One Week Old

Matilda survived her first week!  Hooray!  And so did her parents!  An even bigger hooray!

Here's a little summary from Matilda's first week...

Stats:  As far as weight, I think the lowest Matilda got in the hospital was 5 lbs 13 oz.  By her first pediatrician appointment at 5 days old, she was already back up to 6 lbs flat - only 1 oz lower than her birth weight.  The pediatrician was impressed with her weight gain and the fact that she already had the yellow seedy bowel movements that indicated that my milk had already come in.  No change in height yet.

Sleep:  Matilda usually sleeps in 1-3 hour increments for about 14 hours a day.  During the day she usually naps in her bouncer and at night she sleeps in a Pack N Play bassinet next to our bed.  Nights are a bit difficult as we are still getting used to getting up to feed her and change her diaper and then fall back to sleep quickly.  We're trying to sneak in naps during the day while she sleeps, but the age old advice of "sleep when the baby sleeps" is easier said than done. 

It seems like everyday she is getting more and more alert during her time awake, which has been fun.

Eat:  She eats on average about 15 times a day for 20 minutes each feeding session.  If you do the math, that's 5 hours a day or 35 hours a week.  Jeez louise, that's almost a full time job. 

Breastfeeding has proven to be difficult.  After dealing with painful latch issues in the hospital, I thought things were going better once we got home.  But, Matilda's started to have some bad gas that keeps her from wanting to feed even though she's hungry.  I think it's being caused by a forceful letdown on one side, so we've read to just burp her more often and make sure that she is sitting somewhat upright while nursing.  I can totally understand why so many women give up on nursing during the first few weeks.  It's hard work!  I'm just hoping that once we have a few weeks under our belts, it will get easier.

Play/ Milestones:  It's been such a busy week!  Matilda's met her extended family, taken her first baths (2 so far), gotten read her first books, had her first pediatrician appointment, and taken her first walk to the park. 

Hip Dysplasia Update: She had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this past Tuesday to assess her hip dysplasia.  We weren't expecting for her to be put in her harness for a few more weeks, but she actually got put into it the same day.  In four weeks she'll have an ultrasound that will tell us more about how severe her condition is.  The absolute minimum amount of time in the harness would be 8 weeks, although since her left hip is full dislocatable, I expect that it will be much longer. 

The harness doesn't really seem to bother her right now.  It's made diaper changes a bit more difficult as well as clothing options.  For now, we've just been putting gowns over the harness.  She should be able to wear onesies under the harness as well, but we haven't attempted to go that route yet since it seems a bit difficult. 

Let's hope for a quick and easy journey to healthy hips!

In some ways, this week has flown by and in other ways, it's been one of the longest weeks of my life.  Seriously, last Wednesday seems so far away.  It's been really great, but really hard at the same time.  There is so much we have yet to learn, but I guess that's how parenting is.  Just do your best and get through one day at a time.

Matilda's Birth Story

My first post as a parent!  Figured I'd better get this story in writing before the exhaustion of having a newborn really sets in.  (It's already pretty engraved after just four short days.)  This is going to be a long post, but I want to make sure I remember it.  While our plans for a natural birth didn't pan out, it was still a good birth experience. 

Last Wednesday we headed to Texas Children's Women for Pavilion around 8:45 am.  Our C-section was scheduled for 10:45 and we had to arrive a couple hours early for prep.  They were running a bit late, but eventually I was taken to a prep room where I dressed in a hospital gown, the incision area was cleaned and prepped, and they started monitoring my and the babies vitals.  They hooked me up to a lot of wires and contraptions (blood pressure cuff, IV for fluids, cuffs for my legs to prevent blood clots, etc.) and eventually the anesthesiologists came in and went over a few things about the meds.  Luckily, I was able to see both sets of our parents before they wheeled me off to the operating room.  I would say being in the prep room was probably the most stressful part of the day.  We were just anxious to get the process started and didn't want to have to sit around and wait.

Once the doctor arrived, I was taken to the operating room by myself where the anesthesiologists inserted the epidural/ spinal block combo and started me on the anesthesia and pain meds.  Before the surgery started, the doctor asked what type of music I liked and started playing the Alt J station on Pandora.  The music was one of the best parts of the surgery experience.  It really helped me calm down and focus on something other than my nerves and the technical stuff going on in the room. 

Once I was nice a numb and the surgery sheet went up (so I couldn't watch the surgery), Jason was brought back into the room.  (He had dressed in scrubs while he was waiting for my epidural to be put in.)  The midwife also arrived shortly before the surgery.  While her original plan was to just provide us emotional support and help with the baby, the doctor actually needed her to scrub in and help with the surgery.

From here, the surgery went pretty quickly.  Jason was allowed to watch the surgery from my side of the sheet as long as he promised not to pass out.  They gave me an option to watch the surgery from a TV screen, but I declined.  When the surgery started, I felt pulling and tugging, but no pain, and was anxious to have little Matilda pulled out.  After just a few minutes, the doctor said, "We have a butt!"  Then she said, "She's out.  She's just a little nugget."  Matilda was pulled out butt first, quickly wiped off, and lifted over the screen for us to see her.  I just remember thinking, "thank God she's ok," (since I had had concerned with her being tangled in her cord - a possible reason for being breech) and "who does this baby look like?"  Ha.  I don't know why I was so concerned with that, but it was like I was trying to recognize the little girl that I had been getting to know over the past 9 months.

They took Matilda over to a bassinet to the left of me where they checked her vitals really quickly.  Jason was over there talking to her and holding her hand and I was able to watch everything going on from a TV screen above the operating table.  I asked them to delay most of the newborn procedures, so we could start skin to skin pretty quickly.  They brought her over to me and laid her on my chest while the doctor finished putting me back together.  We had been told that most newborns won't want to feed for the first 30-45 minutes as they adapt to their surroundings, but this little girl came out ready to eat!  She immediately started showing hunger cues (sticking out her tongue, sucking on her hands, rooting around) so we awkwardly tried to breastfeed while I was on the operating table. 

 

After a little while of skin to skin and breastfeeding, the nurse asked if she could finish the newborn procedures, so she was taken back to the bassinet where she was weighed, measured, and given her newborn shots/ ointment.  Jason was over there with her during everything and I got to watch it on the TV screen.  She weighed 6 lbs 1 oz and was 18.5 inches long.  A little nugget indeed! 

After the surgery was finished, Matilda and I were rolled to a recovery room on a different floor for a couple hours of monitoring.  Our parents and Jason's grandma were able to come in and meet Matilda at this point which was nice.  We also had Amanda, our birth class instructor, come and visit us and help us get breastfeeding off to a good start.  I was so happy she was able to come up and help.  We were then taken to our final room on the 14th floor where Jason and I just tried to enjoy our baby girl for the remainder of the night. 

 

The remainder of our hospital stay was a blur of nurses and doctors coming and checking our vitals, visitors coming to ooo and aww over the baby, and breastfeeding/ changing diapers.  Other than a couple of hours Friday evening when the pain caught up to me, recovery has gone well. 

Matilda is a happy, healthy, sweet baby.  However, she has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia in her left leg.  We knew that this would be a possibility when we were told she was breech, so we had already done a little research on this issue.  We'll see the pediatrician on Monday, and we'll likely have to follow up with specialists and ultrasounds, but she'll likely have to start wearing a Pavlik harness starting in a few weeks.  She'll probably be in it for a few months.  Luckily, hip dysplasia usually does not cause pain in infants and as long as it is caught and treated early, it shouldn't cause her any issues with walking later in life. 

We are so glad to have our baby girl home.

 

39 Weeks

How far along: 39 weeks tomorrow. 

 

Symptoms: A big uncomfortable baby in my belly.  Not exactly a symptom, but dang it can be uncomfortable when she punches, kicks, and moves these days.  Her breech position is especially crazy... she has one leg up and one leg down, so I get kicks and stretches all over the place. 

 

Weight gain: 2.5 pounds during the last three weeks and 23.5 pounds overall.

 

Fetal Movement: Always.  There was one day that Jason and I thought she was trying to flip into a heads down position.  (That or trying to claw her way out of the top of my belly.)  She was going crazy in there.  Arms and legs everywhere.  She still gets hiccups every few hours as well. 

 

Prenatal care: Even though I'm scheduled for a C-section with a doctor in the practice, I've continued my weekly appointments with the midwives.  They midwives have been great so far.  My last three visits have mostly consisted of checking my weight, urine, fundal growth, and position of the baby, as well as answering any questions and discussing any concerns we've had about her breech position and the C-section.  Today I had my pre-op consultation with the anesthesiologists.  Looks like we're all set for the operation.

 

Nesting: Just continued putting up our shower gifts and making sure the house is nice and tidy for when we bring her home.

 

Worries: While we've warmed up to the idea of a C-section, I'm still nervous for the actual procedure and the recovery afterwards.  Sounds like the immediate recovery from the operation could involve nausea, migraines, and shaking.  I'm not looking forward to feeling hung over in my first moments with our daughter.  But, I'm mostly just hoping that Matilda is healthy and doesn't have any complications at birth.

 

What I'll Miss:  I've really enjoyed being pregnant.  Of course, being nearly symptom free (no nausea, not-so-terrible aches & pains, no significant swelling, etc.) the entire time has helped.  It's been fun having her grow and move in there.  I've also enjoyed not feeling guilty about a little extra ice-cream and sweets here and there. 

Just incase you forgot what I looked like just a few short months ago and how far I've come, here's a reminder:
 

Looking forward to: As much as I've enjoyed the adventure of pregnancy, I'm looking forward to the adventure of parenthood.  I cannot wait to see my daughter for the first time, hug and kiss her, and make sure she is okay. 

On a lesser note, I'm looking forward to all the luxuries of not being pregnant: sleeping on my stomach (eventually), not peeing what feels like every two minutes, sushi, deli meat, beer & wine, greater quantities of caffeine, etc.  After a few weeks of rest, I look forward to working out again and eventually running again. 

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this week! 

DIY Maternity Photos

Since we're getting so close to our "new" due date and I really hadn't taken many belly pictures other than the quick weekly snapshots, I decided to try my hand at taking a few DIY maternity pictures.  For an hour out of my day, I don't think they turned out half bad.  I had fun playing with the silhouette pictures.  I've never tried anything like that before, so it was fun.  Glad I got these in before our little girl's arrival!

 

Breech Update

Today we had our ECV to try to flip Matilda into a heads down position.  Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful.  We could get her almost half way there, but there just wasn't enough room in my tummy to get her all the way over.  As a result, we've scheduled a C-section for April 9th... 13 days away! 

I'm a bit bummed.  I've spent the past 8 months preparing for a natural birth.  My prenatal care has been with a group of midwives that promote natural births.  I read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, researched the Bradley method, and took natural childbirth classes with a doula.  I've continued exercising and eating healthy.  I've been sitting in the tailor position and doing pelvic tilts.  Ha.  I don't know what else we could be doing to prepare for a natural birth. 

But, the universe (and this silly baby) had other plans for us.  Now we'll just make the best out of the situation and try to go into the C-section with good attitudes.  I guess either way we get to meet our daughter, so in the end that's what counts. 

Jason's been a super duper wonderful husband and was a huge help through today's procedure.  It was a bit rougher than I had imagined, so it was great having him by my side (or rather behind my head) reminding me to breathe.  He's already done a ton of research about C-section recoveries, and he's taking extra time off when the baby comes to help with things around the house.  He's the best.

Now we'll just be counting down the days until we get to meet sweet Matilda.

36 Weeks

 

How far along: 36 weeks today.  One more month to go.  28 more days until Matilda's estimated due date.

 

Symptoms: Ummm... I don't think there's anything new to report.  Still having achy hips, especially while sleeping.  I'm looking forward to not flipping from side to side every couple hours when I wake up from achy hips. 

 

Weight gain: 3.5 pounds during the last four weeks and 21 pounds overall. 

 

Fetal Movement: So, after my 34 week appointment, Matilda learned to flip.  And flip and flip and flip.  Too bad she won't stay in a head down position.  As of our appointment this morning, she was still breech.  :(

 

Prenatal care: I'm kinda tired of going to doctor's visits.  My prenatal appointments are every week from here on out.  Plus, I've been seeing a chiropractor once or twice a week to help flip the baby.  On top of that, my allergies and asthma have flared up in the past couple of weeks (dang tree pollen), so I had to go see an allergist last week.  Also, I've had to go get my blood work done a few times to make sure my thyroid levels are in check.  Ugh.  So needless to say, I'm exhausted from all of these appointments.  I can't imagine how women with high risk pregnancies feel with more frequent visits and monitoring. 

 

Nesting: After our shower a few weeks ago, we washed all of Matilda's goodies and Jason put together the stroller.  Her room is pretty much set up and ready to go. 

 

Worries: This whole breech thing is stressing me out.  I feel like we've been doing as much as we can to turn her ourselves, and nothing is working.  I'm seeing a chiropractor that specializes in the Webster Technique.  I'm doing the inversion, breech tilt, and rebozo techniques from Spinning Babies.  The only thing we haven't tried is moxibustion, because honestly, burning an herb that smells like pot at your toes sounds a bit wacky to me. 

 

We have an appointment for a doctor to perform an External Cephalic Version ("ECV" or "version" for short) next week.  The procedure freaks me out a bit.  They prepare you for a C-section just incase anything goes wrong.  Also, I'm not looking forward to the drugs they give you to relax your uterus during the procedure.  They can make your heart race, and usually I'm pretty sensitive to medications, so it just scares me a bit.  But, our other options at this point are to hope Matilda turns on her own or schedule a C-section for 39-40 weeks, so I guess attempting an ECV will be worth it.  Let's just pray she turns on her own before the procedure so we can cancel it.

 

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to Matilda turning on her own so we can have a natural, worry-free delivery.  Ha.  Well, either way, no matter what the labor/ C-section outcome is, I'm looking forward to meeting Matilda.  We're getting so close!  Down to the final stretch!  Let's hope for the best outcome!

Baby Shower

I'm a few weeks late posting this, but better late than never, right?  A few weeks ago we had our baby shower with friends and family.  Ferryn and Steve hosted it at their house and it turned out really nice.  We had delicious food and drinks.

 

Nicole and Sal brought the cakes and they were so beautiful!

We played a couple of games.  This one involved the boys racing to drink 2 ounces of beer out of baby bottles.  Who knew that it could be such a feat?

 

And we opened presents.  Jason was especially excited to see onesies representing his favorite soccer team.

 

 

We feel so blessed to have had the chance to celebrate our upcoming arrival with friends and family.  Matilda is already so loved.