Sunday, July 28, 2013

3 weeks old tomorrow!

I can't believe Anna Banana is 3 weeks old tomorrow! This time truly is flying and it makes me so sad! She already doesn't look like a newborn, at least in my eyes. If we go to the store, I still hear people whisper to each other how tiny she is. Thankfully I only had one time where I was afraid someone was going to touch her, and I kept moving her stroller away and was able to fend off the germy hand! :) She is so fun to have and I just love watching her with her Daddy! Oh and she has already rolled from her front to her back!!! I couldn't believe it. She doesn't do it all the time, but I have definitely seen it and it blows my mind that she is doing it already! She is also starting to be more alert and it is neat to see her look around and take in the world... well the world that she can see at least since not all of her eyesight is in yet!

Breastfeeding has not been what I imagined. I was looking forward to doing it and to having that time with my Anna all to myself, not to mention how much cheaper it was supposed to be! Well, we had problems from the start in the hospital. Anna had trouble latching to me, so I had to use a nipple shield for her to latch. Because of the nipple shield, I wasn't being stimulated enough for my milk to come in, so I had to pump after every feeding too. And then, because my milk wasn't coming in, we had to supplement with formula. Each feeding took over an hour and I would finish one just in time to start another. It was so emotionally and physically draining. The formula the hospital had her on made her gassy, so we had some LOOONG nights after we came home. Nights where we saw Daddy go to bed and Daddy get up for work and we didn't get a wink of sleep in between. She also wasn't getting enough milk from me and the formula wasn't enough, so she was hungry all the time. Because she was also using a bottle (which the lactation consultant told us to use because she was already on a nipple shield), she ended up getting a lazy latch. After one emotionally difficult day, where Anna refused to latch and screamed because she was hungry, I was done. I decided to exclusively pump and only feed her from a bottle. Since then, she has started to eat on an eating schedule, where she eats every 3 hours, and isn't hungry in between. She is actually sleeping 3 or 4 hour stretches at night regularly. The only time she is hungry between feedings is when we notice we have to increase her to the next half oz, and then we don't have problems. We do still supplement with 1 oz of formula, but she mostly gets breastmilk. I feel so much better this way because I don't feel like all I am doing is feeding a baby. One thing I am not yet ready to give up is feeding her. I don't mind if Jeff feeds her because I love to see them bonding. I am not ready for someone else to feed her. I was so looking forward to having this time with her, and I am not ready to give that time to someone else. Between now and when I go back to work, I will work on that, but until then I am not going to budge on that. Jeff is completely supportive.

So that is it in a nutshell. I really love being a mommy and I am having a hard time even thinking about when I have to go back to work. I had to pick up paperwork for the daycare, and other than picking it up, I haven't been able to touch it. I just can't think of my baby crying and needing me and someone else being there to help her. I have to go back to work and am going back October 1st, and I really do love my job and I am looking forward to a new school year... I just wish I could take my munchkin with me!

And because no post would be complete without a picture of my beautiful girl... here you go:

Me cuddling with my angel. Do you notice the                  
blanket? Prince George has the same one as Anna!         Anna in her cuddly owl PJs!
  

And here is a sneak peek at Anna's newborn pictures! My Aunt Becky took them for us and I can not WAIT to see more! 
   


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Anna's Birth Story and a Short Update

So I have always wanted to do a birth story post! I love reading them when others post about them, and I want to write it down before I forget what happened. Bringing a new life into this world is beautiful, and was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. It is long, so kudos if you get through it! If you make it, there may be some pictures at the end to reward you! (Of course, if you are like me, you quick scroll down to look at them before coming back to read).

I am going to start with Friday, July 5th, the day after my due date. I had an ultrasound, a Non-Stress Test, and my 40 week appointment scheduled for that day. Jeff was off that day so he went with me, which I am thankful for! The ultrasound was just to measure fluid levels, and all was good. Once again she was waving at us during the ultrasound! :) We went to the Non-Stress Test, and during the test I was having contractions, though they were very small so I wasn't feeling all of them. She also wasn't moving around a ton because it was a sleepier time of day for her. They were having a hard time getting her to move to measure her heartrate. When I had contractions, they noticed her heartrate dropped. The doctor didn't want to do my appointment, he wanted me to head to Labor and Delivery and be hooked up to one of their machines for monitoring. I was nervous that something was wrong, and wondering if they were going to induce me. We only live 5 minutes from my doctor's and 5 minutes from the hospital, so we decided to swing home, let the dogs out, sweep and vacuum, and grab my bags for the hospital in case they decide to admit me. We also stopped at Subway on the way to the hospital so that I had something to eat in case I was being induced. We were hooked up to the machines and monitored for a few hours. I think because I stopped to eat, it gave her energy and she was very active. They didn't notice any problems with her heartrate. They were also PACKED that day, so they couldn't induce me. They set up an induction for Tuesday, July 9th and sent me on my way.

Saturday we spent time with family, but I really wasn't having any contractions. Sunday, July 7th, I woke up and was feeling contractions every 15 minutes or so and they were stronger than any of the contractions I had before had been. They weren't painful, but they felt like they were pushing baby down, which I hadn't felt before. I downloaded a contraction timer app for when I needed to start timing and went about my day. Jeff was at work and I was wondering if I would have to call him to come home, but they weren't close enough for me to feel that I had to. He got home and I told him about my contractions. We had dinner plans with my parents that night for my birthday and since they were 10-15 minutes apart at that time, we decided to keep our plans, even though it was 30 minutes away from our house and the hospital. I did have to breathe a bit through a few contractions during dinner, and I noticed they were getting closer together. I told my parents that I wouldn't be surprised if tonight we went in, but we weren't sure since we have had days where I've had contractions and then they would go away. Driving home I noticed they were getting closer together so I started timing them. They were 5-9 minutes apart. My doctor's office told me and all first time moms to call when they are 5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, for 1 hour, so I knew it wasn't yet time to call. We watched some TV and I continued to time. After an hour I noticed they were 3-5 minutes apart, so I called and we went in. They still weren't strong, but I felt a lot of pressure. They put me in the Early Labor Room (not fully admitted) and hooked me up to monitors. They also checked me and I was still barely a centimeter dilated. They started to get more painful at this time, feeling like cramps. After an hour on the machine I still wasn't progressed, so they had me walk around. After an hour of walking around I progressed from barely a centimeter to a full centimeter, however, they weren't convinced I was in labor. (I was convinced, but what do I know?! Haha!). They told me I could be in false labor, gave me Percocet and Ambien and sent me home to sleep and make the contractions go away. They told me to come back in if they were more painful... I didn't understand how they could get any more painful. Famous last words...

We went home and I went inside and up to the bedroom. I had no sooner made it to the bedroom than I felt HORRENDOUS pain. I kept thinking (remember I am on Percocet and Ambien, so not quite all there) that I was a Barbie having my legs ripped off. I would pass out between the contractions, and then they would wake me up and I would cry and try to make them stop, but they wouldn't. Eventually I started throwing up from the pain and told I was done and we were going back in. It was barely an hour since we were sent home. I should have just stayed...

We went in and they checked me in the Early Labor room again... I had dilated 3cm in the hour I was gone and was officially being admitted in labor! My original plan was to labor until I got to 5cm and then get an epidural. Haha. You can plan all you want... it doesn't mean it will happen! I was progressing so quickly that my pain was unbearable and I wanted an epidural immediately. They hooked me to an IV to give me fluids and gave me Stadol while they waited for the anesthesiologist to come. Stadol rocked because I was out of it between contractions and, while they still hurt, it took the edge off my contractions and it also made me out of it when the epidural was being placed. The anesthesiologist was my favorite person in the entire hospital. I really was so comfortable before he even left the room! I am pretty sure I told him he was an Angel. Haha!  Somewhere around 5:00 or 6:00 Monday morning my mom showed up to hang with Jeff and me. I dozed on and off between them checking me. I quickly progressed to 6 cm and then started to slow down. They decided to give me Pitocin and place an internal contraction monitor to make sure the contractions were strong enough for me to deliver the baby. They also had to give me Oxygen, which I was on throughout my entire labor and pushing because baby wasn't really very active. The Oxygen was torture because it made me very thirsty and I could only have ice chips. They broke my water and noticed Meconium in the fluid, so they had to have NICU in the room when I delivered... which made the number of medical staff in the room when I was delivering jump from a midwife and two nurses to: a midwife, two L&D nurses, 3 NICU nurses, a doctor from my practice, and resident doctor as well. Around noon I started to feel pressure from the baby dropping. They checked me around 1:30 and I was all but fully dilated. They wanted to let me get that last little bit dilated and they wanted the baby to move down on her own, so they decided to wait an hour. They topped off my epidural so I could handle the pressure a little more. At 2:30 they checked me and it was PUSHING time! I kicked my mom out of the room. I wanted it to just be Jeff, and me, and the 8 doctors and nurses that were in the room (but really Jeff and me. I told her she wasn't there when baby was conceived, so she couldn't be there when baby came into the world. She was A-OK with that! I really wanted a special small family moment before everyone else was there). I pushed for 2 1/2 hours... I believe she was turned sideways because my hip was KILLING me! They wouldn't tell me. At 4:50pm my baby girl entered the world. I wanted Jeff to tell me if the baby was a boy or a girl. It was a beautiful moment and I will never forget it. She had a head full of brown hair. They didn't want her to cry because of the meconium, so they took her after they put her on my chest and cleaned her off and cleared her out and did their other assessments before bringing her back to me. She was having some trouble breathing, so they had a respiratory therapist come check her out, but she ended up fine and we were OK to keep her with us!

Once I was stitched up and holding my baby girl, Jeff went and brought my parents in. When they came in I choked out that she was a girl, but I couldn't tell them her name. Anna is named after my great-grandmother, my mom's grandmother, who was so special to me. Jeff had to tell them the name. They stayed and visited, saw Jeff hold her for the first time, and then my mom held her a bit before we headed to the Maternity section and they headed home for the night.

Anna is just over 2 weeks old now and it is so hard to believe! I am feeling pretty good, though I do get sore after walking around for a few hours. I did manage to get out on my own for a bit today, while my mom kept an eye on my munchkin. It was very hard to leave and I was gone not even an hour, but I still was out! I've already lost 15 of my 19 lbs that the dr's office said I gained! Wahoo!!! I still have 13 total to lose until I am at the weight that I know I was just before I found out I was pregnant, but according to the doctor's office I only have 4 lbs to lose. I feel like a deflated balloon still and am very excited to get back into shape, but I know I am not completely ready for a hard workout. I do try to walk at least every other day, when the heat won't melt me. I will be signing up for a fall 5K, and Jeff and I are going to do Insanity together.

OK... here are a few pictures and then I am headed to snuggle. I will post more about our first two weeks, including my struggle with breastfeeding, in my next post! KUDOS if you made it to the end!

   

  

 
   

Thursday, July 18, 2013

And the baby is a...

GIRL! Anna Amelia was born on July 8th at 4:50pm. She weighed 6lbs 14oz and was 20.5 inches long. She has a head full of brown hair and had me at hello! :) We think she has my personality because she isn't afraid to say when she needs something as soon as she needs it. Haha! When I have time I will post more of the birth story and more pictures.I am feeling well now and am thrilled to snuggle with my girl. For now... here is my angel on the day we brought her home:




Sunday, July 7, 2013

40 weeks and MORE than ready!



What an eventful week it has been! We forgot to take my 40 week picture on Thursday. I spent Thursday uncomfortable with some contractions, but by the evening the contractions were gone. Friday, however, was a little overwhelming. I am so glad Jeff had off and was able to go to my appointment with me. I had another ultrasound to make sure that baby had enough fluid. Everything looked great. I had a Non-Stress Test (NST- they hook me up to a monitor to measure baby's heartrate and to measure contractions- the goal is to see the baby's heartrate during movement and make sure it is doing what it should be doing). During the test the baby was very quiet and not really moving, but it was also a time of day that baby doesn't move a lot. I was having contractions (mild, but I did feel them) and the technician monitoring the test noticed that the baby's heartrate was going down during my contractions. She spoke with the Dr and he wanted to send me right over to Labor and Delivery to get monitored there, with a chance that they could induce me. We ran home and did a quick sweep and vacuum, take a possible final picture of me pregnant (up above), grabbed my bags, swung by Subway so that I could eat something in case I was induced, and then went in. We were hooked up to monitors and the baby was moving like crazy during this time, and during my contractions the baby looked great. They would have still probably induced me then, being that I was now overdue, but there were a lot of Mamas there to meet their babies, so there were not L&D rooms available to induce me. Before I left, they set me up with an induction date for Tuesday! :) Unless this angel decides to grace us with his or her presence before then, I will be induced on Tuesday! I do have another NST on Monday. Jeff will be back to work then, so my mom is coming over to take me to it.

So here is my last time filling out this questionnaire!

How far along: 40 weeks (and 1 day in the picture--- 40 weeks and 3 days today) 
Total weight gain: Maybe around 20 lbs... I lost two lbs this week though!
Maternity clothes: Always... and the looser (or in this heat, the LESSER!) the better when I am at home. 
Sleep: Other than peeing and tossing and turning, great
Best moment of this week: Setting that induction date!
Miss anything: Wine and running for sure! And my body...
Movement: Definitely
Food cravings: Fruit, coke slushies
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore! YAY! Jeff has successfully made a few steaks at home that I have enjoyed!
Gender: Didn't find out! It will be a surprise!
Labor signs: Contractions... about 3 every hour. Thurs, Fri, and yesterday they weren't strong. Today they are stronger.
Belly button in or out: At this point I think it will stay in. It pops out a bit when I sit, but when I am standing it is in and not coming out. 
Wedding rings on or off: On :)
Happy or moody most of the time: Moodier with the heat and with being overdue and very ready to be done!