6 Weeks Postpartum

It's six weeks postpartum, and things still aren't back to normal for me physically.  I'm still a little achy, moving slower than usual, and have no desire to even attempt strenuous activity.  I never expected it to be such a recovery process, as if I had been through major surgery.  The midwife tells me things are healing well, but slowly and we're not 'cleared' for another two weeks, if you know what I mean.  ;-)

Halloween!

It only seemed appropriate that Screamfest continued today for Halloween.  Jonah and Mommy dressed up like a screaming spider (Jonah in the front carrier and providing the additional limbs and soundtrack) which seemed to be scary enough to keep most of the neighborhood kids away!  

Screamfest 10-30

Daddy is on a two-week hiatus between jobs, so Mommy went into work today (still officially on maternity leave for the next two weeks, but logging some hours to reduce workload on my return) while Daddy stayed home with Jonah.  Thus was the circumstance of Screamfest 10-30.  Daddy, a bit leery, had been foretelling the event for days... and it went just as predicted.   Poor Jonah must have been so confused that Mommy was suddenly MIA!  It sounds like it was quite traumatic for them both.  :*( 

Hurricane Sandy

Today we were hit by the very fringe of Hurricane Sandy, a "hybrid" superstorm centered over Atlantic City.  Winds picked up to 100mph and knocked down a giant pine in the neighbor's yard (into ours)!  Fortunately, no buildings or people were hit.  Jonah stayed home and practiced sitting up on Daddy's lap and turning his head from one side to the other... and back... and forth.  For one with so little control of his own faculties, I'm sure there is some great independence in having control over which way he is looking!  Today was one of the first days Jonah and Mommy had a little conversation, with Jonah contributing a few "ahh" and "gaa" sounds.  Mommy and Daddy also received a few genuine happy baby smiles... that is to say not produced by mere contentment from a meal or processing gas.  They melt my heart!

Tracking

Friends Dave and Kate came over the meet Jonah and add to his scientific instruction.  Dave and Daddy did an experiment to see how well Jonah would track a flashlight beam on the ceiling!  He would follow the light a full 180 degrees around the room!  Next time: object permanence.

Visiting

Jonah visited with Grandpa and gave him a lesson in diaper changing.  They had a full audience of interested puppies watching!  Mommy was nervous... Grandpa's four Shelties were curious, but pretty good at keeping their distance.

We also stopped by to meet Great-Grandma Lil, Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim.  Great-Grandma was so happy to hold a baby!  She even leaned down to give him kisses.  So sweet!

Jonah Ba-Ba- Boo

Aunt Pamela has been telling us stories of what an impression Jonah made on his cousin, Cailin.  Cailin was reading the story of Curious George Goes to the Hospital, and she smartly proclaimed, "I went to the hospital to visit my cousin Jonah!"  (For an hour, while being distracted by birthday gifts, several weeks ago!)  She's also recently discovered that she can name her dolls and animals things other than Baby or Doggie.  Now they are all named Jonah, Jonah Ba-ba Boo, or some other suffix!  Such an impression he made!  Cailin seems particularly infatuated with the possessive of Jonah being HER cousin.

Maestro or Fight Club?

Jonah thinks he is a master of his hands... but he could use a little practice!  He is getting better at purposely moving his arms, usually with tight little fists, to suck his hand, free himself from a swaddle or bat at things.   He rubs his eyes, pushes against my breast while eating (or when finished) and points a finger (well, waves it around aimlessly) when excited.  Still, his little fists sometimes seem to punch him in the face fight club style (who's punching me?) or make other unexpected motions that startle him.  

Celebrity Status

Jonah and Mommy went to visit Mommy's office this afternoon.  Jonah was greeted with great fanfare - Don (my boss) took his carrier right out of my hands and walked him around saying, "Christina, Drew and I are proud to introduce Jonah!"  He was the perfect little angel while the entire staff drank in his cuteness during almost an hour of baby viewing.  We were slightly less successful at our second stop to see Mommy's friends at the ACE mentor program.  Hunger hit and poor Jonah was completely confused by Mommy feeding him with a bottle!  Mommy was having a tough time too... I might have anticipated that a high school women's room would not have baby changing station and the faucets would only spit luke-warm water in 5 second increments with motion activation (tough for bottle warming!)  We finally made our escape, but hit rush hour traffic on the way home.  Jonah had no patience for the traffic, it kept us from moving in a nice soothing pace!

Market Day

Jonah loves the supermarket!  The ceiling is full of lights to stare at.  A nice shopper even stopped and commented that perhaps he will be an electrician - wasn't she thrilled to learn that Daddy is an electrical engineer!  (As if either has anything to do with the ceiling fixtures in the supermarket!  Perhaps a physicist?)  We did have a little bit of a breakdown midway through, but everyone was so nice "isn't that cute!" rather than staring like Mommy was a bad parent.  Phew!

We are learning as we go... the nice "reserved for customer with infant" parking next to the HC spaces is rather useless because I still had to schlep the carrier across the parking lot to the door to find a carriage.  Then we returned to an awkward situation of either leaving Jonah by himself in the car to load the bags and return the cart (a few spaces suddenly seems so far away!) or leave him in the cart while unloading (hoping Jonah and the cart don't roll away!) then lug him back from the cart return.  Better to be next to the carriage return with a slacker employee having left us a cart!

Mommy!

Jonah is so calm all day, but the evenings are still tough on him.  Poor Daddy!  He spends all day at work while Mommy and Jonah enjoy snuggle time, meals, walks, etc.  (My very favorite place in the whole world is laying on the recliner with my snuggle-bug napping on my chest!)  Then Daddy comes home looking for some quality Jonah time just as Jonah becomes tired and irritable. Tonight, the only thing that would keep him calm was to come into the kitchen where Mommy was making dinner.  It sounds like Daddy needs some more quality bonding time...

1 Month!

I can't believe it has been one month already!!!  Mommy did an unofficial weigh-in at 11.5lbs and 22in, though by the ever-shrinking size of his onesies, I'm sure he is longer than he was 2 weeks ago.  The size 1 diapers are getting small, as are the 0-3 month clothes.  Jonah still eats on a varied schedule, usually every 2-3 hours during the day with a 4-5 hour stretch overnight.  The end of his sleep cycles usually include an hour or so of grunting, throat-clearing, and other heinous glutteral sound that only he can sleep through.  It isn't uncommon to find him with his hands completely free of the swaddle and fist in his mouth.

He is now very adept at the cobra during tummy time - he pushes up on his arms and lifts his head to full vertical.  Rolling over is getting more difficult with the extra pounds, but he can still succeed at times when he doesn't give up half way upon realizing that laying on his side isn't so bad.  He is also tracking objects with his eyes in all directions, but he prefers to look at lights.

Trick-Or-Treat!

Daddy's (soon to be former) office hosted trick or treating for employees' kids this afternoon.  Ironically, his last Friday in the office was Mommy's first invitation to visit after over 4 years!  It seems spouses are only tolerated with a little costumed offspring in tow!  Daddy enjoyed introducing/showing off Jonah to all his bosses and colleagues.  He was probably the youngest trick-or-treater in the office!  Mommy loaded up on candy for him to enjoy later during midnight snack.  :-)

Earthquake!

Jonah and Mommy experienced their first earthquake today!  A 4.0 magnitude quake hit Maine this evening at 7:12 and we heard a rumble and a few creaks from the house over dinner.  Mommy thought it was a passing train and the house moving with the cooler temperature.  Fortunately, Daddy is an expert seismometer from his years in CA and recognized the quake!  Jonah was dozing in his swing and slept right through.

Smile!

Jonah likes to give a nice smile... not at Mommy or Daddy, but a huge eye-closed content grin when he sees food is coming or after a nice meal!

"Like a Baby"

Whoever coined the phrase "sleeps like a baby" didn't have Jonah!  Wow, he can make the most awful noises.  Mommy and Daddy frequently wake up to monstrous grunts, throat-clearing and other sounds that you would only expect from an old man... and Jonah is still fast asleep!  Even after a week of this, we haven't learned to sleep through - I'm not sure anyone could at that dB level!  Weird that it only happens at night and correlates to the end of his sleep rather than after feeding.  Inclining his mattress doesn't help (nor did Daddy's earplugs).

Bath Time!

Mommy gave Jonah his first bath this evening.  (We had been doing sponge baths up until now.)  Jonah accumulates lint between his fingers and toes and balled in his tight little fists... it seemed high time to see what else is hiding in those little baby folds!  Jonah took to the water with curiosity and let me wash each part while he watched with great interest.  I think he will enjoy bath time!

Daddy's New Job!

Daddy received an offer for a new job!  He is very excited about the opportunity to work in a start-up right here in town.  Tomorrow he will be putting in his 2-week notice, after which Daddy is planning to spend a couple weeks home with Mommy and Jonah.  :-)

Postpartum Meltdown

This week I had an emotional meltdown, while I was trying to cook dinner, take care of Jonah, do laundry, and all the things a good mother should be able to juggle at the same time.  Drew is back to work, and it has been 3 weeks after all.  Except I still can't stand for more than 2 minutes before I ache.  Maybe 5 if I sway my hips, clench my jaw, and tell my wimpy self through the tears that merely standing is not a difficult task.  Then I collapse in a chair to recover.  All I want to do is be able to take care of my family!  I just physically can't.  Yet.

Bottle

Jonah took his first bottle from his Daddy.  He chugged the 2.5oz wile giving Daddy this incredulous stare - "Not the Mama!"  I think Mommy needs to pump more milk for my hungry boy!

Diaper Change

Daddy and I finally gave up on the AIO cloth newborn diapers we had been using, which leaked frequently.  (Besides, having only 12 diapers meant daily laundry!)  We are now trying out our stash of one-size pocket diapers.  They are a bit bulkier, but have already saved us many leaks and outfit changes for both Jonah and ourselves!  I'm hoping to stock up on our favorites soon as we get into the groove... in the meantime it has been helpful to have a stash of disposables on hand!

Uncle K

Jonah met his Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lindsay today!  They brought him a cute yellow Tour de France jersey from their trip to Paris the weekend of his birth.  Jonah took to Uncle Kevin immediately (Uncle K is a pro!) and after a long stare, Jonah snuggled in for a nap while we enjoyed a photo tour of Paris. 

Cluster Feeding

The last few nights, just as the doctor ordered, Jonah has been doing a 5-hr stretch between feedings, usually 10pm-3am.  He had been exceptionally cranky in the evenings, with Mommy and Daddy a little slow to catch on that he was looking for additional feedings after only 2 hours.  I later read about "cluster feeding" in the evening to help a baby sleep longer a night.  It seems Jonah knew about this before I did!  Mommy couldn't be more thrilled to get a 4-hr stretch of sleep!

Octopus

Jonah spent some time today on his play mat staring and batting at his stuffed Octopus to make it rattle.  Mommy isn't sure how much of the arm swinging is purposeful to make the noise and how much is due to lack of motor control.

2 Weeks Postpartum

Our pregnancy story is one of a happy and miraculous ending.  We surprised several doctors and nurses by the successful vaginal delivery.  The nurses were not optimistic about the slow progress.  The Anesthesiologist questioned the earliness of the Epidural (at 3cm) as a certain precursor to a C-section.  Even the eager doctor during induction showed a hint of hopelessness.

Two weeks later, a visit with our primary OB revealed that she too was surprised by the success (and size of the baby!).  It leaves me wondering what, if anything, we could have done differently and at the same time extremely thankful for the divine intervention that helped bring Jonah safely into our arms.  On his deceased Grandma Peggy's birthday.

Recovery has been harder than expected.  I like to think my experience was abnormal - the legend will be of 36 hr labor and extreme damage during delivery - but maybe that was all within normal and I was simply ill informed and ill prepared for the enduring pain and discomfort.

I can hardly even sit in the sitz bath, which is supposed to help ease the discomfort.  Getting myself into a sitting position is generally a little painful, getting up even worse.  And the term "constipation" doesn't give justice to the two full weeks it took to get things moving.  Wow.

That Face

Jonah celebrates his 2-week birthday today!  Mommy is sad to say how quickly he is growing... he has already lost much of the "newborn" quality and is moving directly into infancy.  For a fleeting moment, I distinctly saw his Daddy's face in his - whether it was the angle, his expression or my imagination, it was an amazing experience!  He also has this adorable old-man look when he's really grumpy.  It looks like Jeff Dunham's Walter puppet. (Not the best picture to show the resemblance, but you get the idea!)

 

Jonah now eats every 3 - 4hrs, and Mommy couldn't be happier to sleep up to 3hrs a time at night.  He also uses his hand to push away as a means to adjust his position or end a feeding.  He seems to be back to a 20-minute, more controlled feeding and the spit-up has almost completely stopped.

Postpartum Infection

I had a fever spike to 102.5 deg overnight, accompanied by heavy bleeding.  Worried for infection, we visited the OB in the morning followed by an ultrasound at St. V's.  Drew noted in inefficiency of the healthcare system as the 4th nurse asked me the same questions, a nurse took my vitals for the second time, and a different OB prepared to repeat an exam and suggested the same blood and urine cultures we did that morning.  With the fancy computer record-keeping, perhaps one should sit down and read the notes first!

Nothing came of the tests, which is good news.  I was put on something to help break up the unusual amount of blood left in my uterus.  The fever had broken by morning and I recovered quickly.  Perhaps it was simply a symptom of engorgement or a 12-hr virus from sleep deprivation.  Still, a fever is far more troublesome with an infant who needs his Mommy!

(We later learned it was a UTI and a few antibiotics cleared it right up.)

Check-Up #2

Jonah had his 2-week visit with his pediatrician today.  He weighed in at 9lbs 9oz!  The doctor didn't believe he had gained so much in 9 days, so after voiding his bladder a new measurement at 9lbs 6.5oz was put on the official record.  Still, that's more than a pound in a week!  If he had just reached birth weight (8lbs 11oz) the doctor would have been happy.  He measured 22in - another inch taller!  We also learned that the metabolic and genetic screening (for 21 different conditions) was all negative - yay!  The doctor, and the proud parents, are very pleased with Jonah's good health.

Roll Over!

Jonah rolled from his tummy to his back!  He has been doing this for a few days now, but I always chalked it up to a fluke or the help of the whale pillow he was propped upon.  But today, without any assist, he very purposely turned twice in a row.  "Mommy, I do not want to lie on my tummy!"  (I understand this is a 4 month trick.)

Barracuda

Almost overnight Jonah went from a leisurely Gourmand to a Barracuda feeder!  He chows down veraciously for only 5 minutes and is done.  Naturally, this seems to include swallowing many bubbles and is sometimes followed by a significant amount of spit-up!  I'm a little worried he hasn't eaten much by the time all is over!  We've tried taking burp breaks, but he's not a fan of having his meal interrupted.  Jonah has also taken to making loud grunting noises in his sleep, usually signaling that he will be awake soon.  It sounds like he s clearing his throat... perhaps he caught a little something and is fighting off congestion.

Great-Grampy's 90th Birthday

This morning was Jonah's first Mass and blessing by Msgr. Mike ex-utero!  He slept like a pro through the whole celebration.  Maybe next week Mommy and Daddy won't need to sit in the rear vestibule after all...

Jonah was introduced to the family this afternoon at Great-Grandpa's 90th Birthday party.  He was very well behaved while taking turns in several laps and being the object of the paparazzi.  Great-Grampy was enthusiastic about holding his namesake for pictures.  Jonah also met his big cousin, Nathan (about 4 weeks older).  And yes, the "back to back" tradition has begun!

Lessons From Daddy

Daddy is teaching Jonah those things for which a kid needs a Dad.  His top priorities are how to burp on command and not screaming like a girl in such a high pitch.  Important manly stuff.

Belly Button

Jonah lost his umbilical cord stump today!  I can almost make out the cute little belly button that will eventually replace it... but for now, the area looks sadly scabbed and tender.

1 Week!

Jonah eats every 2.5 - 3.5hrs, nursing for a leisurely 30min. and falling asleep with me as his pacifier (we have not introduced a binkie).  We had visits by both grandpas, so it was a busy day!  Poor Grandmama has been feeling ill and had to Skype.  She's so sad that she can't visit!

"Favorite"

Jonah has a strong preference for the left breast, now nicknamed "Favorite", an endearment similar to the use of "My Precious" in reference to the ring in the Lord of the Rings!  We are still practicing on the right side... Mommy finally found a trick: pinning his arm under him, instead of wrapping around Mommy.

3 Day Check-Up (#1)

We're already scheduled to see the pediatrician - probably so he can make sure we aren't neglectful parents.  Jonah weighed in at 8lbs 3.5oz, which is up slightly since our discharge from the hospital. Everything looks good!

The Start of a New Life

Our best-laid plans to attend Mass this morning fell short as we attended to the needs of our newborn.  His schedule didn't quite allow for a timely 1-hour rest at the appropriate hour.  And when we did get a break, we enjoyed a nap!

Welcome Home, Jonah!

We were discharged from the hospital and strapped a screaming Jonah into his car seat for the ride home.  Poor little guy didn't like the 5-point harness, but quickly fell asleep for the car ride.  For our return, the neighbors had decorated the street with balloons and left a nice gift on the front stoop.  What a nice homecoming surprise!

It didn't take too long to adjust to being home, though I suffer from that new-parent syndrome where I am afraid to leave Jonah for an instant, lest he stop breathing!  It's tough not having the safety net of the nursing staff or emergency response, if necessary.  I'm a little fearful to put him down, even in a safe place, like his crib or bassinet.

My milk has come in fully, and it is a relief that my baby won't be going hungry.  He's been suckling all the while to help expedite, but I'm sure he's excited to reap a more fulfilling reward for his efforts!

Jonah's First Class

This morning we had a visit with the lactation consultant, who gave the impression of being a caricature of the most annoyingly serene children's therapist TV character you can think of (though I fail to remember her likeness).  She helped Jonah latch on the right side (he has a strong preference for the left) and was so impressed by his success, she practically made a B-line for the door.  It took some pointed questions to get very little out of her (a YouTube video link that borders on pornographic and pamphlet for breastfeeding African-American women) before she was off to help those having more difficulty than we.  I guess Jonah is the archetypal neglected "A" student.

Jonah's cousins came to visit a share a three-way birthday party!  We are so fortunate that Aunt Pamela and Uncle Ryan were able to visit while they were up in NH for a wedding this weekend.  It was an hour of chaos with Cailin super-excited (on the trip Grandmama told her about Jonah, to which she replied, "I still hope it is a girl") and Declan challenging Jonah to a screaming contest.  Holiday visits will never be the same.  We also had a visit with Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Bart and Uncle Jeff.  Auntie Cheryl just couldn't resist!

Jonah "roomed in" with Mommy and Daddy, with the exception of a couple hours overnight when the nurse just didn't return him to our room after his check-up (against my request, but I had dozed off and didn't notice until his next feeding!).  I suppose I am a little thankful for the few hours of solid sleep without the guilt of having willingly sent my baby away!

Jonah Armand Carlson is Born!

8lbs 11oz, 21in

After 36 hours of labor and 1.5 hours of pushing, Mommy and Daddy welcomed our son on this very special day.  The date is significant in that it marks 42 weeks of gestation and it lays on his Grandmother's birthday.  We are sure Grandma Peggy was looking out for us and our blessing!

Jonah is a very healthy little boy, crying on entry and scoring 9 and 9 on his Apgar tests (1 point lost for blueish hands and feet).  All pediatric assessments were good, with only a slight (very normal) appearance of Jaundice.

Jonah is a strong one, able to lift his head right off the bat!  In his first hour, we enjoyed watching his wide-eyed curiosity, looking around with a look of consternation, like he was tying to figure things out.  I love the long-necked E.T. eyes!  He also took to nursing like a pro, latching immediately.

Jonah is also adorable, right from the oven!  I was prepared for the misshapen head, wrinkled skin (from being overdue) and various markings, but he is absolutely beautiful!  He has a thin light brown head of hair and steel-blue eyes.  His head is nicely round, which nurses commented meant that Mom was a good pusher, with a crinkled right ear, button nose and HUGE cheeks that hide his tiny, but prominent chin.  He has a small "angel's kiss" on the upper lip and left eyelid and "stork bite" on the back of the neck, birthmarks which are expected to fade with time.  His skin was still coated with vernix, which is unusual so late in gestation, but kept his skin protected and smooth.  It also made him slimy to hold, but something about the warm, wet coating felt right anyway.

In the late afternoon, the grandparents all stopped in for a visit to meet our little love.

Delivery!

Around 6am a nurse woke me to check our progress and install the dreaded catheter.  By this point, I didn't care.  The good news is that I was miraculously 8cm!  The nurse seemed surprised by this, since the Epidural often slows or stops progress.  We had been estimating another several hours per cm!  She suggested getting some more sleep, while she busily began prepping the room.  It wasn't 15 minutes later that I started feeling pressure!

We starting pushing around 6:30.  It was exhausting work, and I have to thank the few hours of rest and the comfort of the Epidural that I had anything to give.  The nurse generously encouraged me saying I was doing great (and fast... too fast?) but who's to say that isn't a line you feed any mother in that situation?  Hard to think when you are out of breath and strength by count 6 of a 10 count push!  Drew was excellent at leading and encouraging me with the help of the nursing student while the nurse busied herself on the computer and with addition prep.  I was so mad at one point, when the nurse sternly informed Drew that SHE was in charge... she was barely paying attention!

I barely noticed how quickly our labor room became an all-out delivery and surgical center.  I was a little surprised at how long we were seemingly on our own before in piled the doctor and his student (who we had also met just last week!).  I was awfully relieved to see him for a couple reasons.  First, we had seen him a few times on our pre-natal visits, including the last exchange and rescheduling of the induction, so we knew him.  Second, he was far gentler, calmer and his English more understandable than his colleague from the last shift.  Last, it was the start of a new shift and I felt more confident in the alertness of a doctor who hadn't just been on all night.  It was comforting to have the doctor present and he worked to help things along.  I was glad to feel some trust when he told me he didn't usually (we had learned the practice had gone out of favor) but was going to do an Episiotomy to get the little guy out.  Such things that once sounded barbarous seem trivial when you are concerned for the health of your little one.  Just please help him safely into the world!

Drew was very brave to watch the proceedings from down under, and didn't let on how disgusting it all was until hours later.

At 7:58am, our little boy was born!

After the head emerged, the rest of his little body seemed to just pour out.  He cried immediately, and Daddy cut the umbilical cord.  (I hear it took a little work with the scissors provided - not like a simple ribbon cutting.)  Baby was given straight to me for skin to skin contact.  It's impossible to describe the feeling of having my slimy little boy hugged against my chest.  Daddy and I named him Jonah Armand.

In the background the doctor and Donna (a midwife who we also knew from pre-natal visits) were eagerly stitching me back together, but I hardly noticed.  Delivery of the placenta was a breeze - like a soft bag of hot water.  Drew later mentioned that the doctor counted 33 sponges!  It seems I had significant tearing.  There was talk of bringing me to the OR (a couple fully scrubbed people were ready to transport me), but happily the OB and midwife seemed satisfied with their success.  As a further aside, I was rather fascinated by the frisbee-ring the OR people waved over me to detect any errant sponges left inside - they have a special fiber woven in that would register a beep, as when waved over the discarded sponges.

It wasn't nearly long enough before Jonah was snatched away to be bathed and checked out by the Pediatrician.  I was relieved that they could do this right in the room, so Daddy could keep a good eye on him while the doctor was finishing his work on me.  Jonah weighed in at 8lbs. 11 oz. and measured 21 inches long.  His apgar scores were 9 and 9 - about as good as you can get (his hands and feet were a little blue, but that is expected!).  Once his footprints were finished, Jonah and Daddy enjoyed some skin to skin time of their own before heading off to the nursery for his full exam.  Jonah passed with flying colors!  I also hear that the nurses commented on his round head - the lack of cone shape indicated that Mommy was a good pusher, so maybe it was true.

Meanwhile... the Epidural was removed and I could finally be removed from all the miscellaneous attachments!  I hobbled in for a shower and called for the nurse just in time as I was feeling faint.  The next thing I knew, I awoke face down strewn across the bed with a good 6-8 people in the room!  I must not have been out for long - they said I awoke as soon as I hit the bed - but I was definitely somewhere else, as in a dream.  Fortunately, the nurse and her accompanying student were there to prevent me from collapsing and injuring myself.  They also pulled the emergency cord, which is what sent a team from the OR in scrubs and every nurse on duty in the department!  I'm glad none of that was needed, although I appreciated the concern.  Once we moved into postpartum, I overheard the nurse "hand off" of relevant information, including that she hadn't told me I had lost a lot of blood!

Labor: Part 1

After 12 hours on Cirvadil, I had gone from 1cm to a whopping 2cm, but the OB happily pronounced (actually, this guy was quite over-emphatic in everything he said) that there was no turning back, we must move forward!  I was given a 1 hr reprieve before the Pitocin began.  I took full advantage of the freedom to walk the atrium/outside and down a sandwich before I would be strapped to monitors, an IV and liquid diet!  I was hopeful that the few strong contractions that occurred during the break were the start of a natural progression, but no.  So much for all the wisdom of the birthing class about laboring comfortably at home and walking through the contractions!  At noon I was leashed to a 3ft radius around the monitor and IV.

Not much happened the first few hours while they continued to up the dosage to get a steady contraction pattern started.  Drew and I played cards, watched a movie and BSG.  By evening, any activity lost interest as I grew more and more uncomfortable.  It was nothing like I imagined - in my head I would only need to endure a minute of tightening and then relax between contractions.  As it went, the pain was constant, dull and everywhere.  Most of the soreness came in my joints, hips and back.

Drew was incredibly patient and supportive as my change from one position to the next went from 30min intervals to 15min to 5min to about 5 seconds before I would get up in agony!  It felt like I was constantly working my entire body to support myself.  Sitting, laying or any contact created a huge amount of uncomfortable pressure on my body, as if I was a giant bruise that was painful to touch.  It was exhausting for us both.  I lost my dinner (weak broth and jello) and started violently shaking with fatigue by the time the doctor came to check our progress.  After 10 hours I was 3cm.  Boo.  At this rate, Little Guy would take another 3-4 days to make his debut.  He gave the order to allow an Epidural whenever I was ready.  I resisted, since it was still so early.  The pain was bearable and I wouldn't consider it more than a 7 on the pain scale.  ("Worst Pain Imaginable" would have been a bit of an overstatement.)   I guess I could still imagine much, much worse.

At some point in all this the nurse was trying to determine which way little guy was facing.  She wheeled in an ultrasound to check, but still wasn't sure.  We knew he was head down, but we could only hope he was facing my back to make delivery easier.  I retrospect, I wonder if she was just diverting my attention for the half hour this took.  The doctors didn't seem so concerned or even interested.

I gave my all to wait it out, but at 3cm and forever to go, I didn't last much longer.  I couldn't find a moment of relief and just didn't have the endurance!  The 2am call for the Anesthesiologist was the only thing that got me through the next hour.  The nurse had told me it would be only 20 minutes... another crafty delay tactic?  It was a little nerve-wracking being stuck in the spine while shaking profusely (and Drew had to leave the room!) but the effect was almost immediate and very welcome!  Finally, I could rest easily and we both fell asleep soon after 3am.

A Little Desperation and Induction!

Certain I would never be able to focus on work - or just not caring to try, I took the day off to relax.  And perform some final acts of desperation to encourage our 12-day overdue baby to get moving.   I really, really, really wanted contractions to start naturally so that we could labor at home.  And I would feel better knowing baby was ready to come out, rather than forcing him before his time.

To pass the day our neighbor, Ann, and I drove to La Patisserie for some of their famed Labor-Inducing cream cheese, drove some bumpy roads and ended with hot wings from Wegmans. To no avail.

Drew and I casually, and a little timidly, made our way to St. V's for our 6:30 appointment for induction. Somehow, in scheduling an appointment I felt less ready than if the contractions had prevailed like an incessant alarm.  Or so I thought - it's hard to say without having experienced natural labor.  I digress.  It was nothing like the ride we expected.  We had done several "drills" to practice a fireman-like response time and expected a tedious ride through strong contractions.  Instead, I could have driven myself.  It's just as well we weren't in a hurry, because neither was the woman at registration...

We checked into a private room at the end of the hall, though it wasn't until 10pm that I was started on a 12-hr dose of Cervadil - a drug intended to help "ripening" to increase the chances of successful induction.  It was difficult to get a good night's rest with the effects of the medication, which sent me into a weird cloud of soreness, the required monitoring, and the constant fussing of nurses.  I should have taken the Ambien!