Pregnancy, Childbirth, & Newborns-Pt. 2
My second pregnancy was such a big surprise but a very happy one at that :-) I never dreamed I would ever have another baby; and little did I know that weight loss would "cure" my infertility problems. With PCO, I was very irregular; and after the start of a diet, I became regular -- never thinking twice that I was ovulating on my own. MOF, I had sold ALL of my baby equipment and had to start all over again from scratch *lol*
Pregnancy #two was quite different from my first in that I felt much better. I did suffer with nausea and just a little vomiting, but it was different in that as long as I had a full stomach, I felt super. Needless to say, I ate a lot. This lasted the whole 38 weeks, by the way; and I had gained back 72 pounds of the 74 I had lost :-(
I did suffer with the extreme sleepy feeling during the early months, and that really hampered my performance in the office I was working in. However, I managed to make it, despite how hard it was.
I had my first ultrasound at 16 weeks due to the suspicion that I was carrying twins again! The monitor was very tiny, and I had a hard time seeing my baby, but it was awesome all the same. I was not satisfied, though, and had another ultrasound done (privately) at 20 weeks, which proved only one baby. I was thrilled beyond thrilled to see my baby on a full monitor; and I thought about how I missed this with my twins :-(
This pregnancy was quite uneventful, really -- up until my eighth month. I started suffering with severe back pains which were completely incapacitating when I sat for long periods of time. I ended up in the ER one day due to the insistence of my co-workers. They thought I was in early labor. I was admitted to the L&D and monitored. No true labor pains, though...just B-H contractions. This baby was fairly large and head down, deep within, and that was what was causing the pains in my back.
I ended up having to take an early leave of absence from work because I couldn't sit still without pain, thus couldn't accomplish my work.
My time off went fairly well, as I could rest and/or move around when I needed to. I spent a lot of time with my twins and prepared for our new arrival.
I was admitted to the L&D one more time on October 15 due to spotting, but it turned out to be spotting from catheterization and not labor.
I had my first ultrasound for scheduling my cesarean on October 21, and I was overjoyed to see my baby again and to find out that he was a boy. That was a wonderful experience :-) He was ready to be born but the placenta showed grade III, which meant it was not "ready". So, they gave me an appointment for the following week for yet another ultrasound.
I woke up on the morning of October 28 at 3:30 -- I had a nightmare about the pending surgery (I fell off the OR table!!!) and couldn't go back to sleep :-( A friend of mine was also having an ultrasound that day for scheduling of her cesarean, so we went to the hospital together. We went to lunch and then went back to the hospital to wait for our turns. During the wait, I was cramping real bad and little did I know I was in labor!!!! Twice fooled :-))))
I was seen first, and everything was ready to go, so they scheduled my surgery for the next day at noon. My OB gave me all the instructions -- I was to go home and pack, get things in order, and be back at 5:00 for admission.
By the time I got back to the hospital, the pain was so hard that I could not walk and had to stop along the way to the laboratory. I kept passing the pain off and refused to believe it could be labor.
Once admitted to the floor, I had supper and showered. One of the nurses kept coming in and asking me about the pain and would question me, saying she thought it was labor. Stupid me, I told her it didn't feel anything like the labor I had with my twins and really believed it was a bellyache (aka gas pains) *lol*
My mom had just left to go home when I "passed the plug"; and when I reported it, that same nurse came in and said "Let's go for a walk". I did not feel like walking, but I went out into the hall and asked her where we were going. Needless to say, she answered "To Labor and Delivery! I think you are in labor."
Sure enough, as soon as the monitor was hooked up, I had another pain and saw for myself that it was labor pains :-) One of my docs came in and was ROFLMAO at me for thinking it was "gas" *grin* I was shocked. After his exam, he said I was 3 cm. dilated and we needed to get me to the OR now! Gosh, I couldn't believe this! I felt stupid that I did not know I was in labor again! The first time was understandable -- being my first, but this just could not be happening with my second pregnancy :-) It did, though.
While they were preparing me, that doctor called my mom and had her come right back to the hospital and also called in the OB on call who I had only seen one other time. I wanted my OB who was supposed to do the surgery the next day; but this doc reassured me that the best of the bests was the doc on call; and he was right! I couldn't have had better :-)
I was nervous and anxious, even a bit apprehensive, but I was sooo excited that I was going to be allowed to be awake during this surgery :-)
Around 9, they wheeled me into the OR and the OB did the spinal on me -- this is where I think my dream (nightmare) may have come into play. I had to sit up on the side of this TINY table, hanging over the side, not being able to hold onto anything, while she performed the spinal. Poor doc, she accidentally hit a nerve, and I jumped and thought I was going to fall off the table!!!! Luckily, the CRNA jumped around in front of me and I grabbed him! The shock I felt up and down my spine was NOT supposed to happen :-( But, the spinal worked, and I immediately became numb -- too numb actually as I was having a real hard time breathing due to my chest being numbed :-( I hyperventilated a bit, but kept trying to focus on the two docs working on me.
I talked the ENTIRE time I was in there; and everyone talked to me in return. Some of the things were actually funny, though. I never felt a thing at all, so I asked if Dr. M had started the surgery, and she replied that she had. I got so excited cause I didn't feel a thing (like I was supposed to feel her cutting on me!!!!). Both she and Dr. R and the CRNA laughed :-) I was really impatient, though, and kept asking what was taking so long to get to my new baby - my son :-) Dr. M replied that I had a lot of scar tissue from my first section, and it was taking her a lot of time to get through it. Then I hear her say, "There he is!" And I asked "Well, is it my boy for sure?" She starting laughing almost uncontrollably and replied "I don't know yet, honey. I can't tell from his head!" LOL I was so embarrassed :-)
Well, my son's shoulders were stuck (he was 7# 13 3/4 oz. and 18" long), so Dr. R had to rock and roll and push on my abdomen to help Dr. M get him out of me. I really thought I was going to fall off the OR table (there goes that dream again), but I didn't.
I felt my abdomen cave when Jeremy was finally born, and I saw this purple fat fella for only a short time -- he was immediately whisked to the waiting Pediatric team behind me.
I overheard the doc there say that something was wrong -- Jeremy wasn't crying :-( I asked what was wrong with my baby over and over, and the Ped just looked at me and said "He's fine!" I panicked and panicked big time, so the CRNA knocked me out at that point :-(
I woke when they were taking my thumb print for Jeremy's birth certificate and then one of the nurses brought him up to me, and I saw the most beautiful little face with the blonde hair I had dreamed about. I didn't get to touch him, though -- she took him to the nursery in a flash.
The surgical procedure was ending. I heard Dr. M stapling my abdomen shut -- to some that might sound horrible, but I really though it was neat :-) I could hear the snapping but didn't feel a thing! I loved it!
Jeremy's delivery was by far the easiest on me!
I don't remember being in the recovery room for very long, though! As with my twins, the nurse gave me a shot to "dry me up" and did the fundal massage -- she apologized for having to press on me; and I remember laughing and telling her to go for it cause I didn't feel a thing -- oh, that was wonderful! :-) The pain of that procedure after my twins was still fresh in my mind -- so painful! So, it was truly wonderful that I couldn't feel a thing :-) I do remember going back to my room at 12:30 that night and my roommates were all full of questions. I still couldn't shut up and was talking nonstop. My mom and stepdad came in to visit and said they had seen Jeremy and told me how beautiful he was. After they left, I wanted them to bring me my baby -- the rules had changed since I had the twins and moms could now feed their new babies even with IVs in. They finally brought him to me around 4 a.m., and I was in heaven! He was warm and cuddly and soooo beautiful -- I called him my "popeye" cause he had one eye open and one closed :-) I got to hold him about an hour before I had to give him up :-(
The next day, around 11 a.m., the spinal started to wear off, and I was amazed that I didn't feel all that horrible cramping I had felt with the twins. I was still on the Pitocin drip, but the cramping was so minor -- more like that I experienced during a monthly cycle. I got up in a chair around 1 and even that didn't hurt nearly as bad as with my first go around. I had not had one pain shot, and this nurse insisted I take one, despite my disapproval. That Morphine hit me like a ton of bricks *lol* I was trying to write thank you cards and birth announcements, but I couldn't see straight *grin* So, I decided to get up and try to walk in the halls. The nurses were amazed that I was doing that (Jeremy was born at 9:48 p.m. and I was in the halls at 2:00 the next day), but I knew from my first experience that the more I moved around, the better I would feel. And I did, I think :-)
My mom brought my twins up to visit, and I walked to the concession stand with them -- LONG walk :-)
I felt pretty good, though, until that horrible gas started. The pain was unbearable and this time it made me nauseated. Luckily, it only lasted two days. I was extremely bruised from the pushing and rocking, though, and that made it hard to move around more than it already was due to the surgery.
We were discharged after three full days and came home. Coming home with Jeremy was different, as I was on my own. So, it was an experience for sure. With the twins, I stayed at my mom's for six weeks so I could recover some and she would be there to help.
Jeremy was a real good baby, but he had his days and nights all mixed up. We'd stay up half the night, and I'd rock him and talk to him and spend quality time with him; then during the day, I'd nap when I could while he was sleeping and spend time with the twins.
He was also a colicy baby but started sleeping through the night at seven weeks old -- while I was in the hospital with my twins -- so I missed that. When we came home (after they spent two weeks in the hospital), Jeremy seemed to have changed so much, despite the fact that I saw him as often as I could manage while the girls were sick. I felt like I had missed so much when I really hadn't.
And having a son was so different -- Jeremy wasn't circ'd right away, so we had to take him back when he was eight days old and have it done. I don't regret having that done, but it was "awful" :-( The funniest thing about having a boy is that I could not keep him dry for the first week he was home. His diapers were dry but clothes and bedding got soaked (or our clothes, depending on the situation). Due to his umbilical cord, I wold fold the top of his diaper down below it; and little did I know that this caused him to pee outside of his diaper *lol* My sister-in-law loves relating this story! Her son was nine months old when Jeremy was born; and she couldn't get over how funny that was! *grin* I just wasn't used to a boy baby *lol*
The only major problem I had with my son early on was that he choked a lot -- those nurses really like to push giving water to babies, so I obliged and nearly killed my poor baby! He choked real badly, quit breathing, and turned blue. I was hysterical -- tried everything to get him to breathe again but it didn't seem to be working. When my mom got there, she took Jeremy from me, and I hit the floor! He was only five days old!!!! Needless to say, I didn't give my son plain water again for a LONG time! I would mix a little apple juice in to give it flavor, and he seemed to tolerate that better.
I didn't go back to work until my baby was three months old, so I really enjoyed the time I had with him. It was so different having only one baby to tend to, so I got to spoil him more than I did with the twins :-)
He was such a good baby -- hardly ever cross and very quiet for the most part. The first time he was fussed at was when he was two and a half years old -- when he had taken a cassette out of my stereo and pulled it all apart :-( When he turned three, though, he made up for lost time and has been rambunctious ever since :-)
Despite Jeremy being such a surprise, I thank God every single day for my son -- my only son :-)
Isn't this background adorable! Thanks, Jan :-)
