Adventures in Pregnancy - The Final Chapter

Well, I didn't fall off the face of the planet instead I was admitted to the hospital AKA land of no public Internet access...

What a... a.... an... adventure!

We were admitted on the morning of September 10th for our first attempt to induce via Cervadil. This induction is done by the insertion of a "tampon" behind the cervix... it can also be applied by a gel directly to the cervix but if things start to go bad, the gel is almost impossible to get out...

The first day, we had some contractions, watched some TV and dilated 1 whole centimetre. At 11 PM, they gave me a sleeping pill and put me to bed.

The next morning, we replaced the Cervadil with a second attempt. At the end of the completely uneventful day, I was rewarded with a total dilation of 2 cms, a sleeping pill and what I didn't realise would be my last good night sleep for.... I guess the rest of my life.

The third morning, we Cervadil'd again. By the end of the day, I was officially 4 cm's dilated which labeled me as being in "active labor". No sleeping pill was offered as I was tending to my contractions... no sleep for either Cory or myself.

At 8 am on the fourth morning, it was decided to further the induction by giving me Pitocin. Hindsight being 20-20, this is probably the moment that my day took a horrible turn. Pitocin takes a woman from zero to 60 in her labor in a blink of an eye. The gentle increase of contraction that makes it manageable doesn't happen. At 8 am, I was 4 cms dilated and by noon I had achieved the full 10 cms. Not bad for 4 hours. During this 4 hour period, I inhaled 7 canisters of Nitrous Oxide (once I discovered that I could not OD on it via trial and error, it was open season on the nitrous).

I have very little recollection of this day. I had to ask Cory if we used any of the Lamaze breathing. His answer was once or twice when we were changing NO2 canisters but basically Lamaze breathing sounded more like Darth Vader as I sucked the life out of the Nitrous.

At noon, they took my nitrous away and I started to push. At 1 PM, the doctor checked the progress and thought at that point that he was capped... which is a nice layman's term for cephalopelvic disproportion... meaning his head was too big for my pelvis. At 2 PM, as I stood on the delivery table shaking in pain... the doctor felt that a C-section was in order. I quickly agreed as I had already mentally begged for a high forceps delivery or a c-section... anything to make this experience end.

Before I could go for my c-section, they had to remove the internal monitor from Connor's head, catheterize me, prep me for the incision. I asked Cory what time it was expecting to hear 11 PM and was floored when he told me it was 2:30 PM. I have no recollection of how I got into the surgical suite. I remember having 3 contractions while being prepped for my epidural. I remember feeling bad that I was blowing my skanky nitrous sucking dry mouth breath at my labor nurse. And then my legs went numb and the pain went away... *sigh*

Cory was invited into the O.R. at this point. At 4:18 PM, Connor was disentangled from my pelvis and entered the world. Cory and Connor left shortly after that while I was stitched up. At 5 PM, I moved to recovery and met my baby for the first time.

Here he is somewhere between 1 hour and 2 hours old...

So this concludes my Adventures in Pregnancy... now we are on to the more exciting... Adventures in Motherhood.

Adventures in Pregnancy - 41 weeks, 4 days

Well it has been a busy 24 hours since my last post...

After my ultrasound appointment yesterday, I popped in the prenatal clinic to schedule my next appointment. The nurses thought I was there for an induction... when I told them that the induction had been vetoed they hesitantly accepted the information, gave me my appointment time for Thursday and I went on my merry way...

At 4 PM, I received a phone call from my main care giver. She had asked the doctor on duty to review my file. He decided based on all the information available that I was probably heading for an induction and the Cervidil should be administered to ripen my cervix sooner as versus later. So he requested that I come in at 8 AM (did you know they still make an 8 am??) for a review and a possible application of the Cervidil gel.

The Cervidil gel needs to be placed behind the cervix where it remains for 12 hours. So we now faced a day (minimum 13 hours) at the hospital without a promise of anything occurring...

Cory lost his mind and began to scrub every surface scrubbable... I found him on his hands and knees scrubbing stains out of the bedroom carpet at 11 o'clock at night. I went to bed... my back was hurting and I just generally felt rough.

We made it to the hospital by 8:15 am. I went to give my urine sample (these people are obsessed with pee) and discovered that I had my "bloody show". I was then placed on the non stress test and, low and behold, I was contracting every 5-7 minutes. A quick cervix check... 75% effaced and 1 cm dilated. So I was sent home to progress.

I was told to come back when the contractions are 3 minutes apart, or my water breaks or I pass a quantity of blood.

Within 2 hours of being home, my contractions measured 2 minutes apart for 30 minutes. Back we went... The magnetic field around the hospital reverted the contractions to 6 minutes, no change in my cervix... and now I am home again... waiting....

My mother had gone home yesterday (5.5 hour drive away) as she had to replenish her medication stocks and had some work to take care of... she is currently breaking land speed records attempting to return... She's approximately 2.5 hours out... I'm confident that she isn't gonna miss a thing...

I guess this adventure is almost over... but lots to relay before it concludes... hoping to give birth before midnight so Connor's birthday will be 09/09/09...

The waiting continues....

Things That Make Me Laugh

Recently, I have found myself spending a copious amount of time at the hospital. Personal entertainment can become challenging when forced into a hurry up and wait situation. So when I discovered this in the washroom, it provided several rounds of discussion. It is the warning label on the package of maternity pads (Maxi Pads with attitude)....

This leads me to wonder... how wide spread is this issue that it required the warning in 4 LANGUAGES?!?! Who are these poor women that would even consider sticking an adhesive to their bruised and battered bits? What was the catalyst to actually have the warning placed on the label?

Too horrible to consider!!

Adventures in Pregnancy - 41 weeks, 3 days

Just got back from my ultrasound to check the fluid levels. Everything is looking great. The technician re-confirmed gender for me. Definitely a boy...

She also took a few new pictures for me... they are actually harder to make out at this point because he is so large... but here they are...

Adventures in Pregnancy - 41 weeks, 2 days

Well... here we are... still pregnant... can you feel my joy?

I was teased with induction yesterday but today is a different story. Connor's heart rate has returned to normal. My cervix is still high and closed... for a healthier, natural delivery, we are going to wait and see if nature will do it's thing.

I am scheduled for an ultrasound this week and that will be the determining factor for induction. They are going to check for fluid levels and cord length... sounds more like an automobile checkup... As long as Connor is looking healthy and happy, he gets to stay in... for a little bit longer anyway.

Rumor has it that induction labor is less than pleasant and 25% of inductions end up in a C-section sooooooooooo... fingers crossed for a natural labor... soon... please!!

Adventures in Pregnancy - 41 weeks, 1 day

I am now on "one day at a time" watch. Yesterdays non-stress test looked about the same as the day before. Connor's heart rate continues to race between 170 and 185 but his activity level matches his heart rate... the test did not pick up a single contraction although I am certain that they happened... I think the monitor was a little bit too high on my belly. Fortunately, I'm now on daily non-stress tests so I can try to correct that today.

The doctor checked my cervix and found that it is still quite high... he figures 50% effaced and closed.

The hospital is a baby factory right now... 3 babies were born on Friday night, 3 more were in for delivery on Saturday and 3 more were driving around the block circling the hospital looking for a room at the Inn... it is a general guess that the only reason I haven't been induced yet is that they wouldn't have a place to put me. Once this crop is cleared, I'm guessing an induction is in my future. For now, it is status quo...

5 days since due date...

Adventures in Pregnancy - 41 weeks

So yesterday was my latest prenatal appointment.... emphasis on the "pre"... yep, still pregnant. The doctor attempted another shot at stripping my membranes. She said that my cervix was coming down but was still closed.

When we listened to Connor's heart rate, he was quite elevated (180 beats) so I was sent down to Labour and Delivery to have a non-stress test. Usually the test runs for 20 minutes, but the results were showing his heart rate continued to be elevated. So I was given copious amounts of water to drink (4 litres/1 gallon) and the test continued for a total of 2 hours before he settled a bit. And when I say copious amounts of water, I mean, I peed before leaving the hospital, we stopped twice on the 10 minute drive home to pee and I ran into the house as soon as we got home to pee....

I have another appointment for a non-stress again this afternoon and again on Monday. I am also tentatively scheduled for an ultrasound at the beginning of the week.

When I got home from my appointment, I began to feel pretty much under the weather. Headache, achy, overheated then chilled.... boo. So I headed to bed around 5PM and stayed there until 5AM. I feel a little better but my hips and shoulders are angry about long periods of inactivity. I was woken a few times by contractions but nothing that panned out to anything regular. So I continue to wait...

Due date - 4 days ago!

Adventures of Pregnancy - 40 weeks, 5 days

Well it looks like that membrane sweep did very little except to disrupt my belly with incredible cramping. Yesterday was pretty much as unfun of a day as I have had in a while. I had crazy belly cramps and lower back cramps and I spent more time in the bathroom than a product tester at a laxative factory. I tried to keep as active as possible... I've heard gravity is my friend!

I got quite a bit accomplished in the house. The biggest item was the successful washing of the couch and love seat cushion covers. After much debate, they were placed in the washing machine. One camp of thought the covers would not survive the washer due to a loose weave and felt they needed to be hand washed. The other camp felt that if they did not survive, "No interest, No Payments until 2011" would tidy up that mess quite nicely. Fortunately, they survived and look and smell like a million bucks!!

Journey continues to be in heat... it has been discovered that diapers stay on her better if they are backwards. We are pretty certain that Theo has managed to take care of her "needs" however we are not sure if they have been interrupted each time. I would have assumed if her needs were taken care of, she would cycle out of her heat. That's how it works for cats anyway. This will be the last time I ever experience a dog in heat. Way too annoying to allow to happen again. Fingers crossed that she doesn't have a belly full of puppies...

This morning I am expecting the delivery of my winter wood... 5 cords that will need to transfer from the lawn to the basement as quickly as possible. 640 cubic feet of wood in total... not sure where it is all going to fit but it guarantees that I will not be cold this winter!! My back aches at the thought of this little adventure already....

2 days past due date...

Adventures in Pregnancy - 40 weeks, 4 days

Still pregnant... in fact, pretty certain I will be pregnant forever.

So I had my prenatal appointment today. Everything seems great... my blood pressure is starting to creep up a bit... 128/90 today with a large blood pressure cuff... 138/90 with the normal blood pressure cuff. My weight gain continues to be "text book" (their words not mine). I'm at 47 lbs gained total.

The doctor was extremely pleased to hear that we did not progress to any active lesions. He promises that they will not let me go any further than September 11 if I do not go into labor before then... A dear friend found me this blog entry that made me feel a lot better about my situation... She's not a doctor but she seems to have done some good research and has documented her sources well.... Herpes and Vaginal Birth

We completed another no stress test. In 20 minutes, we recorded 3 contractions... most likely Braxton Hicks. Everyone seems very pleased and happy with the results. Connor's reactions to the contractions are bang on what they are looking for for stress coping. Lots of movement, heart rate is accelerating when it is supposed to... etc...

We attempted to strip my membranes but my cervix is still too high and Connor is still floating. The doctor says he managed one sweep but didn't feel that it would have too much impact.

So for now, I continue to be pregnant... my next prenatal appointment is Friday at 1 PM.

Obituaries

I've blogged about this before but it has been some time... I read the obituaries... always have... I don't know where this came from although my mother reads them as well so the apple may not be falling far from the tree.

I look for people I know, then ages of people... when I find someone that I deem "too young" I look deeper to try to determine why young people die. But my true desire is to find a well written obituary that tells a story about the person who has passed away. Just a glimpse into the life of the person... I found one this morning... Kudos to the author... it really shows the world the love that is felt for this man...

JOHNSON, Wayne Edward Joseph
— Was married to the love of his life, Evelyn, for 44 years. He passed away suddenly on August 27, 2009, at his home in Paradise, Annapolis Co. Wayne "Dad, Grampie" could often be heard telling stories of all the places he had travelled to over the years as a sailor and member of the air force. You could talk about a place somewhere and get a reply "Oh yeah, I've been there." A smile could always be found whenever he was with his grandkids. He loved them so much and didn't mind acting silly around them either This often meant, he was on the receiving end of not so flattering hairdos given to him by his many granddaughters, but that was okay. He loved food, so much so that he spent part of his life as a cook, and then later, satisfied his entrepreneurial spirit operating his own taxi business. He cared about people, loved his family and cherished animals. The squirrels that came to the house feeders quickly became pets. He'd give them a little scratch on the back as they ate and tell anyone nearby to do the same. They only stayed for him.

Wayne "Dad, Grampie" you are dearly missed. Only 67, Wayne was born in Halifax. He was the son of the late Gerald and Veronica (Juteau) Johnson. He is survived by his wife, the former Evelyn Mabel Keddy....

Adventures in Pregnancy - 40 weeks, 3 days

Welcome to my due date... *sigh*...

According to Internet research (always to be taken with a grain of salt)between 33% and 37% of women give birth during their 40th week of gestation. The second highest week was the 39th week with an average 20%-25%. Statistically, 81.6% of women give birth between 37 weeks and 41 weeks. Unfortunately, I could not find any specific data on the percentage of women who actually give birth on their due dates. I imagine the information is out there but hidden in something really boring.

Tonight, Cory dragged me to the grocery store or the 7th ring of hell as I like to call it. Somewhere around the cereal aisle, my hips decided that they were going to shift. Simultaneously, the invisible two by four slammed me in the crotch. It just about took my breath away, fortunately I was pushing/leaning on the grocery cart at the time so no one was the wiser. I managed to finish our little shop and waddle out to the car. For the most part, the pain is now gone and has just left behind a little discomfort in it's wake.

I have completely destroyed my sleep schedule by sleeping from 8AM to 7PM two days in a row. Connor has decided that my uterus is as much fun as a hamster wheel and is in almost constant motion. My heartburn has reached biblical proportions and I'm having muscle spasms in my shoulder blades.

I have my prenatal appointment tomorrow (I guess I did need it after all). I'm planning on having a frank discussion with my doctor tomorrow about the pros and cons of a C-section at this point of the game as versus a vaginal delivery. I need to be convinced that the risk of transmission is nominal before I feel comfortable proceeding naturally. Just sucky timing all told....

Update to come when I get back from my appointment.

0 Days to due date!!