A few weeks ago... or was that months ago... who knows... someone asked me to tell them the truth about childbirth and a few other things. She said that she always hears "it was the most beautiful thing... blah blah blah... lemme blast some more rainbows out my butt at you". Of course, I'm paraphrasing... anyway... she said that she KNEW I would tell her the truth...
Now, I have to admit that I'm not a normal case... first, I had to be induced at a hospital that does not offer epidurals and my pelvis proved to be too small for my baby's head. These two items alone are a recipe for a really bad day...
So to answer her first question... did it hurt? OH MY GOD, the best way to describe it was like putting my pelvic bone into a vise and having an uncontrollable urge to tighten the vise every few minutes. The decision to do the C-section came after I ended up standing up on the birthing table shaking in pain.
How was it to come home... this was really hard. I can remember walking into the house, holding the baby and thinking "Now what?". We had the baby room all set up, the bassinett in our bedroom but nothing in the downstairs of the house to put the baby in or on... we hadn't thought about that part. I spent the good part of the first 6 weeks holding Connor. I ended up with a really sore arm for quite awhile.
Her final question was "What advice would I give..."
Have things to put the baby in... playpens, bassinets, swings, bouncy chairs, excerisers, play mats... they seem to cost a lot of money but they are worth their weight in saniety.
Read the sections about C-sections... even if you don't plan on having one... read it anyway... you never know what will happen. Honestly, I was relieved when the conversation turned to the C-section in the delivery room.
As crappy as it is to keep the I.V. in after the baby is born, it is a source of morphine. Keep it to the bitter end!!
And the most important piece of knowledge...
No matter how hard you try, you cannot O.D. on nitrious oxide... once I figured that out, my day greatly improved!!
Showing posts with label Adventures in Pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventures in Pregnancy. Show all posts
Friday, 30 April 2010
Saturday, 19 September 2009
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.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
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....
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....
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
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...
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...
Monday, 7 September 2009
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!!
Sunday, 6 September 2009
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...
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...
Saturday, 5 September 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, 3 September 2009
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...
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...
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
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!!
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!!
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 40 Weeks, 0 days
Well here we are... 40 weeks.... my due date is slightly altered due to the length of my menstrual cycle. I have a 33 day cycle instead of a 28 cycle, so still 3 days left until my official due date. Honestly, I'm done!
I have had a bit of a complication that cropped up in the last day or so... I weighed the privacy nature of what I'm about to share and decided that the value of the information outweighs the potential, I don't know... social stigma, embarrassment, maybe...
1 in 4 woman have herpes... I pulled the short straw on that one... I'm very very very lucky that I have herpes simplex 1 which is generally found orally... however, my infection is of a southern nature. I contracted it from Cory a million years ago, he has the typical oral complex, meaning he gets cold sores.
Until pregnancy, I had, maybe, one outbreak a year, if that and the longer you have simplex 1, the less outbreaks you experience. Unfortunately, due to the suppressed immune system as a result of pregnancy, I had one outbreak during my first trimester and now I have prodrome symptoms of an outbreak. What that means is that I feel one coming on but it hasn't happened yet.
Now what does this do to my "birth plan"? Personally, I thought this was a first class ticket to the operating room. I'm surprised to say it wasn't.... I called the prenatal clinic. I do not have any active lesions, so they have started me on a course of Valtrex, which is a herpes suppression drug. I am on the drug until delivery. When I go into labor, I must be aware of my lesion status... if I have one, immediate C-section... if I don't, we will discuss the options. The doctor was very pro-vaginal birth if possible even under these circumstances.
The doctor is confident that at this late stage of the pregnancy, the Valtrex will have no negative effect on the baby as he is fully formed. I am concerned that even without a lesion, my birth canal may not be the best place for a new person. I do not want to have a C-section but I also do not want to spread the virus to my little guy before he even has a chance to take his first breath. This is weighing pretty heavily on me, I must say... I want to trust the doctor but at the same time, she isn't a specialist in infectious diseases. I trust that she would not knowingly put my unborn child at risk... but but but...
I'm doing a crap load of research online... my favorite resource Mother Risk doesn't seem to have any information on herpes and Valtrex during pregnancy. Mother Risk is a website run by the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and I feel quite confident that the information provided is accurate. Outside of that website, I have found conflicting information from a variety of different sources... which one is accurate is the issue. So I am left with more questions than answers... my first major parental dilemma...
For now, I cannot find any negative information on Valtrex and pregnancy on the Valtrex website, so I will take my drugs... it's now a matter of deciding how to proceed with my birthplan... Do I force the C-section or let the doctors make the final decision?
Any thoughts?
I have had a bit of a complication that cropped up in the last day or so... I weighed the privacy nature of what I'm about to share and decided that the value of the information outweighs the potential, I don't know... social stigma, embarrassment, maybe...
1 in 4 woman have herpes... I pulled the short straw on that one... I'm very very very lucky that I have herpes simplex 1 which is generally found orally... however, my infection is of a southern nature. I contracted it from Cory a million years ago, he has the typical oral complex, meaning he gets cold sores.
Until pregnancy, I had, maybe, one outbreak a year, if that and the longer you have simplex 1, the less outbreaks you experience. Unfortunately, due to the suppressed immune system as a result of pregnancy, I had one outbreak during my first trimester and now I have prodrome symptoms of an outbreak. What that means is that I feel one coming on but it hasn't happened yet.
Now what does this do to my "birth plan"? Personally, I thought this was a first class ticket to the operating room. I'm surprised to say it wasn't.... I called the prenatal clinic. I do not have any active lesions, so they have started me on a course of Valtrex, which is a herpes suppression drug. I am on the drug until delivery. When I go into labor, I must be aware of my lesion status... if I have one, immediate C-section... if I don't, we will discuss the options. The doctor was very pro-vaginal birth if possible even under these circumstances.
The doctor is confident that at this late stage of the pregnancy, the Valtrex will have no negative effect on the baby as he is fully formed. I am concerned that even without a lesion, my birth canal may not be the best place for a new person. I do not want to have a C-section but I also do not want to spread the virus to my little guy before he even has a chance to take his first breath. This is weighing pretty heavily on me, I must say... I want to trust the doctor but at the same time, she isn't a specialist in infectious diseases. I trust that she would not knowingly put my unborn child at risk... but but but...
I'm doing a crap load of research online... my favorite resource Mother Risk doesn't seem to have any information on herpes and Valtrex during pregnancy. Mother Risk is a website run by the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and I feel quite confident that the information provided is accurate. Outside of that website, I have found conflicting information from a variety of different sources... which one is accurate is the issue. So I am left with more questions than answers... my first major parental dilemma...
For now, I cannot find any negative information on Valtrex and pregnancy on the Valtrex website, so I will take my drugs... it's now a matter of deciding how to proceed with my birthplan... Do I force the C-section or let the doctors make the final decision?
Any thoughts?
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 4 days
Holy crap... still pregnant...
Last night was a long night of timing contractions at irregular intervals. The intervals duplicated on a few but then went back into its randomness. Very frustrating.
Last night's highlight was a rash of phone calls from some of my favourite people. It was so nice to catch up with everyone...
Journey continues to be in heat (she is standing on what remains of my lap as I type). She has been diapered to keep her mess to a minimum. Her initial response to being diapered was complete and total betrayal but now she has come to accept the diapering as not the worst thing in the world. On the bright side, Cory has now had some practice with disposable diapers. He thinks that it would be easier without having to cut a hole for her tail. She seems to like her diaper and the house is filled with the swish swish noise of a diapered bum running around.
Cory seems to be in full nesting mode today... he has vacuumed and mopped the whole house. Unfortunately the load of laundry that keeps getting re-washed in the washer because we keep forgetting about it, was once again forgotten about. I think I need to spend 30 minutes in the basement to ensure it travels from the washer to the dryer.
Today I read over my adventures in pregnancy posts from the beginning... I'm really glad to have documented the journey. Although there are things that did not get blogged about, it triggered memories as I read... I have to really take notice that I had a really easy ride for the past 9 months. No morning sickness, no great emotional upheaval, no life threatening complications... I'm not horribly scarred with stretch marks, but I have some. When all is said and done, I'll post my collection of lessons learned... most will fall under the TMI category but you know what... you got to find the information on the internet somewhere... at least I won't include photographs (that story will follow as well).
6 days to due date... 2 days until we clear the cusp of Virgo.
Last night was a long night of timing contractions at irregular intervals. The intervals duplicated on a few but then went back into its randomness. Very frustrating.
Last night's highlight was a rash of phone calls from some of my favourite people. It was so nice to catch up with everyone...
Journey continues to be in heat (she is standing on what remains of my lap as I type). She has been diapered to keep her mess to a minimum. Her initial response to being diapered was complete and total betrayal but now she has come to accept the diapering as not the worst thing in the world. On the bright side, Cory has now had some practice with disposable diapers. He thinks that it would be easier without having to cut a hole for her tail. She seems to like her diaper and the house is filled with the swish swish noise of a diapered bum running around.
Cory seems to be in full nesting mode today... he has vacuumed and mopped the whole house. Unfortunately the load of laundry that keeps getting re-washed in the washer because we keep forgetting about it, was once again forgotten about. I think I need to spend 30 minutes in the basement to ensure it travels from the washer to the dryer.
Today I read over my adventures in pregnancy posts from the beginning... I'm really glad to have documented the journey. Although there are things that did not get blogged about, it triggered memories as I read... I have to really take notice that I had a really easy ride for the past 9 months. No morning sickness, no great emotional upheaval, no life threatening complications... I'm not horribly scarred with stretch marks, but I have some. When all is said and done, I'll post my collection of lessons learned... most will fall under the TMI category but you know what... you got to find the information on the internet somewhere... at least I won't include photographs (that story will follow as well).
6 days to due date... 2 days until we clear the cusp of Virgo.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 3 days
So apparently my adventure in pregnancy is coming to a close very soon. I had what should be my last prenatal appointment today. We did book an appointment for next week but the doctor was doubtful that I would need it.
Today we did my usual stuff... blood pressure (120/84 - Poster Child for Blood Pressure), my pee was just pee, I am now up 46 lbs in total (I'm thinking 10 lbs of liquid in each foot alone). I woke up in pain this morning so I mentioned this to the doctor, she felt that a no-stress test might be in order. 20 minutes on the monitor and we recorded one contraction... yay. She checked my cervix and said that it was still quite thick... boo.
So I was told to go home and walk walk walk... come back when I need to... *sigh*
So we have walked around the block, it felt like someone was hammering my pelvis with each step. We are planning on taking the dogs for a little stroll a little later tonight. I'm sure that will be a blast...
The doctor says that the hospital is expecting over 40 babies in September... with 3 labor and delivery rooms.... I'm hoping to be squeezing in early. Maybe jumping jacks will help... ow ow ow...
Oh P.S. My paycheque was hand delivered to the house today by two fantastic women!!
Today we did my usual stuff... blood pressure (120/84 - Poster Child for Blood Pressure), my pee was just pee, I am now up 46 lbs in total (I'm thinking 10 lbs of liquid in each foot alone). I woke up in pain this morning so I mentioned this to the doctor, she felt that a no-stress test might be in order. 20 minutes on the monitor and we recorded one contraction... yay. She checked my cervix and said that it was still quite thick... boo.
So I was told to go home and walk walk walk... come back when I need to... *sigh*
So we have walked around the block, it felt like someone was hammering my pelvis with each step. We are planning on taking the dogs for a little stroll a little later tonight. I'm sure that will be a blast...
The doctor says that the hospital is expecting over 40 babies in September... with 3 labor and delivery rooms.... I'm hoping to be squeezing in early. Maybe jumping jacks will help... ow ow ow...
Oh P.S. My paycheque was hand delivered to the house today by two fantastic women!!
Monday, 24 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 2 days
The heat finally broke.... it is currently 20 degrees and raining. I have eaten more today than I have in weeks. I don't feel sweaty anywhere on my body.... Life is glorious!
We've been living during the night to avoid the heat and sleeping (if you can call it that) during the heat of the day. That's going to be a hard habit to break. The dogs got me up at 9 AM this morning to go outside. I felt perky and ready to take on the world... so I laid down for just a few more minutes and my eyelids cracked open again at 5 PM.
Today (many hours from now when the world is awake), I get to play chase the paycheque. This has been an ongoing saga for a bit, let me catch you up...
My last payday was supposed to be August 15 via direct deposit. Due to paranoia, I always check to see if it's there... strangely, it wasn't. I called payroll to find out what happened... for some reason, payroll decided to cut me a manual cheque and mail it to me. Had they called me to let me know that they were changing the method of payment, this all could have been avoided. Instead, the cheque was mailed out.... to the wrong address.
This was discovered on August 19. I went to the post office to see if I could break some federal law and poach my cheque out of another person's box, but alas, the lady at the post office remembered my name (always good to be unique) and was certain that the mail was returned to sender. I went to work to see if they could cancel the cheque and reissue... no problem, except all the officers with signing authority were either on vacation or out of the province. I hoped that the mail would be returned and they could call me to come and get it from work... but my phone has not rang...
So here we are, 9 days after payday.... still waiting on the cheque. Surprisingly, in my paycheque-to-paycheque world, I covered the mortgage and car payment. My bitterness level is increasing inversely proportional with my bank balance. Looks like I have to crack the whip... as if I have the energy to do so....
8 days to due date... already in Virgo, 4 days until the cusp is cleared....
We've been living during the night to avoid the heat and sleeping (if you can call it that) during the heat of the day. That's going to be a hard habit to break. The dogs got me up at 9 AM this morning to go outside. I felt perky and ready to take on the world... so I laid down for just a few more minutes and my eyelids cracked open again at 5 PM.
Today (many hours from now when the world is awake), I get to play chase the paycheque. This has been an ongoing saga for a bit, let me catch you up...
My last payday was supposed to be August 15 via direct deposit. Due to paranoia, I always check to see if it's there... strangely, it wasn't. I called payroll to find out what happened... for some reason, payroll decided to cut me a manual cheque and mail it to me. Had they called me to let me know that they were changing the method of payment, this all could have been avoided. Instead, the cheque was mailed out.... to the wrong address.
This was discovered on August 19. I went to the post office to see if I could break some federal law and poach my cheque out of another person's box, but alas, the lady at the post office remembered my name (always good to be unique) and was certain that the mail was returned to sender. I went to work to see if they could cancel the cheque and reissue... no problem, except all the officers with signing authority were either on vacation or out of the province. I hoped that the mail would be returned and they could call me to come and get it from work... but my phone has not rang...
So here we are, 9 days after payday.... still waiting on the cheque. Surprisingly, in my paycheque-to-paycheque world, I covered the mortgage and car payment. My bitterness level is increasing inversely proportional with my bank balance. Looks like I have to crack the whip... as if I have the energy to do so....
8 days to due date... already in Virgo, 4 days until the cusp is cleared....
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Adventures of Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 0 days
I guess this is the back stretch... oooooh I'd love a back stretch... I feel like my spine is about one inch long. My hips are sore from sleeping on my sides. My heartburn has decided to defy the power of Tums... whine whine whine...
I think the baby turned around, he kicked me on my left side instead of the usual right side. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come! I'm hours away from Virgo... even though Cory has requested a solid/non cusp Virgo now.... I told him, I make no promises.
Journey has decided that this is the perfect time in my life for her to go into heat. This means she is making a mess (diapers are coming her way very soon) and is VERY needy emotionally. I don't think I've taken a step without feeling her touch on my legs somewhere. She presses against me when she sleeps (that really helps with this heat). Theo is absolutely obsessed with her even though the size difference has made any relations pretty much impossible. So I am spending most of my time, protecting Journey from Theo.... yay.
She has a new game ... she stands outside and asks to come in... soon as you go to the door, she runs and grabs the tennis ball which she has hidden under a chair and drops it at your feet and runs to wait for you to throw it... I've fallen for it about 4 times. I have to give her props for embodying "when there is a will, there is a way".
The weather forecast has decided that N.B. does not get to share in the Hurricane Bill action this weekend however, we have an 80% chance of thundershowers this afternoon/evening. I guess that's better than nothing.
10 days to due date.... 8 hours and change to Virgo....
I think the baby turned around, he kicked me on my left side instead of the usual right side. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come! I'm hours away from Virgo... even though Cory has requested a solid/non cusp Virgo now.... I told him, I make no promises.
Journey has decided that this is the perfect time in my life for her to go into heat. This means she is making a mess (diapers are coming her way very soon) and is VERY needy emotionally. I don't think I've taken a step without feeling her touch on my legs somewhere. She presses against me when she sleeps (that really helps with this heat). Theo is absolutely obsessed with her even though the size difference has made any relations pretty much impossible. So I am spending most of my time, protecting Journey from Theo.... yay.
She has a new game ... she stands outside and asks to come in... soon as you go to the door, she runs and grabs the tennis ball which she has hidden under a chair and drops it at your feet and runs to wait for you to throw it... I've fallen for it about 4 times. I have to give her props for embodying "when there is a will, there is a way".
The weather forecast has decided that N.B. does not get to share in the Hurricane Bill action this weekend however, we have an 80% chance of thundershowers this afternoon/evening. I guess that's better than nothing.
10 days to due date.... 8 hours and change to Virgo....
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Adventures of Pregnancy - 38 weeks, 4 days
OMG will this heat ever end... it is now 1:45 am... it is 25 degrees outside the house and 29 degrees inside the house. I played sports in high school and I don't remember ever being this sweaty for this long.
I had my prenatal appointment this afternoon. I also had a complaint that my ear was completely blocked.... didn't know if it was a crazy pregnancy thing or not... never hurts to tell the tale. Well lo and behold, my right ear was COMPLETELY blocked. So the beginning of my prenatal appointment was having my ear cleared out... I've never had that done by a doctor before... it seems to be contrary to everything you read on the Internet for how to clean your ears safely. Anyway, I can hear again... WHO LET THAT CRICKET INTO THE HOUSE?!?!?!?
Here are my stats for the week... I am sitting at the 3rd week in a row of no weight gain or loss (give or take a pound), my blood pressure is back to my usual 120/80. My pee contained only pee...
I'm measuring smaller on the uterus which apparently means that the baby has dropped. We did a quickie ultrasound and saw his face (he has chubby cheeks)... he is currently facing the wrong direction so I need to spend some quality time on my hands and knees so gravity will flip him. That statement makes most of my friends giggle.... single minded pervs... love ya guys!!
My next appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday... we are expecting some hurricane action in the local area over the weekend, so I'm hoping the sudden change in atmospheric pressure might change my plans. Fingers crossed...
13 days to due date.... 4 days until Virgo... 10 minutes until I liberate that cricket!!
I had my prenatal appointment this afternoon. I also had a complaint that my ear was completely blocked.... didn't know if it was a crazy pregnancy thing or not... never hurts to tell the tale. Well lo and behold, my right ear was COMPLETELY blocked. So the beginning of my prenatal appointment was having my ear cleared out... I've never had that done by a doctor before... it seems to be contrary to everything you read on the Internet for how to clean your ears safely. Anyway, I can hear again... WHO LET THAT CRICKET INTO THE HOUSE?!?!?!?
Here are my stats for the week... I am sitting at the 3rd week in a row of no weight gain or loss (give or take a pound), my blood pressure is back to my usual 120/80. My pee contained only pee...
I'm measuring smaller on the uterus which apparently means that the baby has dropped. We did a quickie ultrasound and saw his face (he has chubby cheeks)... he is currently facing the wrong direction so I need to spend some quality time on my hands and knees so gravity will flip him. That statement makes most of my friends giggle.... single minded pervs... love ya guys!!
My next appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday... we are expecting some hurricane action in the local area over the weekend, so I'm hoping the sudden change in atmospheric pressure might change my plans. Fingers crossed...
13 days to due date.... 4 days until Virgo... 10 minutes until I liberate that cricket!!
Monday, 17 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 38 weeks, 2 days
Why did it pick this week to become unseasonably hot? Our day time highs have been hitting 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). My life has become a series of cold showers and naps in front of the fan. My only saving grace has been the gracious offer of pool usage by some very good friends. Rumor has it that this heat should break on Wednesday.
As for me and the little man... I seem to be having some contraction in my lower back. I don't know how often or if there is a pattern. I really should try timing these things one of these days.. if I can stay awake long enough. I figure I don't really need to time them.... I'll know when the action is starting to happen. Timing at this point is just distractionary.
I have my next prenatal appointment tomorrow.
15 days left til due date... 6 days left til the baby is a Virgo.... I think I just figured out why Cory is so intent on a Virgo.... here are a few listed traits....
As for me and the little man... I seem to be having some contraction in my lower back. I don't know how often or if there is a pattern. I really should try timing these things one of these days.. if I can stay awake long enough. I figure I don't really need to time them.... I'll know when the action is starting to happen. Timing at this point is just distractionary.
I have my next prenatal appointment tomorrow.
15 days left til due date... 6 days left til the baby is a Virgo.... I think I just figured out why Cory is so intent on a Virgo.... here are a few listed traits....
- LIKES
Health foods
Lists
Hygiene
Order
Wholesomeness - DISLIKES
Hazards to health
Anything sordid
Sloppy workers
Squalor
Being uncertain
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Adventures of Pregnancy - 37 weeks, 4 days
So, I'm still pregnant... although sometimes it feels like the baby is going to burst through my skin at anytime. Things are getting a bit snug in there.
I had my 37 week prenatal appointment yesterday. My blood pressure is up a bit for me... 130/84 (I think that is a personal high for me). My urine was just urine... no glucose, no protein, no other ickies. And most importantly, the baby's head is in the dive position...
I tested positive for Group B Streptococcus which is pretty scary when I look at the worst case scenarios (isn't the Internet grand). What it means in reality is that when I go into labour, I get to have an antibiotic I.V. every 4 hours until delivery. I'm sure that will trigger a FANTASTIC yeast infection. Oh goodie.... something else to look forward to...
I'm sleeping through the night for the most part, maybe one bathroom break a night. The little guy seems to have dropped and is giving my ribs a bit of rest between that and the nights are cooler, makes for better sleep all around. I seem to be having a bit of a burst of energy as a result...
I've tackled the lime/calcium stains in my toilet... peeled some wallpaper from the spare room... folded all the baby clothing.... I want to strip the dresser for the baby's room but I'm wondering if that is too big of a job... Cory hates stripping paint so if I start that job, he'll be bitter if I don't finish it...
Well... I want to go tackle something on my list... back later
I had my 37 week prenatal appointment yesterday. My blood pressure is up a bit for me... 130/84 (I think that is a personal high for me). My urine was just urine... no glucose, no protein, no other ickies. And most importantly, the baby's head is in the dive position...
I tested positive for Group B Streptococcus which is pretty scary when I look at the worst case scenarios (isn't the Internet grand). What it means in reality is that when I go into labour, I get to have an antibiotic I.V. every 4 hours until delivery. I'm sure that will trigger a FANTASTIC yeast infection. Oh goodie.... something else to look forward to...
I'm sleeping through the night for the most part, maybe one bathroom break a night. The little guy seems to have dropped and is giving my ribs a bit of rest between that and the nights are cooler, makes for better sleep all around. I seem to be having a bit of a burst of energy as a result...
I've tackled the lime/calcium stains in my toilet... peeled some wallpaper from the spare room... folded all the baby clothing.... I want to strip the dresser for the baby's room but I'm wondering if that is too big of a job... Cory hates stripping paint so if I start that job, he'll be bitter if I don't finish it...
Well... I want to go tackle something on my list... back later
Friday, 7 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 36 weeks, 6 days
Greetings from Maternity Leave... I was scheduled to start my leave on August 24 but hindsight being 20-20, I was a bit on the optimistic side when I pulled that date. Not sleeping well, early mornings and 30+ celcius weather took the joy out of being awake, so August 4th was my last day worked...
Now I'm at home... I have a mental list of a billion things I would like to be doing around the house and the energy to fold 2 towels in 2 days. I lay in bed and list off the things I could be doing instead... then I get up and realize I'm not physically prepared to even write the list much less tick items off a list. Then I lay back down, in front of the fan and read until I fall back to sleep.
I think I managed to find a perfect description of the physical limitations of being 8-9 months pregnant... it actually describes the last few months... it's like someone has tied a board to my stomach that covers from my breasts to my pelvis and used an elastic bandage to hold it in place, wrapping around my back from shoulder blades to tail bone... it makes bending over or any activity that would result in a condensed midsection to be... let's call it "uncomfortable"... it's not impossible to bend over but the lack of ability to breath makes it a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having my lungs back...
Being home is interesting. I'm noticing things I didn't have time to notice before. My next door neighbour had a property dispute with his neighbour and as a result he has torn down his "garage/shed". This garage/shed blocked our house from the main road. Now we have road noise and the other neighbour's daycare noise... the day care noise almost put me over the edge today. The herd of kids actually screamed for 4 hours straight... it reminded me how much I dislike kids... well other peoples kids I guess... or maybe just herds of kids... what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!
3 weeks and 1 day (ish) until I contribute to the noise pollution in my neighbourhood...
Now I'm at home... I have a mental list of a billion things I would like to be doing around the house and the energy to fold 2 towels in 2 days. I lay in bed and list off the things I could be doing instead... then I get up and realize I'm not physically prepared to even write the list much less tick items off a list. Then I lay back down, in front of the fan and read until I fall back to sleep.
I think I managed to find a perfect description of the physical limitations of being 8-9 months pregnant... it actually describes the last few months... it's like someone has tied a board to my stomach that covers from my breasts to my pelvis and used an elastic bandage to hold it in place, wrapping around my back from shoulder blades to tail bone... it makes bending over or any activity that would result in a condensed midsection to be... let's call it "uncomfortable"... it's not impossible to bend over but the lack of ability to breath makes it a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having my lungs back...
Being home is interesting. I'm noticing things I didn't have time to notice before. My next door neighbour had a property dispute with his neighbour and as a result he has torn down his "garage/shed". This garage/shed blocked our house from the main road. Now we have road noise and the other neighbour's daycare noise... the day care noise almost put me over the edge today. The herd of kids actually screamed for 4 hours straight... it reminded me how much I dislike kids... well other peoples kids I guess... or maybe just herds of kids... what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!
3 weeks and 1 day (ish) until I contribute to the noise pollution in my neighbourhood...
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