As the last of the pregnant 5, it's getting pretty lonely and, well, uncomfortable over here! I can't wait to be a member of the mommy club, and to be able to comment on your blog entries with somekind of knowledge. You guys have all inspired me to open my mind about how I want both my labor to go, and how I will take care of my little Isaac. I really am impressed by all the gut instinct you show, and I hope that somehow that doesn't pass me by.
When Adam and I did our baby classes, the nurse mentioned that 90% of first timers go to actually 41 weeks. Already feeling like a whale, I wanted to cry when I heard this. At this point, 3 of you had already given birth EARLY!!! And now that Emily also went early, I know that it will be my job to bring up the average. Here I was hoping for a sweet Valentine baby, and I'll probably end up with a St. Patty's day leprechaun!
I found this article http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/sj/week36, and it pretty much sums up what it feels like right now. I know much of my griping does not compare to the sleepless nights you are all learning to cope with, but I wanted to post something. Sometimes, just writing it out does make you feel better! Who knows, maybe we'll all beat the odds and Isaac will still come a little early! Anytime you feel like doing the baby dance for me, go for it!
On a more positive note, we get another ultrasound! Doc, isn't convinced that Isaac is head down, so we'll get to see the little monkey one more time on Wednesday. I'll let you know if anything is up (or down...) ~Andrea
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
What a day . . .
Well, I really started off on the wrong foot today, and landed right on my butt! Apparently, I was not really all the way awake today when I got out of bed because I fell down the stairs. Luckily, I was not carrying the baby at the time and I did not get seriously injured, although I am a little bruised up and sore. Then to top it off, Hadley has started going a day and a half between poops (which I understand is normal once they get to be about 8 weeks old or so). Well, around 2:30 today, she was sitting in her bouncy chair when I noticed that she had poop showing through her outfit on the front. Oh, there was soooo much poop! She literally had poop all the way up to her chest. I thought I was going to have to cut her outfit off of her because there was no way to get it off over her head without getting poop all over her arms, chest and hair. I had to take her straight from the changing table to the bathtub, AND it was my first attempt at giving her a bath solo. I made it through, but wow, what a day.
I think we now have the acid reflux somewhat under control. I have started weaning her from the breast. We are up to 4 formula bottles a day and I am only feeding her directly from the breast twice a day--the others are bottles of pumped milk. We are using the Enfamil Gentle Ease formula that Melissa recommended, and we have definitely noticed a difference. We also put some towels under the bassinet mattress to prop up the mattress (right now we have her sleeping the bassinet section of the pack n' play at the end of our bed). When we start putting her in her crib in the nursery next month, we will put pillows under the mattress to prop up the mattress. We had an incline sleep positioner that we tried originally, but it was not really inclined enough and she slid down on it too much. Since her reflux seems to go in spells, the doctor also gave us Zantac to use when/if she has a bad spell. So far we haven't had to use the medication because the formula and propping the bed have helped so much.
I decided to wean her from the breast for a number of reasons, and it was not an easy decision. I originally really wanted to breast feed for the first year and not have to use formula at all---boy was I naive to what breast feeding involved!
The first reason I decided to wean was the acid reflux. But another reason was that although she was gaining weight, and the doctor said she was getting enough, I really did not think she was satisfied. She was still wanting to feed every two hours at our 1 month appointment, which was extremely exhausting to me. The doctor suggested that since she was gaining adequate weight, I should try to spread the feedings out to 2 1/2 hours apart, even if she was fussy. Well, I expected her to be fussy the first few days and then to get used to the new feeding schedule, but she just did not get used to it. She would start fussing about 1 hour and 45 minutes from the start time of her last feeding. So, I was dealing with about 30 to 45 min. of fussing prior to every feeding. When I took her back to the doctor for the acid reflux problem at 6 weeks, I mentioned this to the doctor. Hadley was a small baby at birth (5lbs. 8 oz.) , and the doctor said that sometimes small babies just have to be fed more often to catch up. Well, since she is just now getting to be the average newborn size, that meant that I had another month at least of breast feeding every 2 hours. Hadley was also a lazy nurser, so it was taking about an hour at a time to get a full feeding in because I kept having to wake her up to eat. Also, all the books say that breast feeding does not hurt if the latch is correct. Well, I have found that to be a total myth. Sometimes, it just hurts no matter what, and that in combination with having to do it so often for so long because of Hadley's feeding needs caused me to decide to wean her.
I am a big supporter of breast feeding. I wish I could have done it for longer with Hadley, and I hope that I can breast feed for longer if I have a second child. However, it really makes me angry that it seems all the books and magazines you read make it sound like a crime to formula feed. Everything I read says "breast is best, breast is best..." to the point that I have found it difficult to switch to formula without feeling guilty. Well, I can tell you now that breast is not always best. In addition to helping the reflux, Hadley has been a much happier baby in general since we started giving her formula. I don't know if she wasn't getting enough milk from me, or if it was the content of the milk, but the formula is definitely satisfying her more. She is now going 2 1/2 to 3 hours between feedings without issue. And in between feedings, she is happy! I actually played with her for about and hour the other day and she did not cry the whole time! That was not happening very much, if at all, when I was exclusively breast feeding. She still has her fussy periods, as all babies do, but she is much happier in general. So...if you can and want to breast feed, then do it and do it for as long as possible, but if you find it necessary to switch to formula, don't feel guilty about it because sometimes it really is better.
--Amanda
I think we now have the acid reflux somewhat under control. I have started weaning her from the breast. We are up to 4 formula bottles a day and I am only feeding her directly from the breast twice a day--the others are bottles of pumped milk. We are using the Enfamil Gentle Ease formula that Melissa recommended, and we have definitely noticed a difference. We also put some towels under the bassinet mattress to prop up the mattress (right now we have her sleeping the bassinet section of the pack n' play at the end of our bed). When we start putting her in her crib in the nursery next month, we will put pillows under the mattress to prop up the mattress. We had an incline sleep positioner that we tried originally, but it was not really inclined enough and she slid down on it too much. Since her reflux seems to go in spells, the doctor also gave us Zantac to use when/if she has a bad spell. So far we haven't had to use the medication because the formula and propping the bed have helped so much.
I decided to wean her from the breast for a number of reasons, and it was not an easy decision. I originally really wanted to breast feed for the first year and not have to use formula at all---boy was I naive to what breast feeding involved!
The first reason I decided to wean was the acid reflux. But another reason was that although she was gaining weight, and the doctor said she was getting enough, I really did not think she was satisfied. She was still wanting to feed every two hours at our 1 month appointment, which was extremely exhausting to me. The doctor suggested that since she was gaining adequate weight, I should try to spread the feedings out to 2 1/2 hours apart, even if she was fussy. Well, I expected her to be fussy the first few days and then to get used to the new feeding schedule, but she just did not get used to it. She would start fussing about 1 hour and 45 minutes from the start time of her last feeding. So, I was dealing with about 30 to 45 min. of fussing prior to every feeding. When I took her back to the doctor for the acid reflux problem at 6 weeks, I mentioned this to the doctor. Hadley was a small baby at birth (5lbs. 8 oz.) , and the doctor said that sometimes small babies just have to be fed more often to catch up. Well, since she is just now getting to be the average newborn size, that meant that I had another month at least of breast feeding every 2 hours. Hadley was also a lazy nurser, so it was taking about an hour at a time to get a full feeding in because I kept having to wake her up to eat. Also, all the books say that breast feeding does not hurt if the latch is correct. Well, I have found that to be a total myth. Sometimes, it just hurts no matter what, and that in combination with having to do it so often for so long because of Hadley's feeding needs caused me to decide to wean her.
I am a big supporter of breast feeding. I wish I could have done it for longer with Hadley, and I hope that I can breast feed for longer if I have a second child. However, it really makes me angry that it seems all the books and magazines you read make it sound like a crime to formula feed. Everything I read says "breast is best, breast is best..." to the point that I have found it difficult to switch to formula without feeling guilty. Well, I can tell you now that breast is not always best. In addition to helping the reflux, Hadley has been a much happier baby in general since we started giving her formula. I don't know if she wasn't getting enough milk from me, or if it was the content of the milk, but the formula is definitely satisfying her more. She is now going 2 1/2 to 3 hours between feedings without issue. And in between feedings, she is happy! I actually played with her for about and hour the other day and she did not cry the whole time! That was not happening very much, if at all, when I was exclusively breast feeding. She still has her fussy periods, as all babies do, but she is much happier in general. So...if you can and want to breast feed, then do it and do it for as long as possible, but if you find it necessary to switch to formula, don't feel guilty about it because sometimes it really is better.
--Amanda
Amanda...
How is the acid reflux going? I know with Andrew the meds make a huge difference. I can tell if we are at grandma's all day and he misses a dosage, he gets cranky and doesn't sleep will at all. I am just curious if changing her diet was the ticket or if you opted to try the medicine.
Monday, January 25, 2010
bottles?
Now that I have gone back to teaching ballet in the evenings, Joe keeps Laine for the hours that I am gone and so (obviously) has to feed her with a bottle. Most of the time there is enough milk that I have pumped, but sometimes we add a little formula (our fridge broke and we had to dump some of the milk I had stored up... bummer). She seems to be ok with the formula, but HATES eating from a bottle. Now that she has breastfeeding down, she seems to have developed quite an opinion about it. I'm hoping that maybe changing the type of bottle we use will help... right now we just use the Medela ones that go with the pump. I know Dr. Brown bottles were mentioned before... anyone else have any suggestions? I'm hoping for something that will help her be able to regulate how much she gets and be a little bit more like what she's used to (ie. me haha).
Increase supply....
Hello ladies,
Just wanted to pass on a little tidbit I learned on Saturday. The lactation specialist and some of the moms in the class told me that eating oatmeal can help increase your milk supply. Thought that was interesting and plan on eating a bowl every day!
I'll write more soon about my continued feeding frustrations! But otherwise, we are fabulous!
Emily
Just wanted to pass on a little tidbit I learned on Saturday. The lactation specialist and some of the moms in the class told me that eating oatmeal can help increase your milk supply. Thought that was interesting and plan on eating a bowl every day!
I'll write more soon about my continued feeding frustrations! But otherwise, we are fabulous!
Emily
Friday, January 22, 2010
Things we love...
So I know I have been MIA for the past couple of months. I have been trying to get back to my life, but it is so hard when you are adjusting to a family of three. We have our good days (finally now that we are on reflux meds.) and our not so good days, but the older Andrew gets the more fun it is to hang out with my little man. Here is a list of things I cannot live without...
Dr. Brown bottles: I don't know if it was good timing, but we started using these bottles right when we switched to formula, and they really do help. Before I was an EP, and was just using my Medela bottles to store and feed him. Which leads me to the next thing, if you are going to pump, Medela's pump in style was a great breast pump. BUT very important, what ever pump (if at all) you use, invest in a breast pump bra. it isn't hard to hold those shields, but it is heaven the first time you don't have too!
We love our strollers. We have a snap and go that we have been using primarily. It isn't too bulky, it is easy to fold, and it was only around $60. We just started using our BOB, and the suspention on it is awesome. This was a little pricey at $400, but we will use this for years to come. We live in an older neighborhood downtown, and we walk a few miles everyday, so this stroller should be well worth the money.
We also love our ultimate crib sheet. It is kind of sad that we don't see the top of our sheets anymore, but with the spit up this kid was having, it was nice to not have to change our sheets everyday, and it drys up pretty well during the day, unlike just the sheets, so we change it out about once a week when we would have changed the sheets.
Vasaline, it smells fine, it is cheap, and it is easy to use for different applications. We have been using vasaline on Andrew instead of diaper rash cream since he was in the hospital. We have been really happy with the results, and haven't had any problems with diaper rash to date. Plus when his penis gets a little red from the diaper fuzzy, we put a gloop on that, and it goes back to normal usually that same day. And did I mention it was cheaper and smelled good and doesn't stain :) and you can get them in convienent tubes at walmart for like $1.50.
This is a little random, but Andrew loves his changing table. I get the most smilies and giggles out of him up there. And that is where we play with his "monsters". I didn't want to get "babies" for him since he is a little boy, so we got a few Ugly Dolls and we call them his monster. They come in all sorts of colors and they are washable. He really loves them when we make little sound effects for him. He isn't really grabbing them yet, but I heard that around this age group is when they start grabbing things in general.
My absolute favorite thing that I could not live without is his Bunddle Me, by JJ collection. It will be my new baby shower staple gift. We have the original in his car seat and it looks like a fuzzy sleeping bag. We don't have to worry about how to keep him warm in his car seat any more, and it is weather resisitant too. We just got the lite version for the spring and fall and cannot wait to try it out. Having a winter baby I was really concerned that he wouldn't be warm enough, but honestly we haven't had any problems with it, and on really cold or breezy days, I stuff a blanket in their to keep potential draft away.
And the two last things I will mention are dealing with sleepy time. We got a co sleeper thing (and no we are not a co sleeping family) and for the first couple of months I would put him to sleep in there on the sofa so I wouldn't wake him up during naps by accident trying to get him into bed. And second sleepy time thing is a heating pad. I put it on his bed and warm up his spot in addition to his positioner and blanket during his last feeding before bed time. Then I simple remove the pad, and place him in bed and he goes from a warm body to a warm bed almost seemlessly. It doesn't always work, but I would say 90% of the time he would just continue sleeping.
I hope some of these thing will help you guys out. I know it is a little late, but now that I am back to work I would be a little more consistant with these posts.
Mel
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Why is feeding not fun???
We had a hard time with Andrew the past couple of months. His spit up had always been excessive, but we thought that is what babies do, they eat and then they spit up. But when it came clear that he was uncomfortable and in pain, we went to the doctor. It was strange because for me the formula seemed to do better than breast milk, and the doctor kept on insisting that breast milk is going to be the gentlest thing for his digestive system. So the second time I went back concerning this issue he was screaming bloody murder so the doctor took me a little more seriously...
Basically we went full force to tackle the problem. Usually they would try one thing at a time and see if it worked, but it was the week of Christmas, and we just needed to get through the holidays with a little peace. So she put us on Zertec, for the reflux, probiotic (which I strongly recommend) for the gas (it helps promote the good bacteria in his belly, so it can help heal any damage from the reflux, etc.)and a milk protein free formula( Enfamil's Nutramigen® with Enflora™ LGG®) just in case this was all do to a milk protein allergy.
We noticed an improvement within a few days. After two weeks we switched to Enfamil Gentlease because we were out of formula and couldn't find that one we were getting. The only reason we felt comfortable doing this is because we found out he did not have a milk protein allergy (this was great news for many reason, but selfishly because this formula was extremely expensive, hard to find in economy containers, and it was really stinky.) Then about a week later we ran out of probiotic (which is not a prescription) and we weren't sure if we needed to continue with it or if it was a one cycle type thing. Then another week passed and Andrew was getting cranky all over again.
Since so many things had happened within a short amount of time I wasn't sure what was going on. So on his two month appointment we re-evaluated. Doctor said if we didn't notice a difference between the formulas, to stick to the Gentlease. She then said that generally we only need one cycle of the probiotics, but if I felt like it was making a difference to continue on with it. And then I found out that the Zertec was weight sensitive, so that was probably what was wrong. Sure enough they upped the dosage from .7mil twice a day to .9ml twice a day.
Now for some interesting stuff that I learned. Since we were having problems with what I thought was my breast milk, I was fine giving Andrew formula since he seemed to be doing so much better on it. I later found out that I might have what is called "lactose overload". Basically your milk comes out in two parts, the fore milk and the hind milk. Basically you need both, the hind milk is really important for the baby to get. But if you aren't emptying your breast enough or stretching out your pumping (like I ended up doing because of all the business during the holidays) your hind milk (the fatty part) becomes less and less. The fore milk is more sugarly and for some reason causes more gas and fussiness in babies. So that is probably why Andrew was so gassy.
Now this is just my opinion on what happened. He was gassy because he wasn't getting enough hind milk. That in turn made his reflux get out of hand. Then his tummy was getting irritated because of the gas, which overall leads to a miserable baby.
Now very important thing I just learned since I started daycare, which should have been a no brainer...I was making his bottles as we needed them so I wouldn't have to worry about heating up his formula. Well in daycare you have to have his bottles premade, so I was looking into getting a formula pitcher to make large quantities all at once. Well I was reading the review, and they said it helps with the gas intake. So I started to think about it. Every time I was shaking a bottle I was creating millions of bubbles, and they weren't settling out. So basically his gas problem wasn't getting better because he was taking in so much air while he was eating. I swear I need a manual!!!
mel
Basically we went full force to tackle the problem. Usually they would try one thing at a time and see if it worked, but it was the week of Christmas, and we just needed to get through the holidays with a little peace. So she put us on Zertec, for the reflux, probiotic (which I strongly recommend) for the gas (it helps promote the good bacteria in his belly, so it can help heal any damage from the reflux, etc.)and a milk protein free formula( Enfamil's Nutramigen® with Enflora™ LGG®) just in case this was all do to a milk protein allergy.
We noticed an improvement within a few days. After two weeks we switched to Enfamil Gentlease because we were out of formula and couldn't find that one we were getting. The only reason we felt comfortable doing this is because we found out he did not have a milk protein allergy (this was great news for many reason, but selfishly because this formula was extremely expensive, hard to find in economy containers, and it was really stinky.) Then about a week later we ran out of probiotic (which is not a prescription) and we weren't sure if we needed to continue with it or if it was a one cycle type thing. Then another week passed and Andrew was getting cranky all over again.
Since so many things had happened within a short amount of time I wasn't sure what was going on. So on his two month appointment we re-evaluated. Doctor said if we didn't notice a difference between the formulas, to stick to the Gentlease. She then said that generally we only need one cycle of the probiotics, but if I felt like it was making a difference to continue on with it. And then I found out that the Zertec was weight sensitive, so that was probably what was wrong. Sure enough they upped the dosage from .7mil twice a day to .9ml twice a day.
Now for some interesting stuff that I learned. Since we were having problems with what I thought was my breast milk, I was fine giving Andrew formula since he seemed to be doing so much better on it. I later found out that I might have what is called "lactose overload". Basically your milk comes out in two parts, the fore milk and the hind milk. Basically you need both, the hind milk is really important for the baby to get. But if you aren't emptying your breast enough or stretching out your pumping (like I ended up doing because of all the business during the holidays) your hind milk (the fatty part) becomes less and less. The fore milk is more sugarly and for some reason causes more gas and fussiness in babies. So that is probably why Andrew was so gassy.
Now this is just my opinion on what happened. He was gassy because he wasn't getting enough hind milk. That in turn made his reflux get out of hand. Then his tummy was getting irritated because of the gas, which overall leads to a miserable baby.
Now very important thing I just learned since I started daycare, which should have been a no brainer...I was making his bottles as we needed them so I wouldn't have to worry about heating up his formula. Well in daycare you have to have his bottles premade, so I was looking into getting a formula pitcher to make large quantities all at once. Well I was reading the review, and they said it helps with the gas intake. So I started to think about it. Every time I was shaking a bottle I was creating millions of bubbles, and they weren't settling out. So basically his gas problem wasn't getting better because he was taking in so much air while he was eating. I swear I need a manual!!!
mel
Monday, January 18, 2010
Better late than never...
Hello ladies! I so appreciate all of the advice that y'all gave me about milk. I felt better knowing that Wed to Sun/Mon to get milk was normal. Last night I got so engorged and it was soooo painful. Seriously, I wasn't ever this uncomfortable during my pregnancy! Anyway, I was very excited knowing that things were actually happening.
This morning we had our first doctor's appointment. Unfortunately though, Molly has lost too much weight to keep relying on what she might be getting when we breast feed. She has actually dropped a little over a pound, which makes me sad but he said she seems very healthy otherwise so that's good. The doctor has recommended supplementing with formula every time I breast feed to make sure she's getting some nutrition. So now our schedule is: breast feed, supplement, pump; every 2-3 hours. I've already gotten 3 oz from pumping so her next supplement will be breast milk, not formula! And the doctor actually said that you can mix formula and breast milk at a feeding.
Of course, as soon as we got home from the appointment, Molly had her best feeding ever and it was actually milk! It is nice to know that she has a full belly and she looks so content. I'm hoping that working on the feeding issue will also help her sleep more during the night. And the doctor said he is very optimistic that I will be successful breastfeeding, we just have to get through this little hump. We go back on Wed to see how much weight she has gained.
Now that we've got a plan, I feel soooo much better about it all. Now I have to work on getting myself into a good sleeping pattern. We have had so many visitors (which has been fabulous!) then when everyone leaves I just want to stare at or hold Molly. Todd goes back to school tomorrow so I think I'm definitely going to work on napping when Molly's napping so I'm not so exhausted during the day.
We are using Similac Advanced formula. Our doc highly recommends it. Let me know if you hear about any other kind!
Emily <><
This morning we had our first doctor's appointment. Unfortunately though, Molly has lost too much weight to keep relying on what she might be getting when we breast feed. She has actually dropped a little over a pound, which makes me sad but he said she seems very healthy otherwise so that's good. The doctor has recommended supplementing with formula every time I breast feed to make sure she's getting some nutrition. So now our schedule is: breast feed, supplement, pump; every 2-3 hours. I've already gotten 3 oz from pumping so her next supplement will be breast milk, not formula! And the doctor actually said that you can mix formula and breast milk at a feeding.
Of course, as soon as we got home from the appointment, Molly had her best feeding ever and it was actually milk! It is nice to know that she has a full belly and she looks so content. I'm hoping that working on the feeding issue will also help her sleep more during the night. And the doctor said he is very optimistic that I will be successful breastfeeding, we just have to get through this little hump. We go back on Wed to see how much weight she has gained.
Now that we've got a plan, I feel soooo much better about it all. Now I have to work on getting myself into a good sleeping pattern. We have had so many visitors (which has been fabulous!) then when everyone leaves I just want to stare at or hold Molly. Todd goes back to school tomorrow so I think I'm definitely going to work on napping when Molly's napping so I'm not so exhausted during the day.
We are using Similac Advanced formula. Our doc highly recommends it. Let me know if you hear about any other kind!
Emily <><
Acid Reflux
Melissa--I saw your comment to Emily's post regarding switching to formula because of acid reflux. I'm so glad to hear that someone else in our group is having this problem so I can get some advice. Hadley is actually having a severe case of it too--to the point that she is gurgling, gagging and choking all night. She sleeps through it but is obviously uncomfortable, and we are not sleeping at all because it is just so scary that we have to stay up and listen to her and burp her repeatedly. We've tried holding her upright after feedings, putting her on an incline to sleep, etc. with no luck. I'm taking her to the doctor this week to ask about putting her on formula to help. What type did you start using, and has it helped?
--Amanda
--Amanda
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Got Milk?
I'm curious; how long after you all gave birth did your milk come in? I was told that mine could arrive as early as Friday evening, but here I am at 5:40am on Sunday morning and it hasn't come in yet. Molly has been getting a little frustrated lately because she's not getting as much out of me as she wants.
I talked to the lactation specialist on the phone yesterday and she recommended that we give her an ounce of formula because she could be dehydrated (symptoms difficulty feeding and extremely dry and peeling lips). I was extremely hesitant because I plan on breastfeeding but her pediatrician had also recommended an ounce or 2 if my milk came in a little late. So, yesterday we gave her an ounce and, even though I still wish we didn't have to, it was so nice to see her so content with a fuller belly. I ended up giving her another ounce this morning around 3am because she was so fussy.
I have this fear that my milk won't come in. I'm sure it will but I have no clue when. Hopefully, I'll post back in a couple of hours with good news cause I don't want to have to use any more formula but I also don't want her to lose too much weight before her first pediatric appt tomorrow afternoon (Monday).
So, I'm curious as to how long it took for your milk to come in. And if you have any advice for a frantically rooting baby who doesn't seem to be getting a lot of nutrition from you. I'm not too concerned yet but it's nice to know there are people out there going through similar issues!
-Emily <><
p.s. she's still the most beautiful thing in the world!!!!
I talked to the lactation specialist on the phone yesterday and she recommended that we give her an ounce of formula because she could be dehydrated (symptoms difficulty feeding and extremely dry and peeling lips). I was extremely hesitant because I plan on breastfeeding but her pediatrician had also recommended an ounce or 2 if my milk came in a little late. So, yesterday we gave her an ounce and, even though I still wish we didn't have to, it was so nice to see her so content with a fuller belly. I ended up giving her another ounce this morning around 3am because she was so fussy.
I have this fear that my milk won't come in. I'm sure it will but I have no clue when. Hopefully, I'll post back in a couple of hours with good news cause I don't want to have to use any more formula but I also don't want her to lose too much weight before her first pediatric appt tomorrow afternoon (Monday).
So, I'm curious as to how long it took for your milk to come in. And if you have any advice for a frantically rooting baby who doesn't seem to be getting a lot of nutrition from you. I'm not too concerned yet but it's nice to know there are people out there going through similar issues!
-Emily <><
p.s. she's still the most beautiful thing in the world!!!!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Can we say overwhelming?!
Yes, I have been overwhelmed with both the greatest amount of pain and the greatest amount of love that I have ever experienced in my life, in a matter of seconds. Our little girl, Molly Champion Duncan, arrived yesterday, January 13th, 2010, at 5:06am after about 9 hours of labor. She was a surprising 6lbs 15oz (surprising cause everyone, including the midwife, thought she'd be at least 8 lbs and thank goodness she wasn't!). A nice 20 inches long. Head full of dark hair. And of course she's the most beautiful baby I've ever laid my eyes on! (No offense to the rest of the children on this blog!)
Molly is just a name that Todd and I like. We had unofficially decided on it before we got pregnant, and then I changed my mind after we found out we were pregnant but it was still Todd's favorite. Eventually I came around and now I couldn't imagine her being anyone but Molly! Champion was my grandfather's middle name and would have been mine if I had been born a boy. My grandfather was a wonderful man and so I wanted to honor him through Molly. Hopefully it won't cause too many tears growing up!
I won't leave too many details about labor/delivery yet, though don't worry, I'm not afraid to share! I will say that heading to the hospital Tuesday afternoon was the farthest thing from my mind that morning. At our doctors' appt, my blood pressure was elevated and I had protein in my urine. After a close examination of my placenta yesterday, our midwife, Meredith, said I actually did not have preeclampsia.....yet, but if I had gone on with another week of pregnancy, there could have been complications. So, quite unexpectedly, we went home, grabbed our bags and a bite to eat, and headed to the hospital. Our last requirement of Molly, that she wait until our midwife get back in town, had been met so it wasn't a bad thing to go a couple of days early. I wasn't sure how I felt about her being born on the 13th but Todd just says that 13 is her lucky number!
Ok, so I'm already typing more than I planned at this sitting so I'm going to give you the overview now and then return later and fill in any details that I may have left out. (It is pretty satisfying to be sitting in my hospital bed, cuddling with my new daughter and listening to her sweet breathing, with my husband just a few feet away sleeping on what I'm sure is the most comfortable sleeping surface there ever was (!) while listening to lullabies on the computer)
Ok, so we got to the hospital, they started me on pitocin which my body seemed to react pretty favorably to. About 8 hours later I was screaming that I didn't think I could make it drug-free any longer. The midwife encouraged me to make it through a few more contractions and then she would check to see how much progress had been made. Well, that check found me 10cm dilated and ready to push so the odds of getting that last minute epidural seemed to fly out the window. After about 30-45 minutes of the worst pain of my life, out popped my beautiful baby!
To answer the question everyone is asking, I am glad I went drug free because I found that I felt I needed to prove it to myself that I could do it. Having now done it, I don't necessarily feel the need ever to prove it to myself again! :-P
I can fill in any details that people may be curious about or answer any questions y'all might be having, just feel free to ask! I can't wait for you all to get to meet her! She's just perfect!!!
Emily <><
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
lessons
I wrote an entry on my personal blog that I thought was worth sharing here as well since it is all about the things I am learning from being a new mommy. Check it out here. Hope you and your little ones (or little one on the way!) are doing well and settling happily into your new life together.
baby duncan!!!
In case any of you haven't heard or seen on facebook, Emily went into the hospital last night after, at her doctor's visit, she had high blood pressure and some protein in her urine. They started the induction process sometime last evening. I'll let her share all of the stats (and her name!) but baby girl Duncan was born early this morning around 5am and mom and baby are both doing fine! 1 more down... only 1 to go!!!
-Greer
-Greer
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Personal and Private
I've never felt so much pressure to share personal information as this time in my life. What is it about having a huge belly that makes people think you owe them your life story? From whether I want to have a natural delivery, or whether I have stretch marks, people think that it is their business to know my business. I found this article today, and I'm starting to see that this is just my first year of many where my privacy may not be so private anymore. http://community.todaymoms.com/_news/2010/01/12/3745577-breast-feeding-whose-business-is-it-anyway ~ Andrea
Saturday, January 9, 2010
So close to the finish line!
Andrea and I were talking the other day about how we have such a skewed since of when babies come because all 3 of you who have had babies already, had them as much as 2 weeks early! Here I am, 6 days from my due date and wondering where my baby is!!! Hehe, just kidding! But really, I am pretty much ready for her to arrive!
Our midwife is out of town and gets back Monday night so I'd prefer for the little girl to hold off until then but really, I'm ready! Right now I'm trying to decide if I'm going to go back to work any next week. I think I'll take half days on Monday and Tuesday and then take off the rest of the week but we'll see.
I'm so ready to meet my little girl and share everything about her with all of you!!!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Stretch Marks....
Yuck! I was so happy with how few stretch marks I was getting, until last week! All of the sudden, with only 2 weeks left to go, the stretch marks seem to be making up for lost time. I was wondering if any of y'all have any advice or products that you like to use? I've been using regular Palmers Cocoa Butter but I know they have a stretch mark product. I haven't tried it yet; I wanted to check with y'all first.
Now that I'm full term, and it's 2010, and everything is in order at home, we are fully ready for our little bundle of joy to arrive. That being said, I am now jumping at every little ache and pain my body is going through. I am so anxious that I think everything might be attached to labor! I'm sure that once contractions really start, I will know, but in the mean time, I'm going to second guess every little feeling!
I'll keep you posted when things actually do start!
Emily <><
Now that I'm full term, and it's 2010, and everything is in order at home, we are fully ready for our little bundle of joy to arrive. That being said, I am now jumping at every little ache and pain my body is going through. I am so anxious that I think everything might be attached to labor! I'm sure that once contractions really start, I will know, but in the mean time, I'm going to second guess every little feeling!
I'll keep you posted when things actually do start!
Emily <><
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