Labor, Delivery & Recovery

August 19, 2010

I went to work that morning feeling great.  I was in good spirits, despite all the pressure and pain I was feeling.  That morning, my coworkers kept telling me that I was going to delivery early.  I kept saying, "I've got two weeks to go!"  By the end of the work day, I was feeling very uncomfortable, so Jimmy was nice enough to pick me up so I didn't have to take the Metro home.

As soon as we got home, I thought I needed to use the bathroom.  When I thought I was peeing, my water broke! (It was nice that my water broke IN the toilet, so there was no mess to clean up!)  I knew something was up when it wouldn't stop flowing and it was a funny color.  I called Jimmy to the bathroom and we studied my pee for a few minutes.  We still weren't 100% sure, so I called the hospital and they told me to come on in. 

Of course, I took my time and showered, shaved, and got myself all cleaned up.  My thought was, if my water did break and I was in labor, I didn't know the next time I would get to shower!  Jimmy wasn't packed and he too wanted to have a fresh shower and shave before out big trip to the hospital.

While I was getting ready, I was still skeptical about my water breaking.  I was sure this was a "trial run" and they would send me home.  Even after an hour, my water was still trickling out and I think I lost my mucus plug in the shower. Reality sunk in, and there was no denying it... it wasn't really until about right before we left the house when it started to hit me. 

Jimmy and I were pretty calm the whole time.  I really thought we would have felt panicked and crazy!   We walked out of the apartment knowing the next time we walked though those doors we would have our daughter in our arms!

Labor was easy at first, but then got more scary as the doctors became more and more concerned with Amelia's heart rate.  They had to give me an internal monitor for both her heart rate and my contractions.  As soon as they got that under control, I was stuck at 7cm for 11 hours due to a swollen cervix.  Doctors also assumed that because I am so small, that Amelia wouldn't have made it though my birth canal anyway. 

After 27 long hours of labor, doctors advised that I should have a c section.  I was very disappointed and scared, but knew it was best for the baby.  Sadly, I had complications with my c section and had massive hemorrhaging afterwards.  They had to come in and do another procedure shortly after I delivered.  I didn't even get to hold Amelia until a few hours after the c section, but Jimmy was with her the whole time, so that made me feel better.

Overall, labor and delivery was not what I expected, but the result was well worth it ;0)

Recovery was very difficult for me and I was in the hospital for 5 days.  The only thing I could do to help out was feed Amelia.  I could barely get in and out of bed and was really sick (turns out I was having a reaction to one of the pain medications too!) Jimmy did everything!  I didn't even change a diaper or pick her up until she was more than a week old!  Not only did Jimmy take care of Amelia... he cooked, cleaned, and nursed me back to health.  He even said he wished he had "boobies" so he could breastfeed her so that I could rest more. 

Jimmy is an awesome father and husband.  Thank you Sir!

Story time with Daddy

While I was pregnant, Jimmy read to Amelia almost every night during my third trimester.  Before I went into labor, Jimmy was reading her all the Aesop's Fables.  Well, he didn't get a chance to finish the book with her while I was pregnant, so continued to read it to her after she was born.  He's such a great daddy!  They finally were able to finish up the whole book last night!

Story time

(Rudy is on the table listening too.)

Amelia, awake and listening...

Sleepy time!

Bath Time!

We're not too sure if Amelia likes bath time yet.

Getting started.

She doesn't know what's coming...

Concerned face...

So far, so good...

It seems to be going well...

Oh no...

Amelia is not happy...

Complete meltdown...

Ahhh, finally done and all clean!

First Week Pics

Here are a few pics from Amelia's first week at home:

She'so tiny... all her clothes are too big!  We also have to use preemie diapers. 

(We have to wait until she's at least 8 pounds in order to use our cloth diapers!)

Chillin' with daddy... check out her skinny little leg!

Tired Mommy... I should be the one sleeping ;0)

Amelia's First Outing... Walter Reed

Amelia's first venture outside the apartment after coming home from the hospital was to a medical appointment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Wednesday. We just barely made it on time... it takes much longer to get out of the house with a 5 day old baby!

She is healthy and happy and the appointment went very well.  Her pediatrician is awesome.  She's now down to 5 lbs, 5 oz, but she's within normal range, so her weight is fine.  She started to get fussy because she was hungry, so I had my first public breastfeeding situation.  I felt a little awkward, but I guess it's something I'll have to get used to!  Since Jimmy works at Walter Reed, we headed to the laboratory after her appointment to introduce Amelia to Jimmy's colleagues. 

So far, so good.  Amelia loves her car seat. 

We hope she keeps this up!

Amelia!

Water broke at 5:20pm 8/19/10

Hmmmmmm... why is my "coach" sleeping?

In labor for 27 hours... why am I still smiling?

Stuck at 7 cm for last 11 hours due to swollen cervix...

so had to have a c-section

Before c-section attire

Amelia Jane Gadingan Lehman

5 pounds, 11 ounces

20 inches long

Born on August 20, 2010 at 8:29pm

Amelia is very petite and has very skinny legs and arms.

She also has very long toes, just like me!

All clean and bundled up
(The hat makes her look like a smurf!)

Showing off her dark hair and dark blue eyes.

Kisses from daddy

After 5 days in the hospital, we finally get to take her home!

Amelia surprisingly loved her car seat!

Rudy and Olivia meeting the new member of the family. 

Lucy "Snout" wanted nothing to do with her and ran away!

A shot of Amelia in her "take home" outfit.

Amelia's First Quilt

A special thanks to Auntie Jade for making Amelia's very first quilt.  Jade was one of the first friends we made here in DC and is very crafty and talented!  It matches the nursery perfectly!

Thank you ;0) 

Week 37

Month 9 (weeks 37-40+)

Miss Mia is now the size of a Watermelon.

According to the "Ultimate Man Guide to Baby Sizes" our little Mia is the size of the ELECTRIC MOTOR in the $110,000, Tesla which can go from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds. Sweet.

Wow, those are the last of the weekly/monthly baby size pictures from the websites I've been following on the Internet!  Amelia is almost here... and thank goodness she won't get bigger than a watermelon ;0)

I've been feeling really uncomfortable and sore this last week.  I am feeling a lot of pressure and tenderness in my pelvic area.  I also have hip pain at the end of the day, in the mornings, and whenever I wake up from napping.  My stomach is so tight and Amelia is getting so big!  Every time she moves, it feels like someone is punching me in the stomach.  I've definitely been feeling wimpy... I feel like I should be able to handle pregnancy much better, but in reality I'm feeling pretty miserable.

I also thought I would be able to make it through the 40 weeks without stretch marks.  Unfortunately, just in the last few days, they've shown up all over my stomach!  The area near my belly button now looks like a road map.  Looks like my bikini wearing days are over. 

Okay, I've done enough complaining... I know it will all be worth it in the end ;0)

My prenatal visit went well.  We had a little scare with the baby's heart rate and my high blood pressure... but after we were monitored, everything went back to normal. Phew.  I'm currently 1 cm dilated, 25% effaced, and measuring a little small at 37 weeks.  I've also gained a total of 27 pounds!

During the monitoring, Jimmy was fist pumping (Jersey Shore style) to her heart beat, so that was really funny. During the ultrasound, we got a good look at Amelia's face!  She has a round head, a little bit of hair, what looks like a Filipino nose, and big lips.  We could even see her lips moving like she was trying to suckle and we saw her swallowing a few times too.  She had both her hands up near her face like a little boxer too.  Amazing.  It just gets us more and more excited to meet her in person.

Jimmy and I are starting to wonder how the kitties are going to react to the new baby.  We're wondering if they are going to sleep with her, cuddle with her, or just avoid her all together.  I'm hoping Amelia has a good relationship with them and grows up to love kitties like we do.

Now that we're pretty much ready for the baby, we can focus on getting mentally ready.  I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on my pregnancy experience, thinking about what type of parents we'll be, and what Amelia will grow up to be like as a person.  It's all so scary, but very exciting.  I wouldn't say that I'm getting nervous, but I am very curious ;0) 

I used to work at a daycare center and took care of babies 6 weeks-6 months old for about a year.  However, that was a long time ago!  I'm just hoping that some of my baby care skills come back to me once Amelia is born.  Jimmy has no experience with babies and has never changed a diaper before, so it's going to be interesting.  I have lots of confidence in him and I already know he's going to be a very very helpful and involved daddy.

I was also a adoption counselor when we lived in Texas.  I worked with pregnant women to place their newborns for adoption.  I've had the privilege of working with women throughout their pregnancies, supporting them through their births (vaginal and c section), cutting umbilical cords, travelling with newborns, and working with new adoptive parents. 

I can tell you right now, I cried at every single birth I was at and always wondered how these selfless women were able to chose adoption.  Looking back, I just can't believe I was an adoption counselor without having been through pregnancy, birth, or parenting myself!  I was so young (my early 20's) and definitely feel like I would have a different perspective if I were to work there now.  Now, years later, being pregnant myself, and knowing the love and attachment I feel for my own baby, I don't know how they did it.  I have a new found respect for both birth mothers and adoptive parents.

Jimmy and I have been watching this show called "Bringing Home Baby," which is a reality show about the first 36 hours at home with a newborn baby. Each show follows a couple from the moment they check out of the hospital and the first three days with the baby. Wow, the show is such an eye opener. It just makes me hope and pray that Amelia is a calm, mellow baby!

38 Weeks

Lucy, my new coworker

Lucy "Snout" loves to keep me company when I'm working from home.  She helps me by knocking over pens and paperclips, napping on my files, demanding that I pet her, but mostly she just stares at me.  She definitely keeps my day interesting!

Week 36

Week 36:  I started feeling very uncomfortable this week.  I've been having a lot of pressure and pains, especially when the baby moves... and she moves all the time!  I think she's running out of room in there because my stomach is so tight and you can see every movement she makes.  My belly always looks deformed, depending on how she's laying.  I am pretty sure my bladder is also super squished because every time I stand up, I need to pee!

Sleeping has been more difficult for me too.  She is very active at night, especially after Jimmy reads and talks to her, so the movements are painful and keep me up.  I'm also at the point where it now takes five strategically placed pillows for me to get comfortable.  In addition, I wake up several times a night to pee, so that totally messes with my sleep schedule.

At my prenatal appointment this week my doctor said that Amelia is engaged, which means her head is almost in position and ready to go.  When she did the exam, she said she could feel her head, which freaked me out a little.  She also said that I wasn't dilated yet, but that my cervix was very thin, which was a good sign as well.  I gained half a pound and my sugar levels are well controlled, so they're happy with my progress.  I've gained about 24 pounds total so far. 

I'll be "term" next week, meaning that the baby can come at any time and be well developed.  We have been busy tying up all lose ends and getting the apartment prepped for Amelia... we're nesting ;0)  I washed all the newborn and 0-3 month baby clothes this week.  Everything was so tiny and it was hard to figure out how to fold all the little outfits. The little socks are the cutest!  I also washed all the crib sheets, linens, and baby blankets too.  The only thing left for me to wash is all our cloth diapers, so I'll probably wash those this week. 

Jimmy installed the car seat last weekend as well, and (like nerds) we practiced getting it in and out of the car.  It's amazing how you need such a big contraption to fit such a small baby!  The backseat of "Milton," my Acura TSX, looks so small now.  We only need one car right now, but we'll buy another, bigger car once we move out of DC and require a second car.  (Jimmy has his eye on a Suburban and has already picked out the name "Large Marge" for it.)  But for now, Milton is perfect for our little family.

Jimmy tested out the baby bath tub, put together the bouncy, and we finally took out the play mats and some toys out of their packaging.  We're just making sure everything works and we have enough batteries for everything.  As a last minute purchase, we decided to get a rocking chair, so we went to the store and picked one out.  I just hope it gets here in time since it will take a few weeks for it to get delivered!

We're also putting the finishing touches on the nursery.  Amelia probably won't spend much time in there for the first few months, but we still want to have it ready for her.  She'll probably sleep in our room for the first few months, so one thing we have to do is move the bassinet into our room and fix up a little area for her there.

I haven't packed for the hospital yet, but that's next on my list of things to do.  Since it takes FIVE pillows for me to get comfortable on the bed, so I'm trying to decide how many pillows is appropriate to bring to the hospital, ha ha ha.  I can probably only get away with bringing one or two without looking like a diva.

37 Weeks

Front View

Week 37

Side view... argh, I'm huge!

I'm so big that people are starting to stare at me whenever I'm out.  Haven't they seen a pregnant woman before? Geez. 

Oh yeah, and my coworkers always ask me why I'm hiding a basketball under my dress.

Lucy "Snout" loves all the new baby items.  Out of our three kitties, she is by far the most interested in anything related to the baby.  She seems to think all the new stuff is for her.

Snout examining the play mat.

Jimmy installed the infant car seat adapter to the stroller and took Snout for a ride around our apartment.

Snout LOVED the stroller!

Snout checking out the baby bath tub. 

(I know she'll lose interest once there's water in there.)