Mastitis Round 2

I can't believe it.  Yesterday morning the mastitis came on hard and fast....it's scary how fast it hits.  My ob wanted me to come in and she admitted me to the hospital for IV antibiotics.  I had hopped to come home after 2 doses but my white blood cell count was too high (23).  I had to stay for at least 24 hours.  Let me just say I feel like a pin cushion.  My veins are very hard to get, then my first IV went bad and I had to get another one.  A total for 4 sticks for the 2 IV's and then 2 blood draws. 
Then antibiotics through the veins burns!!!!  I was so glad to be done and come home. 

I'm still dealing with a fever and redness/pain on my breast.  I'm hoping and praying when I'm done with the 10 day antibiotics I have this will be GONE!

Mastitis

Oh my!  I can't believe how fast and hard this came on yesterday morning.  I nursed the baby between 3:30 and 4 Friday morning and had no indication anything was wrong.  I woke at 6:30 wondering why my back was so achy and my right breast felt like it was engorged.  I thought it was weird since the baby had eaten just 3 hours ago.  I got the pump out and wow!  I could not believe how bad it hurt as I pumped out 6 ounces.  I actually cried.  Then my daughter noticed a red area and it was at that point I realized it was infected.  Checked my temp and yes, I had a low fever. 

I called the answering service to get the dr. to call me, but for some reason it took 3 calls into the service and over an hour before she finally called me.  By that time the fever was getting higher and I was in a lot of pain even though I had taken Tylenol.  

I had to wait until 9am for the pharmacy to open for her to call in a prescription for antibiotics and by then my fever was a raging 103.1 (and that was on tylenol).  It was just awful and I had no control over my body, I was freezing! 

Thankfully the fever had spiked and by the time I got my antibiotics it was slowly coming down.  Even though I was (and still am) on tylenol for the pain, the fever is still here.  Thankfully the redness is starting to go away and the streaky lines are gone.  I was sooooo close to needing to go in for IV antibiotics yesterday and am glad I didn't have to take that hour drive up there. 

I am sad that I am taking the antibiotics, but I didn't have the knowledge and time to do any natural remedies.  That and it was so scary how sick I got in a short amount of time.  So, I am taking a LOT of probiotics during this time.  I had antibiotics with both of the other births and never got thrush, so I hope it's the same this time.  Also, my stitches have been feeling a LOT better since taking the antibiotics, now I'm wondering if something was brewing down there.

How did this happen?  Well, my dr. said mastitis is cause by staph, that is naturally on our skin, when it enters into a milk duct.  Well, this happened on the baby's favorite side and he had made the nipple crack and bleed even though I have been applying Lansinoh Lanolin after every feeding.

Taking A Deep Breath

And I don't feel sick anymore!  It's all gone.

I no longer have that yucky taste in my mouth
I can drink a glass of water whenever I want and it doesn't make me throw-up
I can eat anything, instead of looking for something "that might stay down"
I can let myself feel hungry and not get nauseous.

I can bend and it doesn't make me throw-up

I can take a long hot shower and not feel sick

I can sleep at night

My heartburn is gone

Most of the restless leg syndrome is gone

Yes, I'm still very much recovering from the birth but to be done with HG is wonderful.  As hard as it was, my baby was worth it.  So far he is a great sleeper only waking once a night.  I pray it continues. 

Wilhelm's Birth Story

First off, I would like to thank my husband for updating this blog after Wilhelm arrived!

I guess I would have to start by saying his labor really did start on Sunday the 3rd as those contractions continued through Monday and Tuesday.  I guess that it was made my "real" labor only 6 hours with pushing for another 3 hours.
Went to bed Tuesday evening and woke at 12:30 am to use the bathroom.  When I came back to bed I could tell that the contractions were much more painful.  I waiting for 3 of them before waking my husband.  He jumped in the shower and got dressed and I did the same.  We were in the car at 1:30 and arrived at the hospital at 2:30. 

They set me up on the monitor and contractions were anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart.  I could not talk through them, but the nurse thought I was not "working hard enough" through them.  So after listening to baby for about 45 minutes, she let us up to walk.  We walked the halls until I felt the need to come lay down.  By this point I was making noises during the contractions. 

I'm not remember the times very well, but I think it was between 5:30 and 6am when she finally checked me.  When a very surprised look she said "wow, you are really dilated.  I would say 6cm".  At this point she started checking me in and called the dr. 

It was only 3 contractions before the doctor arrived and I was at 9cm!  She broke my water and said I could start pushing if I wanted to.  Wow, I could not believe how "easy" the labor part was!!! 

Pushing was a problem.  Just like last time, I never felt the urge to push.  Also I was having AWFUL back labor and pushing was the last thing I wanted to do as I was trying to get through the back pain with each contraction. 

I was told it took me a good hour to used to pushing and then another 30+ minutes to stop fighting the contractions because of the pain.  So, even though I was pushing for 3 hours it was only just over an hour of "good pushing".  

Pushing through so much pain was awful.  I was begging for something for the pain, but of course there was nothing I could have at this point.  I was having a hard time getting the baby's head to come past my old scar that was not stretching at all.  The nurse was great and kept encouraging me to squat but I was too tired.  She brought in the birthing stool and set it on the bed.  Sitting on it intensified the pain sooooo much, but it allowed the baby's head to come out in the next push and didn't go back in.  In the next push he was out! 

Wilhelm's 14 3/4 inch head did not come out without doing damage.  It took an hour to get stitched up and put back together.   I am so swollen I can't sit and walking is very hard.  I'm told it will get better, but I'm wondering how long. 

But it was ALL worth it and my HG baby is perfectly healthy.  We are home now and the other children are loving on their baby brother so much. 

Thanks for all the congratulations comments! 



Wilhelm James

born 9:42am, 10/6/2010
9 lbs. 13 oz.
22 inches
14 3/4 inch head!

Finally

Not Yet

For all you who are wondering, I have not had the baby yet :( 

Went in for an appt this morning and the timing was good because baby hardly moved yesterday and last night.  They sent us for a BPP u/s right away and it confirmed baby is not moving much at all, but baby is healthy.  There was enough fluid, baby was "breathing", heart looked good, etc. 

We were given the choice to go in and have my water broken on Thursday morning or wait a while longer.  I am still contracting (talk about SORE muscles!) and am 4cm.  Even though I've done so much reading and research on VBAC induction, I plan to do more this afternoon as we have to get back with a decision today.  

Please pray for wisdom for us!

The Longest Labor

This is so frustrating, especially considering I have been having start and stop labor for the past 3 weeks!

About 3am yesterday (Sunday) morning I was awakened to much stronger, painful contractions. I was able to get back to sleep only to be awakened by more contractions. Yay, this must by it, right?  

We started the day thinking that this was going to be it.  Contractions came all day long at 10 minutes apart and lasting a good solid minute.  Late in the afternoon I called my doctor.  She thought 10 minutes apart was a good time to come in given the fact we are almost an hour away and I was already 3cm.  

I put together an overnight bag for the kids who would be sleeping next door at my parents and we went over to have dinner (I wasn't hungry at this point).  

We got to the hospital at 7:30 and on the drive the contractions were closer to7 minutes apart.  Got set up on the machine and they were coming 5-6 minutes.  Got checked and was told I was 4cm.  

After being there over 3 hours there was just one problem....... the contractions were just not getting stronger or closer together, even though I was sitting on the birth ball, walking and squatting.  Got checked again at 11pm and I was still 4cm.  

We were given the choice to try and sleep there or we could come home.  I was so discouraged and tired I just wanted my own bed.  We came home and shortly before getting home I was hit with contractions that were starting to really make my squirm.  I went strait to bed and the harder ones kept hitting in the light sleep state I was in.  I was finally able to get to sleep and when I woke 2 hours later, they had slowed down.  Got back to sleep and by 6am I knew they had really slowed down.  

So, here I am this morning still having contractions every 10-15 minutes........ how much longer can this go on for?!!!    

Still Here

And I really can't believe it!  I'm still just as uncomfortable and in pain, but this baby seems to be very comfortable in there.

I had no change at my appt yesterday.  We had another NST and baby looks great.  I was having some contractions, but not enough for labor.  Got my membranes stripped again, but that doesn't seem to be doing much of anything today. 

Waiting and waiting and waiting.....