and I am still in the hospital on bedrest. On saturday, I will have been here for 3weeks. Its been tough to get used to and also knowing how this was not in the plans. But I take everyday as it comes and know that my baby will be here someday and the more I stay, the better for her. At this point, She has lost most of her amniotic fluid but sitll has a solid heart beat. As if the lack of fluid isn't bothering her. She was 3lbs 7oz when we came in in May, and is now 4lbs 4oz. So the time here has helped her. Unfortunately, within that time, she has decided to flip over and is now breeched. So she earned herself a c section. Also, not in the plan.
I weight the pros and cons in my head about the c section, even though there isnt a choice in the matter now. Having major surgery scares me but I know that there isnt a way around it now! So the game plan is if the baby decides shes not happy in my belly, they will go get her. But if she seems fine, they will wait till July 1st to deliver. I have an appt on July 1st at 4pm to have the c section. So we'll see!!
With all this bedrest I have had a hard time. My butt is always numb, I've been leaking non-stop, and they dont encourage me to walk around. Needless to say, I've seen the outside of my room twice since ive been here. Its been very tough mentally to be so confined, but I remind myself that its not about me now.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Dear Non-Pregnant Person
So I don't actually agree with most of these (mostl #4), but some of them I do and find it REALLY funny how hormonal this person sounds. hahaha Anyways, saw this on the pregnancy board I read and thought I would share. BTW, friends that want to visit, you are NOT held by some of those last expectations.
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass (including, “Did you plan this?”).
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the name of the baby.
4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance, and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!"
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
8) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
9) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass (including, “Did you plan this?”).
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the name of the baby.
4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance, and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!"
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
8) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
9) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Quick Update: more tests, gallblader, glucose test
Its definitely been awhile since my last post, and although it’s partially from my laziness, its also because I have been surprisingly busy!
So just to update, I went to a great baby shower thrown by my mother in law and two friends, Courtney and Lindsay at my MIL’s house in Granite Bay, Ca. It was a great day, but I will post about that another time.
Since then, I’ve slowly crawled into my third trimester officially, been taking birthing classes, toured the hospital we will be delivering in, gone to a bachelorette party, wedding and thrown a wedding shower! It’s been a fun an exciting month, nonetheless! Plus work has gotten extremely busy with my peak season starting, so sleeping and resting have become a huge apart of my daily schedule.
But the thing I most want to blog today about is my recent pregnancy related issue. Well, I believe its pregnancy related, but it could also just be “bad eating habit” related. I don’t remember if I mentioned this, but everyone kept saying to me “ you’re pregnant, you can eat what you want!”… this my friends… is so NOT true and I feel as though I’ve learned this the hard way. But, I am learning from my mistakes!
First of all, back in the end of April, I took my 1 hour glucose test. If you’re not familiar with the process, well this is how it goes. Depending on your doctor, they will tell you to fast for 12 hours or tell you to fast for 2. My doctor told me to fast for 2 hours, drink this small red drink and get my blood drawn within an hour of drinking it. (I have severe pregnancy brain, so I think this is how it all went). Well, the reason the drink was red, was because it was fruit punch flavored….. YUCK! I do like fruit punch, I don’t like it when its as sugary and syrupy as that was! Oh, and you have to drink it within a 5 min time period. So not only is it on a empty stomach, its gross and you feel like you want to vomit the whole time. Well, I did this got my blood drawn and to my surprise, I FAILED!
I was really upset and depressed about it. I felt like it could totally have been avoided by eating better and not indulging on every little craving I had! Well, since I failed, I had to go back and take the 3 hour glucose test. This was terrible. It’s similar to the 1 hour test, except, you fast for 12 hours, go get your blood drawn, then they make you drink the drink again(this time I got lemon lime, it was better), then get your blood drawn every hour for three hours. Yes, that means you got your blood drawn 4 times in 1 day. Which, if you’re anything like me, it mades you sick to think about. I was sooo lightheaded by the end of it, I had to take the rest of the day off of work, and you can bet I managed to sleep the whole day, and night.
These tests test for gestational diabetes. Well, thankfully, I passed my 3 hour test and don’t have gestational diabetes. Whew! Regardless, it was awake up call to eat better and be a better mom for my unborn child. Now, I’m not saying I have been a staint about what I eat, but I have definitely taken the idea of “eat whatever you want, whenever you want” out of my head.
Well, although the scare has helped me make better food choices, it hasn’t made my bad food choices completely disappear. Last week, I went to lunch and decided to enjoy a nice meal of chicken fingers and fries. They were tasty, but nothing amazing. I couldn’t even finish since the meal was so big. Later that night, after making dinner, my stomach was starting to feel a little off. But I assumed I was hungry, so I ate dinner, and the feeling still didn’t go away. It got worse.
Now, I actually tend to get stomach aches fairly often and know that when it’s a stomach ache, my whole belly aches. This time, it was only at the top of my belly (TMI warning), just under were my giant breasts now sit. The pain was always there but got worse in waves. So since at first I thought it was a stomach ache, I went to the bathroom and just sat there hoping something would happen, and I would feel better. Nope, nothing usual happened and I definitely wasn’t feeling better, then suddenly, I had to urge to vomit. Sometimes, when I have stomachs I also feel like I have to vomit, but I don’t actually vomit. Well, this time, I did and a lot.
Thankfully, someone had just explained to me what a contraction feels like and that your whole belly gets extremely hard. Well, my belly wasn’t hard so we knew it wasn’t a contraction(thank goodness!) So once the vomiting started, Cole called a 24 hour nurse hotline. They explained it was my gallbladder, and that I could be passing a gallstone. All I could think was “wow… didn’t read anything about my gall bladder in all those pregnancy books!” The nurse asked about what I had eaten and said the chicken finger and fries must have triggered it and that there was no medicine I could take to ease the pain since I was pregnant. The only thing I could do is wait it out, and eat better in the future. I was very upset to hear that. So I layed on my left side and did my best to quietly handle my pain since it was now 11pm and I knew both Cole and I had to work the next day.
I was so exhausted from the lack of food in my body and the pain I was going through, I quickly fell asleep, (while still noting the pain while sleeping). The pain did eventually go away and I was so relieved! It was unlike any stomach pain I had ever had and don’t want to risk going through it again. Again, if I had been better about eating, this may not have happened.
So I went to my OB yesterday (Monday) for my regular appointment, and told her about my episode. She told me there IS medicine I could have been given and if it were to happen again to go to the hospital so I can be treated. I was a little upset to hear that I didn’t need to be going through that pain, but glad to know I managed through it. But due to the issue, my doctor had me go and get an ultrasound done so that they can check my gallbladder.
I went this morning and the nice ultrasound tech also checked on the baby for me as well :) She’s doing good and at my request she also “double checked” the sex for me. The baby is STILL a girl! Haha She was moving like a maniac, kicking me during the session and was head down. I don’t know the results yet as far as my gallbladder goes, but hopefully I’ll know in a few days.
So just to update, I went to a great baby shower thrown by my mother in law and two friends, Courtney and Lindsay at my MIL’s house in Granite Bay, Ca. It was a great day, but I will post about that another time.
Since then, I’ve slowly crawled into my third trimester officially, been taking birthing classes, toured the hospital we will be delivering in, gone to a bachelorette party, wedding and thrown a wedding shower! It’s been a fun an exciting month, nonetheless! Plus work has gotten extremely busy with my peak season starting, so sleeping and resting have become a huge apart of my daily schedule.
But the thing I most want to blog today about is my recent pregnancy related issue. Well, I believe its pregnancy related, but it could also just be “bad eating habit” related. I don’t remember if I mentioned this, but everyone kept saying to me “ you’re pregnant, you can eat what you want!”… this my friends… is so NOT true and I feel as though I’ve learned this the hard way. But, I am learning from my mistakes!
First of all, back in the end of April, I took my 1 hour glucose test. If you’re not familiar with the process, well this is how it goes. Depending on your doctor, they will tell you to fast for 12 hours or tell you to fast for 2. My doctor told me to fast for 2 hours, drink this small red drink and get my blood drawn within an hour of drinking it. (I have severe pregnancy brain, so I think this is how it all went). Well, the reason the drink was red, was because it was fruit punch flavored….. YUCK! I do like fruit punch, I don’t like it when its as sugary and syrupy as that was! Oh, and you have to drink it within a 5 min time period. So not only is it on a empty stomach, its gross and you feel like you want to vomit the whole time. Well, I did this got my blood drawn and to my surprise, I FAILED!
I was really upset and depressed about it. I felt like it could totally have been avoided by eating better and not indulging on every little craving I had! Well, since I failed, I had to go back and take the 3 hour glucose test. This was terrible. It’s similar to the 1 hour test, except, you fast for 12 hours, go get your blood drawn, then they make you drink the drink again(this time I got lemon lime, it was better), then get your blood drawn every hour for three hours. Yes, that means you got your blood drawn 4 times in 1 day. Which, if you’re anything like me, it mades you sick to think about. I was sooo lightheaded by the end of it, I had to take the rest of the day off of work, and you can bet I managed to sleep the whole day, and night.
These tests test for gestational diabetes. Well, thankfully, I passed my 3 hour test and don’t have gestational diabetes. Whew! Regardless, it was awake up call to eat better and be a better mom for my unborn child. Now, I’m not saying I have been a staint about what I eat, but I have definitely taken the idea of “eat whatever you want, whenever you want” out of my head.
Well, although the scare has helped me make better food choices, it hasn’t made my bad food choices completely disappear. Last week, I went to lunch and decided to enjoy a nice meal of chicken fingers and fries. They were tasty, but nothing amazing. I couldn’t even finish since the meal was so big. Later that night, after making dinner, my stomach was starting to feel a little off. But I assumed I was hungry, so I ate dinner, and the feeling still didn’t go away. It got worse.
Now, I actually tend to get stomach aches fairly often and know that when it’s a stomach ache, my whole belly aches. This time, it was only at the top of my belly (TMI warning), just under were my giant breasts now sit. The pain was always there but got worse in waves. So since at first I thought it was a stomach ache, I went to the bathroom and just sat there hoping something would happen, and I would feel better. Nope, nothing usual happened and I definitely wasn’t feeling better, then suddenly, I had to urge to vomit. Sometimes, when I have stomachs I also feel like I have to vomit, but I don’t actually vomit. Well, this time, I did and a lot.
Thankfully, someone had just explained to me what a contraction feels like and that your whole belly gets extremely hard. Well, my belly wasn’t hard so we knew it wasn’t a contraction(thank goodness!) So once the vomiting started, Cole called a 24 hour nurse hotline. They explained it was my gallbladder, and that I could be passing a gallstone. All I could think was “wow… didn’t read anything about my gall bladder in all those pregnancy books!” The nurse asked about what I had eaten and said the chicken finger and fries must have triggered it and that there was no medicine I could take to ease the pain since I was pregnant. The only thing I could do is wait it out, and eat better in the future. I was very upset to hear that. So I layed on my left side and did my best to quietly handle my pain since it was now 11pm and I knew both Cole and I had to work the next day.
I was so exhausted from the lack of food in my body and the pain I was going through, I quickly fell asleep, (while still noting the pain while sleeping). The pain did eventually go away and I was so relieved! It was unlike any stomach pain I had ever had and don’t want to risk going through it again. Again, if I had been better about eating, this may not have happened.
So I went to my OB yesterday (Monday) for my regular appointment, and told her about my episode. She told me there IS medicine I could have been given and if it were to happen again to go to the hospital so I can be treated. I was a little upset to hear that I didn’t need to be going through that pain, but glad to know I managed through it. But due to the issue, my doctor had me go and get an ultrasound done so that they can check my gallbladder.
I went this morning and the nice ultrasound tech also checked on the baby for me as well :) She’s doing good and at my request she also “double checked” the sex for me. The baby is STILL a girl! Haha She was moving like a maniac, kicking me during the session and was head down. I don’t know the results yet as far as my gallbladder goes, but hopefully I’ll know in a few days.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
You know you're pregnant when...
I can't take credit for writing this at all. This is a compilation of the girls on the board I read and posted only the ones I can relate to :) Hope you find this funny even if you aren't pregnant. (you will notice this when you are or your partner is!)
You know you're pregnant when...
-your mood is 99% determined by how comfortable your pants are.
-the thought of having a newborn that "only" sleeps in 3 hour stretches actually sounds appealing, because right now you're up every 2 to pee
-whenever you're out to eat you seriously consider ordering an extra portion to take home "just in case I'm hungry later."
-when dessert has gone from a rare treat after dinner to a must-have!!
-When you start a new load of laundry (that you forgot to do) in the washing machine before switching the clean wet clothes into the dryer, thus soaking the clothes again.
-You start thinking about what is for lunch/dinner before your done with bfast.
-your diet consists of raisin bran, fruit and marshmallows.
-you bought a bathing suit with more fabric than your wedding dress had.
-When you wake up at 6am and eat the leftover chicken wings cold that you have been thinking about since you put them away after dinner...
-When you decide that shaving is more of an exercise or chore and decide against it because you don't want to be out of breathe from reaching since you just caught your breathe from climbing the stairs...
-When you cough/sneeze and pee all at the same time...
-When ppl think it's okay to touch your belly...
-When you are eating cold cereal out of a coffee mug on the couch and realize that at some point the mug ended up resting on your belly...
-when your mood is dramatically lifted when you find out it's potluck day at work.
-when you laugh too hard and start ugly crying.
-when you feel a sneeze coming and clench your thighs.
-you forget there is something sticking out in front of you until you try to squeeze through a small opening and get stuck...
-you think going to bed sounds SO good, but are too tired to get off the couch and get ready so you seriously think about sleeping where you are...
-people start to recognize your weekly rotation of clothes that actually fit you.
-you can walk faster than you can run.
Happy Thursday!
Here is my 24 week picture from last week. Im 25 weeks now :)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
2000-2010 Bullet Points
So this probably would have been better to do in January, but since I didn’t think of it till now, now will just have to do.
2000-2010 Wow.. another decade has past and yet celebrating the 1999/2000 New Years Eve feels like it was just yesterday. So I want to take a blog to reflect on this last decade. What brought this on in the end of April of 2011? Well, as I recently posted, I got a new car and in this car, they are giving me a three month trial of XM radio. When I first heard, I was like “LAME.. I won’t use it”. Well, 1.5 months later… here I am.. addicted to the 90’s on 9 and Pop2K stations. I flip back and forth between these two stations and listen to songs that bring back memories. Some are great memories that make me think of a less stress life and some are really horrible.
Well instead of bringing it all the way back to 1990, we’ll just go back a decade.
Also, the reason for the blog isn’t to give myself a huge “pat on the back” as its more for my to document my memories before I forget them. I mean, I do consider this blog a little bit to be like my diary… public diary so I have to be somewhat cautious about what I write.
So I will bullet all the things that happened in the last 10 years that I consider either to be big steps, milestones, great memories, or big memories to learn from. I won’t go into too much detail as that would make this much longer than it already will be.
So here it goes, bullet points for 2000-2010:
* Had my first kiss
* Got my first job
* Had/got(?) my first boyfriend
* Felt my first heartbreak
* Got my first piercing
* Realized I had a passion for dance
* Preformed my first solo
* Went to Prom
* Won my first cheer Jump-off
* Graduated High School
* Stopped Swimming in school
* Lost touch with some of my friends to a boyfriend
* Got my first car from my parents(as well as a second and third)
* Went to college at a CSU
* Learned to make new friends and truly appreciate my old friends.
* Landed my first internship
* Traveled internationally by plane, car and boat for the first time.
* Joined Student Leadership in college and became and RA
* Graduated College in three years
* Turned 21 and enjoyed it for many years, in many bars and clubs.
* Got my first career job with a company I wanted
* Moved out of state for the first time
* Made friends with people at a club randomly(and stayed friends)
* Tested a friendship and succeeded
* Learned (the hard way) to support myself without help from my parents
* Bought a car all on my own, with my own money for the first time
* Had my own apartment for the first time.
* Became responsible for a life besides my own (Brody)
* Met the love of my life
* Married the love of my life
* Adopted a Vizsla
* Became a homeowner
* Became pregnant and opening a whole new chapter for my family.
It’s hard to realize all of that happened in the last 10 years. But all for the better. I’m so happy to be where and who I am today and wouldn’t have done any of it differently.
2000-2010 Wow.. another decade has past and yet celebrating the 1999/2000 New Years Eve feels like it was just yesterday. So I want to take a blog to reflect on this last decade. What brought this on in the end of April of 2011? Well, as I recently posted, I got a new car and in this car, they are giving me a three month trial of XM radio. When I first heard, I was like “LAME.. I won’t use it”. Well, 1.5 months later… here I am.. addicted to the 90’s on 9 and Pop2K stations. I flip back and forth between these two stations and listen to songs that bring back memories. Some are great memories that make me think of a less stress life and some are really horrible.
Well instead of bringing it all the way back to 1990, we’ll just go back a decade.
Also, the reason for the blog isn’t to give myself a huge “pat on the back” as its more for my to document my memories before I forget them. I mean, I do consider this blog a little bit to be like my diary… public diary so I have to be somewhat cautious about what I write.
So I will bullet all the things that happened in the last 10 years that I consider either to be big steps, milestones, great memories, or big memories to learn from. I won’t go into too much detail as that would make this much longer than it already will be.
So here it goes, bullet points for 2000-2010:
* Had my first kiss
* Got my first job
* Had/got(?) my first boyfriend
* Felt my first heartbreak
* Got my first piercing
* Realized I had a passion for dance
* Preformed my first solo
* Went to Prom
* Won my first cheer Jump-off
* Graduated High School
* Stopped Swimming in school
* Lost touch with some of my friends to a boyfriend
* Got my first car from my parents(as well as a second and third)
* Went to college at a CSU
* Learned to make new friends and truly appreciate my old friends.
* Landed my first internship
* Traveled internationally by plane, car and boat for the first time.
* Joined Student Leadership in college and became and RA
* Graduated College in three years
* Turned 21 and enjoyed it for many years, in many bars and clubs.
* Got my first career job with a company I wanted
* Moved out of state for the first time
* Made friends with people at a club randomly(and stayed friends)
* Tested a friendship and succeeded
* Learned (the hard way) to support myself without help from my parents
* Bought a car all on my own, with my own money for the first time
* Had my own apartment for the first time.
* Became responsible for a life besides my own (Brody)
* Met the love of my life
* Married the love of my life
* Adopted a Vizsla
* Became a homeowner
* Became pregnant and opening a whole new chapter for my family.
It’s hard to realize all of that happened in the last 10 years. But all for the better. I’m so happy to be where and who I am today and wouldn’t have done any of it differently.
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