C-section

One of my biggest fears since my first prenatal visit (actually since my postpartum check with Cooper when they commented had they known he was so big we would have scheduled a section) was a C-section.

Cooper was huge ... 9 lbs. 13 oz. ... and they say most of the time, subsequent babies are bigger. So at my 10 week appt., they set the stage for a section if it were another big baby, and it didn't go very well. I cried and basically told them I didn't see why I couldn't push out another since I already had and we were both fine.

However, at that point, my hubby told me to calm down and not worry about it yet. I still had six months of pregnancy and we would wait and see what happened. Additionally, my OB was totally on board to wait and see as well - she even noted that her first was almost 9 lbs. while the other two were in the 7s so it was totally possible to have a smaller baby.

Husband told me that, if push came to shove, that he would handle everything for me and be the voice of reason to respect my wishes. At that point, I specifically began praying that if I needed a C-section, it wouldn't be based off of size alone, but that God would make it very clear by making the baby breech or some other medical reason.

I went through the pregnancy thinking I would be like her and have a smaller baby this time around. With Cooper, I measured 2-3 weeks ahead consistently once I hit the third trimester, but I was pretty much on track the entire time with JD. At every appointment when they checked, he was head down and ready to go.

To get a better idea of baby's size, we scheduled an ultrasound at 36 weeks. I totally went in thinking that since I was measuring on track, it would really just be a chance to get to see the baby's face, and I was totally cool with that.

So imagine my surprise when she said the baby was breech. Oh and that the head was like the 90th percentile. Geez.

In between the ultrasound and appointment, my heart kind of sank. It totally wasn't the news I had anticipated. But I also couldn't help but laugh. Here God gave me EXACTLY what I asked for, and who am I to dispute that?

Unfortunately my doctor was out that day, so we met with one of the nurse practitioners. We were essentially told that it was very unlikely the baby would flip on its own at that point, especially since the weight was already about 7.5 lbs. There is a procedure called an external version where they can try to get the baby to flip while still in utero. It has a decent success rate, and you are hooked up to monitors the whole time so if the baby is in distress, you quit and do a C-section. It was our understanding that if we went that route, it would need to be done around 37/38 weeks. If successful, we would go home, if not, the baby would be born that day. Crazy, and a lot to process.

Over the course of the next week, I did a ton of research about the external version, etc. And I just never felt at peace with it and felt that God had spoken very clearly to me that I was meant to have a C-section, which is what I decided I was going to favor when talking to the doctor.

Thankfully, when I saw her at 37 weeks, she came in the room and point blank said that was the best thing, due to baby's positioning and size. I absolutely love this doctor so I was thrilled that we were on the same page. Within 15 minutes, we had a date and time set for two weeks later, at 39 weeks, 1 day. She said it was always possible for baby to flip, which I would feel, and if that happened, we would go back to the drawing board.

Having now experienced both a v@ginal and C-section birth, I can tell you that there are pros and cons of each. Thankfully with mine being scheduled, I knew what was happening and had time to plan and get all my ducks in a row. For instance, I took primarily high-waist maternity pants to the hospital to help hold my binder. We bought a recliner which was the best thing I could have done, considering that it greatly pained me to get in/out of bed.

Here are a few of the other advantages/disadvantages

• Recovery time: Obviously the C-section has been harder and took longer, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Right now I still have some soreness and inflammation, but it hasn't been too horrible. I began running again at 6 weeks and stopped wearing the band around 9 weeks.
• Labor: Total C-section win here. There's no labor. I had my hair done the day before, did my makeup and felt amazing the whole time. It also takes away the guessing game of when to go to the hospital, to an extent.
• Leave: I had enough time built up to actually take 11 weeks paid and still have some time when I returned. However; you are given 8 weeks recovery for C-section compared to 6. I also ended up with more short-term disability pay per my policy.
• Baby's health: Believe it or not, Jacob was in much better shape that Cooper after birth. Coop's APGAR was a 3, JD's was a 9. Birth was quite traumatic for Coop and it was like 3 hours until I really got to hold him, and honestly I was exhausted and didn't care. We got to keep JD with us pretty much the whole time.
• Hospital stay: Insurance pays 48 hours with a vaginal or 96 hours with a C-section. Since we had hit our out of pocket max either way, we stayed the full time allowed because it was nice to have the extra hands to help, prepared meals, no house to clean, etc.
• The day of: I would push kids out 100 times over to avoid that first time out of the hospital bed post C-section. It was all I could do to roll over and get out of the bed, not to mention walk about 16 feet to the bathroom. That night we went down the hall and I questioned if I would ever walk normal again. I pushed myself too hard and ended up getting hot and dizzy and needing a wheelchair to take me back to the room. Talk about embarrassing! However, after a good night's sleep, I felt 10 times better and moved with much more ease the following day.

Reading this, it looks like I would prefer a C-section but seriously, I would push out 10 kids to having one C-section. However, the most important part is that my baby and I are both healthy. How he got here doesn't matter, it's that he is here.

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JD is three months!

I realize I'm posting the three month update before 1 and 2, but I'll be writing them soon (I hope) and post dating them :)

Jacob Daniel, you are now a quarter of a year! The cliché saying is true - I feel like you were just born last week, but also feel like you've always been a part of our little family. I forget what life was like without you.

You definitely mimic when we wave at you and it's sweet

I like you the most right now. Ha! I'm sure there will come a day when you are a mean little 3.5 year old and I don't like you much either. But I'll always love you the same.

Despite everyone telling me not to, I feel like I totally wished away your brother's first year of life wanting him to grow up and reach the next milestone, so I've learned my lesson. You will roll over and all that jazz when the time is right. But if I keep you from too much tummy time to keep that from happening, that's OK too :)

You sleep like this a lot, I say it's your imaginary girlfriend :)

You are the sweetest little thing. You just love to be held and cuddle. Although you are on a decent schedule when away from me, you still like to nurse every 1-2 hours during the day when I'm home, and that's, for the most part, OK. Except when you decide you are starving when I'm sitting down to eat supper.

You coo, smile so much, and have started to giggle. You are a ticklish little thing!

Your hair is getting thinner on top, and I think some is coming back in blonde. Your eyes are still blue. Everyone agrees that you and your brother have a lot of similarities, but you resemble me more. I'll take it.

You are very tall, and can wear some 9 month clothes based on the height. I'd guess you weigh about 15 lbs, but we don't go to the doctor for another month. You have fat rolls on your arms and legs and no neck, and I love it.

Those shoes just slay me

This month, mama had to go back to work and you started day care. It broke my heart to leave you. I wish we had a year of maternity leave. I'm back in the swing of things and enjoying work and know it's the best possible thing I can do for my family, but still so unbelievably difficult to do. I need a maid, nanny and chef it sometimes seems.

But you are doing great - all the kids seem to love you, and big brother likes you going with him. You take 3 bottles at day care - you started with 4.5 oz. but are now up to 5.5 oz. You prefer nursing and while it ties me down, I love having you as my little man and getting that quality time. Right now I wake you to nurse around 6:45, then you take a bottle between 9-10; 12:30-1:30 and the last one between 3:30-4:30. You are very slow with the bottles but an efficient nurser. You like to have a little snack around 6 p.m., then will usually nurse again around 8:30. If we are busy and you stay up later, I'll give you a little snack before bed as well. I am producing well so you are gaining great and I'm still freezing quite a bit. I try to put you to bed no later than 10, and you sleep great for the most part. We still swaddle, but you scoot a lot. On weekends you often sleep until around 8 a.m.

You've started gnawing on your hands, blankets, etc. I guess I'll have to dig out some sort of teether-type items for you.

Slack at your first rodeo

Big brother is in love with you. He always wants to hold you, play with you, kiss you goodnight, etc. He still calls you Baby Toots sometimes - ha!

Anytime we go outside, it seems to calm you. You continue to be my running buddy - I found a new to us jogging stroller so we've gone on a few runs together and you like to just chill and typically fall asleep. You really like looking at the light or contrasts.

We took you swimming one day and you seemed to really like the water. I hope you are a fish like your big brother.

You aren't a huge fan of your pack & play, but like the swing, bouncer and play mat. You tolerate tummy time rather well. We have pulled out the bumbo and it just depends on your mood, and likely how tired you are, whether you sit up tall or slump over.

 

I love you so much. I think you are the absolutely perfect addition to our family.

Cooper on the left, JD on the right

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When Cooper met Jacob Daniel

I put a LOT of thought into how the meeting of brothers should go down, and while it probably wasn't necessary, it went down perfectly.



Basically, we wanted to heed off as much jealousy as we could, so Jacob actually wasn't in the room when Cooper got there. Once he got there, we called the nursery and asked that they bring baby brother in about five minutes. My parents brought him to the hospital, and Jimmy actually met them at the door to the baby wing to get Cooper, while my parents stayed in the waiting room.

Cooper really loves balloons right now, so he brought a baby boy one as well as Spider-Man.

Once he got in the room, he gave me the balloons and we let him take in that mommy was in the bed, had a boo boo on her tummy and couldn't get up. He was already asking about his baby brother (He called him "Dannel" which was good since we knew that was the middle name but still nothing on a first name!) and squealed when the nurse brought his brother into the room.

I think they were immediately best friends <3

Cooper, of course, wanted to hold his little brother, so after a quick lecture about being VERY careful and loading up the chair with pillows, Jimmy handed him over and stayed right by his side, of course.

It only lasted a few minutes (toddlers and their attention spans) so we went ahead and told my parents to come back. Cooper went back and forth wanting to hold his brother and play.

They boys also exchanged presents - Cooper got the baby a little monkey toy/lovey, while JD gave his big brother an Avengers shirt.

When it came time for big brother to leave, we actually had JD leave the room first so it wasn't as obvious that Cooper was leaving and JD was staying.

As you can see, Cooper was (and continues to be) totally in love with his little brother. Their first meeting melted my heart!


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Jacob's birth story

I have a lot of catching up to do, but want to get a few things documented for my neglected second child!

So on my 38 week update, I noted that the baby was big and breech. We had actually scheduled a C-section at my 37 week appointment. I'll go into much more detail about that decision later, but I was totally at peace with it, but didn't share that I was going to have a C-section with too many people prior to because I really think I was hoping up to the time I went in the baby would flip and I would be able to attempt the vaginal birth after all.

Anyhow, the C-section was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and we were to report to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. to get my IVs, etc. I woke up around 3 a.m. to use the rest room and was so nervous/anxious that I couldn't go back to sleep. Knowing we had to be on the road around 4:45, I finally just got out of bed around 3:30 a.m. to get the final things packed and do my makeup. I had gotten my hair done the day before and basically thought that if I couldn't sleep I may as well make myself look pretty since it would be the last time for awhile!

I wasn't supposed to eat, but didn't want the hubs to starve, so went ahead and made him breakfast, and we got on the road.

I decided to drive since I knew it would be a good two weeks before I could again. We were driving to the hospital talking about how weird it was that I could drive, we knew the baby would be here in a few hours, etc. Jimmy also took this opportunity to tell me that my choice for a boy name (Wade) was one he really didn't like and just couldn't do. Yes, hours away from meeting a baby that could be (and, obviously, was) a boy, and he vetoes my name choice. So we were back to the drawing board (and that's another post too!)

Anyhow, we arrived at the hospital and got checked in. We had a nice, large room at the end of the hall, thanks to my cousin who is an L&D nurse. She actually got to help deliver Cooper, but sadly was off the day JD was born. Once there I signed some paperwork, had some blood drawn and was hooked up to monitors. Then we waited ...

When they came down to get me and roll me to the OR, it was the most surreal feeling. The next time I came down that hall, I would have another baby. It was just so crazy and I practically had tears in my eyes. Once we got to the OR, hubs kissed me and waited in the hallway (they don't let them in until they start cutting) so that was super sad, and I'm sure a little scary for him.

The OR was a weird experience too. I've had a couple surgeries before but never been awake, obviously. I got my spinal while they got ready and it was a great process. So to be awake for the prep was a total wow moment - they triple checked the number of all the supplies and we made all sorts of small talk - guessing baby's sex, size, etc. At this point I was still positive it was a girl and made the joke if it were a boy his name would be Baby Boy since my name got vetoed minutes before and said it would be a little under a 9 lb. baby. I actually told the doctor that if she pulled out a baby less than 8 lbs. (part of the reason we scheduled a week early was size, and Cooper was 9 lbs. 13 oz.) that she better put the baby back in because I wouldn't know what to do with a baby that small!

We talked about BBQ places and dance studios in the town where I live, and then the sheet went up and before I knew it, husband was at my side.

I remember telling them that the area below my right rib felt SO bruised and told them they'd have to pay attention to the body part there (it was his head, as I suspected). I felt a lot of tugging but it was just such a relaxed atmosphere in the room - another day at the office. Next thing I knew, there was total relief and the doctor says "I'm not putting this one back in." Then she held up the baby and said it was a boy! And of course, my heart immediately doubled in size, while I was shocked to have another son. He was born at 7:54 a.m.

 

 

Shocked that it was a baby BOY!

One of our friends, Erica, is a respiratory therapist at the hospital where I delivered and working that day so she was in the room. She commented that he looked just like Cooper. They started cleaning up and assessing him, and I told hubby to go over there, I was fine. The anesthesiologist was by my head and held the curtain back so I could see them working. We had the big camera and someone brought it to show me a picture of my little man, and he was brought to me soon as well.

Our little man weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz. and was 21 inches long. Had he reached his due date, he would have topped 10 lbs.!

Once they were done stitching me up, we went back down the hall, with me holding my new little man and my husband by my side! Things were still crazy for about an hour, but hubby did text my mom and friends to tell them baby was born and we were great, but no details (Oh, the torture!) After things calmed down, we called my parents and told Cooper he had a baby BROTHER! He shrieked and mom said he started jumping up & down. We then made the other phone calls and texts.

It was an overall great experience and SO DIFFERENT than Cooper's birth, but absolutely amazing as well. JD and I were both safe and healthy, and at that moment, it was all that mattered.

 

 

 
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