I Love Me A Squishy Newborn January 10, 2009
Posted by tjwriter in Moms, Newborns.Tags: holding baby
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There’s nothing quite like holding your newborn in your arms. I’d forgotten how wonderful it feels to hold a sweet little baby. My mother has commented on how lucky I am that both of my daughters like to be cuddled and snuggled. It seems I was not one of those kids, and I didn’t like it at all.
Some people might try to argue that I’m spoiling my kids by holding them so much. However, nothing else feels instinctively more right than hold my kids when they need it. As I type this post, my newborn is stretched across my arms. It makes typing for any length of time slightly painful, but I have a happy, sleeping baby.
I hope I can hold onto these days, as they’ll be gone before I know it.
Coffee and Pregnancy December 18, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Coffee, Moms, Pregnancy.Tags: Coffee, Moms, Pregnancy
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This blog is obviously titled for a mom that has a serious need for coffee. And I do, trust me. I’ve also had several search hits on coffee in the third trimester, coffee in the second trimester, and coffee and pregnancy. I thought I might do a post on some of the recent research on coffee consumption during pregnancy.
Let me just say that my caffeine addiction is such that there was no way I was giving up all my coffee. In both of my pregnancies, I cut down on the amount of caffeine I consumed and in my most recent pregnancy, I couldn’t drink more than a couple of small cups, even the decaff stuff, because my stomach did not like the acid.
While I was pregnant, a couple of new studies came out regarding caffeine consumption. The first study linked caffeine consumption to miscarriage. In this study there the conclusion that 200mg or more of caffeine a day raises the risk of miscarriage. But there is a dissenting voice in this article that says the evidence just isn’t there. A second study links caffeine consumption to fetal growth restriction. This article shows that those who consume more than 200mg of caffeine daily had an increased risk for fetal growth restriction.
Reading both articles, I find the results only semi-conclusive. However, for pregnancy, I follow the moderation method of things. I still consumed my daily coffee, only in lesser amounts. I given birth to two healthy girls, 7lbs 3oz and 7lbs 11oz, respectively. So, the biggest factor is to look at the research, and decide what method works best for you. I knew I couldn’t survive the caffeine withdrawal headaches, so I just reduced my consumption and made my own half-caf blend of my favorite coffee.
Welcome Baby – A Labor and Delivery Story December 15, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Childbirth, Introductions, Pregnancy.Tags: Introductions, Labor and Delivery, Moms, Pregnancy
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We welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world on Monday, December 8, 2008. Cadence Laurelei arrived at 12:17 PM after about six hours of labor at 7 lbs 11 ounces and 21 inches. This was a very wonderful birthing experience, which was beyond what I was expecting.
At my 39 week appointment, my blood pressure was up and my urine was showing a little protein, both signs of pre-eclampsia. My doctor decided to give me a couple of days to go into labor on my own, but scheduled me for another appointment on Friday to check my numbers again. She knew that I really preferred to go on my own if possible and my symptoms weren’t serious yet. On Friday, there was no protein in my urine and while my blood pressure was up a little, it was still in the normal range. The doctor told me that there was no need to rush for an induction, but after some discussion we decided that the following Monday was a good day to be induced provided I didn’t go on my own over the weekend.
I kept expecting to go into labor any minute, but on Sunday night, I realized it was not going to happen on its own. Mind you that I’m afraid of induction because I’m terrified of having to have a c-section, so I was pretty nervous. We took our older daughter over to my parents’ house to spend the night, finished packing our bags, and tried to get some sleep. The alarm went off at 2 AM and the day started entirely too early. Per my doctor’s instructions, I forced myself to have some breakfast and we left the house around 4 AM to arrive at the hospital by 5 AM.
Once we arrived, we were given a room and the nurse came in to start paperwork and IVs. In a funny little twist, the nurse I had upon arrival was the same nurse I had the night after I delivered Piper. When I had Piper, she was on her first night back from maternity leave after having a little girl that she named Piper. As we got talking, the whole thing spilled out. She even remembered what room I was in and said she still tells the story to this. After a little difficulty finding a vein, she got my IV going and a little after six, my pitocin started.
I started getting some regular cramps, but I wasn’t too uncomfortable. They upped my pitocin every half hour, but I wasn’t feeling anything that was worse than what I’d felt in the last few weeks of pregnancy. I was nervous about the pitocin, too. It seemed that everyone I knew thought pitocin was much more horrible than natural labor. Shift changed occurred and I got another really nice nurse.
My doctor came in around eight to check me and break my water. It took her two tries because it seems my bag was tough. After that, my contractions began to get increasingly painful. I didn’t really watch the clock, but I think sometime between nine and ten I requested my epidural. I could make it through the contractions if nobody besides the husband was in the room because he was quiet and I could go into a focused, quiet place during each contraction. When the nurse or the doctor happened to be in there, it was hard for me to reach that place, and I desired to be comfortable.
The epidural wasn’t like the completely numbing one I had the first labor. I could freely move my legs and feel the pressure from the contractions but none of the pain. My torso was pretty numb, but that was the only place I couldn’t feel very well. I commented on this to the nurse and she said it was a different drug that focused more on the sensory and less on the motor. Much better, really.
Baby Cadence decided to be difficult and not sit in one place for monitoring, so the nurse hooked up an internal monitor. My doctor was in and out for the next couple of hours, which was a new experience as well. Last birth, that doctor didn’t show up until the nurse called him to look into something. The nurse had positioned me on my right side for awhile and I was resting comfortably. She came in at some point to turn me to my left side, but Cadence did not like that position and started having decelerations. The nurse turned me back to my right side and gave me oxygen. I focused on taking deep, slow breaths and see how much pressure I was feeling and where I felt it at.
Just before the nurse came in to check me again, I started feeling very low pressure at each contraction. The nurse checked me and decided to start setting things up for me to push. As she was looking at the fetal heart monitor strip, the doctor came in to see if it was a good idea to take lunch. Cadence had been having several decelerations, so they wanted me start pushing right away. My doctor kept saying that we were almost there and she really didn’t want to take me back for a section if she didn’t have to. She did a physical check and determined that the baby was not far enough down to use the vacuum, and she started stimulating the baby’s head because she said some babies like that and respond really well to it.
So there I am pushing at each contraction and my doctor stimulating her head between contractions. The only bad thing was that one of the few places the epidural left me completely numb was a place that left me completely unable to tell if I am pushing the right way or productively. My husband, the nurse and the doctor are coaching me through each contraction because while I am trying to push properly, I have no idea if I really am or not. Finally, with my feet sitting on the flat part of some stirrups while still trying to be mostly on my right side, I figure out that if I put a little bit of pressure in the stirrups with my heels, I can push effectively. Cadence makes her entrance a few minutes later, her arm up by her head as she comes out.
I couldn’t tell you how long I pushed for because the need to get her out became urgent, but I’m thinking it was 20-25 minutes tops. After I delivered, Cadence and I were doing fine. She nursed very well right after delivery and I surprisingly didn’t even feel very sore or anything. We left the hospital 48 hours later and have been doing pretty darn good ever since. She’s an aggressive nurser and I feel pretty good.
My husband was right though. I’ve been trying to do too much too fast and I finally realized that last night into this morning. Taking it easy has been the plan for today and probably tomorrow as well. Right now big sister Piper is holding baby Cadence on the couch and they both look really comfortable. Piper’s been trying really hard to take this change well, but I know it’s hard for her. In a week, she seems to be adjusting well. We’ll get it all figured out.
The newest addition to the family
Home Stretch – Starting the Third Trimester September 27, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Illness, Pregnancy.Tags: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Issues, Third Trimester
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Well, I’m 30 weeks now, which means I will be finishing up this pregnancy and welcoming a new little one to the family soon. This pregnancy has had a lot of ups and downs. It’s been the complete opposite of first pregnancy, which was one of those textbook type pregnancies. This one has been full of issues and it seems one thing after another.
Lately I’ve been battling a UTI that won’t go away. I mentioned some symptoms at my doctor’s appointment, and she then gave me a prescription for some medicine to stop my cramping/contracting and an antibiotic because my urine sample showed a very high level of white blood cells, indicating the UTI. Last Monday I finished the last pill, felt better for a couple of days, then starting feeling worse. I was getting clusters of cramps that were pretty intense. My doctor wanted me to go to L&D observation to be evaluated, and they discovered that I still had my UTI, so I received another round of antibiotic to complete. It’s a different drug, and it seems to be helping. I feel better, even if I didn’t realize that I felt that bad.
In related news, my daughter is also suffering her first UTI. It’s kind of odd that we both got one at the same time, but she’s taking medicine as well, so we both should be all better soon.
I feel like I haven’t prepared near enough, though I have unpacked several boxes of stuff, washed them and put them away for the little one. I’ve purchased some of the things I need in my suitcase (mostly travel-sized toiletries), have gotten the suitcase out, and I’m ready to start slowly packing things in there. I feel paranoid that I’m going to go early, and I’m already nesting. I’ve been cleaning house, and I really need to declutter more.
There are lots of ideas floating around in my head for this blog, but I seem to not do them. Something to work on, I guess.
Second Trimester Adventures July 24, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Pregnancy.Tags: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Issues, severe hip joint pain
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So, the first trimester went fairly well. I had some hip pain trouble, but no real morning sickness so to speak. I learned I should avoid certain things such as BBQ sauce and bell peppers. But the real fun didn’t start until about the 9th of this month.
I woke up for work and couldn’t move. I couldn’t roll over or get myself out of bed. Doing so was some of the worst pain I ever felt in my life. It was in my hips, a problem that I had last pregnancy but not at this intensity. My husband had to help move me. Knowing that I couldn’t do certain crucial things by myself, my mother, who watches my daughter during the week, picked the two of us and took us to her house.
A call to the OB/GYN resulted in a recommendation to get in to see my general practitioner. Luckily, I was able to get in that afternoon, and he told me that it was hip joint pain and that there wasn’t too much to do about it besides take the acetaminophen with codeine he prescribed for the worst of the pain. So I rested for the next several days, getting help to move around, get dressed and use the restroom.
Monday arrived and I was still having serious trouble moving around. At this point, I’d probably sat in the recliner or on the loveseat to sleep for almost a week now. I called my OB/GYN to followup with the second recommendation to see an orthopedist. The office made the appointment for Tuesday, the same day as my mid-pregnancy ultrasound and regular checkup. All the running around caused extreme pain. You can only do so much on crutches, and getting up and down from a wheelchair just scared me. Nothing prepared me for the pain from getting up off the exam table after the ultrasound. It was some of the worst in my life.
The orthopedist also diagnosed hip joint pain and recommended physical therapy in addition to a few helpful instructions such as no bent lifting. I made it into physical therapy the next day where I was informed that there wasn’t much they could do for me. The ultimate solution to the problem is to not be pregnant, but the nice lady gave me some at-home exercises to work on. She also ordered me a maternity corset, which is an extra wide maternity belt.
The belt has helped some, but on Tuesday, I started feeling much, much better. I’ve been able to sleep at a slight incline on the couch with my legs stretched out, something close to heaven. So I am moving towards movement again, possibly to return to work on Monday. I can move around by myself some, and I am moving towards not using crutches at all.
I’ve probably toned down some of the more painful aspects of it, but I’m pretty sure I’ve met my pain quota for this pregnancy. I’m just glad to be on the other side of this mountain.
Big News! July 11, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Pregnancy.Tags: first trimester, Second pregnancy
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So what can I say? Things have been crazy around here, and I’ve neglected a lot of things in the personal aspects of my life, including blogging and writing. So I never made the big announcement that I am pregnant with number two!
We’re really excited, and it’s a happy time to be expanding our family. I always wanted a huge family, but the husband doesn’t want a bunch of kids. We’ve settled on two children. The timing is right where I wanted between our two. My daughter will turn three about two months after my due date, Dec. 7.
I was pleasantly surprised that the first trimester went so well for me. Very little morning sickness, which is much better than being nauseated all the time. The only thing I can’t handle is peppers, of the green, red or yellow variety. I’m not having the serious cravings like before either, but when I want something, it’s usually not very healthy. I had some hip pain in the beginning, an issue I had with my first pregnancy. I’ll post again about how the second trimester is coming along.
Toddled April 10, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Moms, Time Management, Toddlers.Tags: Balance, Family time
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Lately, I’ve been toddled. You know, that insane feeling where your toddler leaves you frazzled and raw at the end of the day?
I think Piper is going through some sort of developmental spurt because she’s been driving us batty. She’s extra fussy and into everything, acting like a wild child. Not to mention that our routine has shot the crapper in a variety of ways.
For starters:
- It seems like I get home later and later every day. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t matter what I do, dinner’s never ready until 8:00. I don’t really get to spend time with my daughter or my husband.
- My husband’s cousin and her husband live next door to us, and they visit almost every day. Which I don’t mind that much, but it makes it hard it hard to get a consistent routine together and get my daughter in quiet, non-stimulating environment to get ready to go to sleep.
- She’s usually so wound up, she ends up going to our bed and not her own. It’s the only way to get her to quiet down and fall asleep. Not to mention that I want to go to bed at a decent hour, as I have to get up early and I tend to get home late.
Our situation has been less than desirable lately, and I’m trying to think of ways to make this better. I’d like to get my husband more involved in some of the evening activities. We’re going to have to sit down and plan everything out. Piper needs a better and more solid routine. I hope we can figure something out soon because we all need to get ourselves in order.
The More You Know, or Education Matters April 8, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Moms, Rants.Tags: Responsible Parenting, Sex Education
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A study came out recently, prompting several articles about the fact that comprehensive sex education is more effective than abstinence only education.
While some sarcastic reply wants to come flying out of my mouth, I’ll just say that I am not surprised one bit. Now, this won’t be an issue in my house for several years, but I plan to educate my children fully on the whole sex education spectrum. Knowledge really is power, and from my personal experience, having that knowledge helps a person’s ability to make informed decisions.
Telling kids they shouldn’t do do something is not enough of a deterrent at that age. The tween and teen years are about quite a bit of defiance. It’s a lot like the toddler years in that kids are trying to assert their independence and become their own person.
I am just a firm believer that having that education, knowledge of how conception works, what each method of birth control does, including success and failure rates, and a complete picture of each STD, with transmission info, prevention methods, and whether or not it has cure, is just good information. If teens know that 1 in 4 girls has an STD, knowing how those STDs relate to them is very important.
How many of us were shocked to learn that kids thought that oral sex was harmless, and not really sex? Yet these kids have STDs from oral sex because they didn’t know any better.
Education is important. Having a well rounded view helps decision makers make sound decisions. How the federal government ever thought that showing these kids only a portion of the puzzle would be effective is beyond me, but it won’t happen in my house on my watch. It’s not easy to stop two determined teens from getting out there and having sex if they want to (I know from experience), but giving them the whole picture, benefits and consequences, lets them use their brains in addition to their hormones.
Didn’t you just hate it as a kid when someone would tell you not to do something, but not explain why it mattered? I still get rubbed the wrong way about that today.
Hopefully, the government will look at results such as these and make new recommendations. Or I could be imagining things again.
Some Days a Shower Would Be Nice March 10, 2008
Posted by tjwriter in Moms, Time Management.add a comment
Over at Castle Debacle, in a interesting conversation about the day, Pete was discussing the limited window in which to shower. As a parent, that feeling is very familiar. There are days when the little one clings so tight I could never make it into the shower, much less do anything important. But when nap time finally comes, along with the opportunity to shower, the call to take care of so many others things beckons like a siren. Who is worried about self-care when some pickup and cleaning could be done?
So, by the end of the day, I feel gross and slimy, in addition to tired and ready to fall into bed. My husband doesn’t seem to understand this and takes off to work his to-do list instead, and then acts as though I’m just lazy or something in failing to shower. I mean, I could shower, but then the dishes and the laundry, and everything else that is important to the household would not be completed. Most of the time I spend the day chasing a toddler, making nap time the one quiet moment of my day.
Right now, I am lucky. I am able to type as the little one lays on the couch with the dog, watching a bit of TV. And asking, “What is Gigi’s name?” She’s going to fall out for a nap here shortly with a bit of luck. So, I’m sneaking in a little writing time while I am stuck on the couch.
