Surprise, surprise!! Baby Goldsmith #1 is coming around January 27, 2015.
I found out VERY early, during around week 3, which is crazy! Nathan and I were very surprised and a bit taken back.. we weren’t sure we were ready for this, but that only lasted about a week. Once we saw the first ultrasound we were both already in love!!
10/13/14 – My dad wrote our baby girl a song!!! Click play below to listen to “Sweet Dreams” by Chris Hardy.
- Month 1 (weeks 1-4)
- Month 2 (weeks 5-8)
- Month 3 (weeks 9-13)
- Month 4 (weeks 14-17)
- Month 5 (weeks 18-21)
- Month 6 (weeks 22-26)
- Month 7 (weeks 27-30)
- Month 8 (weeks 31-35)
- Month 9 (weeks 36-40)
Month 1 (weeks 1-4)
Month 1 of pregnancy with baby Goldsmith #1 was torture.
We found out extremely early, around week 3 by an at-home First Response test (and about eight more after that one!). I had been having an upset stomach and just had a feeling I should test, and I’m glad I did! I called my doctor, and they had me come in to confirm the pregnancy. They ran a urine test which came back negative (what?!) and then did an ultrasound, where they found my uterus had thickened but there was “no baby”. The doctor said I most-likely had a “chemical pregnancy,” which is when the egg is fertilized but doesn’t attach. I was SURE she was wrong, but she sent me to the lab for an HCG blood test that afternoon to make sure.
Two days later I ended up in the hospital for a gallbladder spasm. I was sitting at my desk at work and just experiencing the worst pain under my right rib cage, so I grabbed my things and went straight in to the ER. They ran some scans and did some blood work, and lo and behold the pregnancy test came back positive!! My HCG levels came back around 600! Then, my OB doctor called and told me their blood results came back positive as well. I knew it!
I wanted to stay with my OB, but after that experience I decided to part ways. I found a doctor much closer to our house based in a hospital, so when I’m “ready” it’ll only be about a 6-minute drive to deliver.
Symptoms for the first month were hard to notice. I felt very tired, but mostly I was having stomach distress (no nausea, though). I also kept getting a metallic taste in my mouth that everyone thought was weird!
Month 2 (weeks 5-8)
Month 2 was a LOT harder.
Week 5 (5/27-6/2) I had a wedding during the weekend, and was super lightheaded but couldn’t tell anyone! So, I kept stealing places to sit and cool off. Torturous not being able to tell anyone. Hardest secret ever!
Week 6 (6/3-9) I was able to get an appointment with a new OB to confirm the pregnancy. We saw the little bean and everything looked good in there, and we even heard a heartbeat of 100bpm. That’s low, but the tech said it had probably just started beating a few days earlier so it was right on schedule. She was even surprised they saw one that early. I should have been eight weeks, but only measured 5.6, so they sent me home with an appointment set for two weeks later.
Week 7 (6/10-16) is when the FUN started. Nausea, nausea, fatigue, and more nausea. I didn’t feel like doing anything. I wasn’t throwing up, but I felt like I was going to all day every day. Work was SO much fun. I ended up going to bed around 7pm every night and sleeping until 7am the next morning! I was just that tired.
Week 8 (6/17-23) I finally had my eight week appointment and the baby was HUGE!! (well, since the last time!). We even got to hear the heartbeat again which was now at 172 🙂 After the ultrasound, I met with a nurse who went over my medical history, asked some general questions, and then gave me my miracle prescription, Diclegis!! Diclegis is an anti-nausea medicine specifically created for pregnant women. It has been a LIFESAVER!!
I haven’t grown a bump yet, but I have gained a few pounds from nausea-eating. Some people lose weight in the first trimester, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case for me. No cravings yet, although pickles in general are still delicious. I have random aversions to random foods- one day a food will be fine and the next I can’t even think about it without gagging. Worst symptoms are fatigue, nausea, headaches, and embarrassing gas!
Month 3 (weeks 9-13)
Month 3 was a little better!
Week 9 (6/24-30) was pretty uneventful. Still really sleepy with headaches now and then. Nausea not so bad with Diclegis, but random aches and pains started.
Week 10 (7/1-7) we spent at the beach with some friends. I was still exhausted, but the trip was much-needed and spending time with friends was wonderful.
Week 11 (7/8-14) I had an actual doctor appointment with the OB, who was super nice. She checked everything and answered any questions I had. Everything looked great and we heard the heartbeat again at 170 through her handheld doppler.
Week 12 (7/15-21) was the longest week ever! We had decided we were going to tell friends & family as of week 13, so waiting that last week was hard. Two of my friends had announced their pregnancies during my week 12 via Facebook, so there will be lots of January/February babies!
Week 13 (7/22-28) was wonderful. Less nausea, (more headaches), started to get more energy, and my appetite started returning!
The tiniest of tiny baby bumps has started in my belly (although seriously no one could notice but us), and we invested in our own doppler machine this week. It wasn’t very expensive (the Sonoline-B, around $50) and so we’ve been able to hear baby’s heartbeat at home, which is amazing. I’ve been reading a lot of baby books and starting to think about furniture and registry items. Once I feel better we will start looking around for furniture, although we have no place to put anything right now. It is crazy how many different baby products there are!!
Symptoms this month are a lot like last month but with less nausea. Still having fatigue, headaches, lots of embarrassing gas/constipation, feeling generally achy and super lazy. My poor husband has been so wonderful getting me whatever I need and trying not to complain when we head to bed after four hours of TV! I’m looking forward to next month when things supposedly take a turn for the energy side!
Month 4 (weeks 14-17)
Month 4 was WAY better!!
Week 14 (7/29-8/4) was finally better!! I was drinking a LOT of water every day, so being close to a bathroom was necessary at all times. We had a company barbecue for Nathan’s work and it was so nice to not feel worried about the nausea anymore! I also started prenatal yoga this week, which I LOVE! It is so soothing, they give us time to just “connect” with ourselves, and after a busy day of work and stress it is nice to just release all the thoughts of the day. I’m signed up for the rest of August, so it’ll be a nice reprieve from other things. At the end of the week, I had an appointment with one of my OB doctors to discuss any problems/changes/questions, etc. My weight is on track (I think I’ve gained 6 pounds) and the baby sounded good on her handheld doppler. No ultrasound this week, but still reassuring to talk to someone who knows what they’re doing!
Week 15 (8/5-11) was another good week. Lots more energy! I got a hair cut and the woman who cut my hair was so shocked I was 4 months pregnant! No real bump yet, but that doesn’t stop me from knowing I’m pregnant – heartburn, heartburn, and more heartburn started this week. I’ve also been having headaches, but they’re solved with a small cup of coffee (caffeine). We took our boat to the lake this week and my biggest problem was the lack of restroom! I had to keep jumping in the cold water 😀 At the end of the week, we attended a going away party where there were two other couples with new babies (under 4 months). I held the tiniest baby ever and it was amazing! So crazy to know that size baby will be in my tummy in a few short months!
Week 16 (8/12-18) was uneventful. Still had heartburn and headaches, but no more nausea and I’m off the medication for it. Yoga is still wonderful and bathrooms are necessary 🙂
Week 17 (8/19-25) had a LOT more energy. We took a trip to Seattle, Washington to attend a friend’s wedding. I felt a little crampy here and there from dehydration, but overall didn’t feel much different traveling while pregnant. We made sure one of us had the aisle seat so I could get up when I needed. Otherwise, we ate a LOT of delicious food and just enjoyed ourselves!
Month 5 (weeks 18-21)
Month 5 started showing!!
Week 18 (8/26-9/1) I was definitely showing. Clothes got increasingly tighter and I had to buy a few staples from the maternity store (stretchy jeans, stretchy black work pants, and a long tank top to layer). I had my anatomy scan with a high risk doctor (Maternal Fetal Medicine, MFM), because I have a bicornuate uterus which is a risk for preterm labor. Everything turned out to be absolutely perfect (baby is 9 oz!). We found out the gender, and at the end of week 18 we shared the news… IT’S A GIRL!!!
We had a gender reveal dinner with our immediate families which turned out to be a hit. We all met at a restaurant halfway between the two families, and had dinner together. After dinner, Nathan and I handed out pink balloons and blue balloons to everyone, and told them to pick which color they thought the baby’s gender may be (in this case, blue for boy and pink for girl). Nathan and I had secretly put holes in the blue ones!! When we told everyone to blow them up, the pink ones inflated large and the blue ones EXPLODED!!! haha we did not expect that… they had slowly deflated when we blew them up at home.. but it made the whole reveal that much more dramatic.
Week 19 (9/2-8) was up and down. I had a regular appointment with my OB which was kind of a mess. I had originally put it down on the calendar for Monday, but showed up then and was told it was actually Tuesday. They called and reminded me that my appointment was at 9am for an ultrasound, and 10:15 to meet with a doctor. When I arrived on Tuesday, I sat in the waiting room until 9:45 when a nurse called me back to let me know they weren’t doing the ultrasound because I had one at the high-risk doctor the week before. Would’ve been nice if they could have found that out a little earlier! Then I was sent back to the waiting room for another 10 minutes, put back in a room where I waited another 20 minutes to see the doctor. She walked in all frazzled and asked me if I had any questions, and I felt so rushed I just shook my head, reminded her I needed blood work done, and left. Only quick part was the 20 second blood draw!
At the end of week 19, my parents surprised us with the absolute Cadillac of strollers, the Uppababy Vista. The stroller is absolutely awesome and we could not be more thankful, nor could we ever afford it on our own! We also ended up finding a crib!!! We went to Burlington Coat Factory, and they were having a clearance event on new-in-box cribs that had been discontinued (but still safety approved)! So far we have a few random outfits, a stroller, and a crib. We’re set!
Week 20 (9/9-15) was HALFWAY!!! Such a huge feeling of accomplishment. A lot of people are shocked to hear that I’m five months pregnant since my belly is so little! But, it’s my first baby and I know the next one will be huge. This week I was able to ride a lot and did some major walking. At the end of the week (20.5) I started having chest pains which I thought was bad heartburn, but it was hurting when I breathed, so the next day (20.6) I went to the ER to get it checked out. They did an EKG, ultrasound of my legs to check for a pulmonary embolism, blood work, and finally convinced me I wasn’t going to hurt the baby if I had a CT scan of my chest to check for lung abnormalities. Everything came back normal, so they told me to rest and come back if it got any worse. So I missed work the day of 20.6 so I could try and get some sleep (of course, I couldn’t).
Week 21 (9/16-22) I made it to work one day (21.0), then the chest pain hit me badly on 21.1, so I went back to a different ER and they did an EKG, sent me to labor & delivery to check on the baby, then back to the ER to do another EKG, more blood work, urinalysis, x-ray of my chest, and finally an ultrasound of my spleen and lungs. Everything came back clear again!! So I was miserable. Both trips were over 5 hours with no result or suggested treatments. Missed work again on 21.2 and went to my primary care physician who took five minutes and diagnosed me with pleurisy. I looked it up, and it is exactly what is going on. My PCP and her assistant were amazed the ER didn’t diagnose it, since I had the classic symptoms: hurt when I took a breath or lay on my left side or back, stabbing pain under rib cage, and nothing showed up on scans. According to MayoClinic.org, “Pleurisy is a condition in which the pleura — a membrane consisting of a layer of tissue that lines the inner side of the chest cavity and a layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs — becomes inflamed. Also called pleuritis, pleurisy causes sharp chest pain (pleuritic pain) that worsens during breathing.” It was SO painful. I am just so blessed to have a wonderful primary care doctor!!! So, I was given prednisone and a nighttime tylenol regiment for a few days and it went away!! At 21.6 I had a PERFECT ultrasound, baby is ONE POUND!! and measuring perfectly on schedule.
Month 6 (weeks 22-26)
Week 22 (9/23-29) brought a whole new set of weird symptoms. I started having headaches daily around lunchtime until bed. I also had a weird stretching pain when I walked/ran so things became uncomfortable when working out. Hoping it all just needs to do its thing and then I’ll be ready to go once it’s over. Started discussing the transition of my leaving with my work this week, so we have about 13 weeks to find a replacement and train them. That is if this baby isn’t early, then there is even less time! Everything else was fairly uneventful. Lots of baby movement, especially after loud noises. I was sitting watching a military reenactment, and when the guns went off I started getting kicked like crazy! She’s a fighter, that’s for sure 🙂 Went in to CVS and got my flu shot at 22.2. I’ve read a lot of women are anti-vax for them and their babies, but I’ve had the flu before and I just don’t think it’s worth it to take the chance of not getting the shot.
Week 23 (9/30-10/6) came with more headaches and some little stretchy pains. My belly is beginning to have it’s own zip code! Baby was moving and kicking like crazy. I had an appointment at my OB at 23.2, and everything was fine. I’ve gained a little more weight than I had wanted, but since I was so thin before baby the doctor wasn’t worried at all. I even brought it up, and that’s when she looked and was surprised! I think I’m at 20 lbs right now… yikes! 23.5 I developed an upset stomach at the end of the day, and 23.6 had to take a sick day from work because of it. I’m thinking I came down with a little stomach bug of some sort. Lasted about 24 hours and then I was back to normal 🙂
Week 24 (10/7- 13) was viability week!! We had a little celebration because the baby reached viability stage, at which medical intervention could most-likely help her survive should she be born from this week on (with no other physical complications). It would be a LONG road, but still worth a little sigh of relief. This week she was super active and my uterus is about an inch under my rib cage now, so I can feel the punches and kicks right at my belly button. At 24.4 I developed a little bit of a head cold which got me sneezing and not sleeping. Feeling relieved I got my flu shot!
Week 25 (10/14-20) was a great week. I packed up a lot of my clothes this week since I can’t fit in them and most-likely will not fit in them by the time we move to Georgia in March and took them in boxes to my parents’ for storage. I also started a prenatal pilates class, which made me SUPER sore for two days but is definitely going to help me through the rest of this pregnancy. I would suggest it to anyone looking for some kind of workout during a low-risk pregnancy (of course, ask your doctor before you start any kind of new fitness routine). 25.6 I had an appointment with the MFM doctors, which was another ultrasound! Baby is 1 pound 15 ounces and measuring perfectly on schedule. We also made them confirm girl for us, which she definitely is! Lots of kicks and bumps and she is currently breech with her big booty sitting on my bladder. The technician printed out some photos, and she has the chubbiest little cheeks in one of them. We’re apparently having a chipmunk baby! Everything with me has been great, although expensive. My clothes are getting smaller and smaller every day as she gets bigger and bigger, so I’ve had to stretch my wallet a bit for some good maternity clothes (amazingly, Target has THE BEST maternity clothes!!!). We also bought a few things for baby on sale at Target – some burp cloths, receiving blankets, and a pair of tiny baby white boots I couldn’t turn down! With a 5% card discount and coupons from the Target app, we saved about $12. We also ordered our car seat, the Chicco KeyFit 30 in navy from Buy Buy Baby. I had a 20% off coupon, so that helped a lot. We still have a lot of things to get, but we still have some time 🙂 Nathan has been subtly mentioning things we need (what about diapers? what about a dresser?), so I know we’re getting close now. He wasn’t thinking about any of this a month ago!
Week 26 (10/21-27) was the last week of the second trimester!! I had a dentist appointment on 26.1 and found out I had my very first cavity ever. The dentist told me that during pregnancy, a woman’s immune system takes a hit, making it more likely to contract gum disease and tooth decay. Luckily we caught it early, as it hadn’t reached the root and I didn’t even need anesthesia for the filling, so it was a breeze. Hopefully my last. Thursday this week was prenatal pilates, which went a lot better than last week. It’s getting hard to squat with this big belly, but I was not anywhere near as sore as last week. I think that’s progress! We also took a big step and bought an entire set of nursery furniture from CraigsList.com. A super nice family was offering a changing table, dresser, night stand, and glider chair from Pottery Barn Kids for $600! I looked up the glider, and new it sells for $500. We are going to replace the basket liners, changing table cover, and seat cushions eventually. But for now, we don’t even have space for any of it, so it’s not a huge pressing project. Overall I felt pretty well- sleeping became harder during the end of the week (although we drank a cup of “decaf” before bed and neither of us slept… Baby kicked a LOT and the kicks became quite sharp and painful. Goodbye second trimester!
Month 7 (weeks 27-30)
Third Trimester!!
Week 27 (10/28-11/3) was the first week of the third trimester, and there was no doubt about that. Insomnia hit me like a BRICK. Tossed and turned all night, had to get up to use the bathroom several times every night, and had the worst round ligament and lower back pain. I started taking two regular strength Tylenol at night and put folded towels under my belly to cushion so my back wouldn’t hurt so much, and that kept me from the couch for a couple nights. On 27.1 Nathan and I went to a “Baby Care for the 1st Month” class with MomEase in Rosslyn, which was really helpful. They showed us everything we need to look out for immediately after birth and we had a hands-on tutorial of diaper changing and swaddling. Nathan and I both felt very unprepared when we left the class, but at least now we know what’s coming! I had a regular OB appointment on 27.2, and everything was measuring normal. According to their scale, I’ve gained about 24.8 pounds which is a bit more than I should have by this point (should gain 25-35 the entire pregnancy), but I eat super healthy and they aren’t worried about it. I’ve been the one to bring it up every appointment. I’m now to the appointment-every-two-weeks stage, which is crazy. Baby is coming soon! This week I bought fabric to begin attempting to make new basket liners from our new Pottery Barn furniture. No other baby items this week!
Week 28 (11/4-11/10) we took a babymoon!! My parents and my husband and I traveled to Miami, Florida for a few days. Nathan was competing in the Miami Man International Triathlon, so we took advantage of the nice weather and made a “baby-moon” out of three days post-race. We had a FANTASTIC time, and baby even got to see the sun when I whipped out my baby bump in a bikini! We ate a LOT more than we should have, and forgot about everything on the beach. It was perfect. No baby-related purchases this week.
Week 29 (11/11-11/17) we had an appointment with the regular OB on 29.3, where I found out I have gained 35 pounds!! YIKES! I was supposed to have gained 25-35 pounds the entire pregnancy, so I’ve gone over a bit.. I also found out that I have diastasis recti, which is a separation of the abdominal muscles down the center of my abdomen. So I will have to work extra hard to get them back together once the pregnancy is over, and if I can’t do it naturally I will have to get a correctional surgery. Everything else with the regular OB was great. On 29.6 we had an ultrasound with the MFM doctor, and got to see our sweet girl’s little scrunchy face! She is still breech, so we may be doing a scheduled c-section at 39 weeks, which is crazy and only nine weeks away!! Fluid levels are perfect and she weighs 3 pounds, 4 ounces. Big girl!
Week 30 (11/18-11/24) I had my last Board meeting for my work. One of the senior staff members decided not to stay downtown, so I was given their room at the Hay Adams in DC! It was SO nice and I was able to just head straight to my room after dinner ended at 9pm, and walk straight upstairs to the meeting the next day at 7am! Nathan came to stay with me, and since the room had two double beds we slept in separate beds. It was actually super nice and so super comfortable. I slept pretty well, though I was still exhausted by the time the meeting was over the next day. At 30.4, my mom held a baby shower at her house for my immediate family and friends in the area. She had a childhood book theme, so everyone brought their favorite book and I had them sign a note to the baby for when she’s born. This way, even if we got duplicates they would be unique with their personalized notes 🙂 Everyone had a great time and the food was delicious- but man oh man I was tired after! Sunday (30.5) Nathan and I went to the farm and visited our baby horse who has grown huge. We stopped and got some barbeque from our favorite place, which I think may have been a bad idea. That night I was having the WORST gas pains that woke me up, so I didn’t sleep at all. Monday (30.6) I went to work, but left early because I was having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, which eventually turned in to more gas pains once I was home. That night was AWFUL, and I literally thought I might be going in to labor. I was having terrible stomach upset every 15 minutes, couldn’t eat anything, felt nauseated, had horrible stomach pain in waves, and felt terrible. I spiked a fever of about 100.6 which I was eventually able to bring down with Tylenol. Just miserable.
Month 8 (weeks 31-35)
Week 31 (11/25-12/1) started off terribly with my stomach upset from week 30 continuing. I missed work on 30.0 because I was afraid to leave the bathroom and just generally achy. I didn’t sleep much that night either, but 30.1 returned to work for a half day (they let us off early for Thanksgiving). I finally started feeling better that afternoon, so Nathan and I headed down south to spend Thanksgiving and the weekend with his family. Luckily I was feeling good by the time we got there, but the entire time we were there I just couldn’t sleep at all. I kept having to get up around 3am to eat a little something and take some Tums because I was having terrible heartburn. This was a week I just wanted to get through!
Week 32 (12/2-12/8) was fairly uneventful, though Thursday (32.2) my office surprised me with a baby shower during our monthly birthday cupcakes 🙂 I was VERY surprised, and felt so blessed by their generosity. The shower brought in several adorable outfits for baby, an extra car seat base to put in Nathan’s truck, a thermometer, a book, two sets of crib sheets, and a Fisher Price swing! On Saturday, Nathan and I went to a house party in DC and ended up staying out until around 1am (he stayed a bit longer). It made us both feel like we were young and cool again 🙂 We know we won’t be able to do that again for a very long time, if ever, so it was kind of exciting.
Week 33 (12/9-12/15) I was having the WORST acid reflux of my entire life. It did not matter what I ate, when I ate, or how I ate. I was being woken up in the middle of the night with heartburn and painful acid reflux and couldn’t sleep unless I was propped up in the seated position on the couch. Absolutely miserable. Luckily I went ahead and called my OB after a few nights like this, and they told me to take a Zantac 150 before bed. LIFE SAVER! I haven’t had a midnight acid reflux episode since! We also had our hospital childbirth class on 33.4, which gave us a ton of information about the actual birth experience at the hospital we’ve chosen. It terrified us both, but was helpful nonetheless. On Sunday (33.5), Nathan’s mom held a shower for us at their church, (about two hours away). It was absolutely perfect and we were literally showered with baby clothes!
Week 34 (12/16-12/22) I had several OB appointments- all great! Tuesday I had an uneventful OB appointment, where they confirmed everything was going great and I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing. Baby’s heart rate was about 145bpm, which the doctor laughed at since it was so hard to find with all the whooshing baby movement noises! I’ve gained about 40 pounds so far which is 5 pounds more than the end goal weight. The OB hasn’t been concerned at all since I was underweight to begin with, but it is still going to be an adventure trying to lose all this weight for tri season next year. After my appointment on Tuesday, I went ahead and got my TDAP vaccination. It’s not required, but absolutely recommended. It covers tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis, preventing the baby from getting the whooping cough which can be really bad for newborns. The OB suggested I let everyone know to get it if they are going to be around the baby a lot, so Nathan and my family will definitely have to get it at some point! I believe it covers non-pregnant adults for 10 years, so they will all be covered for any future babies of ours 🙂 Pregnant women are supposed to get one during every pregnancy since it passes some immunity to the fetus. I expected a lot of pain from it, but it was amazingly easy- I think even easier than the flu shot this year. I massaged my arm immediately after to help disperse everything, and no aching arm! Friday (34.3), I had an ultrasound at MFM and it was such a beautiful sight. Our girl is 5.3 pounds!!! Amazingly only in the 42nd percentile for weight, which means she will be about 7.5 pounds if she makes it to the full 40 weeks. Everything else measured perfectly, there’s plenty of fluid in there for her and she is no longer breech!! So, we might be having a non-c-section birth! This week has been painful from kicks and jabs to my ribs, and occasionally a head roll over my bladder. I’m still taking Zantac at night to help with heartburn, but am now just being kept awake by general discomfort. Baby loves to move around all the time, so my insides feel achy. Any time now….!
Month 9 (weeks 36-40)
This post became stagnant because I became huge and uncomfortable, and then baby HM Goldsmith was born at week 38!!
HM’s Birth Day
I was admitted to the hospital early in the morning on Tuesday (around 1am) because of intense itching in my palms and soles. I called my OB who had me come in for induction due to cholestasis of pregnancy. They had run a few blood tests on Monday but results had not come in yet, so since I had reached full term they didn’t want to take any chances. So, we packed my things and went in for induction.
First they tried a round of Cervidil to help dilation, but after 6 hours things were looking the same.
Next they tried a Foley Bulb, which did dilate me enough to break my water, but hours later my progress screeched to a halt.
Then they tried massive amounts of Pitocin, of which my body did not respond to. I was on max amounts of Pitocin with less than significant contractions.
During all of this I received IV fluids, a bladder catheter, anti-nausea medication, IV pain medication, an epidural, and lots of icy pops and chicken broth!
FINALLY, they decided on a cesarian section. I had reached 9cm, but halted for four hours. Baby was perfectly fine just hanging out in there, but since my water had been broken they needed to go ahead and get her out as soon as possible.
The entire process took 45 hours.
My c-section was uneventful, but gave me the shakes like a meth addict. It was over in about 45 minutes. HM was born at 9:20pm and weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 21.25 inches long. She was born after I had received a LOT of fluids and medication, so after the birth she lost about 11% of her weight and was on the border of being jaundiced. She didn’t have to go under the light, but we did have to supplement with formula to help flush the jaundice and gain a little weight before they would let us leave. Since I had received quite a bit of pain medication, HM was very sleepy the first few weeks. We had a heck of a time trying to figure out the breastfeeding thing since she would fall asleep before she got a good latch. She also had a high palate and a clench reflex (ouch!). I saw two lactation consultants in the hospital and we never really got it down. I pumped a lot and used a nipple shield for about three months, then switched to exclusively pumping until five months.
Recovery from the c-section went surprisingly well. I was determined to get my catheter and IV out so I could feel like a normal person again, so as soon as they would let me I got out of bed to take the “all-clear” walk to the bathroom. I believe it was about eight hours after the c-section. We were in the hospital for three days, and the second day was the worst for pain and soreness. We had a lot of visitors that day and I got a bit behind on my pain medication, so I was really feeling it. I had only been getting two hours of sleep at a time (HM had to eat every two hours for the weight) and so when I choked on some water down the wrong pipe I cried it all out. Through it all I never felt depressed, only exhausted and a bit frustrated from the pain and discomfort of breastfeeding. It didn’t help that every time I looked over at Nathan he was snoozing like he was saving up on sleep for the rest of the month!
I have to put in a little note about the maternity ward at the Virginia Hospital Center. If I could have all my future children there I absolutely would. They took care of me! From getting me icy pops throughout my 40 hours of labor to making sure I had anything I could possibly want, they were amazing. One of my delivery nurses came to check on me two days after the birth in the mom/baby ward, which she definitely did not have to do! Another of my nurses knit HM a flower on her hospital cap before she was born as we were waiting on delivery. The rooms were super nice with a pull-out couch for Nathan, the beds super comfortable, rooms had private bathrooms with showers, and I got room service for every meal! We took advantage of the nursery for night-time so I could get SOME sleep (two hours) and they were always friendly when coming to check on me. They also had lactation consultants and pediatricians on site, so we could do everything from the hospital. I did not want to leave! (well, eventually I did)
The trip home Nathan drove SUPER slow. He had precious cargo 🙂 And when we got home, we just kind of looked at each other to say, “Now what?”