Karin's birth story

Labour contractions finally started (& didn't stop) on Saturday, January 16th around 8 PM. They lasted through the night, with Cam and I down in the basement, trying to get as much sleep as possible. Cam was in the guest room and I was out on the futon getting up with each contraction and then collapsing back to sleep as soon as it was over. Around 4AM Cam came out and kept me company as the contractions were getting closer together and then they slowed down again around 5:30. Soon enough it was 7:30 and time to get up to get ready to go to the hospital.

I took Chance over to the neighbour's house for a playdate with their son so that he wouldn't be upset as I had been telling him for weeks that when it came time for me to go the hospital he would be going to play with his friend. The neighbours brought him home at lunch time.

When we arrived at the hospital, they gave me a Foley catheter induction. The catheter was supposed to fall out when I was 3 cm dilated. It was supposed to take about 8 hours. 2 hours after they put it in, it fell out! I was only about 1 1/2 cm dilated though. I was moved over to a labour and delivery room and my water was broken by the doctor around 3 PM. Contractions started coming every 7 minutes apart or so and then slowed down yet again. Around 7 PM I requested to be unhooked from the fetal heart monitor for 5 minute periods and then Cam, our doula Carmen and I walked down the hallway to the stairwell, then ran up and down the stairs as fast as I could before returning back to the delivery room. The doctors let us do this 4 times, provided I stayed connected to the monitor for at least 15 minutes between walking sessions. On our last and final outing, we climbed up to the 20th floor!

That's what really did it - the contractions picked up again, and started to get longer, stronger, and closer together. By 11 PM or so I was ready for some pain relief - gas! It took a while to get the hang of using the gas tank, the trick was to stop breathing it in before the contraction was over to allow for some uncloudy moments between contractions. The gas left a bad taste in my mouth and made me feel a bit nauseous, but it definitely took the edge off the contractions. They checked me again around midnight and I was still only 4 cm dilated, but contractions were coming every minute or so. The doctor said they could augment with pitocin but I didn't like the risks of using pitocin (uterine rupture risk goes up 10x), so opted for an epidural to allow for some break between the contractions. It took a lot of tries to get the epidural in, about 5 in total from the marks on my back. The epidural lasted for about 20 minutes before it became very spotty and then wore off completely -- not in our plan!! I laboured a bit more and I was feeling different -- feeling like it was time to push. They checked again and I was still only 4 cm -- this was going nowhere fast. I made the decision to have another c-section. In the doctor's and doula's opinion the pitocin wouldn't really do anything other than make the contractions more regular than they already were, they were plenty strong enough. It was very frustrating to have my body stall out like this but life does not always go to plan!

The surgeons were in another operating room at the time, so we had to wait for them for some time, about an hour. I inhaled a tank and half of laughing gas. By the end of it I was just breathing straight from the tank, the room was spinning and Cam and Carmen were hanging on to my hands keeping me from falling down off the edge of the bed. Finally they came by with the tequila shot of anti-nausea medication and I was wheeled (sans gas tank) to the operating room. I'm not sure how far the labour room was from the operating room but it felt like a $@!@$%** long way to me!

At the OR they gave me a spinal tap and I was soon numb chest to toes and Cam was at my side. The curtain went up and they started to operate. I was having a hard time breathing, a side effect of the anesthetic. They put oxygen tubes in my nose. Soon after, the doctor said that they could see a baby's head. The baby started to cry before we found out that it was a baby girl! It was a long hard journey, but we finally had our baby girl Karin Sylvan Demmans!

Ultrasound January 15 - 41 weeks 0 days

Had another post-dates ultrasound today with a new fetal weight estimate. The baby apparently has gained 10 oz in 3 days. Cam (who believes that this is a girl) has nicknamed the baby "Ginormica" after the heroine character in Monsters vs. Aliens. It's a cute movie, Chance loves it.

After the ultrasound Cam was going on and on about how healthy the baby was and growing so big and the doctor interrupted him and said "Uh...you'll notice how quiet your wife is at this point..."

He still hung the "Hang In There" kitten poster in the baby's room when we got home.

The positive side is the ultrasound technician says that the head is "way down there" and to me (and Cam agreed) looks pretty squished compared to the first ultrasound 3 days ago but still relatively small, about 9 cm across at the widest point. Perhaps the baby has dropped somewhat or at least started to drop. This is the biggest concern for my doctor right now, that the baby's head will be too big to fit through my pelvis (CPD, cephalopelvic disproportion) . If the baby's head can at least drop into my pelvic inlet then it will keep them from automatically diagnosing CPD and recommending a c-section if labour is going slowly. This was the primary reason for Chance's c-section (well, the primary reason was that labour had stopped but the reason they thought it stopped was CPD). CPD may have been a factor with Chance as his head was 11 cm across at its widest point. I remember sitting up during his post-dates ultrasound and asking "uh, that's an issue, isn't it??" and they reassured me that it shouldn't be a problem as his head would squish and my pelvis would loosen up. The part they left out was "eventually". When you induce a baby with a big head and the hips aren't ready to loosen.....you get arrested labour (your body needs a break). Combine that with a hospital with one of the highest rate of c-sections in Canada + 10 births per day with only 8 delivery rooms and you get Chance's birth. They say they are up to 14 births per day with only 8 delivery rooms now at our hospital. My chances of having another c-section are highly increased with my previous c-section and now this high weight baby.

Another thing to note was the amniotic fluid level was down compared to the ultrasound on Tuesday, making it a good idea to go to the hospital on Sunday morning for my induction for this baby. It is reassuring to know that the timing is right, as with Chance's (induced) labour I'm not really sure that it was.

Chance is learning quickly...

In the last few minutes of the day before Cam gets home, Chance and I have been sitting down at the kitchen table with crayons, markers, etc. He has really been taking an interest in the alphabet, especially since we have been watching Sesame Street together. So the other day we started learning to draw ABC's.

This is the placemat I showed him with all the ABC's on it as a template. I bought it last Christmas when a deaf woman showed up at our doorstep, selling them. She had lost her job due to the downturn in the economy and this was her means of raising money for Christmas gifts for her four children. She was wearing a laminated photo of her 4 boys around her neck. I bawled like a baby, blubbering tears all over the cheque I wrote her.

Not bad!! First attempts at A and C (C is sideways). You can see the purple lines which I think is a copy of what is shown on the placemat (rows).

First attempt at the letter "B". This was a tricky one.

Ultrasound Jan 12 - 40 wks 5 days

Baby's heart (all 4 chambers) shown on right. Left hand side of ultrasound image is heartbeat measured at 141 beats per minute.

We had a post-dates ultrasound at the Maternal Fetal Monitoring at Foothills Hospital. The estimated fetal weight is a lot more than I was thinking, just goes to show how fortunate I am to have this anterior placenta, cushioning me from every blow. The head size is small though (back of head to forehead), scoring low on percentiles (I think they said P25). Tummy circumference was P65 so he or she is a little chubby, as well as quite long, P75. So our baby is shaped like a football.

Amniotic fluid level was normal and so they approved to continue my trial of labour, even with the extended due date. So my adjusted point in pregnancy is 40 weeks and 5 days today. I'll probably have to have another ultrasound in about 4 days unless I go into labour.

Everything else was normal, baby was doing some practice breathing & they were very happy to see that. Baby got a score of 8 out of 8.

Other than the size estimate (which I know is an estimate, and usually a little on the high side - and really it's just me that's concerned about the size, for obvious reasons!!), we are thrilled with the good news that everything looks healthy.

Another restless night....

Contractions seemed to step up around 10:30 PM last night, I took a bath but they never really stopped, just slowed down. I think I got to bed around midnight and woke up at 5:30 having gotten up several times in the night, always with a hard sore belly. Not labour though, just Braxton Hicks. Still feeling them. I think it's going to be a long day.

1 week window

Doctor during this morning's checkup: some women just don't work the way other women do. You're just very good at keeping your babies inside!

Well now I don't know if that's an accomplishment or something to be concerned about. At this point we have a 7 day window for baby to be born: January 15 to 21, 2010. If the ultrasound tomorrow says baby needs to come out sooner than later, it'll be the former date. If the ultrasound says the baby can stew a while, then could be as late as the 21st.

I have a feeling it'll be closer to the 21st. Either way it'll be great to see baby's face tomorrow. Hope we can get some pictures from the ultrasound.



If pregnancy were a book, they would cut the last two chapters. ~Nora Ephron

Sleep Talking

Both Chance and I are sleep talkers.

I wake up all the time having spoken aloud. I quickly check to make sure Cam didn't hear me and then usually slip out of bed to get a drink, pee, etc.

Tonight I woke up shouting "NO BOUNCING!!" I know where that came from....we went to a party tonight and Chance and the other kids were getting quite rowdy bouncing on the couches. At first they were just up and over the arm of the couch and rolling off, but it soon escalated to standing on the arm of the couch and leaping into the air as high as possible and nearly crashing into the walls (my son was the first to do the "Geronimo" move, a horrified mama notes).

So I got up and was standing at the counter with my peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk when all of a sudden I heard a ruckus coming out of Chance's bedroom "NO! wha bhlaz my DINOSAUR!!!" I spoke to him quickly saying it was just a dream and rubbed his back and he calmed right down but never woke up.

Apparently, experts think that sleep talking, or somniloqy, is less frequent in boys but may run in families. So I guess he gets it from me. Sleep talkers are frequently sleep walkers as well as sleep eaters (nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder). So when I find him one day out of bed and eating handfuls of dry cereal, I shouldn't be surprised.

Water

I woke up having dreamed that I felt a pop in my abdomen and was floating in a puddle of amniotic fluid in the bed. I got up and checked just to make sure, but I'm dry and my water did not break.

But I'm crampy and uncomfortable, so went downstairs and googled "what does it feel like when your water breaks?". I know what it feels like to have your water broken, but was wondering if there is a difference in what that feels like as opposed to what it feels like when it just goes on its own. I just about howled with laughter when I read this:



Pretty Kitty: What does it feel like when your water breaks? It is usually noticeable when your water breaks, or does it just feel like you peed your pants?
3 years ago

Mia2kl2002: No, it's not like peeing your pants. It's like somebody threw a water balloon at your crotch and you are standing in a puddle of water.



So I guess the answer is "nope, it feels about the same"!

40 weeks and going nowhere fast

Just had doctor's visit as well as the acupuncture treatment today. I wish there was more to report but unfortunately, there hasn't been a great deal of change since last week. I'm supposed to come back on Monday.

The acupuncture treatment was interesting. I did a 30 min treatment with 15 pins in my back, ear, shin and toes connected to an electrical current – the pins in my ear felt like a bug trying to crawl inside, at first it was annoying but I quickly got used to it. Overall it was a very relaxing treatment. I am supposed to come back tomorrow for a 1 hour appointment at 10:45.

Banished

I've been exiled to the basement because it's bedtime but I can't stop rolling around in the bed. It is definitely harder to get comfortable lying down these days.

In the morning I have to run to the hardware store and get a pint of paint mixed up and pick up some wall patching stuff. Someone has managed to put the rocking chair through the wall near the door in the basement, where I had it stashed temporarily until I could get a corner cleared out for it. I may also look into getting some styrofoam insulation material, Cam's parents use the stuff against their patio door and it does a good job of keeping the winter chill outside.

Tomorrow is my due date, according to the chart. My ultrasound results say I still have 2 days to go, but because the dates don't differ by more than 5 days, the doc did not change it. At this point I don't even care, as I certainly feel done! I will be getting an acupuncture induction treatment tomorrow, as well as my regular doctor's appointment for another cervix check and stretch. Hopefully all the meddling will result in labour! Both the acupuncture place and the doctor's office are nearby, so if anything does start up right after either treatment, I am only 10 minutes from home at least. After all of that activity it will be time to return home and figure out what to make for supper.

Good friends of ours had a baby girl tonight, welcome to the world baby Ivy!

Something to think about...

Both Cam and Chance were born on Tuesdays. I was born on a Friday. Maybe the baby is coming on a Tuesday or a Friday. So January 5th or January 12th or January 8th or 15th.

Fell asleep from 3 to 6 in the basement, just waiting for Cam's alarm to go off till I go upstairs. I'll hear it on the baby monitor as it is still hooked up from last night's testing session.

Sleepless

{eq. 1} Heartburn + excitement about baby + minor contractions (hard belly makes it hard to get comfortable) = less sleep than I know I should get.

Par for the course or just plain foolishness? With Chance's pregnancy I had a lot of difficulty sleeping, this is one of the first nights in a long while that I've been too uncomfortable to sleep.

Cam is keyed up too. We bumped into each other at 12:30 and he had been pacing around in the basement. 2:30 now, I'm going to go try to get back to sleep again.

Interference

First it's the car seats....then it's the baby monitors!

We already had two baby monitors due to forgetting to bring one on a visit to Sask a few years ago, so we picked up a used Fisher Price monitor, which probably sold originally for $80. The first monitor was a Safety First that we picked up brand new for $25. Both operate on a 60 Hz frequency, and each has 2 channels, SF has "I" and "II" and FP has "A" and "D".

Once we got the FP monitor hooked up in the baby's room, we noticed that the SF monitor in Chance's room wasn't working. We tried different channels. Nope.

So...I just finished searching Kijiji and UsedCalgary and found another used FP monitor and after farting around with it for 40 minutes and going up and down the stairs a billion times, I think it's going to work. I'm getting contractions. I had tried all the channel possibilities between the two FP monitors before remembering to turn off the SF monitor in Chance's room, which was probably scrambling the signal of the 2nd FP monitor. Also radio doesn't seem to pick up as well as voices. Whoo, that was a lot of stairs!

The new one is pretty cool, it has a white noise (waves) feature and a light projector that shines swimming fish up onto the ceiling. Apparently it will turn on the waves and projector automatically too on "hearing" the baby fuss or cry, depending on how sensitive you set its "ear". I'll play with that tomorrow as Chance will be going to the day home to spend the day with his friends. I'll be lonely but he will have fun with the other kids and we have to send him at least part time in order to maintain our spot with the day home. He'll be there full time while the baby is very new, until we get some sort of a pattern into our day at least. For now it will be 3 or so days a week until the baby arrives though.

Tomorrow is a big day, the car is ready! Just need to arrange for insurance and then they will pick up the plates. Maybe it will be done even by 4ish or so, but maybe as late as 6:30.

Today I had lunch with my fellow December birthday girl friends. One of them brought her 8 month old son and so I brought Chance too. Chance was an angel, I was so proud of my big boy sitting in a booth and having fun and not squirming around too much. He ate half of his ham and pineapple (ok, ham only pizza -- he picked the pineapple out) and sucked back half a rootbeer. Once we got home he got a little crazy for some reason, but settled down quickly enough watching a movie and then laid down for a nap. We woke him up as the neighbours asked us to go tobogganing with them, then returned home to hot chocolate while I fixed up spaghetti for dinner. All in all, a pretty good day. Cam returns to work tomorrow too, the house will seem empty!

McMistake

Big Mac + bouncing on ball + labour tea + "other" methods of trying to start labour = Braxton Hicks with gas pains. Owwie!!!

No baby yet...

4 days to go before my due date...things have gotten a bit quiet in the baby department. We invited some friends over for dinner, their baby was due Dec. 27th and are soon going to be undergoing induction procedures if their baby doesn't get a move on soon. It was good to get together with them and just forget about the "pressure" to get the baby born before certain dates. Chance and their little girl played great, probably the best they have ever played together. It was so cute to listen in on their conversations: designs on their t-shirts, whether she was having a good time or not, that Chance was too full for cake but she wasn't, etc.

In other news, the new car is ready in 2 more days, I am excited to get that done with! Today we went to Canadian Tire and bought rubber floor mats to protect the carpets from snow, salt, etc. but forgot to get a seat cover/protector to keep Chance from kicking the back. Oops!