Shorty
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Member since 5/05 30390 total posts
Name:
really
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Our little hippo man, Logan Paul - 07.30.09
Hi! I'm still in the hospital, but wide awake with nothing else to do, so how about a birth story?!
As you all know (because I'd been whining since it started), I’d been in labor since Monday, 7/20. (documented HERE) I lost my mucous plug over the course of a week starting on 07/8/09, so I was really convinced that the baby was coming early. My official due date was August 12th, however, a growth sono done at 30 weeks projected that our little guy would measure 40wk gestation on 07/30/09.
Starting on 7/20, I was having more regular contractions and didn't feel well at ALL- I went to the Dr and was dilating, but she felt it was prodromal labor and not going anywhere, so she sent me home.
I woke up on Sunday 7/26 with stronger contractions, lost MORE plug tinged with blood (gross gross gross - either my plug was huge enough to come out over a span of weeks OR it regenerated like a friggen starfish!). I called my Dr and it just so happened that someone from the practice was at St Catherines delivering another baby, so I was sent over there to be checked out. I was there for HOURS - ignored for a good portion of the time (I overheard the nurses talking about me - apparently I was overreacting about contractions 4 minutes apart. I'm sorry, I've never had a child before. Do I know any better?! Besides the fact that my Dr SENT me there - I didn't go on my own!).
After some monitoring and an exam, it was confirmed that I was walking around at 3.5cm dilated, about 70% effaced and having contractions every 4-7 minutes, BUT the contractions weren’t progressing and baby wasn’t descending in my uterus. Again, my Drs told me it was prodromal labor and to keep walking around, stay active, etc., and baby will descend when he's ready. It could be tonight, it could be 2 weeks from now. I stopped working because the contractions were making it difficult to drive safely and I have a 35-45 minute commute, depending on traffic and weather. I spent some of the week in bed, some of the week being walked around like a puppy to stay active. I walked the mall, Costco, and Waldbaums with either my sister or DH because it was pouring and we couldn't walk outside.
On Wednesday 7/29, I needed a change of scenery, so I spent the day on my parents' couch hanging out with my siblings. The contractions continued, but I also had tremendous hip pain for the first time all pregnancy. It wasn't a general soreness - more like a burning pain.... like my hips were being grabbed and pulled in 2 different directions (east/west). I made it a point to stay active - going up and down the stairs, doing my daily squats and lunges (hey, you really need those thigh muscles for delivery!), stretching, etc.
I had my 38 week Dr’s appt at 5pm later that same day and just as I put my feet up to be examined, my water broke ALL OVER THE DR and the exam room. OH MY GOD that was embarrassing!! re-live the hilarity HERE They wanted to throw me in a wheelchair and get me to the hospital side (my Dr's office is in St Catherine’s medical bldg) but I signed myself out AMA and came over to Stony Brook. (several reasons- some personal issues with St Catherine's, my experience on 7/26, the fact that none of my Drs were on call that night and I'd have a stranger delivering me anyway, Stony Brook's brand new maternity ward, best NICU in the county just in case we needed it, etc.). I LOVE my Dr, but if she wasn't able to deliver me anyway, I was choosing facility first. Personal choice - and it turned out to be the best decision.
I went home, showered, double checked my hospital bag, ate a bagel and some cherries, sewed a button on to Rich’s shorts, charged my cameras, and basically stalled because I knew the second I got to the hospital they’d throw me in a bed and start an IV (I was GBS+) and I wouldn’t be able to move. DH was RUNNING around the house - he didn't get the "stalling" memo. I had to grab him by the belt loops and yell at him to calm down!!!
I got to the hospital around 10:15pm, was all triaged and in a labor and delivery room by 11pm...and then we relaxed, sat back, and waited for labor. We tried to sleep a little because we'd both been up all day (DH worked, went straight to my Drs appt, then to the hospital! no downtime at all), but we were really too anxious/excited. We slept for about 45 minutes, but that's it.
I was still only 3-4cm (had been for a week!) and contracting every 5-6 minutes for more than 2 hours, so they had to give me Pitocin to speed things up. Due to the combined factors that this was my first child and first labors tend to run long AND the fact that I was GBS+, AND my membranes had ruptured nearly 10 hours earlier, it was agreed upon that Pitocin was my best bet. I labored for about 3 hours with the Pitocin – the contractions were 2 minutes apart (only 1 min downtime between them) and really starting to hurt, so I asked for the epidural. I'd had nothing before that at all. The anesthesiologist came in and did it right away – I was 5cm at that point. An hour later I was still feeling everything, so they tried to reinsert the epi – still feeling everything. Apparently epidurals don’t work on everyone, and I’m one of the unfortunate ones. Seriously though – with everything else that went on with this pregnancy (um HI - 30wks of morning sickness?!), should I really have expected it to work?! Hah. 
At that point they unhooked the epidural and I was 6cm, 90% effaced, -3 station (baby was still high), so they started discussing other pain management options. There was a question about the use of demerol, so they left the room and came back 5 minutes later and I said I decided I wasn’t going to risk the baby’s health with any drugs, so I was going to do this naturally. This was at 10:06am – I txtd my father in the waiting room saying that it was probably going to be a while still because I didn’t feel too lousy yet.
[just wanted to add a piece of info abt the SB midwives... I was NOT under their care at all, but Chris (female - one of the midwives) was on call at SB when I delivered last week. She heard that my epidural didn't take and I was delivering naturally and came in to see if there was anything she could do to help me. She was SO SWEET - she showed me how to breathe effectively, showed DH where to apply counter-pressure on my back while I was contracting, and suggested (to my Drs) dropping out the bottom of the bed and allowing me to sit on it like an armchair - this relieved soooo much pressure on my back/tailbone AND allowed gravity to pull DS into the birth canal. He didn't "drop" until minutes before I delivered. She may have been the one that prevented a c/s for me! I really liked her.]
I spoke too soon. After 1 huge painful contraction, suddenly I didn’t feel so hot. DH reached over me to grab my ice cup and cool washcloth (he was awesome) and noticed a small pool of blood on my sheet that hadn't previously been there. He said something to the nurse that was checking the baby monitors (she was amazing- barely left my side the whole time) and her eyes widened... she took a peek in the danger zone and said she needed to call the Dr in. Apparently blood = baby is coming soon!
They did another exam and holy crap, as the Dr is doing the exam, she looks up and me and says, “oh wow, I see we don’t have a baldy baby here!” His head was visible and I was 9.5cm dilated. Omg. She asked DH if he wanted to see and I almost fell off the bed when he said YES - he's usually squeamish! He was in awe and he really held it together.
The nurse went to the phone and called the delivery team and all of a sudden, my monitors went crazy beeping. My heart rate and blood pressure jumped, temperature spiked to 100.6 and they said that it could be a) a sign of infection or b) just my body’s trauma response because of the pain... (I think it was choice B) and explained that they now had to call the NICU team in because if Mommy has a fever, baby is exposed and needs to be NICU monitored and given IV antibiotics for 48 hours post-birth. I started to cry because I didn’t want to be a NICU mommy  - I felt like a bad mother ALREADY and the kid wasn't even out!!! I was pretty upset. I don't think DH fully understood what was said, but he didn't ask questions, he put all his energy into keeping me calm and as comfortable as possible.
All of a sudden, I had this HUGE urge to push and told the nurse --- within 2 minutes (I was literally seeing stars from the pain...black spots with bright lights...DH said I looked like Reagan from the Exorcist because my head was thrashing from side to side and he was waiting for it to just spin around completely), I had a delivery team and a NICU team in the room (about 8 people), the foot portion of my bed dropped out, a huge light came down from the ceiling, Drs were throwing on sterile gowns and caps, and I was seriously having a baby!
I grabbed the bed rails with some crazy death grip, DH had one leg and my awesome nurse had the other. I pushed through 3 contractions (3 times over the course of 7 minutes) and baby was OUT!!! And seriously - ouch - they had to cut me. I felt the scalpel. His cord was wrapped around his neck twice and he stalled a bit, so the Dr had her hand in me at the same time his head was coming out so she could unwrap the cord. It REALLY HURT, but it was all worth it when I caught a glimpse of the giant pink baby flailing his arms and legs on the baby warmer. The kid came out FLAILING at 10:17am - just 11 minutes after I txtd the waiting room that nothing was happening!!! It was hilarious.
I had instant relief upon birth – they shot me with some lidocaine and started to stich me up. I had a 2nd degree tear and episiotomy that's really not giving me any trouble yet (36 hrs post birth). I didn't push long enough to effectively stretch the area, so I'm dealing with a tear. Not the end of the world.
The NICU team evaluated and cleaned off the baby and brought him to my chest and omg, I couldn’t let him go. His eyes were open and blinky (and gooey from the antibiotic ointment), his swollen pouty red lips were blowing little spit bubbles, and I could feel him kicking me in the gut through his swaddle. Some things are DEFINITELY the same in and out of the womb! Snuggling him definitely took my mind off the stitches that I was FEELING in my va-jay-jay.
They finished stitching me, took the baby, and then I delivered the placenta. I got a little nervous - they were tugging, but it wasn't budging...I ended up pushing it out myself with my next contraction. Let me tell you...that placenta thing....interesting. This may be TMI to some, but I find it hilarious. I pushed that thing out and if the Drs weren't gripping it for dear life, I would've shot it against the wall. That thing FLEW OUT. 
Baby had APGAR scores of 9 (1min) and 9 (5min), but had to go to the NICU for 48 hr monitoring and antibiotic IV anyway because of my stupid fever. He’s the biggest baby in there and its so sad to have to go across the hospital to see him, feed him, etc. Everyone else gets to keep their baby in the room with them, or at least in the nursery 20 feet away (and have lots of supplies every time the baby gets brought to the room!)...not us.  . It's all my fault - he's perfect, but I had to get a stupid fever. I feel so unprepared to take him home now.  He’s 36 hrs old and I haven’t even changed a diaper yet. We have been lucky enough to feed him though, so that's a plus. He eats like a champ.
MY fever is gone today after 24 hrs of IV antibiotics. I really feel good – I’m sure the fever was just due to the body trauma and not any kind of infection, but I appreciate and understand the precautions taken. A little bit sore as the stitches are starting to heal up (pain scale would put me at a 1 out of 10), but overall, really good. The tiny man was circumsized this afternoon, so we’re all set to go home Saturday late afternoon/early evening. Yaaay!
I'm so happy with my decision to come to Stony Brook. EVERY SINGLE MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL I came in contact with has been incredible. Above and beyond doesn't even describe some of them. I was walking the halls today, just getting some exercise, walking to the NICU, etc, and I was stopped by one of the residents that was on last night. He asked how the baby was (by NAME - he remembered his name!!), how I was, if my husband is still trying to cast me as Reagan in a new Exorcist movie, etc. They were all so great!
The nurses here in postpartum have been great. I definitely recommend taking the motrin they offer (for the cramps/contractions/swelling from stitches, headaches from ornery visitors, whatever...) and stool softener (they've brought me 2 since delivery, and while I'm sharing, lets just say I have not differed from my daily schedule! And no harm was done in the process, either. Super thanks to my sister and the Green Cactus burrito she arrived with.) I was lucky that this pregnancy hasn't blessed me with any hemorrhoids, but the witch hazel pads they offered also cool and soothe the stitches zone, so I'm using them. The peri bottle is your friend too - use it. My worst pains from delivery are in my shoulders/upper back from gripping and pulling on my own legs and the bed rails through the contractions and pushes. Nothing a gentle backrub from DH and a heating pad won't solve once I'm home. I made sure to walk around a lot as soon as I was allowed (day after birth - after my IV was removed), and it really helps the uterine contractions. Dr said it's firming up very quickly and effectively.
DH keeps saying, "I just can't believe he's OUT. He's really HERE!"...I keep asking when the last time he heard of a kid going to college or getting married in the womb and he gives me dirty looks  . I don't know how I found room in me to possibly love DH more than ever AND find a whole new room of love for the wiggly little pink baby that has already looked me in the eyes and melted me, but it happened, so I have to prepare to deal with it  .
My family says the tiny man looks just like me when I was born, but he definitely has Rich’s long torso and big feet! We’ve been taking tons of pics and once I'm home, I'll either post them here or put up a shutterfly link.
Logan Paul
7lbs 14oz
21” long
And 13 days early. He would’ve been a giant meatball had I gone to 40wks!
Lousy cell pic, but better than nothing! REAL pics to follow once I'm home. Thanks for reading - and for all the help/support these past months!
And this is pretty cool:
3D sono pic at 28wks vs. Real Baby Face!
Our first family photo - taken 6 minutes after birth at 10:23am on 07.30.09
8/1/09 -UPDATE: WE'RE ALL HOME!!! ... too busy snuggling to post... be back soon. 
Discharge day- 08.01.09
leaving the NICU
Logan's newborn photo from the hospital:
wanted to add: THOSE DELIVERING AT STONY BROOK, order a chocolate chip cookie off the menu at every meal. They're SOOOO GOOOOD.
Message edited 8/18/2009 10:48:48 PM.
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I was a NICU Mommy too but Reilly was in there for 8 days so we couldn't even bring her home when I went home! 
