pack your bags!

It would make sense that now my son is almost 10 weeks old I am finally wrapping up my posts on pregnancy/before he was here. Like several of my other posts, this is something I want to reference for my next pregnancy. Plus, I have some preggo blog friends and know posts like this were super-helpful to me.

Anyhow, here's what we packed and my notes on some:

• Camera. Duh. And batteries/the charger. We did use our iPhones a lot and they do take great pictures, but of course we still wanted the big one.
• All the number of people who need to be called/texted programmed in your phone :) Although not all text messages may go out. Sigh.
• Slippers/flip flops. I took both, but next time I'll just do flip flops. For the most part, I was burning up while in the hospital. But I'm not big on wearing shoes/socks either.
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, loofah. The hosptial does provide these, but I'm picky.
• Lotion
• Ear plugs - didn't use.
• Fan. My mom bought me one of those battery operated ones that you can also use to squirt water with, but it never came out of the bag. I will pack it again next time though, because labor could be much different.
• Magazines/cards/books - didn't make it out of the bag. We watched TV and played on our phones when bored, but honestly, pre-baby, we just slept. (LOVE epidural/catheters :))
• Snacks/hard candy. Hubby LOVED having snacks in the room. And as a breastfeeding mom who wanted five meals a day, it came in handy for me as well. Our hospital did have a room for patients/spouses with juice, water, sodas, jello/pudding and lunchables however, so we probably could have survived on those as snacks - especially the cracker lunchables as my late-night snacks :) Also, our hosptial provides three meals a day for the patient and hubby too. It was so nice to not have to leave!
• Quarters - for the vending machine. Again, not something we needed :)
• Notebook - to keep track of things for the birth story! I LOVED this. Although we probably could have used the notes app on our phones as well. It's nice to have while you are learning things like how to bathe, take temperature, etc.
• Insurance and ID cards. We were pre-registered and actually did not need these.
• Prenatal vitamins/iron pills (I was anemic). Didn't use.
• Baby onesies, hats, socks, mittens. YES!!! I hated seeing my little nugget in the generic hospital stuff. Next time, I'll probably have it sitting out so he can be put in that immediately rather than the plain white onesie. Of course, you'll also need an outfit to come home in. We bought a 3 month at Carters and even though Cooper was 10 lbs, it was HUGE! Definitely will buy newborn next time.
• Swaddling blanket. Mine didn't come out, we used the hospitals because we actually really liked it. We don't really like any of ours, next time I'll get some of the muslin ones that everyone raves about - they are similar to the hospital one I wish I would have brought home :(
• Hair clips, pony tail holders, head bands - because you won't fix your hair and need it to be pulled back during labor at least.
• iPod - stayed in the bag. Had I done the natural thing though, it would have been nice, so it will go again next time.
• Phone charger
• Makeup - didn't come on until our last day.
• Straightener - only used last day (but nice for that coming home picture)
• Hair dryer - our hospital had them in the room, so it didn't come out of the bag.
• Car seat - of course!
• Clothes for mom:
• I thought about taking my own gown, but decided I didn't want to spend that money for something that would be ruined. It was a lot easier to wear a gown at first though, but I was totally ready to get into real clothes on day 2. (I didn't get out of bed other than to use the restroom that first day.)
• I lived in black yoga-style pants and nursing tanks with easy-access shirts on top. Like I mentioned, I got really bad hot flashes in the hospital and the nursing tanks made it SO much easier when learning to breastfeed.
• I took clothes that I could wear at about six months to wear home - and I was EXTREMELY swollen. I intended to wear mat jeans but just got lazy and decided not to change.
• If you plan to nurse, you shouldn't need any breastfeeding supplies like pads or the pump. I actually got lots of samples. And soothies became my best friend once my milk came in, but we were home by then.
• The baby book (if you're doing one) so you can get the footprints :)
• Dad's things - clothes and toiletries. I intended to bring a blanket and pillows for hubby, but the hospital provides those and he isn't picky, so we left it at home - less to drag.
• Folders for info: I took a couple (because you get LOTS of paperwork) but didn't use them, as our hospital provides a binder. But I would have if it weren't for that binder.
• Boppy - once again, our hospital provides one to take home. But I LOVED this and think it would be helpful even for a mom who doesn't plan to nurse, because baby feels super heavy on the belly after just giving birth.
• Birth plan. As I mentioned, it never came out of the bag. Even if you don't have one, make sure the nursery knows if you prefer the baby doesn't get a pacifier - I verbally told our nurses, but Coop ended up with one :( They say it should be posted somewhere on the bassinet.
• A robe. Nice in case you are walking the halls (as I did when we went and was release the day before Coop was born) to help move things along. Those gowns aren't too attractive!
• "Big girl" panties and other feminine products. I didn't pack any as a friend who delivered at the same hospital told me her nurses wouldn't allow any of that. My nurses would have OKd it, but I actually LOVED the mesh hospital panties and figured I was paying for all that, so I may as well take advantage of it. But to each his/her own.
• Things to have once you get home: hemerrhoid ointment (just in case), witch hazel pads, Motrin (for the pain), stool softeners (to keep things moving, especially if you have hemerrhoids). I didn't think of any of this but luckily my cousin owns a pharmacy just a mile or so from the hosptial and came to my rescue!
• Also, I didn't take one, but next time around would do garbage bags for dirty laundry, and a tote. You will get gifts in the hospital, and it's nice to have something to put them in, instead of making your husband have to carry them all to the car in several trips :)

I think that wraps it up! Obviously, things will be different for each labor, but for anyone else reading this, I hope I did a good job of explaining WHY we didn't use certain things. Definitely ask during your hospital tour what they provide so you aren't hauling a bunch of needless things!

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The birth plan that wasn't

I never would have even thought to have a birth plan if it weren't for blogging. And man, there are some total rockstars out there, which totally made me think I could handle all the pain of childbirth without meds. Haha.


Anyhow, I wanted to keep this plan to look back and laugh on someday. Seriously, it never even made it out of my bag. But that's OK - I always knew I would be open to whatever and that what I wanted a month before labor would probably be different. Plus Cooper was a very big baby, I'd had some kidney issues and more. 

My notes are in blue text :)

* All parts of the plan are subject to change if mother/baby are in distress. Michelle also realizes that some preferences can not be allowed if she does use pain medication.
 • Only Jimmy is allowed in labor/delivery room. This totally happened. Mostly just because other than my parents, no one else even knew we were in labor :)


• Pain medication/epidural upon request only. If possible, let Jimmy know when the last chance is for the epidural so he can let Michelle know. Although I caved, I did request this. Not sure if they would have encouraged me to get one had I tried to wait it out.


• Michelle prefers to bring her own music and be allowed to labor in whatever position is most comfortable to her at the time. If possible, she would like a room with a tub, and access to a birth ball. I don't think I could have handled music! I did take a bath the first time, and by the time we got to the hospital when I was really in labor, I was so tired and immediately got the epidural, I just wanted to lie down and rest.


• Prefer hep-lok only. Ended up with an IV ...


• Prefer not to receive pitocin I got it and reacted horribly. Not only did it not push me into labor, it made me extremely emotional and put me in a lot of pain. If/when we have another, I'll REALLY try to avoid this.


• Prefer intermittent fetal monitoring. Sorta. If I didn't have to be hooked up, I was't.


• Goal is a vaginal birth Yup! Although they told me at my pp checkup that had they known Coop was so big, I would have been a scheduled c-section. Whenever I have another, we will have a u/s at the end to check size, but hopefully I can try to avoid a c-section even if Baby 2 is also big.


• Episiotomy only if necessary My doc prefers to let pts tear on their own and since my labor progressed in a typical timeline, I probably wouldn't have torn had Cooper not been so broad and practically be pulled out. All things considered, I didn't think a second degree tear was bad.


• Prefer no vacuum extraction or forceps be used None


• Prefer cord is not cut until it stops pulsating, offer Jimmy the chance to cut Due to Cooper's traumatic entrance, hubby didn't get to cut the cord :(


• Allow breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth. I think it was about 2 hours? I held him after about 30 minutes though. And Cooper is a pro so no problems.


• If Michelle is unable to breastfeed, offer Jimmy the opportunity for 1 hour of skin-to-skin contact with baby. N/A


• No one in to visit until consent is given by Jimmy and/or Michelle Again, no one knew we were in labor :)


• Prefer no pacifiers, sugar water or formula be offered to the baby Oh boy this is a big one! It was smooth sailing until my last day, when the nursery brought Coop to my room with a pacifier in his mouth, to be fed! One of the primary reasons not to use a paci at first is to avoid nipple confusion - which lactation consultants, etc. preach! So it was very upsetting to see. They tried to brush it off by saying they didn't know that (I had verbally told nurses the day he was born) and that there should have been something on his crib to note that. How the heck was I supposed to know that? Anyhow, the LC told me not to worry about it and said that, sometimes, nursery workers will just pop in a pacifer if the kid is unsettled. Ugh.


• If the baby is a boy, circumcision is to be performed.


• If a c-section is necessary, Michelle wants Jimmy to be present during the operation and to have the screen lowered a bit so she can watch the birth.


• Following delivery, we wish for all possible newborn procedures to take place in the room. This pretty much happened. It was just across the room and we had no idea what was going on.


• We will decide sleeping arrangements depending on how we are feeling. We took advantage of the nursery while we could! Being first-time parents, we were scared and knew we would not sleep wondering if Cooper was OK, so after his check at 9-10 p.m. both nights, we told them to keep him and only bring him to the room for feedings. In our opinion, this was a big help in getting us semi well-rested before we went home.


• Prefer parents be included in the process for the first bath. We didn't get the first - I was still in bed and didn't want to be alone - but we did join in giving Cooper a bath/learning how on Thursday night (He was born Wednesday.) For us, that was good :)

Cooper's birth story - part 2

So, I left off and our son was born, but things definitely weren't going the way we thought they would. Hubby wasn't given the option to cut the cord, Coop wasn't put to the breast, and he was whisked away to the corner of the room for awhile. We knew there was an RT in the room for a reason, (meconium in the water) but things seemed to be taking longer than it seemed. 


As I mentioned, I had some stitches, so I was trying to see what was happening and get my son's stats while going through some pretty awful pain. Hubby was staying by my side and looking as well, so I encouraged him to leave me and go check out our babe - plus he wanted verification it really was a boy!


Next thing I know, they announced Coop's weight - 9 lbs, 13 ounces! I was knocked over by this - we figured he would be 8-8.5 lbs, definitely not practically a 10-lb. baby! As I worked to deliver the placenta, etc., the doctor also noted how healthy and strong it looked, which made me immediately proud, that I was able to grow a baby that healthy and large. 


Cooper was brought to me shortly after and I finally got to hold my little cutie! Shortly after, they came to take him to the nursery to check some things out and clean him up and the nurses were still working with me, so it wasn't a big deal. I remember commenting on how hungry I was - sort of ironic considering what I'd just seen/gone through - and the nurses assured me I could eat in about an hour. 


After that, the afternoon was kind of a blur. I called my parents to share the news. We had lunch. My parents arrived just before Coop was brought back to the room. We sent out tons of text messages. 


To our knowledge at this point, it was a normal delivery. The end was pretty crazy but seeing as we had never been through it before, we thought that was the norm. 


The next day, we learned that Cooper's delivery and entrance into the world wasn't as seemless as the doctor and nurses (thankfully) let on. As some of you may know, an APGAR score (Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance and Respiration) is given immediately after birth and again at 5 minutes after. Babies receive 0-2 points for each category. Cooper's first score was a 2 - not so great. 


It turns out that our little boy's shoulders were pretty big and got stuck in delivery. So he had no color and wasn't breathing or moving when born. When we asked a nurse (although she wasn't ours at delivery) she said that with what she could see of our son and had been told, we were very fortunate to have such a great team on hand to suction everything out of him, etc. She also pointed out that, by five minutes, Coop's score had improved to an 8, so we should be thankful to have such a great little fighter. 


Regardless, we are totally in love and think our son is the most perfect thing ever! Even if he hadn't recovered so well, we would think the same! We often find ourselves exclaiming at how beautiful and perfect he is and are just in awe that we get to keep him. 

Here he is later on his birthday, wearing his "brand new" onesie. Definitely can't tell he had a somewhat traumatic birth :)


And that wraps up Cooper's birth story. Congratulations if you've made it this far. 


I hope to be back later today with a little recap of Cooper's first week! I can't believe it's passed by so fast! Next thing I know he'll be a month, then a year, then a teenager. AHHHH. Excuse me while I go cry my eyes out. 

Cooper's birth story - pt. 1

I realize that some people don't like to read these. And that's fine - but I loved reading these, especially while I was pregnant. Plus, I want to remember all of this!


Also, I'd spoken about a birth plan on here. It never left my suitcase, and practically everything I'd wanted I either changed my mind on or wasn't possible. I do, however, plan to post it and what did/didn't happen.


My labor process actually began on Monday, Nov. 21. After having lots of regular contractions through the weekend, work was a big struggle that morning, and after a few hours of work and contractions that were 3-5 minutes apart, I decided to head home for the day to rest/finish packing and take a bath. All morning, I was in contact with hubby, and he was working quickly on the route so he would get off as early as possible, since I was pretty sure I was in true labor. Once he finished, I picked him up from work, because we didn't want to have to worry about his co-workers getting it in case we were admitted that night. 


After a couple hours of the contractions continuing, hubby and I decided it was time to head to the hospital. On the way up, I remember wondering if it was the real deal, as I was pretty chatty and not in a lot of pain. I know I thought labor would be rougher - but then again, I also knew that everyone reacts to labor pains differently. I was pretty excited, thinking our baby would probably arrive on his due date!


Once we got checked in, the nurses checked me and we learned that I was dilated to about 1.5 cm and still not totally effaced - some progress since my last doctor appointment but not much. However, my contractions were very regular and coming in at 3-5 minutes, like I'd thought. The nurse talked to my doctor, who thought I was in early labor, and offered to let me stay and start a pitocin drip to push me into full labor. I had been against using pitocin (it's a synthetic designed to help with contractions, often used in inductions) but since my doctor, who is against inducing, recommended it, I took her advice and said yes, figuring it would push me into active labor. 


At this point, I was starving - I had only had a granola bar, toast and broth that day. It was also around the time of shift change, so while the daytime nurse said I couldn't have anything to eat, the new nurse (Alexis) said to get something, as we would be there for awhile and the last thing she wanted was for me to be hungry and run down the entire time. Let me tell you, that was the BEST whopper I ever inhaled!


Anyhow, the drip began and hubby and I decided to get some rest. It was pretty tough for me, as I was hooked up to all sorts of things and needing to use the restroom every one to two hours, so I didn't get the best sleep. I think it was around 1 a.m. when Alexis checked me again and I had no progress. And let me tell you, internals hurt. Pitocin can cause a lot of pain, and she noticed I was experiencing it, so she offered to put me on a morphine drip as well, but I initially declined it.  


She left and I had a little freak out moment, crying to J about it all. I was in pain, but I was crying because I was so frustrated. I wanted my baby to be born and I didn't feel like it was ever going to happen. One of the other nurses came in at the time to check my vitals and noticed my tears. I asked if it would be possible to take a bath - I thought that would help. My nurse OK'd it and I spent about 30 minutes soaking. Once I was out, they offered the morphine again and I said yes. I was having some bloody show and lots of cramps, which confirmed that while I wasn't really dilating, I was thinning. 


I think the morphine was one of the mistakes I made. It seriously slowed me down. However, it did knock me out and allow for some really great sleep. 


The next thing I knew, it was morning and my new nurse, Julie (who turns out to be a second cousin - I had asked about her and luckily she was working) was there and giving me an update. Basically, my body wasn't really doing what they thought it would after the Pitocin. My contractions had slowed and weren't regular at all anymore. The doctor suggested stopping the Pitocin and seeing how my body reacted, then checking me again in a couple hours. So we slept some more. Once I had some decent sleep, hubby and I walked the halls some to see if that would help move things along. She last checked me around 11 (I think) and I was at about a 2. Julie called my doctor and while the doctor was unsure what to do, Julie suggested we discharge and go home, since there was no real idea of when my labor would pick back up. 


Hubby and I left and went to grab some lunch. We then stopped at the mall (I had an Old Navy coupon for $20 off a $40 purchase that expired that day) and I also wanted to do some walking. 


Once we got home, hubby took a nap and I took another bath, then napped. Around 4:30 p.m., I began having very strong, shooting pains. I didn't know what they were - they were different from the contractions I'd been experiencing, and I was having them about 20-30 minutes apart. 


Through the night, these pains progressed as well. They got harder and harder - but still not very close together. Some brought me into tears, however, and I started having to go to the bathroom every time I had one. I was so nauseous, I only had a granola bar and maybe half a bowl of soup for supper. 


Once 10 p.m. rolled around, we knew it was about time to head to bed, and I told hubby that I was going to sleep on the couch, as it would be too difficult to roll over out of bed every time I experienced a contraction or needed to go to the bathroom. He stayed in the living room with me, and I ended up having contractions about every 10-15 minutes apart for awhile. And they were PAINFUL, and about three to five minutes each. The only way to get through them was to kneel with my arms on the seat of the couch. A couple times, I woke up to another contraction after having fallen asleep in that position. 


After awhile, I called L&D and luckily Alexis was there again. She understood that I didn't want to come in for another false alarm and wasn't sure what was going on, as my contractions were so far apart. Remembering how I'd liked the bath the previous night, she suggested I try that and see what happened. I thought it was a great idea, so I got in - but it didn't provide the same comfort I'd experienced with other baths. It seemed the contractions were getting closer together, too. 


I got out of the tub and told hubby I thought we should think a bit more seriously about going to the hospital again, but I still wasn't sure. Honestly, I wanted him to make the decision. He decided to take a quick shower and told me to walk around and change positions to see what happened. During this time, it got even worse. Later, when I was getting dressed, I ended up in so much pain I was crawling around. That's when I told hubby that I didn't even care if I was in labor at that point, I had to go to the doctor to get something to manage the pain! 


I really don't remember much of the drive, just that I was in pain and afraid of going to the bathroom! I had probably 4 or 5 contractions on the way? I just tried to zone out and focus on getting to the hospital. When we were about 10 minutes away, I called the hospital to let them know we were almost back and asked if I could have a wheelchair and I didn't think I could walk that far. 


Once we got upstairs (around 3 a.m.) I quickly changed into the gown and remember telling her that I best be at least a 4, because I knew that definitely signaled active labor, and that I could get an epidural. These pains were no joke and there was no way I could endure them. Thankfully, I was a 4.5! She said she would call the doctor but they were definitely keeping me and she would start getting things in line for the epidural. 


I honestly don't remember much until I got the epidural (about 4 a.m.) other than more pain and my being super excited to share the news of my progress with J. When the epidural lady came in, I thought she looked like an angel! 


Once it was going, things got moving. Luckily I couldn't feel any contractions, and they were getting to be about three to four minutes apart - some back to back - so I was glad I took advantage of the epidural. 


About 5 a.m., a catheter was inserted, which made things easier on me, not having to get out of bed. Since epidurals can slow things down, the doctor really wanted them to artificially break my water, so I said OK. Alexis did this at 5:18 a.m., and also noted I was dilated to somewhere between 5 and 6 centimeters. I asked for a popsicle, and my loving husband got me one :)
The nurse also noted that there was some meconium (the baby's first poop) in my water, so they would have a respiratory therapist on hand during delivery, just in case. 


At 6:15 a.m., I was dilated to between a 6 and 7. The baby wasn't reacting well to the way I was lying, so they gave me an oxygen mask and had me roll onto my left side. 


My doctor came in at 7 a.m. and said I was 7 cm. They rolled me to my right side. 


Julie was my nurse again :) As of 8:20 a.m., I was 7.5 cm. and the contractions were very close. 


In between all this, I was trying to get sleep. I definitely needed it!


By 9:45 a.m., I was 8.5 centimeters and feeling the urge to push but holding back. Julie got things ready for delivery, and I began doing some practice pushed at 10:15. Ten minutes later, Julie saw the top of the head - and dark hair!


At 10:30, I began doing more practice pushes. Hubby wrote "Michelle is doing great." A couple minutes later, he was able to see the baby's head. I requested a mirror so I could see and it was moved in around 10:40. We then continued doing practice pushes along with my contractions every 2-3 minutes. 


By 11:25 a.m., we could see the baby's head even when I wasn't pushing. It was around then that Julie asked for our last guesses regarding the sex/size of the baby. Julie said girl, I said girl and 8-8.5 lbs., while Daddy said boy.


This is where things got crazy and hubby didn't get to take anymore notes. I believe it was around 11:30 the doctor entered the room and we had a real audience. I had a nurse on either side and the doctor in the middle. I continued doing pushes. Shortly after, I started telling them when I would push. Every time I got to the third round, I would close my eyes and hope the head would pop out. 


Time actually seemed to go by pretty quickly, but I was wearing out. J was administering my oxygen mask by this point. Then, all of a sudden, things got crazy. I had been pushing for 10-second phases in sets of three or four, but all of a sudden, it felt like everyone was yelling at me to push and I was being surrounded. I was in so much pain my eyes were closed and I remember yelling "I can't!" and "It hurts too bad!" I didn't hear a baby crying, so I was confused why everyone was so excited. Finally, I worked up the energy, held my breath, and did a push. 


Next thing I knew, I heard the doctor say: "I seriously underestimated the size of this child." She said something about it being a boy, and I looked at hubby with tears in my eyes. He said that when he looked down, he had no idea what was going on - he had turned away after seeing the afterbirth and didn't even hear the big announcement! RIght then, the OB tech was about to cut the cord. Hubby wanted to do this and I was about to tell them so, but I didn't even have the energy to do so and figured he would object if it were that big of a deal. Then our little boy was whisked over to the edge of the room to be checked out, while I was stitched up - I had a second degree tear, which wasn't too bad all things considered. 


This time was actually scarier than we realized at the time. But I have a hungry baby right now, so I'll be back with that and the rest of the story later today (I hope!)