Well I just have a few quick minutes, as baby E is waking up right now! I just want to document the past month while it's still fresh in my mind. So we kept waiting and waiting for baby E to make her debut. I had big plans of a natural vaginal birth (vbac) using the hypnobabies program, which I had been practicing every day for the past 3-4 months!! I really wanted it. The doctors wouldn't induce me however, because it increases the vbac risks; so I would have to go into labor on my own. Sooo we waited....and waited.....and waited... Not much progress was happening though I had lots of contractions every day (apparently good for nothing contractions..). Each time I went to the dr, very little if any progress was happening. At my last 3 or 4 appointments the midwives stripped my membranes, which is not a comfortable procedure, and to no avail. I had to have 2 ultrasounds and non-stress tests to make sure she was still doing well in there. Finally on Monday, October 5 I was 12 days (!!) overdue, and the ultrasound wasn't perfect; she wasn't doing her practice breathing, which isn't a huge deal, but they still wanted her out that day. Since I couldn't be induced, I needed another c-section. I was pretty bummed, but I had mostly gotten the being bummed out of my system the past 2 weeks because my hope of going into labor and having a natural birth slipped away more and more with each passing day. I may have still shed a tear or two that day, but I was happy that we were FINALLY going to meet our baby girl that day. (The doctors didn't want me to go past 42 weeks anyway, so I would have probably ended up with a c-section 2 days later anyway, even if the ultrasound was perfect). Anyway, my appointment that day was in the morning, and after the ultrasound and meeting with the doctor, I went straight to labor and delivery to be monitored, start an IV, and start fasting for the next 6 hrs before the c-section. Even more disappointing was that I was actually having the strongest contractions that I'd ever had while I was there at the hospital. The nurse could see them on the monitor, and they actually checked me to see if I was making progress, but alas I was not, and E was still high up. That was sad because I felt like maybe I could actually be going into labor this time, but my window of opportunity was quickly closing, and I was already being prepped for the c-section. So after they checked me and no progress was being made, I gave up my hope for a vbac for good.
So a little background first before get to the birth.. I had asked my mom to come Sunday night because I thought I might end up having her Monday, or at least within a couple days. So she was watching A that morning while C and I went to my appt. C came to the hospital with me, but it just so happens that he had a job interview a couple hours before my c-section was scheduled. So he went home to get ready, and my mom and A came to visit me before the c-section. They left, and C got back like a half hour before I was to be taken back to the operating room! I wasn't feeling so great, not having eaten or drunken anything all day (and breakfast was like half an apple), being poked and prodded and being hooked up to an IV, plus having contractions. I was feeling weak and nervous walking back to the operating room, but ready to meet our girl. The took C into one room and me into the operating room. It was freezing in there! Plus they had to uncover my whole back to do the spinal. Then I was laying there waiting while they were prepping for what seemed like forever without C. I asked if he could come in, and they went and got him; I felt much better when he was there next to me rubbing my head. Anyway, they started, it seemed like a long time, but then they said she was coming soon, and first I heard them all (I noticed it was all women, about 6 or 8 of them in the operating room, which surprised me!) saying "Ohh she's so cute!" They probably say that to everyone, but it made me happy. A second after they started saying that I heard a loud scream for a couple seconds, and I started to tear up; then they pulled down the curtain and showed her to me! She was a chunky little thing, and so perfect. Then the tears really came! She weighed 9lb 6oz.. a big baby! But actually for being 12 days over she was only in the 70-something percentile. After she got cleaned up and me put back together, they took us to the recover room, where I got to hold her and nurse her. It's actually pretty challenging to do when you're numb up to your ribs... Anyway her face was so chubby and smooshy. haha. She was so precious though, and perfectly healthy. So that's the birth story! We only stayed in the hospital until Wed night; I was recovering a little bit better and faster than with my first c-section. Those days were painful for me and tiring for both C and me. It's really hard to sleep with c-section pain, gas pain, boob pain, a noisy IV dispenser (or whatever it's called), and throw a newborn in there... Not very much sleep... We were happy to go home. Oh and we were so grateful that my mom was at home taking care of A. They came each day to visit us, and it was so cute when A first saw E. She was excited, but it's funny because she pretty quickly lost interest haha. (By the way E fell back asleep, that's why I'm still typing right now ha)
When we got home my mom was here, and she stayed for about 3 more days. It was nice having her here to help with A, and she also did all the cooking and cleaning, which was great! I definitely think I recovered faster this time; by the time we came home, I was only on the strong ibuprofen, and I took that for another week or so. At this point, a month after, I'm still tender and I get sore if I do too much, but I'm doing well. So after my mom left, it was really nice because C could stay home a lot because of his schedule. It was so great! I was really thankful, and I feel spoiled. I don't know what I would've done if he had to go back to work full time right away! I'll probably find out with the next one ha.
So our sweet little E... where do I even start??? She seriously is sweet. She is a 180 degree different baby than A. A was super difficult, very colicky and fussy all the time, had to be held all the time, only catnapped, and plus nursing was torturous with her. E is very calm, hardly ever cries, will sit in her swing and sleeps like a champ. Since the first week, she would sleep for 3-5 hour stretches at night. She doesn't really nap well in her bed during the day, but she does really well in her swing. She is almost always happy. She always smiles at us, especially after waking up. She loves her binky (in fact, she was born with a sucking sore on her hand from sucking in utero!) She never cries unless we are suctioning her nose or she is extremely starving or she has gas. Also, nursing is going much much better this time. Basically from day one with A I had to supplement with formula. So far I haven't had to with E, and she is gaining weight well. Yay! After a couple trips to the lactation consultant, things are going pretty well as far as that goes. I think we both may have a mild thrush case, but it's ok, we're treating it. She has been more gassy the past couple days, so I'm experimenting with my diet. I've eliminated chocolate and dairy for a couple days, and we'll see how she does with that. I think I've already seen an improvement. Anyway, yes, everything is great. The only thing is I feel like nursing takes up sooo much of my time! I feel bad because I can't do anything with A while I'm nursing, but it's already improved since the very beginning as far as being a little less time consuming. A is doing pretty well. She likes baby E, and will go rub her head and say hi once in a while. She has been acting out a little, trying to get attention I think, since so much got taken away from her! She drove me crazy a couple days, but since nursing is getting a little more efficient, I can spend a little more time with her, which helps. Oh and A had a cold for a couple weeks right when we got home, which then got passed on to E. E only got a stuffy, congested nose, but it's been going on for like 3 weeks now! We have to suction it out, which is so sad, but hopefully she'll be completely better soon!
I'm trying to hurry and finish here because both girls are really waking now.... But things are good. The adjustment this time has been much much smoother than when I had A. I know it's mostly because E is so easy and A was so difficult, but I like to think I know a little bit more what I'm doing now... In other news, C has been doing lots of job interviews, but nothing has worked out so far. We are hoping this is the week for some good news because he has some promising prospects. We only have a month and a half left here! It's a crazy fun time! We were talking last night and determined that we are so tired and a little stressed, but our lives are full, and we are happy and blessed. Ha I didn't realize that was a rhyme until I read over it... We really are so blessed though! Being a mother is the hardest job ever, but obviously so worth it. No time for pictures today, but coming soon!
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