So since my last post so much happened! Without a doubt, this pregnancy has been the most unpredictable. I couldn't have imagined the complications that came with this pregnancy. There is no doubt I would have gotten through everything without my amazing support system.
28 week check up - I took my glucose test to see if I had gestation diabetes. I failed the first test so I had to go back and take the dreadful 3 hour test. I ended up failing that test. I had to take a gestation diabetes education class. I was really accepting of the diagnosis. I think if I had gotten this when I was pregnant with Amelia, I wouldn't have handled it very well. I experienced a lot of anxiety when I was pregnant with Amelia and long afterwards that I tried to keep a healthy expectation this time. In the education class, I learned that gestation diabetes was no fault of my own. My body just didn't produce enough insulin. In the breakdown of my diet, I was still able to eat everything I was eating, obviously in moderation but also to snack in between meals so my sugars wouldn't drop too low. I will proudly say that I was successful, for the most part, at keeping my readings within the ideal range. I definitely allowed myself the occasional splurge, but I didn't crave too many sweets.
At this same check up, I discussed with my doctor some cramping I was experiencing. My doctor felt like it was too soon to be experiencing those so she ordered an ultrasound for my next appointment to measure the length of my cervix.
30 week check up - When I went in for my ultrasound, I could tell something was up when the mood of my ultrasound technician changed mid scan. I saw my doctor right after my ultrasound and when she saw the results, immediately had concern. The ultrasound showed that my cervix had shortened, showing that I was in preterm labor. With that, she decided to check to see if I had dilated any and what do you know! I was dilated 3cm and already 70% effaced. She admitted me into labor and delivery. This is where I spent the next 3 1/2 weeks.
34 weeks - I got released from the hospital! I was able to continue my bed rest at home. I made it into the safe zone but was not in the clear quite yet. I needed to make it at least another week so that baby would be bigger and healthier. From here, I had weekly check ups with my doctor.
36 week check up - At this point. I really couldn't believe that I was still pregnant! My doctor and I just thought for sure that the baby would be here by now. When my doctor checked me, I had made no progress! I was a little bummed because I had been working on trying to coax him out. We went on nightly walks, I ate lots of spicy foods. It felt like now that he was free to come, he decided he was comfortable!
37 week check up - By this time I had come to terms of letting go of the anxiety of wanting him out. I was still going on nightly walks. I had no idea when this baby would come. Every pain I would get would send my brain into overdrive thinking "this could be it!" Eric asked me every single day, "is today the day?" Some days, I really felt could be the day, but would end up being like every other day. At my appointment, I learned that I had progressed just a tiny bit more to 4cm and 90% effaced. Even still, I felt that I'd probably make it to 40 weeks like some kind of sick joke.
The night of my appointment, I was cooking chicken parm for the family. I had a contraction that was long and intense. I wasn't sure if this was it, but I knew I had to be prepared. Our bags were packed and we had a plan in place in the event that we were home or if it was during work hours. I went to take a shower and had Eric finish up dinner but per usual, nothing came of it.
That night I had a great night sleep. Something that I desperately needed. I was previously getting up several times a night to use the bathroom. The following morning, I woke up with a stomach ache around 7am. I remember questioning if I was in labor. I even google "contractions vs constipation." I went to lay back down and told Eric that I was feeling weird. Eric and the kids were up getting ready for their day. Benson got on the bus and then at 7:22am I had my first sharp contraction. I still wasn't sure if this was it. 3 minutes later I had another contraction and knew for sure that this was it! I hopped in the shower and told Eric to get ready. We knew we had a small window of time to make it to the hospital (at least that's what we kept getting warned). I didn't want to chance taking Amelia to school and then heading to the hospital so I woke up my brother Duke (he lives with us) to get her to school on time. Eric and I were out the door by 7:40am. We ended up getting stuck behind 2 buses and the normal morning traffic. My contractions were a steady 3 minutes a part, just how they were when they started. Eric likes to describe the whole car ride as one big contraction. I had phoned my doctor to let her know I was on the way. Once we pulled into the drop off area at 7:56am, Eric rushed inside to get a wheelchair. And of course they didn't have any available. I made it through a contraction and then headed inside to wait in the lobby. By my next contraction, I had the urge to PUSH! I remember my legs trembling from trying to breath through my contraction and to hold off on pushing. That is something that is incredibly hard to do. I was yelling that I had to push and that put the gears in motion. A nurse came rushing through the double doors with a wheelchair at the same time paging my doctor to meet us in the lobby. She got me into the wheelchair and pushed me to the hallway, telling me that she at least wanted to get me out of the lobby. By this point, we were so close to the room they just pushed me straight there. When we got to the room, nothing was prepped for delivery. The doctor got the tray ready as the nurse got me on the bed. Mind you, I was still going through contractions and trying not to push. He was literally ready to come out. Once I was on the bed, the doctor quickly put on gloves and with one quick push, he was here at 8:02am.
40 minutes total, start to finish. If that isn't a record...
Lincoln David 9/2/2016 8:02am, weighing a tiny 6lbs 4oz.
The very first night with Lincoln was so hard! He had spent the whole day sleeping. He spent the whole night cluster feeding. Literally all night. This was something I had never experienced with my breastfeeding journey with Amelia. We thankfully were able to get released the next day and I can happily report that my milk has finally come in and we are on a feeding schedule.
Now that we've had him for a whole week, we are finding routine in our lives again. Eric and I are still learning to balance time between all our children to meet their needs, something I'm sure will be a life long journey. The kids absolutely adore him and ask to hold him all the time. Amelia has been battling a cold so it's been a little rough for her since she doesn't quite understand how dangerous her germs are right now.
We're still getting to know him and it's hard not to hold him all day long. He is such a sweet baby and we love him so much. He completes our family!
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