Anabel's birth story

I woke up at around 3:00 am because I needed to use the bathroom.  When I stood up, I felt a trickle down my leg.  I was afraid that maybe my bladder was just too full and it couldn’t hold it in any longer.  I went to the bathroom and emptied my bladder.  Than cleaned up and tried to go back to bed.  For the next hour, I lay in bed awake and felt some mild contractions, but they didn’t feel regular.  I got up and decided to start timing them.  I went to the bathroom a few more times and noticed that I was continuing to leak, but it was a little here and there.  I thought my water probably had broken, but I wasn’t sure.  My contractions were not regular and eventually fizzled out completely.  I finally called L&D and talked to the dr. on call to see if he thought it was okay for me to wait until morning before coming in to get checked.  He said that it would be fine.  When morning came and the boys and Mike were awake, I was pretty sure by now my water had broke, as I continued to have leakage.  I called a sister from the branch to ask her if she could take the boys for us.  She came over and got the boys.  JR was excited to go, but AJ had a hard time.  It was hard to see him crying when they drove away, but I knew he would be okay.  We went to the hospital around 8:30 am and got checked in.  The dr. came and checked me and found that indeed my water had broken, but I was only 1-2 cm dilated.  They would have to give me pitocin.  The dr. told me that I was in for a long day (which I had figured out on my own) and I abandoned any idea for a natural delivery and told him I would have an epidural.  They also put in an internal monitor on the baby’s head because my water had broken, to keep a better eye on the baby.  At around 10:30 am they started the pitocin.  It didn’t take long before my contractions kicked in.  At first they were not too bad, they upped the pitocin a few times and then the contractions started to get more intense.  I got my epidural when I was about 3 cm dilated around 12:15 pm.  They kicked Mike out of the room while they gave me the epidural so he went and got himself some lunch.  The epidural worked wonderfully and I was able to relax and was not in any pain.

As my labor progressed, Mikey and I noticed that the baby’s heart rate dropped a few times, but it was only for short times and would always come back up.  The nurse told us they would keep an eye on it, but because it was always coming back up, they thought everything was fine and it was just the baby dropping.  Sometimes her heart rate would go down for a longer period of time and the alarm would go off, but it always came back up.  Her heart rate drops would usually coincide with my contractions, so they thought maybe she was laying on the cord.  They decided to pump some saline into my uterus, to help cushion the cord.  That seemed to work and the heart rate drops were less frequent.  About 1:45, I was 5 cm.  Around 3:30 pm I was at 9 cm.  They emptied my bladder which allowed her to drop even lower so that I could start pushing.  I only pushed twice and the dr. saw the cord right next to her head (it was prolapsed). He had to quickly give me an episiotomy to move the cord and I was able to push her head out.  The dr. suctioned her mouth and then let me push her completely out. She was born and they placed her on my chest.  The dr. looked at the cord and saw that there were 2 knots in it.

Anabel Marie was born 8/31/2011 at 3:45 pm.  She was 7lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long.  She is beautiful and looks like her brothers.  We are home now and adjusting to life with one more in the family.  JR and AJ are getting used to having a little sister and so far have been really cute with her.  At first AJ did not want her to come home, but he is warming up to her more and more everyday. At discharge from the hospital they told us she is jaundice and so we had to go back the next day to get her numbers checked. They were still up the next day, so we have to go back on Tuesday and have them checked again.  She is so tiny, all the clothes we have for her are so big, but I know she will grow fast.  We are so excited to have this new little spirit in our home. 

just born

Double knot in the cord. Sorry kind of gross.

boys checking out their sister

AJ holding Anabel

JR holding Anabel

Going home.  "Little Sisters Rock"

Belly pics

36 weeks

37 weeks

New OB

Finally had my first appt. with my new OB.  I really like him.  The only problems is there is only 5 dr. in the whole town that delivers baby, and depending on which one is on call, that is who you get.  I understand why they have to do that, but I like to know who is going to deliver the baby.  I know it will all work out okay.

Because the Dr. office just squeezed me in, so I could be seen quickly, I had to bring the boys with me, since Mike had to work.  It wasn't too bad, but he did need to do the strep B test on my as well as check me.  JR was great the whole time, but AJ had a hard time and wanted me to hold him, especially while we were in the examining room.  Also the appt. lasted a really long time. I think the dr. really likes to talk and is very thorough with his patients, which is good, but made for a very long appt.  Also because there are so few dr. in this town, I am sure they have too many patients as well.  He did tell me I was about 1 cm dilated.  I know that doesn't mean anything, and I have never really dilated before I go into labor.  But really I could go anytime, which is crazy to think about.  I am not ready for her to come yet.  Mom, Dad and Kristy are coming in a couple of weeks to help out, and I really hope Anabel stays put until then.

I did finally get a new belly shot, but it is still on my camera.  I need to download it and remember to keep taking them, because you never know which one will me my last for this pg.  I finally got the baby girl clothes washed and put away, as well as all the baby girl blankets.  There is still so much to do though.  I hope I can get it all done.  I feel bad, because the boys really need my attention with all the recent changes, and so they don't let me get too much done. And when I try they act out more.  Also the last trimester fatigue is really hitting me this time, and there are times during the day that I feel like I can't keep my eyes open. It won't be too much longer until I will be sleep deprived from a newborn instead though.  I hope the boys can continue to get through all these changes.

Going crazy

Okay, I know I have not updated here for a long time and I need to keep this blog updated because there are things I want to remember about this pg.  First of all if you want to know the craziness happening in our lives right now, go check out the family blog.  To sum up what has been going on, Mike finally received a job offer in KY that required us to move very quickly so he could be here to start teaching. We are grateful about the job, but I had to travel across the county very pg, and that was not fun.  Besides being so sore from all the traveling, my feet have also swollen really bad, and they have not gone back down to size since we arrived here.  I don't expect them to until the baby is born.  I am fortunate that I have not had any contractions through all the stress and travel, but I am exhausted.  I have yet to find a doctor here, because I am still trying to get the insurance worked out. I had to say goodbye to my midwife and will have to see an OB here.  It is fine, but I was hoping for a different experience with this one, but as long as she is born healthy and strong and I don't have any complications throughout the process, I will be happy.  It will be interesting. Mom, Dad, and Kristy are planning on coming out in a couple of weeks, so they can help out with the baby, so that is exciting.

I still need to take a new belly pic, I feel huge.  I haven't documented my belly growth as well with this one. But finding the time to do things like that is harder and harder.  I still feel her move quite a bit, but her movements are quite a bit less in that I am pretty sure she is running out of room in there.  I hope she isn't bigger than the boys were, but I think it is possible.

update

It feels like all I do anymore is go to appointments. I am going every 2 weeks to my midwife and I have been seeing the chiropractor about once a week or more often. They are always really quick appointments, but I feel like I will eventually lose track of everything. My insurance only covers a few more appointments with the chiropractor, so those will stop soon, and they really seem to be helping, so I hope it stays that way until I deliver.

Anabel is head down already, although she seems to have plenty of room still to shift because she moves quite a bit. Most times those I can feel her feet (I assume they are her feet) right in my ribs. Maybe the boys did this to me too, but I really can't remember. It's not too painful, more uncomfortable. Mike told me to push her around, but I just can't do that, not that it would help anyway. I think she is also having some longer awake periods, because there has been times she has been moving around quite a while. I love it, it really is the coolest sensation, and although I will be happy to meet her when she arrives and will be grateful that I am no longer pg, I will miss feeling her move inside of me.

Nothing much more that I can think to report. I have starting to nest, but there isn't much I can do, because I really don't know where we will be when Anabel is born. So I am doing what I can to get ready, but it feels like that really isn't much I can do right now. Mike keeps asking me why I am doing this stuff (like going through baby clothes and what not) and I had to remind him that 2 months really isn't that far away, and she may be here sooner than that. This pg really has flown by.

Appointment update 28 1/2 weeks

I had an appoint last week and everything looks good.  I passed my glucose screening (was pretty sure I would) but iron is a little on the low side (it always is).  Was put on a iron supplement.  I was also able to get another u/s.  Got some really cute picks of the Anabel's face.  It's amazing at what they can do now when it comes to u/s.

Even though it was pretty obvious with the first u/s that baby was a girl, she checked again and there really isn't any doubt Anabel will be a girl.  Everything looked beautiful in the u/s and she is measuring ahead, which I don't mind if she comes early, but hoping she is not bigger than the boys.  If they went by my measurements my due date would be 9/1/11.  So I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.

I have been having a lot of aches and pains with this pg, at least more than I remember with the previous two.  I know it is completely normal but I mentioned it to my midwife and she referred me to a chiropractor.  I went for my first adjustment this morning and go back on Saturday for another.  My hips already feel better.  I have always wanted to go to a chiropractor so I am glad to be able to and that it is covered by my insurance.  Hopefully it will really help. 

28 week belly pic

3rd trimester, only 3 more months.