Four, no FIVE, Weeks Later

It's almost five weeks since Elsie was born.  Things have been going well.  Even though she nurses every two or three hours a night (in my arms not laying down...soon though), I'm not as tired as I was with Leon.  I'm also not as mentally drained.  I guess there's something to be said about the second time around.  Plus Elsie seems easier than Leon.  She can sleep without being held.

Body wise....I started losing the weight and regaining my prepregancy shape already.  With Leon I still had my pregnant look two months later.  This time around my tummy was pretty flat at four weeks.  In addition to breast feeding this time around, I have been "working out" by taking care of Leon and I have done some binding (more on that later)!

Welcome Lorraine!

Lorraine Carol "Elsie" was born on July 12 at 12:25 pm.  Labor was long and quick.  I was given pitocin at 2 am.  I was not given the option of using cervical cream.  So since I was on an IV I had to stay close to my bed.  Very annoying.  My initial plan was to walk and climb as much as possible.  Though they did let me sit on birthing ball.  I spent the first several hours watching movies, reading 50 Shades of Grey (overrated but ok), and trying to maintain calm and not focus on a C section.  In the morning I was still just 3 centimeters and didn't seem likely id have baby soon.  Someone even said "not today."But I've heard that before.  Around 1030 am Jeff went to gym and my sister started packing up so she could go walk her dog.  We joked that last time  she heard not today and she left I had the baby in two hours.  So maybe she shouldn't leave.  Midwife checked me....I was 6 cent.  Yah!  I had had some well spaced contractions they were moderately painful.  Midwife broke my water at about 11 am.  I asked if I should tell Jeff to come back, she said no, I still had several hours.  Soon I couldn't talk and asked my sister to please time my contractions and to my surprise they were 2 min apart and 1 min long.  The nurse came in.  She said the baby's heart beat monitor fell off.  I couldn't really even concentrate on helping her or following instructions....midwife came back said let me just get you in bed check heart beat and then you can go back to the ball.  They were like get on bed....I was trying to say can we please just wait until I finish this contraction....finally got on bed and Jeff walked in room and he said I'm going to shower...Dr said ok next thing I knew they were banging on the door telling him to get out quick

Three sets of three long pushes and Elsie was born.  I needed stitches (again) and started to hemorrhage but eventually the midwife and nurses fixed that.

Its a girl.

I originally thought I was having a girl but changed it to a boy so I wouldn't be upset.  I really did only want a healthy child.  I had prepared myself for a boy.  Thinking, "my boys this and my boys that."   But when i heard, "its a girl"I was beyond happy!

I can't wait to do her hair, dress her in tutus and tiaras, and comfort her with my boy drama stories when XYZ doesn't call her (well maybe I can wait on thus one).

Ready or not....It's Time

Tomorrow I'll be induced in the evening (assuming I don't have the baby before). I wanted to avoid an induction but I don't have a choice. On the other hand, it's pretty exciting to know I'm almost there. It's been a little frustrating that for the last few weeks everyone has been asking me for updates, calculations, and information. Being told six weeks ago I was going to have the baby "any day" put a bit of unnecessary pressure on me and my family. But no one knows perhaps if I hadn't eased up on things maybe I would have had the baby earlier. My plan is to ask for cervical cream instead of pitocin. So I can avoid all the complications that can arise with pitocin. When my water broke first with Leon I freaked because I imagined this....pitocin followed by super hard contractions followed by an epidural followed by ineffective pushing followed by a drop in baby's heart beat followed by an emergency C section. I wanted to avoid a c section at all costs last time. I would love to have a similar birth as with Leon. A couple of hours of intense pain, a sweet release, and then a baby in my arms. I was able to take a shower, walk around, etc before and after. C sections scare me due to the fact that it's a serious medical procedure but also because I'm afraid of losing that freedom. But let's focus on the good things.... This time tomorrow I'll be closer to holding baby #2! Since tonight's my last night as a mom of one (a mom of a toddler who sleeps 10 hours a night straight) I should probably get ready for bed.

Induction????

40 weeks pregnant and yes, pregnant.   The induction massage I had last week was wonderful (Spa on the Hill).  It was a regular massage with some pressure applied to points on my feet and hands that are supposed to cause contractions.  I think I felt one when getting the massage though when I try it myself now, nothing.


I had contractions six minutes apart over the weekend and I was sure it was time to go to the hospital.  After all hadn't everyone and their moma told me that after Leon's birth (preceptive labor)  that I should hurry to the hospital when my contractions get to be six minutes apart?  Anyways....hospital staff didn't seem to like my use of the p word, though that's what one of the nurses in the same hospital told me my first labor was called.  I was checked and I was only dilated 3 centimeters and told to go back home.

Ugh!  They seemed to doubt that my contractions were actually six minutes apart and surprised I was not in pain.  Since then I stopped counting my contractions.  I'm waiting on my water breaking, screaming pain, or a hand, foot, or head to appear before I go back to the hospital.

In the meantime I've been thinking about possibly inducing labor.  My hospital only allows you go to until 41 weeks and my husband is supposed to depart this weekend (remember...at 35 weeks the doctor was so certain that I would deliver any day now).

I'm still quite scared of inducing and really want to leave it as a last resort.  I would prefer to have another natural delivery.  It was helpful to be able to have the freedom of moving around before and after and I'm not sure how my body would react to an epidural (not sure one can get a C-section without one, lol).  ((I realize now that my blog the last time I was pregnant must have been confusing...as I was trying to write as if I was said child...but FYI I have the same opinions on natural labor as before))

So I think I will try to avoid an induction at all costs.  Maybe I'll go into labor when I finish posting....

Waiting Game

Still pregnant.  Though I think I'm having contractions now, about 10 minutes apart.  Not sure.  I had some before I went to sleep and just woke up with one.  But that didn't stop me from making and eating an Ekizeal bread, sunflower butter, and banana sandwich.

this pic has nothing to do with this post...lol!

I'm scheduled to have an induction massage today in a few hours.

It does seem a little silly to have an induction massage and try to bring labor on early (so far I've been drinking Chamomile tea, eating papaya and dates, and walking and we tried some other highly recommended joint methods...not very successful).  However, Jeff's got less than two weeks left in the U.S. before he returns overseas.  And in addition to having him present and assisting in the birth, I think it's really important for him to be here to help Leon with the transition.

Speaking of transitions...I got Leon a toy baby doll to play big brother with.  He is very affectionate with the doll, when he is not using it as an airplane, and seems to get the concept of baby, Leon, and mom.  He's even (no lie) bought the doll over to me so I can breast feed it.  At least that's what I assume he wants me to do with the doll when he smashes it up to my chest.

Wait, is this a contraction?

Ugh, the good and bad thing about my water breaking first last time was that I had such an untypical delivery that I am not exactly certain what happens first in a normal delivery.  I asked the doctor and a nurse last time and they said, "oh you'll know when you are having a contraction."  But really?  I mean, the early stages don't really (I think) hurt that much or maybe it's possible I have a higher tolerance for pain?

Anyways, we'll see what happens next!

Yes, He Can be Terrible

Not sure what I hate more, Leon when he is in his terrible two mood or another person telling me not to call it "Terrible two."  The other day I was at a museum and the guard commented on Leon enjoying the artwork.  I was happy that Leon was enjoying everything.  That was the second time we went to that particular museum that week.  But I also know how jumpy the guards get when Leon comes in the room because their are several standing art works that say "don't touch."  Last time I had to put Leon back in his stroller at three (I count now 1-2-3 for each offense and 3 is back in stroller or time out somewhere) because he was running, yelling, and very close to touching or bumping into artwork in the museum.

So back to this day with this particular guard, I said, something like"yeah, he's great but he's also in the terrible twos so I'm watching him."  Random man replies, "you shouldn't call your son terrible, he is not terrible, you should respect and honor him."  um...seriously?  Stranger man.  How about you become 37.5 weeks pregnant and chase a toddler down, deal with the kicking and screaming, and throwing food on the floor.

Another day, I said Leon was going through his terrible twos and another person said to me, "Leon is not terrible."  This person hadn't seen Leon since he drooled uncontrollably and had just learned to roll over.

I could go on and on.

Leon is an amazing child.  He is so smart, coordinated, friendly, and happy.  But he is also going through a tough time right now.  He wants to be in control of everything and in those moments when he wants more of X or less of Y he can really be terrible.

So let me call it what it is!

Preparing for Labor: Birth Plan

I found my birth plan from Leon's birth.  It's so funny!  I wanted a non-intervention/natural childbirth (and I had one).  My birth plan is so in depth and uses all these suggestions and commentary that I don't even think I understood.  The funniest part was the induction section:

'If induction becomes necessary, we ask that non-chemical methods (walking, breast stimulation, castor oil, and if mucus plug is intact and her water has not broken, sexual intercourse) be tried before chemical methods.  If those methods do not work, we would like to try a cervical cream before pitocin."

Seriously, sex!  LOL!  Sex and breast stimulation were the last things on my mind when I was in labor.   What was I going to do with the castor oil?   What is castor oil?  I think I must of lifted that from some natural website or a baby site.

The truth is birth plans probably are not necessary.  Except to make a first time mom feel like she's in control.  The Dr read it quickly with Leon but I don't think he even thought about it.  Once I said "no drugs" they put "no drugs" on the board outside my door and let me deal with the pain on my own. 

I made a play list, lavender rice socks (you heat them in the microwave and use them for pain management), yoga ball, movies to watch, chamomile tea with honey, massage oil etc. The only thing I ended up using was the yoga ball (just for a few bounces though) and the chamomile tea (I smuggled that into the hospital...it's supposed to bring on contractions; I started guzzling it when they told me I wasn't effaced or dilated and since my water broke over 8 hours ago I panicked that they were going to give me pitocin, then an epidural, and then a C-section).   I did walk a lot and squat and even walked up and down steps (next day when I mentioned that to the nurse she told me that was dangerous and not allowed..opps!).  I also took a shower with Jeff and I think that helped (no sex, lol, just warm water).

So this time, I plan on smuggling in some chamomile tea, bringing a ball, and my fully loaded Ipad (with poor girl eventually gets rich man Victorian period romance movies).  And I'm hoping for another drug free pregnancy with assistance from either my mom or husband (cause not likely I'll have both of them this time) and  I'm happy with that.