November 29th Due Date - I need a buddy!

[Allie84]

Hi girls!

Oh Sarah, I feel for you! I was in and out of the hospital for the blood patch within 2 hours. They got me in, set me up, went in and did it and then had me lay there an hour. When I got up my headache was instantly gone....though I do have a tiny residual headache and the area where they went in my spine is sore.

I had the headache for a week before I finally begged them for the blood patch! I'm so glad I did...it was just the worst pain.

Oooh Desi and BumpHope, I hope you both go into labor soon!

Re: baby weight, I have lost 20 lbs already since the birth....and I had only gained 25. Granted, my body looks way different. My boobs are huge and saggy. I think a lot of my weight loss was fluid. My tummy is REALLY flabby but no longer has a bump at all...I think I'm going to invest in some Spanx and then start working out after my tear is healed in a month or so.

 

[desiwannabmom]

Bumphope,
I didn't ask the NP about the sweep. I forgot!DUH!!

According to the NP she said they only schedule inductions after you are past due so at my next appt. I will have to put it in my book to ask my doc at the next appt about the SWEEP!!!

 

[BumpHope123]

Allie - How is your tear? Are you still sore from that? How long did they estimate that would take to heal?

 

[BumpHope123]

Um, okay, so I'm totally having baby brain right now. I just saw that you posted your tear will heal in a month or so.

 

[desiwannabmom]

One of my friends had a 3rd degree and she said it took her 2.5 to 3 weeks to heal. All this JOY to look forward to !

I am off work starting tomorrow so I will have to keep myself occupied.

Bumphope, did you put something on your mattress to protect it in case your water breaks over night? Someone just told me about that and now I am paranoid I will ruin the mattress!!!

 

[BumpHope123]

Hmmm...I didn't, but I will now! what should I put on it though?? I would think that a towel may not be enough...? One of my friends told me to keep a towel and garbage bag in the car so not to ruin the seats if your water is broken. Haven't done that either!

 

[desiwannabmom]

Bumphope,
Someone said to put a clean shower curtain liner. Other options are waterproof mattress pad. We have a mattress pad already, I don't think it is waterproof. Even if it is, we paid too much for it to get ruined. I liked the shower curtain idea, its cheap and I think it will work. Some people said to do shower curtain AND towels. I will go to the store tomorrow to get the shower curtain liner ! The towel & bag in car is aso a good idea! Granted apparently water breaks for only 10-15% of women!

 

[BumpHope123]

Yup, I have heard the 10-15% stat too. I was just expecting it to either not break or to be a slow trickle. We shall see though! I would hate to ruin our mattress so I'll at least do a towel from now on.

 

[BumpHope123]

I am back from my dr. appointment. I got some good news, which is that I am now 3cm dilated and still 50% effaced. Baby is is -2 station, but dr. said he is probably even lower but she put him at that number since she had to reach behind my cervix (whatever that means). The exam was not so bad this time. Less painful than last week's check. I was dreading the sweep but it was bearable for sure. On a very odd note, my bump is measuring at 44 weeks!!! Dr. said it could just be that I have a short waist, which I have always thought I had. In any case, we scheduled the induction for next Tuesday, the 29th. It worked out perfectly because that was the cutoff date I had in my mind and the dr. suggested it on her own and she will be at the hospital that day. And since I'm dilated and effaced enough at this point, I won't need to do the cervical ripening if I need an induction...so that's less time in the hospital. Wonder if the sweep will do anything....

Desi - How was your first day at home? I'm not working either. I have a few small things I want to do but I'm seriously just feeling so lazy. We finished up the xmas tree last weekend and started xmas shopping, but still have a ways to go with the shopping. My back has been hurting all day today. I need to get on the birthing ball to see if that helps.

 

[luckyalready]

SHE IS HERE!

Arlington Darlin
Born 11/22/11
at 8:45 a.m
7 lbs 3 oz - 20 inches

Here is her story

Meeting Arlington Darlin Bridges

On the morning of November 21st I got a call around 6:45 a.m from the hospital telling me not to come in for the scheduled 9:00 induction, I didnt answer it.. my doc always told me if I get a call from L&D not to answer, and just to come in.. so thats what I did, and when we arrived they told us they didnt have room and to go eat and maybe they would know better of when they could take me. An hour later we came back to check and they told us to wait til 11.. so we did.. then they told us they had a room but it was being cleaned and would be ready by 12.
As soon as I was admitted I got started on pitocin, and I got checked, the nurse said I was barely a 1 .. my doc called it a 2. My doc broke my water within the hour and it hurt!
Every 30 mins they upped the pitocin and my contractions were getting stronger but not necessarily consistent and I wasnt dilating. By 11pm I was only a 3 at best.
They took me off the pitocin for an hour and then started back on it again, just to "unsaturate" my uterus. As soon as it started up again, my contractions were getting very painful and the doc inserted an interal contraction monitor, which hurt extremely bad. It wasnt inserted very well, so I had to get another one around 2 a.m.. I had too much pain to sleep to I was given a pain med in my IV and it took the edge off so I could get little tiny 10 min cat naps.. that wore off an hour or so later so I got a different kind.. and when my doc checked me he thought I was thinning out quite a bit and to go ahead and do an epidural so that it would allow me to relax. I got an epidural at 5:30 a.m and slept pretty good until about 6:30, got check by 7 and was a 4.. I had no pain so my doctor decided to stretch out my cervix and move the scar tissue around that I had after getting the cryo surgery... as soon as he did that, I went from a 4 to a 7 in about a half an hour. My doc checked me around 8 and said Id probably be ready to push in an hour. My contractions were off the charts, and I did feel pressure but no real pain.. so he came back in to check me around 8:20 and said I could start pushing.. I said "UM NO I CANT! Billy just left to eat breakfast and my sister went out to her car" he said "ok lets get them back in here and we will get started" so I text them both that I was waiting on them so I could start pushing. I had no pain, and I knew it wouldnt be many pushes. They both came running back in and as soon as the nurse came in she had a couple nursing students with her, but was just going to start me pushing and the my doctor was supposed to be in shortly. I got all set up, my sister on one side helping hold my leg and Billy on the other.. I gave it everything I had on the first contraction and her head started coming out.. Billy looked at me, shocked, my sister looked at me and said "omg, she is right here" They told me to STOP the push..and the nurse turned around, and starting YELLING "TOM!! .. TOM!! GET IN HERE!" (my docs name) My sister reached her hand down, and Billy did too.. I didnt know why at the time, but now I know its because they had the bottom of the bed off and if I didnt hold back, she would have came right out and onto the floor!! He came running in and told me to finish the push.. I did. And she was born! It was the easiest, most amazing thing Ive ever done! I only felt pressure, no pain like I had with Macy.. and still, I am in no pain. I had to get 2 stitches. They put Arlington right on me and I didnt even know I had delivered the placenta and got sewn up within a few minutes afterward.
I will say, like I always have that it was worth all the awful pain and 4 hours of constant pushing with Macy, but now I know it to be even more true.. she really did make it so I had the easiest delivery ever for her baby sister

 

[BumpHope123]

Congrats Lucky! Glad to hear all went smoothly for you and your cutie pie little girl!

 

[desiwannabmom]

OMG Lucky! Congratulations. It sounds like a wonderful experience for you! One push! That is awesome. All 3 of you look great. You don't look like you just gave birth. You look great.

Bumphope - That is awesome news on 3 cm dilated. I am very happy for you. I would be lying if I didn't say I was a tiny bit jealous!!! You might even go into labor before the 29th. I hear 3 cm is good progress. 44 Weeks that is just crazy!! I have stopped asking my dr. how I am measuring. With the sweep and 3 cm, I wonder if you will have him soon. I enjoyed the first day home. Went to the mall, window shopped a LOT. Looked at pretty things that I won't fit me ! Got a few sexy panties from Victorias Secret ! Not that I would need them anytime soon but it did make me feel good. In the afternoon a friend brought lunch home and we ate together, hung out till the evening. It was fun! I am hoping the walking around in the mall helped. It did hurt to walk though, she was pushing way down and I felt the pain!

Keep me posted if you go into labor this weekend. Will be thinking of ya!

 

[Sarah12]

Lucky - Huge congratulations! Im so thrilled for you and what a gorgeous name! So pleased your labour went smoothly. Cant believe how quickly she came out!

I have just written my birth story so will post in a bit. But as I said mine was rather epic and complicated so those that havent given birth yet may not want to read. Depends if these things put you off. But my little one was posterios and huge and I thinks i was unlucky!!

Allie - I had to go in for the blood patch also. They did it on Tuesday so I was lucky I didnt have to wait a week. Again it took then 4-5 attempts ot find the right spot but I think its worked. I had to lie still for 2 hrs after though and they wanted me to stay over night.. I just burst out crying- i really wanted to be at home and be a family. So at 11pm - after 10hrs in hospital they let me go home! Like you I now have backache which is nothing compared to the neck pain!!

Congrats again Lucky!!

Sxx

 

[BumpHope123]

Desi - sounds like a fun first day off! I keep thinking of things I want to get done, one of which includes hitting up some sales in the next few days, but my back is still killing me! I have not been able to shake the pain, which is unusual
For me. Yesterday, I took two extra strength Tylenol, tried the birthing ball, had three massages from DH, laid on my left side and still nothing stopped it! It was hurting before the sweep but seems to have only intensified since then so I wonder if this is it?!??! On a sweep related note, no bleeding or extra discharge or anything from it...not sure if that is good or bad?

I have been up since 2:30am...hope I can get some sleep and relax in the next few days.

Hope all the US ladies have a great Thanksgiving!!

 

[desiwannabmom]

Bumphope,
I have heard that back pain could be a sign.......

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[desiwannabmom]

Sarah,
I am glad the patch may be working....no fun to be in pain...are your inlaws back? Hopefully they are more help now for you?

Waiting to read your birth story. I'd like to be informed of all things that could happen so I am hoping yours won't scare me too much !

 

[Sarah12]

So my birth story. As I said mine wasnt a text book labour. Nothing hideous but apprecaite some of you still waiting for labour to kicik in and may not want to read this!


I woke with pains on Friday morning but at this point I wasn’t sure if was just 39 week pregnancy pains or more! But as the day went on they got stronger and at 7.30pm when the contractions were every 3 minutes we set off to the hospital. When we got there I was assessed by the triage nurse and was told I was 3cm dilated and therefore only had two options – To go home or to be admitted and take pethedine which I didn’t want! At this point my contractions got much worse, I really didn’t want to get in the car again and Id also started bleeding quite badly. The midwifes said they had a spare room I could use for an hour and then re assess me to see if I was 4cm. Over this hour I was in a lot more pain, losing blood and stood over the loo gripping onto Stu with each contraction. I was also sick a few times with the pain. The time seemed to drag! It was 9.30pm when I was reassessed and I was told I was approx 4cm and could now have pain relief and be admitted. My birth plan had me wanting the pool and going without an epidural but I was in so much pain I asked for an epidural then. I was told it would be a while and was given gas and air in the mean time and used my tens.

At 11pm they wheeled me through to my labour room where the anaesthetist was ready to give me the epidural. I was in alot of pain and vomited a few times because of it. I had to lie on my side for it to be inserted but she couldn’t find the right spot and after 3-4 attempts I was given a spinal which provided immediate relief. I then sat upright and in this position she was able to get in the right place. It felt so good to be out of pain!

Over the next 4-5 hrs I was pain free, getting epidural top ups and was able to dose on and off. I was dilating very slowly and think I was 6cm about 5am. My contractions were being monitored and were really strong and every 2 mins. Everyone who looked at them commented on how good they were and that I would have no problems getting this little one out! ( Hmmmmm!??!)

At about 6am I started getting contraction pains again and asked the midwife for a top up. This didn’t seem to kick in and the pains were getting worse and worse. I was on the gas and air and very uncomfortable and was 7cm dilated. The anaesthetist re assessed me and found that my epidural had shifted and needed re-siting. This she did but again it took her quite a few attempts- not helped by the fact I was getting such frequent contractions that it was hard to sit still. She eventually got it in there but it didn’t seem to kick in the same as the first and I was still needing to use the gas and air.

I was reassessed by the consultant at 8am and he adviced I be put on a hormone drug to strengthen the contractions and help my cervix dilate. This happened at about 9am – I was in a fair bit of pain and having to use the gas and air. At 11am I was reassessed and the good news was I was now fully dilated and could start to push!

I gave it everything I had pushing with each contraction. Stu said I was so purple he thought I was going to have an aneurysm. Nothing was happening but it was less painful to push than not. The doctors were called again and they did a very painful internal on me and concluded that I needed to have either ventouse or forceps. Something that I had not wanted but at this point I was feeling desperate, helpless and knew they had my and babies best interests at heart. They tried with the kiwi ventouse but after 3 attempts and serious pushing this failed and the cap came flying off her head. Forceps were then tried which were pretty scary. My legs were in stirrups, the doctor was pulling with such force that I ended up sliding right down the bed. I was worried about the baby being injured but they tried to assure me that the positioning is fine for baby. They tried 3 times with forceps but baby was not budging at all.

The consultant was called and he said that baby was now getting very tired and I needed to be taken to theatre and to be prepped for an emergency c section. I was in so much pain and kind of out of it that I don’t really remember it that well. It just happened but Stu said after how frightening it was as baby was off the heart monitor for a good 5 minutes. In theatre I was hooked up and heart beat was heard. They numbed me completely from breast to toe and did I really thorough internal. It was only at this point I was told that baby was posterior and that she was also very big. The consultant said there was no way this baby would come out naturally without causing serious injury to me or her and my only option was an emergency c section. I had obviously not wanted this and did have a small cry but just wanted the best and safest thing for our baby. Stu held my hand as the c-section took place although he did see a few sights of my insides all over the place!

I could feel pressure and pulling but no pain. At 12.55pm our darling baby was out and I heard that first scream that I d been longing to hear. The doctors lowered the canvas screen and we could look up and see our beautiful screaming baby in front of us. Took a few seconds to focus and for Stu the umbilical cord was hanging in the way but we then saw first hand that we had a gorgeous daughter! I was in tears. It was so magical.

 

[BumpHope123]

Sarah - glad you are feeling better!

AFM, I am having my bloody show! Wonder how soon, if at all, I will go into labor...?!

 

[Sarah12]

Yay bumphope! Mine was just a few days after! Come on baby!!

 

[BumpHope123]

How long did yours last Sarah? Did you have it constantly for a few days? Mine stopped yesterday and I got relief from my back too so I thought maybe it was a false alarm. But now the "show" and back discomfort have started up again! I have to go to the hospital today for my NST since the drs office is closed. I'm sure they will do another internal checkup......wonder if they will try to admit me?? We are taking our bags just in case!