Monday, May 9, 2011
Losing Weight
Of course I was happy, I mean it took forever to get pregnant and I had given up. I am 35, getting to old to have a baby and just didn't figure I would be a mother of 2. But I will admit that just having reached my weight goal and finding out I was pregnant was a bit of a sting. I didn't think the same as I had before, I don't want to eat whatever I want, I don't want to forget about how hard I worked to lose the weight and how I was going to get fat. I want to be a fit pregnant mom, I want to eat healthy. Of course that hasn't happened either! I blame morning sickness and the fact that I can barely eat anything nor can I stand the taste of water. Hopefully it goes away, I keep telling everyone it will, it better. In two more weeks I want to be back at the gym, taking it easy but still going, eating healthier, drinking water, taking my vitamins that I just can't seem to swallow anymore.
I have had two people tell me it looks like I have lost weight. I must be losing it somewhere and gaining it all in my stomach. I can't fit in my pants but I haven't gained weight so it must be reposition itself. My loving husband bought me my first maternity pants for mother's day, they are so comfy, I really needed them. I also bough myself some summer dresses thinking I should be able to wear and hide the belly in those.
Anyway, I am still pregnant today and I guess I may stay pregnant and I don't want to be one of those people that thinks just because I am pregnant I can eat whatever, gain all the weight I want, quit working out ... I mean I have quit working out and I am not eating healthy but I want to go back to how it was, I want for this morning all day sickness to be gone so I can get back on with my life. Just because I am pregnant and old doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to be normal. I kinda feel like maybe my body has put itself on bed rest, maybe for a reason, or maybe I am just not one of the lucky ones who can function normally in the first trimester. Well whatever the reason, I hope it goes away soon. I am ready to start functioning again. At least I haven't gained a bunch of weight I guess.
Friday, May 6, 2011
My c-section trauma
In my case the c-section was unavoidable. Of course I wanted a vaginal birth, don't most women? Since my daughter was breach and the cord was prolapsed and my water broke, there wasn't much else they could do except quickly delivery my baby girl. One of the good things about it being such a quick emergency was that I didn't have the pre-surgery jitters. Before I really knew what was happening they had my IV in, my catheter in, I signed a bunch of paperwork, and we were being whisked away to an operating room. To think I never even researched what it meant to have a prolapsed cord until now?
What is a cord prolapse?
Cord Prolapse also called an Umbilical Cord Prolapse - or UCP - is a very rare obstetrical emergency which can result in a birth injury or worse.
It is when your baby's umbilical cord descends alongside - or before - his head (or his bottom or feet if breech). A cord prolapse can be life threatening to your baby since blood flow - and therefore oxygen - through his umbilical cord is usually compromised due to cord compression.
Yet keep in mind that a cord prolapse is very rare and occurs in 0.14 to 0.62 percent of all births. In a study performed at the John Radcliffe Hospital between January 1984 and December 1992, the incidence of cord prolapse was 1 in 426 births or .23%.
I guess this is a very rare thing, which probably explains why I was in the operating room so quick.I remember being wheeled into the operating room, the very brightly lit, yet somehow very cold, operating room. It seemed like there were 10 people in the room working on this and that. I had to change beds and sit up while a student attempted a spinal block. I don't remember the stick really hurting that bad. After two failed sticks the actual doctor got it in. It seems like I always get stuck with the students and I try not to complain. I goo laid out, people were busy all around me. I was covered with blankets, my legs had air things on them that massages so I don't end up getting a deadly blood clot. I had an air mask over my face. There was a lady nurse near my head asking how I am doing. I think I am doing ok considering. Kris comes into the room, they tell me they are about to start, I tell them I am not numb yet. I tell them again I am not yet numb but apparently they already cut so I guess I was numb after all. Being cut and not being numb is a fear of mine. Kris was holding my hand, the nurse at my head asked me to take deep breaths. I asked Kris, "am I taking deep breaths?" because I honestly can't really tell. I just want it to be over and it seems like it took forever! I feel the pressure but I don't remember it hurting, Kris asked me if I heard the baby, I don't, then I do, then I feel relieved. I see a little scrunched face peeking out of blankets and a hat and then she is gone, Kris is gone and I am still laying there for what seemed like forever while they finish putting me back together. Then I start to shake uncontrollably. Apparently this is normal, but quite terrifying. I can't stop shaking, I want them to hurry up and finish, I have no idea how much the baby weighed, no one is really talking to me and I can't stop shaking. I don't know how long it took to finish but it seemed like forever. I don't know how long I shook but it hurt. After they finished for what seemed like an hour I was rolled to a recovery area, alone. I wish I could have slept but this was around 8:30 in the morning and I was not tired. I laid in the recovery room shaking, listening to the blood pressure monitors beeping alarms. A nurse would come over and tell me to relax, ask me if I could feel my legs. I guess they would put something in my IV but nothing stopped the shaking. Shaking. If I had to pick the worse thing about the entire procedure it would have to be the uncontrollably shaking. Next would be the fear that my blood pressure was going to cause me to stroke out. Of course now that I think back I realize they have medication to prevent that but I was still about to have a panic attack thinking about it.
So my morning had started out normal until my water broke, now a few hours later I found myself laying in a recovery room, shaking, no longer pregnant, no clue where my husband and baby were, not even sure if my baby was ok, no idea how much she weighed or how tall she was. I didn't know how long it would take me to recover, I didn't think I would ever stop shaking, and I was quite certain my blood pressure was going to kill me.
But as they say, time heals. I don't know how long I was there but by the time they wheeled me into the room it was still sometime in the morning. I delivered at 8:11 so it couldn't have been more than a few hours. When I entered the room I saw Kris holding our baby, looking at it like he couldn't believe it. They hooked me up to a bunch of contraptions and left. We were alone. I finally found out how big Summer was, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and how tall, 18.5 inches. I finally got to hold her and look at her for the first time. I finally got to take off her little hat and see that she had light brown/blonde hair. I got to smell her, kiss her, and think about how wild it was that this little thing came out of my body. I used my phone to take pictures of her and sent it to all of my friends and family. I called my mom. After all of the trauma I had gone through I now felt ok. I mean I wasn't all better, I was still healing from being cut open, still worried about my high blood pressure, dealing with a catheter, I was hooked up to IVs, annoyed at the leg massages, trying to blow into the plastic ball thing, bleeding, wearing a hospital gown, but all that didn't seem as bad.
I still remember the fear, the shaking, and the joys but time did eventually heal me. It all worked out for the best. While my c-section was necessary and while they are commonly practiced, it was still a very scary and traumatic experience for me. Of course it was worth it and if I have to do it again I will, but I sure hope I don't have to.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
In Hiding
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Stay at Home Mom
After 5 years with my company I found myself laid off in the mists of one of the worse economical conditions in my lifetime. My company decided to relocate out of state and I had to find a new job. Kris was currently staying at home taking care of Summer while enjoying a small military retirement. I was the one who brought the money into our home. Even with unemployment rates at their worse, I didn't think I would have any problem finding a new job. Within 2 weeks of searching and submitting resumes I had an interview. It was a promising position, one I did not really want because of location but one I was certain would be mind. I never got a second call. I couldn't believe they didn't call me back. After sending out at least 100 more resumes during the last month with my company I was starting to get discouraged. I was making good money and realized that I wasn't going to be as lucky with another job.
In October 2009 I found myself at home with my husband and daughter. What do we do now? I had a severance and a savings and didn't really need to worry for at least 6 months but I didn't want to have to live on it. We lived life as normal as we possible could, we spent money like we always had assuming I would eventually find a job. For the first time ever I found myself in a position that made no sense. I had no idea what I should do with myself. Right after I left work I started teaching a mommy and me dance class. This occupied an hour of my time each week and allowed Summer to go to a free dance class. She already had 6 months worth of lessons and had no problems adjusting to me as her instructor. I still found myself on the verge of a boredom breakdown. Right before leaving my company I created a local Las Vegas mommy group in hopes of making some friends. I can honestly say that it was one of the best things I did, I ended up making several wonderful relationships with other women who to this day are still helping me pass the time and escape the boredom. Before I became a mom and made mommy friends I would say I had no real girlfriends, I only had coworkers.
That six months was a strange time in my life, I registered Summer in several classes at a local recreational center to help pass the time. She ended up taking an art class, gymnastics, dance, karate, soccer, and cheer-leading. The rest of my week was spent hanging out with my new mommy friends, with a regular weekly trip to a bookstore scheduled on the calendar. It took about 6 months for me to really enjoy being a stay at home mom, I now found myself becoming a busy on the go stay at home mom and this was something I could do.
After the six months was up we found ourselves on unemployment and still jobless. Kris decided he better look for a job because we could not afford to live off of his retirement and my unemployment. Kris ended up having an interview, I was certain he would get the job, and he didn't. Then he called a friend who told him he had a job for him only to find out his clearance had expired and he couldn't work there. It was a stressful and confusing three months, to make up the income Kris sold magic cards on eBay. I starting thinking about going into the photography business but knew that would not solve our income, or lack of income, situation. Kris and I always enjoyed shopping and eating out, but during these three months we found ourselves without anything to do together. By July luck struck, and just in time. Kris ended up getting a job that a good friend of ours told him about. It would be the dream job he always wanted.
After we found ourselves back in the saddle I joined a gym with one of my good friends. My new stay at home mom schedule found me teaching dance and Mondays and going to the gym on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Friday I met with other mommy friends at the bookstore. The weekends were spend taking pictures of people who liked my photography. I was busier now that I had ever been. After being a gym rat for 6 months, enjoying zumba classes, belly dancing, sculpt, I finally lost the last 10 pounds that had been holding on since I turned 30. I would have lost it sooner had I actually changed my diet but I was in no rush, I went to the gym because I enjoyed it, not because I felt like I had to go. Summer also liked going to the gym for an hour each day, she would play with her friends and color me a picture.
It took me a long time to figure out how to be the best stay at home mom I could be. I never thought I would quit working. I worry about the gap in my employment. One day I will want to work again, I think, and how hard is it going to be to get a job now. I am fortunate that we can afford to have me stay home and raise our daughter, even better since it looks like we will be having another. I admit I miss working. I was good at my job, I was respected, I knew what I was doing, people looked to me for help. I made great money, I had good benefits. Working was rewarding, I got bonuses and awards. Now if I do a good job raising my daughter no one really notices unless I tell them. If the house is clean - it is to be expected. The thing that helps me the most is hearing my daughter tell me she loves me, and knowing how much I am impacting her life. When I take her to a class I am giving her opportunities. When I feed her a healthy lunch and make her drink water instead of juice I know that I am providing better for her than someone else might. I know that by being there for her I can help make her be the best little girl she can be. I am not perfect and she doesn't expect me to be, I tell her I make mistakes and try my best. We have a wonderful relationship, it is rare for her to act up. I don't know what kind of person she is going to become but hopefully by staying home with her she will appreciate it as much as I do. I thank my husband for working so hard so that we can live this way, I am glad he likes his job and glad that I like mine. I never would have thought that I would be a stay at home mom. It goes to show you just how crazy life can be.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Bathrooms
This morning I went to the store and bought a bunch of greens and fruits. Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Cilantro, and Chard. I didn't mean to buy Chard, I meant to buy Kale. I don't even know what you use Chard for. I have a book with recipes for green smoothies and I could have sworn it said Chard. It said Kale and I don't see Chard anywhere. Now what am I going to do with this Chard? I will keep looking for a smoothie recipe that includes Chard, surely there is one. Anyway my first green smoothie consisted of Romaine Lettuce, Mango, Banana, Orange, and water. I gave a glass to my daughter and one to my father in law and told them to try really hard to drink it. I heard my daughter say Yuck. I don't think it taste that bad, and my blender did a pretty good job of mixing it all up. Of course as I am drinking it I am chewing on small pieces of something, lettuce, or ?
This past weekend Kris took Summer shopping. He takes her quite a bit, he is a good dad like that. They went to one of the shopping areas on the strip. While there Summer had to go pee. Kris had to take Summer into the men's bathroom. He told me that he had Summer cover her eyes while he hurried and escorted her into a stall. Luckily a clean-ish stall since most of the men's bathrooms are not the cleanest. While rushing her into the stall he said she was really loud and saying "why do I have to cover my eyes?" Family bathrooms are making an appearance but apparently there were none where they were. We were out eating on Sunday and Summer had to go to the bathroom so Kris took her. Unfortunately this bathroom was not clean, it was disgusting, which is the norm for a guy bathroom from what I understand. I guess soon Summer will just have to start going into the women's bathroom by herself while he stands right outside. She can do most everything herself, maybe not reach the soap or paper towels, but for the most part she can at least go by herself.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Morning Sickness Sucks
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Back at it?
March 15th
4 Days late, decide to buy an $8.00 test from Albertson's. A lot to spend on a test but I was already there. Not expecting anything but at least knowing will stop the what ifs,
March 16th
7:00 AM: Now I am 5 days late so I decide to get up and test before Summer wakes. I am surprised she is even still asleep /shrug. I go into bathroom, grab the $8 test kit from bathroom closet, try to keep the cat off my lap while I try to pee correctly on the little stick. Before I even finish peeing I start to see the + sign appear. I thought these tests could take up to 2 minutes.
7:02 AM: Sitting on the toilet in shock. Over 2 years of trying and it is positive? What the heck am I going to do now.
7:03 AM: Freak out a little. Wonder who I should tell. Should I tell my husband, should I try to keep it a secret from him a bit longer. Will he even believe me because we have been here before, of course that test was very faint. I decide to take a picture of the test on my iphone and send it to him in a text.
7:05 AM: Send him a crappy picture with the following "Ummm this was positive immediately. I guess I am day 33 today." He replies with " ....." followed by "Noway". I text back "I'm in a bit of a shock"
7:06 AM: He calls and we talk for about 5 minutes. We decide not to tell anyone given my background.
--- BACKGROUND ---
In 1997 after being on birth control pills for 10 years I stop taking them and get pregnant immediately. I find out I am pregnant on my 21st birthday. A day or two later I start spotting, so I go to the hospital. Ultrasound does not show a baby and assumes I miscarried. I think I am 4 or 5 weeks, really early anyway. I am only 21 and it does not upset me. Miscarriages are normal, says the doctor, they happen all the time.
In 2004 after convincing Kris that I really want a baby, he finally gives in, we try, I get pregnant the first month. Things are going as planned until I go in for my 11 week appointment. They cannot find a heartbeat and the ultrasound is still. The baby apparently quit growing around 8 weeks. I decide to wait it out and miscarry naturally. A week later major cramping and a ton of blood. The following week more cramping and bleeding leads me to the hospital where I end up having to have a D&C suction for an incomplete miscarriage. All the blood is a bit traumatic.
In 2005 we decide to try again and again get pregnant the first month we try. At around 5-6 weeks I start bleeding. To the hospital I go, finding no heartbeat so I immediately schedule a D&C, not wanting to go through a miscarriage and seeing all the blood again. As I am in the hospital completing the paperwork for a D&C I start cramping. I go into the bathroom and miscarry right there and freak out. Luckily the doctor was nice enough to assist and make sure it completed. I do not end up needing a D&C.
In 2005 after three miscarriages I decide to see a fertility specialist. All test are completely normal, doctor tells me to get pregnant again and see what happens. After several months we don't get pregnant. Clomid should help. Doesn't work. Next step is IVU. I don't want to spend $10000 and have several shots given. No way Kris would be up for that anyway. I leave and figure it just isn't going to happen.
In November 2006 I am on vacation visiting family and realize I am late. I get home and after being almost two weeks late by now I figure I must be pregnant. Blood tests confirmed. This is my fourth pregnancy. I am not hopeful at all but glad I actually got pregnant. I call fertility doctor to ask what I can do to prevent this one to miscarry, he says nothing. I ask OB doctor what I can take, again the answer is nothing. Nothing obvious is causing my miscarriages so nothing can be done to prevent them.
December 2006 I am extremely sick. By 9 weeks I am in the hospital getting IV fluids for severe dehydration. I feel like I am going to die. I have lost 10 pounds in 1 month. I ask if I can get an abortion because I am worried I am going to lose my job. The military does not do abortions and tells me the sickness will eventually pass.
The all day and night morning sickness passes in January 2007 after 6 weeks of misery. I missed most of December, Christmas, New Years. I depleted my vacation and sick time at work. But I am alive!
Smooth sailing through June 2007. Then I find out baby is breach and I am starting to get high blood pressure. Bi-Weekly monitoring. 1 Failed attempt to turn baby. C-Section is eminent. C-Section is scheduled for 7/24, the day before my due date, but they planned to attempt another turn and induce. It didn't matter because on 7/13 I woke up and my water broke. Rush to the hospital because I know she is still breach. Find out I have a prolapsed cord, fastest c/s ever! Healthy 7 pound, 11 ounce baby girl is born at 8:11. I blogged about the day here: http://create-it-all.blogspot.com/2007/07/happy-birthday-summer.html
--- BACK TO THE PRESENT ---
March 17th: I have now known for 2 days and some hours. I feel hopeful. My stomach feels really hard and has a lot of pressure but I wonder if it is all in my head or not. I am trying not to become consumed with it but so far I am failing. Here's to hoping the month passes quickly and 8+ weeks comes and goes.
March 31st: I go to the hospital for an annual pap, an appointment I made prior to knowing I was pregnant. They wouldn't do it but put in the request for my blood work to confirm I am pregnant. I told them don't bother calling with the results, I would just wait for a call from the OB clinic.
April 1st: I am 7 weeks and I am really sick.
April 6th: The OB clinic calls to schedule my first appointment. My mom is in town visiting, if you consider watching me lay in bed all day visiting ... My aunt also arrives.
April 8th: I turn 35. I do not get out of bed for long.
April 14th: I see an OB doctor for the first time because I am considered High Risk. I am almost 9 weeks, I see the baby on the ultrasound. My blood pressure is fine. The baby looks bigger than I figured it would. I weigh 131 which is 10 pounds lighter than when I started with Summer, because I haven't gained any weight. I am still not excited yet, anything can happen.
April 30th: I am now 11 weeks and still sick, but honestly it isn't as bad as it was with Summer. I have only thrown up three times. I can eat. I have trouble drinking water and taking my prenatal vitamins. I keep telling myself three more weeks. I miss hanging out with all my friends. I miss going to the gym. I worry about my thighs. I have been reading a ton of books, I read two books in the past two days. Most of the time I don't really think about anything except breathing and trying to stay comfortable. I feel bad about the time spend laying around but then again I don't. I hope it is worth it but I know anything can happen. I have a long way to go. I am not sure when I will feel safe. I have another ultrasound in 10 days, because of the High Risk status. Maybe I should worry about the test coming up but I don't. I can't change anything anyway. I am actually optimistic, I know whatever happens will happen and I will handle it. Whose to say whats best anyway.
So maybe I am back blogging for awhile.