My birth story
I'm a bit late posting this, but Oliver was born on January 22.
Birth story:
I had a fabulous pregnancy until I was 30 weeks. I then got sick. I had a horrific cough- strong enough for me to cough up all of my food - not barf- cough up what I just swallowed. I had stomach cancer in 2009 and the easiness of coughing up food is due to the fact I had the top part of my stomach and esophagus removed (completely removing the GE junction and sphincter that closes the stomach off from the esophagus, keeping acids down. So the rest of my stomach/esophagus are tied together in the same way a gastric bypass is done, so it's easy for me to cough up stuff). I lost around 6 pounds with this. And then I started to get uncomfortable. The baby's positioning always hurt me. I always woke up with neck/back aches. My husband had to buy an electronic massager, but sometimes, when he would massage my upper back with the thing, it caused me to throw up reflux. My nausea came back and I just could not maintain weight. I started my pregnancy at around 102 pounds and ended at around 112. The highest I got was 116, but then I dropped to 110. I was bobbing between 110 and 112 for the last 5 weeks of my pregnancy.
In mid December, a tumor that I have in the right side of my skull (around eye sockets, around sinuses, all through my cheek, in my upper jaw, around the base of my ear and down the side of my neck- it's a blob with tentacles and it is BENIGN. I have NF type 1 and this is just one of my tumors) went from dormant (it stopped hurting in high school) to pompeii explosive. It hurt so much. The pain was centered in my cheek and it even affected my ear. All the sounds I made sounded amplified, vibrating and echoing. Hard to explain. I have a nerve tumor in my pelvis that I used to be on oxycodone for- I had taken myself off the medication when I learned I was pregnant (though I was allowed to take it throughout the pregnancy if I needed to- doseage and frequency of needing it was very low), but the pain was SO BAD I got permission to go back on oxycodone, though I cut my 10 mg pills in half. I could hardly speak it hurt SO much. I was in more pain that I could EVER remember with all the tumor pains I've ever had. And by week 37, in addition to this, migraines set in.
At my 38 week appointment, I mentioned my migraines and that my facial tumor was still bothering me. My doctor set my induction date to Jan 24 because she felt I shouldn't suffer anymore. I was also not gaining weight, so she believed it would be better for the baby to be OUT rather than IN. So yeah.
Tuesday Jan 21, my doctor calls me at work. The blood tests that were done that Friday came back with startling news: my liver function tests were in the 200s! I had the tests run in November and it was in the 30s/40s. So she told me to go in THAT day to triage and get tested again. If the tests were still high, I would be induced that night. She also advised me to leave work as if I am not coming back. My boss was with a patient so I had to interrupt him to tell him I may not be back, blah blah blah. I called my husband and he picked me up. Now, I work at the same hospital where I delivered, but my building is about a 6-8 minute walk- it was freezing and I was scared so I was lazy. I could have just meet my husband there. Ha.
So I was admitted, blood drawn, and I was hooked up to monitors. Blood tests came back the same, so I was induced. Thankfully my bags were backed and the carseat was installed. I started having contracions that Sunday so I knew the baby would be coming soon. So we were prepared thankfully! And my maternity leave coverage was also prepared so I just was able to focus on labor.
My water broke around 6 or 7 pm thanks to the Cytotec. I was going to be given round 2 of the stuff but they decided to switch to pitocin. I had been laboring on my own since noon and I had heard of the terrible Pitocin Labor Pains so I asked to have an epidural put in before being started on the pitocin. Mind you, I had really wanted an unmedicated birth- HA. The contractions were really strong and painful and it affected my pelvic tumor a LOT.
I was medicated, then the pitocin was started. They stopped the induction about 4 hours later because they realized I was contracting on my own and my baby was not tolerating the pitocin so well. I was at 3 cm so they wanted me to see how I was in the morning. By morning I was at 9 cm!!! They put me back on pitocin and told me I'd be pushing within the hour. An hour came and went, no progression. Oliver was not tolerating the pit and the doctors thought that maybe he was pulling on or wrapped around my chord. Sooo they decided to do a c-section. I was frightened, but between my husband and the anesthesiologists, I was able to calm myself. And finally, at 10:23 am, I heard a slight wimper, and a short cry. My baby was born!
Baby stats:
6 lb 5 oz
19 in long (later at ped office, he was measured at 18.5 in long)
Born ONE week and one day early
He scored perfectly on all newborn tests. After all my body has been through I'm so happy he is healthy! He is tiny, adorable, and extremely snuggly. He is SO WORTH EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH as well. And he is very mellow. He hardly cries.
Here are some pics
First family photo:
Just taken a couple of hours ago. He can hold his own bottle haha!
Trying to breastfeed- it's hard. So I pump and supplement with formula. Oliver has lost some weight so I'm working hard to help him gain, but I've lost a CRAP ton of weight. I'm now teetering between 94 and 96 pounds!!!! Trying to eat but pumping is wearing me away!! Otherwise all is well. :)
Birth story:
I had a fabulous pregnancy until I was 30 weeks. I then got sick. I had a horrific cough- strong enough for me to cough up all of my food - not barf- cough up what I just swallowed. I had stomach cancer in 2009 and the easiness of coughing up food is due to the fact I had the top part of my stomach and esophagus removed (completely removing the GE junction and sphincter that closes the stomach off from the esophagus, keeping acids down. So the rest of my stomach/esophagus are tied together in the same way a gastric bypass is done, so it's easy for me to cough up stuff). I lost around 6 pounds with this. And then I started to get uncomfortable. The baby's positioning always hurt me. I always woke up with neck/back aches. My husband had to buy an electronic massager, but sometimes, when he would massage my upper back with the thing, it caused me to throw up reflux. My nausea came back and I just could not maintain weight. I started my pregnancy at around 102 pounds and ended at around 112. The highest I got was 116, but then I dropped to 110. I was bobbing between 110 and 112 for the last 5 weeks of my pregnancy.
In mid December, a tumor that I have in the right side of my skull (around eye sockets, around sinuses, all through my cheek, in my upper jaw, around the base of my ear and down the side of my neck- it's a blob with tentacles and it is BENIGN. I have NF type 1 and this is just one of my tumors) went from dormant (it stopped hurting in high school) to pompeii explosive. It hurt so much. The pain was centered in my cheek and it even affected my ear. All the sounds I made sounded amplified, vibrating and echoing. Hard to explain. I have a nerve tumor in my pelvis that I used to be on oxycodone for- I had taken myself off the medication when I learned I was pregnant (though I was allowed to take it throughout the pregnancy if I needed to- doseage and frequency of needing it was very low), but the pain was SO BAD I got permission to go back on oxycodone, though I cut my 10 mg pills in half. I could hardly speak it hurt SO much. I was in more pain that I could EVER remember with all the tumor pains I've ever had. And by week 37, in addition to this, migraines set in.
At my 38 week appointment, I mentioned my migraines and that my facial tumor was still bothering me. My doctor set my induction date to Jan 24 because she felt I shouldn't suffer anymore. I was also not gaining weight, so she believed it would be better for the baby to be OUT rather than IN. So yeah.
Tuesday Jan 21, my doctor calls me at work. The blood tests that were done that Friday came back with startling news: my liver function tests were in the 200s! I had the tests run in November and it was in the 30s/40s. So she told me to go in THAT day to triage and get tested again. If the tests were still high, I would be induced that night. She also advised me to leave work as if I am not coming back. My boss was with a patient so I had to interrupt him to tell him I may not be back, blah blah blah. I called my husband and he picked me up. Now, I work at the same hospital where I delivered, but my building is about a 6-8 minute walk- it was freezing and I was scared so I was lazy. I could have just meet my husband there. Ha.
So I was admitted, blood drawn, and I was hooked up to monitors. Blood tests came back the same, so I was induced. Thankfully my bags were backed and the carseat was installed. I started having contracions that Sunday so I knew the baby would be coming soon. So we were prepared thankfully! And my maternity leave coverage was also prepared so I just was able to focus on labor.
My water broke around 6 or 7 pm thanks to the Cytotec. I was going to be given round 2 of the stuff but they decided to switch to pitocin. I had been laboring on my own since noon and I had heard of the terrible Pitocin Labor Pains so I asked to have an epidural put in before being started on the pitocin. Mind you, I had really wanted an unmedicated birth- HA. The contractions were really strong and painful and it affected my pelvic tumor a LOT.
I was medicated, then the pitocin was started. They stopped the induction about 4 hours later because they realized I was contracting on my own and my baby was not tolerating the pitocin so well. I was at 3 cm so they wanted me to see how I was in the morning. By morning I was at 9 cm!!! They put me back on pitocin and told me I'd be pushing within the hour. An hour came and went, no progression. Oliver was not tolerating the pit and the doctors thought that maybe he was pulling on or wrapped around my chord. Sooo they decided to do a c-section. I was frightened, but between my husband and the anesthesiologists, I was able to calm myself. And finally, at 10:23 am, I heard a slight wimper, and a short cry. My baby was born!
Baby stats:
6 lb 5 oz
19 in long (later at ped office, he was measured at 18.5 in long)
Born ONE week and one day early
He scored perfectly on all newborn tests. After all my body has been through I'm so happy he is healthy! He is tiny, adorable, and extremely snuggly. He is SO WORTH EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH as well. And he is very mellow. He hardly cries.
Here are some pics
First family photo:
Just taken a couple of hours ago. He can hold his own bottle haha!
Trying to breastfeed- it's hard. So I pump and supplement with formula. Oliver has lost some weight so I'm working hard to help him gain, but I've lost a CRAP ton of weight. I'm now teetering between 94 and 96 pounds!!!! Trying to eat but pumping is wearing me away!! Otherwise all is well. :)