Week 5 so far means a few things:
Piper smiles (THANK GOD. Her smile could literally make me do anything. I'm in LOVE with it).
Piper also starts to battle her food source (me). She pulls off, gets fussy and becomes inconsolable at certain feedings. Today (5 weeks/5 days) is the fifth day of this happening, so it's been all week long. She still roots around like she wants to eat, but then gets super upset and freaks out. It is not awesome and really hard to understand. Is she getting enough milk, too much milk or does she need to burp, etc? No clue because nothing is consistent.
Oh, and my boobs still hurt. AAAAHHH. Can't wait for that to end. Some nights the pain is deep which scares me a little, but I think I'll ride it out this week and see where I end up. I only just gave up the nipple shield a week or so ago, so who knows.
Tomorrow she will be 6 weeks old and even though we have a pretty high maintenance baby, I'm so happy and in love with her little smush face. She's the best:)
xoxo
L
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
My Newborn: Some notes on the first 4 weeks.
Weeks 1 & 2 - Piper slept A LOT these weeks...mostly during the day, of course. But I would guess she slept about 18 hours each day. She was also fine with being put in her pink rock-and-play while I did stuff around the house or entertained visitors.
Also, she was sleeping SO much (like PASSED OUT after 4 minutes of feeding) that she wasn't gaining enough weight at all. This meant I had to start waking her up every 2 hours on the dot to feed. From this, we created a little growth spurting monster (albeit a screaming and adorable one).
Week 3 - Piper gets colicky. Most of week 3 was spent "shh"ing Piper, swinging Piper and basically trying to get our sleepy baby back. She was WAY hungry this week. Every hour to 2 hours max, she just wanted to eat, eat, eat...and then scream and finally sleep. At night time, she would get one good chunk of sleeping in and then a smaller one following. Ex, 4 hours (feed for an hour) then 2 hours.
Week 4 - The screaming continues and the sleep dwindles. We buy Babybliss gripe water, Hyland Colic tablets and gas drops while I debate nixing completely my already low dairy intake. Poor Piper has trouble with gas and it totally sucks for everyone. She still sleeps one larger chunk at night, but it's shorter now and the second chunk is always almost only an hour.
Very few things calm her at this point. The vibrating chair, rock and play, and swing don't work for more than 10 minutes and neither does swinging in my arms, burping, babybliss, etc when she is upset. Feeding almost always makes her the happiest and walking around in the sling would be in second with the stroller/car coming in at a close third.
On the plus side, she seems to be a little more interactive now. She stares widely at us and practices facial expressions at certain moments during the day. It is the cutest thing I've ever experienced:)
Week 4/3 days - Hyland colic tablets made Piper let out the LOUDEST, craziest burp I've ever heard. I honestly thought she was vomiting (which was scary). However, she must have felt so much better afterwards because she slept pretty well. So far, Hyland Colic Tablets are the best remedy we've found so far...
OH...and I've given up the nipple shield. She isn't loving the transition, as she sometimes pulls away to scream bloody murder (which never happened before) but I'm going to stick with it and see what happens.
She changes so much every day, it's hard to keep track of everything!
Also, she was sleeping SO much (like PASSED OUT after 4 minutes of feeding) that she wasn't gaining enough weight at all. This meant I had to start waking her up every 2 hours on the dot to feed. From this, we created a little growth spurting monster (albeit a screaming and adorable one).
Week 3 - Piper gets colicky. Most of week 3 was spent "shh"ing Piper, swinging Piper and basically trying to get our sleepy baby back. She was WAY hungry this week. Every hour to 2 hours max, she just wanted to eat, eat, eat...and then scream and finally sleep. At night time, she would get one good chunk of sleeping in and then a smaller one following. Ex, 4 hours (feed for an hour) then 2 hours.
Week 4 - The screaming continues and the sleep dwindles. We buy Babybliss gripe water, Hyland Colic tablets and gas drops while I debate nixing completely my already low dairy intake. Poor Piper has trouble with gas and it totally sucks for everyone. She still sleeps one larger chunk at night, but it's shorter now and the second chunk is always almost only an hour.
Very few things calm her at this point. The vibrating chair, rock and play, and swing don't work for more than 10 minutes and neither does swinging in my arms, burping, babybliss, etc when she is upset. Feeding almost always makes her the happiest and walking around in the sling would be in second with the stroller/car coming in at a close third.
On the plus side, she seems to be a little more interactive now. She stares widely at us and practices facial expressions at certain moments during the day. It is the cutest thing I've ever experienced:)
Week 4/3 days - Hyland colic tablets made Piper let out the LOUDEST, craziest burp I've ever heard. I honestly thought she was vomiting (which was scary). However, she must have felt so much better afterwards because she slept pretty well. So far, Hyland Colic Tablets are the best remedy we've found so far...
OH...and I've given up the nipple shield. She isn't loving the transition, as she sometimes pulls away to scream bloody murder (which never happened before) but I'm going to stick with it and see what happens.
She changes so much every day, it's hard to keep track of everything!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Having a newborn means...
Blowing your nose with your left hand...when you're a righty. Because you only know how to hold your baby in your right arm. Baby 1, face 0. What a mess.
Holding in pee WAY longer than you ever thought possible because SOMEONE decides to finally fall asleep after hours of grouchiness and you'd rather wet the couch than cause her to stir.
And apologizing to your dog a lot. Because oh my God, how good was life before, right Remy?
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Piper Marie's Birth Story
Here goes nothing!
BIRTH:
I went in to my doctor's office at 41 weeks and 1 day (Tuesday), knowing that she would bring up talk of an induction. I did not, however, expect her to say that she took the liberty of putting me on the induction list at the hospital for that Friday. I was a little shocked because I know she isn't super into inductions, but I also realized I was running out of time. She believes that having the baby out by 42 weeks is best, and I trusted her opinion (still do). While we waited to have my fluids checked (and membranes scraped - ew), I thought about it and decided that I'd give the baby Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to make a move, but if she hadn't come by then...I'd like to start my induction Thursday night instead of Friday.
Alas, no move was made. Le bebe looooved le womb.
Thursday night approached and upon calling the hospital, Jeff and I were told to arrive around 8:30pm. Turns out that we were in for a serious amount of waiting (which in my opinion, is why inductions suck). Lots of active deliveries were going on around me, so it wasn't until Midnight that I finally received Cervedil (sp?). AND even though I'm super against medicine and only took 1.5 pills (not including prenatals) this entire pregnancy, I took an Ambien. The hospital atmosphere had me anxious and I wanted to get some sleep to let this whole effacing thing begin.
Since I've never taken an Ambien before, I zonked out immediately. However...it was not for long. Three hours and 30 minutes later, I was awoken to an INTENSE back contraction. Then, another. They weren't regular, but they also weren't stopping. I could doze between them, but sleep was not going to happen. From 3:30am to 8am, I went in and out of consciousness, timing my contractions. By 8am, they were regular and becoming increasingly more PAINFUL. Like, really really painful.
From 8am-11:30am, I entered a period of time known as HELL, brought to you by back labor. The last hour of which had my contractions coupling one on top of the other. The pain was excruciating (I really cannot stress that enough). Each contraction felt as if both of my legs were being pulled in separate directions and splitting me up my spine. I was miserable. Jeff applied as much pressure as he could muster to my hips and I attempted to walk around and bend over on all fours. I would say that applying pressure was the ONLY thing that somewhat helped. And a wet rag to my forehead. Even so, I'd say this only relieved about 5 percent of the pain.
At 11:30, I asked my nurse for the epidural. So much for no medicine! They checked me and I was just over 3cm dilated and 80 percent effaced. I wasn't as far along as they would have liked, but my nurse saw the pain I was in and called my doctor with the request. Even just waiting the next 45 minutes for the anesthesiologist to arrive and stick me was brutal. I didn't realize how long it would take! I didn't get checked again, but I would have to assume I was at least 4cm when I finally got the epidural at 12:15pm.
Twenty minutes later, they started me on pitocin (boooo). Then, it was quiet time. Ahhhh. Unlike most people though, I couldn't sleep or really rest much. I felt like someone being stalked in the woods (by my contractions). I just kept waiting for them to come out and attack me. Paranoid, much? Yes, yes I was.
My next check occurred around 3:30pm. 9.5 cm dilated and 100% effaced! YAY...we had made it!
To be honest, I don't know why I waited 2 full hours to push, but that's what happened. Transition period? Not sure. Either way, my doctor showed up around 5ish, broke my water...discovered that we had a meconium issue (baby had passed her first bowel movement in the womb due to being 11 days late, most likely). And so when my contractions became unbearable once again and I had the urge to either poop or have a baby, I told my nurse and decided to do the latter.
I would describe pushing as CRAZY. As in...I felt like a crazy person. For the first 30 minutes, I was SOOOO hopeful. "You got it! That's it! Wooo! Great push!" After that came my skepticism. Why was everyone telling me that I was "SO CLOSE" if I wasn't. Where was the baby?!!?!
For the last half hour, I went to a very mind-boggling cave-lady place where I decided that I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BABY NOW OR I WOULD DIE. It seems dramatic, but when you're grabbing you're legs (with the assistance of a nurse and a husband), sweat pouring from your face, back, chest and arms, and pushing with every last bit of energy...cave lady is the ONLY place to go. I didn't scream much, but I could never describe the thoughts in my head during that time. They are what schizophrenia is made of.
Alas, with one final push at 7:13pm, Piper Marie came screaming into this world. She was rushed over to the table next to me to make sure that the meconium thing wasn't an issue (it wasn't - Thank God). Once it was decided that all was okay (after only 2 or 3 minutes), Piper was set on my chest and we both sobbed and told eachother that we loved one another and waited SO long for this moment (I hope she was thinking that stuff, at least!). And for the record, Jeff sobbed too:)
I wish that I could say my birth story ended right there with Piper on my chest, but it didn't.
AFTER BIRTH:
During the whole "after birth" portion of my delivery, I felt myself lose a lot of blood. Like I actually felt it. Gross. Piper was on my chest. My doctor was fast at work in my nether regions. And suddenly I saw the room closing in on me. I was blacking out. It was NOT a good thing. Piper was handed to Jeff, another IV was stuck in my one free arm and things started happening fast. I hated it. People flew to my side, doing 'things' (not sure exactly what) and I told them that I was fine and I thought I was...until about 30 minutes later when I was going to be transported to my real hospital room and I started to black out again.
I figured that I was spent physically from labor, emotionally from meeting the new human I'd spent years creating, and mentally from no sleep the night before. I was wrong. I had in fact lost a lot of blood. They made me stay to be monitored until 10pm-ish. After which, Jeff, Piper and I were FINALLY able to spend time, the three of us, in our room.
Unfortunately, I had yet another episode while trying to go to the bathroom and at 11:45, about 3 thousand people bombarded me again with an EKG and loads more tests. Once they left, Jeff and I closed our eyes...until someone came in to tell me that the doctor wanted to come back and perform a D&C on me. She felt that my placenta was "hard" when she was removing it (due to it's old age) and worried that a piece was left inside. This would make it impossible for my uterus to contract down normally and would explain all the bleeding.
After an awful lot of crying, I went in to surgery at 1am and woke up in recovery at 4am. My throat killed (from the breathing tube), my body killed, I was SO emotionally exhausted from sobbing over not wanting a blood transfusion or to give my daughter to the nursery where they would have to give her formula. I was SPENT.
When it was all said and done, I did not get a transfusion, but my hemoglobin had dropped to a 7.8, which is seriously low. Going up the stairs, showering, picking up Piper are all things that completely wind me. It will take a few weeks to get back to 100 percent and even though it sounds horrendous, I actually had a good time at the hospital. I loved my nurses, I loved learning about Piper through them, I loved having a lactation consultant on tap, I loved our free romantic room service-esque meal and FREE MASSAGE which I took full advantage of and most of all, I loved getting acclimated to our family of THREE, all within the comfort of the hospital walls. It truly was a positive experience.
--Piper is now fast asleep on my lap. I love this little girl so much. I can't believe we made her. She is us. We are her. And even though it took a long while to get to this day, we made it. Right on time.
xoxo
L
BIRTH:
I went in to my doctor's office at 41 weeks and 1 day (Tuesday), knowing that she would bring up talk of an induction. I did not, however, expect her to say that she took the liberty of putting me on the induction list at the hospital for that Friday. I was a little shocked because I know she isn't super into inductions, but I also realized I was running out of time. She believes that having the baby out by 42 weeks is best, and I trusted her opinion (still do). While we waited to have my fluids checked (and membranes scraped - ew), I thought about it and decided that I'd give the baby Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to make a move, but if she hadn't come by then...I'd like to start my induction Thursday night instead of Friday.
Alas, no move was made. Le bebe looooved le womb.
Thursday night approached and upon calling the hospital, Jeff and I were told to arrive around 8:30pm. Turns out that we were in for a serious amount of waiting (which in my opinion, is why inductions suck). Lots of active deliveries were going on around me, so it wasn't until Midnight that I finally received Cervedil (sp?). AND even though I'm super against medicine and only took 1.5 pills (not including prenatals) this entire pregnancy, I took an Ambien. The hospital atmosphere had me anxious and I wanted to get some sleep to let this whole effacing thing begin.
Since I've never taken an Ambien before, I zonked out immediately. However...it was not for long. Three hours and 30 minutes later, I was awoken to an INTENSE back contraction. Then, another. They weren't regular, but they also weren't stopping. I could doze between them, but sleep was not going to happen. From 3:30am to 8am, I went in and out of consciousness, timing my contractions. By 8am, they were regular and becoming increasingly more PAINFUL. Like, really really painful.
From 8am-11:30am, I entered a period of time known as HELL, brought to you by back labor. The last hour of which had my contractions coupling one on top of the other. The pain was excruciating (I really cannot stress that enough). Each contraction felt as if both of my legs were being pulled in separate directions and splitting me up my spine. I was miserable. Jeff applied as much pressure as he could muster to my hips and I attempted to walk around and bend over on all fours. I would say that applying pressure was the ONLY thing that somewhat helped. And a wet rag to my forehead. Even so, I'd say this only relieved about 5 percent of the pain.
At 11:30, I asked my nurse for the epidural. So much for no medicine! They checked me and I was just over 3cm dilated and 80 percent effaced. I wasn't as far along as they would have liked, but my nurse saw the pain I was in and called my doctor with the request. Even just waiting the next 45 minutes for the anesthesiologist to arrive and stick me was brutal. I didn't realize how long it would take! I didn't get checked again, but I would have to assume I was at least 4cm when I finally got the epidural at 12:15pm.
Twenty minutes later, they started me on pitocin (boooo). Then, it was quiet time. Ahhhh. Unlike most people though, I couldn't sleep or really rest much. I felt like someone being stalked in the woods (by my contractions). I just kept waiting for them to come out and attack me. Paranoid, much? Yes, yes I was.
My next check occurred around 3:30pm. 9.5 cm dilated and 100% effaced! YAY...we had made it!
To be honest, I don't know why I waited 2 full hours to push, but that's what happened. Transition period? Not sure. Either way, my doctor showed up around 5ish, broke my water...discovered that we had a meconium issue (baby had passed her first bowel movement in the womb due to being 11 days late, most likely). And so when my contractions became unbearable once again and I had the urge to either poop or have a baby, I told my nurse and decided to do the latter.
I would describe pushing as CRAZY. As in...I felt like a crazy person. For the first 30 minutes, I was SOOOO hopeful. "You got it! That's it! Wooo! Great push!" After that came my skepticism. Why was everyone telling me that I was "SO CLOSE" if I wasn't. Where was the baby?!!?!
For the last half hour, I went to a very mind-boggling cave-lady place where I decided that I NEEDED TO HAVE THE BABY NOW OR I WOULD DIE. It seems dramatic, but when you're grabbing you're legs (with the assistance of a nurse and a husband), sweat pouring from your face, back, chest and arms, and pushing with every last bit of energy...cave lady is the ONLY place to go. I didn't scream much, but I could never describe the thoughts in my head during that time. They are what schizophrenia is made of.
Alas, with one final push at 7:13pm, Piper Marie came screaming into this world. She was rushed over to the table next to me to make sure that the meconium thing wasn't an issue (it wasn't - Thank God). Once it was decided that all was okay (after only 2 or 3 minutes), Piper was set on my chest and we both sobbed and told eachother that we loved one another and waited SO long for this moment (I hope she was thinking that stuff, at least!). And for the record, Jeff sobbed too:)
I wish that I could say my birth story ended right there with Piper on my chest, but it didn't.
AFTER BIRTH:
During the whole "after birth" portion of my delivery, I felt myself lose a lot of blood. Like I actually felt it. Gross. Piper was on my chest. My doctor was fast at work in my nether regions. And suddenly I saw the room closing in on me. I was blacking out. It was NOT a good thing. Piper was handed to Jeff, another IV was stuck in my one free arm and things started happening fast. I hated it. People flew to my side, doing 'things' (not sure exactly what) and I told them that I was fine and I thought I was...until about 30 minutes later when I was going to be transported to my real hospital room and I started to black out again.
I figured that I was spent physically from labor, emotionally from meeting the new human I'd spent years creating, and mentally from no sleep the night before. I was wrong. I had in fact lost a lot of blood. They made me stay to be monitored until 10pm-ish. After which, Jeff, Piper and I were FINALLY able to spend time, the three of us, in our room.
Unfortunately, I had yet another episode while trying to go to the bathroom and at 11:45, about 3 thousand people bombarded me again with an EKG and loads more tests. Once they left, Jeff and I closed our eyes...until someone came in to tell me that the doctor wanted to come back and perform a D&C on me. She felt that my placenta was "hard" when she was removing it (due to it's old age) and worried that a piece was left inside. This would make it impossible for my uterus to contract down normally and would explain all the bleeding.
After an awful lot of crying, I went in to surgery at 1am and woke up in recovery at 4am. My throat killed (from the breathing tube), my body killed, I was SO emotionally exhausted from sobbing over not wanting a blood transfusion or to give my daughter to the nursery where they would have to give her formula. I was SPENT.
When it was all said and done, I did not get a transfusion, but my hemoglobin had dropped to a 7.8, which is seriously low. Going up the stairs, showering, picking up Piper are all things that completely wind me. It will take a few weeks to get back to 100 percent and even though it sounds horrendous, I actually had a good time at the hospital. I loved my nurses, I loved learning about Piper through them, I loved having a lactation consultant on tap, I loved our free romantic room service-esque meal and FREE MASSAGE which I took full advantage of and most of all, I loved getting acclimated to our family of THREE, all within the comfort of the hospital walls. It truly was a positive experience.
--Piper is now fast asleep on my lap. I love this little girl so much. I can't believe we made her. She is us. We are her. And even though it took a long while to get to this day, we made it. Right on time.
xoxo
L
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