Tunes for Toddlers (and babies too!) September 22, 2010

I was on my way home from duty the other night. It had been a long shift, a long night, a long week. I was listening to my iPod, and just wanted something relaxing to mellow me out on the about-an-hour-ride. I went to the lullaby playlist I had made for the babies, then went  a little more specifically to one album that I love; Sleep Baby Sleep by Nicolette Larson. This is a CD I had originally bought over ten years ago, when I was working at a kids toy store called Noodle Kidoodle. The Manchild was about two years old maybe, and since I loved Nicolette Larson’s voice on another CD I had, I thought it would be a great sleepy-time CD for him. Good choice.

This CD is great for children and adults alike, either if you want something to lull your babies or even older children to sleep, or even if you want something for yourself. When I played this for The Popo when she was going through an impossible phase, the hubby liked it so much he used to ask me to continue playing it even when we went to bed.

A second lullaby CD I picked up around the same time that we have also enjoyed very much throughout the years is a compilation of lullabies by several artists, Lullaby – A Collection.

This was supposed to be only two CDs here, but one more that I was originally exposed to almost twenty years ago (making me feel ancient now!) was Disney For Our Children. When I first discovered this, it was before the days of CDs, when we were cassette crazy, and one side had some more upbeat music while the other side had more soft lullaby type music. I loved this one so much that I did upgrade to the CD when The Manchild was a toddler. I don’t have this one loaded on the iPod, which just serves as a reminder that I will have to get my hands on it when we return home for a visit. I think the babies will love it!

All of these CDs are ones that The Manchild liked so much he still listens to them on occasion, even though he is thirteen (minus the Disney one). He still likes to fall asleep to music and sometimes listens to the lullabies on his iPod.

OK… I just changed the title from Two for Toddlers, because while I have been typing away here, I thought of one more fun children’s CD that I had to also recommend, Joanie Bartels Bathtime Magic. You probably couldn’t go wrong with any of her CDs, but this is one that I used to enjoy with children that I babysat and the Manchild.

How about you, do you have any favorites that everyone in the family loves?

And one more… This is one that they used to listen to with the children at daycare when The Manchild was a Toddler. He loved it so much and I thought it was so great that I hunted all over for it! It’s called Kids in Motion. The Manchild liked it everywhere, even in the car, but it serves as a great tool to get the kiddos moving when you are stuck in the house, while at the same time, even working the mind a little as they pretend to be different animals and such.

I listed links to these CDs so they would be easily accessible if you are interested in looking a little further at any of them. Though most of them are linked through Amazon, I am not linking them as an affiliate of any sorts, and I do not earn any points, gifts, or cash prizes if you look or buy. I listed these only as suggestions to you because our family has had great enjoyment out of each of these.

Spoonful of Sugar September 13, 2010

When the Manchild was an infant/toddler it seems there were a few stretches where he spent more time sick than well. He certainly had his share of illnesses, and with that came his share of medications. I’m not sure where I came across this tool, but I found The First Years medicine syringe to be the best medicine dispenser a mom could ask for.

Apparently now it is marketed as The American Red Cross medicine syringe, but it is exactly the same design as the one that I bought twelve +/- years ago and am still using for the Popo and the Baby. My Amazon search brought up several items that would do the same job, and I think that #3 on the list, the Oral Medication Syringe by Monoject, would do the job quite nicely for a tiny fraction of the price. I had a short stint with the first item on the Amazon list, the same idea put out by Safety First, but I didn’t like that one as well.

The benefits I have found to using a syringe are especially so with an infant or very young toddler who might not be cooperating. Measuring couldn’t be easier, there is essentially no spillage, you can dose it as slowly as needed so there is no spitting back out, and if necessary, you can place the syringe in the back of the cheek area which minimizes spitting loss especially with very young infants.

Just my thought/little tip for the day

***Just so you know, this is purely my own personal opinion developed by my experience using this product. I did not receive any gifts or payments for writing this post***

On a Lighter Note August 17, 2010

Things could be going much better… but I am trying to stay focused on the positive instead of the bad.bad.bad. so that I can keep a smile on my face and possibly trick myself into reducing the otherwise boiling over stress level.

Last night I started a rotation at a different hospital. Where they have a new procedure for labor and delivery. I am still trying to comprehend how they can go from kind of antiquated to WOW without a few pit stops in the middle, but kudos to them!

Before, standard procedure was for laboring mom to leave the labor room and head to the delivery room where she would climb up onto a table, get her feet into the stirrups, experience a traumatic delivery that included a guaranteed episiotomy, a doctor climbing on top of her abdomen and pushing down to force the baby out or use of  forceps, a quick latch from the baby then baby is whisked off to the nursery, stitches, pain reliever/sedation without consent, at least an hour in a recovery room, then off to the OB ward.

Last night, we were enlightened about the way they do it now…

Laboring mom still leaves the labor room and heads to the delivery room where she climbs up on the table and gets her feet into the stirrups, BUT, no more episiotomy, skin to skin immediately after delivery… for at least 60 minutes, no more pain reliever/sedation… while baby is on mom, Vit K and Hep B are administered, and baby is wiped off instead of quickly bathed with soap and water or baby oil.

I know there is still a long way to go here. I haven’t had the opportunity to observe a birth with these new procedures yet, but I was so excited to hear that they are now requiring skin to skin immediately after delivery. This is something that is not even common practice in hospitals in the US yet either you ask for it, or you have an awesome nurse. It just made me happy.

I’m off to get ready for another duty shift now, so I will leave you with this picture snapped by the Manchild…

Shoe Box O’stuff December 30, 2009

I have been thinking for weeks about a ‘Works For Me Wednesday‘ post, but either everything I think of seems too lame to post, or I think someone else must have posted it already.  This week I decided I was going to post something anyway, whether it was too lame, or a repeat.  It was my idea, one that though I’m sure there are lots of others who do it themselves, I came up with it for myself, on my own.  So here I am on Thursday (a day late of course) with my Works For Me Wednesday tip for you.

I am a mom on the go.  It seems that we are always Go-Go-Going somewhere, and it seems like I am always forgetting something. When the Popo was born, it had been 10 years since I had a little in tow, so it took some getting used to all over again.  It didn’t take me long to figure out I had to come up with some kind of always have on hand package.  I would find myself out to eat with my parents and no baby food/spoon/bib, bottle, or sippy cup.  We would have a doopie diaper and no wipes.  You know those moments… the ‘I thought I grabbed that before I left the house’ moments.  My solution to this problem was to make an emergency box of sorts to keep fully stocked and in the car.  Yes, I could have just as easily stocked a diaper bag, but especially after The Baby came along, I had enough to carry and wasn’t big on a diaper bag.

My solution:  The Shoebox of Stuff

Between the two front seats in my car is the perfect little cubby for my ‘Shoebox of Stuff’.  I bought a rubbermaid/Sterelite plastic box with a cover for about $2 at Target or Walmart, and stocked it up with enough for my two littles: a few diapers, wipes, bibs, sippy cups, a few snack items, and whatever else I could think of that should be in there in case of ‘emergency’.

My box has been a life saver.  I can’t even begin to tell you how often I have had to grab a diaper out of that box to change a diaper while I was just running out for a quick errand, or how many time having that bib in the car was a great save when we stayed for dinner at a friend’s unexpectedly.

I also learned very quickly that it wasn’t a bad idea to keep all of the items in the box on hand as extras at grandma’s and auntie’s in case we stopped by for a quick visit and stayed longer than expected, which happens all the time with us.  So there you have it… it works for me!

The Cesarean Complex September 4, 2009

There is a lot out here on the interent about birthing; especially natural birth and the birthing experience.   Having wanted a natural birth experience for all three of my littles, I was quite disappointed to have each of them end in cesarean sections.  For a long time I felt that I was missing the experience of natural birth, that I had been robbed.  Over the last year or so, I have come to a peaceful place with the experience that I did have, the experience is mine.  A lot of that is from being able to read the experiences of others and how they got through them.  Some insight that helped me greatly was from Morgan over at Adventures in Diapering.  I have come to realize that it is OK for me to miss that experience, as long as I can still look at the big picture and remember that the pregnancy and birth are probably about 1% of the entire parenting experience, and the parenting experience is what really matters. 

 

Another thing that I have come to realize is that there are some women (men too…) who really put a value on the natural birth experience, and in talking about that value as a whole (medically and emotionally speaking), focus on the areas in which our current maternal care system is lacking.  There is not a lot of discussion of situations where cesarean sections were a legitimate medical necessity.   I believe that for most women who have experienced something different than they were hoping for, this does nothing but perpetuate feelings of loss, sadness, and possibly inadequacy.

 

While this is something that has been of interest to me for over a decade, it has been more of recent that I have been doing more reading and research on the issue.  I am fully aware of the sad state of our maternal care in the U.S., both from my readings, and from personal experience.  I know that there are many (too many)  situations where a  woman who intends on having a natural birth experience ends up with an epidural, and eventually lands on the OR table while her child is born through a surgical incision for reasons that could have been avoided.  I know that there are OBs who want to practice 9-5 medicine and will induce labor or schedule ‘elective’ cesareans so they can be home in time for dinner.  I also know that many women head into the hospital thinking that they are going to have the birth experience that they dreamed of, not ever having had a direct conversation with their doctor about his or her practices, or doing any of their own research outside of taking the child birth classes taught at the hospital.  The problem is not only the fault and/or the responsibility of medical providers, but also that of women.

 

I believe that there is more than one issue at hand here.  The fist is making a change in the system so that pregnancy and birth are treated as a natural process and not a disease that needs to be cured.  The second is that we need to develop a true understanding of what (some) women who have had cesarean sections go through in the recovery process emotionally, and provide better support for them.

 

There are amazing nurses, midwives, and doctors out there that realize we have come to a place where change needs to happen.  Many are trying to make that change even if it is only in the smallest things that they can do as individuals (maybe a nurse standing strong in supporting a women’s wishes when she is being bullied by a doctor).  Some know we need a change but have no idea where to start, and there are others, unfortunately, that don’t realize anything is wrong.

 

I believe that as a woman, I have a responsibility to myself and other women, to be an educated consumer’ of all things.  Number one on the list of all things is health care.  Change doesn’t come easily or quickly, but with time, persistance, and hard work, we can make it happen.  It is my responsibility to be open and upfront with my doctor regarding my expectations.  It is also my responsibility stand up for myself if I believe that I am not getting what I deserve.  Remember that even in the doctor’s office, you are paying for a service, and you deserve to be treated fairly and with respect.  You can question things without being rude or pushy, and it is OK to say no, or I want a second opinion.  It is your body, and what happens to it is your choice.  Don’t let that choice be taken away from you.

 

 

‘B’ Says Buh September 2, 2009

Do you remember those magnetic letters that were about 1-2 inches… they were all over every refrigerater in every house throughout the late 70′s, early 80′s, and possibly the 90′s as well?  If you are around my age, you played with them endlessly, forming word after word after word, sentences if you could. 

 

There was a fisher price school desk that had word templates you could use with those letters.  I received one of those as a gift when I graduated Kindergarten I think, and I loved it for a long time.  I’d love for my girls to enjoy the endless hours of play I had with that desk; I’ve been scoping them out on ebay.

I don’t think The Manchild had letters like those; they weren’t very popular at the time he would have used them I guess, and those were before the days of ebay and etsy.

 

While I was scoping out some magnetic letters on ebay a while back, I came across a Leap Frog Fridge Phonics set.  I was really only looking for a replica of the set I had as a child; the girls are too young for the FP desk yet, but I thought they would have a lot of fun with the letter magnets.  I was intrigued by some of the posts for this that I came across on ebay, and it seemed that this was a pretty popular set.

I placed a bid on one that seemed to be a good deal, and I won.  It arrived on my doorstep, I opened it up and wiped it all down, and stuck it up on the fridge.  The babies flocked to this new toy; something they generally don’t see a lot of in the house.  I demonstrated for them how to place the letter magnet in the base and press for the song, which is quite cute.  We’re now months later and I must say that it travels all over the house, and it is quite the  favorite toy.

 

The age on the box as shown here says “2+”, but The Baby who is just 18 months old now LOVES this as much as big sister does (if not more), and she has started singing along in her own way.  I think this is a great toy that mixes learning with fun!

 

*Please note that I am just a recreational blogger, and this is purely ONLY my personal opinion based on my experience.  I was not asked to write this post, and I received nothing for doing so.   

Within Arms Reach August 20, 2009

When I was pregnant with The Manchild, I was a big preacher of no sir, nuh-uh, not me… as in, I’m not going to be one of those parents who has a kid sleeping with them every night; you know the ones, they say if you start that business of babies sleeping in your bed, you will never have another night alone, right?  Well, with him, I pretty much stuck to my guns, and he slept in the crib (though it happened to be in the same room), unless he was sick.  You see, he frequently had ear infections, and when one came on out of nowhere, always in the middle of the night, he would only sleep if he was literally lying right on top of mama.  Through the toddler years there were times I let him climb into my bed and sleep the night there because here and there couldn’t hurt, but generally speaking, as a rule, he slept solo in his own bed.

 

When Popo was born, she also roomed with us, but because she was so demanding is spirited, she required a little more attention.  She would often not sleep for more than 30 seconds at a time, and if we ever tried to put her down in bed, forget  it.  She was most happy, and slept the longest, when she was right on one of our chests.  This led to night after night of sleeping while somewhat sitting, and if she was ever put down in the crib, she stayed with us in our bed for the rest of the night after the first feeding anyway.

 

When The Baby came home 14 months after Popo was born, we were very short on space and had both of them rooming with us.  Popo was sleeping through the night at that point, and would go to bed in the crib, generally without incident.  For the first week or so I slept in a big cushy over-sized chair we have in the living room because I didn’t want to wake Popo up every time I had to feed The Baby (c-section #3).  The Baby slept on my chest or next to me in the bassinet.  After about a week, we moved into the bedroom, and Popo slept in her crib over by daddy, and The Baby slept in the bassinet next to mama, or on mama, or between the two of us. 

 

With Popo, I had eyed the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper a few times before her arrival, but decided that it was just too costly for such a short time period.  I had never seen them before, and hadn’t heard anything about them, so the idea of looking into it  a little deeper didn’t really cross my mind.  Because of the difficulties I had with nursing, I had joined La Leche League, and received the magazine, which was full of interesting ads, one of which was for the co-sleeper.  By the time I decided it was a really good idea, it was too late to bother with it because she was too big anyway.  BUT for The Baby, my radar was working overtime.  When she was about a month old, I spotted one at the consignment store for $40.00!!!  WHAT A STEAL. 

Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper

The Baby stayed in the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper for about 9 months, and everyone was happy.  As far as I’m concerned, it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  For nursing and bottle-feeding moms alike, this keeps baby close enough that all you have to do is roll over.  If you like the idea of co-sleeping, but you are too afraid to have baby right in bed with you, this is perfect.  I found that having The Baby in this, being right next to us, she went down much easier at (the first) bed time, and there was no struggling to get her back to sleep in the middle of the night.

 

Now for a few words on the co-sleeping in general.  I for sure am a convert, in that I would not hesitate to have a baby sleep either in a co-sleeper attached to the bed, or even right in bed with me.  There is a lot of research supporting both sides; it’s a good idea/it’s not safe.  After my personal experience, I think that everyone (mom, dad, and baby) was happier when we weren’t against the idea of or afraid of sleeping with baby.  Baby seemed to sleep a lot better, and there were no struggles getting her down for the night.  We didn’t have any trouble moving the girls into their own bedroom when we  moved; Popo went first, and The Baby followed shortly after.  18 months later and they two party like rock stars when it’s bed time… we didn’t end up with children sleeping with us until they were teenagers, but I must also say that now I don’t think there is anything wrong with a child who feels comfortable enough and close enough that they can sleep with mom and dad when they want.

 

***Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and personal experience only, I am not a medical expert.

Frugal Safety? August 14, 2009

When The Manchild was ready to move into a forward facing seat, I didn’t do a lot of research per se, but I did know that the 5-point restraint system was a safer seat to go with.  I took a trip over to Toys-R-Us and picked out a mid-priced seat that looked like it would be comfy and had a simple 5-point restraint system.

 

The Popo could have spent 18-24 months in her little bucket infant carrier because she was such a peanut, but by the time she was 14 months old I wasn’t going to buy another bucket seat (only to be used a few more months) with The Baby about to arrive any day.  This time I did a little more research, and decided on the Britax Marathon.  What I really liked about this seat (other than it had excellent safety ratings)was that it would hold a rear-facing child up to 35 lbs, and forward facing up to 65 lbs; no need to change car seats every year due to exceeding the weight limit.

Britax Marathon

 

Fast forward 17 months to The Baby finally needing to move out of her bucket seat.  With our upcoming move the the Philippines, I don’t want to dish out another $279 for a Britax Marathon (don’t plan on spending so much time in the car over there), but I want something safe that is certified for aircraft usage.

 

Back to consumer reports I went (I’ve been looking over the last several months at the ratings there), to find that the extra car seat I purchased both for the DH’s and my aunt’s cars, the Cosco Scerena, is rated as EXCELLENT both for craash protection and forward facing fit-to-vehhicle.

Jaw on the floor.

Cosco Scenera

This is a seat I had chosen for DH’s and auntie’s cars becuse it was:

• Convertible – I wanted something that could keep The Baby rear facing as long as possible, but still switch to forward facing
• Simple to use – It would probably be switching vehicles often
• ONLY $40 at Walmart when I bought it originally.  I later purchased 2 more on sale for $40 each at Target

 

Now this is what I have to say about this seat:

In my experience, it was not simple to use for rear-facing; it did not seem possible to get a snug fit-to-vehicle when rear-facing.  It doesn’t appear to be a comfy seat when compared to others (like the Britax), but only because it is plain and simple; no pads on the straps, and no thick, cushy foam.  Important note to keep in mind, the kids don’t seem to mind.

As a forward-facing seat, so far I have been able to install it quickly and easily with a nice snug fit-to-vehicle. 

Overall my only complaint is that to me it seems like it might not be very comfortable on a  longer trip because the cover is so thin.

 

My fix for the problem was to leave the bucket seat with auntie in case of an emergency since The Baby still just fits in there, and take one of the Scenera’s for my car.  If auntie knows ahead of time that she needs a seat I’ll just do a switch for the day.  Since it only weighs about 9 lbs, compared to the Britax’s 20 lbs, 2 of the Scenera’s will be making a trip overseas with us!

 

***This post is 100% my personal opinion written from my own personal experiences as a consumer, NOT AN EXPERT.  I DID NOT get anything from anyone to write this post.

The Baby May 26, 2009

There are only 14 months between the birth of Popo and ‘The Baby’.  So I have the Manchild who is now 12, Popo who recently turned 2, and The Baby who recently turned 1.  After the birth of Popo, I was nervous about what this pregnancy might bring for me, and had many open and helpful conversations with the doctor through the months. 

 

At my first prenatal appointment, I asked about something that had been weighing on my mind; what was really considered to be a reasonable/safe number of c-sections before mom should call it quits.  The doctor said that generally they recommend that you have no more than 3 c-sections, but that if a mom feels strongly about it, it is possible to have more.  She said that she has moms that have had 5 c-sections and they have been fine.  We also discussed the subject of VBAC, but since Popo and The Baby would be so close together, we decided that a planned c-section for The Baby was best.

 

We also talked about what the liklihood was of the recurrence of HELLP Syndrome, and what I could expect as I came closer to my due date; she would be monitoring me very closely, and she said that my treatment would be very conservative;I should expect frequent appointments and regular non-stress tests (NST) along with regular blood work.

 

Throughout this pregnancy, I felt much better than I had with Popo, nothing out of the ordinary, not even any swelling, so I can say that I was more than surprised when I went in for a regular check up at 30 weeks to find that my blood pressure was 140/90!  Needless to say, the nurse pratitioner I had been scheduled to see sent the Dr. in, and I was sent right over to the hospital for an NST and blood work.  She also asked me that dreaded question, “are you working?”  That was the day I was ordered to spend the remainder of this pregnancy on my left side.

 

For 7 weeks I complied; I made weekly trips to the Dr, and bi-weekly trips to the L&D unit for NSTs.  I became a frequent flyer, and counted down the weeks then days until I knew that I was at the point where I knew I wouldn’t have to transfer to The Big Hospital if things started to make a downhill turn.  My blood pressure stayed within a ‘normal’ range all along until about 37 weeks. 

 

I had a horrible cold that I just couldn’t seem to shake; over the weekend I had made one trip into L&D for an unscheduled NST due to lack of baby activity, and another trip into the ER because I was severely dehydrated, and no matter how much I drank, I just couldn’t get myself hydrated.  On both visits the end result was the same; I was fine and The Baby was fine.  Even though I begged to differ on both trips, I went home and tried to keep myself hydrated and make sure The Baby was still moving, I knew I had another Dr. appointment on Tuesday anyway.

 

Tuesday came and to the Dr. we went.  I had a scheduled ultrasound scheduled that day to check growth and fluid level; the uldtrsound tech said that my fluid level was low and that I would have to talk to the Dr. about it, lucky for me I would not have to wait to hear what that meant (though I knew what it meant, ultimately).  My blood pressure was checked and my urine was dipped, and the Dr. came in to the examination room to tell me that she had called the hospital to schedule the anesthesiologist, and The Baby would be delivered the next morning… the fluid was low, the BP was high, and there was protein present in my urine.

 

Even though at this point I expected her to tell me this, I still started crying because I still hadn’t really expected to hear this today.  We went home and packed and headed over to the hospital because I had to have another NST and the Dr. had decided it would be better if we stayed overnight to be monitored.

 

The next morning I was prepped and rolled into the OR for delivery.  I was absolutely terrified of the spinal, (my close friend had said that was the absolute worst thing she had ever experienced in her life, and I am not to keen on needles), but the anesthesiologist and the nurse were amazing.  DH was right by my side the entire time snapping pictures and talking to me while Teh Baby was delivered.  The ansethesiologist was so patient and absolutely wonderful in answering all of my questions and telling me what was going on the entire time (as a nursing student, I have seen a few scary things in clinicals, and I was afraid I would be too focused on the monitors or what was going on in the OR). 

 

It was such a wonderful experience to be awake for the birth of The Baby; so different from my previous births with The Manchild and Popo.  She was born healthy, but had a lot of fluid in her lungs (she required a lot of suctioning) and was having a little trouble breathing after a bit, so she was taken to the nursery for some oxygen and closer monitoring.  After a few hours she passed some meconium and was as good as new!  The brought her into my room and there she stayed until we went home. 

 

While this is not the birth that I would have ‘chosen’ if the ‘choice’ was available, I am grateful for the final outcome, which is that I had a birth where both baby and mom were healthy.  I had a very hard time dealing with the birth of Popo, especially because I truly had a different experience in my mind, and not only was it completely differentthan what I had in mind, but the disappointment was compounded by the fact that I left the hospital without my baby, and although she didn’t have any major complications, she was not able to join the family at home for a month.  I recently came across a great blog of a mom who has had 4 c-sections, and this post that she wrote really helped me realize that it is not the experience per se that matters, but the overall outcome and how you choose to move forward after the fact that is important.  I completely agree that society puts too much emphasis on the experience of birth, and surely this interferes with the emotions of many new mothers who are already dealing with so many changes (both internally and externally).

 

I was by far the most prepared for this birth as far as having educated myself as a patient, as well as making sure that the Dr. and I were on the same page throughout the entire pregnancy.  As women we need to educate ourselves; we need to be aware of all options that are available, and we need to ask questions, and sometimes stand up and say no.  We should be more prepared for truly necessary interventions.  Pregnancy and birth should not be treated as an illness, but as a natural life occurrence.  We need to help other women understand it as that.  We need change, but it will not come without work from all of us.

My Little “Lucy” May 14, 2009

The Man Child would be 10 years old soon after the birth of my second baby.  While the years passed between the birth of The Manchild and my little “Lucy”, I went through many changes myself; I had moved several times, quit a job I stayed at for several years even though I was miserable, went back to school full time, got married, earned my associate’s degree, and enterered a nursing program in order to earn my bachelor’s and start working as a nurse.  Little did I know that there were other things planned for me, and while my daughter is now 2 years old, I am still trying to get through nursing school 4 years later!

 

My Daughter’s Birth Story

After The Manchild was born and time passed, I knew that things would be different if I had another child.   I would be more educated in my options, and have a better, more open dialogue with my doctor throughout the pregnancy.  I would not just blindly accept whatever was given to me.

 

The pregnancy went as well as we could have hoped for; no complications, I had started CBE classes, including Hypnobirthing, talked to my husband and mother about what I wanted and how they could support me through the process, wrote a birth plan and discussed it with my Dr., who was supportive of what I had written.

 

When I was around 25 weeks, I just didn’t feel good and I started to swell.  “That’s normal,” they said, “yes, even this early.”  In the next week or so I had a few extra trips to the Dr.’s office to check the blood pressure because I had a few headaches in addition to the swelling.  “Still normal,” they said.  I was sent for some blood work, just to be sure and get a good baseline, just in case.  In the few weeks that followed the swelling became worse and worse, and overall I just didn’t feel good.  At my 30 week appointment, my blood pressure was somewhere in the range of 130+/90 which was quite a jump for me, and there was a little protein in my urine.  I waited for the doctor to come in.  “Are you still working?” she asked as she entered the room.  “Yes,” I said cautiously.  “Not anymore,” she said.  I asked about school, I had just started my second semester of my junior year.  She shook her head and told me that I would spend the rest of this pregnancy on bed rest, that is, after a trip to the hospital for some testing.

 

As I headed over to the hospital, I called work to let them know I would not be in… for a while.  I wondered what would happen with school, I was so close to being done!  I spent the day in the hospital hooked up to the monitor with regular BP checks and waited for blood work to come back from the lab.  No, I didn’t have a headache, and no I didn’t seefany floaters.  I was sent home with a 24 hour collection bottle, strict orders to stay on my left side, and no, there wasn’t a need for me to monitor my blood pressure at home.  This all happened on a Friday.

 

I went home and stayed on my left side, and monitored my BP anyway.  By Wednesday, I decided to call the Dr.’s office as it was getting worse.  I had bought myself a trip to the L&D floor for a non-stress test and more blood work.  It was around 5 p.m. when I arrived there, and the Dr. working that evening was one who was on staff at my regular Dr.’s office, but I had only seen once or twice.

 

This Dr. was pretty abrasive this evening; after the lab tech came up and drew some blood, she decided to talk to me about my birth plan.  She told me that it was nice that I had taken the time to write the birth plan, but I needed to understand that things change, and it is normal to experience pain and use medication during labor and delivery.  I told her that I understand that I may not have everything I am hoping for due to emergency situations that may arise, but I had talked to the other Dr. about it already, and she was comfortable with the plan I had written.  My pressure was reading around 150/100 on the monitor, and the Dr. asked the nurse to get another reading with a larger, manual cuff.  The nurse came back with a bariatric cuff that was sizes too large for my arm, and got a reading that was lower than my ‘normal-not-pregnant’ BP.  The Dr. said that since my blood work was normal and she was more comfortable with this pressure, she was going to send me home.  “But that BP is not right,” I said, “It is lower than anything I’ve had ‘normally’ in years”.  She pretty much ignored what I said and told me that she was comfortable with sending me home, and I should just call if I have any more problems.

 

After arriving home, I continued to monitor my BP, which still lingererd around 150/100, both with a wrist cuff, and my manual cuff which definitely fit me.  I parked myself in bed on my left side, and watched some TV.  Shortly after 11 p.m. I began vomiting, so I called in to the Dr. on call.  I told her that my pressure was still up around 150/100, and I was now vomiting.  She told me to head in to L&D at the hospital.  I called my husband (who worked second shift) and told him he needed to come home and take me in.

 

After some time in triage, they transferred me to a room and monitored the baby and my BP, still getting readings around 150/90.  They called in to the Dr. with a report, and she asked them to use the larger manual cuff again.  I explained to the nurse what had happened earlier and I was not comfortable using the larger cuff, and I had brought my own that had markings that confirmed that it was the appropriate size.  She seemed to agree that the larger cuff was not giving an accurate reading, but the shift changed and a new nurse came in and told me that I seemed to have a stomach virus and I would have a liter of IV fluids.  She had an extremely difficult time getting the IV in, and ended up placing it in the antecubital area, which was quite uncomfortable.  After the first liter went in she said I could have another liter, or go home.  Since I was frustrated, exhausted, and miserable, I decided to just go home to the comfort of my own bed. 

 

When she removed the IV, my arm started to bleed… a lot.  The nurse thought this was unusual, and asked me if I have ever had trouble with IVs before.  I said no, and just held the cotton ball with a lot of pressure to try to get it to stop.  15 minutes later, after we arrived home, the IV site was still bleeding, and I told my husband I thought this was very strange.  After finally getting it to stop bleeding, I decided I was going to have a conversation with my regular Dr. the next day, and went to bed.

 

Thursday morning I called the Dr. and expressed to her my serious discontent with the way things had been handled the previous evening, and told her that I would not be going back to L&D if the Dr.s on call and nurses could not figure out how to take an accurate BP.  She said she would note my file and suggested that I bring my own manual cuff to future visits so that there would not be any questions, and she would call a prescription in to the pharmacy that would hopefully help get the BP under control.

 

Friday morning came, and I got up to head in for my regular weekly appointment.  I felt miserable, and started vomiting in the shower.  My husband and I headed right in to the Dr.’s office (I had an 8:30 a.m. appointment).  As soon as we walked in I told the receptionist I had been vomiting, and could they go ahead and send me back to an exam room, and she said, “I can see you aren’t feeling well.”  They sent me back to the exam room and we waited for the nurse practioner to come in.  When she came in she said that I was reading +4 for protein in my urine, and she was sending me right over to the hospital for labs. 

 

Because I had not been feeling well for weeks, and I had been brushed off a few days ago as still being fine, I guessed that the lab work would come back and I would just be sent home, so I told my husband I would try to find someone to pick me up so that he could go to class.  my husband waited with me while they drew some blood, and I called my father to see if he would be able to come pick me up.

 

There was a different Dr. on call this day, and he said he wanted to check the lab work to see what was going on, and there was a possibility that I may need to be transferred to the larger hospital.  I don’t remember a conversation with the Dr. or the nurses where they specifically told me, even after the blood work came back, how sick I was.

 

The Dr. left, and I heard the nurses chit-chatting at the nurse’s station that she would expect it to be a lot higher than 75, especially with the dehydration… she came in and told me that my labs were back and she was going to have the Dr. come back and take another look at me.  When he came back he said that he had called ‘the big’ hospital and I would be transferred, and he explained that I was going to have an IV of magnesium sulfate started and get a shot of steroids that would hopefully help the baby’s lungs develop, just in case they had to deliver the baby early.  I would have one shot today, and another in 24 hours.  The ambulance came, and transferred I was… thank goodness my husband stayed with me!

 

When I arrived at ‘the big’ hospital, I had another non-stress test, another set of labs, and an ultrasound.  I asked the Dr. what the bottom line was, becuase up until this point, I didn’t really know what was going on, other than I was sick.  He said that the bottom line was that I was not going to be pregnant fro much longer (I thought to myself, not much longer, so now I’ll have to stay here a couple of weeks on bed rest?).  I asked him what “not much longer” meant, and he said that hopefully they would be able to hold the delivery off at least another 24 hours so that I could get the second shot of steroids, but it was all dependant uopn my lab results. 

 

Shortly thereafter, the Dr. returned to my room with a brood of other Dr.s and said that as soon as an OR opened up, I would be having an emergency C-section… my platelets were at 62,000… I thought for a second… platelets, they should be 150,000+… and I looked at him and asked him if I was going to bleed out when they cut me open.  His response was that it was a serious concern, and I may need to recieve blood products.

 

I talked to the anesthesiologist who said I would have to be under general due to the risk of bleeding with a spinal, and the NICU Dr.’s came in to explain the baby may need respiratory support since I was only at 31 weeks, and what I should expect when I came out of surgery.  It all happened in a whirlwind.  It was like a dream… the next thing I knew I was being wheeled in to the OR joking with the anesthesiologist about making sure I was really asleep.  When I woke up they told me I had a baby girl who was doing well in the NICU, only needing a CPAP at this point.

 

I had to stay in bed for the next 24 hours, because of the magnesium sulfate, so I didn’t see my DDD until she was a day old.  When my wonderful nurse wheeled me in to the NICU to see her, it was amazing.  The intensity of everything that happened did not hit me until the next day when I went into the NICU by myself to see my beautiful baby, and I was overwhelmed with emotions and just cried and cried.  Her nurse came over to me and said, “she is doing great, you know that, right?  She is OK.”  I nodded yes, regained composure, and started to learn about what I should expect in the days to come.

 

I was blessed to have a wonderful nurse when I was transferred to the ‘big hospital’, and we were even more blessed that our Little “Lucy” had ABSOLUTELY AMAZING nurses her entire stay in the hospital.

 

This birth experience could not have been any more different from what I was hoping for, but I learned a lot through it, and am grateful that we were blessed with a healthy baby who just needed some time to grow and learn to eat before we could take her home with us!