Mother's Day 2011

Yes, this post is about LAST year!
(Just wanted to be clear that this photo is NOT current .... because then I'd have to get a psych eval or something!)

On this Friday before Mother's Day, I think about last year (2011), on the Friday before Mother's Day.  It was that day that I peed on this stick and we found out about our little Baby Wynne!

So while this is my "first" Mother's Day, last year was pretty special too!

Some final pregnancy thoughts ...

Before I gush on and on about how Eli is the cutest, smartest, best baby, I thought I should share a few final things about pregnancy that I never got to post!

I really thought I would have at least a week or two between finishing work and having a baby.  Instead I had one day.  Yes, ONE DAY!  It was one glorious day of "break" between being a (more than) full-time college professor and being a full-time mom. 

On that ONE DAY break, Ryan and I blew off cleaning and organizing and getting ready for Baby Wynne.  Instead, we went to see 2 movies (Mission Impossible and Twilight (both seemed appropriate for a pre-labor date night!)), did some shopping (mainly for Baby Wynne), went out for lunch and dinner and just enjoyed the day!  At the time, it seemed frivolous and silly (because we had lots to do around the house), but now I am happy we did it.  The next morning, was my 37-week dr appt and the start of Eli's arrival!  It's almost like Ryan and I subconsciously knew we should enjoy the last kid-free day of our lives!

Since I thought I would have two weeks or so of freedom, there were a few things I hadn't posted yet that I planned to.  So here are my final thoughts on pregnancy (until the next one??):

Guess the sex of Baby Wynne:
I was hoping to have everyone guess the sex of Baby Wynne.  All throughout the pregnancy, everyone tried to guess.  It drove people crazy that we weren't finding out the sex of Baby Wynne.  I was going to go through all the old wives' tales about guessing the sex of the baby.  You know, the needle over the belly, the Chinese calendar, peeing on Drano, weird food cravings, heart burn etc, etc.
Long story short -- It's a boy!  :)The "tests" were about 50/50 anyway ... though deep down I sort of always thought Baby Wynne was a boy.  Ryan thought Baby Wynne was a girl after week 20 and was shocked by a boy!

Guess the birthday:
I also had planned to get a "baby pool" together and have people guess Baby Wynne's birthday.  As the due date was January 11th, 2012, I highly doubt any one would have guessed December 24th, 2011!

Many, many, many THANKS!:
We didn't have a baby shower.  I know.  You think this is crazy.  But we were given a lot of baby stuff from our already-parents friends.  And Ryan and I got so many things on sale (like ridiculously on sale).  And the grandparents have been very generous too.  And ... despite not having an official baby shower ... so many of you gave Baby Wynne so much!!  Ryan and I were both also surprised by baby showers at work!  I meant to write a nice long post thanking everyone.  But now I think I will thank you each as Eli uses all the wonderful things you gave him!  Keep an eye out for photos of Eli using your gifts soon!

Being "artsy":
Near the end of the pregnancy (about 35 weeks?), Ryan and I got a little "artsy" taking photos.  Many of our friends had done professional photo shoots during their pregnancy. I love the amazing photos of the parents and their soon-to-be-babies!  But I also thought we should save our professional photo shoot for when the baby was actually here.  So, Ryan got a bit creative with our digital camera (which we love) and we walked along the path that is in our backyard and took a few "bump photos" outside of our green nursery!  Here are a few of my favorites:

Pregnancy = a pretty good time:
I can honestly say, I enjoyed being pregnant.  Sometimes, I even forgot that I was pregnant (even near the end!).  I was very, very lucky that everything went so well!
Sure, the first trimester hangover phase wasn't super fun, but it also wasn't that bad.  I hear what other ladies have gone through, and I didn't really have any issues.  Sure, I also had gestational diabetes (GD), but other than dealing with the excess appointments and the insurance company about it, it also wasn't that bad.  I didn't really even change my diet much.  I also didn't gain a huge amount of weight (6 lbs total! Woot!) and so I didn't experience those issues associated with weight-gain (achy joints, back aches, water retention, etc).  I was tired, but that surely had to do with my more-than-full-time job that I continued with at my highest possible level right up until the end.  And my lack of caffeine.  I missed beer and ibuprofen, but those were easy sacrifices. 
Overall, I felt great and I loved being so close to Baby Wynne.  Feeling him and protecting him and loving him.  It was definitely a lot easier carrying him and feeding him when he was in my womb than now when he's on his own!



And so, though we have no plans for it, I look forward to the next pregnancy ... and the next joy it will bring!

The Birth: Time to "C" Baby Wynne!

And so we found ourselves on the evening before Christmas, with a doctor that insisted that Baby Wynne be born soon and a Baby Wynne that was in no rush to arrive!

Logically, it made sense to agree to the C-section.  My doctor was not going to let me leave without delivering with my elevated blood pressure.  And it didn't seem that any amount of pitocin was really going to get a "natural" delivery going. 

To be honest, I was (and still am) disappointed that this was what I had to agree to.  I feel a bit cheated.  Like I missed out on the experience that I had been preparing for during the previous 8 months.  Like I missed out on this experience that so many of my woman friends and family members got to experience.  Now, most ladies I know that went through a natural, vaginal birth would probably laugh at this and tell me I was crazy.  I know that childbirth is pretty horrific ... but it was still something I had been anticipating experiencing.  And so, because I am trying to be honest here, I do feel a bit like I was cheated.

But, this was what we had to do for me and for Baby Wynne, so Ryan and I went into it with a positive attitude (as we try to do with everything!). 

We waited around a bit for the anesthesiologist, got suited up, and headed to the operating room.

I went off to the operating room first and the nurses prepared me for surgery.  This included a bit of shaving (NOTE: ladies, if you have a planned c-section, I urge you to do your own shaving at home or splurge on a waxing before you head to the hospital!), drinking some weird stuff that was supposed to neutralize my stomach acid and then getting ready for a spinal epidural. 

The epidural was the scariest part for me.  Even before we got to the hospital, I was nervous about an epidural (during vaginal birth or a c-section).  Everyone told me I would want one and that they make you feel great .. but the thought of a needle inserted into my spinal column scares the hell out of me.  Did you catch that??  A NEEDLE near my SPINE! 

Also, remember, I wasn't in pain.  My "contractions" felt like minor menstrual cramps, so I wasn't desperate for some pain relief, like many laboring mothers are.  Another reason that I was freaked out ... by a needle ... near my spine!

Yes, I realized that the anesthesiologist does this all the time.  It is routine.  It is no big deal.  It still scares me!!!  It was at this point that I started freaking out.  For the previous 30 hours, I barely shed a tear and was logical about everything.  But for the 10 minutes before the epidural and while it was happening, I was a wreck.  My doctor even commented on it and did her best to distract me!  She kept asking what the baby's name would be. 

The epidural wasn't so bad, though I had trouble breathing, which I think was more of me having a panic attack and not really a side effect of the drugs.  Within seconds, I was tingling and within a minute I could feel the drugs traveling through my body and making me numb.  They got me set-up on the table and then went to find Ryan!

During these few minutes, Ryan was waiting and came upon my favorite Christmas movie on TV: It's a Wonderful Life!  Surely, there could not be a more appropriate movie to be on during the birth of our child!  It truly is a wonderful life!!  :)

 

"I'm gonna need a great big one!"

Though still a bit freaked out about all the numbness, with Ryan by my side, I was very excited to meet Baby Wynne!  Surprisingly quickly, the doctor was lifting up a baby and announcing:

"It's Eli!"

He cried, I cried, Ryan cried ... and then Eli peed all over!  :)

Eli Hudson Wynne
December 24th, 2012, 8:28pm
7lbs 1oz, 19"

30 hours of ... "labor"?

Hooked up to the baby monitor!

 After we arrived at the hospital, they hooked Baby Wynne and I up to the monitor for a while.  They constantly checked my blood pressure and it was still slightly elevated.  Despite my hesitation, my doctor was set on having Baby Wynne arrive soon!

Even Daddy gets a wristband!

 At about 4pm, my doctor started the induction.  The start of an induced labor is a 12-hour treatment with cervidil, which is a prostaglandin which is supposed to ready the cervix and birth canal for birth.  So, they inserted this drug and then I had to wait 12 hours.  During this time, Ryan and I watched some TV, played some Yahtzee on his iPad, talked about the Disney trip we're going to take with Baby Wynne someday and just waited.  When I was allowed to (which wasn't often because of my high blood pressure), we walked around the maternity ward and took some photos near all the holiday decor!

 Around midnight, I sent Ryan home to get some sleep.  Now, some of you moms might disagree with me, but I thought Ryan going home to sleep was a good idea.  Nothing exciting was happening, the house is 3 minutes from the hospital, and I wasn't able to sleep very well (with the constant monitoring and the woman in the next room over screaming her way through labor), so I thought it would be a good idea if Ryan slept a bit!

The next morning, around 5am, the cervidil was removed and the doctor monitored Baby Wynne and me some more.  I had not progressed AT ALL!  No dilation, no effacement.  And Baby Wynne was still really high up, near my ribs.  Obviously, not ready to arrive yet!

But I was "contracting" a little.  At least, that is what they told me!  About every 3 or 4 minutes, I would get a sort of mild cramping.  I probably would have thought nothing of these contractions if I were at home.  There was a long debate about what to do next.  Another 12-hour round of cervidil or start the next drug (pitocin)?  Because I was contracting some, the doctor decided to give me the pitocin to see if we could increase the contractions and get the labor started.

Around 6am on Christmas Eve, the IV of pitocin was started.  At this point, I was basically stuck in bed because of the high blood pressure and so Ryan and my mom and sister-in-law Kelly hung out and tried to keep me company.  We watched football and talked about it being Christmas Eve!

I kept waiting for some crazy contractions.  But there was nothing.  I had contractions every 2-3 minutes.  They weren't very strong and I could still feel Baby Wynne kicking around near my rib cage.  It didn't seem that he was anxious to find his way out! 

At about 5pm, after more than 10 hours on pitocin, the doctor checked me again to see how far we were progressing.  You could tell the doctor was not excited as she reported my stats to the nurse.
Dilation?  "Maybe 1cm." (needs to be 10cm for delivery)
Effacement? "No." "Like 50%?" "No, like nothing.  Maybe 20%?" (needs to be 100% for delivery) 
Baby's position?  "+2" (needs to be -2 for delivery)

At this point, I knew my hope for a "natural" birth wasn't going to happen.  The doctor offered to put me on my pitocin if I wanted to keep trying.  I asked "Honestly, what are the odds of this progressing to childbirth?".  The doctor frankly told me "Not good.  We can do more pitocin, but it probably won't do anything and eventually you will end up with a c-section."

Ryan calmly asked the nurse and doctor to leave while we discussed what to do.  Honestly, I felt great and I could have "labored" for another 3 days!  But I understood that it wasn't going to happen.  I would just get pumped full of drugs, sit around in bed all day and Baby Wynne would still refuse to arrive!  And so, we arrived at a decision that scared me.  We were going to have Baby Wynne via c-section.

  

Off to the hospital ...

After the excitement at my 37 week dr appt, I was sent home for a while because there was no room at the inn labor and delivery ward at the hospital. 

We got home about 11:30am and I called the hospital and they told me to call back around 3pm (glad this wasn't really an emergency!!).  So Ryan and I made some calls (my family was about ready to leave WNY to come in for the Christmas weekend) and finished cleaning the house.  I sent Ry to the grocery store and made myself some lunch.  I repacked the hospital bags and waited.  Finally, the hospital called about 2:15pm and said we could come in. 

It was 19 days before the due date, but, at 2:45pm on Friday, December 23rd, we left for the hospital to have Baby Wynne!!

Flowers from my amazing husband!

One last "bump" photo as we left the house!

Ryan "frantically" driving me to the hospital!

3 minutes later, we arrive at the hospital to have Baby Wynne!

Dr appts Week 37

Obviously, Baby Wynne has arrived!

How did this happen?  It all started at my final doctor's appointment ....

Last week, I was finally done with work and Ryan and I had enjoyed one day off together!  Ryan then went with me to my now weekly doctor's appointment.

It was Friday, December 23rd and our plan was to go to the quick appointment and then do some grocery shopping, because my family was coming to visit for Christmas weekend and then Ryan's family was coming to visit!

We went to the OB, went into the office, got weighed, and got my blood pressure taken .... which is when the crazy began!

I had a high blood pressure reading, so the nurse called in the Physician's Assistance.  She basically pulled me off the examining table into a chair to test it again.  And then called in the Doctor, who got me back to the table to lie down and test my blood pressure again.  Obviously, this craze did so much to decrease my blood pressure!

Then the doctor and PA agree, I need to go across the street to hospital.  Ryan asks "Will they give her some medication?" and the PA says, "No, you're having a baby!"

WHAT?!?!?

Total shock. 

While I understand that high blood pressure (when I usually do not have high blood pressure) during pregnancy is a sign of preeclampsia (which is totally dangerous for mom and baby), I just couldn't comprehend what was happening!

"You're having a baby" was not at all what I expected to hear. 

And so .... they wanted to send us to the hospital ... but all the beds were full (why is this sounding more and more like a Nativity story?) ... so they sent us home for a bit ...

And that's how we found out Baby Wynne would be arriving soon!

MEASUREMENTS:
Mommy's Weight Gain: 0 lbs (6lbs total)

Cervix: Not dilated or effaced at all!

Baby's Heartrate: Did not check!

Baby's Estimated Weight: Did not check!

Christmas is coming!

We're really looking forward to Christmas and family coming to visit!  And we know all those family members would love if Baby Wynne made a Christmas appearance while they're in town!

We are full-term now (37 weeks) , so a delivery at anytime would be OK, but I think Ryan and I are hoping for an early January arrival!

(Thanks Aunt Kimmy for the adorable tree ornament!)

Baby Bump Week 36

My initial reaction when I saw this week's photos was: "Wow, am I really that big!?!"

I guess that is a good thing, because I don't feel totally huge (most of the time!). 

So here are the "normal clothes" and "black dress" photos. 

(click on the "bump" label on the right to see photos from week 20 on!  Crazy!)

Week 36 Baby Bump

Week 36 Baby Bump

Week 36 Baby Bump

Baby Wynne's 1st Christmas Card

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Dr appts Week 36

Two doctor appointments in one day.  Sigh.

The early morning appointment was with the perinataologist.  These are my favorite!  This is when we get to see Baby Wynne (of course, the whole point is to measure size, not have a photo shoot, but we enjoy the viewing much more than the measuring!).  Ryan was even able to come with me!

We watched Baby Wynne for a good 20 minutes while the tech took measurements and printed out some photos for us (the best ones are below).  Baby Wynne mostly slept during the ultrasound, despite being awake all morning up till that point.  As usual, he/she was a bit stubborn and faced away from us (toward my back) for most of our show, but then gave us a glimpse of the face near the end. 

The tech was able to get a lot of good measurements and let us guess an estimated weight.  At first, I said 20lbs (because I am feeling like poor Baby Wynne is squished in there!) and then I seriously guess 7lbs -- and was right on!  Based mainly on measurements of Baby Wynne's belly and head, the tech is pretty confident that she/he weighs 7lbs.  This is given with a +/- 1lb differential (meaning the baby could really weigh 6lbs or 8lbs), but the tech tried to convince us that she is usually right with her estimates.

So ... more than 3 weeks of growing left and Baby Wynne weighs 7lbs!!!

Based on these measurements, if Baby Wynne doesn't come on her/his own, it is likely we will be induced before the official due date (of January 11th).

On to the second appointment of the day, this time with my regular OB.  As always, it was busy and I waited for a while, then got shoved into a tiny little ultrasound room for the whole appointment.  They did the typical measurements (heartrate, blood pressure, my weight, etc) and then had to do a few other tests that are standard at 36 weeks.  They did an internal exam to swab for Group B Step bacteria (which will be treated with antibiotics if it comes back positive) and took some blood.  The also checked Baby Wynne's position (head down!) and my cervix (good times!).  The doctor also confirmed that it is unlikely they will let us go until the official due date since Baby Wynne is measuring so big right now. 

I will now be going weekly to the OB to get checked right up until Baby Wynne arrives!

MEASUREMENTS:
Mommy's Weight Gain: +2 lbs (6lbs total)

Cervix: Not dilate or effaced at all yet!

Baby's Heartrate: 165 bpm (in the morning) and 130bpm (in the afternoon)
Baby's Estimated Weight: 7lbs (82nd percentile)

More weird 4D ultrasounds ... but Baby Wynne is just so cute!  Week 36

Week 36, 4D cute little face

A more traditional ultrasounds shot of the left side of the face and some little hands!

Apparently Baby Wynne has a full head of hair!!

Little hiccups

Baby Wynne's new favorite activity -- hiccups! 

At least 3 times a day (sometimes more!), I feel Baby Wynne hiccuping like crazy! 

It happens at all times of day and night and can last for a few seconds or about 5 minutes!  So far today, Baby Wynne had hiccups at 4:45am, 11am, 3pm and 4:30pm. 

Cute.  But totally weird too.

My whole belly moves ... even Ryan could see it! ... and Baby Wynne usually starts shifting around, as if trying to get comfortable. 

There's not too much scientific information out there about fetal hiccups, but no one seems to be concerned about it.  Like in adults, it is a spasm of the diaphragm.  In unborn babies, some doctors think hiccuping is one way babies practice breathing and strengthen the muscle to do so. 

I have also read that there is a correlation between hiccups in the womb and newborns that hiccup!  So we'll have to see if Baby Wynne is a hiccuping little newborn!

Dr appt Week 35 -- virtual edition

Another email/phone call "appointment" with my GD dietitian. 

During this 2-week span, I have noticed that my glucose levels have gone up a bit.  Not much (still below the "threshold" most of the time), but consistently higher.  I haven't changed my diet at all, so I was slightly concerned. 

Now that we're getting so much further along, I have found sleeping to be a little more difficult.  I do go to the bathroom pretty often, but I also struggle falling asleep because it's just hard to get comfortable.  Also, with the last weeks of work, I am still up at 5:30am, regardless of how little sleep I get!

This reduction in sleep apparently may be one reason why my glucose levels went up.  Sleep = good!  :)

Also, I guess it's not uncommon for insulin resistance (which is what GD is) to increase as the pregnancy goes on.  We only have a month left, so the insulin resistance may continue to increase as the baby grows and I put on another couple pounds!

The dietitian was full of assurances that this is all normal and I shouldn't worry.  She suggested a bit more walking around and more sleep!  Nap time sounds great to me!  :)

Two more (real) doctor appointments this week ... and then at least one appointment a week until Baby Wynne arrives!  We're really getting close now! 

Just one month away ...

.. from Baby Wynne's due date!

So excited!!!!!!!!

Baby Bump Week 34

The weeks seem to be getting shorter as Baby Wynne is getting bigger!

Here are this week's baby bump pictures! 

As always, a "normal clothes" and some "black dress" photos!

Week 34 Baby Bump

Week 34 Baby Bump

Week 34 Baby Bump

Certified for Birth!

What's more fun than spending a Saturday at a Child Birth class at the hospital? 

As you probably know, Ryan and I have spent the vast majority of our life in school.  Collecting degrees and now helping others collect degrees.  So the debate for taking a birthing class came to an end when we found out we got an actual certificate (too bad Ryan's name isn't spelled correctly!)!

In addition to getting a new "diploma", we also learned a bit about the birthing process. 

Well, I do want to say that we knew a lot of the stuff already.  We've read a lot of pregnancy books.  Our friends have all had lots of babies.  And we're biologists, so we know a bit about the actual process of it, like the stages and the hormones involved, all the anatomy of it, how the drugs work, etc.  That part wasn't as helpful for us as it may have been for others, but there were some terms that we learned to describe things that we didn't know previously.  It's good to know the terms used by the nurses.

I think the most valuable portion of the class was the hospital tour and learning how things worked.  It made me feel a bit more comfortable for when we actually have to go there for "the big day".  I am not someone that feels comfortable at a hospital.  All of my hospital visits have been to see friends or family members that were very sick. Hospitals are "bad" places in my mind.  They make me anxious ... the smell ... the thought of germs ... yuck.

But our maternity ward is nice!  It smelled very clean!!  And it was bright and sunny.  Nice views of the river!  Our own private room (for delivery and recovery)!  Lots of nice nurses, everyone is friendly and helpful.  We found out where to check-in, where to park, what to do.  It made me (and Ryan) feel more prepared and less anxious.  Definitely worth taking the class!

On an interesting side note, we were one of two couples that took the Saturday class.  The other couple -- a woman with a PhD in physics and her husband who is finishing his PhD in physics at the University of Rochester.  She grew up in Ontario (not too far from Buffalo) and he grew up near Ryan's hometown in PA.  Seriously ridiculous.  It really is a small world!

Now that we're officially certified, I feel like we're ready for the birth of Baby Wynne.  Of course, I hope Baby Wynne waits at least 3 more weeks!!

Dr appt Week 34

Another (surprisingly quick) appointment with my normal OB.  I actually met with the doctor this time and not just the PA.  It was especially quiet at the office today, so she wasn't even as rush and frazzled as they usually are at my practice!

Just the same old stuff ... weight, urine, blood pressure, heartrate.  Nothing exciting -- which I am happy with!

Next appointments are in 2 weeks (yay!)!

MEASUREMENTS:
Mommy's Weight Gain: 0 lbs (4 lbs total)
Baby's Heartrate: 145 bpm

Baby Wynne will be here before we know it!

Just 6 weeks until Baby Wynne's due date!!



And it seems like just yesterday that I was peeing on a stick ....

Dr appt Week 33 -- virtual edition

As part of the GD, I am supposed to meet with a diabetes nurse and dietitian.  I met with the dietitian during my Week 31 appointment (for less than 10 minutes) and we agreed that there was no need for me to come in again as long as I emailed my weekly logs of diet and glucose readings (yay!). 

This morning I sent off the last 2 weeks of data to the dietitian and nurse for them to check over.

The reply:
"keep up the good work!"

I hope that all continues to go well with the GD over the last weeks of the pregnancy.

I also hope that my insurance company and I were not billed for this "appointment". 

If the uterus is rocking ...

I have never been pregnant before, so I am unsure how much babies move around, but let me tell you, Baby Wynne likes to dance. 

For the past 3 days, this kid has been dancing like crazy!  Which is funny, because all weekend I kept waiting for a dance party so my mother-in-law could feel the baby -- and Baby Wynne was very chill (maybe all the turkey tryptophan?).  But since Sunday, it has been non-stop dance party!  Like a 3-day rave or something!

Maybe this just happens at this time of the pregnancy (is 33-weeks the start of the dance party phase)?  Maybe because the baby is so big now and there's less room to move freely without bumping my abdomen walls or stomach or bladder? 

It doesn't hurt (though the bladder hits are fun times!), but I find it very distracting!  Mid-lecture on the nervous system today, I get a huge kick to the left side.  Then, while sitting at my desk talking to a student, a 15-minute freak-out.  It's just weird, because I am very distracted, but obviously the people around me have no idea what is going on.  I probably just have a weird look on my face as I lose my train of thought ...

Baby Wynne isn't even born yet, and I find myself thinking (and saying out loud at home) "Not now Baby Wynne, Mommy is busy!  Give her a minute to finish!".     

Dr appt Week 33

Another visit with the perinatalogist.  We go to this specialist to get ultrasound measurements of Baby Wynne to be sure that the Gestational Diabetes (GD) is not affecting growth (some GD babies get too big, which can cause problems). 

This is truthfully my favorite doctor to visit because we get to watch Baby Wynne on a big TV screen for 20-30 minutes while the ultrasound technician tries to get measurements of our stubborn baby (who doesn't like to turn at the correct angle for the majority of the measurements needed!). 

I was also happy that Ryan was able to make it to this appointment and enjoy the show.  The techs always love when Ryan is there to ask questions!  And Ryan kept asking for photos so this tech printed out so many for us! 

All is great with Baby Wynne!  Everything looked good and she/he is not too big yet.  The tech predicts that Baby Wynne will be a bit over 8lbs if she/he arrives full-term.  This is a bit larger than average, but totally what I expected given family history.  The doctor was happy with the measurements and with how I am managing my GD diet.  

We go back for another appointment during Week 36 (which may be the last with the specialist before Baby Wynne shows up!). 

MEASUREMENTS:
Baby's Heartrate: 150 bpm
Baby's Estimated Weight: 5lbs 4oz (60th percentile)

Side view ultrasound of Baby Wynne's face!  Week 33



Creepy 4D ultrasound of left eye and part of right hand (and umbilical cord?)



Creepy 4D ultrasound of left eye and part of right arm

Still a bit creepy, but cutest 4D sonogram of Baby Wynne, with cute left eye and cute little nose!