My Pregnancy Journal


All about my 3rd pregnancy*

Thoughts, information, pictures, etc.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Some More Pictures of Wyatt

Wyatt's Blog

The top two pictures are from December 20th, the evening after Wyatt's birth.
The picture with the 2nd baby is of his cousin, Veronica, who's 3 wks older.

The two bottom pictures are from today, December 22nd.

I will be creating another blog just for him since my girls already have one for them... well, I guess I could put them together... I'll think about it. I'll put the link in here since I'm no longer pregnant and don't need to continue posting here :)



Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Welcome to the World, Wyatt :D



Stats first:

December 20th, 2005
(39 Weeks along)
Born at 8:16 am
7 lbs 4 oz
21"
13½" head

A little after 3 am, I went to the bathroom (naturally). When I wiped, I had a 'bloody show'. This was at 3:25 am.

I went back to bed. Contractions started, but they weren't painful or anything. So, I just stayed in bed for a while.

Sometime after 4 am, I filled the bathtub with water and got in. The water felt really nice :)

I was kind of wondering if this was the 'real' thing or not.

I had brought in a clock to see if there were any regular contractions. Well, at first, like, the first few were 5 min apart. Rapidly, they became 2 to 3 min apart.

I had some herbal, homeopathy, and bach flower stuff my sil, Jessica, had given to me that she had left over from her recent birth. So, I was taking that.

Jeremy got out of bed a little after 6 am to get ready for work. I called him in and told him my contractions were every 2-3 min. He asked if I had called my sisters and I told him I hadn't. He told me that I had better call because he had to go to work.

I had already mentally prepared myself for a solo birth since Jeremy works 12 hr days, 5-7 days a week and his work is 45 mins away from home. So, the odds of him being home or even coming back home in time were kind of slim anyways.

So, I went ahead and starting calling people. The ones I was calling are all 2 hrs away. Of course, you are never sure how fast or slow your labor will go... so... I called Angele, she went ahead and called mom and Cherie. Jessica called me back (Cherie was sleeping over there) and I called Tasha because she had asked that I call if anything happens because she wanted to be here. Also called Aimee.

Sometime around now, Ursula's calling out to me from the bed. I'm telling her I'm in the tub, but she wants me so I empty the water and go to her. She wants to do her usual morning nursing.
So, I let the water out the tub and go to her. I allow her to nurse for a little while but notice that this is causing my contractions to come every minute! So, I convince her to stop because 'its hurting mommy's belly' and ask Calista to put the TV on so that they can watch PBS while I go back into the tub.
In the tub, at first the contractions slowed down to about 5 min apart but quickly went to 2 mins apart.
By now, the phone is ringing off the hook. I picked it up a couple of times and immediately told whoever was on it that I was no longer answering the phone. I let it ring. It began irritating me.
I did answer one more phone call. It came at 7:58 am and it was from Jeremy's work. I immediately said, "Come home, I don't even think you'll make it". Jeremy said, "okay, I'm on my way." It normally takes him 45 mins to get home.
My contractions are intensifying. I start vocalizing. I first started up with doing a laugh, even a fake one worked. A loud HA HA HA was working. But, as they intensified, I stopped taking phone calls and laughing wasn't working. So, I started singing notes. I noticed that certain ones worked better than others and the louder and longer I'd sing them, the better they worked.
Then, I noticed something that I figured must be the 'ring of fire'. It wasn't so bad though. So, when I noticed that, I started envisioning the baby's head descending through the 'stations'. I also thought about Jessica asking me earlier if I had felt for the head yet. So, I decided that if the baby is going through the stations, then I must be able to feel his head or close to being able to. I put my finger in and feel something really soft. I remember back to when I had crowned Ursula and felt her head and try to think if it felt like what I was feeling. It didn't.
Although I wasn't sure of what I was feeling, I decided to go ahead and bear down, to see how it felt. Well, even though the urge to push wasn't overwhelming, I did it anyways, just to see. Well, it did feel better when I did it during a contraction. So, I felt again, and whatever it was was closer. So, I went through a few more contractions without bearing down and felt again and I felt it burst! My water had just broken!
So, I put my finger in again and there it was! His head! I knew for sure what it was, no mistaking it! So, I decide to start pushing again. I know I had orginally wanted to just allow my body to push him out... but, it just felt so much better to push.
So, I kept touching his head and did a slow and steady push, the whole time coaching myself to go 'easy, easy, slow, slow'.
As I'm doing that slow push, I feel his head descend. And in no time his whole, round head was out! I feel all around it a few times. I felt his ear, it made me giggle. I didn't feel anything weird or different, like a cord, so, I figure it was time to push the body out.
Again, I did a slow, constant push and out came his body, the whole time I had my hand on his head. When I felt his body release, I put my other in the water and swoop him up.
He's immediately breathing but just looking around. After a few moments, he lets out this big cry! hehehe But quickly settles down as I have him to my chest.
Right after I put him to my chest from the water, Ursula and Calista reenter the bathroom. I ask Calista to grab a towel for me and I put it on top of him. He's not interested in nursing. He's just looking around.
The girls fawn over him. Ursula quickly goes and get the infant carseat and tells me to put him in there. I finally get through to her that I will not and so she wants to get in the water with us.
I go ahead and drain the water and clean the tub out, while holding Wyatt :D And once its all clean again (just using water... no cleaners), I refill the tub and allow Ursula in.
It was probably a good 40 minutes before Jeremy made it home. He opens the bathroom door to see us 3 in the tub. He makes Ursula get out. And tells me the ambulance just pulled up. I'm like, "wha wha what???" "Who called them?"
He didn't know. Behind Jeremy came not only the EMT's but Cherie and her family, my mom, Angele, and Tasha.
Come to find out, Tasha tells us how the EMT's got involved.
Tasha had called her mom to see if she could watch her 2 kids while she came here since I was in labor. Well, her mom calls me, apparently one of the phone calls I didn't pick up due to being in intense labor. So, she calls 911 and asks them to check on me since I was alone and in labor. 911 called the ambulance.
I think its hilarious that I had already given birth almost an hour before they arrived.
When the EMT's enter, they want me to go to the hospital. I refuse and have to sign a waiver. They want to cut the cord which is fine because its no longer pulsating. So, they clamp it off and ask if I want Jeremy to cut it. I said yes and they go get him and hand him a scapel.
The EMT's call both my doctor and the pediatrician. Of course the doc is freaked out that I won't be going in. Oh well.
The EMT's tell me they are going to stay until I birth the placenta. I'm like, okay, whatever. Meanwhile, they're taking my bloodpressure every 20 min or so.
It ends up taking me about 2 hrs before I birth the placenta! And then, it felt like I was giving birth to a whole other head! Crazy, huh? It was so not like that for my other 2 placentas!
So, the EMT's examine the placenta and all is good. They ask if we want to keep it. I told them yes and they bagged it for us. Then they left just like they said they would.
Thinking back, I never had that fear for this baby, even in transition, which is when a lot of women go through that fear but just have to get through it; esp. for homebirths. It was more like a 'matter of fact' kind of thing for me.
My sister asked if I felt empowered. I don't know. I just did what had to be done. It just felt like the natural thing to do. Something I had been wanting now for over 7 yrs.
I'm very happy with this birth :) I got to catch my own baby :)

Daddy and Wyatt

Calista and Wyatt

Ursula and Wyatt - She is just so in love with this baby!

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

39 Weeks

I got up for the bathroom, as usual, and my panties were super wet. So, I changed them and went back to bed. Again, I get up to go to the bathroom and again, my panties are wet. This time, I get a handcloth to put in my panties.

The 2nd time to the bathroom, I wipe, and there's my bloody show. 3:25 am.

I giggle to myself and go back to bed.

Now, its 4:10 am and I'm having contractions. They vary between 3 to 5 min apart and I'm feeling them in my lower back. They are easy to deal with so far. I swear, I can feel stuff happening down there, in my pubic area... either me widening or baby wiggling into position.

The panty thing... I'm not sure if that is a leak in my ambiotic fluid or more mucous. There was no gush at all if was my water breaking. I did somewhat gush initially for both Calista and Ursula.

So, right now, I'm just waiting to see if this is the real thing or what. I'm pretty sure it is. For my last 2, when I had my bloody show, the baby was born either that day or the next.

I'll post more later :D

Monday, December 19, 2005

38 Weeks 6 Days Prenatal

Jeremy got off of work early so that I could go to my prenatal visit today. Calista stayed with him and I brought Ursula.

I weighed in at 182 lbs.
Blood pressure is 128/76
My pulse was 91 bpm
Baby's heartbeat was in the 140's.
Belly measuring 35 cm.
My cervix is still only 1½ cm dilated.

Afterwards, we went to a couple of stores to buy bread, milk, and a $5 gift for Calista to open up at school tomorrow; a tiny Bratz doll. Also got a money order for an eBay auction that I won... a lot of 4 bras :D woohoo! Can't wait to get them!

I'm 39 weeks tomorrow. I had Ursula at exactly 39 weeks. I had Calista right before I turned 40 weeks, like almost 2 hrs before her 'due' date. If the baby holds out a little longer, I'll have another Capricorn baby :D

Ursula's birthday is Thursday. Thursday is also Calista's first vacation day.

Since the doc's office will be closed next Monday, my next appointment will be this Friday.

Oh, another thing, the baby isn't moving quite as much as last week. Doc said its because he's running out of room :D

Friday, December 16, 2005

38 Weeks 3 Days

Update:
Yesterday, I started finding a little mucous whenever I wipe myself... so... got some progression going on :D woohoo!

Tuesday, I'll be exactly 39 wks... I was 39 wks when I had Ursula... so, this may be my last weekend before the baby is born!

The baby's being quite active today.

Tomorrow, Jeremy and I are going X-mas shopping. We're bringing Calista to J's parents' to sleep and maybe even drop Ursula off in the morning... depending on how clingy she's acting.

I just know what I have to look forward to tomorrow, a day of contractions... just like last weekend because of all the walking I did then and will be doing today.

I took that picture of with my pants on my belly just because it makes me laugh at how big my belly looks when I do that, how far extended it is! hehehe Like, when you first get pregnancy clothes, you stretch them out to see how far they go to (well, I do!) and you just never figure your belly will be that big! hehehe I think its kind of neat though.

I cropped my head out because I had just taken a bath and my hair was wet.... lol

Monday, December 12, 2005

37 Weeks 6 Days - Prenatal

My mom drove up and brought me to my appointment. She'll stay at least until tomorrow night because of Calista's Christmas Program.

My blood pressure is 136/60.
Gained 2 lbs... Up to 181 lbs (my heaviest ever now).
I'm measuring 35 cm.
I'm about 1½ cm. dilated and starting to efface. He didn't give me a percentage.
Baby's heartbeat was in the 140's.

I gave him my birthplan and he put it with my records. Said most of that shouldn't be a problem and if he feels he needs to do something, he'll talk to me about it. I said that was fine. Of course, my intention is to go ahead and give birth at home anyways. But, I like having a back-up plan prepared.

He said that he expects me to go another 2 weeks... one more week for sure, but he still expects me to go around my due date time, which is what I was figuring anyways.

He also said that what happened with the contractions was totally normal from me being on my feet all day this past Saturday. I told him how I timed them for an hour last night and most were 5 min. and how at one point, it felt like something was opening and he said that might be me feeling my pelvis opening. I was like, yeah, that was probably it!

Contractions

This past Sat., we went to 2 different bday parties... so, there was a lot of walking and standing for me; well, more than normal. Walking after Ursula and all. Well, I had lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions... they seem to last so long. I drove home from Jason and Tori's and I swear, the whole time driving (like 30 min), my belly was hard.

Then, yesterday, I was sorting through all the baby clothes that Tasha and Tori had given me, and I kept getting those BH's. It was so uncomfortable. And then, to make things 'worse', I also had been having diahrea since Sat. night.

So, I look up some info, and yeah, diahrea is one of the signs of labor. I started getting upset... because I was so not prepared to have a baby THIS soon... I'm not one of those moms who sees week 37 and is ready to have the baby. I was thinking I'd be at least 39 wks. I mean, I am okay with whenever this baby is ready to make his entrance, but I was just not thinking it would be this early... well, this was all in my head. Even shed a few tears.

I wasn't timing anything, prolly 'cause I didn't want to know... lol

Plus, I was hoping this was happening because of all the walking and standing I did all day long Sat. That my body just needed to rest.

So, I cleaned out my clothes... need to make room for baby's clothes. I got out 5 trash bags of clothes. As I'm doing this, I'm thinking, 'great, another labor or impending labor sign, nesting'.

In the middle of the night, I get up to pee, as usual. So, I think, let me see how these contractions are actually feeling and what is the time spanse between them.

I timed them from like 12:45 to 1:30am. One of the last ones I sat through (I had my knees bent outward with the soles of my feet touching). it felt as though the baby was either getting his head engaged or my cervix was opening a little more. They were mostly 5 min apart with some being a little closer. And, yes, it felt like waves. There were no other real pains... well, sometimes, there was some sensations in my cervix area. All it felt was the hardening of my belly. And a few times, between the contractions, the baby was like swimming or doing something... it was startling whenever I'd feel such big movements. So, I figure that I'll just go to sleep and see what happens. In the meantime, I'm trying to prepare myself for, perhaps a birth soon.

Well, I slept pretty fine the rest of the night. And although I'm still getting the contractions, they aren't spaced as closely. So, I feel a little relieved.

My mom is on her way to sleep over at my house for Calista's Christmas program tomorrow night. She's coming today to bring me to my prenatal appointment so that Jeremy could work a full day. I'm betting that the doc will tell me that I'm like 3 or 4 cm dilated. That's what I think, anyways. I'll be 38 wks tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

37 Weeks' Belly



Once again, Ursula's in my picture :) What would my belly shots be without her in at least one of them, huh? hehehe

Monday, December 05, 2005

37 Weeks - (well, actually, 36wk6days)

I gained one pound from last week.

The GBS test came back negative (of course) and my hemoglobin is fine as well :D yay!

They took my blood pressure twice (digital read-out) because the first time it read that my bp was 140/73, heartbeat was 94bpm. Of course, I was talking while it was on my arm, so maybe that made a difference. The second time, like a few minutes later, my bp read 126/70, my heartbeat was 90bpm.

I'm measuring 34cm still.
Dilated one cm. No effacement.

The doc will be checking my cervix at every appointment until the baby is born. I don't remember them doing that for my other 2 pregnancies.

Baby's heartbeat was in the 130's. Doc said its prolly cause he's sleeping.

I feeling a little excited... but, kind of meloncholy as I will sooo miss having a baby in my belly! I know, I'm a weirdo. But, its just so neat :D

I started feeling more excited after my sil, Jessica, had her baby and I was holding that little sweet thing :D I really am anticipating holding my little one.

I go back next Monday. I made my appointment later so that Jeremy could go to work in the morning and get off early to bring me... at least he won't miss a full day of work like he did today. Of course, the appointment is also late enough that Calista will be home from school.
 

*Not counting the time I believe I miscarried, the day before Thanksgiving 2003