Why Women Have 3 Children

So I promised the story of my induction - so here it is! We woke up early the morning of the 28th, showered, ate, and had everything ready before calling the hospital. They told us to come in at 7:15 to get started.

By 7:45 I was hooked up to an IV dripping pitocin to get my contractions started. And we waited. I started having regular contractions (every 3-5 min or so) almost immediately - but nothing too painful. At 11:30am my doctor came in to break my water. Which really, was no big deal. I'd heard lots of people say it was painful - it was nothing. I was dilated to 4 cm at that time.

Within half an hour (noon) my contractions were incredibly intense and painful! Worse than I'd felt with my first. So I asked for my epidural. By 12:39pm the epidural was complete and I was feeling quite a bit better.

At 1pm I was pain free and dilated to 5 cm. So Ryan left to grab a bite to eat. I told him not to bring it in to the room because I was starving! Ice chips just don't cut it. I also told him I was going to take a nap.

The nurse said she'd come back at 2pm and check me again.

By 1:10pm I was feeling painful contractions through my epidural again...weird. The baby's heart rate had dropped so the nurse came in to check on things. I told her I could feel the contractions so she checked me again - this is around 1:15pm. I was dilated to 9 cm!! From a 5 to a 9 in 15 minutes! Crazy. No wonder I could feel the pain.

Ryan hurried back (luckily he was just eating in the hall). The nurse frantically told me not to push - since I felt like I needed to - while she rushed around the room prepping everything and calling my doctor at the same time.

My doctor was 5 minutes away from the hospital.

As the nurse prepped the room I kept thinking - really!? Already!? I was just so amazed at how fast everything happened. I thought we still had a few hours to go - so did the nurse and doctor.

When he arrived I was fully dilated. After 3 minutes of pushing through 2 contractions my Little Man joined our family at 1:39pm! 3 minutes!! That is a HUGE improvement from the 2 1/2 hrs I pushed with Little Miss.

Some other things that were different...

With Little Miss I had 3rd degree "star" tares - I tore in 3 places, really bad. Recovery was super painful and took a long time.

This time around only one 2nd degree tare. Much better! Your body just does so much better the second time around - and that is why people have the third kid. Each time it just gets easier!

I also told my husband shortly after my epidural that "I love epidurals, I would marry one if I could" - yep. Not sure how he took that. =) Really though, I don't know how women give birth at home without pain meds. It amazes me.

Induction or No Induction?

Today I am getting induced - guess this little guy just didn't want to come on his own. With Little Miss my water broke - which was awesome! Unexpected, no waiting to time contractions - just go to the hospital and have a baby after your water breaks. Wish that would be the case every time!

So I've never been induced before. I'm not really nervous or scared - just anxious. Super excited to see this little guy's cute little face!

Have you had to be induced? Was your experience positive or negative? Go ahead - lay it on me. I won't read your comments until after baby comes - so don't be worried about scaring me. =) I'm probably at the hospital right now anyway.

Next week sometime I'll post my experience with induction - all the gory details you probably don't care to know. =)

There are many reasons to be induced...

• Post-term (42+ weeks)
• High blood pressure
• Health problems
• Infection in the uterus
• Placenta abruption

For me - I have health problems, epilepsy to be exact. Having epilepsy during pregnancy offers two great benefits - tons of ultrasounds (I've had about 8) - so I get to see my cute baby more! And my doctor won't let me go past 38 weeks - and for that I am grateful! I can't imagine being pregnant for 40...ugh.

So how does one get induced?

• Ripening or dilating the cervix through medications or devices (does the idea of *devices* scare anyone else?! Sounds horrible!)
• Stripping the Membranes
• Rupturing the Amniotic Sac
• Oxytocin to cause contractions

TMI Warning: My cervix does not need help - as of Monday I was already 3 1/2 cm dilated and 80% effaced...so that's not the problem.

Stripping the membranes - had that done Monday morning. And no, it wasn't painful at all! I didn't even know he'd done it, I thought he forgot and I had to ask. The only time it is painful is when your cervix isn't dilated. It did cause some contractions - but didn't jump start labor as hoped...bummer.

So, I'm guessing my water will have to be broken and they'll give me drugs to start contractions. I'll let you know how it goes. And of course - I'll post pictures of the Little Man when he gets here! Can't wait!

{Natural ways to induce...yep, I've gotten so impatient - I've just about tried them all! I figured it couldn't hurt. Pineapple, spicy foods, pressure points, among others *wink-wink, nudge-nudge*...yep. None of them worked. At least not for me}

Delayed Postpartum Depression

I recently talked with a friend who shared her story with me, here's a quick summary

Eight months after her son (child number 2) was born she started breastfeeding him less as he started eating more solids and she found herself in a slump. She was embarrassed, ambivalent, and had all the signs of postpartum. She set up a doctors appointment and her doctor confirmed what she didn't think was possible - she was experiencing postpartum depression...8 months after giving birth. Crazy!

Her doctor said it can happen up to 18 months after giving birth. I've done a little more research and am finding a lot of scholarly articles that say it can manifest itself up to two years after having your baby.

I had not idea! I thought if I made it through the first couple months I was fine - just something to think about. Have any of you experienced delayed postpartum depression?

I wish there was more information out there about it - I really couldn't find a lot. Here are a couple of links to research article summaries...

• Postpartum Depression Beyond the Early Postpartum Period

• The onset of postpartum depression: Implications for clinical screening in obstetrical and primary care

The last article found that...


"Among participants, 11.5% reported prenatal onset, 22.0% late postpartum onset, and 66.5% early postpartum symptom onset. Those reporting pregnancy onset were more likely to be unmarried, and those with a late postpartum onset were less likely to report a past history of postpartum depression."

That's almost 25% of cases being late or delayed onset...who knew!?

Postpartum is more common than we realize - and if you do experience symptoms, don't be embarrassed! Just talk to you doctor and get the help you need to enjoy your time with your new bundle of joy.

Baby Moon

Pregnancy gives me tunnel vision - I think about the new baby, I dream about the new baby, and I busy myself preparing for the new baby...a lot! My tunnel vision is especially acute this time around because when I'm not focused on the new arrival, I'm giving Little Miss all the attention and play time I can muster.

Poor husband (and poor me) - a baby moon was a must for us! And I'd highly recommend it to everyone who is expecting - whether it's your first or seventh!

We initially wanted to go somewhere - but as things turned out, and since I'm pretty uncomfortable and feel sick at night time, we decided it would be a waste to spend money on a hotel. After shipping Little Miss off to Grandma's for the night - we did some of our favorite things locally...

• Dinner out
• Ski Ball
• Movie - The Tourist
• Dessert
• Sleeping In
• Lazy morning watching movies & cuddling
• Foot Spa (for me)
• Lunch out
• Fun Drive
• Steamers 
• Book Store
• Lots of laughs and fun with my best friend!
• and ZERO responsibility!

Loved every minute of it! Now we won't have any regrets or "should-haves" once Little Buddy makes his appearance. So...come on, Little Buddy! Make your appearance!! =)

A couple of rules for our baby moon - no answering the door, getting on the computer, or answering our phones. It was almost like returning back to newly-wed lockdown - which rocked!

Have you had (or are you going to have) a baby moon? What things did you do (will you be doing)?

Hospital Must-Haves for Delivery

Just started packing my bags for the hospital so I'm prepared when Little Buddy decides to make his appearance...funny thing is - I can't remember what was useful when I had Little Miss. Here are the few things I have packed...

• Toothbursh/Toothpaste
• Deoderant
• Nursing Cover
• Nursing bra and nursing pads
• iPod with relaxing music
• Chapstick
• Book
• Take home outfit for baby
• Carseat in car
• Makeup and brush for after
• Camera/Camcorder

And that's where my list ends...So...HELP! What did you pack for the hospital that you used? What did you pack that you didn't use? Am I missing anything super important? Sure wish I could remember!! 36 weeks this week! Little Miss came at 36.5 - could be any day now!

Pregnancy Induced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Sounds made up right?! I would've thought so too. It's funny how every pregnancy can be so different. My first pregnancy - no swelling or water retention. This pregnancy....I've got sausage fingers. =)

And sometimes your wrists can swell just enough to block off the nerve endings and make your fingers go numb - which is what I have, pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome.

I asked my doctor what I could do - he said the best cure is to not be pregnant...ha-ha. Funny guy. So I mostly just have to wait it out and it will go away after delivery. But meanwhile - I'm wearing a wrist brace and that helps immensely! The less I use it - the better.

Just another strange pregnancy thing I didn't know about and thought I'd share!

Gestational Diabetes & The Dreaded Orange Drink

I had my glucose screening (usually happens around week 28) the other week and once again, got to taste this yummy orange thing...blah! Sugar overload. Not a fan.

So what is gestational diabetes anyway? And what does it mean to my pregnancy?

If you're diagnosed with gestational diabetes it doesn't mean you had diabetes before getting pregnant - and it doesn't mean you'll have it after you give birth. But, it does mean you're more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes sometime in your life if you're not careful. Think of it as a great early warning sign! Most people don't get that luxury.

G.D. (Gestational Diabetes) only affects 4% of pregnancies. It is usually caused by the hormones that help the baby develop via the placenta - these hormones sometimes block the woman's ability to produce enough insulin, thus resulting in unused glucose (glucose turned to energy) and built up sugar in the blood stream (hyperglycemia).

Why is this a problem? Check this diagram out...

...yah. I don't want to give birth to a huge baby. That sounds really un-fun. Besides causing your baby to gain unnecessary weight - G.D. can also cause your baby to have breathing problems at birth, and possible damage to the shoulders while exiting.

Babies whose bodies are making excess insulin in utero are also more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes as adults and are at a higher risk of being obese.

One thing to remember - G.D. is not your fault, it just happens. But there are things we can do when diagnosed...

• Follow a healthy meal plan
• Avoid excess sugar
• Daily exercise while pregnant

As always - I'm not a doctor, so please talk to your doctor to get actual medical advice if you are diagnosed.

Have you had Gestational Diabetes? How did it effect your pregnancy?

{info from diabetes.org}

Folic Acid: A Key to Healthy Babies

I read the following post the other day and just had to pass it on. I am a firm believer in the importance of folic acid for a developing fetus. I have a seizure disorder, so I'm on meds that cause nueral tube defects (spina bifida, etc), and I take 5x the normal dose everyday just to combat the possible defects to my babies. And I will continue to take 5x the normal dose throughout my child bearing years.


Thanks to folic acid and a prenatal vitamin my Little Miss is perfectly healthy. She was born with a dimple at the top of her bum, almost went to the bone. The doc even ordered an MRI in the first 24 hours of her life to make sure it wasn't anything bad. Luckily it wasn't. And with baby #2 - everything is looking good so far. So...moral of the story - meds, or not, take your folic acid ladies! Not convinced? Read on....

_______________________________________________________________

When I saw this headline on the cover of yesterday's paper, I was a little surprised, I mean research proved this in the 1980's. The problem is that health care officials and educators assume that people know this and they stop harping on the matter, but every year a new group of women enter their child bearing years and need to hear this information.

And even though I have gotten on this soapbox before, I am going to share a few important facts about folic acid and urge moms everywhere to share this with their friends and with their daughters.

• Folic acid occurs naturally in foods like fruits and vegetables, but our bodies absorb it best in it's synthetic form. To get your daily RDA of folic acid from your diet you would have to eat 200 red apples.
• Insufficient folic acid can lead to birth defects (or defects that result in miscarriage) including defects of the brain, skull, spine, heart, arms, legs, face, hard palate (cleft lip and/or palate) and urinary tract. A mother can reduce the risk of her child having these defects by 50-70% by taking 400 micrograms of folic acid a day.
• The most crucial time for you to be getting folic acid is in the first 28 days of pregnancy. Most women don't even know that they're pregnant in the first 28 days.
• Hence why, EVERY woman in her child bearing years should take a folic acid supplement.
• Folic acid is used to create and repair DNA (necessary for cell production), which is why it is so vital during early pregnancy. The first 28 days are when your little bundle of joy goes from 2 microscopic cells to a something with a heart beat. Isn't that just phenomenal to think about?
• Folic acid is crucial not just for the growing baby, but mom too. During pregnancy folic acid demands increase because it is needed to produce the new cells that are making up the increased blood volume, and general increased everything that comes with pregnancy.
• According to a March of Dimes survey in 2009, only 11% of women took folic acid before pregnancy.

• Apparently there is a myth going around that multi-vitamins will make you fat. This is false. However, if your multi-vitamin has iron in it and you're not drinking enough water, it can make you constipated which can lead to bloating and discomfort. Stay well hydrated and you should be fine.
• Since 1998 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated that folic acid be added to white flour, bread and pasta, which has resulted in about 1000 fewer children born with neural tube defects each year.
• Many Hispanic women have genetic deficiency that interferes with the metabolism of folic acid. Which means that they should be taking even more folic acid.
• The average life-time cost of spina bifida per person in the United States is $532,000.
• Currently the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the March of Dimes, and the Spina Bifida Association along with corn and flour tortilla manufacturers are working with the FDA to supplement corn tortillas, a staple for many Hispanic diets. It is estimated to cost $3 million per year, but will save $145 million in direct medical costs for defects.

_______________________________________________________________

Heather is a full-time mom and Pediatric Registered Nurse. She writes about things that make her a better wife and mother, or give her more time and money to spend on her family.

Hopefully these things will help you out too! Find more of her posts at Secrets of a Mom.