BRADY NIKOLAS IS HERE!!!

The birth story....

I went into work at 7pm Saturday night. Had a really hard contraction at 8:23pm. And they followed every 2-3 minutes instantly!! I went upstairs to L&D after 3 of these. They lasted about 2 hours, and helped me get to a 4-5 cm. The pain of them died down and the frequency slowed down a bit.

I was checked by the day nurse at 7am and she calls me at a 3cm!! GAH!! And of course the contractions werent really bad at all. Just felt like the BH. So Im thinking that they are going to send me home and i was pretty much okay with that, but the contractions still continued to be regular at about 6-7 minutes apart the whole time. The doctor was debating whether to send me home and then come back the next day for my scheduled induction or keep me if I show any progress in the next couple hours. He mentioned if we get some progress then he would break my water and start me on pitocin to get things going.

Around 12pm after walking some and trying to get things going on my own, I got hooked back up on the monitors and my contractions were steady at 5 minutes apart. But still no real change in the cervix. But the doctor decided to keep me there and break my water!! YAYY!!
So at 12:30 he came in and broke my water. Instantly the contractions went to 1-2 minutes apart!!! And I mean instantly! There was a whole lot more pain with these and it just seemed to increase. Tehy got strong enough that we didn't need the Pitocin. Right around 2:00 they were extremely intense and i started to feel the baby dropping with one of them and felt the need to push. I mentioned it, to everyone and just kinda waited for the next couple contractions to see if I felt it again. Sure enough I did, and this one felt even more closer to feeling like he was going to be born right then! I had my husband and mom tell the nurse that I wanted her to check me, that I feel like Im ready to push. Of course they don't believe me, and sure enough she said I was a 7-8!! And that was in between contractions. So she wanted to see what I was at during the contraction and it didn't take long for her to just see and feel that during the contraction, it was going to be very soon that baby was coming out!
She yelled to the staff at the nurses station to get the Dr. and everything in here. When the doctor came in on the next contraction, (and he was in there that quick!!) the nurse told the doctor to get his gloves on quick because the next contraction was coming and there was going to be a baby born !! They got me right up in position with knees bent up to my ears, and was told that I could push on the next contraction! Seriously?!?! I was ecstatic! We waited for the contraction to come and when it did, I pushed all the way through it and was able to get his head through. The next contraction came right away and we used that one to push through the shoulders and the rest of the body out. And that makes him born at 2:15!!
They never had to use the pitocin, just the breaking of the bag of water alone.
And of course when she checked me at 7-8 cm, I was too late for any pain meds, not that I was planning on any either. I was maybe going to consider something along the lines of Demoral. But never had that option this time around. And am soo thankful that it did go fast... well once we got started! LOL!
Now if only they would have done that back at 7am when the doctor first came in the room, we would've been done by mid-morning! LOL!

39w4d

Im doing okay. Just woke up from sleeping all day, after working till 7am.
slept really good today too. yesterday was just about 6.5 hours sleep after working 3rds, but today I got almost 8 hours sleep!!

Tonight is my last night of working 7p-7a. and then i will be sleeping on Sunday to recoop from that. Hopefully Ill sleep good, because im sure ill be anxious sunday night. Monday morning at 5am is when i make the call to L&D.

My mom also looked up to see what day of the week all of my family and her family, what day everyone was born on. (dont ask me why). LOL! Anyways, we have all the days of the week covered, except for Sunday. Noone has been born on a sunday. So here is your chance Brady, you can be born on a Sunday! Otherwise Monday will be your big day! :)

39w1d

was it a full moon last night?? I sure was hoping for a baby last night. thought we had all the cards for it.

* My mom texted me and said that my 11 y.o. sister was staying at her dads last night, so she wouldnt have to worry about what to do with her during the night, if I went into labor.
* I finally packed my hospital bag.
* We took a 1.5 mile walk after dinner last night.
* I took a nice hot bath to soak and relax in last night.
* Even woke up several times during the night, but just for the BH contractions. no real ones.

Anytime now Brady, you can come!!! :P

Just looked it up online and actually TONIGHT is the official full moon!! Lets hope for tonight then!!

Full Moon for August, 2009

* August 6, 00:55

38w6d

So close to having just one week left! Oh wait, I DO have just one week left. Thats right, we are scheduled for induction next Monday, August 10th! That is if Brady doesn't make his appearance this week. Which I am hoping.

I have hit Day 2 of being uncomfortable, miserable, sore, tired, and just can't walk that well. And thats what I want to do most is walk this off. And walk, walk, walk myself into labor.

So for the info on my appointment today, I gained 2 more pounds. Makes it 184 lbs!! Oh my, but its right around the same as what I was when I delivered Lukas - 180 lbs.
BP was good, 126/80.
FHR was good, 150's.
Cervix is 2-3 cm dilated.
70% effaced, "soft like an ear lobe".
-2 station.

I do believe that she might have been a little rough with the pelvic exam, maybe trying to strip membranes and get things started. There was a little pain involved, and I have been having some spotting since the exam.

Other than that, Ill keep it updated with twitter until the next time I can blog. Which might be after he gets here. :)

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/froggyleggs

38w2d

Doctors appointment went good today. Now at 2 cm dilated!! Woo-hoo! And still 50% effaced. Uterine measure was at 39 weeks. BP, urine, and heart rate was good.
Weight gain of 3 lbs. Puts us at the 182 lbs. And makes it 33 lbs total gained.

I go back on Monday morning and see the mid-wife, since the doctor is out all next week on vacation. So if I have this baby next week, he will be delivered by an different doctor. Not to worry though, I hear good things about the other doctors as well. :)

Contractions are frequent still, and increasing in pain, but still random. I've timed them for about an hour here and there and its common to see them about 5 to 20 minutes apart. But thats just it, its random. Here is my latest hour:

8:59 pm
then 6 minutes later at 9:05 pm
then 11 minutes later at 9:16 pm
then 20 minutes later at 9:36 pm
then 6 minutes later at 9:42 pm
then 6 minutes later at 9:48 pm
then 8 minutes later at 9:56 pm

You never know what it will be. But looking at that hour, I did have 7 contractions. Thats pretty common these last couple weeks, hence why I started watching an hour here and there. Because I did notice that they have increased in number. And a little in pain, but just enough to take a deep breath during them. Kind of feels like it takes my breath away on some. But nothing that I feel really intense on. I've been told that I will know the difference between these and the 'real' ones. And of course it will be more regular.

37w2d

I had my doctors appointment today. Baby Brady is measuring good, actually 38 weeks. I got my walking papers today, which means i have to bring my 'chart' with me to L&D if I had to go in there. And also to the rest of the appointments for him to update with the info.

He did a pelvic exam to see if there is any dilating or effacing. I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced! woo-hoo!! Thats exciting to hear, because that means its coming soon!
Now I just have to wait for these contractions that I get, to become the real contractions on labor. I have been having the braxton hicks contractions for a few months now. Just here and there, but lately in the last 1-2 weeks have noticed them more frequently. They currently are about 15-20 minutes apart, so pretty frequently now. But of course they aren't really painful. Just a few of them here and there are breath-taking, but I know its probably me over working it.

Im really excited to see if I go into natural labor, rather than be induced this time. Just the surprise and the excitement of it all, is nerve racking at the same time.

The Group B Strep came back negative, so I wont have antibiotics this time at delivery, like I did with Lukas.

Still considering the name change. The more I think about it, I think we would end up call him Brady 95% of the time. And almost wouldn't feel right calling him by this longer version. It would be different if we can up with the longer version first and liked Brady as a nickname. But thats not the case. We've always like the name Brady and have been calling him that all along. So what I thought was going to be a formal name change, might not happen. LOL! I brought it up to Tony the other day, so we will see what happens. We still have a couple more weeks to ponder, but Im pretty sure once I see the baby, I will only be thinking Brady. :)

37 week pic

Haven't posted a pic in awhile. Hope we can get one more in before delivery too. :)

36 weeks 2 days

Down to less than 1 month! Crazy how fast this pregnancy is going for me!

I had my frequent flyer OB appointment today and was not happy with that scale! I gained FIVE lbs!! Just in the last week! So now im up to 30 lbs. total and weighed in at 178 lbs. How depressing that I gained 5 lbs. in a week! I have to blame it on being out of town these last few days in the U.P. and eating out a lot. We did eat at grandma's house for breakfast and lunch. Which I did have lots of fresh fruit available at her house as well, so we could snack healthy. But I guess the delicious Chicken Wet Burrito that I had Tuesday night at a Mexican Restaurant cancels all that out.

I am having more of those low pelvic pains. And not just at night time. Im having them more now even by walking, sitting down, standing up. Just random times during the day. No fun in that. I did ask Dr. Vendola if I will be feeling these pains during labor and delivery. He assured me that I wouldn't. I sure hope not. My plan is to go through labor and delivery drug free. Yeah thats right. Im choosing not to have an epidural. I went fairly quick with Lukas and am hoping for the same here again. I did have Demoral with Lukas around the first hour into labor, but it lasted about 30 minutes and all it did was make me really drowsy and nauseous. And it only lasted 30 minutes. I chose not to have any more doses after than one. And won't have any Demoral this time around either. So we will see. Im hoping if this pelvic pain doesn't show up at delivery time, then I should be okay to go on as planned.

BP was good and heart rate was good as well. As soon as he laid the doppler down it was booming. No searching for it this time. Measuring right on as well too.

He did do a swab for Group B Strep that will be sent to lab to see if that comes back positive or not. If positive then I will be put on antibiotics at delivery time to protect the baby from getting it during delivery. I did test positive for this with Lukas and was given the antibiotics for his delivery. And you wouldn't know any different either way after delivery.

As I was leaving, Bobbi also stopped me to tell me that I might have some spotting today as when he pulled the speculum out there was some blood on there. Must have aggravated the cervix a bit, and she just wanted to warn me that the small amount of spotting is okay. Good thing she said something, because that would probably send me to L&D if I didn't know differently. And of course I've gotten some of the spotting, but nothing really to worry about. :)

So he ran by the things to watch for. Contractions 5 minutes apart for an hour, leaking of fluids, any bleeding. Any of those warrant a ticket to L&D. And he said at this point if labor would start, he wouldn't stop it now. We are far enough along now that he would let labor take its course. Kind of exciting to know. :) Also he said that he was on call this weekend. Which is kinda scary to know, only in the fact that he was thinking in that way. That he would be the one on call this weekend if something were to happen. ...if something were to happen. Crazy to think that its come to that time already.

I still have a few things to do. Get the Diaper Champ from Target. Get down the infant carrier and make sure its not expired. And oh yea, get a bag packed of the things that I want at the hospital. Or at least a list together of what I don't want to forget. That would probably be easier, as I'll be using most of the things right now that would probably go into the bag.

35 weeks

I had a doctors appointment today. We are now moving on to weekly appointments. I gained 2 lbs since the last appointment 2 weeks ago. Totaling 25 lbs, bringing me to 173 lbs. ugh....

I talked with Bobbi, the midwife, about the low pelvic pains and she says that its the round ligaments having lots of pressure on them and being stretched to its limits. She said that I do need to 'baby' these ligaments and take it easy with movements that make them hurt. Currently its only been bothering me (killing me) during the night when I am wanting to switch from one side to the other. It seriously is a sharp low pelvic pain that I cannot tolerate!

Aside from that bit, the appointment went good. BP and heart rate were good and I am measuring right on for dates.

Small change of plans

I believe we are changing the baby's name. Just a slight small change really. But we have also decided that we aren't until birth. Makes for a little surprise at birth and just in case we change our mind again. LOL!