Abbey's Birth Story

Around 11:30pm on October 5, 2011, I felt like my contractions were getting closer together. For weeks now, I'd had contractions, and I had left work on September 14th, 2 weeks before my due date because I just couldn't handle it anymore. Finally it seemed like it was time. Bryan, my husband, and Riley, my 3 year old, were happily asleep. I sat on my exercise ball, I drank more cinnamon tea, i drank more red raspberry leaf tea and I took a shower. My contractions were about 15 minutes apart, but it was consistent. Around 3am, they were about 7 minutes apart. I had taken more showers, and played Addiction Solitaire on Pogo for a while. I tried to wake my husband up around 4am, asking him to take a shower with me. He said no, lol. By this time, contractions were about 6 minutes apart. I called the midwife, and she told me that since my cervix had been only 1cm dilated earlier that week (monday, this was now early thursday morning) and my water hadn't broken, and my contractions weren't yet 5 minutes apart, I should take a long bath. Well I couldn't get comfortable in the bath and so after about 10 minutes of torture, I got out. Then it started to get tough. I woke Bryan up and told him to start getting ready.. It seemed like he took forever to shower and get dressed. I kept after him, saying "I need to go get going.." and such, but he kept saying my water hadn't broken, he still had time. Around 4-6 is when things get fuzzy. I called the midwife again, my contractions were 4 minutes apart. They skipped 5 minutes. SHe said it was time to go in and get checked out, which I knew it had been for a while now, but no one was listening to me. We got Riley ready and got in the car Around 6-6:30. By this time, I was shaking and sweating. Ry thought it was hilarious. He told daddy that mommy was cold, and kept giggling. FInally after he was dropped at my mother in law's house, we were on our way to the hospital, where my contractions were anywhere from 2-4 minutes apart. The ride was not easy. I started counting the streets until we got there. I walked to the elevator, to the 6th floor, because sitting was uncomfortable. I think I was still shaking. We got up to the triage area and the nurse asked why we were there, and I said I was in labor, so she says "Okay, you're here to rule out labor?" and bryan says "No, she's definitely IN labor". We got into the room. I wanted them to hurry the hell up and it seemed like everyone was taking their dear sweet time, since my water still had not broken. I sat on the toilet, because that seems to be a more comfortable spot for me in labor, both times. The nurse put the monitors on me and checked for dilation. As i waited in the L&D triage room, for what seemed like forever (was about maybe 20-30 minutes, i think? I'm not sure, I lose all track of time), the nurse checked me and i was only 5cm.. I started asking for drugs. The nurse said I could have drugs when the midwife came in. I got another nurse who was thankfully nicer than the previous one, and she told me I could have my drugs soon. Then the midwife got there, and I again asked for drugs. Alll this time, Bryan was trying to remind me why I didn't want drugs and i kept telling him I did. The midwife told me that I could go into a regular room and get an epidural, but I would need to sit down and be monitored for 15 minutes before I could get it. SO I agreed to go into the ABC room (Alternative Birthing Center rooms, with tubs, queen sized bed, etc) and get into the tub. As we got in there, I stool hugging Bryan, and started praying to let this stop. I couldn't handle it if I was only 5 cm and had hours left to go. All of a sudden, I felt like I was pushing. We yelled for the midwife, who had gone to get me ice, and she came back in and checked me. 8 cm now. I stood back up and still felt like I was pushing while they were trying to get the tub filled. As I was hugging Bryans neck, my water broke. I remember saying "Did I get you?" lol. I felt like I couldn't keep myself from pushing, and leaned over the bed while my body did the pushing but I tried not to. Finally the tub was full enough for me to get it. I got in, thinking there was a little bit of time. I pushed, and felt her head. I said a few F words too. I pushed again, and her head came out, with the cord around her neck. One more push and her whole body was out, with the cord wrapped around it as well. The first thing I said was "Oh! She has brown eyes!" They unraveled her from her cord and put her on my chest. They rubbed her to try and get her to breathe more. I do know my husband cut the cord, and they wouldnt tell me what her apgar score was. They told us they would need to take her to the nursery. It ended up that she was having trouble keeping her O2 saturation up, they called it TTN and said it was not uncommon, especially considering how quickly she was born. She was also born so fast she broke a blood vessel in her eye. A couple months before, Bryan's sister's daughter was born sleeping, and it was so devastating, of course. So when things were going a little off with Abbey, Bryan was having trouble seeing her that way. After this, I had delivered the placenta, gotten onto the bed to be checked for tearing, which I was sure I had, but didn't. I did stand up, to try and go see my baby girl, but I had to immediately sit down. It was 24 hours before my pretty baby was allowed to nurse. We had gotten to the hospital around 7:20am, and Abbey was born at 8:30am.



Abbey Raine
8:37am 10/06/11
7lbs 12oz

exercise!

I finally exercised today! for the first time in, well, maybe 5 or 6 years? It wasnt much, I jogged in place for 15 minutes while I watched supernatural on my DVR and then did dishes for my cool down, lol. But, like i said, more than ive done in years!

I think I want to start going to the gym at work, but unfortunately, they havent activated my ID bagde to get in there, even though they are taking my $5 per paycheck, grr. I need to email human resources and get that handled, I just keep forgetting.

I'm down to 182 this week, which is good. We went grocery shopping at 2am at Super Walmart (our first super walmart in our area, maybe they're more common in rural areas?) and i got all kinds of good low carb foods for the week.

Best news ever: My husband got a job! He got the offer on Thursday and he starts on Monday (tomorrow). I'm so very happy, he's been out of work for over a year. This will be much better now. Its not like he did anything around the house while he was off work, so that will be the same I'm sure, but he'll be contributing, and he will have self-worth. More good things!

Starting weight: 193
Current: 182.0
Goal: 135

hoping for a better tomorrow!

I didn't do a very good job last night. On my way to work, i got a sudden craving for iced tea so i went to mcdonalds. Since i couldnt just buy an iced tea wiht my credit card (dont carry cash) I bought a bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken. The nutritional info on mcdonalds.com says it has 12g of carbs with 5g of protein. Oh well. Then, for lunch at work (which is in the middle of the night) i had a thrown together wrap, some chicken salad, lettuce, banana peppers, it was quite yummy!

the not so good part? they didnt give me unsweetened tea, they gave me sweet tea, yuck.

Not quite a housewife...

I started this blog just a couple of months after my son was born, when I was a bored stay-at-home mom living with my husband, son, parents and little sister. Since then, my husband and I have bought our first home, just 1 month before he lost his job. I recently changed jobs so I am making enough money to pay our bills, but I'm working on losing weight now. Since last tuesday, I have been eating very low carbs.. well not very low, just low, but very low for me. In 7 days, i have not eaten bread, pasta, potatoes, anything with white flour, soda or candy. Not even my mother in laws super yummy potato soup, and I have lost 6lbs. 6lbs in one week! I have been drinking 100oz of water per day, and hopefully, i will have my work id badge activated to use the employee fitness center, its only $10 a month. Here's where I will update my stats!