Aunt Melanie took pictures of Peter at 4 months, but I have yet to get copies of those pictures. So for now, here are some of him a little older.
It's been a busy two months since the last posting. We had a lovely Thanksgiving here in Maryland, and then went to Washington for a week in December. Peter had fun getting to know his Grandpa and Grandma Stucki. He is connecting with people socially now, and so it is fun for him to be with people, especially people other than Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera with me, and so I have no pictures of that trip. The only pictures of the trip are the ones that Melanie took of Peter, so hopefully I’ll have those pretty soon.
Peter has been growing like a weed! Since trying to get him off the bottle, I had perhaps been feeding him a little too much since I wasn't exactly sure what he was getting from nursing. As a result, at his 4 month appointment, he went from the 25% to 45% in height, the 10% to 70% for weight, and the 10% to 70% for head circumference. So, we now have a short, fat baby instead of a long skinny one. Once I addressed Peter affectionately as "fat boy", and now Chris enjoys addressing him thus. They measured his head three times just to be sure--once the first time, second by the nurse, and third by the doctor. They were a little concerned and gave us a referral for an ultrasound to check and make sure his head is okay. However, the doctor did say, "He's probably fine. It could just be that he genetically has a large head." I didn't respond that his father also has a large head, and that this was probably the case. We're not really worried about it, but I should probably get him in soon just as a precaution.
Peter has been meeting all of his milestones in a timely manner, but more so socially rather than physically. His head control has probably been the slowest, and now we know why. It must be hard to hold up that noggin! :) Anyway, he has been growing to be very social and attention-loving. He smiles and coos and laughs at just about everyone who smiles at him. When we were walking down the corridor to our flight to Washington, there were life-sized posters of smiling Southwest employees, and Peter was smiling at all of them. It's like he thought they were all there for him. So cute.
Peter also is very curious, and loves to be carried around and looking at everything. The downside to this is that we have to carry him around often to keep him happy. If we leave him in his swing for longer than he likes, he voices his frustration by lip-trills. It's quite amusing.
Two days ago, Peter finally flipped from his front to his back during tummy time. He hasn't done it since, but again, it's probably hard with that huge noggin of his.
In other news, Chris and I both have callings in the ward now. He is the varsity coach for the teacher's quorum, and I have been called as the Relief Society meeting coordinator (formerly the enrichment meeting coordinator). We have been joking that since they dissolved the ward activity coordinator calling, that those responsibilities will be relegated to me, as the Elder's quorum isn't usually one to plan activities. Anyway, since I was called to the activity, I had about two weeks to plan an elaborate Relief Society Christmas dinner. Thankfully, I had a lot of help and support from the 2nd counselor, and a committee. It turned out beautifully, and I'm so glad it's over!
I think 5 posts for one day is enough. So I'll call it quits. I'll take pictures of our Christmas tomorrow and post them soon. Merry Christmas everyone!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Hair before and after
Peter had funny long hair that was strongly resembling a comb-over since he's been losing his beautiful thick baby hair. I know his hair hasn't come in yet, but his hair was driving me a little bit nuts, so I broke down and gave him a trim. See below.
You can see his hair thinning in this one especially.
4 and a half months
Decorating our very first Christmas tree in 6 years of marriage. Finally!
Peter loves to laugh and smile at his dad.
Peter doesn't have tons of patience for books yet--not surprising at 4 months.
Peter and Dad
Peter playing with Daddy. Peter so loves his daddy, as daddy so loves his son. I love watching them together.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
3 Months
This is our growing baby boy at 3 months. Thanks to Brandon and Becca for the super cute outfit (at least I'm pretty sure it's from them)! Sadly, I packed his clothes labeled "3 months" in with the 3-6 month clothes and only recently discovered my mistake. I think we only have a few more weeks wear of these new outfits. :(
I love this one because it showcases his shiny, fat cheeks. Since I am working overtime on getting back to solely breastfeeding, I think I may be overfeeding on the bottle a little. Oh well. It's nice to see him gaining when he was so skinny for so long! I'll be so happy when I can finally abandon the pump and actually go somewhere for more than a couple of hours. Hopefully we'll get there soon. Who knew it would be such a challenge to feed this kid!
Halloween Video Demo
So, we've had the same camera for about 4 years now and only just realized we can shoot small video clips. So, here's a short first attempt. In case it doesn't come through, it's me talking to Peter in his Halloween outfit. Not terribly exciting, but I think Peter looks adorable. At the end, he got a little upset and wanted to be picked up, so again, pretty short.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Two Months
Wow, sorry for the delay. I am amazed by how time consuming taking care of a tiny baby can be. It's amazing if I have time enough for a shower, let alone fixing meals, cleaning, and blogging. I'm looking forward to the day when Peter has somewhat of a schedule.
Things have been quite a whirlwind since bringing Peter home from the hospital. The first two weeks were great, thanks to having Chris at home, and many thanks to Andrea for helping out the second week. She was just what I needed and I couldn't have asked for anybody more helpful when Chris went back to work. In the first couple of weeks, both Chris and I were barely functioning due to sleep deprivation. It took both of us ten times longer to do everything, to answer questions, even to think!
This is Peter coming back from the hospital. He had some issues with jaundice and breastfeeding early on. He still has issues with breastfeeding, but miraculously, we don't have to supplement with formula anymore, which makes us very happy. For a while, I took him off the bottle because he seemed disinterested in taking a bottle. I assumed it was because he was getting enough from nursing. But, finally at 4 weeks, I rented a Medela scale to determine how much he was eating. We were shocked to discover that he was still at his birth weight! I felt like a horrible mother for letting this happen. We immedinately put him back on the bottle full throttle, so he gained weight pretty fast for a few weeks. Now that he's two months old and over 10 lbs., it's hard to look at his picture from when he was so thin!
Peter at his skinniest. Poor baby!!
A shot of his beautiful head of hair. As a woman from church said, "That's a lot of hair for a newborn white baby!" Gotta love it.
Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to fly out to Seattle to visit with my family. We decided that since everybody was going to be there, we would do Peter’s blessing there (pictured above). It was a little stressful traveling with Peter for the first time since his birth, but we were really glad we were able to go. My sister-in-law, Ann, took some beautiful photos of Peter below. It’s so nice to have such a talented sister-in-law! Thanks Ann! Some highlights:
Peter is getting a little bit better about sleeping longer at night. He usually sleeps for a good 4 hour stretch, and if I’m lucky, 5 hours. But that’s about as good as it gets. For the rest of the day, he doesn’t really sleep well unless he’s being held. In fact, he’s generally not happy unless he’s being held. Occasionally we can put him in his swing, but not for very long. For that reason, we love having the Moby Wrap. He likes being in it, especially to sleep. This is the only way I’m able to get things done a lot of the time.
Peter in the Moby wrap.
Chris’s parents were able to see Peter at 8 weeks old for the first time. He got to take his first walk outside in his stroller with Nana and Papa while Chris and I were asked to help out at a youth retreat. Apparently, he quite enjoyed himself. Whenever he experiences something new and exciting, his eyes get real wide, and he takes quick breaths in. If life is a little too exciting, he shuts down and goes to sleep.
Peter just had his two-month appointment with the pediatrician with all of his immunizations. He is measuring better with his weight. At 2 weeks old, he was in the 5%, and now he is in the 10%. He’s in the 25% for height and the 10% for head circumference. We definitely have a tiny, skinny baby. He’s just starting to get fat little thighs that are very pleasing to see.
Peter did well with his shots initially. Thanks to a great nurse, she was finished with the shots in about 15 seconds, including getting the band-aids on. Peter cried hard for about 30 seconds, and then he was his cheerful self again. He even smiled at me as I put him back in his car seat. However, after he had his first nap, he woke up screaming and would not stop for hours unless he was eating or sleeping. It was a little traumatic for me, as he is such a mellow sweet little guy. He also developed a mild fever that day, but we were able to get some infant acetaminophen, which helped a lot. I am glad that immunizations are over and I’m not looking forward to his 4 month appointment.
Peter at 2 months with Daddy. This is a classic Peter expression with his mouth in an "o". So cute! But then, I'm a little biased...
Peter has recently started smiling socially. He used to smile in his sleep a lot. He has even laughed in his sleep since he was a newborn. I wish we could catch this on video, as it’s really cute and kind of funny to see a tiny baby laugh.
Well, I will try to update more in the future. I’m realizing that Peter is changing so much in so little time, so I’m going to have to take lots of pictures, or I’m going to miss tracking his development. So, look for more pictures in the future.
Things have been quite a whirlwind since bringing Peter home from the hospital. The first two weeks were great, thanks to having Chris at home, and many thanks to Andrea for helping out the second week. She was just what I needed and I couldn't have asked for anybody more helpful when Chris went back to work. In the first couple of weeks, both Chris and I were barely functioning due to sleep deprivation. It took both of us ten times longer to do everything, to answer questions, even to think!
This is Peter coming back from the hospital. He had some issues with jaundice and breastfeeding early on. He still has issues with breastfeeding, but miraculously, we don't have to supplement with formula anymore, which makes us very happy. For a while, I took him off the bottle because he seemed disinterested in taking a bottle. I assumed it was because he was getting enough from nursing. But, finally at 4 weeks, I rented a Medela scale to determine how much he was eating. We were shocked to discover that he was still at his birth weight! I felt like a horrible mother for letting this happen. We immedinately put him back on the bottle full throttle, so he gained weight pretty fast for a few weeks. Now that he's two months old and over 10 lbs., it's hard to look at his picture from when he was so thin!
Peter at his skinniest. Poor baby!!
A shot of his beautiful head of hair. As a woman from church said, "That's a lot of hair for a newborn white baby!" Gotta love it.
Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to fly out to Seattle to visit with my family. We decided that since everybody was going to be there, we would do Peter’s blessing there (pictured above). It was a little stressful traveling with Peter for the first time since his birth, but we were really glad we were able to go. My sister-in-law, Ann, took some beautiful photos of Peter below. It’s so nice to have such a talented sister-in-law! Thanks Ann! Some highlights:
Peter is getting a little bit better about sleeping longer at night. He usually sleeps for a good 4 hour stretch, and if I’m lucky, 5 hours. But that’s about as good as it gets. For the rest of the day, he doesn’t really sleep well unless he’s being held. In fact, he’s generally not happy unless he’s being held. Occasionally we can put him in his swing, but not for very long. For that reason, we love having the Moby Wrap. He likes being in it, especially to sleep. This is the only way I’m able to get things done a lot of the time.
Peter in the Moby wrap.
Chris’s parents were able to see Peter at 8 weeks old for the first time. He got to take his first walk outside in his stroller with Nana and Papa while Chris and I were asked to help out at a youth retreat. Apparently, he quite enjoyed himself. Whenever he experiences something new and exciting, his eyes get real wide, and he takes quick breaths in. If life is a little too exciting, he shuts down and goes to sleep.
Peter just had his two-month appointment with the pediatrician with all of his immunizations. He is measuring better with his weight. At 2 weeks old, he was in the 5%, and now he is in the 10%. He’s in the 25% for height and the 10% for head circumference. We definitely have a tiny, skinny baby. He’s just starting to get fat little thighs that are very pleasing to see.
Peter did well with his shots initially. Thanks to a great nurse, she was finished with the shots in about 15 seconds, including getting the band-aids on. Peter cried hard for about 30 seconds, and then he was his cheerful self again. He even smiled at me as I put him back in his car seat. However, after he had his first nap, he woke up screaming and would not stop for hours unless he was eating or sleeping. It was a little traumatic for me, as he is such a mellow sweet little guy. He also developed a mild fever that day, but we were able to get some infant acetaminophen, which helped a lot. I am glad that immunizations are over and I’m not looking forward to his 4 month appointment.
Peter at 2 months with Daddy. This is a classic Peter expression with his mouth in an "o". So cute! But then, I'm a little biased...
Peter has recently started smiling socially. He used to smile in his sleep a lot. He has even laughed in his sleep since he was a newborn. I wish we could catch this on video, as it’s really cute and kind of funny to see a tiny baby laugh.
Well, I will try to update more in the future. I’m realizing that Peter is changing so much in so little time, so I’m going to have to take lots of pictures, or I’m going to miss tracking his development. So, look for more pictures in the future.
Two Months
Wow, sorry for the delay. I am amazed by how time consuming taking care of a tiny baby can be. It's amazing if I have time enough for a shower, let alone fixing meals, cleaning, and blogging. I'm looking forward to the day when Peter has somewhat of a schedule.
Things have been quite a whirlwind since bringing Peter home from the hospital. He had some issues with jaundice and breastfeeding early on. He still has issues with breastfeeding, but miraculously, we don't have to supplement with formula anymore, which makes us very happy. For a while, I took him off the bottle because he seemed disinterested in taking a bottle. I assumed it was because he was getting enough from nursing. But, finally at 4 weeks, I rented a Medela scale to determine how much he was eating. We were shocked to discover that he was still at his birth weight! Now that he's two months old and over 10 lbs., it's hard to look at his picture from when he was so thin!
Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to fly out to Seattle to visit with my family.
Things have been quite a whirlwind since bringing Peter home from the hospital. He had some issues with jaundice and breastfeeding early on. He still has issues with breastfeeding, but miraculously, we don't have to supplement with formula anymore, which makes us very happy. For a while, I took him off the bottle because he seemed disinterested in taking a bottle. I assumed it was because he was getting enough from nursing. But, finally at 4 weeks, I rented a Medela scale to determine how much he was eating. We were shocked to discover that he was still at his birth weight! Now that he's two months old and over 10 lbs., it's hard to look at his picture from when he was so thin!
Over Labor Day weekend, we were able to fly out to Seattle to visit with my family.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
He's here!
So I know I'm unforgivably late on updating our blog, since Peter has been here for an entire 11 days now. Things have been quite crazy since Tuesday the 27th, so I've had a hard time updating the blog.
Here's our beautiful baby boy. Peter Christopher Layton was born on Wednesday, July 28th at 3:54pm. He was a tiny 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and 19 inches long. His birth went really great, considering the circumstances leading up to the birth, and Chris and I feel blessed to have such a healthy and sweet baby boy. For those of you who have not heard the birth story and are interested, read on. Otherwise, enjoy the pictures.
Behold the sideburns and Stucki ears.
I will warn you that this is quite long.
As of my last post, I had just had an ultrasound to make sure that Peter was still thriving and growing. I assumed that everything was going great, because the ultrasound technician said he looked really good. However, when I got to my appointment with the midwife on Friday the 23rd, she told me that she was concerned because I had a "grade 3 placenta." Essentially a grade 3 placenta is an aging placenta that is typically found in placentas past the due date of the baby. They were concerned with calcification spots that might interfere with the baby getting adequate oxygen and nutrition. So, my midwife told me that the next step was to have weekly ultrasounds to determine his well-being.
I was definitely concerned; and after doing internet research, I was terrified. However, I also knew that he continued to exhibit signs of good health: good heartbeat, very active, good amniotic fluid levels, etc. So, by the time I got to my ultrasound appointment on the 27th, I was a little worried, but I really felt that he was fine.
For this ultrasound appointment, the technician was determining his biophysical profile and measuring for: breathing, movement, tone, and (I believe) amniotic fluid levels. Each category was worth 2 points for a maximum total of 8. Peter's score was 4 out of 8 because he refused to move for the technician (and tone is related to movement). I should note that he had been moving all day prior to the ultrasound and even moved after the technician left the room. After such a low score, the technician left me waiting in the room to go give my caregivers the information. She left me in there for what seemed like forever. When she came back, she told me that they wanted to speak with me. I spoke with one of the Obs in the office, and she told me that I needed to go to the hospital right away for a non-stress test. She also told me that she would contact the midwife, and that I should plan to stay the night for a possible labor induction. I was shocked. I asked her if I could wait an hour and a half for my husband to get home from work, and she told me no.
That's when I got really upset. In tears, I called Chris a little after 5:00pm. Unable to get ahold of him made me even more upset, and I was barely able to sputter a message for him that I had to go to the hospital and for him to call me back. So there I was, completely alone with one car and thinking that they were going to force me to have the baby and that my husband wouldn't be able to be there. A little dramatic, I know.
Upon returning home, I immediately called the midwife. I asked her to please let me wait for my husband, and she agreed that it would be fine. Looking back, it actually took me a long time to get everything together to take to the hospital, so that by the time I was done, it was time to pick up Chris.
Having Chris with me greatly calmed me. I really felt like the doctors were overreacting and I felt like Peter was fine. Like I said before, he looked healthy and I felt him moving on a regular basis. I viewed this hospital visit as merely precautionary and I assured Chris that although I had packed everything to stay the night, I was sure we would be going home after the non-stress test.
Sure enough, everything looked fabulous on the non-stress test and the baby looked like he was completely healthy and calm. So, my midwife called the head Ob to give
him the news. She returned and gave us the shocking news that he wanted me to be induced. I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. I was angry, I felt sort of betrayed, and I felt very upset. I asked the midwife if there was anything we could do to avoid an induction. She went back to speak to the Ob, and he said that if I had another biophysical profile ulstrasound that came back perfect, we could go home that night. So they wheeled me into the ultrasound room (apparently they thought I shouldn't be walking or something) and performed yet another ultrasound. He scored 6 out of 8, because this time he didn't breathe for the technician. Grr.
Chris and I were stunned that we were in this predicament. For this whole pregnancy, we had prepared ourselves for a completely natural childbirth. I had really wanted a natural childbirth experience, and I felt like it was being taken away from me. As I have posted previously, I was planning on a home birth. So, to be in this situation where they were forcing us to have an induction was quite a shock to both of us and bitterly disappointing. I cried a lot. In addition to feeling angry and betrayed, I felt scared. I felt so unprepared for childbirth. I just assumed that Peter would be coming late, and not nearly two weeks early. I felt like I hadn't gone through all the motions of preparing for Peter's arrival. I didn't experience the nesting. The carseat wasn't installed in the car. The baby's room wasn't ready. And now that childbirth was staring me in the face so unexpectedly, I felt completely unprepared.
My poor midwife really fought for us to be able to go home, but she ultimately had to follow the Ob's instruction. So, my midwife suggested that we check how dilated I was and then go from there. After checking me, she announced that I was 4 cm and 70% effaced. I was quite shocked to be so dilated because I had felt no painful contractions up to that point. I had felt some Braxton Hicks in the previous few days that were a little uncomfortable, but nothing too bad. Because I was so dilated already, the midwife said that we would try just breaking the bag of waters and see if that would get labor going. Chris and I felt relieved that they would not have to put me on pitocin right away. Although we didn't know what would happen, we had a sliver of hope that my labor would get going after the water was broken and not need the augmentation. I was pretty sure that if they put me on pitocin that I would need an epidural.
So, I was admitted into the labor and delivery room at around 9:00pm. They gave me my first round of antibiotics (I was unlucky to be Group B Strep positive) at 10pm and told me that they would break my water at 2am. It was a very fitful sleep for me. I remember feeling very shaky that we were really going to have the baby so soon. While I attempted sleep, I felt that I was having some irregular, mild contractions. I think the stress of the day had probably pushed me over the edge a bit and sent me into prelabor. When the midwife came to break my bag of waters at 2am, I was dilated to a 5. I was getting increasingly hopeful that this baby just might come naturally after all.
The next several hours were a bit of a blur. Chris and I were both so sleep deprived, but we were fairly alert because we knew we would meet our son soon. I began having real contractions almost immediately after my water was broken. They were pretty uncomfortable, but manageable. My midwife encouraged us to be as active as possible to get labor to progress as quickly as possible. They hinted that they would have to start talking about pitocin if I had not progressed enough by 2pm.
So, Chris and I walked the halls of the labor and delivery wing. I was having a lot of back pain. All the the contractions I felt were concentrated in my back so much that I only felt pain in my back. Chris was very helpful in giving me counter pressure, which took the edge off of my pain. Through the hours of the morning, Chris and I tried all kinds of labor positions that we learned from our Bradley class. Some helped, and some made it worse.
My contractions increased in strength through the morning, but they didn't seem to be coming very regularly. Sometimes they would be 7 minutes apart, sometimes 3. My midwife asked me throughout the morning if I wanted them to check my progress, but I declined. I figured that I hadn't progressed very much because my contractions seemed to have leveled off for a few hours. So, we walked some more.
Finally, my contractions started to get really intense. I was in part relieved that my labor was progressing, and it looked like I might escape an augmentation after all. At the same time, I was in serious pain. After an hour of hard contractions the midwife checked me and I was at 7 cm. I was so discouraged! I was worried that I was going to be in transition for eternity! At around 12 or 1, I asked to go into the jacuzzi because the pain was so intense. My midwife and nurse clearly did not want me to go into the jacuzzi because it can slow down contractions. At this point, I didn't care what they wanted because I felt miserable. I think I can safely say that I was right about my not having a high pain tolerance. Transition is famous for causing women to go into a highly focused state, and this was very true for me. It wasn't that I willingly focused because I wanted to--it was a more unbidden and sort of involuntary focus. I was focused inwardly because it was what I had to do, so to speak.
By the time I got into the jacuzzi, I almost felt like I went into a trance. I was still aware of my surroundings, but marginally. Part of this was because I was so tired, but part of it was because I was beyond the point of comfort from Chris's counterpressure or the comfort of the water, and I had to find my own sort of personal comfort. This was the time that I told Chris that I didn't want to go through the pain anymore. All I could get out was, "I don't want to do this any more." His response was to tell me that I was almost there and that we would meet our son soon. Although I gave no response, I sourly thought, "I'm going to meet our son whether I have pain relief or not!" But, then I remembered that I wanted a natural childbirth all along. And I figured that since I had gotten that far, I could deal with the rest.
While I was in the jacuzzi, my nurse came in and asked if the contractions seemed like they were coming more or less regularly. We had not kept track, but I told her I felt like they were happening less frequently but with greater intensity. Chris later told me that the nurse left the bathroom muttering, "I knew that would happen!" regarding my contractions slowing down.
But before too much longer, I started to feel a lot of pressure. I told Chris and then I got out of the tub. It turns out it's kind of hard getting out of a tub and drying off when you're in transtion. But somehow, I made it back to the hospital bed. I was so exhausted from no sleep and not being able to keep any food down that all I wanted to do was lay on my side. The contractions were actually harder to deal with in most of the labor positions, that laying on my side felt the best (or I should say bothered me the least).
I told the nurse that I felt pressure, and she decided to check my progress. I was at 9 1/2 cm. Soon after she checked me, I suddenly had uncontrollable urges to push. With each contraction, my body would automatically convulse into pushing. The nurse told me that I couldn't push yet or I would tear my cervix. Trying to not push when my body automatically pushed was easily the most unendurable part of labor. I was SO frustrated and it took so much of my energy to try to control something over which I had no control. Again, SO FRUSTRATING!
By this time, the midwife re-enterd the room, asking what was going on. My nurse had somehow disappeared and Chris had to inform the midwife that the nurse checked me earlier. My midwife was really irritated that the nurse checked me and then failed to inform her of my progress. So, as they're frantically trying to ready the room and the bed for Peter's birth, they're still telling me not to push.
Eventually I let my body push because I sort of instinctually knew that I was ready and he was ready. When they actually told me to push, it was a big relief but also very hard work. I really wanted to squat for the pushing, but I was completely wiped out and had no energy. So I unfortunately ended up pushing more or less on my back. The midwife was working very hard on preventing me from tearing, and the nurse was coaching me on how I needed to push. It took time, but eventually I learned what kind of pushing was effective.
I pushed for what seemed like forever. By this time I was praying hard because it felt like every push drained me of my energy. If I was going to have enough energy to get the baby out, I felt like I needed extra help. And it wasn't super helpful to keep hearing "You're almost there!" only to have to push again and again. But eventually, his head was out, and it took one more push to get the rest of him out. The release I felt was almost exhilarating, but I was surprised that I still felt pain and discomfort. I guess I wasn't one of those women for whom all pain disappeared when they held their babies. But, the pain was overshadowed by getting to hold my baby immediately. Peter had a little bit of a cone head from all the pushing, but I was surprised by how beautiful and sweet he was. He actually wasn't crying all that much--just softly wimpering a little. It was such an amazing moment and I couldn't believe I finally got to hold the little boy whom I had been carrying for nearly 9 months.
I must concede that immediately after Peter's birth, I felt like I never wanted to do natural childbirth again. I really appreciate that an epidural can take away that kind of pain. However, now that I have had a little more time to process all of it, I realize that I actually would do it again.
In the end, Chris and I felt very blessed to have a very healthy baby boy. We also felt amazed that we were still able to have the birth experience that we wanted, especially given the circumstances.
More baby pictures and updates to follow soon...
Here's our beautiful baby boy. Peter Christopher Layton was born on Wednesday, July 28th at 3:54pm. He was a tiny 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and 19 inches long. His birth went really great, considering the circumstances leading up to the birth, and Chris and I feel blessed to have such a healthy and sweet baby boy. For those of you who have not heard the birth story and are interested, read on. Otherwise, enjoy the pictures.
Behold the sideburns and Stucki ears.
I will warn you that this is quite long.
As of my last post, I had just had an ultrasound to make sure that Peter was still thriving and growing. I assumed that everything was going great, because the ultrasound technician said he looked really good. However, when I got to my appointment with the midwife on Friday the 23rd, she told me that she was concerned because I had a "grade 3 placenta." Essentially a grade 3 placenta is an aging placenta that is typically found in placentas past the due date of the baby. They were concerned with calcification spots that might interfere with the baby getting adequate oxygen and nutrition. So, my midwife told me that the next step was to have weekly ultrasounds to determine his well-being.
I was definitely concerned; and after doing internet research, I was terrified. However, I also knew that he continued to exhibit signs of good health: good heartbeat, very active, good amniotic fluid levels, etc. So, by the time I got to my ultrasound appointment on the 27th, I was a little worried, but I really felt that he was fine.
For this ultrasound appointment, the technician was determining his biophysical profile and measuring for: breathing, movement, tone, and (I believe) amniotic fluid levels. Each category was worth 2 points for a maximum total of 8. Peter's score was 4 out of 8 because he refused to move for the technician (and tone is related to movement). I should note that he had been moving all day prior to the ultrasound and even moved after the technician left the room. After such a low score, the technician left me waiting in the room to go give my caregivers the information. She left me in there for what seemed like forever. When she came back, she told me that they wanted to speak with me. I spoke with one of the Obs in the office, and she told me that I needed to go to the hospital right away for a non-stress test. She also told me that she would contact the midwife, and that I should plan to stay the night for a possible labor induction. I was shocked. I asked her if I could wait an hour and a half for my husband to get home from work, and she told me no.
That's when I got really upset. In tears, I called Chris a little after 5:00pm. Unable to get ahold of him made me even more upset, and I was barely able to sputter a message for him that I had to go to the hospital and for him to call me back. So there I was, completely alone with one car and thinking that they were going to force me to have the baby and that my husband wouldn't be able to be there. A little dramatic, I know.
Upon returning home, I immediately called the midwife. I asked her to please let me wait for my husband, and she agreed that it would be fine. Looking back, it actually took me a long time to get everything together to take to the hospital, so that by the time I was done, it was time to pick up Chris.
Having Chris with me greatly calmed me. I really felt like the doctors were overreacting and I felt like Peter was fine. Like I said before, he looked healthy and I felt him moving on a regular basis. I viewed this hospital visit as merely precautionary and I assured Chris that although I had packed everything to stay the night, I was sure we would be going home after the non-stress test.
Sure enough, everything looked fabulous on the non-stress test and the baby looked like he was completely healthy and calm. So, my midwife called the head Ob to give
him the news. She returned and gave us the shocking news that he wanted me to be induced. I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. I was angry, I felt sort of betrayed, and I felt very upset. I asked the midwife if there was anything we could do to avoid an induction. She went back to speak to the Ob, and he said that if I had another biophysical profile ulstrasound that came back perfect, we could go home that night. So they wheeled me into the ultrasound room (apparently they thought I shouldn't be walking or something) and performed yet another ultrasound. He scored 6 out of 8, because this time he didn't breathe for the technician. Grr.
Chris and I were stunned that we were in this predicament. For this whole pregnancy, we had prepared ourselves for a completely natural childbirth. I had really wanted a natural childbirth experience, and I felt like it was being taken away from me. As I have posted previously, I was planning on a home birth. So, to be in this situation where they were forcing us to have an induction was quite a shock to both of us and bitterly disappointing. I cried a lot. In addition to feeling angry and betrayed, I felt scared. I felt so unprepared for childbirth. I just assumed that Peter would be coming late, and not nearly two weeks early. I felt like I hadn't gone through all the motions of preparing for Peter's arrival. I didn't experience the nesting. The carseat wasn't installed in the car. The baby's room wasn't ready. And now that childbirth was staring me in the face so unexpectedly, I felt completely unprepared.
My poor midwife really fought for us to be able to go home, but she ultimately had to follow the Ob's instruction. So, my midwife suggested that we check how dilated I was and then go from there. After checking me, she announced that I was 4 cm and 70% effaced. I was quite shocked to be so dilated because I had felt no painful contractions up to that point. I had felt some Braxton Hicks in the previous few days that were a little uncomfortable, but nothing too bad. Because I was so dilated already, the midwife said that we would try just breaking the bag of waters and see if that would get labor going. Chris and I felt relieved that they would not have to put me on pitocin right away. Although we didn't know what would happen, we had a sliver of hope that my labor would get going after the water was broken and not need the augmentation. I was pretty sure that if they put me on pitocin that I would need an epidural.
So, I was admitted into the labor and delivery room at around 9:00pm. They gave me my first round of antibiotics (I was unlucky to be Group B Strep positive) at 10pm and told me that they would break my water at 2am. It was a very fitful sleep for me. I remember feeling very shaky that we were really going to have the baby so soon. While I attempted sleep, I felt that I was having some irregular, mild contractions. I think the stress of the day had probably pushed me over the edge a bit and sent me into prelabor. When the midwife came to break my bag of waters at 2am, I was dilated to a 5. I was getting increasingly hopeful that this baby just might come naturally after all.
The next several hours were a bit of a blur. Chris and I were both so sleep deprived, but we were fairly alert because we knew we would meet our son soon. I began having real contractions almost immediately after my water was broken. They were pretty uncomfortable, but manageable. My midwife encouraged us to be as active as possible to get labor to progress as quickly as possible. They hinted that they would have to start talking about pitocin if I had not progressed enough by 2pm.
So, Chris and I walked the halls of the labor and delivery wing. I was having a lot of back pain. All the the contractions I felt were concentrated in my back so much that I only felt pain in my back. Chris was very helpful in giving me counter pressure, which took the edge off of my pain. Through the hours of the morning, Chris and I tried all kinds of labor positions that we learned from our Bradley class. Some helped, and some made it worse.
My contractions increased in strength through the morning, but they didn't seem to be coming very regularly. Sometimes they would be 7 minutes apart, sometimes 3. My midwife asked me throughout the morning if I wanted them to check my progress, but I declined. I figured that I hadn't progressed very much because my contractions seemed to have leveled off for a few hours. So, we walked some more.
Finally, my contractions started to get really intense. I was in part relieved that my labor was progressing, and it looked like I might escape an augmentation after all. At the same time, I was in serious pain. After an hour of hard contractions the midwife checked me and I was at 7 cm. I was so discouraged! I was worried that I was going to be in transition for eternity! At around 12 or 1, I asked to go into the jacuzzi because the pain was so intense. My midwife and nurse clearly did not want me to go into the jacuzzi because it can slow down contractions. At this point, I didn't care what they wanted because I felt miserable. I think I can safely say that I was right about my not having a high pain tolerance. Transition is famous for causing women to go into a highly focused state, and this was very true for me. It wasn't that I willingly focused because I wanted to--it was a more unbidden and sort of involuntary focus. I was focused inwardly because it was what I had to do, so to speak.
By the time I got into the jacuzzi, I almost felt like I went into a trance. I was still aware of my surroundings, but marginally. Part of this was because I was so tired, but part of it was because I was beyond the point of comfort from Chris's counterpressure or the comfort of the water, and I had to find my own sort of personal comfort. This was the time that I told Chris that I didn't want to go through the pain anymore. All I could get out was, "I don't want to do this any more." His response was to tell me that I was almost there and that we would meet our son soon. Although I gave no response, I sourly thought, "I'm going to meet our son whether I have pain relief or not!" But, then I remembered that I wanted a natural childbirth all along. And I figured that since I had gotten that far, I could deal with the rest.
While I was in the jacuzzi, my nurse came in and asked if the contractions seemed like they were coming more or less regularly. We had not kept track, but I told her I felt like they were happening less frequently but with greater intensity. Chris later told me that the nurse left the bathroom muttering, "I knew that would happen!" regarding my contractions slowing down.
But before too much longer, I started to feel a lot of pressure. I told Chris and then I got out of the tub. It turns out it's kind of hard getting out of a tub and drying off when you're in transtion. But somehow, I made it back to the hospital bed. I was so exhausted from no sleep and not being able to keep any food down that all I wanted to do was lay on my side. The contractions were actually harder to deal with in most of the labor positions, that laying on my side felt the best (or I should say bothered me the least).
I told the nurse that I felt pressure, and she decided to check my progress. I was at 9 1/2 cm. Soon after she checked me, I suddenly had uncontrollable urges to push. With each contraction, my body would automatically convulse into pushing. The nurse told me that I couldn't push yet or I would tear my cervix. Trying to not push when my body automatically pushed was easily the most unendurable part of labor. I was SO frustrated and it took so much of my energy to try to control something over which I had no control. Again, SO FRUSTRATING!
By this time, the midwife re-enterd the room, asking what was going on. My nurse had somehow disappeared and Chris had to inform the midwife that the nurse checked me earlier. My midwife was really irritated that the nurse checked me and then failed to inform her of my progress. So, as they're frantically trying to ready the room and the bed for Peter's birth, they're still telling me not to push.
Eventually I let my body push because I sort of instinctually knew that I was ready and he was ready. When they actually told me to push, it was a big relief but also very hard work. I really wanted to squat for the pushing, but I was completely wiped out and had no energy. So I unfortunately ended up pushing more or less on my back. The midwife was working very hard on preventing me from tearing, and the nurse was coaching me on how I needed to push. It took time, but eventually I learned what kind of pushing was effective.
I pushed for what seemed like forever. By this time I was praying hard because it felt like every push drained me of my energy. If I was going to have enough energy to get the baby out, I felt like I needed extra help. And it wasn't super helpful to keep hearing "You're almost there!" only to have to push again and again. But eventually, his head was out, and it took one more push to get the rest of him out. The release I felt was almost exhilarating, but I was surprised that I still felt pain and discomfort. I guess I wasn't one of those women for whom all pain disappeared when they held their babies. But, the pain was overshadowed by getting to hold my baby immediately. Peter had a little bit of a cone head from all the pushing, but I was surprised by how beautiful and sweet he was. He actually wasn't crying all that much--just softly wimpering a little. It was such an amazing moment and I couldn't believe I finally got to hold the little boy whom I had been carrying for nearly 9 months.
I must concede that immediately after Peter's birth, I felt like I never wanted to do natural childbirth again. I really appreciate that an epidural can take away that kind of pain. However, now that I have had a little more time to process all of it, I realize that I actually would do it again.
In the end, Chris and I felt very blessed to have a very healthy baby boy. We also felt amazed that we were still able to have the birth experience that we wanted, especially given the circumstances.
More baby pictures and updates to follow soon...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Me at 35 weeks. Chris hasn't quite mastered our digital camera, so this is a little fuzzy, but it's the only one we've got, unfortunately. Everybody I talk to comments on how tiny I look for 35 weeks. I assume they're talking about my belly, because I'm definitely at my biggest everywhere else! Some people assume I'm due at the end of the year, rather than early August.
My last appointment (at about 37 weeks) with the midwife (yes, I was able to get in with the midwives at Shady Grove Hospital!) had me measuring the exact same as the previous two weeks, which concerned her a little. I also lost a pound rather than gaining any weight. She asked me if the baby had dropped, and I told her I didn't notice any difference. But, in hindsight, I have had less heartburn, and lately I have noticed feeling more pressure and discomfort.
My midwife had me get an ultrasound just to make sure he was developing okay. I was a little worried, but I figured he was probably okay because he's been so active and his heart rate has been solid. The ultrasound for 37 weeks had him measuring at just about 6 pounds exactly--which sounds just about right to me. So, he definitely won't be too small upon delivery, and I'm thinking he won't be too big either. He was also in the perfect anterior, head-down position, which is awesome and I hope he stays that way. So, we have a healthy baby boy who we'll get to meet in just a few short weeks!!
Apartment photos! This first dim photo is of our packed little living room. It's a little small, but it suits our needs just fine.
View from the living room into the entryway and the dining room.
The dining room with our new Ikea bookshelf. I didn't realize how many books we had--we were thinking we would have shelves to spare on this bookcase. Chris and I love to read books together--it's a favorite pastime.
Our kitchen, from one side, newly remodeled. The floor plan of the apartment is an older one, so it's not very open. But we are happy with our lovely kitchen. A big upgrade from our tiny kitchen in Chicago. It may seem small to some, but to us, it's huge! And we finally have the first dishwasher and garbage disposal of our marriage. Yay! These are some of the finer things in life, I've decided.
The master bedroom. It's been so hot, that we don't even use our comforter--just a sheet and a thin blanket. The room is a little bit crowded at this point. We are currently trying to find a space for my card crafts, which will eventually go into the closet. And we are keeping the pack-n-play in our bedroom for the first little bit for convenience. After Chris goes back to work, I imagine we'll move Peter to his bedroom. We don't have pictures of his bedroom yet, because we haven't gotten it ready. It's mostly just an empty room, and we are waiting on the delivery of our crib.
This is the other half of the master bedroom, with the vanity in the bedroom rather than the master bathroom. It's a little old fashioned--reminds me of the house I grew up in. But it's so nice to have our own bathroom right next to our bedroom. We feel spoiled.
The bathroom is the door pictured on the right, and our walk-in-closet and linen closet are opposite the bathroom door.
I did not take pictures of the second bathroom or the laundry room, but it is so nice to have both of those as well. No more laundry cards or hauling laundry back and forth up and down the stairs. And I don't feel like I have to cram all of our laundry into a single load to get the most out of my $2. So nice.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Disclaimer: Rant
It has been quite a whirlwind these past few days trying to get my prenatal care transferred to a caregiver. The whole process has made me learn that Maryland and Washington DC are not the best places to have a baby. I thought Illinois was difficult, but Maryland is worse.
Last week, I met with some wonderful midwives who work independently providing home births for women in Maryland. After speaking with them, I discovered that Maryland has actually made it illegal for CPMs and LMs to assist in home births. The reason for this is that you must be a "licensed" midwife to assist in a home birth, and Maryland will only license CNMs (Certified Nurse Midwives). Apparently only 26 states currently license CPMs, Washington being one of them (go Washington!). Anyway, so if you have a home birth with a CPM, in order to get a birth certificate, you must sign a document certifying that you had an unassisted birth. So infuriating on so many levels. Consider the un-insured pregnant woman in Maryland. Her options are basically as follows:
1. No prenatal care an an emergency room delivery
2. No prenatal care and an unassisted birth
3. Pay out of pocket for the astronomically high fees for a hospital birth (It's worthwhile to note that if the woman could afford a hospital birth, she could probably afford insurance)
4. Pay a midwife out of pocket and lie to the government about having an unassisted birth.
How are these good options? I totally feel like it is my right to labor how, where, and with whomever I choose. How is it fair for the state government to dictate my birth experience to this extent? And as Chris points out, how is it legal to get an abortion (in many cases partial-birth abortions), and yet not legal for a woman to choose how she gives birth?
Anyway, so on goes the search. Luckily, I have insurance, so we do have limited options, albeit home birth isn't one of them. There actually is a lovely birth center with CNMs who also do the home birth option for women in the DC Metro area. However, because they are so in demand in this area, their waiting list is a mile long. For a prenatal care transfer like me, this unfortunately is not possible. There is also a birth center in DC with CNMs, but they will not take transfers past 30 weeks, even with regular prenatal care. Maddening!
Since I had exhausted all the home birth/birth center options, my next task was to look for midwives who operate in hospitals, which actually isn't very common in the DC area. I did find a midwife group close to where I live, but they can't fit me in until late July! Thwarted again!
So, now I am searching for Ob-gyns who are natural birth-friendly in the metro area. And it is very discouraging to read posts on blogs and websites where people say an Ob who supports natural childbirth is an oxy-moron in the DC area. I have even read that there are Obs in the area who refuse to take on Bradley method women.
In the meantime, I have scheduled an appointment with an ob-gyn just so I can keep up with my regular prenatal visits. I'm hoping and praying that either something will turn up, or that I will have an easy birth experience. I am really not looking forward to battling doctors over giving me pitocin or a cesarean. However, I guess I will have gotten my money's worth out of our Bradley classes, since they prepare you specifically for an un-medicated hospital birth.
Whew! Sorry for the tirade, but it is very upsetting to get your hopes up for a certain birth experience, only to realize that you can't have that experience.
To end on an unrelated and happy note, we are pretty much finished with moving in (except for the baby's room) and I will have pictures of our fun little apartment soon. :)
Last week, I met with some wonderful midwives who work independently providing home births for women in Maryland. After speaking with them, I discovered that Maryland has actually made it illegal for CPMs and LMs to assist in home births. The reason for this is that you must be a "licensed" midwife to assist in a home birth, and Maryland will only license CNMs (Certified Nurse Midwives). Apparently only 26 states currently license CPMs, Washington being one of them (go Washington!). Anyway, so if you have a home birth with a CPM, in order to get a birth certificate, you must sign a document certifying that you had an unassisted birth. So infuriating on so many levels. Consider the un-insured pregnant woman in Maryland. Her options are basically as follows:
1. No prenatal care an an emergency room delivery
2. No prenatal care and an unassisted birth
3. Pay out of pocket for the astronomically high fees for a hospital birth (It's worthwhile to note that if the woman could afford a hospital birth, she could probably afford insurance)
4. Pay a midwife out of pocket and lie to the government about having an unassisted birth.
How are these good options? I totally feel like it is my right to labor how, where, and with whomever I choose. How is it fair for the state government to dictate my birth experience to this extent? And as Chris points out, how is it legal to get an abortion (in many cases partial-birth abortions), and yet not legal for a woman to choose how she gives birth?
Anyway, so on goes the search. Luckily, I have insurance, so we do have limited options, albeit home birth isn't one of them. There actually is a lovely birth center with CNMs who also do the home birth option for women in the DC Metro area. However, because they are so in demand in this area, their waiting list is a mile long. For a prenatal care transfer like me, this unfortunately is not possible. There is also a birth center in DC with CNMs, but they will not take transfers past 30 weeks, even with regular prenatal care. Maddening!
Since I had exhausted all the home birth/birth center options, my next task was to look for midwives who operate in hospitals, which actually isn't very common in the DC area. I did find a midwife group close to where I live, but they can't fit me in until late July! Thwarted again!
So, now I am searching for Ob-gyns who are natural birth-friendly in the metro area. And it is very discouraging to read posts on blogs and websites where people say an Ob who supports natural childbirth is an oxy-moron in the DC area. I have even read that there are Obs in the area who refuse to take on Bradley method women.
In the meantime, I have scheduled an appointment with an ob-gyn just so I can keep up with my regular prenatal visits. I'm hoping and praying that either something will turn up, or that I will have an easy birth experience. I am really not looking forward to battling doctors over giving me pitocin or a cesarean. However, I guess I will have gotten my money's worth out of our Bradley classes, since they prepare you specifically for an un-medicated hospital birth.
Whew! Sorry for the tirade, but it is very upsetting to get your hopes up for a certain birth experience, only to realize that you can't have that experience.
To end on an unrelated and happy note, we are pretty much finished with moving in (except for the baby's room) and I will have pictures of our fun little apartment soon. :)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Baby Shower!
Julianna, Andrea, and Becca threw me an awesome baby shower. I wish I could have gotten pictures of Julianna's beautiful table decor, because it really was lovely. We had a great time and it was so nice to see so many people there that I hadn't seen in a long time. Thanks to everyone for a great shower!
I am 32 weeks now, but this is my picture for 31 weeks (end of 7th month). Two more months to go!
This week I met the midwife (Laura Hamilton) who I would have worked with had we been staying in Washington for the baby. She did my checkup and she was awesome. So sad that I will not get to work with her. She was so nice to meet and did a little ultrasound to see the baby's position. She already could tell from feeling my belly that he was head down, but the ultrasound confirmed it. He's in an awesome position and is measuring right on schedule. My blood pressure even registered nice and low, which is awesome, as it had been steadily rising the past couple of months. So, everything looks great and we are in the home stretch. It is crazy to me that we only have 8 weeks left.
At this point, I am not ready to have this baby come out. As much preparation as I've had, childbirth is still a bit of scary prospect. It's hard to be so confident when all you hear all your life is that chidlbirth is the most painful thing you will ever go through. And there's also a certain amount of security knowing that Peter is safe in my belly where I can control everything about his environment (assuming I'm healthy and my body's working well). The prospect of giving up that control is a little scary.
During the past week I've definitely gotten to the uncomfortable part of pregnancy with being short of breath and sleeping badly and heartburn. Evidently I'm not uncomfortable enough though, because I still want Peter to stay put for now. I have read about lots of women who deliver at 32 weeks and I'm just hoping that I can get to full term. I think when Chris and I are finally together again, then I will feel a little bit more relaxed having him with me.
Speaking of Chris, he and his Dad are moving into our apartment tomorrow. It has been a long process for the two of them and I'm so grateful to them for all their hard work. I am sorry not to be of any help at this point, but kind of relieved all at the same time because of how physically uncomfortable I am. I am so excited to see our new little apartment, though. And I get to see my husband in just a few short days!! It will have been three weeks and two days that we have not seen each other, and I hope we will never have to separate for this long ever again. It's been great spending time with family here and I will miss them when I go, but I'm ready to be with my husband again.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
27 Weeks
Here I am at the beginning of my third and final trimester. It's hard to believe that I will get bigger than this. Sometimes I feel like my belly feels so tight from all the stretching that it couldn't possibly stretch anymore. And then the feeling passes only to happen again a week or two later. It's a very fun stage to be feeling and seeing Peter's movement and growth.
Now that I'm in the third trimester, the close proximity of birth is really hitting home. I can hardly believe that we'll get to meet our son in just three months. For a first time mom, I'm feeling plenty of excitment mixed with anxiety. Parenthood is such a big responsibility and I really worry about doing a good job. I know we don't have to be perfect parents; but as a parent, you're basically responsible for the well-being of your child to help them grow to be good people. No pressure there!
There have been some major changes in our birth plans. Chris was offered a better position at the Office of Personnel Management in Washington DC, so he has taken that position instead. So, instead of a nice, leisurely summer in Washington state, he gets to start work immediately after his finals in June. So, I essentially had to decide between being with my family in Washington, and being with my husband for my last trimester and birth. I decided that I didn't want to deal with being without Chris for that long, and I wanted to make sure that he was there to welcome our son into the world. So, I will stay for a month in Washington with my family, and then have the baby in DC. It will be a very busy last trimester of pregnancy, but I'm looking forward to it, and I'm glad to at least spend a little bit of time with family. Hopefully I will be able to make it out to Washington a few weeks after Peter is born to introduce him to his Norhtwest family.
In the meantime, a search for another midwife is underway...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Home Birth
I was finally able to find a midwife in Washington who had enough room to fit me in. I am really looking forward to having a midwife, especially as a first birth experience. It will be nice to have someone knowledgable who will be able to be there constantly and not have to leave the room to check on other patients. Chris is just happy that he won't have to argue with any doctors wanting to give me pitocin or an IV.
I'm relieved not to have to go to a hospital, because I feel that hospitals are for people who are either sick or injured. Childbirth, where the woman and baby are healthy, doesn't fit into the "sick or injured" category. I think doctors tend to view childbirth as a medical emergency, which is sad. I realize I'm a little biased though. The downside to all this natural birth preparation and education is that it makes you afraid of OBs and hospitals. Most of the hospital stories I've read are about women who ended up getting unecessary cesareans. But I need to give doctors a little credit--after all, all of my sisters-in-law (on my side) have had hospital births, and none have had c-sections. So I probably shouldn't be so squeamish about it. I am grateful that hospitals are there for when there are complications. All the same, I am still relieved to avoid the whole hospital experience, and hopefully all will go well to keep it that way.
I am very excited about my midwife. I emailed yesterday asking if she was available and she called me last night to talk to me, so that was great. I'm so used to the hospital run-around, and it was so nice to be able to speak to her and set things up so quickly. She is very experienced and has attended over 3,000 births since 1983, so that is pretty cool. I think that is pretty close to Ina May (for those of you who've read her book)! She offers both home births and births at her own facility with a jacuzzi for waterbirths. The jacuzzi is tempting, but I will probably go with the home birth. My parents have graciously agreed to this plan, as we will be staying with them in Washington.
I think it will be a nice experience and I am looking forward to being in such a comfortable environment. After all, when I'm uncomfortable, I'd rather be at home anyway. And it will be nice to have my mom there with me, too. It will be great to share this experience with people I love and trust in an envrionment where I can feel totally relaxed. I can't wait!
I'm relieved not to have to go to a hospital, because I feel that hospitals are for people who are either sick or injured. Childbirth, where the woman and baby are healthy, doesn't fit into the "sick or injured" category. I think doctors tend to view childbirth as a medical emergency, which is sad. I realize I'm a little biased though. The downside to all this natural birth preparation and education is that it makes you afraid of OBs and hospitals. Most of the hospital stories I've read are about women who ended up getting unecessary cesareans. But I need to give doctors a little credit--after all, all of my sisters-in-law (on my side) have had hospital births, and none have had c-sections. So I probably shouldn't be so squeamish about it. I am grateful that hospitals are there for when there are complications. All the same, I am still relieved to avoid the whole hospital experience, and hopefully all will go well to keep it that way.
I am very excited about my midwife. I emailed yesterday asking if she was available and she called me last night to talk to me, so that was great. I'm so used to the hospital run-around, and it was so nice to be able to speak to her and set things up so quickly. She is very experienced and has attended over 3,000 births since 1983, so that is pretty cool. I think that is pretty close to Ina May (for those of you who've read her book)! She offers both home births and births at her own facility with a jacuzzi for waterbirths. The jacuzzi is tempting, but I will probably go with the home birth. My parents have graciously agreed to this plan, as we will be staying with them in Washington.
I think it will be a nice experience and I am looking forward to being in such a comfortable environment. After all, when I'm uncomfortable, I'd rather be at home anyway. And it will be nice to have my mom there with me, too. It will be great to share this experience with people I love and trust in an envrionment where I can feel totally relaxed. I can't wait!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Baltimore
Hooray! Chris got a job! Two years ago, we would never have imagined that we would end up in Baltimore, and it's also a surprise to us that Chris won't be a lawyer. He will actually be taking a position with the Social Security Administration as a budget analyst. They seemed happy that he had a law and public policy background, and we feel very blessed to have been given this opportunity. I think he would have done a great job in law, but we are both really grateful that he'll have a 9 to 5 job instead of a 60-80 hour work week at a law firm. It is definitely a big pay difference, but I very much enjoy time with my husband and I think I would have gone crazy having him gone so much. So this works out great for me! Thanks to everyone for their faith and prayers on our behalf. We feel very much that we have been led to this position.
Chris will start on September 16th, which will hopefully give us a little relaxation after the baby comes to spend with friends and family in Washington.
Speaking of the baby, we have a new baby bump picture for 23 weeks. I missed the 5 month mark, and so I'm already well into the 6th, but oh well. I know some women feel like they look fat with the baby bump, but I've gotta say that I'm loving it. Everything seems to be going great. Peter is proving to be a very active little boy. He gives me lots of kicks and nudges throughout the day. I think he's gonna give me a run for my money!
We've been having fun with our Bradley method classes. Our Bradley instructor is very mellow and pragmatic, which is really quite perfect for Chris and myself. The classes are quite comprehensive and they also emphasize nutrition, which is nice. The hard part for me is getting adequate protein. They recommend 80 grams of protein per day, which is a lot for me! I'm used to getting between 50 and 60 grams, and it's hard to fit in that extra 20-30 every day. I'm hoping that my anticipated appetite increase in the third trimester will help me to get 80 grams more comfortably. It seems quite important to get in lots of protein. Harvard did a study that found that in women who consistently had 80 grams of protein per day, there were NO instances of toxemia/preeclampsia. So, 80 grams it is!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Baby Boy
We had our structural ultrasound today. It was very exciting for the most part. What I wasn't expecting was the pain and discomfort. My back was killing me from laying down flat after only a few minutes. Then I started feeling nauseated and overheated and lightheaded. I felt like such a wimp for asking for a break, but the technician was very polite. She said that it happens to a lot of women because the baby puts pressure on the spine and arteries. She gave me a wet towel and let me sit up for a minute and then lay on my side for the rest of the time, which made all the difference. So, after that, I was finally able to enjoy the experience of seeing our baby for the first time. It's been an exciting time for Chris too, because he felt the baby move for the first time last night. Not bad for only 20 weeks along! So much fun!
This is pretty much the whole baby from the side. After all the measurements, they said his due date was August 4th. My date based on ovulation was the 6th, so we're not too far off base.
This is the baby's leg and foot. Chris was happy that the baby had two legs and two arms and no horns or wings. He is a bit of a worrywart!
This is the baby's first head shot. The tech gave us about five pictures of his face for some reason. I'm pretty sure you can't tell at this point who he looks like, so I'm not sure why five of ten pictures is necessary, but oh well.
Another head shot. They did not give us the shot showing the gender, but we are most definitely having a boy. Chris actually spotted that he was a boy early on, but I didn't realize until she pointed it out at the end--I think I was a little distracted from the discomfort until the second half. Anyway, I guess I have not been remiss in referring to the baby as "he" and "him" for the past two weeks. I can't honestly say that I had any intuition about it. I was basing it solely on the data from our fertility charting. I'm not even sure how reliable this is, but it was right in this case at least. So, Peter it will be. We are so excited!
This is pretty much the whole baby from the side. After all the measurements, they said his due date was August 4th. My date based on ovulation was the 6th, so we're not too far off base. 
This is the baby's leg and foot. Chris was happy that the baby had two legs and two arms and no horns or wings. He is a bit of a worrywart!
This is the baby's first head shot. The tech gave us about five pictures of his face for some reason. I'm pretty sure you can't tell at this point who he looks like, so I'm not sure why five of ten pictures is necessary, but oh well.
Another head shot. They did not give us the shot showing the gender, but we are most definitely having a boy. Chris actually spotted that he was a boy early on, but I didn't realize until she pointed it out at the end--I think I was a little distracted from the discomfort until the second half. Anyway, I guess I have not been remiss in referring to the baby as "he" and "him" for the past two weeks. I can't honestly say that I had any intuition about it. I was basing it solely on the data from our fertility charting. I'm not even sure how reliable this is, but it was right in this case at least. So, Peter it will be. We are so excited! It is so amazing to think that our bodies can create and carry babies. It's a wonderful experience, at least for the moment. Not so wonderful in the first trimester, and maybe won't be wonderful in the third, but I'm really liking the second!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Visit to Ankeny
Last weekend we took a trip out to Chris' parents house. Chris had an interview in Kansas City, and since Ankeny is only three hours away, we decided to make a weekend trip. We had a very nice time and were amazed by the crazy snowfall! Apparently they have had more snow this year than they've had since 1865! It's a little crazy driving in this, because you can't really see over the snowbanks if you're in a tiny Honda civic. In the picture above, you can barely see the mailbox poking out of the snow.
Okay, here's 17 weeks. I think I look fat rather than pregnant right now, but at least we're making progress! When I wore this shirt for my 13 week picture, the sweater was not pushed out by my belly nearly as much as it is in this picture. It's fun to see. I also saw my doctor again, and everything's still great. Apparently I'll get to feel the baby kicking soon. Although, I suspect I may have already felt the kicking. It's hard to know if you're feeling it when you don't know what it's supposed to feel like! But, it's all very exciting.
I have scheduled our ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby for March 22nd. Chris and I suspect a boy, but hopefully we'll know soon. We're planning on Peter if it's a boy--we like it especially well since it's not on any top 100 boys name lists.
Speaking of babies, my lovely sister-in-law, Ann, just sent me a great book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I think all women who are having kids would benefit from reading this book. It really helped me feel so much better about the upcoming birth experience. I feel strangely empowered from reading it, whereas I think I was almost scared silly before reading it. There is some strange hippie stuff in it, but overall it is great! Thanks Ann!!
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