On Wednesday, March 16, Attila and I headed to our 34 week check up. It was right after I got out of work and on the way there, I put my feet up in the car and noticed how incredibly swollen they were; the worse I had ever seen. I was also feeling weak and dizzy. When we got to the office, my blood pressure was pretty high and they decided to check my protein urine count. It was also up. Literally in the time span of half an hour, they admitted me into the hospital fearing it could be pre eclampsia. I was very emotional at that point, of course. We drove over to the hospital (stopping by 40 Days for Life and asking them to pray for us) and I got wheeled up to a room. Right away I was hooked up to blood pressure monitor and had labs taken. They checked my BP every 15 minutes and it was all over the place, reaching into the 180s. By 9 pm, it was decided that I would do a 24 hour urine sample test which would tell us if it really was pre eclampsia. So we geared up to spend the night in the hospital.
The next day, Thursday, was just about waiting and going pee. Our midwife, Sharon, would come in and out and give us results of the blood tests, which were OK but showing early signs of pre eclampsia. At one point we talked about maybe looking at bedrest but at another point, the reality of an emergency c section was laid before us. If my labs continued to get worse, showing my kidneys and liver getting worse, then it would be a c section. The 24 hours were up Thursdsay night, but we waited until Friday morning to hear and discuss the news.
Friday morning came, and I had high levels of protein in my urine. But my lab results were still Ok. And my blood pressure was still high. At that point, it was clear that we would try inducing labor. So now there was a series of tests to determine if baby was strong enough for labor. They had given me steroid shots to help the baby's lungs mature, too. We did an ultrasound and found out that the baby weighed about 5 pounds, which really put our hearts at ease a bit. It was so crazy to think that we could soon be meeting our little man. That night, they also started me on Magnesium Sulfate to protect my body from seizure and stroke during labor. It was intense. First, to realize seizures and stroke were a possibility and second the drug had very strong side effects. I was woozy and dizzy most of the time and it gave me hot flashes. At dinner time, they started a round of prostoglandin on my cervix to soften it and dialate it in preparation for pitocin in the morning.
We woke Saturday and found out I was dialated 1 cm and 50 % effaced. The pitocin was started. Most of the day not much happened in terms of contractions. I was very exhausted and so out of it from the medication I was on. The magnesium is known to relax the uterus, so that was working against what the pitocin should've done. Our families came to visit that day and I think it was very hard for them to see me in the state I was. By dinner Saturday, I had not made any progress in terms of dialation. We waited a little longer, and later that night the doctor let me have a break from the pitocin and cut the magnesium dose in half, so I would start to feel better. And I got to eat a full meal, which I hadn't had since Friday night. They also put me back on the prostoglandin to work on dialating me some more. I got some sleep and I would be checked Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, I was dialated 2 cm and 80 % effaced. Not too much progress. By Sunday around noon (I think, i've lost track of all the times), we decided to break my waters, hoping that would speed up labor. After my waters were broke, they started me on pitocin again. We were pretty hopeful this time. As exhausted as I was, I still wanted to have a vaginal birth, and the hospital staff was not quick to solve things with a c-section, which I appreciated. The contractions were much stronger this time and I even found myself praying for painful contractions - it would mean labor was progressing! Since my water had been broken, they didn't want to check me that often for risk of infection, so they checked me once late at night and I was 3 cm dialated and. After the whole day of labor
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Sacrifices
I just wrote an entire post that got deleted! Aagh! So now I will try my best to remember what I had written the first time around...
I haven't posted in a month! I hate to say that February was "busy" (because that term is used so lightly as an excuse to not do things) but we had a lot going on. Normally, I would've thrived off of all we had planned (youth group functions and retreats, many meetings at Church, a quick trip to South Bend, visits to the doctor, baby shower planning + registering, plus grocery shopping, laundry and cleaning with full time jobs) but being 8 months pregnant takes a toll! There hasn't been many nights at home for the evening to relax. Attila is even gone right now at a meeting in Lafayette and I could've gone to another church function, but I needed to stay home!
In the past month, pregancy has showed up in full force. I will say, and most women agree, the second trimester was AWESOME! It's a special time when you start feeling the baby move. Now that I'm well into the third trimester, I still love being pregnant and experiencing this little life within me. But more and more each day there is the realization that my body is not my own. There is another person growing inside of me, and theres less and less room for both of us to live comfortably everyday. I feel like I am officially apart of the pregnancy experience; I've been initiated now that I am experiencing all the stereotypical symptoms.
Lots of burps! If I move from laying down to sitting up, its a given that I will burp many times in a row! And lots of peeing. I am constantly aware of my bladder. This baby's head is right where it needs to be, meaning its right on top of my bladder and meaning I waddle as fast as I can when I feel like I may explode. It can be painful! It doesn't help that my mother in law told me Attila was born with a big head, and I am convinced this baby will have a big head, too. This head has to be big with how much pain I'm in :) I am also beginning to feel my lungs and ribs smooshed by the top of my growing uterus, hence why I may sound outta breath if you talk to me on the phone or in person. My carpel tunnel is getting worse, but I have a splint which helps a lot. And then there is the swelling! When I weighed in this week at the docs, I had gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks. The doc looked at my legs and knew I am retaining water. My legs look like tree trunks and my toes look like sausages! I am quite fascinated (and a lil disgusted) at what my ankles look like. I have to lay low on the sodium and keep drinking water!
We're also in "preparation for labor" mode. Since we're planning on a natural birth, it's "go time" to really kick exercises and stretches into gear. My cute husband is my "coach" and is taking this role seriously. Today, he was so adament on doing the exercises and stretches. But its good, I really need him to help me prepare my body for labor. We're entering a new phase of this pregnancy and of our marriage, really. He's getting to know my body more, too and I'm only going to rely on him more and more to help me out physically. Sometimes, I do fall into the trap of thinking "you have no idea what I'm going through" or "you won't ever have to experience the pains of labor" mentality and harbor feelings of resentment toward him for still being to live a normal functioning life. But he is taking such an active role in being my "coach" that I really think he WILL experience what I do and labor will be just as demanding on him. He already sacrifices so much to help me be more comfortable everyday and our marriage is becoming more of the reality "two become one". The TWO of us are sacrificing and preparing as if we were one person, in union, working together to bring the fruit of our love into this world!
God is so great and has blessed us beyond measure! I don't think its a coincidence that I'm due right after Easter, and that the most difficult part of pregnancy will be during Lent. God is refining me and my little family and bringing us even closer to the beauty of His Cross and His Glory. Amen, so be it!
I haven't posted in a month! I hate to say that February was "busy" (because that term is used so lightly as an excuse to not do things) but we had a lot going on. Normally, I would've thrived off of all we had planned (youth group functions and retreats, many meetings at Church, a quick trip to South Bend, visits to the doctor, baby shower planning + registering, plus grocery shopping, laundry and cleaning with full time jobs) but being 8 months pregnant takes a toll! There hasn't been many nights at home for the evening to relax. Attila is even gone right now at a meeting in Lafayette and I could've gone to another church function, but I needed to stay home!
In the past month, pregancy has showed up in full force. I will say, and most women agree, the second trimester was AWESOME! It's a special time when you start feeling the baby move. Now that I'm well into the third trimester, I still love being pregnant and experiencing this little life within me. But more and more each day there is the realization that my body is not my own. There is another person growing inside of me, and theres less and less room for both of us to live comfortably everyday. I feel like I am officially apart of the pregnancy experience; I've been initiated now that I am experiencing all the stereotypical symptoms.
Lots of burps! If I move from laying down to sitting up, its a given that I will burp many times in a row! And lots of peeing. I am constantly aware of my bladder. This baby's head is right where it needs to be, meaning its right on top of my bladder and meaning I waddle as fast as I can when I feel like I may explode. It can be painful! It doesn't help that my mother in law told me Attila was born with a big head, and I am convinced this baby will have a big head, too. This head has to be big with how much pain I'm in :) I am also beginning to feel my lungs and ribs smooshed by the top of my growing uterus, hence why I may sound outta breath if you talk to me on the phone or in person. My carpel tunnel is getting worse, but I have a splint which helps a lot. And then there is the swelling! When I weighed in this week at the docs, I had gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks. The doc looked at my legs and knew I am retaining water. My legs look like tree trunks and my toes look like sausages! I am quite fascinated (and a lil disgusted) at what my ankles look like. I have to lay low on the sodium and keep drinking water!
We're also in "preparation for labor" mode. Since we're planning on a natural birth, it's "go time" to really kick exercises and stretches into gear. My cute husband is my "coach" and is taking this role seriously. Today, he was so adament on doing the exercises and stretches. But its good, I really need him to help me prepare my body for labor. We're entering a new phase of this pregnancy and of our marriage, really. He's getting to know my body more, too and I'm only going to rely on him more and more to help me out physically. Sometimes, I do fall into the trap of thinking "you have no idea what I'm going through" or "you won't ever have to experience the pains of labor" mentality and harbor feelings of resentment toward him for still being to live a normal functioning life. But he is taking such an active role in being my "coach" that I really think he WILL experience what I do and labor will be just as demanding on him. He already sacrifices so much to help me be more comfortable everyday and our marriage is becoming more of the reality "two become one". The TWO of us are sacrificing and preparing as if we were one person, in union, working together to bring the fruit of our love into this world!
God is so great and has blessed us beyond measure! I don't think its a coincidence that I'm due right after Easter, and that the most difficult part of pregnancy will be during Lent. God is refining me and my little family and bringing us even closer to the beauty of His Cross and His Glory. Amen, so be it!
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