intermission

i will finish the rest by Saturday . Our doula is coming tomorrow and part of the package is that they write out a version of your birth story . So I want to read her version .

Anyway last Friday we took G to the doctor weight 6 pounds 4 ounces today 6 days later 6 pounds 15 ounces !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah !! I forgot how hard breastfeeding is in the beginning but I am hanging in there. More soon

Part 1

We are home. we got home 36 hours after the birth which was amazing . Rory is doing well and my milk came in last night . My only concern is G is sleeping so much and it is hard for me to wake her up to feed. But I can't really remember the first few days of Rory's life so I dont know if I am doing it wrong .



Birth Story:

So on Saturday Oct 18th I had an acupuncture appt with one of my doulas . I was pretty discouraged . She put in semi permanent needles in my ankles and my ear she also lanced my pinky toes and bleed them out to try and lower the baby. I used to hate needles but the thought of another c section overcame this fear. Sunday was a day of pineapple, sex , evening primrose oil , Clarey sage . Sunday night at 9:30pm the ankle points were really bothering me so I took them out . I started to feel contractions off an on but nothing really to get me hopeful. At midnight I decided to take out the ear points. THis started contractions at about 10 minutes apart and this lasted all night until 7am . I woke marc up who was out in the living room ( so I could labor alone and he could sleep ) and said I think this might be something and I was going to call the batphone which is what the doulas told me to call and one of them would answer.



I called and talked to Suzanne and she said to call back mid morning and someone would be out to give me a acupuncture treatment. At about 8:30am I went to the bathroom and that is when I realized my water had broke , not a gush but several trickles. I called back and Melanie answered I told her the news and she said she would be out at noon to give me a treatment. She came and did the treatment and then she and I went for a walk around Astoria Park . We then laid in the sun . My contractions where lessening to about every 14 minutes , then 8 minutes then 12 not rhythm and I was getting scared. Basically in America rule of thought is water breaks baby out in 24 hours. My doula told me not to call my doctor until after 5pm and tell her my water had just broken in a trickle to give me a little more time . She left around 4pm . Rory was picked up by our friend Salena around this time . This was hard to say goodbye. Knowing that when I saw her again I would be on the other side of things. A family of 3 no more , everything changed . But when I had a contraction she saw me in pain and this concerned her. She is the kid on the playground that if someone is crying runs up to see what she can do. Marc and I went for another walk and nothing happened , we laid in the sun and still nothing . At this point the contractions were still all over the place. I black berried my doctor that my water had broke in a trickle, who called me immediately. She wanted me to come in immediately since I was a VBAC. This upset me because the other Dr. had told me I could labor at home even if my water broke. So I told her I had no child care until Morning LOL. Who is 40 weeks pregnant and has NO childcare but I didnt care. I knew once I got to the hospital the interventions would start and my chances decreased. She was ok with that but said NO LATER THEN 8am !! With this news I relaxed and my contractions came on stronger. At 10pm the contractions were 8 minutes we called the Doula and Ayla came over we labored in the bedroom until about 2:00am when they were about 4 minutes apart we headed to the hospital . The ride was pretty intense I just kept holding on the the handle above the door . Marc hit a pot hole and I screamed at him. We got to the Hospital St. Vincents which is in the village in about 30 minutes. When we got to the hospital we met with the resident doctor who appeared to be about 16 years old and under 5 ft. She had to jump up and down several times to grab the light above her head and pull it down to examine me . She said "You are at 1cm" . WHAT ?!! 24 hours of labor and still 1 cm ! I wanted to cry and I begged to go home . After she left the room I did make a joke about being arrested for child molestation because she examined me and could not have been older then 18. Which I thought was pretty good for being in labor 24hour. Anyway the doula could not believe I was only 1cm. But this is what happened last time , this is what happened to my mom and my paternal grandmother . More to come ...

WE DID IT!!!

Gywneth Hussein born 11:03pm Oct 21st . VBAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long story but I did it !! I never knew I had the strength. (Real middle name is Eleanor) Pictures to come !

update to last post over heard in this household today

I put Rory down for her nap and ran into Marc in the hallway.

40 week pregnant Kate: Let's go have sex.
Marc: umm yea ok (stupid grin on face that boys get when they know they are going to have sex)
40 week pregnant Kate: (walking toward bedroom) oh and you can wipe that stupid grin off your face jackass this is for medicinal purposes.
Marc: Yea whatever just let me take a shower because
40 week pregnant Kate: No
Marc: but Kate I
40 week pregnant Kate: I dont care what you smell like or when the last time you bathed was , get in to bed and take off your clothes . In fact you can leave your shirt and socks on.


Sara I swear I have done it all but you know I love you !! Just to give you an example yesterday I had the ends of my pinky toes lanced and bleed for several minutes because in Chinese medicine they believe this will bring the baby lower into your pelvis. Right now the baby has a better chance of coming out of my mouth then my Va-jay-jay.

Deju vu all over again

TOday is my last due date. Like I said in a earlier post they have given me 3 , 10th, 16th and 19th. Rory's last due date was the 19th as well. And here I sit again. I have done everything , there is nothing anyone can post that I have not done . I am tired emotionally and physically and I dont have much hope. After today my chances of a VBAC go from 70% to about 30% , this is all statistics but still. My body is trying I can feel it , it is like a car's engine that just can't turn over . There are moments when you think it has started only to have it die again. I plead with it "just start!" , "give me a chance" "I will do the rest" . I go through anger and weeping in a moment. The worst part is that and I dont know if I even posted about this but Rory had a double ear infection. We took her back last week and she STILL has it !! She is now on a second antibiotic for 10 days. Yesterday there was blood coming out of her ear . THis morning when she woke up she screamed for over 30 minutes (this is not Rory) I kept asking her to tell me what was wrong . She knows enough words and gestures that when I say where does it ouch ? she will tell me . My she was sooo distraught . She just buried her head in my chest and every few minutes would wail "mommy mommy mommy" I finally sat straight up with her against me and breast fed her whille we waiting for the Ibprofen to take the edge off the pain. She fell back asleep in my arms and I cried . How can I be away from her for 4 nights ? How can I not be able to hold her for 6 weeks at least? I could not push the stroller for almost 3 months after my last c section. Marc will have to take off work for at least 6 weeks and take care of all of us. That means no income coming in . NONE! What are we going to do? Why did I leave work ? Why won't my body do what it is supposed to do ?


** Oh and the final date can't be any later then today the 19th. I took a pregnancy test Feb 6th and it was positive . It was a first response that has a %50 chance of telling you 10 DPO so that would bring ovulation to no later then Jan 27th . So there is no way it is a missed date.

OMG!

You are not going to believe this but I just got an email from one of the two doctors left at my OBGYN practice (the one I really liked) that she left the practice!! So after crying my eyes out Marc got on the phone and got her cell # and called her up. Basically she wants me to come with her to her new practice at St. Vincent's but wont be back in town till Thursday to see me . OR I can stay with Dr. K who is now a single practice doctor (One of the main reasons I left my old doctor ) Oh and if this sounds like familiar , it is because the other doctor I really liked at this practice jumped ship in August. So basically if I go into labor in the next 72 hours I am to go to St. Vincent's ( a hospital I have never been to or pre registered at ) tell them I am her patient and hope they allow me in. Hopefully her asst can switch my insurance and get my records tomorrow . Not today. You know because of the sacred holiday of Columbus !!!!


Oh and I did a ton of research before I switched in July and this was the best group practice for VBACs for Lennox Hill and recommended by a ton of people. But apparently the practice was in shambles. And Dr. W the one I like told Dr. K . that she was leaving at the end of the year on Friday and he told her to get out now ! so that is great for his patients like me . The only reason I even found out was that I sent her an email this morning that nothing was going on and I was depressed and to ask if she would let me go later in my date then Dr. K or if 1 week was the cut off for both of them .

WHAT A SUMMER !! I can't take anymore!

Oh and Sara IT IS TOTALLY in my mind for sure , even deeper then fearing another C section. We must go and have wine after this LOL.

The Road taken twice

Right now I hate my body and I hate myself. Why is my body not normal ,? Why can't I go into labor? What is wrong with me ? I have done everything but I know that they will section me again . I know it . Unless I run away , which I am considering . And that will be the end of my childbearing . I will never go through this again only to be cut open at the end . How can I have lost my plug and have bloody show and still be sitting here. I feel like a failure . Our neighbors, friends and my doulas are all waiting , calling , emailing . What is going on ? Not a thing. Not a thing are you sure ? Yes nothing. I am angry , I am sad and I hate myself because I am not normal . My body lets me down .

MY BABY BROTHER IS ENGAGED!!!

Congrats Joe and Crystal !!!

39 weeks pregnant shot

This was the day I lost my plug . As of now nothing going on! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

B*tches get things done!

I dont know if you saw it but last spring SNL had Tina Fey and Amy Poeller reporting on Weekend update. They were talking about how Obama was starting to pull ahead of Hilary and that the reason is people saw her as a B*tch. And Amy Poeller says "Damn right she's a B*tch , B*tches get things done !"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/24/snls-campaign-trail-fau_n_88160.html I loved that line . Anyway on Tuesday I finally met the woman Doctor at the OBGYN practice I go to. I was supposed to see her a few weeks ago but she had an emergency. Anyway she was GREAT!! So kind, so positive about VBACs. I hope she is the one to deliver the baby. Anyway she asked me if Dr. K had done a internal last week. Yes and I was not dilated. She said ok lets take a look. Now I have had A LOT of internal exams , officially and unofficially HAHAHA! but NOTHING LIKE THIS. I am pretty sure she had both hands up my Va-jay-jay and was making a sandwich. Anyway she got to my cervix and told me that it was still closed I was pretty sad . And then she said "Kate I am going to put my fingers through your cervix" "Ok lets see if that helps. " So I left pretty sad . I mean every doctor after an internals says "YOu might experience some bleeding " but I NEVER DO . So I had another appt in the city about 2 hours later . So I walked around the upper east side . Stopped in a childrens boutique bought stuff I can' t afford for Rory . Anyway I had some contractions but nothing to get excited about. Went home went to bed pretty discouraged. BUT in the morning I woke up and had lost my mucus plug and had a bit of bloody show !!! So here is to B*tches . Myself, My doctor and the one inside me . Lets all work together to GET THIS DONE!!!


Also if you know my parents PLEASE DONT TELL THEM they will want to book a flight or call every hour and I can't handle it right now . No offense to them but they have to PLAN everything !

I dont know why my blog has been blocked but i am working on it

VBAC

I feel like I have to post about this. I have gotten a lot of emails, phone calls and parents at the park warning me about having a VBAC. For every 1 person who says good luck I have 5 that says "Oh that is dangerous or you should worry about your baby first. Ummmm first off. For me because of my health, age and the type of C section I had it is actually less dangerous for me and the baby to have a VBAC then a second c section. Ok that is all I have to say about that. Do research before you email or call and say what I am doing is wrong.

Now questions

Sara: Yes I do have a doula this time around !! I actually have 5 . It is a group of doula acupuncturists . (all by the way with masters degrees LOL) These are serious women and wonderful. Basically if I am lucky to go into labor on my own then I call the "bat phone" They will come over and help me labor at home, give me acupuncture, relieve Marc and let us know when it is time to go to the hospital. I also go to them once a week for acupuncture . One of them came to the house and sat with Marc and I for 3 hours and went over everything we want. So far it has been great I wish my labor nurse with Rory (Donna) could be my doula/midwife (shout out to you Donna!) she is the best and one of the reasons I am going to Lenox Hill again . I also like these women because they are not aggressive . They respect nurses and doctors and have assured me they are not there to override any decesions made just ot support myself and Marc .

Salty:

Salty first COngrats on your Marathon relay. Please go here to read about the amazing team of pregnant runners that she put together http://notpeppery.blogspot.com/. I wish I could have done it but i just to close to delivery. I was overdue with Rory and basically they induced me with cerverdel the day after Christmas. After 12 hours on my back with no Real contractions the cevrerdel was taken out and I was told I would have to have a c section . My doctor (at the time , I have switched doctors now) said I had to have a c section . He went to have dinner and I went into labor , He came back and was surprised but broke my water and allowed me to labor. At around 1am I was 3 cm he came back at 3am and said I had not progressed and that a c section was necessary. My husband asked about pitocin and was told rather nastily that my uterus was to exhausted and that it would not help. I have since done a lot of research and I feel that because my doctor was a single practice doctor and he wanted to see his patients the following day that he rushed to a c section. I am grateful for the beautiful baby that he did deliver but i feel he did not give me a real chance. Maybe 12 hours later it would have ended in the same situation but I was never given a real chance to labor . I was in labor from around 8:00pm-3am . Salty as a side note all research shows running thru a pregnancy decrease the chances for a c section and also an other interventions. I have slowed my running down to about 6 miles a week as per my doulas advice and I am focusing on more stretching and walking. But this is just me . I know women that run a race and then ran to the hospital from the finish line and gave birth. So don't worry.


Oh and yes I am watching the debate and typing this becasue I can't watch it with my full attention or I am afriad my water will break early.