Six Week Postpartum Check Up

Even though I had a nine pound baby come out of me, the thought of going to my six week post-partum check up freaked me out. I had asked a friend about it and she said, “Oh yeah, it’s a full pelvic exam. It’s not pleasant.” Maybe it was the thought of having that area prodded and poked again that made it uneasy. Maybe it was the thought that it would be painful and I wouldn’t have pain killers. I don’t know exactly, but it freaked. Me. Out.

First the nurse took my weight and although I knew I hadn’t lost all the baby weight, it was still depressing to see how much more weight I needed to lose. As a person who has never dieted, this is a new concept to me and I’m really not sure how I’m going to go back to my pre-baby weight. In another one of my delusions, I thought all the weight would be gone by now. After all, freakin’ 10 pounds of it was the baby!

The nurse asked me my baby’s name, birth date, gender, and his weight. “Oh, nine pounds four ounces,” she said when I told her. “Did you have a c-section?” “NO,” I replied. “Ooooh, wow, you go girl,” she said. She asked if I was having intercourse and I said, “Hell no.” Then she asked about birth control and I said, “Yeah, having a baby.”

He’s Here… and Kicking Our Butts

Hello, everyone! I’m blissfully rested after a 2-hour nap (wow, never thought I’d say that) and wanted to just quickly update everyone on our status.

We arrived home Thursday evening with our new bundle of joy/terror, Peyton. I was lucky to have an extremely kind OB who recommended that I stay an extra day in the hospital. She even wrangled with my insurance provider after they questioned it. The extra day really helped. I don’t think I could’ve recovered as well had I gone home after just 2 days.

Peyton was born on Monday at 8:37 pm at 9 lbs 4 oz (!!!!!!!) after a very long and hard labor. Boy, I sure had some delusions about pregnancy and I certainly did about labor. (I’m sure I have some about motherhood too.) Like my OB said to me afterwards, “Well, we didn’t do everything on your birth plan, but vaginal birth.” Apparently, I was an extremely good candidate for a fast labor given my physique (I have a typical “oriental” pelvis) and at one point, they thought it would be over just like that after I went from 4 cm to 7 cm dilated within 15 mins of breaking my water. But, alas, no one expected the baby to be THAT BIG. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours straight — hardly resting — and the OB ended up vacuuming him out with me giving a few heave hos.

Seriously…

So I went in for my non-stress test and to check the fluid… pretty routine, right? The hub was going to go back to work after the appointment and I was going to go home and do some work.

The dr (not my OB, but a specialist) checked the fluid on a sonogram and said it was normal, but on the lower end. Then he asked me if I had any contractions and if the baby had been moving. I said I had been getting the menstrual cramping pain since last night and I thought the baby had been moving fine. He pulled out the results from the non-stress test and said, “Well, it looks the baby’s heartbeat went down three times and as a precaution, you should go directly to labor and delivery.” “HUH?!” both the hub and I said. “Hahaha, yes, go get admitted and we’ll send over the paperwork. We don’t want to risk anything,” he told us. “But I’m being induced Monday,” I said. “Oh, well I guess it’s today! ” the dr said. He asked how far I was effaced and dilated and I told him. “Ah, you’re in good shape then!”

So the hub and I quickly walked to the hospital (which is right next to the dr’s office) and I was blubbering about all the things I had to do and whatnot. As we took the elevator up, we met another pregnant woman who was doing her labor breathing. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yeah, it’s not so bad,” she said. She told me she was also supposed to be induced on Monday but her water broke in the morning and the contractions started. She seemed remarkably calm. Then we all walked over to get registered and the staff were stunned that two pregnant women were being admitted at the same time. One of them asked, “Are you here together?”

Thirteenth OB Appointment

I arrived and many of the staff who already recognize me were like, “Oh, still?” The nurse took my blood pressure and she said it still wasn’t bad. Was weighed and had gained a pound.

The dr came in and said, “Nothing yet, huh!” We told her that we weren’t desperate enough yet to try the castor oil and Gatorade mix. “And the full moon didn’t work!” she said. She said my legs looked a little better. I told her I was drinking tons of water. She said my blood pressure was a little up but still within the healthy range, and everything seemed to appear normal. She told us that she had six deliveries on Saturday because of the thunderstorm!

She asked if I had noticed any changes and I told her there seemed to be an increase in the vaginal discharge. She said that’s probably still parts of the mucus plug and thinning of the cervix. I asked how I would know if it’s the amniotic fluid and she said that it can be a gush of water or constant trickles. Then I told her about the cramping I had felt this week and she said it’s a good sign my body’s getting ready.

Twelfth OB Appointment

I have postponed the inducement.

These past few days, I just felt really uneasy about it. In my mind, I have the same chances of a c-section if I am induced with Pitocin and if I end up having a “large baby.” I don’t think I’m a good candidate to be induced because I’m not even much more effaced or dilated. Why should I force my body and baby out when my body’s not ready? What really echoed in my head while reading about inducement was “fetal distress.” I just didn’t want to risk it.

I went to my acupuncturist first in the morning and he asked, “Why are you still here?” I replied, “You tell me!!!!” I have another appointment tomorrow and, frankly, am losing faith.

Then I had my OB appointment in the afternoon. The nurse was very sympathetic to my swollen ankles and kept saying, “Poor thing.” She even poked one leg a little — probably didn’t believe they were for real. I was weighed and gained four pounds, which the dr later told me was all water in my legs!!! I had another dr from the practice — who is much more laid back than mine (and I’m thinking of switching to later). I told her my concern with the inducement and she said she didn’t feel adverse to postponing it. I was measuring on track at 39 weeks and hadn’t effaced much more or dilated. The baby’s still doing well (heartbeat in 150s). I told her that I didn’t think waiting an extra week would make that much of a difference in the baby’s size and she agreed. She said I could come in for one more appointment and they may do a non-stress test. Then if I didn’t have the baby by then, they would induce me the week of the 23rd. I felt better about that.

Eleventh OB Appointment

Well, no significant changes. On Wednesday, I had the menstrual cramping pain and the baby was moving a lot at first. Then he stopped for 10-20 minutes and I got worried, so I called the nurse. She told me to rest, drink some water, and make sure the baby’s moving. She told me to call back in 30 mins. Not long after I hung up, the cramps went away and he was moving again.

I went to my acupuncturist this morning, who was disappointed that I hadn’t delivered yet. I told him I was 50% effaced and he said that’s good for a first-timer. I told him to get aggressive with the treatment because I am pretty sick of the pregnancy — I’ve had a really rough week with the belly being so big and leg swelling. He told me it normally takes two treatments, but I have high hopes for this weekend! (My next appointment is Tuesday.) He told me to walk around a lot and be active — sometimes that gets things going.

Then I had my OB appointment and the nurse said my blood pressure is still really good, which I understand is not the case for most women at this stage. I was weighed and had lost a pound, so I yelped, “Yay!” I was so worried I would have gained another three pounds.

Tenth OB Appointment

Well, this whole “you will not see any significant weight gain” is a bunch of bull! I got weighed yesterday at my weekly OB appointment and gained another three pounds! In one week! What. The. Heck! Gad, if I keep going like this for the next couple of weeks, I’ll weigh as much as the hub! Although all the new moms recently have reassured me that I will lose at least 20 pounds from the initial labor because much of it is water weight and the rest follows once I start breastfeeding, it’s still rather disheartening to know that when I walk, the rumbling is not some other fat person, but ME!

Earlier this week, the office manager at work asked me if my chair needed to be oiled because she heard it squeaking while I sat down. I’m pretty sure it’s my fat ass causing the squeaking! Poor chair is probably gonna crumble under my weight.

Anyway, the swelling is even more horrendous this week. I barely even fit into my ugly imitation Crocs. The ankles have turned into this fleshy mass and my feet look like swollen sausages. It’s so uncomfortable because the ankles feel tight and I can barely move. As the hub aptly put it: “You kinda just want to stick a needle and pop them.” I showed them to the OB and she said, “Oh, that’s not bad — I’ve seen worse.” Then she commented on what I thought was a bruise on my left leg. She said it was broken blood vessel. She asked me if I had been putting my legs up and I said only when I get home from work and after a few hours, they really go back to normal. But I can’t do this at work. She suggested I start working a limited schedule or take time off from work before the baby comes. I said I’d ask my boss… I just don’t want to use up too much time that I’ll need for maternity leave.

She measured the fundus (38 weeks) and took the baby’s heart beat (138 bpm). She checked the cervix and said, “No changes in dilation, but you’re 50% effaced, so that’s good. But looks like he’s still not ready to come out yet.” I told her I hope he comes soon and she agreed (looking at my belly), “I’m worried he’s going to run out of space.”

Ninth OB Appointment

Saw one of the doctors today who was much more laid back about my situation. I had my usual weigh-in and gained four pounds in the past two weeks. Which means that one pound is the baby and the rest is me! Aaaagh! Then the nurse took my blood pressure and said to me, “You’re all baby.” I said, “I hope so!” Well, maybe not since he might be big.

The dr measured the fundus and I’m measuring 37 weeks now, so just one week ahead, which is better. We heard his heartbeat and it was 151 bpm, so the little guy is still doing well. I asked her about the tingly/jolting sensation near my pelvis and she said it’s probably his head pressing down against my pubic bone, especially when he moves, which can be painful. Great.

Then she checked my cervix and said that I’m still a fingertip dilated, which is normal. She also said, “Yup, he’s definitely head down.” So I’m not sure if she felt his head? I asked about the contractions that I had and she said that wasn’t unusual in the third trimester either unless they were happening frequently. The hub asked if she thought I would go to 40 weeks and she said probably, maybe even 41.

Then I asked about his size and told her that the sonogram measured the baby at 6 lbs 9 oz. “Oooh,” she said, “We might have to induce you at 38-39 weeks. Otherwise, you’ll have a C-section. It’s hard to get the baby out if he’s too big.” 38 weeks! That’s just two weeks away! Good thing Monday’s a holiday, so I can get my crap together. The dr said we’ll know more at my appointment next week.

Good news though is that she gave me the green light to return to my prenatal fitness class. Yay!

Eighth OB Appointment

My OB/GYN has a new office now with new equipment. They used to have one of those old scales and in my recent appointments, I would avoid looking while the nurse adjusted the scale. But now they have an electronic one and my most recent weight flashed at me. My eyes definitely widened at the horrendous number.

I saw the nurse practitioner again (and, supposedly, for the last time). I had particularly bad swelling yesterday and with the contractions that I had last week, she was concerned. (My ankles are non-existent and I feel like I have elephant legs.) She asked me what activities I had been doing and I told her I had dropped the cardio kickboxing, but was still taking prenatal fitness and yoga classes. She thought those were okay, but suggested I keep off my feet once I got home and told me to get some support hose to wear at work since I can’t put my legs up there.

Then she measured my belly and said I was measuring two weeks ahead again and seemed concerned again. “I think it’s a good idea to get a sonogram done so we know how big the baby is. Your weight hasn’t changed since the last appointment though. I’m just concerned because we don’t want the baby to run out of room and you’ve consistently measured two weeks ahead, and we want to make sure your due date is accurate. The sonogram will measure his size in comparison to the due date,” she said. This revelation kinda freaked me out because I have been thinking this whole time that I have six weeks left and to think I have less is a little frightening.

Seventh OB Appointment

Again with the nurse practitioner. I think I’ve seen her more than any of the doctors. She’s very nice and all, but sometimes she doesn’t know the answer to my questions and has to “get back” to me. (She’s very young, probably in her mid-20s.)

When I arrived, another nurse took my weight (hate that) and asked if I had any swelling. I sighed, “Yes.” She said, “Don’t worry, it’s normal.”

I told the nurse practitioner about the contractions from last week, and she told me to time them next time and if they happen over a period of several hours, to call the office and they may get me in to be monitored. (She gave me handy pamphlet on pre-term labor.) She said sometimes dehydration can cause contractions. I have had some strange soreness and shooting pains in the pelvis area too this week, and she said those are probably related to my ligaments stretching or the weight of the baby.