It's busy being a new mom!!!

Juliet coming home from the hospital!

Where does time go? I have been at home with Juliet for 12 days and John has gone back to work so it's just me during the hours of 7am-5:30pm!!! I am busy all day but at the end of the day I'm not even sure what I did :) It is an accomplishment if I get a shower and clean a little but it's also an awesome to spend so much time to Juliet and bond. I have 12 weeks off so trying to enjoy every minute even if I am sleep deprived :)

What the hardest part? For me it's all the feedings!!! My little Juliet loves to eat. Since I finally got down the BFing she does not what to stop eating so I spend most of my day feeding her, changing her diapers, and trying to get naps in when she sleeps or get something around the house done.

What's the best part? getting to know my little baby. Starting to figure out what different cry's mean and she has already started to smile so it's so cute when she smiles at me!

happy one week birthday!!!!

Birth Story of Little Juliet :)

Birth date: 8/19/10 (SIX days overdue)

Birth Time: 6:31 PM

Birth Weight: 8 pounds and .09 OZ (the midwife asked me how that big of a baby came out of me!) And they told me the whole time she was going to be small, ha ha!

Total time of labor: 10 hours

How did it all start? My water broke in the bathroom (the same place it did two days before when I thought it broke and it didn't) So I called the doctor's office so they could check my water AGAIN! I thought it was a fake water break again so I went to the doctor's office by myself (John was already at work) During the drive to the doctor's office my contractions started while I was driving. They started fast and furious, at 2 minutes apart. I finally got to the office my water broke more and I knew with the contractions I was really in labor. My midwife did confirm that I was in fact in labor and then asked me "Why are you by yourself?" I said that I didn't really think my water broke and she couldn't believe I drove myself while I was in labor. The hospital was about 2 minutes away so I drove myself to the hospital also but of course I called John first and he was really excited and left right away from work to meet me at the hospital.

At the Hospital: I got to the hospital around 10 am and I was very calm when I checked in and told the the front desk lady I was in labor, she looked at me shocked and then asked "Why are you alone?" ha ha... I told her my husband would be here in 20 minutes then she said "He better be!!" I declined the wheelchair and walked myself up to Labor & Delivery and checked in there and the lady at that desk asked me "Why are you alone???" At this point I think it is pretty funny everyone is wondering why I am by myself. I get to my room and the nurse assigned to me is super nice and I really like her right away... plus one of the first things she did was order my epidural. John got to the hospital around 10:30 and about 20 minutes later they came in with my epidural, which was good b/c my contractions were about 1 minute apart at this point and get VERY strong. The midwife and nurse were shocked how fast and strong my contractions were coming. I was about 4 centimeters dilated when I got the epidural and they told me I would dilate really fast b/c of my contractions. The epidural was great, I just napped while I waited to dialate. At 5 PM they came in to check me and I was fully dilated so I started the hard part of labor (active labor!) I pushed for about an hour and half which was about the hardest thing I have ever done. It was physically and mentally exhausting. Part of the reason I had such a hard time was I broke out in a fever of 102 half way through pushing and Juliet heart rate was elevated b/c of my fever.

After she was born: They told me right before I delivered that they were going to have to call the NICU team b/c of my fever and her high heart rate. So after she was delivered a team of people rushed in ready to do tests and take her away. I was able to hold her after birth for about a few minute and then they took her away and told me I could come and see her in the NICU after about 2 hours. I started crying when they told me she had to be in there for 72 hours in order to check her for infection and if they did find an infection she would have to stay in the NICU for a week. I was worried but I knew that checking her for infection was the safest thing for her so although I was sad she went to the NICU I was happy they were being precautionary with her.

The next three days in the Hospital: It was difficult to have her in the NICU mainly b/c I didn't want them to give her a bottle and wanted to try and breastfeed but it is policy to feed them formula in the NICU and there was nothing I could do about it. So breastfeeding got off to a very difficult start (which I still struggling with but making good progress) I was also exhausted and sore from giving birth so I was not up for many visitors at the hospital. Also with the NICU you could only have 2 people back there at a time so it was hard to show her off to many people since either John and I had to be there to take one person back at a time. We were so excited when she was released on Sunday after all her labs came back saying that she was healthy and did NOT have an infection.

My coach: John was my birthing coach and I just want to say he did a GREAT JOB!!! I did not get annoyed with him once, he was really supportive and so helpful to keep me calm about everything that was going on. He was also soooooo in love with Juliet right away after he meet her, he couldn't stop talking about her, it was pretty cute!

Welcome to the world Juliet Elise Collins

Juliet was born on 8/19 at 6:31 PM and is 8 pounds and 21 inches long. She has to stay in the nicu for 72 hours b/c I was running a fever during delivery and they need to check her for infection bit so far everything looks good and we are all doing great! Birth story will come in a few days!

At the doctors again!!!

Oh man this overdue stuff is a bit of a roller coaster ride! So this morning I thought my water broke but I was wrong :(

Here is what happened: At 7am in the morning before I got into the shower I felt a gush of water come out onto the floor and I thought to myself "OMG my water just broke" So I call John and he comes back home (he had left for work about 5 minutes ago). Then a few minutes later I notice I lost my mucus plug (sorry if this is TMI). So I call the hospital to see if I should come in after I explain everything that happened. They tell me to first go to the doctors office at 8AM to have them check to see if my water really broke. So... I wait and call, they tell me to come right in and they will check me as soon as possible. I am getting excited but then I realize no more water is coming out. I have always heard that you keep losing your water in a slow drip but I was NOT leaking anymore so I thought "maybe somehow I was wrong and my water did not really break???" but I did not imagine the water coming out in the first place so I was VERY CONFUSED!

Long story short, after we meet with the midwife it turns out my water did not break that when you are about to lose your mucus plug sometimes water will come out right before your mucus plug. WHO KNEW??? Learning everyday.

Monday doctor's appointment update

So, I went in today to see if anything has changed since I'm still pregnant. Nothing other than I'm starting to dilate and I'm currently at one centimeter. The midwife practice will not induce for a medical reason until you are 10 days overdue so If I don't have the baby soon on my own I will have to wait till the week of August 23rd to have the baby. The reason they won't induce earlier is b/c you will have a higher risk of c-section if you are induced and it cause stress to the baby if they are not ready to come out. I'm still trying to stay positive but it's been hard since I am so ready to have this baby! I have started to cry almost everyday, it sucks but doing the best I can. They are also doing a stress test on Friday to make sure at 41 weeks the baby is okay. That's all the updates I have!!! So no more news means nothing has changed.

40 weeks plus a few days

The weekend is here and gone and no Juliet :( Had a super fun weekend of picking blackberry's, going to crab dinners, having dinner at a friends house. I ate well! Still waiting.... No signs of anything coming soon.

8/13/10 - 40 weeks - My Due Date

40 weeks from both sides!

WAITING... Due date is here and no baby. Trying everyday to stay positive and not break down and cry b/c I can't meet my baby yet...

Things I do to pass the time: Been baking lots of muffins/cupcakes, have plans to hang out with friends tonight and tomorrow, going to my parents house to hang out, lots of walking, pampering myself with massages, mani/pedi, and hanging out with my cute hubby :)

Thanks for all the support everyone. I hope it's not too much longer... I also promise to text/call everyone when it happens. I will not leave you all in the dark ;)

Monday's Doctor Appointment Update

I had my doctor's appointment today and they told me I was 80-90% effaced and at a -1 station. Last week at this time I was only 50% effaced and at a -2 station. So what does all that mean? The midwife said that I was making good progress and that my cervix thinned out a lot in a week (obviously you need to be at 100% effaced to give birth) Also the station means where the baby is, therefore the baby has dropped down more since last week and is ALMOST in my pelvis (which would be a ZERO station) a +4 station is the head coming out!!! As for my dilation, nothing has changed there, still NOT dilated at all. The midwife also told me with my progress she didn't think I would go that many days overdue if I went overdue at all. So I guess that's good news but I have heard of lots of people that have stalled in their progress so my hopes are not up that high yet. JUST WAITING... Hopefully I don't make my doctor's appointment next Monday on the 16th b/c I have a little baby in my arms :)

39 weeks

39 weeks - HOME STRECH!

OMG! My tummy is HUGE! ha ha. I think she is ready to come out now :)

A watched pot never boils: I feel like I am waiting and waiting and trying to make plans so I'm not just wondering all the time when the big day will be!

Sleepless in Elkridge: So again my biggest complaint in this stage of pregnancy is my lack of sleep. I know all of you with kids may laugh at me when I say this... But I think I may get more sleep when the baby gets here! Right now I'm getting about 5 to 6 hours of very interupted sleep. For some reason I have most of my practice contractions at night and they can be very painful. So between painful contractions and having to get up to go to the bathroom every few hours I don't sleep much more than two hours at a time :(

Juliet is more Patient that I am: This whole pregnancy I thought I was going to go earlier than my due date, now I'm thinking I'm going to have to wait till after my due date :( I had a doctor's appointment Monday and they said that I was NOT dialated at all but my Cervix was starting to thin and the baby was at a -2 station (so not quite to the pelvis yet). So what does all that mean???? Nothing really! It just means more waiting... I go back again monday for them to check if anything has changed but I feel like she is still SO high that they will tell me I'm not making any progress.

Promises Promises: Don't make them if you can't keep them! Both John and my best friend have promised me I will not go a week over my due date... I don't know how they can promise such a thing but they seem to be pretty sure I won't. Right now I don't feel the same way! But keeping busy and trying to enjoy my last moments of peace and quite before the craziness of a new baby. Very thankful for everything good going on in my life :)