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My baby is 1 month old today! I can't believe it! If the time is flying fast now, Lord help me! He'll be graduating from high school in 3 blinks!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Happy Birthday
My baby is 1 month old today! I can't believe it! If the time is flying fast now, Lord help me! He'll be graduating from high school in 3 blinks!
Baby Slings...Any Suggestions
When I was home for Christmas, my sister-in-law Rebecca gave me her Baby Bjorn for when our baby was born. I remember using it with my niece Ava when she was 3 months old, and I thought it was really nice to be able to decorate the Christmas tree with her grabbing for the shiny baubles. But when we tried Jake in it, he screamed bloody murder. I think maybe it pulled at his legs too much since he's still so little, so he may not take to the Baby Bjorn for a while yet. But that doesn't mean I want to wait to use a baby carrier with Jake for another few months. My friends Silja and Will had slings made called Mei Tai's when they had twins, and I loved how sturdy and supportive they looked. But I have to think about my size. I really would like to have a baby carrier to use with Jake but I don't want to invest the money only to have it not fit properly. A friend's friend on Facebook loves her BabyNest as she has a big chest like I do, but I need to also think about my clothes size. So... anyone out there have a suggestion for me for a baby sling/carrier that is supportive and fits a large woman who's well endowed? I'd also like for my husband to be able to use it and he's a big guy too, and broad shouldered. Any ideas??
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Whole Gory Story...Part 2
Ok, so where we left off, I had been having prostin pains for 19 hours and the doctor had just said I was allowed to be induced.
It's now Monday evening at 7pm and I'm taken to a very nice private birthing suit. I waddle and roll my way up onto the birthday bed (which I have to point out was MUCH more comfortable than their regular beds). Dr. O and his minions poke and prod me a bit more before breaking my water...which really hurts! Out gushes a huge amount of embryonic fluid, which actually felt like a relief, but which made a huge mess. I was then asked to get out of the bed so they could change the sheets and clean the bed. When asked if I could clean off, I was told that I'd be getting much messier so there wasn't really a point. I think I was given a towel to at least dry off on.
So I lumber back onto the bed and they start the oxytocin. I ask when I can have an epidural (after 19 hours of prostin pains I realize that I'm going to need one) and am told I have to be 3 centimeters dilated before they can drug me that way. So I ask about the petadin, which I had previously said no to. I was told that they usually only let you have one or the other. Drat! I should have taken it when I had the chance!
Well, the labour pains come in strong and fast. I am given the nitrous-oxide gas to breath, which makes me a bit nauseated and dizzy, but luckily I am lying down! I remember trying very hard to do the correct breathing. After a few horrible contractions, I decide to try out my friend Valerie's advice and to sing/yell through the pain. So, I take a huge breath and yell for as long as I can. Rob said the gas mask really dampened the sound. 3 or 4 good contractions later and I'm SO ready for an epidural, and am barely coherent. I think I told Rob he's crazy if he thinks we're doing this again! It was about this time that I was told that they were short staffed so I'd have to be brought to the public ward.
I'm wheeled out of my lovely room to a public ward, and behind a curtain. To be honest, I don't remember much of the ward because my eyes were closed for most of it, and when they were open, all I saw was my side of the curtain. I do remember hearing other women whimpering in pain and felt a little guilty for the amount of sound I was producing. At least I breathed from my diaphragm and yelled with my abs! No vocal abuse here!
After about an hour (I think), I'm told I'm 1 centimeter dilated. So I calculate that I'll have to have 10 more contractions before I'm dilated enough for an epidural. I yell through them with Rob by my side, though again, I can't remember much. The nitrous-oxide gas really makes you a zombie.
Ten contractions later and I start asking for the epidural. I believe I was nice about it, unlike my next door neighbor ('gimmie the f-in epidural!'). The lovely midwives go and get the anesthesiologist on call. When he comes, I'm in the middle of a contraction. As he's preparing me for the epidural, he tells me I have to stop yelling so he can focus. That was probably the hardest thing I had to do. So I sit up to the side of the bed, wrap my arms around a pillow and whimper along through a few contractions as he sticks me full of lovely, pain numbing drugs. To be honest, I think maybe that way of dealing with the contractions was probably better than the yelling. They hurt just as much, but maybe the physiotherapist was right when teaching us how to breath properly in our antenatal class. Regardless, as much of a jackass I have in mind that anesthesiologist to be, he drugged me, so he's my hero. :)
It's now Monday evening at 7pm and I'm taken to a very nice private birthing suit. I waddle and roll my way up onto the birthday bed (which I have to point out was MUCH more comfortable than their regular beds). Dr. O and his minions poke and prod me a bit more before breaking my water...which really hurts! Out gushes a huge amount of embryonic fluid, which actually felt like a relief, but which made a huge mess. I was then asked to get out of the bed so they could change the sheets and clean the bed. When asked if I could clean off, I was told that I'd be getting much messier so there wasn't really a point. I think I was given a towel to at least dry off on.
So I lumber back onto the bed and they start the oxytocin. I ask when I can have an epidural (after 19 hours of prostin pains I realize that I'm going to need one) and am told I have to be 3 centimeters dilated before they can drug me that way. So I ask about the petadin, which I had previously said no to. I was told that they usually only let you have one or the other. Drat! I should have taken it when I had the chance!
Well, the labour pains come in strong and fast. I am given the nitrous-oxide gas to breath, which makes me a bit nauseated and dizzy, but luckily I am lying down! I remember trying very hard to do the correct breathing. After a few horrible contractions, I decide to try out my friend Valerie's advice and to sing/yell through the pain. So, I take a huge breath and yell for as long as I can. Rob said the gas mask really dampened the sound. 3 or 4 good contractions later and I'm SO ready for an epidural, and am barely coherent. I think I told Rob he's crazy if he thinks we're doing this again! It was about this time that I was told that they were short staffed so I'd have to be brought to the public ward.
I'm wheeled out of my lovely room to a public ward, and behind a curtain. To be honest, I don't remember much of the ward because my eyes were closed for most of it, and when they were open, all I saw was my side of the curtain. I do remember hearing other women whimpering in pain and felt a little guilty for the amount of sound I was producing. At least I breathed from my diaphragm and yelled with my abs! No vocal abuse here!
After about an hour (I think), I'm told I'm 1 centimeter dilated. So I calculate that I'll have to have 10 more contractions before I'm dilated enough for an epidural. I yell through them with Rob by my side, though again, I can't remember much. The nitrous-oxide gas really makes you a zombie.
Ten contractions later and I start asking for the epidural. I believe I was nice about it, unlike my next door neighbor ('gimmie the f-in epidural!'). The lovely midwives go and get the anesthesiologist on call. When he comes, I'm in the middle of a contraction. As he's preparing me for the epidural, he tells me I have to stop yelling so he can focus. That was probably the hardest thing I had to do. So I sit up to the side of the bed, wrap my arms around a pillow and whimper along through a few contractions as he sticks me full of lovely, pain numbing drugs. To be honest, I think maybe that way of dealing with the contractions was probably better than the yelling. They hurt just as much, but maybe the physiotherapist was right when teaching us how to breath properly in our antenatal class. Regardless, as much of a jackass I have in mind that anesthesiologist to be, he drugged me, so he's my hero. :)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Whole Gory Storey...Part 1
Ok, so I finally have a few moments while Rob is watching Jacob, dad is cleaning our dishes (woo hoo!) and mom is reading a book to put down our dear son's birth story.
Sunday evening, 17th May, I went into the Coombe hospital for the induction. We got there about 6:30 and I got to my room about 7pm. Of course, my file wasn't where it should be... I think my doctor's people forgot to send it to admissions. What that meant for me, though, was that they couldn't start the induction without the file. So I sat around until about 10:30 and nothing happened. By then I was a bit frustrated because it meant spending the night in the hospital NOT going into labor. So Rob left about 10:30 and I settled down for a night of disappoinment. LUCKILY, some lovely soul did go retrieve my file, so about 11pm a doctor appeared to give me the gel, Prostin to ripen my cervix. Yippie! The gel itself was a bit tingly feeling...not QUITE stinging, but not althogether unpleasant.
After the gel, I had to stay in bed for an hour to make sure it did it's work. Of course, that's when my bladder decided it needed to be emptied. I at least made it to the end of that hour. Just about midnight, I started having 'prostin pains' which are (I assume) similar to some beginning contration pains. For me, they lasted about 20 seconds and came 2-5 minutes apart. Now, one or two of these pains isn't really all that bad. But by noon on Monday, I was pretty fed up with them; kind of like Chinese water torture. My doctor came in later that day to check (poke around) my cervix (that time the examination hurt) and decided to give me another dose of Prostin.
Can I just stop here a moment and comment on my newfound hatred of the fetal monitor machines? I think they should rename them the pregnant woman torture device. I was put on this damned monitor several times during my stay. Each time, I was asked to hold one of the monitor bits in place to make sure they could maintain the heartbeat. Which is all well and good, until they come back 30 mintues later (after saying they'd be back in 20 minutes), your back is aching now and your arm is about to fall off from pressing the monitor on your belly. The midwife THEN says, 'oh, let's give it a few more minutes,' and disappears for another half hour! Grrrr. I am NOT a fan.
Alright, back to the story. I have now been having 'prostin pains' for 19 hours (ow ow ow ow ow!!), have decided against taking the petadin morphine shot, been given one more painful vaginal assault and have FINALLY been told they can break my waters....
Sunday evening, 17th May, I went into the Coombe hospital for the induction. We got there about 6:30 and I got to my room about 7pm. Of course, my file wasn't where it should be... I think my doctor's people forgot to send it to admissions. What that meant for me, though, was that they couldn't start the induction without the file. So I sat around until about 10:30 and nothing happened. By then I was a bit frustrated because it meant spending the night in the hospital NOT going into labor. So Rob left about 10:30 and I settled down for a night of disappoinment. LUCKILY, some lovely soul did go retrieve my file, so about 11pm a doctor appeared to give me the gel, Prostin to ripen my cervix. Yippie! The gel itself was a bit tingly feeling...not QUITE stinging, but not althogether unpleasant.
After the gel, I had to stay in bed for an hour to make sure it did it's work. Of course, that's when my bladder decided it needed to be emptied. I at least made it to the end of that hour. Just about midnight, I started having 'prostin pains' which are (I assume) similar to some beginning contration pains. For me, they lasted about 20 seconds and came 2-5 minutes apart. Now, one or two of these pains isn't really all that bad. But by noon on Monday, I was pretty fed up with them; kind of like Chinese water torture. My doctor came in later that day to check (poke around) my cervix (that time the examination hurt) and decided to give me another dose of Prostin.
Can I just stop here a moment and comment on my newfound hatred of the fetal monitor machines? I think they should rename them the pregnant woman torture device. I was put on this damned monitor several times during my stay. Each time, I was asked to hold one of the monitor bits in place to make sure they could maintain the heartbeat. Which is all well and good, until they come back 30 mintues later (after saying they'd be back in 20 minutes), your back is aching now and your arm is about to fall off from pressing the monitor on your belly. The midwife THEN says, 'oh, let's give it a few more minutes,' and disappears for another half hour! Grrrr. I am NOT a fan.
Alright, back to the story. I have now been having 'prostin pains' for 19 hours (ow ow ow ow ow!!), have decided against taking the petadin morphine shot, been given one more painful vaginal assault and have FINALLY been told they can break my waters....
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
I suppose you want my details too...
Wow, I'm a horrible blogger now that baby's arrived. But that's normal, right? I noticed I hadn't even given ANY details about Jake's birth! How horrible of me! Ok, so without further ado, may I introduce:
Jacob William Grundulis
May 19, 2009
7:06 AM
7 pounds, 11 1/2 ounces (or 3.5 kilos)
Jacob William Grundulis
May 19, 2009
7:06 AM
7 pounds, 11 1/2 ounces (or 3.5 kilos)
We're both so very much in love with our little monkey. He's just so amazing and I'm so happy to have him in my life.
Congratulations Lisa, Brian and Jack!
My cousin Lisa gave birth on Sunday to a beautiful baby girl, Kate. I'm thrilled to have another cousin in the family! And I love that we both had the name Mae on the mind as a middle name (but as Jacob came out a boy, we didn't use the name). So here are the specs:
Katharine Mae Marshall
Born: Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 1:44 p.m.
7 pounds, 5 ounces
19.5 inches long
A BIG lovely congrats to Lisa and her family.
As for me, Jake is 3 weeks old today and I'm so in love. I WILL get ar0und to writing the whole gorey story sometime soon, but I've been busy with baby, as well as having mom and dad with us here. Uncle Carl was here for 5 days this week, which was great as well. We took Jacob to Derry to meet his other Grandma Mary, who instantly fell in love... who can resist that face! Which reminds me I need to post pictures here! Let me see what I can do...
Ok, here's Jacob in hospital. I LOVE his toes!!!
Katharine Mae Marshall
Born: Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 1:44 p.m.
7 pounds, 5 ounces
19.5 inches long
A BIG lovely congrats to Lisa and her family.
As for me, Jake is 3 weeks old today and I'm so in love. I WILL get ar0und to writing the whole gorey story sometime soon, but I've been busy with baby, as well as having mom and dad with us here. Uncle Carl was here for 5 days this week, which was great as well. We took Jacob to Derry to meet his other Grandma Mary, who instantly fell in love... who can resist that face! Which reminds me I need to post pictures here! Let me see what I can do...
Ok, here's Jacob in hospital. I LOVE his toes!!!
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