A learning experience for all of us...

August 5th 2017 I was induced about 3 days early due to my baby being large and me not being able to go past my due date because I had been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.  While pregnant I researched everything I could find about labor and delivery.  I had no birth plan minus I wanted my husband in the room and I didn't want an epidural.  I felt prepared for labor, but realized after that all the research in the world didn't prepare me for my OWN experience.

The only part of my "plan" was I went into labor on a Saturday, because I was induced, I then had a 26.5 hour labor.  Yes i know other women had gone longer, but due to the placement of my baby's umbilical cord, I had an emergency C-section when I went, "IM DONE" after they couldn't keep his heart rate steady and I wasn't 10 centimetes,  I was barely 7.  He wasn't going to fit, even though the poor little guy did try to come out naturally, so I had to have a c-section, and I had to be knocked out because I wasn't allowed an epidural.

The 10 Things I learned during my first baby labor experience.

1. Induction = Bed Rest
They tell you when you go into labor that they want you up and walking and moving.  THIS does not apply when you are induced.  They actually get kind of annoyed if you want to get up and move around away from the monitor depending on your nurse because they have to unplug you each time.  We had one nurse who was like, "yea just page me when you get done and I'll hook you back up" and another who was NOT happy each time I had to pee... So try that natural induction stuff at home to get labor going because if they induce you, you're pretty much stuck to the bed...

2. The Water Breaking GUSH
They aren't joking about that GUSH of water when your water breaks.  Mine was broken by my midwife and it just kept coming, and apparently it smelled really bad.  My husband informed me of this recently.  I was too busy with labor pains to notice the smell.  My husband has a very sensitive nose though so I'm not surprised he smelled it.
3. Internal Monitors
If they have difficulty finding your baby's heart beat with an EXTERNAL monitor, they will give you an internal one.  Be very careful with this, it is attached to your baby.  They drape it around your neck when your go to the bathroom, and my husband would help me in the bathroom each time I went so I wasn't tugging on anything.  He also accompanied me to make sure I didn't trip or anything.
4. Talk to your specialty Doctors, not just the pregnancy ones
 If you want an epidural, you should probably talk to the anesthesia team BEFORE you go into labor, especially if you bruise easily and are short, and get things in writing from your OWN doctors too.  I decided at 3 in the morning to get an epidural after our nurse (who wasn't our favorite person...) kept telling me "the pain will lessen in you get an epidural" and "you'll stop thrashing around in bed if you have an epidural".  She called the Anesthesia team, got me all hooked up and turns out I COULDN'T have one.  I have Ehlers Danlos and bruise easily.  At 4:30 in the morning I was informed by the Anesthesiologist that I had a high probability of being paralyzed if she gave me an epidural due to my EDS and how short I am, which my genetisist had told me wouldnt happen, but they refused to give me one.
5. Ask about pain management and drugs, Even if you don't want them
DISCUSS IT with your midwife or doctor beforehand.  I had not wanted drugs and I didn't know my options besides an Epidural, and was dead set on I didn't want anything.  I was given an IV med to start, and when I couldn't have the epidural, my midwife called the doctor she is associated with and was given Morphine so that I could sleep because I was having contractions every 2 minutes but wasn't dilating any further.  Also, the Demi (I forget the full name) doens't work as well the SECOND time they give it to you, thus why I had morphine..
6. TEAM WORK!
If your baby is in distress, EVERYONE gets on board.  My baby's heart rate started dropping because his umbilical cord was going from his belly button up over his one shoulder and down the other.  While he was trying to get out of me and I would have a contraction, it would put pressure on his cord and he wouldn't get an oxygen.  No joke, 4 people rushed in my room, and my husband noticed it before they were in the room yelling for me to get on my hands and knees and shoving an oxygen mask in my face because he was watching the monitor, even though they told us not to... My midwife in the morning turned it for us saying, "I know you like to watch it"
7.  Things go quick
An emergency c-section is the quickest surgery I have ever experienced.   Due to my inability to have an Epidural, I had to be unconscious for my cesarean, and my poor husband who had wanted to cut the cord and was excited to do skin to skin while I was recovering, wasn't even allowed in the room because I was unconscious.  SO, no cord cutting, no skin to skin.  BUT he got to watch his first bath, and hold him before me.  My husband claims it felt like 15 minutes from the moment they took me to the moment the doctor said, "you have a son!".  I could have sworn it was a half hour... but that may be from the moment they all came running in to his birth time.
8. If your mother wants to be there, let her be there.
 My mom asked constantly, "do you want me to come over?" and we were like, "everything is fine, you'd just be sitting here..." and about 20 minutes before I went in for my cesarean, she texts me again, and I said the same thing.  Looking back, I wish I had said, "sure, come on over and hang out with us, given hubs a break from rubbing my back" because she would have been there by the time everything happend and hubs wouldn't have been alone when I went into surgery.  Everything went so quick, that if the rolls were switched, I wouldn't have known what was going on if I was him... thus I yelled to the nurse to explain it again to him.
9. Stay calm, and breathe
 Lots of people try to tell you alot of information at the same time.  Try to stay calm because you won't hear any of it.  I literally told my midwife, "I don't care what the risks are, lets just get him out", as she tried telling me what was going on half way through me having another contraction and trying to keep an oxygen mask on my face.
10. You need that birth partner
Finally, you don't realize how much you need your spouse, or birthing partner until you are in it.  I could not have gone through that alone, and my husband really pushed through it.  He doesn't function well on little sleep, and by the time we had the baby, we had that contraction relief down to a science.  He'd hear me groan, and immediately sit up and start rubbing my back.

They tell you that you forget the pain when its all over.  Frankly I am not forgetting ANY of that first birth experience, but I did learn alot from it.  Especially the hour and a half wait to find out I couldn't have an epidural, my new found hatred for pitocin, and a new found love for pain killers in a pinch.  That said, it was all completely worth it for my little handsome guy

Pregnancy Posts

Well, its official, I have finally had to go through all of my clothing so I am not digging through laundry each day trying to find an outfit for work.  I've had to buy 4 shirts, 2 skirts and 2 pairs of jeans so that I can go to work each day and I'm pretty sure I'll need to buy more shirts as the bump continues to grow.  I'm proud of myself that from a change in my diet so I am as healthy as can be for this baby, and slightly increased exercise (you know not just sitting on the cough each day...) I've been able to wear most of my clothes because I have lost fat as I've gotten more pregnant, gained weight, but definitely lost fat.
But DUDE buying maternity clothes is tough!  Even having gone down slightly in my jean size, it was very difficult finding pants that fit.  Basically the rule for buying clothes when you are pregnant is to simply buy the same size you were BEFORE you became pregnant.  For example: you were a 2 when you got pregnant, despite the large round belly on the front of you now, you are still a 2.  I wear a 16 currently, but apparently pregnancy clothes manufactures and myself have different view on what a 16 really is... thus it was very difficult for me to find clothes for myself,  I went to Motherhood Maternity and the girl (who was very nice and helpful) said, "maybe you need a bigger size.." and it was in reference to the seam of the pants not coming up as high as I wanted them to.  They fit everywhere else, but typical maternity clothes hit BELOW your waist because your waist is now holding an incubator for a tiny human, so no one in their right mind makes pants that the seam is at your waist and I felt like they weren't sitting where I needed them to, thus I bought everything else but pants on that first trip...  Now I finally can't wear my leggings, jeans, sweats, basically anything that't not pajama pants on a regular basis, and I've become one of those people who have to drive with their pants unbuttoned because I feel like I'm squishing my poor baby!
BUT! THE OTHER DAY after going to Macy's, Marshalls, Kohls AND Target in search of jeans to wear to work (I can't wear the same like 4 outfits to work each week...) I went to Old Navy after a search online told me they might have something and I lucked out!  Not only did I find multiple styles of clothing to buy but I found multiple pairs in my size, in the multiple styles, AND they actually fit.  I ended up actually going DOWN a size in the one pair I bought, and if I hadn't thought about the fact that my belly is going to keep growing, I would have bought the second pair in a size lower than I typically would buy.  It was a win win kind of day for me!  Baby is happy he isn't being squished all the time, I'm happy to wear something other than skirts to work, AND I'm thrilled that I am possibly a pants size down since I got pregnant.  Now to just keep this healthy eating thing up and get myself down 2 sizes after I have the baby.

I did, in my search for clothes for bigger pregnant ladies, find a website called "Yours Clothing" and its a plus size clothing site, that has MATERNITY CLOTHES, and like, CUTE maternity clothes for curvier mommas.  It goes from 12-34 and has everything from shirts to underwear.  Their website does carry bathing suits, but not in their pregnancy line, which was slightly disappointing, BUT I now know when I've had the baby I can buy a bathing suit top from them that might actually fit my chest and be supportive, so I've got that going for me!

https://www.yoursclothing.com/maternity

there is their website for everyone out there, specifically their maternity section.  Check it out.  They're not a US based company though so everyone in America will have to pay more for shipping, sorry...

Thats my rant about pregnancy clothing... now onto my next adventure, finding a pregnancy bathing suit that will fit, and won't cost tons of money.  HERE WE GO!

Happy Mothers Day

taxikab