The Hutchkin Is Here!

 I never made it to my NST appointment, because the day before I ended up going into labor!

WARNING: If you don't want to read about my labor & delivery navigate away from this page.

Let me preface this by saying that Paul (+Beth) may remember more details or have better accuracy of the events that occurred between September 15th and September 16th. It has been 2 months since and a lot has happened between now and then, plus there were points when all I remember is my eyes being shut and trying not to black out (at least that is what it felt like). 

Paul and I went to sleep around 2 am on Sunday, September 15th. I woke up just before 6am because I felt like I needed to use the restroom. When I stood up I wet my pants, surely I didn't need to go that badly, so I went to the restroom and then changed my pajamas and laid back down. I had a fleeting thought that perhaps my water broke but I was so tired I just wanted to go back to bed. I reasoned with myself that another hour or two wouldn't hurt. So I got back into bed but by then my mind started working a bit better and I thought I will just lay here for 5 minutes or so and see what happens. In less time than that I had the urge that I needed to use the restroom again so I stood up to go to the bathroom and see what was going on, as soon as I stood up I wet my pants again. At that point it clicked in my mind THIS IS IT! So I went to the restroom again and changed my clothes. When I walked back out Paul lifted his head and I told him that I thought today was the day he was going to become a daddy. 

I called Labor & Delivery to explain what was going on. I was instructed to go ahead and take a shower if I wanted to and to eat something, then head on over to the hospital. I took them up on that and had a light breakfast, took a nice hot shower, got dressed, sent a text to Beth to let her know of the development and tossed our bags into the car and headed for Anaheim. 

Upon arrival we checked in and were taken to a room to be assessed as to if I would in fact be admitted. I was monitored for a couple hours, asked dozens of questions, we went over my birth plan (Which ended up being thrown out the window. Flexibility ladies, flexibility is key). Finally I was admitted and taken to a room. Not long after Beth showed up (boy was she in for a long night). 

I was given 6 hours, if contractions didn't start within 6 hours of my water breaking then I would be put on Pitocin which brings on or strengthens labor contractions during childbirth. So we waited & waited & waited -- nothing happened. So they started the Pitocin around 11:30am. For awhile I was still quite comfortable. We watched football, played some cards, talked. Then the contractions started to kick up. I was not managing them well, Paul did everything he was taught to get me to breathe with him and to focus, he also held a portable fan right by my face which felt awesome!

There came a point where the contractions were right on top of each other and super strong. I did not have any time between contractions to recover. I tried to deal with them but I was having trouble breathing because of the lack of recovery time and the pain! We had a nurse come and check what was going on, when we arrived I was only 1 cm dilated, I had only progressed to a 3/4! Tears started rolling because I wanted to do this with out drugs but I knew that there was no way I would be able to go hours and hours more in order to make it to a 10. I asked to have the IV drugs hoping that they would take the edge off the pain... after 2 doses I felt NO CHANGE! The IV drugs did nothing for the level of pain I was feeling. More tears fell as the other option is for an epidural which I was trying to avoid at all cost. 

I made it to 6pm before I was finally given an epidural and they turned the Pitocin off. Once that was in I was able to breathe again and felt no pain. Then it was back to sitting around and waiting, waiting, waiting. We watched some more football, I tried to rest/catch a few minutes of sleep here and there. The nurses checked to make sure that I was still having contractions as the Pitocin was no longer flowing and I was which was a good thing. A couple hours later I was checked again and had jumped up to a 7 which was an impressive jump however they grew concerned over my fluid levels and how the baby was doing because of how long it had been since my water broke. They mentioned that they were going to try and reintroduce fluid into my uterus but if that didn't help I was going to have to be taken for an emergency c-section. Thank the Lord that they were able to get my fluid levels up enough!

We all rested as much as we could. Paul turned on his iPod and we listened to my playlist. I was not checked again until somewhere between midnight and 1am at which point I was at 9cm. They kept asking me if I was feeling any pressure or urge to push and I kept reminding them that I couldn't feel anything below my bellybutton. 

Sometime just after 3am a nurse came in to see how things were going  and I was told that the baby was already crowning at which point I was told not to push. I gave a little chuckle (sounded like a line in a movie to me, she couldn't be serious, right?) and then I was told not to laugh! (which caused me to chuckle again) Or move! Or do anything. Apparently even when I laughed it caused the baby to come out a little more. The nurse was then rushing out to get the midwife. Seriously? So I stayed still and looked at Paul. We were about to have OUR baby! The midwife came in and commented on the fact that the baby was crowning, said some other stuff I don't remember and before I knew it my legs were in stirrups, there were at least 3-4 more people in the room, Paul was holding my hand or leg or something (I think) and I was being told to push. THREE pushes later the baby was out and the midwife said "who wants to call it"? Paul said "It's a BOY!" I then repeated what Paul said.

He was laid on my stomach. I kept looking back and forth at the baby and Paul and back to the baby. It was so surreal. I was in awe. Tears were streaming down my face and I was so so HAPPY. He was finally here! Paul cut the cord, the baby was wiped down, taken over to the warmer for a few minutes to get all of his measurements taken and whatever else they do over there. Then the baby was handed to Paul - such a beautiful sight. After awhile the baby was handed back to me, and there we were a family of three.

Nathan Burton joined our family on September 16th at 3:36am just about 22 hours after my water broke. He was measured at 8 pounds 13 ounces and 22 inches long

What's up doc?

September 9, 2013

Guess who's back, back again.... its me, at the doctors office!

Today is the last time I will most likely see Dr. Y as just like in the movie Knocked Up he is going out of town! Not like he would have been THE one to deliver the baby, but it was a possibility, now it is a zero chance that he will be on call. Anyway, onto the visit... my BP is back down 103/71 which is good. My stomach is now measuring at 42 weeks while I just hit 40w1d. Oh well. The littles heart-rate is still sounding great. I have been having lots of movement the last few days. On the check for any dilation? Still nothing. Dr. Y said he was surprised that there wasn't any change at all, he expected at least a little bit. What can I say, the Hutchkin likes it where it is. As it is only one day since my EDD I am not really worried about it.

But since there hasn't been any change it was time to talk about induction. He knows that I want to wait as long as possible but gave me the option to set up a date now just in case. I said I would rather wait and see what happens in the next week and if it becomes necessary to schedule a date then I would. So since my next appointment is a week away and after being a week beyond your EDD they want to make sure everything is okay on the inside I have to schedule a NST (non-stress test) to check the baby's heart-rate, any contractions, count movements and ultrasound to check on my fluid levels. 

I will have the NST next week at the hospital, then I will get to drive over to my regularly scheduled weekly appointment with Dr. H (remember Dr. Y is leaving for vaca), assuming that nothing transpires between now and then. 

Anything New?

September 5, 2013

Another week has flown by and I am back for a check up with Dr. Y. We are now t-minus 3 days till the estimated due date. My BP is still a bit higher than it has been but I am told that it can be quite normal for it to increase near the end of pregnancy and I am still well within the normal range so nothing to worry about. I am now measuring at 41 weeks and baby's heart-rate is good. The check for dilation shows no change from last week... as in zero, zilch, nada. I am not surprised as I haven't felt anything different. So the waiting continues, which I think is much harder for others than myself at this point.

Only 5 days till my next appointment instead of a whole week.

Home Stretch

August 28, 2013

Another day, another appointment with Dr. Y.

Did all the normal stuff, I am still measuring at 40 weeks which is good since I had been measuring ahead that time is now catching up. Hutchkins heart rate is good. Dr. Y checked to see if I am dilated at all, just for fun, I'm not. He explained my options to sweep the membranes if I am dilated at a future appointment. I told him we will play it by ear at this point and see what happens... I like that he isn't pushy about stuff like that. He gives you the facts and if you say no thanks he moves right along.

See ya next week doc. 

Back Again....

August 22, 2013

With my appointments happening every week and my growth ultrasound this week, it feels like I am always hanging out at a Kaiser. 

Today is once again an appointment with Dr. Y. The Hutchkin's heart-rate is hovering around the mid-high 120s. My weight gain has been quite minimal which the doc is happy with. Today my BP was a bit higher than what is normal for me but he is not concerned with it as it is not out of the normal range. Today at 37w4d I am measuring at 40 weeks, but since my growth ultrasound results were normal this is not concerning to him either. 

See ya next week doc...

The Results!

August 20, 2013

The growth ultrasound results are in and everything is looking normal. My fluid levels are good and they are estimating the baby at 7.5 pounds. Of course I was told that this number can be +/- 1 pound. That means that the baby could be anywhere from 6.5 to 8.5 pounds. Everything that was measured is looking good. So we will continue to wait for the Hutchikin to make its appearance. 

Growth Ultrasound

August 19, 2013

Unfortunately Anaheim did not have any appointments available until September 5th when I called, which I said probably wont work for my doctor as he wants to know whats going on with the baby and that is a mere 3 days before my due date. So I ended up having to drive to the Santa Ana location so that I would be able to have my growth ultrasound during the week of the 18th. I was quite surprised at the lack of traffic I encountered at 5pm when driving down. I made it in plenty of time for my 630pm appointment. 

Ultrasound went fine, of course the tech can't really tell you anything. They just do the scan and send it to the Radiologist and then that person send their findings to your OB and finally your OB tells you the results. So now we wait for the results...

What's up doc?

August 13, 2003

Appointment with Dr. Y. Heart-rate of the Hutchkin is sounding good. At this point I was 36w2d but the doc said I was measuring ahead at 39 weeks. Good thing I have that growth ultrasound coming up on the 19th! Otherwise things are looking good. 

BP: 103/61 Pulse: 69

Class on Breastfeeding

August 7, 2013

I went to this class on my own, simply due to the way plans were laid out for the week. The same lady who did the first class we went to was also teaching this one, so it is a good thing Paul didn't come as he had a hard time listening to her voice the first time around. This time it seemed like she had a much better handle on speaking to a class though of course she again was heavily relying on her pre-made slides and videos. She did give some good techniques and tips to try as well as information about our "free" Obamacare breast pump (more on that later) and that some companies actually cover the cost of a double electric breast pump (I am looking into that!). I am still reading through the info pack that was given to us and while it gives good information I know that the real deal can vary greatly from the ideal.

Baby Care Basics

August 3, 2013

The second class we took was a class that discussed all of the what happens when we get home questions. Things like how to swaddle, put on a diaper, taking care of the umbilical cord nub, how to bathe the baby, circumcision care, what happens when baby is sick, what to do if the baby just keeps crying and you have tried "everything".... etc. A good majority of the information we already knew, though it was still fun to practice doing all these different things with a doll in a class full of other couples preparing to bring home their firstborns as well.

July Appointments

July 16, 2013

Appointment with Dr. Y. All is well, measuring on track and looking good. 

BP: 100/60         Pulse: 54

July 30, 2013

Appointment with Dr. Y. All is well, except that the doc said I am measuring ahead. I failed to ask 'how far' which would have been an important question if I was paying attention. He told me to call radiology and set up a growth ultrasound to check on how things are progressing. 

BP: 105/60         Pulse:54

Labor and Delivery class

It was quite interesting 'people watching' in class. It felt like the lady who was teaching the class had never spoken to a group of people before. The class itself was a what to expect overview of labor and delivery, kaiser policies, creating birth plans and a question and answer time. Not a whole lot of new information for us, but others seemed to really get something out of the class.

Follow-up : The Incident

July 1, 2013

Since my next appointment with Dr. Y wasn't in the near future before I was allowed to be discharged from the hospital I had to set up an appointment within the next week to be seen. At my follow-up we went over what happened, discussed my hospital stay, he measured the uterus and checked the baby's heart-rate (135) along with a urine sample to make sure that everything looked good there. I was informed that I was now passed the point of worry, he said that once you have made it this long (a week) past a fall that chances of something going wrong are back to what they were if the fall had never happened. This was good news and a great relief for me to hear. I was given the thumbs up that all looked good and sent on my way.

Trippin' : The Incident

June 24, 2013

After work I went and did a short workout in the gym then headed home to eat. I was feeling like I still had a good amount of energy so I decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood. As I was finishing up the last of a 2-miler I turned the corner onto our street just a couple of blocks up from the house. All of a sudden I was falling, it all happened way to fast and I was unable to even try to get my knees and hands down to protect my stomach from hitting the pavement. I was stunned, no one was around so I picked myself up and looked to see what on earth I tripped on. Stupid sprinkler head, the tip of my toe must have barley caught the thing. I held my stomach, crying, and walked the rest of the way home. I assessed the damage once home, I had some scrapes on my forearms and knees but I knew I had hit my abdomen on the pavement so I grabbed a granola bar and some water then laid down on my side and waited to feel some movement. I was only feeling some contracting and pain so I called Paul and had him come home from work. Once he got home we loaded into the car and headed for the hospital.

We were taken immediately up to labor & delivery triage, I was asked to give a urine sample and then strapped up to fetal monitors to assess movement and contractions. We got to hang out there for a couple hours. When the nurse came to check she said I was indeed having a few contractions, then had a doctor come in to do an internal exam to check and make sure I wasn't dilating. The doctor let us know that there was no dilation but because of the contractions and falling on my abdomen that she was going to admit me.  

Around 3am we were finally admitted and taken to a room in the labor & delivery ward. I was hooked up to a blood-pressure monitor, fetal monitors, boots that squeeze your legs every few seconds (to prevent clots), an IV for fluids... I had needles and cords coming out of everywhere it seemed. Someone was in to check me every 30min-1hr. If I moved and one of the monitors slightly moved someone was there re-adjusting it. Every time I started to slightly doze someone was there checking this, prodding me, taking my BP or temperature. 

At one point I realized that I couldn't make a fist with my hand and that it hurt to move it. I took it out from under the sheet and it was swollen 2-3 times its normal size. I immediately hit the call button. A nurse came in and looked at my hand, said that it seemed the fluid was backing up and not entering properly (NO KIDDING!). So she took it out and called for an anesthesiologist to come up and start a new line in my other hand. It took hours and hours for me to start to regain the ability to touch finger tip to finger tip and it was quite painful. 

So the day went on, I didn't have any bleeding and the contractions subsided to just being Braxton-Hicks. Finally the doctor came back to re-evaluate me, the baby's heart-rate looked great and with the contractions stopping and no bleeding they were talking about releasing me! 

Around 3pm it was time to blow that joint and head home for some much needed rest! Both of us crashed hard once we laid down. Who knew being in the hospital could be so exhausting. 

From then on I promised to keep the drama to zero and to stay on my feet at all times while walking. 

Quick Check-up

June 20, 2013

Had an appointment with Dr. Y and everything still looks good.
Heart-rate is excellent and measurements are right on track. 

Father's Day

June 16th, 2013

As we are expecting this Father's Day I wanted to do a little something fun for Paul before he had to go to work for the remainder of the day so I put together a Daddy Diaper Changing Kit. 

Kit includes: gloves, mask, goggles and tongs because those diapers are messy and stinky. A diaper, wipes, butt paste, binky and a towel for the actual diaper changing. Daddy-proof onsie (which labels what body part goes in each hole) for the adorable Hutchkin to wear once the process has been completed. A tool box, what else would any proper man keep his diaper changing kit in. 

The Last Peek

June 15, 2013

The day before Father's Day we went in for our last peek at the little one before its arrival, which made me a bit sad. We got to see and hear the heartbeat and the Hutchkin did quite a bit of hand waving at times making it hard to get clear photos. This little one really likes doing the back stroke and having its hands up near its face. 

Profile & Heartbeat 

3D images of the face and a hand

See you soon little one. 

Tapping the Veins

May 24, 2013

After drinking the gross orange liquid for my glucose tolerance test I started feeling nauseous pretty immediately. I worried that this meant I was not tolerating it and would not pass the test as last time I did not feel sick at all. I waited about 30 minutes and then headed over to the lab to get my blood drawn, so thankful that Dr. Y doesn't make you drink it at the lab and then sit around for a whole hour. Got to the lab and had my blood drawn for the testing to take place. 

Results:

WBC's - 9.7 -  normal range 4.0-11.0

RBC - 4.17 - normal range 4.20-5.40

HGB - 12.1 - normal range 12.0-16.0

HCT - 37.0 - normal range 37.0-47.0

MCV - 88.7 -  normal range 81.0-99.0

MCH - 29.0 -  normal range 27.0-35.0

MCHC - 32.7 - normal range 32.0-37.0

RDW - 14.1-  normal range 11.5-14.5

Platelets - 209 - normal range 130-400

1 hour glucose test - 100 - normal range 70-130

My blood sugar is looking great! 

No 3 hour test for me!

I PASSED!!! 

Kick Puncher

May 17, 2013

Exciting News:

Paul got to feel the baby moving!

"I got to feel baby trying to kick or punch its way out for the first time tonight. A little more muscle and we may have an "Alien" situation on our hands here."

Check-up

May 17th, 2013

23 weeks 5 days and time for a check-up appointment with Dr. Y, I had my weight, BP, pulse and temperature all checked. Then Dr. Y measured my uterine growth and checked the baby's heart-rate. Everything checked out good and in normal range. Then he gave me the gross glucose drink as in the next week or so I need to come in for that testing.