Dash is the 3rd baby I have been lucky enough to nurse.
4th, if you count the two times I nursed my nephew.
With my older daughters, my milk supply always seemed to be barely enough. While working, I had to get up in the middle of the night to pump, even though she was sleeping through the night by 8 weeks. If I didn't, she would not have had enough milk for daycare the next day.
I was always stressed about it and I know that didn't help.
With Dash, my milk supply is so much better! I believe some of that is due to having her ties fixed early on but the rest is that I've been more proactive about drinking teas that claim to increase milk production.
Something is working and I am grateful for that!
So what does a woman with extra milk do?
It depends on the woman. Some stock pile it in the freezer for use after returning to work while other want it "just in case".
A few go to human milk banks and complete all their required bloodwork to donate their milk. Many diseases (including hepatits B & C) can pass though breastmilk so the milk banks screen carefully the mothers then pasteurize the milk they receive.
Others seeking to share their milk have created networks on social media to offer or request human milk.
It is well known that breastmilk is best for babies. I could include an almost limitless number of studies that prove this but will simply state my three favorite reasons: gut microbiome, immune system, and cost.
Human milk is free.
The World Health Organization also lists baby feeding preferences as mother's milk first, then donor milk, and formula as the last option.
It should not be the first thing when breastfeeding fails, but it is what doctors in the US push if there is the slightest problem.
I know this first hand because each of my girls' pediatricians has told us the supplement with formula when they started developing jaundice.
Because milk banks only offer milk to very sick babies and NICU babies, I chose to join a social media group and watch for someone local who could use my milk.
Within a couple days, a mother in my town requested milk for her baby. I responded with my general location, a list of the supplements I take, and my personal dietary guidelines. Two days later her husband came and picked up 33 ounces of my frozen milk.
Wednesday the mother again contacted me, telling me her baby had tolerated the milk well and that they'd love more if I had some.
So last night, for the second Friday in a row, I watched as 30 ounces of my miracle liquid was given to a baby, allowing him to avoid (or at least minimize) the use of formula.
I am grateful that I have the ability to help this mother and baby. If I had supply issues, I would hope that another mother would help me out, too.
If you are ever in a breastmilk conundrum, research Human Milk for Human Babies on Facebook and find a group near you.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Human Milk: What to do When You Have Extra
Saturday, March 7, 2015
First Binky
6 weeks and 2 days old and she finally has a binky.
I've never waited until 6 weeks to introduce a pacifier before. My first daughter didn't really take one until she was in daycare and my second never liked them at all; she'd scream every time we put on in her mouth.
It became fairly apparent early on that Dash loves to suck but because of her lip and tongue ties, I wanted to make sure she knew how to suck properly for nursing before introducing a pacifier and I'm so glad I waited! I can now tell simply by her sucking pattern whether she is tired or hungry, something I may not have been able to tell had I given her a binky early on.
She loves her new toy and sucks on it hard when we give it to her. When she needs to burp, her suck pattern reverts to the "pre-lazor" pattern that bloodied me so badly. This is easy to identify now!
I read a book about newborns back when DD2 was a newborn. Although I can't remember the title or author, the book mentioned that in parts of Europe, a pacifier is known as a "dummy" and the name is fitting because it is a device parents use to hush their child without any efforts at figuring out why their child is crying in the first place. It turns the parents into dummies, but also limits the baby's ability to communicate as well.
Dash won't use a binky for long, a few months at most, because I don't want it to become a tool that desensitizes me to the specific needs of my little girl. In the meantime, it may allow me a little more time in the evenings to get my older children to bed and for my husband to have a little time when I'm tutoring, rather than constantly soothing her with a bottle.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
5 Weeks Postpartum and Counting
My baby is now almost 6 weeks old and I wish time would slow down a little! My Dash is no longer a newborn, but an infant. Not only is she past the 4 week mark, but she's growing leaps and bounds and getting stronger.
If you're familiar with safe practices for infants, you know that one of the biggest rules is to keep the crib free from stuffed animals, blankets, etc. The reason for this is that babies can suffocate if their faces get smushed up against items in the crib. It is the same reason why quilted/padded crib bumpers like this aren't recommended.
I don't remember my other daughters wiggling in their sleep as much as Dash does. However, they were also in a much smaller bassinet until they were 3-4 months old. Dash is in her crib, where there is plenty space to wiggle around.
And wiggle around she does! Even fully swaddled I can put her in one place in her crib and when I go get her a few hours later, she's moved over a foot.
Swaddling is necessary to get her to stay asleep, but she's a Little Houdini and manages to get both of her hands out at least a little bit. On a few occasions she has succeeded in getting an entire arm out of the swaddle. I'd love to see just how long it takes for her to wiggle out, but I never catch it.
Last Monday she had her one month well-baby visit at the pediatricians' office. She weighed in at 8lbs 5oz, which puts her average weight gain over her 2 week check-up at about an ounce a day.
An ounce that comes straight from me. I love that!
Sunday, March 1st, we blessed our baby. As I had mentioned in this post, I really wanted to do the baby blessing outside of Sacrament meeting. We were given permission a couple of weeks ago to do so, which also would allow several out-of-town family members to participate via video conference.
I am so very glad we decided to do it at home! Had we not, there would have been a mad scramble to do it that way anyway! We had an ice storm blow through that left traveling to church precarious, so the bishop cancelled church for the day.
In addition to the two families we had planned to include using various video technologies, we had 3 others join in when they couldn't make it to our home. One family was home with a stomach bug and since they'd accidentally shared it with another, she was "home," too. This third member had travelled all the way from California to be a part of the baby blessing and I felt absolutely awful that she couldn't be here to enjoy it, but I also couldn't risk the baby and I catching the virus. When an infant gets a pukey bug, IV fluids are almost inevitable. I went through that with my first daughter when she was 5 months old and my milk production never fully recovered. This early on, and with mastitis to boot (keep reading because I'll talk about this), I couldn't risk it.
The last to join was an extended family member in California. Almost every person present had their phone connected with someone else to participate. It was quite a site and a photo of it would have been pretty amazing, but inappropriate to take given the sacredness of the event.
In my home was my husband and daughters, my father and his wife who were in from California, one of my husband's sisters and her husband and 3 children who travelled 5 hours to be here, my uncle and aunt who came up from 3 hours away, the bishop, my parents-in-law, and our "best man". My home is small, so we were packed in pretty tight!
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, I noticed I had a clogged milk duct. It was tender, but not too sore. Dash managed to nurse it down pretty well but by mid morning it had swollen again. I noticed around noon that the underside of my breast, where the clogged duct was, had turned pink and was getting warm. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to get the clog to clear and by 6pm, I was in a significant amount of pain and my poor breast was bright red and hot to the touch. It looked something like this but much darker:
I knew I needed medical intervention when the headache and body aches set in and I could no longer converse with all of my house guests so I asked my step-mom if she would come with me to Patient First. She agreed and we eventually made it out the door with Dash and drove carefully on the ice to Leesburg. I saw a physician's assistant, and the look that flashed across her face confirmed what I could feel: mastitis!
Unfortunately, the only pharmacy open later on a Sunday night was 10 miles up the road, so we slowly made our way there to pick up my antibiotic.
It was quite a trip but very nice to have some "alone" time with my step mom. She'd been visiting for just over a week but we hadn't had much time together to just talk. It was comfortable, in spite of my hyper-focusing on road conditions!
I am thankful that modern technology allowed so many of our wonderful families, family that prayed for us each day over the last year and a half, to be apart of such a special event in our lives. And to each of them (and others who didn't participate yesterday) I say a heartfelt
If you're familiar with safe practices for infants, you know that one of the biggest rules is to keep the crib free from stuffed animals, blankets, etc. The reason for this is that babies can suffocate if their faces get smushed up against items in the crib. It is the same reason why quilted/padded crib bumpers like this aren't recommended.
I don't remember my other daughters wiggling in their sleep as much as Dash does. However, they were also in a much smaller bassinet until they were 3-4 months old. Dash is in her crib, where there is plenty space to wiggle around.
And wiggle around she does! Even fully swaddled I can put her in one place in her crib and when I go get her a few hours later, she's moved over a foot.
Swaddling is necessary to get her to stay asleep, but she's a Little Houdini and manages to get both of her hands out at least a little bit. On a few occasions she has succeeded in getting an entire arm out of the swaddle. I'd love to see just how long it takes for her to wiggle out, but I never catch it.
Last Monday she had her one month well-baby visit at the pediatricians' office. She weighed in at 8lbs 5oz, which puts her average weight gain over her 2 week check-up at about an ounce a day.
An ounce that comes straight from me. I love that!
Sunday, March 1st, we blessed our baby. As I had mentioned in this post, I really wanted to do the baby blessing outside of Sacrament meeting. We were given permission a couple of weeks ago to do so, which also would allow several out-of-town family members to participate via video conference.
I am so very glad we decided to do it at home! Had we not, there would have been a mad scramble to do it that way anyway! We had an ice storm blow through that left traveling to church precarious, so the bishop cancelled church for the day.
In addition to the two families we had planned to include using various video technologies, we had 3 others join in when they couldn't make it to our home. One family was home with a stomach bug and since they'd accidentally shared it with another, she was "home," too. This third member had travelled all the way from California to be a part of the baby blessing and I felt absolutely awful that she couldn't be here to enjoy it, but I also couldn't risk the baby and I catching the virus. When an infant gets a pukey bug, IV fluids are almost inevitable. I went through that with my first daughter when she was 5 months old and my milk production never fully recovered. This early on, and with mastitis to boot (keep reading because I'll talk about this), I couldn't risk it.
The last to join was an extended family member in California. Almost every person present had their phone connected with someone else to participate. It was quite a site and a photo of it would have been pretty amazing, but inappropriate to take given the sacredness of the event.
In my home was my husband and daughters, my father and his wife who were in from California, one of my husband's sisters and her husband and 3 children who travelled 5 hours to be here, my uncle and aunt who came up from 3 hours away, the bishop, my parents-in-law, and our "best man". My home is small, so we were packed in pretty tight!
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, I noticed I had a clogged milk duct. It was tender, but not too sore. Dash managed to nurse it down pretty well but by mid morning it had swollen again. I noticed around noon that the underside of my breast, where the clogged duct was, had turned pink and was getting warm. Try as I might, I couldn't seem to get the clog to clear and by 6pm, I was in a significant amount of pain and my poor breast was bright red and hot to the touch. It looked something like this but much darker:
 |
| Not Mine, but a random internet photo to give you a sample |
Unfortunately, the only pharmacy open later on a Sunday night was 10 miles up the road, so we slowly made our way there to pick up my antibiotic.
It was quite a trip but very nice to have some "alone" time with my step mom. She'd been visiting for just over a week but we hadn't had much time together to just talk. It was comfortable, in spite of my hyper-focusing on road conditions!
I am thankful that modern technology allowed so many of our wonderful families, family that prayed for us each day over the last year and a half, to be apart of such a special event in our lives. And to each of them (and others who didn't participate yesterday) I say a heartfelt
Thank You!
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
40 Weeks vs 19 Days
Rather than hitting my due date tonight, I am watching my 19 day old baby sleep in my lap.
She's grown so much she barely fits in my lap even with her feet curled up.
Love this not-so-little Dash!
Friday, February 6, 2015
15 Days
I am now 15 days postpartum and Dash and I are settling into a decent routine. She sleeps a lot, especially at night.
You know how they say "Never wake a sleeping baby?"
Well that's crap when your baby is slow to put on weight. Her feeding troubles are resolving slowly and she'll actively suck from one breast, but needs coercion on the other side. It is frustrating, but she's learning how to use her new tongue and it takes time.
I am almost healed up from the disaster she created while nursing in the first week and once she's latched on, can nurse her with only minor discomfort. The progress has been huge! Getting her started is still a painful process but I no longer have toe curling pain the entire time, so I'll take it!
One of the issues Dash and I have had to deal with is pressure from her doctors about her weight. Although she was born at 7lbs 2oz, by 2 days old she was only 6lbs 5oz. She lost almost a full pound and the doctors really wanted me to supplement with formula since she'd lost over 10% of her body weight and was fighting jaundice. I really did not want to supplement with formula! I knew that she'd be able to put weight on once her lip and tongue ties were taken care of so it was just a matter of making it to that point. My milk transitioned nicely all day Saturday and into Sunday. By her weight check on Monday afternoon, Dash was up to 6lbs 9oz, so she'd made some decent progress in just 2 days. Tuesday, at 5 days old, she had her ties taken care of and healing for both of us could begin. At 8 days old, she was up to 6lbs 11oz, still slow to gain and again I was encouraged to supplement with formula.
Again, I refused.
We met with our lactation consultant from the hospital both the day after her ties were removed as well as 5 days later. I was given some excellent help on making a cream to help heal my nipples faster as well as how to encourage Dash to learn how to suck again.
For those who are interested, the cream is known as APNO: All Purpose Nipple Ointment. It's made up of equal parts hydrocortisone cream, anti-fungal cream, and polysporin (an antibacterial ointment). There is a prescription version available with a steroid in it, but most insurance companies don't cover it and the local cost is about $145.
I already had everything but polysporin on hand, so my cost was about $2. And the cream works!!
Also makes a fabulous butt rash cream!
The most helpful part about Monday's meeting with Jennifer, our LC? Getting a number of ounces to shoot for in a 24 hour period. said she really needs to get 16 ounces of breastmilk each day to put on weight at this age.
For the next few days, during long naps I used my breastpump and would then give Dash a bottle with 1.5-2oz of milk while she slept. I also encouraged my milkflow while she was sucking to increase how quickly she fed as well as how much she drank before nodding off to baby lala land.
Her 2 week check-up was yesterday and her weight? 7lbs 1.4oz!!
Basically back to birth weight, which is generally the goal for all babies, whether formula fed or breastfed. I couldn't help but grin at what we had accomplished in 3 days.
I'm also down 22 pounds myself and have 22ish to go. The second 22 pounds will certainly take longer to lose, but I don't mind (no, really--I'm totally okay with it taking a few months because I know it'll come off). I'm ready to be back in real clothes though. My maternity pants are all too big and my maternity shirts looks pretty ridiculous, too.
My husband went to the storage unit this morning and should be back soon with some clothes for me to wear. I hope there are a few things that fit!
If not, guess who gets to go shopping??
Just one pair of jeans and a button-up shirt or two should be enough to tie me over until I'm back into my 8s.
You know how they say "Never wake a sleeping baby?"
Well that's crap when your baby is slow to put on weight. Her feeding troubles are resolving slowly and she'll actively suck from one breast, but needs coercion on the other side. It is frustrating, but she's learning how to use her new tongue and it takes time.
I am almost healed up from the disaster she created while nursing in the first week and once she's latched on, can nurse her with only minor discomfort. The progress has been huge! Getting her started is still a painful process but I no longer have toe curling pain the entire time, so I'll take it!
One of the issues Dash and I have had to deal with is pressure from her doctors about her weight. Although she was born at 7lbs 2oz, by 2 days old she was only 6lbs 5oz. She lost almost a full pound and the doctors really wanted me to supplement with formula since she'd lost over 10% of her body weight and was fighting jaundice. I really did not want to supplement with formula! I knew that she'd be able to put weight on once her lip and tongue ties were taken care of so it was just a matter of making it to that point. My milk transitioned nicely all day Saturday and into Sunday. By her weight check on Monday afternoon, Dash was up to 6lbs 9oz, so she'd made some decent progress in just 2 days. Tuesday, at 5 days old, she had her ties taken care of and healing for both of us could begin. At 8 days old, she was up to 6lbs 11oz, still slow to gain and again I was encouraged to supplement with formula.
Again, I refused.
We met with our lactation consultant from the hospital both the day after her ties were removed as well as 5 days later. I was given some excellent help on making a cream to help heal my nipples faster as well as how to encourage Dash to learn how to suck again.
For those who are interested, the cream is known as APNO: All Purpose Nipple Ointment. It's made up of equal parts hydrocortisone cream, anti-fungal cream, and polysporin (an antibacterial ointment). There is a prescription version available with a steroid in it, but most insurance companies don't cover it and the local cost is about $145.
I already had everything but polysporin on hand, so my cost was about $2. And the cream works!!
Also makes a fabulous butt rash cream!
The most helpful part about Monday's meeting with Jennifer, our LC? Getting a number of ounces to shoot for in a 24 hour period. said she really needs to get 16 ounces of breastmilk each day to put on weight at this age.
For the next few days, during long naps I used my breastpump and would then give Dash a bottle with 1.5-2oz of milk while she slept. I also encouraged my milkflow while she was sucking to increase how quickly she fed as well as how much she drank before nodding off to baby lala land.
Her 2 week check-up was yesterday and her weight? 7lbs 1.4oz!!
Basically back to birth weight, which is generally the goal for all babies, whether formula fed or breastfed. I couldn't help but grin at what we had accomplished in 3 days.
I'm also down 22 pounds myself and have 22ish to go. The second 22 pounds will certainly take longer to lose, but I don't mind (no, really--I'm totally okay with it taking a few months because I know it'll come off). I'm ready to be back in real clothes though. My maternity pants are all too big and my maternity shirts looks pretty ridiculous, too.
My husband went to the storage unit this morning and should be back soon with some clothes for me to wear. I hope there are a few things that fit!
If not, guess who gets to go shopping??
Just one pair of jeans and a button-up shirt or two should be enough to tie me over until I'm back into my 8s.
 |
| 13 Days Postpartum and feeling fabulous |
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Living Up to a Nickname
Our daughter is here! Although many of you probably knew this already, I thought I'd take some time and tell you about the adventures we encountered on Thursday.
I didn't sleep well Wednesday night, which really wasn't a surprise at all. I gave up around 3:30 and went downstairs and had some red raspberry leaf tea, played games on my phone, and listened to my favorite Hypnobabies track.
At 5am, my husband got up and showered and I crawled back into bed to close my eyes for a little bit, knowing I wouldn't sleep but enjoying the peace and quiet. Half an hour later, I hopped in the shower and locked as much as I could about how I felt physically into my memories. Each little kick, wiggle, and squirm during the shower is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
My clothes and tiara were next on the list!
Around 6am, the phone call came in that school was on a 2-hour delay due to road conditions in another part of the county. This helped ease the stress of the morning because it meant we didn't have to rush to get our daughters ready for the day.
My mother-in-law arrived and my husband and I said our goodbyes and made the relaxing and short drive to the hospital.
As we walked across the parking lot, my OB pulled in next to us with what can only be called promptness uncharacteristic of the profession!
Alicia, our labor and delivery nurse from Jackson's delivery, greeted us and gave me a big hug. It was great to see a face who understood what it meant for me to be there that morning. She escorted us to our room, where I changed into my hospital gown and my husband began blowing up the yoga ball. My IV was placed, some blood drawn to check my clotting time, and the saline drip was turned to low. The cordless monitors weren't working, so initially I was hooked up to the old-fashioned ones that required I stay in bed.
The doctor checked me and found I was just where I'd been a week before, 2-3cm dilated but now 70% effaced. She then left to do a planned c-section on another patient and promised to come back. About an hour later, she returned and broke my water.
The pitocin was then turned on to 2mL/hr, a nice slow start. It was 9am.
Over the next two hours, the pitocin was slowly turned up, eventually reaching 10mL/hr. Contractions were getting stronger and the pressure was intense to say the least. With each contraction I rocked on my ball, but then dizziness set in to a point where being on the ball was no longer safe, even with my head resting on the bed. I climbed back in the bed and realized there was no way I was going to make it through the rest of the labor without some help unless I was getting close.
So at 11am, I asked Alicia to check me. I was only 4 cm!
I caved and asked for an epidural. What I didn't realized then that I can see in hindsight is that although I was only 4cm, I'd hit transition and Alicia knew it. Another nurse was brought in and the delivery cart with all the tools and gloves was set up by Jessica, who I knew from my two previous pregnancies.
Jessica is a nurse practitioner at my previous OBs office and was the first to have me listen to the heartbeat of the daughter we lost in 2012. She's a little older and has impeccable bedside manner, so having her there, and with her knowledge of my pregnancy losses, was a calming touch.
It was at this point that my OB came flying into the room, purse in hand, office clothes on, and asking if she had time to change. Yes, Alicia knew what I did not and had paged my doctor. Time was running out!
The anesthesiologist came in and started setting up. During that time, I was quickly losing control and threatening to break my husbands hand with each contraction. As the anesthesiologist and I discussed pain management, it became pretty clear that he didn't intend to let me get numb because "it might slow the pushing process".
With both of my first 2 labors, within 3 contractions of the epidural being placed I had full relief. This guy? No! He said it'd take about 15 minutes to set in, which when you're contracting every 2 minutes or so, with only about 60 seconds of relief at best, that 15 minutes is an eternity!
I was getting the urge to push, but a quick check showed I was only 6cm, so that wasn't going to be allowed or I'd tear my cervix and I certainly didn't want that.
To make matters worse, the epidural only brought a small amount of relief to my left side and almost no relief to my right side. I never lost mobility of my legs, but got enough relief to let go of the squeezed hand. This was not anywhere near enough to be able to joke about anything.
My doctor returned and the need to push set in, although it felt much more like the urge to move my bowels than I'd expected. A mirror allowed me to watch some of the delivery, but the doctor's arm ended up blocking to view once the crown of her head was in sight.
Had I realized just how fast I was going to go from 4cm to holding my baby, I would have saved myself the hope of relief from an epidural and just slugged along.
Pushing took longer with Dash than it did with my second, but was still pretty quick! At 11:53am, I was holding my daughter, filled with relief and simply amazed that she was here.
I held her, wrapped in a towel while we waited for her umbilical cord to empty. With the extra time, my husband was able to rub her head of hair, study her fingers, and take a picture of the two of us. Once the cord was clamped and shut, he also was able to watch the placenta deliver, something he'd never seen before.
She came so fast that I ended up with a second degree tear. An episiotomy was done to prevent further tearing, but it meant I needed stitches. I felt every tug and pull of that needle, but since I was holding Dash, I simply didn't care!
From the time my pitocin was turned on until delivery was under 3 hours. Dash lived up to her nickname once again!
At 37w+1d, Dash weighed 7lbs 2oz. She was perfectly healthy! She had no trouble breathing, maintained her body temperature perfectly, and was eager to nurse.
Throughout the labor, my thoughts turned frequently to my mother, who was present for the birth of my first 2 daughters. I kept looking over to the empty rocking chair in the room, expecting to see her there. I missed having her hold my leg, standing opposite my spouse. And I missed having her hold my little baby, swaddled in her hospital blanket.
What I didn't expect was how infrequently my thoughts turned to Jackson. My labor was so quick I didn't have time to make the comparisons I had expected to. I subconsciously kept my ear on Dash's heartbeat throughout labor, hearing the minor fluctuations in its speed and worrying but in a more abstract manner than I had expected. The fear as her heart would slow a little was minor and then another contraction would hit and I couldn't think about anything other than hoping it was preparing my body for delivery.
Nursing there in labor and delivery was not at all the experience I'd hoped for, and there's an entire post for me to dedicate to that next! Hint: She's had two oral procedures since birth and she's only 5 days old today!
**For privacy reasons, Dash's legal name is being withheld. Thank you for understanding!**
I didn't sleep well Wednesday night, which really wasn't a surprise at all. I gave up around 3:30 and went downstairs and had some red raspberry leaf tea, played games on my phone, and listened to my favorite Hypnobabies track.
At 5am, my husband got up and showered and I crawled back into bed to close my eyes for a little bit, knowing I wouldn't sleep but enjoying the peace and quiet. Half an hour later, I hopped in the shower and locked as much as I could about how I felt physically into my memories. Each little kick, wiggle, and squirm during the shower is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
My clothes and tiara were next on the list!
Around 6am, the phone call came in that school was on a 2-hour delay due to road conditions in another part of the county. This helped ease the stress of the morning because it meant we didn't have to rush to get our daughters ready for the day.
My mother-in-law arrived and my husband and I said our goodbyes and made the relaxing and short drive to the hospital.
As we walked across the parking lot, my OB pulled in next to us with what can only be called promptness uncharacteristic of the profession!
Alicia, our labor and delivery nurse from Jackson's delivery, greeted us and gave me a big hug. It was great to see a face who understood what it meant for me to be there that morning. She escorted us to our room, where I changed into my hospital gown and my husband began blowing up the yoga ball. My IV was placed, some blood drawn to check my clotting time, and the saline drip was turned to low. The cordless monitors weren't working, so initially I was hooked up to the old-fashioned ones that required I stay in bed.
The doctor checked me and found I was just where I'd been a week before, 2-3cm dilated but now 70% effaced. She then left to do a planned c-section on another patient and promised to come back. About an hour later, she returned and broke my water.
The pitocin was then turned on to 2mL/hr, a nice slow start. It was 9am.
Over the next two hours, the pitocin was slowly turned up, eventually reaching 10mL/hr. Contractions were getting stronger and the pressure was intense to say the least. With each contraction I rocked on my ball, but then dizziness set in to a point where being on the ball was no longer safe, even with my head resting on the bed. I climbed back in the bed and realized there was no way I was going to make it through the rest of the labor without some help unless I was getting close.
So at 11am, I asked Alicia to check me. I was only 4 cm!
I caved and asked for an epidural. What I didn't realized then that I can see in hindsight is that although I was only 4cm, I'd hit transition and Alicia knew it. Another nurse was brought in and the delivery cart with all the tools and gloves was set up by Jessica, who I knew from my two previous pregnancies.
Jessica is a nurse practitioner at my previous OBs office and was the first to have me listen to the heartbeat of the daughter we lost in 2012. She's a little older and has impeccable bedside manner, so having her there, and with her knowledge of my pregnancy losses, was a calming touch.
It was at this point that my OB came flying into the room, purse in hand, office clothes on, and asking if she had time to change. Yes, Alicia knew what I did not and had paged my doctor. Time was running out!
The anesthesiologist came in and started setting up. During that time, I was quickly losing control and threatening to break my husbands hand with each contraction. As the anesthesiologist and I discussed pain management, it became pretty clear that he didn't intend to let me get numb because "it might slow the pushing process".
With both of my first 2 labors, within 3 contractions of the epidural being placed I had full relief. This guy? No! He said it'd take about 15 minutes to set in, which when you're contracting every 2 minutes or so, with only about 60 seconds of relief at best, that 15 minutes is an eternity!
I was getting the urge to push, but a quick check showed I was only 6cm, so that wasn't going to be allowed or I'd tear my cervix and I certainly didn't want that.
To make matters worse, the epidural only brought a small amount of relief to my left side and almost no relief to my right side. I never lost mobility of my legs, but got enough relief to let go of the squeezed hand. This was not anywhere near enough to be able to joke about anything.
My doctor returned and the need to push set in, although it felt much more like the urge to move my bowels than I'd expected. A mirror allowed me to watch some of the delivery, but the doctor's arm ended up blocking to view once the crown of her head was in sight.
Had I realized just how fast I was going to go from 4cm to holding my baby, I would have saved myself the hope of relief from an epidural and just slugged along.
Pushing took longer with Dash than it did with my second, but was still pretty quick! At 11:53am, I was holding my daughter, filled with relief and simply amazed that she was here.
I held her, wrapped in a towel while we waited for her umbilical cord to empty. With the extra time, my husband was able to rub her head of hair, study her fingers, and take a picture of the two of us. Once the cord was clamped and shut, he also was able to watch the placenta deliver, something he'd never seen before.
She came so fast that I ended up with a second degree tear. An episiotomy was done to prevent further tearing, but it meant I needed stitches. I felt every tug and pull of that needle, but since I was holding Dash, I simply didn't care!
From the time my pitocin was turned on until delivery was under 3 hours. Dash lived up to her nickname once again!
At 37w+1d, Dash weighed 7lbs 2oz. She was perfectly healthy! She had no trouble breathing, maintained her body temperature perfectly, and was eager to nurse.
Throughout the labor, my thoughts turned frequently to my mother, who was present for the birth of my first 2 daughters. I kept looking over to the empty rocking chair in the room, expecting to see her there. I missed having her hold my leg, standing opposite my spouse. And I missed having her hold my little baby, swaddled in her hospital blanket.
What I didn't expect was how infrequently my thoughts turned to Jackson. My labor was so quick I didn't have time to make the comparisons I had expected to. I subconsciously kept my ear on Dash's heartbeat throughout labor, hearing the minor fluctuations in its speed and worrying but in a more abstract manner than I had expected. The fear as her heart would slow a little was minor and then another contraction would hit and I couldn't think about anything other than hoping it was preparing my body for delivery.
Nursing there in labor and delivery was not at all the experience I'd hoped for, and there's an entire post for me to dedicate to that next! Hint: She's had two oral procedures since birth and she's only 5 days old today!
**For privacy reasons, Dash's legal name is being withheld. Thank you for understanding!**
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
37 weeks and Full Term
During the fall of 2013, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists narrowed the definition of "full term" for pregnancy.
Previously, a baby was considered full term if he or she was born between 37 weeks 0 days and 42 weeks 0 days.
The new parameters are narrower and include "early term" and "late term".
Full term is now considered to be 39 weeks 0 days until 40 weeks 6 days. A baby born between 37+0 and 38+6 would be considered early term and those born in week 41+0 to 41+6 would be late term. Any baby born after 42+0 is considered post term.
You can read more about the changes here.
Under this definition, both of my daughters were born early term and Dash will be joining them with that distinction.
I have one more full day of being pregnant and then it's time to encourage this little lady to exit her bath and begin life outside the womb, where my fears will be her catching the awful flu that's going around instead of our placenta deciding it's completely done and not giving us enough warning.
I've had a lot on my mind the last few days and so has my husband. I know he's been experiencing some significant levels of apprehension regarding the birth of our daughter and what that means for us as a family.
On Sunday, he saw something that set all those nerves aside and put a warmth in his heart that was much needed. Sitting several rows in front of us, but within our sight at church, was a father my husband has known for 20 years (although the man was only about 12 years old when they met). This father was holding his adorable sleeping baby girl, who was born about a month and a half ago.
The sight reminded my husband of one reason why we spent so much money and emotional effort in trying to bring a third child into our family.
LOVE
We don't know this little girl very well yet, but we love her with all of hearts and in a matter of hours we'll be able to share that love with her and her big sisters.
Yes, I am to the point where I am counting down the hours until her arrival (give or take a few!)
As children, both my husband and I were raised in families that followed the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We grew up and eventually we each made the decision that we believed the teachings.
One of the aspects of our youth that we both treasure has always been the start of the school year, when our father's would give us Priesthood Blessings. Blessings can be given for any number of reasons, but preparing for big changes is absolutely one of them!
It was in a blessing before the school year started in 2012 that we were given a sort of warning that my pregnancy wouldn't end well.
We took advantage of the time we had on Sunday and each of us girls were given a blessing from my husband. Our daughters have been experiencing a variety of emotions with the upcoming changes and their father was able to address those and to give them inspired guidance or counsel on how to handle the new roles they will each be taking on.
My blessing is something that I'll remember for the rest of my life, but it isn't something I want to explain at length here because it was a truly sacred experience. I think the blessing caught both my husband and myself off-guard in a truly wonderful way.
The next blessing he'll give will likely be the "name and a blessing" traditionally given to new babies. I discussed my feelings on this in a previous blog post but as a quick reminder, I don't like them to be public and my experiences of late have only solidified my desire to keep those in attendance very small.
But before that can happen, our little girl needs to arrive safe and sound. So here we go!!
(Picture to be added later)
Previously, a baby was considered full term if he or she was born between 37 weeks 0 days and 42 weeks 0 days.
The new parameters are narrower and include "early term" and "late term".
Full term is now considered to be 39 weeks 0 days until 40 weeks 6 days. A baby born between 37+0 and 38+6 would be considered early term and those born in week 41+0 to 41+6 would be late term. Any baby born after 42+0 is considered post term.
You can read more about the changes here.
Under this definition, both of my daughters were born early term and Dash will be joining them with that distinction.
I have one more full day of being pregnant and then it's time to encourage this little lady to exit her bath and begin life outside the womb, where my fears will be her catching the awful flu that's going around instead of our placenta deciding it's completely done and not giving us enough warning.
I've had a lot on my mind the last few days and so has my husband. I know he's been experiencing some significant levels of apprehension regarding the birth of our daughter and what that means for us as a family.
On Sunday, he saw something that set all those nerves aside and put a warmth in his heart that was much needed. Sitting several rows in front of us, but within our sight at church, was a father my husband has known for 20 years (although the man was only about 12 years old when they met). This father was holding his adorable sleeping baby girl, who was born about a month and a half ago.
The sight reminded my husband of one reason why we spent so much money and emotional effort in trying to bring a third child into our family.
LOVE
We don't know this little girl very well yet, but we love her with all of hearts and in a matter of hours we'll be able to share that love with her and her big sisters.
Yes, I am to the point where I am counting down the hours until her arrival (give or take a few!)
As children, both my husband and I were raised in families that followed the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We grew up and eventually we each made the decision that we believed the teachings.
One of the aspects of our youth that we both treasure has always been the start of the school year, when our father's would give us Priesthood Blessings. Blessings can be given for any number of reasons, but preparing for big changes is absolutely one of them!
It was in a blessing before the school year started in 2012 that we were given a sort of warning that my pregnancy wouldn't end well.
We took advantage of the time we had on Sunday and each of us girls were given a blessing from my husband. Our daughters have been experiencing a variety of emotions with the upcoming changes and their father was able to address those and to give them inspired guidance or counsel on how to handle the new roles they will each be taking on.
My blessing is something that I'll remember for the rest of my life, but it isn't something I want to explain at length here because it was a truly sacred experience. I think the blessing caught both my husband and myself off-guard in a truly wonderful way.
The next blessing he'll give will likely be the "name and a blessing" traditionally given to new babies. I discussed my feelings on this in a previous blog post but as a quick reminder, I don't like them to be public and my experiences of late have only solidified my desire to keep those in attendance very small.
But before that can happen, our little girl needs to arrive safe and sound. So here we go!!
(Picture to be added later)
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