Birth Story

On Tuesday (5/26/09) Jay and I went to see my OB at 8:50am. When we got there they checked my vitals and discovered that my blood pressure was really high, I don't remember what the actual read out was now, but it wasn't good. By the time we saw Dr. Pollock he didn't even hesitate to tell us that there was no reason to wait any longer to get the baby out and so he sent us over to San Martin Hospital. Jay and I had all our hospital bags packed and ready in the car so we left the doctors office totally optimistic and excited.

When we got to the hospital we got a birthing suite right away and they had me change into a gown. Not long after they hooked me up to some IV's and started the induction using a tiny pill placed behind my cervix. We progressed pretty slowly and by the time I even began feeling any pain at all, all our family and friends were hanging out in the room with us. The first part of the day was really great. Everyone was happy and anxious. We watched my contractions pop up on the monitor and I'm sure it was pretty funny when I made faces when I was really feeling the pain. The nurses kept coming in the room to shoot this crazy good painkiller up my IV so I wasn't too uncomfortable. And to be honest, I loved my hospital and the staff. It really felt like I was the only laboring woman in the whole building and I always had my own nurse who was never late to get me anything I needed. So awesome.

It wasn't until we started seeing that I wasn't dilating quick enough that everyone became a little worried. My pain was getting more and more intense but nothing was happening with my cervix. My blood pressure kept going up and down and has stayed like that since Tuesday morning. I eventually had an epidural placed and my doctor came back in to see me. He said that we would see how I progressed on Pitocin but to be aware of the possibility of a c-section if things still hadn't progressed on Pitocin. So we started the Pitocin around 2am, and not long after that my night shift nurse (who was a total bitch) told me that I would probably have a c-section and never be able to deliver vaginally ever again. At that point my mom nearly ripped this nurses head off. I mean she seriously was going to kill her right then and there. At that point I was so tired and drugged up, the idea of having a c-section scared me to death and I couldn't help but start crying and breaking down. Then the whole family cried with me. It was a sad event.

But early morning came and we got a new nurse. I tried to relax and let my body do its thing. I started dilating about 1 cm every hour to two hours. Everyone became hopeful again for a vaginal delivery. I eventually started my actual labor (past 4cm)by late morning and continued laboring all day. By the time I reached 8 cm. I was so exhausted and drained beyond what my body was capable of handling. All our family and friends were delirious and ready for something to happen already. Finally my nurse came in and told me that she would do a few more cervix checks over the course of a few hours and if nothing had changed from 8cm then we would need to consider a c-section. Jay and I cried and cried. I felt like I had failed completely as a mother. I never had felt so disappointed in myself like that before. It was really hard facing the idea that I may never be able to have children vaginally if I went through with the section. But in the end we had to do it.

From this point on things got really bad. Nurses rushed my room at the same time that more drugs were being pumped into my IV. I was so uncomfortable and everyone was just running around and strapping me down. I started having a major panic attack but no one would stop what they were doing in order to let me have a minute to relax. I was wheeled quickly into the operating room. The worst part of all was that I had swollen up so badly I literally looked like a 300 pound woman, no joke, and I was lying on a table naked infront of about ten or more people unable to feel my body. They had me set up in about ten minutes. Jay came in and tried to talk me into relaxing. Before I knew what was happening the doctors had begun cutting me open and I felt painful pressure, tugging and pulling. I can't even describe how horrible I felt on all the meds and having no control. Then all the sudden I hear "Ok guys here he comes" and I was so not prepared for that moment. I got really emotional and my heart was racing. Then I saw Jay's eyes get really big and he said "Did you hear that?". I guess the baby had grunted or something coming out but I hadn't heard it. Then the doctors said some things like "Hey handsome", "Wow this is a very big baby", and "He refuses to let go of mommy". LOL. So my baby really didn't want to come out of me after all and decided to cling to me instead! When they finally got him to let go and I heard him cry for the first time, I totally lost it! I tried to remember that the crying was shaking my body and I was still in surgery so I had to stop but then started up again when they lifted him over the curtain. I can't even describe the feeling I had when they brought him around to see me for the first time. The first thing I thought was that he was short and fat, and then I thought he had a perfect, round head and a really awesome set of cheeks! Then everything became extremely surreal and I tripped out for like the 30th time that day on how he was really my baby and I had created him...all that good stuff.

But all I can say is...my child is the best thing in the world! He is gorgeous. God I love him!!!

After surgery I started to feel real sick. They wheeled me into a different room without returning me to my original room. I hadn't seen any family, and they had Jay leave with the baby while they sewed up my tummy. They told me no one could come see me for an hour but I guess I looked pretty frightened so they got my mom for me. I will never forget how happy my mom looked when I saw her for the first time after the baby was born. I felt so proud that it made her so happy to be a grandmother. She stayed with me for a while in the room until Jay came in to see me. A short time after Jay came into the postpartum and recovery room a nurse and my doctor came in and asked if my vitals had been taken and blood had been drawn. At first everything seemed fine, but slowly we figured out that I had been very close to almost dying on the operating table. I guess I had lost way too much blood and they were going to monitor me in case I needed a blood transfusion. From that point on and up until today I have just been feeling horrible. I have no color to my skin and my eyes look really sunken in. I almost collapsed a few times and have almost gone back to the hospital, but things seem to be getting better now. The hospital wanted me to have the transfusion but I refused it. They say it will take about a month for me to get my bearings back so I've been trying to take it easy around the house.

But back to my story....

So Jay and I spent the next few days taking care of the baby on our own while we stayed in our hospital room. At first we were really scared and afraid to hold him or touch him. He felt so fragile and we had no idea what we were doing. But eventually we got the hang of it all. Shea has a pattern that he likes to do things in...wake up crying because of a poopy diaper, then he eats, he poops again, then back to sleep for four hours. He is really the easiest baby to take car of. Last night Jay and I woke up twice to do his normal routine. TWICE! That's it. And we slept for five hours in between the time he went to bed until the first time he woke up. And its like this every day. Yesterday Jay and I actually woke him up because we felt like he was sleeping way too much.

So that's our birthing story. I'll post pictures today or tomorrow since I should go check on my little man. =)

Shea is Home!

Hi everyone...Shea is home now but I haven't been feeling to great lately. I will try to post our birthing story as soon as possible though. Check back soon. Its a really eventful story!

Should be my last day....

So this should be my last day as a pregnant woman since we expect that we are going to get induced tomorrow...but maybe later this week. Our appointment is at 8am tomorrow morning and its likely that we wont be heading back home, so no computer access unless they have one at the hospital.

However, we did wake up this morning to a definate change that's a pretty good sign that labor is most likely starting on its own. I can't really describe what happened since I don't know exactly who reads this blog, but labor could possibly start tonight or tomorrow before my doctors appointment! If this "change" gets any worse then I will try to post something on here before heading to the hospital. I really, really hope Shea will start labor naturally, that would make me so happy!

Almost There...

I forgot to post that I saw the doctor last Tuesday and we discussed some options about Shea's delivery. After being checked we found out that I was only 1cm dilated and between 60-70% effaced, so not much progress from 3 weeks before then. We also discovered that Shea is nearing 9 pounds pretty quickly. So I was completely ready to be induced into labor right then and there but in the end my doctor and I decided to wait one more week to see if I would go into labor on my own.

Basically we are considering induction because right now Shea is very large for a baby at just over 39 weeks. If we wait until I go into labor naturally, it could take two or more weeks and by then he will be too big and I will need a c-section. On the other hand if we try to induce labor now we have a better chance of having him naturally, but there is a small chance I wont progress even with induction. So, either way we see the doctor next Tuesday at 8 am and he will check me again. I think regardless of what we find out we are going to probably be heading over to the hospital either that day or within that week. We are bringing our hospital/labor bags with us to the docs office just in case he sends us straight over to the hospital. I'll be 39 weeks and 6 days when I see the doc so maybe baby Shea will be born on his due date (May 27th) after all.

But the great news is, HE IS COMING SOON!!! YAY
And there is still 4 days including today that I might get contractions on my own!

Still Pregnant...

Just wanted to update everyone...

I'm still pregnant at 38 1/2 weeks...

We have a doctors appointment on Tuseday to be checked and we will have more information then...

38 Weeks

Here is my 38 weeks belly photos, hopefully these are the last pictures I take while pregnant....





I've been feeling lots of pressure this past week and the baby seems to have calmed down quite a bit. I haven't been sleeping to good either so maybe this is all a sign that labor is just a few days away. I'm crossing my fingers!

Man vs. Contractions

This is great.

Today's Appointment

Jay and I saw the doctor today at 37 weeks and 5 days. I was joking and said I wanted to be induced and my doctor replied by saying that the earliest he will induce is at 39 weeks. I told him that if the baby isn't here by 39 1/2 weeks that I want to be induced on my due date, May 27th. But he said we will discuss all my options at my next visit on the 19th, if I even make it to the 19th. He will do an ultrasound of the baby and then check my cervix to see if I have dialated and effaced more since 36 weeks. I think depending on how big the baby is and my level of discomfort we might be induced early. But hopefully the baby comes naturally in the next few days or so. I definately feel like my body is getting ready to go!

Bring On the Baby!!

Well, I am officially full term today! Yay for me! I saw my doctor on Monday and he said I'll probably have the baby between 38 and 38 1/2 weeks...so hopefully in about 7 to 10 days...or tonight or tomorrow would be nice. =) We just about have everything set up and ready to go with everything getting finalized on Sunday and Monday. Next Monday the doctor should be checking me again to see if I have dialated any further...I will just say now that I am pretty sure I am dialating. The baby is still very active although he is so cramped in there that he can't even kick me, he is just rolling around and hiccuping. I didn't take any new pictures today because I am not feeling to well, I'm getting another ear infection, but I have pictures from last week at 36 weeks....





Its gigantic, I know. People point and stare when I go to the store, it's pretty embarrassing hahaha. But it will be over soon, at least that's what everyone keeps telling me.

~Baby Evil Eye~

Hahahaha I love this...

~Sneezing Monkey~

Watch this....







Oh my goodness! Hahahahahahahaha

2nd 36 week Ultrasound

We had another ultrasound this morning at 8:30am with Dr. Visintine. Everything went well. All the baby's organs looked good and healthy. There wasn't alot to see since Shea has practically no room left to move in my belly. The camera couldn't really get any good shots of him since he looked just like one big mass. We tried to see his face but his head is too engaged into my cervix and he had his face smashed up against my placenta. So we didn't get any pictures or video but he will be here soon anyway so it really doesn't matter. I just had a talk with Shea and told him that mommy only has about two week or less left in her for this pregnancy crap and that he needs to start sending on the labor signals. I think him and I are probably feeling crappy together now so I don't think he minded the lecture. His movement has gone down dramatically since the beginning of this week. Basically, he can only roll his big butt from side to side and stick out his feet.

So yeah labor better start soon, I'm not kidding. I'm losing my mind. I want to rejoin the community of non-pregnant people! Mom and I went to a few stores today and picked up a few things. Pretty much every woman I passed was like "whoa when are you due?" and followed it up by "yeah I thought so, you look like you are ready to go" and then they stare like I'm an alien or something. So now I hate all public places because people just stare at my belly like I have some kind of illness or something. And a drug addict woman in the IHOP bathroom touched my belly without asking and that's so not cool ever. Geeeeezzzz someone pray for me please!