It's Official

Chillin' with his papa.

I'm a mommy. Dear God it is a scary thought.

On Friday I had my last scheduled Dr's appointment and she decided that I needed to be induced right then because my fluid looked too low in the ultrasound. It was only two days earlier than scheduled but it threw us for a loop because we had other plans and last minute things were were going to do.

We headed home and got the dogs to doggy daycare for boarding and stopped by McDonalds for my last meal. :) I figured I wouldn't be allowed to eat anything once we got there and I was right - I got some jello and graham crackers around midnight / Saturday morning and that was it until Saturday after the delivery.

We checked into the hospital at 5:50 on Friday. I was barely diallated but they put me on the drip for inducing and hooked me up to the fetal heart monitor. It was a very uncomfortable night - every hour I had to get up and go to the bathroom. Not uncommon these last few weeks but a lot harder to do all hooked up to IV's and machines. I couldn't do it without the nurse's help. So humiliating.

The doctor came in Saturday morning and checked my progress (barely over 3 cm...just the process of checking me made me cry!). She said that I could have an epi when I was over 4 cm which finally arrived early that afternoon.

The guy came in and gave me the epi and while I was on the bed.....WHOOSH...all of a sudden I'm freaking out because I was leaking. ROFL The nurse probably thought I was a lunatic, but it totally freaked me out. I couldn't control it at all and it kept going. And I kept saying - the bed is all wet. hahahaha

I'm glad it broke though because that way the doctor didn't have to do it for me. I hate the look of the tool they use.

So by around 1 p.m. or so I was in labor and progressed super fast from there. When I was at 9 cm the nurse had me start pushing a bit. They don't tell you how frickin' hard it is.
I thought my head was going to explode.

Marshal Lawrence Casto was born 9/26 at 5:50 p.m. He was 7 pounds 3 ounces and 19.75 inches long. Thank GOD he wasn't the 10 pound baby we were expecting. I don't think I would have survived.

In NICU getting an IV.

There were some complications, because with this pregnancy nothing could go smoothly, even at the end. But he's healthy and home now. The gory details can be found below. :)




*** Warning - what follows can be considered TMI... read at your own risk. ***



My placenta didn't come out all the way - a piece with the tumor stayed in and the doctor had to retrieve it...and by retrieve it I mean reach up and RIP the damn thing out of me. Epidural be damned, it hurt like hell. Hubby took a photo but I won't share that...it's disgusting!



I lost a lot of blood. A few hours after delivery they tried having me sit on the side of the bed to move rooms and I nearly fainted. My blood pressure was super low when they checked and I wasn't ever able to get out of the bed that night - I couldn't even sit up!



Not only that, I wasn't able to pee and they had to put the damn cath back in, which took 30 minutes!!! The epi had worn off by that point and I was thoroughly pissed. They finally got us into our recovery room and Marshal's blood sugar started to drop. By midnight it was too low to allow him to stay in the room with me and he had to go to the NICU. :(



Thankfully I was so wiped out I barely cared. Daddy went with him and stayed the night. Marshal had to go on an IV because his sugar level was dangerously low. Even after feeding.



Then they told me that he had to have formula, which I never wanted to do. But because of his low sugars we had no choice. He needed nutrients and I couldn't give it to him yet (and still can't though we're still trying). No bottles though...we're using a syringe with a tube and finger feeding. A pain, but I really want him to be able to breast feed when I have milk and getting used to a bottle now can make that a lot harder.



He finally was taken off the IV drip and allowed back in our room on Sunday evening...after a LOT of poking and prodding. His poor little heals have needle marks all over them from all the blood tests.



We came home Monday and I can't believe it's only been a day since we arrived home. I'm absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed. Hubby is amazing though. I knew he'd be a good papa but he's surprised me still.

I'm severely anemic and very weak still - the doctor said I would need at least 6 weeks just to recover the blood I lost! And I keep forgetting to eat or drink. Which doesn't help the milk situation.

We also had a slight situation with Trooper Bear and Timber...I was ready to send them both to their Aunt's house for good but hubby talked me down. The dogs aren't allowed in the bedroom right now and they slept in the living room by themselves for the first time ever. Sad, but I would never sleep if the dogs were in there with us and the baby.


I feel like crying at everything...especially looking at the photos from the hospital. But I think it's a little late to change my mind now. =)