Elliott is 1 week old!

We have hit the one week mark and I can't tell if it's been speedy or slow (leaning more towards the speedy side). We still have a happy, healthy baby!

Elliott is a pretty textbook kid, it seems. She follows a pretty straight forward sleep, eat, change diaper pattern which mom and dad appreciate. She hasn't had any real tantrums just yet (knock on wood) and we can usually tell what she wants pretty instinctively. When she is awake, she has deep blue eyes. She has started to make cute grins, also. She does not like to be cold. She is typically happy with a sleeper and blanket on. She doesn't like her diaper to be dirty and let's us know when it needs to be changed most of the time. (I'm happy about this because we aren't all over checking her pants every hour). She also seems to enjoy car rides and typically stays alert during them. She has gotten a few sponge baths at home already and does okay as long as she stays warm under a towel for most of it. 

She is doing pretty well sleeping at night, although she wakes very often and typically goes less than 2 hours between feeds. We have been using A&A blankets to swaddle, and may try out the sleep sack at some point. The first few nights we were still finding our rhythm and mom was a little too anxious on night watch. We started co-sleeping, but that makes Andy really anxious because he feels like he's going to roll over on her. 

On Sunday night (night 5), she was able to sleep in her bassinet all night - apart from feedings obviously, which I move her to our bed for. We have a Bassinest which I think will be a good match. Elliott is eye level with me in bed and I can easily put my hand on her to soothe. It has a vibrate setting which she enjoys, along with several other tricks that we don't use at this point. Fingers crossed this habit stays. It seems to be most dependent on how good of feedings she has.

Feedings are going well, too. I'm not sure if I had expectations but I'm pretty proud of what we have going. My supply has been great, my milk came in on Friday night (72 hours after delivery). Her latch has been seemed good from the beginning. I am having a lot of sensitivity still, and sometimes things downright hurt, but keeping things medicated helps a lot. I've had a few problems with engorgement at night, so we need to start a routine of pumping morning and night so I don't get too dependent on one side. Diaper changes are picking up each day, which is a great sign.

I will say I really love not having to prep bottles, and at this point washing dishes is not happening. I have no idea how bottle feeding would have worked. It's nice I really don't have to move during the night to take care of her.

Elliott really loves the mamaroo and we are hoping it stays that way. She spends a lot of her time in it when we are home during the day. It's perfect for napping. It's also great that I can leave her be for an hour or two and get a few things done. Right now she likes the car ride and tree swing settings on low.

We had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Murphy on Friday (3 days old). She weighed 6 lb 10.8 oz and was 19 inches long supposedly. She was 7 lb 0.3 oz when we left the hospital.

We returned to the doctor for a weight check in Tuesday, her 1 week birthday. She weighed 7 lb 0.8 oz and was 19.5 in long (go figure).

We have had a good stream of visitors since her birth. My parents, Saxtons, MIL, and BIL Eric all visited in the hospital. Andy's parents came Thursday night (our first night home). My sisters visited Friday night. Saturday she met several of my aunts and great aunts at a bridal shower, and met her aunt/uncle/cousins on the Bauman side that evening. Kayla came on Sunday, Andy's grandmas came Monday and Tuesday.

Mom is doing well, too. Despite being very, very sore the first few days I can now say I am getting closer to normal. Sunday was a real turning point. I'm getting to the stage of not having to do too much extra to take care of myself, and I have been able to do some activity. Since Andy has been working the past few days, it's nice to be physically able to catch up on some laundry and dishes while he is away. And generally being able to sit on my butt again is nice.

Dad has been a great helper! He lets me take the lead, but is good about offering help. He might even be better than me with putting on diapers. He is a saint.

We are so blessed with this little babe!

Elliott Eileen - Labor and Delivery

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

2:30 am - wake with pretty strong cramps 

3:00 am - go to pee

3-4:00 am - time contractions in bed, 6-7 minutes apart

4:00 am - contractions reach the <6 minute mark, get up to shower, contractions much less strong

4:30 am - back in bed, contractions mild enough to sleep through now

4:30-7 am - sporadic contractions, fairly strong but further apart

8:00 am - Andy leaves for work, I do random things and lie in bed. Contractions mild but close together.

9:00 am - Andy comes home and we leave for hospital. Still not convinced this is it.

9:45 am - arrive at hospital, get gown, urine sample, check in questions, dilated to 2, 90% effaced

10:30-1 - walk halls, get on birthing ball, contractions very tolerable 3-4 minutes apart

1:00 pm - back in bed. Checked and only at 3. We are given the option to leave, stay, or stay and start Pitocin because things aren't quite progressing as needed. We decide on the Pit because we just want to get it going.

2:00 pm - Nurse Leti starts IV fluids and gets the Pit. Before she puts the bag up, I get a wave of intense contractions back to back, so she doesn't need to start it:) 

2:45 pm - dilated 3-4, head low, contractions still manageable but not fun

3:15 pm - mom asks about an Epi. Dad talks her out of it.

3:45 pm - move from bed to birthing ball, contractions on the up

4:05 pm - Dr Emm stops by, dilated to 5. Feeling some motivation.

4:20 pm - back on birthing ball

5:00 pm - back in bed, try to nap 

5:40 pm - Leti does rounds, she's confident we will deliver before midnight. 

6:35 pm - checked and measuring 7-8, head still low. Things are getting real intense now. It's a mental game to push through. Everyone says 7-10 is the fastest so I tell myself there is no point in an Epi at this point. Everyone comments at how calm I'm being.

7:20 pm - introduced to new nurse Sam and student Molly

7:30 pm - back on ball, biggest contractions yet. Really feeling discouraged and asking for the Epi.

8:00 pm - get up to pee and this time feel lots of pressure

8:15 pm - Sam checks me and I'm about 9.5 cm. the only thing in the way is my water. She tries to 'accidentally' break it with no luck. I'm feeling really helpless, like it will never be over. 

8:40 pm - Practically begging for the Epi, but Sam suggests calling Dr Emm to break my water, since that will be faster. I say heck yes.

8:44 pm - Dr Emm here and water is broken. Almost completely dilated, head very low.

8:55 pm - on birthing ball, losing buckets of water slowly.

9:00 pm - back in bed, on all fours. Contractions very strong. Sam instructs me to push slightly with each contraction. Not feeling super natural to push just yet.  

9:15 pm - get on back, start actively pushing. Things don't feel instinctive until a few pushes in. I am openly criticizing my insanity. Dr Emm and staff in the room. Everyone is telling me I'm doing great, but I feel like I am not. Dr Emm asks for the mirror so I can see and be motivated. More grossed out but motivated to get it over with. Push for what feels like forever. Suddenly I guess I get a good shove and baby girl comes before they even have a table and supplies at the ready.

9:39 pm - Elliott Eileen Bauman is born

7 lb 8 oz, 20 inches long, with a head of dark hair

Apgar scores are both a 9 (good job, kid!) The next 45 minutes I do skin to skin during third stage (short but uncomfortable) and stitch me. Baby girl has an excellent first feed and we are officially parents! 

Side notes: Andy surpassed any expectations I had of him as a birth coach. He was pretty firm in getting me to stick to my original 'plan.' He was encouraging yet pretty much avoided touching me, which was what I wanted.

And as far as the no epidural debate. Obviously now I am really glad I stuck to it. It was really not the worst until the last 3 hours or so. At the time I was certain that I would never do it again and for all I cared they could cut the rest of my kids out of me (honestly I was really telling myself to never have another child again). I was never interested in no meds so that I could have a 'badge of honor' of sorts because I think that's stupid. I just wanted to take the smoothest route, if that makes sense. All of the benefits to no epidural come after delivery whereas the pros of the Epi are obviously during labor. Elliott was born so alert, she had an amazing nursing session right away, and her digestive system was moving right along just hours after birth. She even tested positive for Coombs but still dodged the jaundice bullet probably because of her awesome feeding. Now I can't say all of this was because of no meds, but it obviously didn't hurt. It was also nice that I could get up and moving pretty shortly after all was over. I'm just glad the whole thing is over and done with and we have a healthy baby:)

36-40 Weeks

We are here. And we're still waiting.

I have reached the uncomfortable phase. For pretty much my whole pregnancy, I have felt mostly normal. The past few weeks I've been feeling more restricted. Moving around in bed is proving interesting. I think I wake Andy up groaning and grunting when I switch positions. I'm sure my ab muscles are still pretty great considering, but it certainly makes things more difficult. I've become an expert at undressing and putting on shoes with minimal bending over because it hurts. My belly feels like it is stretched to the max. I feel like a balloon that could pop any minute. It is truly a miracle that I do not have stretch marks still.

I wake up pretty much at 4 am every day to go to the bathroom. If I can't fall back asleep quickly, then I get out of bed between 5 and 6 for a bowl of cereal. I can usually fall back asleep at some point until about 9 or 10 depending on how long I stay awake in the early hours. At this point, I have run out of things to do. This past week I've been spending a good portion of my mornings in bed. I typically get up a shower and lunch and spend the afternoon doing things (laundry, dishes, errands, etc.).  We had probably a thousand pine cones in our yard, so each day I pick up a bag full. The squatting down is good for me. By 4 pm-ish I am ready to rest again. Andy has been working later so we have been eating dinner between 7 and 8. We have been going to bed by 10 almost every night. I try to do a few rounds of squats and stretching beforehand.

I figured all along that I would go past my due date. I think it's just a part of being a first time mom to be over due. But I will be honest that at about week 37, I was fantasizing about going a little early. At that point the waiting was still exciting as I knew I could go into labor at any minute. And now I wake up every day telling myself that today is not the day. I will be pregnant for a while longer. I'm pretty accepting of being out of control, but I have certainly had my moments of insanity.

I am typically a very rational person. I run on logic, rather than emotion. I know that my pregnancy is going pretty much how I expected it to. But I kind of lost it at my doctor's appointment on Monday (39w2d). I am not a cryer, so this is very unlike me. I can count on one hand the number of times I have cried during this pregnancy. Just in the past week, I have known of FIVE babies that have been born and I think that has exacerbated my frustrations. I can't even be mad at the baby, because I know if the roles were reversed I would probably really enjoy making everyone wait for me until May. The most annoying thing at this point is the constant text messages and phone calls from people asking me if I'm labor, when I think I will give birth, if I'm dilated, etc. Everyone means well, but add them together and it gets overwhelming. This is not like a dentist appointment I can just schedule. (And even if I did know when I was going to deliver, I would still probably not tell anyone.)

I go in spurts of being nervous about delivery. It's starting to get really real that I'm going to have to do this. I know that everyone survives just fine and that it won't be a big deal when all is said and done. I try to just not think about it and go with the flow as much as possible.

I know that we will meet her very soon! (Too lazy to upload photos so I'll come back and do it later)

Remaining Appointments

38 Weeks - Monday, April 6 at 2:45 pm

Weight up 27 lb total. BP around the norm 100/60. Baby's heartbeat 140 BPM. That's about it.


39 Weeks - Monday, April 13 at 2:45 pm

Weight up 28 lb total. BP a little higher than usual at 110/70. Baby's heartbeat 140 BPM. Dr. Emm said my belly is growing well. I let her check me this week. Cervix is soft and she thought I may be dilated to a 1, but she couldn't really tell as the kid's head is still in the way so we're going with 0. She has no concerns. She asks if I can wait another week to discuss any plan. As ready as I am to no longer be pregnant, I know it's for the best to keep waiting. She still thinks I'll be fine delivering naturally without a section and confirmed that there should be no reason that she isn't the one to deliver me. Whew. I still leave feeling a bit defeated as I feel like I have been pregnant for so long and am frustrated by no progress.

40 Weeks - Monday, April 20 at 2:30 pm

Weight up 29 lb total. BP still a bit higher than my usual at 114/68 (probably just from anxiety). Dr. Emm reviewed the usual questions. Contractions seem to be picking up a bit. Baby's heartbeat is 142 BPM, so holding steady there. I'm dilated to 1 and 80-90% effaced (thank you, Jesus!!). This lifts my spirits because a little progress is better than no progress. She is really on board with letting me go on my own, but asks if we want to go ahead schedule an induction for next week. Hopefully we won't need it, but it will be so nice to have an end date in sight. She says we can even do this week if we are really antsy, since next Monday I will already be 41w2d. We opt to schedule for midnight on Sunday/Monday and are crossing our fingers that I go on my own beforehand. Either way this is my last prenatal appointment! And I'm super thankful that it rained and Andy could come with me, so I didn't have to repeat the whole appointment to him. Overall, I'm just feeling much more positive.