Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Jas12]

Lysser--congrats on the easy arrival of Calvin. Love the name choice!

Meresal--congrats to you and your sister. Such a nice story. Lately i''ve been really stuck on the idea of things happening for a reason and therefore I think you and your sis were meant to be pregnant together, at this time. Sending tons of sticky dust to you both. Think of the fun you''ll have baby-shopping together

 

[vespergirl]

Meresal, what a great story! Best wishes to both you & your sister!

 

[lili]

Meresal--
What a great story.
Lots of sticky dust to you and your sister!

 

[Sapphire_Cutie]

Date: 9/8/2009 10:41:16 AM
Author: taovandel
I''m wondering if Sapphire had Logan? Anyone hear from her?


Had a Dr''s appointment today. I technically passed my glucola test. He said that one of the blood draws was slightly elevated (The first one, just like the 1 hour test) so they want me to talk to a nutritionist but he said it was nothing to worry about.

Got information on a pediatrician and about pre-registering at the hospital.

Also, I will be getting the flu shot at my next visit.

Tao: Hello! Thanks for thinkin of me!...Im still hangin in there...OR shall i say HE''S still hangin in there

Im HOPING to go into labor tonight and have him ON his due date tomorrow (such a cool sounding date lol) but odds are prolly NOT good lol. Went to the Dr and just got back, got a script for cream for my belly. got a big blotchy itchy spot that wont stop itchin for days now ugh. Anyway...my regular dr appt is on Fri. They will check me then and if my cervix is favorable enough they will set up and induction date for me. They were gunna fo it at 41 wks which is the 16th, BUT...DH has to travel for buisness the 15-18th and altho its not TOO far away...Id rather not take the chance of not getting in touch with him in time and him miss something. So as long as my cervix is favorable enough they will set up a date after Fri (IF he doesn''t come on his own before then)... SOOOO thats where I stand atm lol. I hope everyone is doing good!

 

[AmberWaves]

I just got a call from my doctor: I passed the 1 hour glucose test I took on Friday! My levels were at 124, so woohoo!

On the bad side: MASSIVE sciatica pain. It''s getting so I can barely walk, and don''t even ask about how I try to sit to pee. Anyone have relief?

On our 28 week u/s last week we found out the baby is weighing three pounds and measuring a week ahead. Not so bad. I''ve gained 6.5 pounds thus far.She''s definitely moved up higher and is moving a ton. I can definitely feel her butt when she sticks it out.

Ugh, the back pain.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Meresal, how great for your sister! Best wishes to her for a smooth pregnancy! My sister and I are pregnant together too -- we're 3.5 weeks apart. We're both having girls, and DH took a picture of us and put it upon FB with the caption, "Four lovely ladies." I thought that was so cute (and a little mind-boggling to think about it that way)!

Sapphire, that would be a cool birthdate to have him tomorrow. I just hope it's quick and easy whenever it happens!

Amber, so sorry to hear about the sciatica!

Today was the first day of school, and I'm pooped. My feet hurt even though I wore flat sandals and sat a lot. During my first class, I got overheated and had to pull the fan out. I feel like the next 6 weeks are going to be a repeat of the first trimester where I came home and just collapsed on the couch every night. I'm going to bring a pair of Crocs to school so I can wear those most of the time and just wear the shoes I wore into school if I feel like I need to look nicer. My feet aren't swollen (yet . . . ???) but they sure do hurt. I guess this is what happens when you increase your weight by one third: your feet protest!

 

[Kaleigh]

Amber.
So sorry about the back pain. What does your Doc say??

Meresal,
What a wonderful story. I am so happy for your sister!! That''s awesome you teo will be pregnant together!!! Prayers sent her way for a smooth pregnancy. For you too!!!

 

[princesss]

de-lurking to say:

Mere - that''s so fantastic! LOTS of sticky dust and prayers headed towards your sister. It would be so fantastic for your kids to have cousins so close in age, and such fun for both of you to go through all of this for the first time together.

 

[AmberWaves]

Kaleigh, my doctor said it''s normal, but if I am too uncomfortable she''ll refer me to a physical therapist. I think I''m going to have to take her up on that, it''s just horrible.

 

[sunkist]

Amber aww man, sorry the sciatica got you!! I hope you can find something to get relief. Are you having fun watching PJ move all around!? Isn''t all this movement getting crazy? I love it. Today at work I think my little guy stuck his heel out or something cause it stuck out sooo far, it was just like a goose egg! I was talking to someone when he did this and I totally paused and was touching my stomach all over saying, what is that!? hehe. I wish I could see in and really see what he''s doing, because I swear he''s doing sommersaults and jumping jacks Oh, and hoorayy for passing the glucose test!!! I''m taking mine next week. I hope I pass too!!!


Meresal congratulations to your sister and tons of sticky dust to her!

So I just saw my friends Phil and Ted stroller tonight! Looks really cool. I''m thinking about just getting one of those from the beginning even when I just have one so I don''t have to buy a whole new stroller when it''s time for kid#2.

Oh! and I have to do my baby registry soon. Is it best to go into the store to do a baby registry or can you just do it online?? What do you think..?

 

[vespergirl]

I finally changed doctors yesterday, and what a difference! I had a wonderful doctor deliver my first baby 3 years ago, but we have moved and it would be too far to travel to continue with that practice. So I had been going to a practice in my current town that I had heard decent things about, but it was not for me. The staff and nurses were terrible - they would never call back with test results, you could never get a timely appointment, and the doctors were always rushed. One time I sat in the waiting room for half an hour after my appointment time, and when I went to check if I would be going in soon, the flake at the front desk said that she forgot that I was waiting there & never told the doctor that I had come in! Plus, they only deliver at a local hospital that I would prefer not to deliver at.

I finally got a recommendation for an OB/GYN group that was recommended by a few good friends, and they deliver at one of the top maternity/neonatal hospitals in the country (about a 20 minute drive from where I live). I went in for my 8 week appointment yesterday, and the doctor was great! So was the staff & the nurse. I am SO HAPPY that I can finally trust my doctors again. Now going to the doctor isn''t going to be an unpleasant part of my pregnancy. A good provider makes SUCH a difference.

 

[Mandarine]

That is great news Meresal!!! Congrats to you both!!!

Tao that''s great about the GD!

Cara Thanks!!. If we have a scheduled c-section, we would plan it for week 38-39. Next week we have an ultrasound so we can see if they have turned (I don''t think they have)....so if they haven''t then we''ll start talking about dates, etc... since most likely they will stay in that position...

Anchor Yay on not throwing up!!!!! I hope you''ve turned the corner!!!

Ginger Congrats on seeing the little one! It''s just always so exciting!!

Vesper Having a Dr you like makes such a big difference!!!.

***

As for me, I''m well...not really sleeping much but getting used to it!.

The nursery is *almost* done....hopefully we can finish it this weekend (with the exception of a couple of paintings I''m ordering after the boys are born). Then I''ll come back with some pics!

Tomorrow I go to my first NST!. I''m so excited. Starting tomorrow I''ll be going twice a week, but I''m excited about tomorrow because I want to know if I''m having any contractions!. I know that sounds weird, but I just can''t feel anything and sometimes when I feel something I''m never sure if it''s the babies or a BH contraction or what!.

My feet are starting to get really swollen...actually, more like my entire legs. I still have ankles (hehe)...but if I stay sitting for too long my feet starting turning purple!...it''s very creepy.

You know what else is creepy? that I gained 5 lbs in 2 weeks. How the heck does that happen?. I keep thinking I most be retaining fluids because it''s not like I all of the sudden started eating more. So that puts me at 39 lbs

The Drs are happy with that since they wanted me to gain between 40-50lbs...but it''s still hard to see that number on the scale...very hard!. Specially if I start gaining 5 lbs every 2 weeks from now on!!!!!!!. I hope that''s not the case as I may still have like 6 weeks to go. That would be like 15 more lbs!

. Maybe it was just fluids, right?...*sigh*.

Ok, done venting about the weight....

This week has flown by, which makes me happy! I''ve been looking forward to the 32-week mark! Now I start counting down to the 36-week mark!!. I like having small goals...at 36 weeks the boys would most likely not require any NICU time...so that''s definitely a nice goal to look forward to!.

Hope everyone is doing great!!! Happy hump day! (Triple 9 today!)

 

[janinegirly]

mandarine: i''m getting so excited for you! can''t wait to see the nursery shots! don''t sweat the weight gain even though it''s hard....I''m sure it''s from fluid retention. I also had swollen up feet (which became cankles!), so thank god it was summer so I could wear flip flops 24/7. My fingers also swelled up. I remember my dr. commenting on my feet too ("whoa" or something like that). And I think it''s the reason why I kept gaining weight through week 36-40 (when you''re supposed to slow down!). At 38 wks I stopped checking the scale b/c it was getting ridiculous--I mean I was surpassing DH''s weight!! So have a laugh and don''t worry (but of course mention to your dr. too if you''d like). It''ll come off fast after delivery since it''s mostly water and babies anyway!

 

[Mandarine]

Thanks Janine!!
I don''t know...(and don''t want to know) if I have passed DH''s weight! haha...it''s just crazy how the lbs just creep on. I''ve been fairly healthy throughout (with the occassional splurge) so I really hpe that will make it easier to lose the weight later!
I plan on BF (hopefully) and I''ve heard that sometimes helps but sometimes it also makes you hold on to those last 10-15 lbs. I guess we will see!

 

[Jas12]

Mandarine--39 lbs is nothing, girl. No worries there. I was up over 40 lbs by delivery (with just ONE) and that was despite generally healthy eating and working out 5-6 days a week. Your body really, truly just does its thing. BF will definitely help you loose it. Some women hold onto the ''padding'' when nursing, but just as commonly women loose it all. NST are interesting (i went for one every second day from week 40-42) and they are reassuring. But don''t worry, you''ll have *no* doubt in your mind when you feel labor contractions coming on.You won''t need any machine to tell you that!

 

[NovemberBride]

Mandarine,

Don''t worry about the weight gain, I am up 30 lbs at 30 weeks with 1 and my doctor thinks it is totally normal. If I recall correctly, you were pretty small to begin with. It seems that all of my friends who were thin to begin with have gained more than the 25-30 lbs they recommend, and they have all lost it quickly. Perhaps those who start out smaller just need the extra fat stores.

I just got news yesterday that another of my best friends is 12 weeks pregnant (in addition to the one that just announced she''s expecting twins). That means that out of a group of 8 of us that have been best friends since high school, 5 of us will have babies within a year of each other (the other 3 are single, so probably not going to be having babies anytime soon). I am so excited to be going through pregnancy with my close friends and even more excited that our kids will be close in age. It does make me a little sad because they all still live in my hometown, and I moved away when I graduated from law school and although we live close enough to visit often, I miss being able to get together with them all the time. DH and I have talked about moving back to my hometown since my parents are still there as well and we don''t have any family where we live now. Unfortunately, given the housing and job markets we probably wouldn''t be able to do so for a couple of years.

 

[anchor31]

Meresal - Congrats to you and your sister!

Sapphire - Sending you labour vibes, honey!

Amber - Yay on the good glucose test! I''m sorry about the sciatica and back pain. What helps me is a little yoga stretching every day, and I''ve been seeing a physiotherapist/osteotherapist. 6.5 pounds at 28 weeks, huh? I was at 12 pounds at 21 weeks... and it is all belly. I''m definitely getting huge! 3lbs is great for the baby at 28 weeks!

Mandarine - You''re definitely not the only only gaining quickly, but since you too are just all belly, I wouldn''t worry! I think the 36-weeks mark is a great objective for twins!

As for me, 24 weeks today! Things are looking up in the indigestion department, so that''s good. I''m having some sciatica/back discomfort, but the stretching and physical therapy keeps it under control. We started on the nursery this long weekend, it''s exciting! My parents are giving us an old crib they kept and the dresser from my old bedroom, so that helps.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 9/9/2009 9:43:00 AM
Author: Mandarine
Thanks Janine!!
I don''t know...(and don''t want to know) if I have passed DH''s weight! haha...it''s just crazy how the lbs just creep on. I''ve been fairly healthy throughout (with the occassional splurge) so I really hpe that will make it easier to lose the weight later!
I plan on BF (hopefully) and I''ve heard that sometimes helps but sometimes it also makes you hold on to those last 10-15 lbs. I guess we will see!

I passed DH... I gained almost 60lbs by the time I gave birth. Lost 35 in 2 weeks (lots of water) and now I have only about 5-8 to go! BFing helps and hinders. From my experience and what I read it is the *second* six months that really help take weight off. That;s when baby really starts chowing down.

 

[Mandarine]

oh nooo

PS just ate my long post responding to each of you

I''ll try again later...but thank you all for your replies!

 

[Mara]

hello lovely ladies! we''re back from our trip which was way too long for me, i must be in nesting phase, but i was ecstatic to be back home with portia. we saw so many cute westies in spain and portugal it just made us more homesick every time. i am glad we went though, it was surely an experience we''ll have forever, our little boy is now a ''world traveler''.

we did a ton of walking...even though i am slower and not as motivated as i used to be on things like hiking and all that. we saw 6 cities in 11 days and man was i exhausted when we got home. i took naps during the day and Greg would want to go out at like midnight to hang out (spain nightlife doesn''t get started til midnight!) and i was saying no way, drop me back at the hotel please! the foods were interesting, unfort i couldn''t eat a lot of the cheeses and meats, i did sample the sangria because in spain its SO much better than here.

thankfully the walking kept most of the weight gain off (i had chocolate croissants every day!)...so i only gained 2 lbs while gone. we also could feel the little guy kicking like CRAZY during 2 flamenco performances so now Greg is convinced he is going to be some world class flamenco rockstar. hahhaa...that could be fun.

my latest update is that my boobs are itching like mad...i hate them and want to tear them off, not to mention i think they grew some more. it''s so unfair that these things get so big so soon, hello body we don''t need them just yet!!! but other than that i feel pretty good. we have our next appt on friday and i am so excited to either see the nugget or hear the heartbeat, either way, just to know that things are still ok in there after our trip. the kicking/feeling is still fairly intermittent so i love the validation.

oh and we got our amnio results back during the trip... it was tough to try to connect with the time diff, but they said everything looked great, right # of chromos and all that, and he''s definitely a boy. it was great to have the news.

ginger...you sneaky! you are due around the same time as me and steph. big congrats!
mandarine...i don''t know about what is normal for twins re: weight gain but girl you look fabulous, don''t worry about it. i think you were pretty tiny before right... i tend to agree with whoever said that it seems smaller people in the beginning seem to put more on, i think your body knows what to do!
sapphire, sending you healthy birth vibes... so soon!
lysser, big congrats on the adorablre new arrival!!

i am sure i missed a lot of people, but i am too lazy to scan back all the pages. hope everyone is doing well.

 

[sunkist]

Mara, glad your Spain trip went well! Mmmm chocolate croissants, loved those!

 

[Sapphire_Cutie]

Thanks for all the Labor vibes and well wishes ladies! OK...so I have a question for you guys... I have had fairly steady contractions for like an hr and a half now atleast that Ive been timing..EXAMPLE: Just in the last hr my contractions have been at 2:27pm, 2:38, 2:48, 2:54, 3:00, 3:09, 3:16 and 3:22pm. They are NOT by any means painful, just uncomfortable. But Im not sure if I should go and get checked or if I should just wait til they get painful. THOUGHTS and OPINIONS? thanks

 

[taovandel]

Found this on my other baby board I''m a member of---Recall for listeria on the following:

http://www.ajc.com/business/listeria-discovery-prompts-eggo-129495.html

The recalled products are Eggo Cinnamon Toast waffles sold in packages of 10 with the UPC code 3800040440 and labeled with “Best If Used Before” dates beginning with: NOV22 10 EA, NOV23 10 EA and NOV24 10 EA. Also being recalled are Eggo Toaster Swirlz Cinnamon Roll Minis sold in packages of eight, with the UPC code 3800023370 and “Best If Used Before” dates beginning with NOV15 10 EA



Sapphire: I would wait a little bit longer--like 4 minutes apart or when it got more painful. But that''s just me, I want to labor as much as possible at home before having to be tied down to a bed at a hospital.

 

[so cal girl]

Date: 9/9/2009 3:31:13 PM
Author: Sapphire_Cutie
Thanks for all the Labor vibes and well wishes ladies! OK...so I have a question for you guys... I have had fairly steady contractions for like an hr and a half now atleast that Ive been timing..EXAMPLE: Just in the last hr my contractions have been at 2:27pm, 2:38, 2:48, 2:54, 3:00, 3:09, 3:16 and 3:22pm. They are NOT by any means painful, just uncomfortable. But Im not sure if I should go and get checked or if I should just wait til they get painful. THOUGHTS and OPINIONS? thanks

Sapphire - I think my doctor told me to wait to go into the hospital until the contractions were 5 minutes apart, lasted at least one minute, and occured at this rate for at least one hour. It sounds like you are close to that. I would at least call your doctor and ask his/her opinion. Sounds like you are almost there to me. Good luck!

 

[Pandora II]

Sapphire... sounds like Logan is on his way! I would at least call so that they know what is going on. A good tool is THIS for timing your ctx and the gaps between. You may never get the perfect 5/1/1 thing but you will know when things are getting so you don''t want to be at home anymore. Good luck!

Mandarine - I think if you start getting odema then you put on a lot more than people who don''t... I had no ankles or knees by the end and put on over 70lbs

, DH thought it was hilarious when I got heavier than him! The hospital weren''t at all worried and I lost all the weight by 10 weeks post-partum. At one point I lost 40lbs or so in a WEEK!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Sapphire, my birthing class instructor told us the same thing . . . 5 minutes apart, one minute long, for one hour before you go to the hospital.

Mara, welcome back! A little flamenco dancer would be so much fun!

Mandarine, maybe your pesky DH should weigh more so you don't have to worry about surpassing him!

I know what you mean, though. I was up 37 pounds at my 32 week appointment. I haven't been eating as well as I normally do but I have been exercising consistently; I just have to believe that this is where my body wants to be.


OK, so today was much better on my feet because I wore my Crocs. I didn't bother wearing nicer shoes into the building because they hurt to put on. At least I'm wearing my white "Mary Jane" crocs, not my turquoise gardening ones! So I think these are less noticeable to the casual observer. I also sat down more and brought in a stool to prop up my feet. I like to circulate the room to help my students and for classroom management, but at least "have pity on the pregnant lady" is just as effective for classroom management, maybe more so.

I'm also going to start wearing a backpack since one hip and the opposite knee hurt. I figure it's from carrying my work bag on one side. So I will be really stylin' from now on!

I have a student from last year again, and she said, "Whoa, you got huge! You were barely showing last year! You're huge now!" today. I was like, could you say "huge" one more time because that's just what we pregnant ladies like to hear . . . I could tell she actually meant it in a friendly way, but still.

Tomorrow is my 34 week appointment. I'm expecting more weight gain this time due to slowing down with my cold and the return to work. I've been rounding up to 40 pounds in my head for a while now, so I won't be too shocked unless it's a whole lot more than that.

I'm going to ask about the flu shot tomorrow. As a school teacher, I definitely want one, but I'll have to see what they recommend with the swine flu shot. I'm not sure if being really close to your due date is any kind of concern, and it won't come out until next month.

I'm a little worried Baby Girl is more sideways than she was last week, when she seemed mostly head down, just a little on a slant.

 

[Mandarine]

Ok...I''m going to try again!

Jas12, Thank you!!! It''s really good you were able to exercise that long!. I stayed pretty active in my 1st trimester and slowed down to yoga and walking only during my second. Now, since about 28 weeks I have slowed down even more and barely even go for walks...my belly is just so heavy!!...and my legs are swollen. I have heard of women being told they had contractions during the NST and they ahd no clue, so I''m just curious...but I''m pretty sure I''ll know when it''s "time" for the real thing!

Meresal COngrats!!! How awesome to be pregnant with you sister! I was secretly hoping my sister would get pregnant, but she''s done with babies (has two boys) so she probably wouldn''t be too happy if she knew that''s what I was hoping for!

Nov Thanks!!! With twins they wanted me in the 40-50 lbs range...so I''m still within reasonable amounts...it''s just hard because I geuss my head doesn''t process that most of this weight will most likely melt off without much effort! I keep thinking it''s going to be a LONG road before I start feeling somewhat close to where I was. That''s great about your friends being pregannt too! I have a few pregnant friends, btu they all live pretty far away...bummer!

Anchor Yay for feeling better!!! I hope you''ve turned the corner!!!

DD that''s awesome you only have 5-8 lbs left!!! I realzie these are probably the hardest...but those are the lbs that nobody but you notices anyway

Mara welcome back and congrats on the good news from the test!!!!!!!!. That sounds like an awesome trip!!!.

SaphireNo advice, but GO GIRL!!!! You''re so close to meeting the little one!!! How exciting! Maybe the ladies over at the newborn thread can help you better!

Pandora Ohhh I so hope that''s me!!!!...I just really have this fear that I will come back from the hospital and a wekk later I will weigh the exact same as before delivering. I know that''s an irrational fear, but I never did say I was sane

Phoenix hehe...DH is a health freak and my pregnancy has made him even more freaky about it...can you believe it??....no no chance of him weighing more...but I can always start messing around with his scale just to get in his head

. I am glad the crocs helped! I have no idea how you do it...my feet are just not holding me up too long anymore......they get so swollen and look like purple sausages!...so much for getting a pedi to have "nice" looking feet...hehe

 

[fieryred33143]

Sapphire-my honest opinion: put in a call to the OB and stay home where its more comfortable and you can rest. Laboring in the hospital is the absolute worst. And now that the contractions aren''t strong, get some sleep

 

[drk]

Sapphire - sounds like early labour to me. Personally I''d rather stick things out at home as long as possible, unless I had any concerns like fever, or baby not moving as much. Good luck!

Mara - sounds like a great trip! I''m also feeling pretty deprived of good cheese and cold cuts. I can''t imagine being in Spain and not eating Manchego cheese and Serrano ham. Makes my mouth water just thinking of it! Glad to hear the amnio turned out well and that baby''s still kicking away in there.

Mandarine - You honestly still look so tiny. Some of that weight will come off fast. Your body has bumped up the blood volume a lot to deal with pregnancy and twins, plus the babies, plus amniotic fluid etc. You were so small to start with, it just sounds like you''re body''s automatically gaining what is going to get you some healthy boys.

I''m kind of wondering about my lack of weight gain. Started off at 62.5kg, and I think I''m still around 63-63.5kg at nearly 15 weeks. My BMI is only about 18.8 to start with, so bottom end of normal. (For the non-kg folk, 1 kg = 2.2 lb) I haven''t really had morning sickness, and feel like I''ve been eating more than usual. Inhaled half a big bag of doritos on the way home from work alone today (bad bad me, I know). I guess I''ll just try to not worry about it and see if I can get some more (healthy) calories in. I''d better start ticking off my prenatal eating guide whiteboard thing again to see how I''m doing.

We''ve also picked a realtor and are going to start house-hunting soon. I''d love to be in a house by Christmas so we can settle in and get any necessary renos done before the kid arrives. Thank God things still seem to be going well - my younger brother just had #3 today (first girl), and I''d have been mighty envious had I not had this hope of our own baby finally growing within. I checked things on the doppler yesterday at work (since I was on L&D doing the odd epidural anyhow ), and after 45 seconds of terror at not finding it where it was 2 weeks ago, finally located the heartbeat again. What a relief - I''d had a bad outcome dream the night before that freaked me out a little. We took the first belly photo too. I think I can still get things pretty flat when really sucking my gut in, but DH says it''s starting to look more obvious. I''ll probably tell work next week, or wait till the department chief gets back from vacation in 2-3 weeks time. I think I can hide it till then at least (scrubs can disguise a lot of body flaws).

Meresal - congrats to your sister - how great for her to finally get pg after all of that! And I''m so glad that she''ll be able to totally enjoy your pregnancy too, without feeling envious.

Time for bed!
Kate

 

[littlelysser]

Hi ladies. Hope all is well!

Sapphire - Good luck - hope your little one comes soon!

Welcome back Mara

Congrats on the GD test Amber!

Alright, so I have a few minutes here, we are waiting for Calvin to eat again so we can try to get a bit of sleep tonight. So here''s the story of how Mister Calvin James came into our lives!

My water broke at 12:20 on Thursday night. I had been sitting on my exercise ball, went to the bathroom to pee and felt a Whooooosh when I say down. Wasn''t sure it was my water, but a few minutes later it became pretty clear what had happened. I called my OB, they said to come in. So I took a shower and headed to the E.R. I was having some pretty mild contractions.

When we got to the hospital, which is 3 minutes from our house, there was another huge WHOOSH and more water came flooding out. I mean a MONSOON. So we go in and register and it happened again! It was nuts. I was sitting on a towel to register, but apparently, my water knew no bounds! I was 3 cms dilated and -2 station.

So we go through triage, get into the labor and delivery room. I was uncomfortable, but the contractions weren''t awful. Although I would have liked to have walked around, the OB was concerned that given how dilated I was, but how high he was, there was a chance of cord prolapse so I had to stay in bed. Around 4, the contractions got pretty bad, so I got the epidural. The doc missed on the first try, so I they had to try again. That was not fun. But it wasn''t horrid either.

So,I labored away. Around 6, they checked me and I was 4.5 cms, 0 station. But because my water had broken, they wanted to get things going, so I got pitocin. At some point, I could feel the contractions, even with the epi. They checked again 2 hours later and I was 8 cms and +1. At some point, the contractions went from pain to PRESSURE. CRAZY PRESSURE. They went and got the doc, and I was 10 cms dilated and +3 station. I was laboring down, essentially, breathing through the contractions instead of pushing. It got harder and harder to do though. I told them I needed to push and I started pushing. The doc had briefly left the room.

I pushed through the first contraction, and his head started to come out. Nurses slightly freaked out because Calvin''s heart rate went down. They had me turn on my side and got some oxygen. His heart rate came right back up and was good for the rest of the delivery. The doc came in and said lets get this baby out.

Long story short, I pushed through four more contractions, maybe 12 or 14 times, and out he came. I know that most people don''t describe delivery as easy, but I got really lucky. And this may sound weird...but the pushing felt like such a relief. The urge to push was just overwhelming. I''ve never felt anything like it. Anyway, I ended up needing two stitches. I was pretty worried about tearing since he came so fast, but for whatever reason, I didn''t really tear either. The doc later said she thought his heart rate dropped because that first push sent him right into the birth canal.

I was diagnosed with a super mild case of pre-eclampsia that presented AFTER labor and delivery were completed, which totally sucked and require that I stay in the hospital another day and get treated, which also stunk, but we are home and are doing well. Breast feeding is going well...my milk just came in, and holy **** star boobs batman! But oh are they sore!

Alright, going to get feed Calvin and hit the hay. Here is another pic of my little doodle bug: