The Birth of Dallas Mae

On my due date (wed, 26th), I had my membranes stripped hoping to help jumpstart labor. Later that day I went on a long walk and used the breast pump to help things get going. I started having contractions that afternoon, most of them in my back. Since this was my first baby, I wasn't sure if this was it or not. That morning I was already 4cm, so I decided not to chance it and called hubby to come home from work and take me to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital around 5:30pm but I had not made any progress from that morning, so I walked around for 2 more hours. still no change, so I was sent home. They could have broken my water or admitted me, but the chances of having a natural birth after that could be slim according to my nurse. So we went home, hoping things would continue on their own and I would be back soon.

The following 2 days I continued to have irregular contractions. On Thursday I cleaned everything I could think of! I was even contemplating scrubbing the walls, lol. By Friday, I continued to have contractions and cramping. I went for another very long walk. I had so much energy I thought I could run! lol. By that evening, the contractions started getting much more frequent and more regular. Rob came home and we DTD to try and help move things along. Well, it worked, and my contractions picked up their intensity to the point I was breathing through each one.

We arrived at the hospital at 7pm Friday evening. I was at 5cm. We walked the floor for about an hour before I was checked again, this time I was 5.5cm. The nurse started sounding like she was going to send me home and I wanted to cry. By this time the contractions were coming every couple of minutes and were getting super painful. If they sent me home I would just come straight back- this was it!! I convinced the nurse to let me stay a while and see if things progress more. An hour later I was at 6cm, moaning very very loud through each contraction. It was beginning to get unbearable. The back labor was so intense I felt I could not handle it. With each contraction I sqeezed hubby's arm or hand very hard. It was extremely difficult to control my breathing since all I wanted to do was scream. I was trying so hard just to get through the moment, the pain was indescribable. At that moment, I knew there was no reason to be superwoman and requested the epidural. This was NOT in my birthplan at all, expecially since I am terrified of needles. However, the pain was too much and I could not effectively manage it.

Around 9:30pm we finally got a room and I received my IV (this hurt very much). They also took my blood for labs before I could receive the epidural. I was allowed to get in the tub and labor there until the anethesiologist arrived. I was told it could take an hour and a half, which depressed me greatly. The warm water felt nice but it did nothing to help with my back labor. The only relief I got was when hubby massaged my lower back, which was quickly tiring him out. I kept saying 'I can't do it!' because I really felt that I could not. I honestly felt like I was going to die from all the pain. Finally, around 11:30 the anethesiologist arrived. I was at 7.5cm by then and 100% effaced. I was so happy to see him!! Hubby had to leave the room, which I was not expecting, but I had a great nurse who continued to help me through my contractions as I received the epi. It took much longer than I thought it would, but it did not hurt. The IV was much more painful. By 12am the epi was all ready to go and I finally started feeling the medication enter my body. Around 12:30am my legs were numb and the back labor was gone. I had never felt so relieved in my life!!

It was good I got the epi when I did, because before we knew it, I was 8cm and progressing rapidly. By 1:45-2am I was 10cm and ready to push. I was not expecting the epi to completely numb me during this part and expected to feel pressure. What I was not expecting was for the epi to completely wear off . I could feel the urge to push and told hubby to get the nurse, because I thought this was it! I was so scared and nervous and could see that hubby was too. By the time the nurses came in, I was feeling the contractions again. I pushed for 22 minutes. It was the most excruciating 22 minutes of my life. By this point, I was screaming. I really tried not to, but I could not help it, the pain was so intense. I tried really hard to focus on my pushing and gave each one the best I could. The nurses and my midwife kept remarking about how good I was pushing and how effective they were. They encouraged me that I was doing great and that I could do it.

At 2:20am Dallas Mae was born. After I pushed her head out, I felt the most amazing sense of relief. Rob said that the rest of her slid out very quickly after I got her head out. They put her on my chest and I asked if it was a boy or a girl (everything was very fuzzy and I could not hear much going on because I was in so much pain). I could not believe it was a girl!!! I thought for sure we would have a boy! The minutes following birth, I did not cry but was instead in a state of shock of what just happened. I was not longer pregnant- the baby was here! I could see Rob crying as I held our baby girl, who honestly seemed very foreign to me.

My midwife then worked on delivering my plancenta, which was another amazing sense of relief. I only had one very small tear that required 2 stiches. After they cleaned her up, they gave her to me to nurse and she quickly latched on and began breastfeeding beautifully. My body was shaking so bad at that point. They told me it was because of the hormones, but it ached to use so much energy in shaking. Finally, we transitioned to a post-partum room and Dallas was taken to the nursery. I had low blood pressure, so they kept the IV fluids running, which made my bladder quickly fill up. I don't think I've ever peed so much at once in my life (sorry, if TMI)! By 5:30, I finally was able to sleep.

As the day progressed and I was given my daughter to nurse, the shock gradually started to wear off and I fell in love with the little angel we had created. Dallas Mae's birth certainly will remain etched in my memory forever. All the pain was more than worth it for our sweet little girl.

False Labor

Today I am officially 2 days "overdue". To say it's discouraging is an understatement. I've now had two bouts of false labor, one of which sent me to the hospital only to get sent home again.

On Saturday, I started having semi-regular contractions. Rob and I immediately set about finishing last minute details, expecting to leave for the hospital later that night. However, after 4 hours of these contractions, they suddenly stopped. Baby wasn't coming that day.

On my due date, Wednesday, I had my membranes stripped at 9am at the midwives' office. It was quite uncomfortable and a little painful but did not last long. I was instructed to walk and use my breast pump later to get contractions goings. Rob took me home (he came with me to this appointment) and then left for work. I went on a brisk 1 hour walk and then later used the breast pump for about 10 minutes. I then went on another walk. Contractions started around 11am, light at first, but then gradually became more intense. It got to the point where I had to breathe through them. I went to the bathroom several times to pee, and noticed some spotting and that part of my mucus plug had begun to come out (sorry if TMI!). I began to get worried, especially since my contractions were coming every 3-5 minutes. I called Rob at 4pm and told him to come home. We then left for the hospital, thinking this was surely it.

Once we got to the hospital, I was hooked up to fetal monitors so they could track the heartbeat and my contractions. By this point, most of my contractions were occurring in my lower back, so the machine could not pick them up. I was checked and told I had made no progress from earlier that morning (at my appointment I was 4cm and 90% effaced). The nurse who checked me was not gentle, and honestly, it was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had in my life. I lost quite a bit of mucus plug after that. We were told to try and walk around for an hour to see if that helped move things along.

After walking for an hour or so, I had to lay back down because the back pain was becoming unbearable. I had Rob massage it a little and that seemed to help. However, my contractions started to fizzle out around this point. I was hooked up to the monitors again and noticed they were not coming as frequently (slowed to 6-8 minutes apart). A new nurse came in (whom I liked MUCH better) and gently checked me again. I was still 4cm and 90%. At that point, we were sent home. By the time we got home, my contractions had completely stopped again.

Since then, I have still been having a lot of contractions, but they are extremely irregular and mild in intensity. I've been trying to keep active and not worry about the fact this baby is still not here. The days seem to go by agonizingly slow. I can't believe I am 4cm dilated and not in active labor!!

It's extremely difficult to be in this much pain and not have much happening. The contractions are distracting and lower back pain often persists throughout the day. Whenever I sit down, it feels like needles are shooting up my cervix. The cramping is uncomfortable too.

I'm trying to keep busy, but there doesn't seem to be much to do. Yesterday I cleaned every corner of the apartment and actually contemplated scrubbing the walls just to keep busy! Normally, I spend my days writing while Rob is at work, but since Wednesday I have not been able to focus on it. The cats seem to be as antsy as I am.

I'm hoping my next post on this blog will be my birth story, but I am not sure. I technically could still be pregnant for 2 more weeks and have the baby well into July. I'll admit I feel like I am on a timeline since Rob's family is coming to stay 4th of July weekend and there might not be a baby yet.

My friend in Cincinnati who was pregnant a week ahead of me has already had her baby, which makes things even harder. Her labor was extremely fast (less than 4 hours!) and she actually delivered it at home by herself as the midwives were making their way over. She had their baby boy 2 days before her due date as well. This is the same woman who had NO morning sickness whatsoever. Sometimes, it just doesn't seem fair how the cards are dealt. But I guess that's life!

Please pray baby Campbell will come soon (as in, the next day or two)!

Appointment Update

I just got back from my appointment! Interesting news. I've made progress and am now 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. So that's good. It just means baby could come any day now. However, I also learned that my baby is trying to get into a posterior position (AKA as 'face up' or 'sunny side up'). This is not very favorable at all, so I am currently trying different exercises to get baby to turn.

Next week, on my due date, if the baby has not arrived, I will be getting my membranes stripped to try and induce labor. Hopefully if I have that done things will get moving! And pray that baby Campbell cooperates and turns back around!

39 Weeks

Well, I've just about made it. Today I am 39 weeks pregnant and believe me, I look and feel every bit of it. I was checked last week at my prenatal appointment and was happy to discover that I'm a loose 1cm dilated and 75% effaced. I hope this means baby is getting ready to come! I think I would drive myself crazy if he or she is late. I'm still one week away from my due date and already am feeling a bit nuts!

I'm just extremely anxious to meet our son or daughter. I want the baby to have a name finally! Waiting to find out the gender hasn't been too bad, except it's hard to visualize what this tiny life might be like. We have settled on a name for a boy and a girl, but are not revealing it until the baby is here! That way, people will keep rude comments to themselves. It's surprising how opinionated some people feel they can be when you start talking about baby names!

Over the past couple weeks I have slowly been stocking up on diapers. There have been quite a few good sales recently at CVS, so the area under the crib is chock full of diaper packages! If I can keep getting such great deals on diapers, then I will probably just use disposables rather than cloth. But cloth will help fill in the gaps when the deals are sparse.

Yesterday, I went into severe nesting mode. I barely stopped all day and cleaned everything I could. I just felt the urge to really tie up loose ends. Hopefully this means something! (can you tell I'm over-analyzing every single detail?). I've also felt sharper pelvic pains, which the midwives told me is because the baby is very very low. Sleep is give or take. Some nights I can sleep just fine and others I lay there wide awake just staring at the wall for what seems like hours. Of course, everyone is quick to remind me that it will only get worse once the baby comes. Gee, thanks, people! However, I truly believe I'll be more comfortable once the baby is out and so even short bouts of sleep should be better quality.

I am still planning on breastfeeding this baby, but lately I've been having a lot of second thoughts about it. I'm not sure if it will work out or not, but I'm willing to at least give it a try, at least for a little while. We'll see how that goes! I want what is best for my baby, but I also need to do what is comfortable for me. A cranky and depressed mommy is never good.

On Friday (two days from now, yay!), I have another prenatal appointment and will be getting checked again. I will update on how that visit goes!

35 weeks and a I'm a Nesting Fool!

The above picture was taken at 33.5 wks. Yes, I'm still camping and hiking throughout my pregnancy!

It's hard to believe that in just 5 short weeks I'll be 40 weeks and baby Campbell will be making his or her entrance! After my wonderful baby shower, I finally feel ready to have a baby in the house, and the spare bedroom is beginning to look like it belongs to a baby rather than a storage unit!

As I was working on putting things together in the nursery, Luna and Mrs. Weasley were going haywire. Mrs. Weasley seems to think the crib is for her and Luna has taken command at the rocking chair! They're gonna get a rude awakening when they discover it's for someone else!

Please note the ginormous amplifier in the corner of our baby's room. Rob plans on raising this baby as a hard core rocker! Distortion will be used as a lullaby... Just kidding! We actually plan on getting rid of it as soon as possible. There is no where else to put it, so for now, I'm just utilizing the space above it.

The filing cabinet is to inspire our baby to be organized and smart, even at a very young age! Ok- there really is no other place for this item as well. I'm going to cover it up with some fabric, haha.

At this point in my pregnancy, I am ready for the baby to come. Pregnancy is getting a bit old. However, I am slightly terrified of labor and the hospital. Our Lamaze classes are helping with that fear, but I'm still very apprehensive. I'm hoping this labor will be quick and uneventful, but I'm trying to be prepared if it's not. I started packing my hospital bag (I hope putting one item in the bag counts as starting to pack!), which makes things very very real.

My nesting urges have kicked in full force. The house must be ready. The nursery must be cute. Meals must be frozen. The car seat has to be installed. More cooking needs to be tackled. The floors need to be swept and swept again! The walls need to washed and the windows shined! I wear myself out just writing my to-do lists these days, haha.

So far, I've gained 18-20lbs this pregnancy. It seems like it should be 40 the way I feel though! Some days, all I want to do is eat, eat and eat. I even get up in the middle of the night to eat! The image of a severely pregnant woman standing in her PJs next to an open fridge has become reality. Breastfeeding should be an adventure- I'll still technically be eating for two! :-/

32 Weeks

On Wednesday I'll be 32 weeks. It's so hard to believe our baby will be here in just 2 more months! We're so excited, yet at the same time feel so unprepared! Although we got the crib and changing table, as well as a few pieces of clothing from Once Upon a Child (love that place), we're nowhere near prepared! Good thing the baby shower is just a few more weeks away! I can't wait to get started on the nursery, put bedding on the crib and set up all the baby things.

We finally sold our extra box spring on Craigslist, so there's actually room to move in the baby's room now. The only other big items taking up space is the elliptical trainer and Rob's gigantic amplifier. Oh, and the filing cabinent. I'm thinking of just getting some fabric to cover up the amp and the filing cabinent, lol. Everything must serve double duty when you live in a small space!

This weekend, Rob and I are going camping, something we love to do. Since we haven't taken any camping trips since October, we're both really excited. Let's just hope the weather holds up! We plan on camping in Red River Gorge and doing some light hiking while there. We're both looking forward to sharing our love for the outdoors with this baby.

My prenatal appointments come every 2 weeks now instead of every month. It's getting harder to remember them all! I feel like I am there every week. Tonight, Rob and I start Lamaze classes, which are every Monday for the next 5 weeks... should be interesting! Hee, Hee, Wooo.... haha.

I've definitely been feeling more pregnant than ever at this point. I can't eat much at once since my stomach is so squashed and breathing is difficult at times. Sleeping is getting tricky- some nights I sleep forever, some I can't sleep at all. I never seem to have enough water in my cup either! Braxton-Hicks contractions come every now and then, mostly when I am a little dehydrated, which is such a weird feeling. They aren't painful but can be uncomfortable. My back is also taking it's toll on my expanding belly, which is probably the worst part since when it hurts I can't seem to escape the pain no matter if I am laying down, sitting or standing. But the good news is I only have 2 months left! If I can survive morning sickness for 3 months, then I think I can survive a little back pain here and there for a few more weeks. :-)

29 weeks

Here I am at 29 weeks preggo! My feet are hurting more at the end of the day, and I have moments of nonstop hunger!