What a journey to get to 40 weeks! I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes on September 3rd, ugh. So I had to be mindful of my diet and continue my exercise...and prick my finger for blood 4x a day. Surprisingly that was easy! And with the diet and exercise in place (spinning 3x a week and dance 1x), I was actually losing weight in my 3rd tri and felt incredible! So, not so bad. BUT, at 36 weeks, ironically, I was told my fluid was getting really low. When you are diabetic, you are constantly monitored to make sure you baby isn't getting too big too fast and that you don't have too much fluid. In my case, baby was looking small and fluid was low. Strange. Anyhow, I was told to go on partial bed rest and if I kept my fluids in tact, I might get to have that VBAC I was so desperate for. I kept that baby afloat in there for many weeks, and even made it through my 39th week while Dr. Thordarson was away in Hawaii! She had said that if baby didn't come while she was gone, on the day of my 40th week, November 15th, she would start "stirring" things up. On November 14th I went to Dr. Silverman for a routine ultrasound and non stress test. Alas, my fluids were too low to even get me to the 15th, Evera was to be born via c-section that night. I cried. Feeling like, had I known it would be this way, I would have had the c-section at 38 weeks and avoided those dreadful last two weeks of discomfort and would have been done being diabetic and would have begun recovery a little earlier. Damn. So between his office and home and St. Johns, I didn't really have enough time to reconcile my feelings about my efforts being all for nil. I was bitter about the outcome, finding it hard to get excited and fearful of the surgery and aftermath. The surgery went well, Evera came out easily and beautifully...although this time I nearly threw up and felt a lot of pain during the tugging etc when she was pulled out and afterwards. But Corey went to cut her cord and brought her over to me! She as all slimy and funny looking and beautiful. The room was so bright and there was a lot of chatting between the drs. The whole thing felt surreal to me, and they were giving me a lot of oxygen to keep me from throwing up. And there I lay, concerned about how late it was and the undoubtedly long night ahead. Fortunately, in recovery, I had an amazing little baby cuddling me, with the sweetest breath and all things tiny. She was gorgeous. It was quiet, no one around. Just us, staring at each other. She nursed for the first time here, seemed to latch on with ease...phew! This time, it was instant love. Knowing the phases of baby and what they turn into, I already had strong feelings of connection and excitement. That first week in the hospital was BRUTAL. The gas...which I couldn't pass, had me doubled over in pain. I wasn't allowed to eat for nearly 3 days until that gas was passed, thank you to the kind nurse who finally gave me a suppository that I begged for, yes, I begged! Good drugs and less visitors made for a more relaxed environment. Corey worked a lot, so I had a ton of time bonding alone with the baby. And Deia, poor thing, had a terrible cold, so she could only visit once. It broke my heart because I had such visions of her hopping into bed with me and us enjoying the baby together. Oh well. She brought her sister a gift, and conveniently, Evera got her one as well :) When we were discharged, we weren't as panicked as we were the first time around and went home thanking GAWD we decided to have a baby nurse!!! Best money ever spent!
The Birth: November 14, 2011
What a journey to get to 40 weeks! I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes on September 3rd, ugh. So I had to be mindful of my diet and continue my exercise...and prick my finger for blood 4x a day. Surprisingly that was easy! And with the diet and exercise in place (spinning 3x a week and dance 1x), I was actually losing weight in my 3rd tri and felt incredible! So, not so bad. BUT, at 36 weeks, ironically, I was told my fluid was getting really low. When you are diabetic, you are constantly monitored to make sure you baby isn't getting too big too fast and that you don't have too much fluid. In my case, baby was looking small and fluid was low. Strange. Anyhow, I was told to go on partial bed rest and if I kept my fluids in tact, I might get to have that VBAC I was so desperate for. I kept that baby afloat in there for many weeks, and even made it through my 39th week while Dr. Thordarson was away in Hawaii! She had said that if baby didn't come while she was gone, on the day of my 40th week, November 15th, she would start "stirring" things up. On November 14th I went to Dr. Silverman for a routine ultrasound and non stress test. Alas, my fluids were too low to even get me to the 15th, Evera was to be born via c-section that night. I cried. Feeling like, had I known it would be this way, I would have had the c-section at 38 weeks and avoided those dreadful last two weeks of discomfort and would have been done being diabetic and would have begun recovery a little earlier. Damn. So between his office and home and St. Johns, I didn't really have enough time to reconcile my feelings about my efforts being all for nil. I was bitter about the outcome, finding it hard to get excited and fearful of the surgery and aftermath. The surgery went well, Evera came out easily and beautifully...although this time I nearly threw up and felt a lot of pain during the tugging etc when she was pulled out and afterwards. But Corey went to cut her cord and brought her over to me! She as all slimy and funny looking and beautiful. The room was so bright and there was a lot of chatting between the drs. The whole thing felt surreal to me, and they were giving me a lot of oxygen to keep me from throwing up. And there I lay, concerned about how late it was and the undoubtedly long night ahead. Fortunately, in recovery, I had an amazing little baby cuddling me, with the sweetest breath and all things tiny. She was gorgeous. It was quiet, no one around. Just us, staring at each other. She nursed for the first time here, seemed to latch on with ease...phew! This time, it was instant love. Knowing the phases of baby and what they turn into, I already had strong feelings of connection and excitement. That first week in the hospital was BRUTAL. The gas...which I couldn't pass, had me doubled over in pain. I wasn't allowed to eat for nearly 3 days until that gas was passed, thank you to the kind nurse who finally gave me a suppository that I begged for, yes, I begged! Good drugs and less visitors made for a more relaxed environment. Corey worked a lot, so I had a ton of time bonding alone with the baby. And Deia, poor thing, had a terrible cold, so she could only visit once. It broke my heart because I had such visions of her hopping into bed with me and us enjoying the baby together. Oh well. She brought her sister a gift, and conveniently, Evera got her one as well :) When we were discharged, we weren't as panicked as we were the first time around and went home thanking GAWD we decided to have a baby nurse!!! Best money ever spent!
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