Isla's Birthday Story. Part 2.

part 1.

my memory is very fuzzy, at best.  so i will hopefully remember everything. 

dave had just dropped me off at the er and had gone home to drop ian off with our friend nickie (who, bless her heart, was also very pregnant), and pack up some things for us.  a nurse had gotten me from the er and taken me to triage in l&d.  i was given my bracelets- name and allergy- which they put on very loosely for me, thank goodness.  when i got into triage, my bp was taken again and the top number was in the 190s.  i was immediately started on an iv of magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures and given my first exam so they could try and figure out where baby was.  the nurse couldn't "find any presenting parts", so they had to call someone in to do a quick ultrasound to find out whether or not she was head down.  luckily, she was.  i sat in the room alone in triage for a while and i remember the tv not working and a guy came in to try and fix it for me, but nothing happened.  so i just remember waiting alone and bored for dave.  my phone had died while we were at dinner and i was all alone.  dave finally showed up and i was moved into an actual l&d room because they were going to start the induction at midnight.  so at midnight on june 16, 2013, it was father's day, i turned 32 and my labor began.  since i wasn't dilated any more than a 1, i had to be given cervadil to soften up my cervix before the real stuff would begin.  that was pretty much the worst thing ever.  i pretty much had to be pinned down to be given the dose- it was awful.  i was induced (by choice) with Ian, and after having him and learning more about pregnancy and delivery I had decided that i absolutely did not want to be induced again- i wanted to go into labor on my own and have this baby on my own.  that was the first of many things that just didn't work out for this delivery- but then again- nothing was going the way i had planned.  sometime after the cervadil i was given a catheter b\c my urine output had to be monitored b\c of the preeclamsia.  that pretty much ties cervadil for the worst thing ever.  i had blood taken, which started 5 straight days of having blood taken 2x a day from the same place in my arm (also awful).  i am pretty sure we were able to sleep a little bit after this- the magnesium sulfate made me pretty drowsy, so it's hard to really know. 

my parents arrived sunday afternoon.  that day my friend kristen also came and gave my disgusting feet a pedicure.  i remember her making jokes about how gross my feet were before i passed out.  i also had my 2nd dose of cervadil at noon.  during all of this, i wasn't able to eat- so no birthday cake, which made me really unhappy.  at some point, i managed to talk a nurse into bringing me food- and i got a turkey sandwich from the nurses lounge.  when i ate this thing, it was like i hadn't eaten in years.  i still joke with dave about how it was the best turkey sandwich ever.  nurses kept changing shifts, and every time one would leave me, i would be so sad because i was going to have someone new.  at some point on sunday i decided i would also have an epidural.  this was another thing i had not planned on- i really wanted to wait and play things by ear with my un-induced delivery.  by sunday afternoon i was exhausted and in a lot of pain from the catheter, and the cervadil- i hoped the epidural would help something and it did- after getting it, i felt the most alert and awake i had been since arriving.  i think i had dilated to a 2 around this point and i may have started the pitocin (or maybe it was monday).  my blood pressure remained high, which i knew because i had to have it taken EVERY 15 MINUTES.  :(

my sister in law and brother in law had picked ian up at our house and taken him to fathers' day brunch and to hang out at their house for a few days.  this kept me from worrying and freaking out about where he was going to be, and he probably forgot we existed. 

dumb side story- it was sometime during this day that i had found out that kim kardashian had delivered her baby.  i remember i found out that she was pregnant shortly after i found out that i was pregnant and that she was due around the same time i was.  i knew she had to be delivering as early as i was- and i remember seeing that terrible picture of her swollen feet during the summer.  so we had the same thing at the same time and delivered a day apart.  too bad she has done little to nothing to bring awareness to pre-e.

i will have to finish this in a part 3 because i'm tired now.  here are some photos from my 2nd day in the hospital...

 me in my l&d room. hooked up to a blood pressure monitor and magnesium sulfate drip.  i am so swollen.

 i think as a pregnant person, i thought the rest of me looked like me.  when i see these pictures, i can hardly recognize myself. my face is so swollen i can hardly smile.  even my arms and hand look huge.

 preeclampsia gets a big ol thumbs down.  

 seriously.  my giant face.  i am so swollen that i just have slits for eyes.  ugh.

 i think i'm napping here.  or faking  my arm bracelets keep getting tighter b\c i keep getting more and more swollen.  

 i feel like crying when i see my feet... and what used to be my ankle.  

ow.

i'll try not to take 3 months to write the next part...

Week 31- Baby Boy 4 Naval Oranges

How your baby's growing: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four naval oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

How your life's changing: Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Often lasting about 30 seconds, they're irregular, and at this point, they should be infrequent and painless. Frequent contractions, on the other hand — even those that don't hurt — may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have more than four contractions in an hour or any other signs of preterm labor: an increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge (if it becomes watery, mucus-like, or bloody — even if it's pink or just tinged with blood); abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping; an increase in pressure in the pelvic area; or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before.You may have noticed some leaking of colostrum, or "premilk," from your breasts lately. If so, try tucking some nursing pads into your bra to protect your clothes. (And if not, it's certainly nothing to worry about; your breasts are making colostrum all the same, even if you don't see any.) If your current bra is too snug, you might also want to pick up a nursing bra. Choose a nursing bra at least one cup size bigger than you need now. When your milk comes in you'll be grateful for that extra room! If you're having a boy, you and your partner will want to take some time to think about whether or not to have your baby circumcised. Find out the pros and cons from your doctor, and what the procedure involves.

from BabyCenter

Baby: Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring 16 inches long, he weighs 4 lbs. 4 whole pounds, wow! And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will gain about a half pound every week. As you've probably noticed, he is moving around quite a bit in there! It's not uncommon for his continuous movements, which may feel like somersaults, to be keeping you up at night. His arms, legs and body are also filling out as he continues to develop fat underneath his skin, making those kicks and prods feel even stronger than last week. You may even see an arm or a foot move slowly across your belly!

Mom: How are you feeling? Braxton Hicks contractions are common towards the end of a pregnancy. These contractions, often referred to as "false-labor", usually only last about 30 seconds, occur infrequently and should be painless. Frequent contractions however, may be a sign of preterm labor.

Call you health-care provider if you experience...
More than four contractions in an hour
An increase or change in vaginal discharge
Abdominal pain or cramping
Increase in pressure in the pelvic area
Low back pain, especially if you haven't experienced it before
These may all be signs of pre-term labor and it is important that you contact your practitioner.

Have you noticed? Is there any leakage from your breasts? This is called colostrum, or "premilk". You can place nursing pads in your bra to absorb this fluid. Even if you don't see anything, your breasts are making colostrum and you also may find that your bra is fitting a little more snug than usual. You might want to get a nursing bra, but be sure to get one a size larger than you need now. Trust me; you'll be thankful for the room later.

So, it's funny that all of this information was in my emails today because we just left the hospital after a couple hours of testing for the Braxton-Hicks contractions. Whenever I am standing, I am having a really severe tightening in my stomach. Everything tested out ok, the baby looks just fine, but I am having the contractions every time I stand. My dr's orders are to keep hydrated- super hydrated- and hopefully they will start to go away. We'll see. Tomorrow I will have a pretty long shift at work, so we'll see how everything goes. Right now, I'm sucking down the water like crazy! Hope it helps!