19 Weeks

Just one more week until I hit the half-way mark!  Baby is very active but mostly at night - I'm really praying we don't get another non-sleeper.  For the most part m/s is gone, though I still have times when I feel sick, but thankfully I haven't thrown up in a few weeks.  I'm working on lowering how many Diclectin I take a day. Just today I came up with a plan to take 4 a day.  It would be great if it works at this dosage because I'm tired of being tired from the medication. 

We've had an above normal Spring here in New England with temps touching the 90's already.  The leaves have been in  full bloom for about 2 weeks now when normally they would not be until the end of May.  Even my tulips are done already!  Our pool is completely open and ready for swimming, that is if you don't mind 68 degree water :)
I really started to panic about what this Summer is going to be like if it's this warm now - I already do NOT handle the heat well and add pregnancy to that and I just may live in our pool.  I've been struggling with my low blood pressure the past few weeks.  I've always had low blood pressure but it goes lower when I'm pregnant causing me to feel very week and light headed.   It's really hard to stand for a long time, like when I'm working in the kitchen or ironing.  I've done some reseach on the internet and one thing I found was to increase my salt intake.  This is very interesting because when I was pregnant with my first I started craving salt and salty foods and with all 3 pregnancies I've craved french fries - now I know why!

Other news is we have to look for a new crib - ours had been recalled :(  I'm really sad that all of our children will not have slept in the same bed, but on the other hand I am thankful nothing happened to them while they were in the crib.   I really like the style of our crib and hope we can find another one we like without having to spend big $$. 

Here is a warning from CPSC about ALL drop side cribs.  I think it's possible that sometime in the future they will end up recalling all drop side cribs.  Our recall had to do with the mattress support frame and the drop side breaking. 

18 Weeks

I must say that I can't remember a point in my other pregnancies where the nausea was gone like it is now.  It's been over a week since I've felt sick or even gagging.  I'm down to 5 Diclectin a day and possibly soon I will be at the normal 4 a day dosage. 

I'm still dealing with a daily headache, but thankfully a cup of coffee will take it away most days.  I need to make an appointment with my chiropractor as my hips have been hurting for weeks now and just yesterday I started to feel sciatic never pain down the same leg as my last pregnancy - not fun.  

The baby has been very active lately!  I really enjoy being able to feel the movement, but can't wait for them to be stronger so the children can feel it too. 

Just a short, but very good update for now!

Appointment!

Yesterday was my routine pre-natal appointment.  We brought along the kids who have been waiting for so long to hear Baby's heartbeat.  The look on their faces when they heard it was so special - it was a look of amazement with jaws down to their feet!

Baby proved hard to find and would move as soon as the doppler picked up the heartbeat...... hmmmm..... just like Eliana did. When we did find it, it was between 155-160, so still high.   Baby has plenty of space to move and hide as I'm measuring large with my uterus already to my belly button (about 4 weeks ahead).  No, I'm not really worried about twins (though the kids would LOVE it), as I really think we would have found heartbeats easier than we did it there was more than one in there. 

Other than that my blood pressure was great - 114/60 and I gained 3 pounds since last time. 

Second Baby's Birth Story

Early in this blog I wrote my birth story with my first, so I thought I would write out my second.

My goal for this birth was to have or at least attempt to have a VBAC.  It was very important to me to find a care provider who would not use any form of induction to start labor, even if I went past my due date.  That being said, the midwives (there were 3 of them) I was seeing assured me this was their practice.  That is, until my 7 month appt when the midwife felt the need to talk about the 'what if's' during my labor.  It was then I got the first red flag.  She said she would use pitocin if my labor stalled at any point.  Even though the chance is low, there is always the possibility of the pitocin over stimulating my uterus and that could lead to rupture.

At this point we changed gears and decided for a homebirth.  My official due date was Dec. 30, 2006.  About 3am on the morning of Dec. 28 we were awakened by our DD (yes, she was not sleeping thru the night yet).  I realized at that point "something" was going on.  Being 9 months pregnant and in the middle of the night, I needed to pee.  I then saw the 'bloody show'.  Great excitement!!  We tried to sleep, but at least for me I couldn't as I was too excited.  Penn went to work that day expecting the call to come home at any point. 

The contractions were very light and not really regular.  They picked up after a long walk my mom took me on but seemed to stop after a nap that afternoon.  A couple of hours later they were back and starting to be timeable.  By 9pm they was no mistaken them for real labor and we called our midwife.

As I labored through the night they got stronger and stronger. At every contraction how much my back hurt so very much - I endured back labor the whole time.  No amount of counter-pressure or heat could relieve the pain (actually I had bruising on my back from how hard I was having them push on my back!)

There was no sleeping this night and I had every hope of having a baby by morning.  Not so! I must have progressed very slowly even though my labor never stalled at any point.

Come morning was I getting very discouraged and tired, both physically and tired of the pain!  We plugged along ALL day long and by evening on the 29th, I was so tired I would sleep between contractions that were 2 minutes apart.  I begged to be taken to the hospital - I wanted pain relief! 

About 7 pm we headed to the hospital where I had started my care, but would now see the OB on call.  I was checked and told I was a very stretchy 8cm - at least I had progressed! It was then they broke my water.   For pain relief I was only offered something in my IV that made me feel dizzy, but took none of the pain away.  Thankfully it wore off fast (they had only given me half the dose) so the dizziness went away soon.

So, 2 hours after getting to the hospital and having my water broken I was told I was ready to push.  I was so tired I had no idea how to push.  The OB was very kind and she helped me through it and after about 40 minutes, my baby was FINALLY born.  But it was not without much damage - he tore me all the way through and gave me 2 hematomas :(  Not a fun recovery, but better than a c/section.

After 24 1/2 hours of labor (I count it as when the contractions got regular) my VBAC baby was born.

He was 9 pounds 1 oz and 22 inches long born at 9:35pm December 29, 2006 

Just days before they guessed he was about 7 pounds!

My biggest fear for this labor and birth is the back labor pain!  I have a high pain tolerance, but man, that pain was bad!  I have been told by many, that more than likely this labor will be a lot faster and easier than my last one.  I pray that is true!

16 Weeks

Baby has gotten more active and even gave me some good kicks, one that even my husband felt! And me? Well, the m/s still comes and goes. Last week started off really good with hardly feeling sick, but by Thursday I was back to fighting the urge to throw up. Then to top it all off, I caught my family's cold on Saturday. We had gone through 2 rounds of this cold and everyone was finally getting better and I thought I has avoided it - not so. And it's a nasty cold.

Some good news is about 10 days ago I cut back on my Diclectin by 1 tablet. I had wanted to be down another tablet by my appt this Friday, but I don't think it's going to happen. At least I'm heading in the right direction. With my other 2 pregnancies, the HG started to let up at the 20 week mark. Maybe, Lord willing, by then I will be doing much better. I had great hopes of feeling "normal" by this point with the Diclectin, but alas, I really can't complain. I would much rather feel how I feel now than be in the hospital getting IV's.

 

Here is a picture of baby's home - lol :)  Our daughter can hardly wait to feel some kicks and in the mean time she is always giving kisses to baby. 

Week 14!

Can I already be 14 weeks into this pregnancy?!  Time has seemed to go by faster this time. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have not been as sick as last time. 

We had a beautiful weekend with a high of 79 on Saturday!  That is pretty much unheard of for early April in Vermont.  I was outside as much as I could be.  We went for a family walk (maybe almost a mile and yes, I was and still am sore from it), did lots of watching the kids play, did some yard work and checked out the bulbs that are blooming.  The crocuses are almost done but the first daffodil came out yesterday with many more right behind it.  Ah, Spring is wonderful!

And Today I am pleased to say I do NOT feel sick!!  I almost don't dare hope the m/s is gone for good, but I am praying it is :)  Still taking 8 diclectin a day and if I continue to do good, I will start cutting it back soon. 

Baby is very active, but the movments are not strong enough for anyone else to feel - maybe in another month.  My daughter loves for me to tell her when baby is awake.  It gives her the biggest smile ;)

Make Your Own Diclectin/Bendictin

I've been thinking for a few days that I should write it out how to make your own Diclectin/Bendictin, in case there is someone out there needs to know.  Many OB offices will tell you as well.

1 tablet of Diclectin/Bendictin is:

10mg Vitamin B6

10mg Doxylamine Succinate (Unisom, make sure it's not max. strength)

Buy a bottle of 25mg vitamin b6 and the regular Unisom sleep tablets (25mg round blue pill)

In the AM take:
1/2 tablet vit. b6

1/2 tablet unisom

In the Afternoon take:

1/2 tablet vit/ b6

1/2 tablet unisom

At bedtime take:

1 full tablet vit. b6

1 full tablet unisom.

At this dose you are taking 2 unisom tablets a day.  At first you will feel pretty tired but after a week or 2 your body will adjust to it.  You can take up to 3 unisom tabets a day.

You can always call up Motherisk and talk to them about how much you should be taking.  They are very knowledgable on the subject.