Birth Story and the after belly picture.

~ The Birth Story ~

Well, I blogged most of it already, so let me put together a smaller version.

Friday, Jan 9th:
- 2:30/3pm: I had to be at hospital to get checked in and get an epidural started. Epis don't work on me (I've had 6 previous placements) so he gave me the epi, but put in a spinal block medicine with it, pretty much numbing my stomach.

- 5pm: Went to OR and the version was performed at 530pm. It was crazy. My rockstar doctor put gel on his fists to his elbows and pretty much laid on top of my belly, wedging his arms on each side of the baby. After about 45 minutes of wedging in there, he says "Okay, your baby is now cooperating." WHOA! I thought he was just getting started and he was done.

- 630pm: The first cytotek was inserted. My cervix was "think and a fingertip". I knew we wouldn't induce until morning.

- 1015pm: The second cytotek was inserted. I was now "soft and a fingertip". Hrm, that's something.

- midnight: big nasty mucus plug makes it's way out.

- 1am-3am: Regular contractions started every 3 minutes. I didn't feel a thing. Silly me thought this was real labor and the epi worked. Instead, this was pre labor, which just isn't painful, but full of heavy pressure.

- 4am: Water breaks on its own. Holy Cow! Crazy feeling #1. #2, PAIN. Immediate pain with every contraction. They tried to pump up the epi, but determined it didn't work.

- 6:30am: +1 station, 95% effaced, 6cms dilated. Pain if overwhelming, but I am NOT freaking out. Tom holds my hand and counts out the contractions on the monitor as I breathe. It's amazing how much easier contractions feel with breathing instead of crying and screaming.

- 8:30am: +2 station, fully effaced, 10cms. Yet I didn't feel the need to push and I was freaked out to do it. Pushing was always the worst for me so my nurse let me labor as long as everything we still okay with me and baby.

- 9:15am: Said I would try to push now. Doc checked and said I was overly ready. He had me do a teeny push and I moved baby.

- 9:30am: broke down table and everyone got ready. 4 pushes and Karl was born.

- 9:39am: Karl arrives. 7lbs, 8ozs, 19 1/2 inches. Apgars 8 and 9.

- Within minutes - I was whisked off to surgery where I was put under full anesthesia and intubated. I never in my life went under surgery thinking I was really going to die. This time, it's how I felt. I kissed my husband what I really thought was our last kiss. I waived goodbye to the baby I just gave birth to who wasn't even in my arms. I didn't care about the hysterectomy I may have to have. I just wanted to see my family again. The OR staff kept asking me if I had questions. I simply asked them to get me to wake back up.

11am - Back in recovery waiting for baby. Full breakdown. All my family was at the nursery watching him and I wasn't there. Tears. Tears. Tears.

11:30am - I met and fed my dear new son. I haven't been apart since.

Rest of Sat, Sun and Mon all consisted of my heart freaking out and my blood levels continuing to drop. They couldn't understand tracing and my heart rate was 150-200. After all the monitoring and whatnot, I'm given potassium, Magnesium Sulfate (yuck!) and some beta blocker. Also after an echo cardiogram ruled out even more, they think it's my lack of blood. Speaking of lack of blood, I ended up with 42% blood volume. Yeah - I was MISSING 66% of my blood. So finally a blood transfusion was given, but only 2 units, as they would risk more issues with more blood.

And that was my story. I'm home now (duh) and really tired. He said it would take 7-8 weeks to get back up to where I was, so until then, I'm going to just chill and let my blood grow. Other than that, I'm good. No episiotomy nor ripping (my ob has a stretching this he does during delivery to counter that - burns like hell, but it works) so I feel fine in that aspect. I'm just loving my life right now - trying to introduce myself with my new little man. It's tiring, more than I can ever describe, but worth it.


~ The Belly ~

Ah, the belly. When I had the first baby, I was told I'd leave the hospital at what I looked like at 6 months. Which, for reference, looked about like this:


I didn't achieve it with this pregnancy, nor with any others. It took a full week. I lots 26 lbs as of this morning! Weight was 178 at delivery and now I'm 153. 13 lbs to go to my normal good weight, another 5 to go to my skinny weight. And since I'm starting derby up again in 5 weeks, I bet I make it to skinny weight for sure.

38 weeks and then "39 weeks = 1 week post partum".


38 weeks and then "39 weeks = 1 week post partum".


That last picture on right is funny. I look like I want to be a super hero.