Matt and I have FINALLY settled on some names.
At least I thought we had until this morning in the car when he said, "What about [insert name here]" and I said, "Oh no you don't."
Well anyway, we have 2 sets each of boy and girl names. Hopefully whichever it is (boy or girl), one of the 2 sets will fit the bill.
Anyway I'm particularly jazzed about a couple of them. It's so nice to have that big step out of the way! Okay, baby...you can come out now!
Oh yes, and remind me to give you my account of a delightful 7 HOURS spent at the hospital yesterday, after a 30-minute non-stress test turned into a marathon event (the baby's heart decelerated a few times during the first test, so the doctor [not mine] recommended 2 more hours of continuous monitoring, which then turned into 4). Everything's fine, except that I hate hospitals now.
It's kind of a funny story...though it wasn't to me, at the time. It got a lot funnier after I had dinner. (I hadn't had lunch. "NO I DO NOT WANT ANY ICE CHIPS, I want a piece of pizza. Or a big steak burrito. Oh, just leave me alone.")
I've set an artificial deadline for myself by scheduling an induction for Thursday morning...I did this for a number of mostly personal reasons, all of which are very good ones, despite my pregnancy-long goal to go epidural-free, which I'm told gets exponentially harder when you kick-start Nature, so I just may chicken out and hold out a few more days.
Also because after spending an extended amount of time on a fetal monitor yesterday, I am Very Wary to try that again. Being new to this whole thing, I didn't realize how much worse a contraction feels when you have that horrible thing pressing down on you. And having had some major stop-what-I'm-doing, prop-against-the-wall-and-moan, lean-on-a-chair-and-dance-around, hands-and-knees-on-the-floor contractions today (not frequent or consistent enough to go back to the hospital though--yet) I can only imagine what those will feel like attached to 2 heavy plastic disks and 2 itchy velcro straps and 2 gooey globs of sticky, icky gel. Can't they possibly invent something less hideous to do the job? Like maybe, stocks (the medieval kind)?
"We're doing this at home next time," I announced to Matt yesterday as the baby once more kicked its strong little feet right into the contraction monitor AS I was going through a nice fat contraction AS I lay propped half-naked on a tarplike sheet on a hospital bed. (killer combo) He encouraged me to wait until I was feeling more rational to make that decision. Rational, who needs rational? Want to try this out and see how you like it?
My doctor assured me today that even with pitocin and attached to the monitor I can, in fact, walk around. Thanks for telling me that yesterday, Nurse Ratched. You and your ice chips...actually she was really nice. Although she did tell me I had to stay on that hideous bed, or maybe I just assumed I did.
At any rate the day ended with me (with Matt's encouragement) just detaching myself from the monitor and getting dressed, to the amusement of some of the nurses (and the chagrin of others). At least that got them to send for a doctor, who told me that I was free and clear and the baby was fine and I could go home--as I knew she would. I was watching the strip--the baby's heartbeat looked just dandy to me. So home we went, by way of Chipotle, naturally. Man, I was hungry.
So anyway we might have some news Thursday, or maybe not until Tuesday (the "real" deadline), depending on what my gut tells me.
Or on what The Baby decides to do...or not do.
I just hope that if these contractions keep me from sleeping tonight, they're doing something useful.
Thanks for listening!
10 comments:
I second Sarah's statement about pitocin induced contractions. The pain of the contractions doesn't build up as slowly. It goes from minimal pain to maximum pain pretty quickly...
I know you want to go through the labor unmedicated, but may I just tout the wonderful, pain-free (or at least minimal pain) of the labor WITH the epidural.
I will always say that my 2nd delivery was the best. I was able to get the epidural before the contractions got painful. What bliss.
I was going to try the 1st time meds-free, but after talking to my mom on the phone while in labor, she advised me to get the epidural.
Good luck with your labor medicated or unmedicated! We can't wait to hear that the baby is here and learn what his/her name is!
I love that I'm blogging right now. In about 2 minutes I'll throw myself over the couch and hee-hee-heeewwwww until another contraction is over. But Matt went to run an errand so between contractions I'm sitting at my computer to keep entertained.
I have to say that during almost every contraction, I say to myself, "This is it--I'm doing the drugs, I Don't Even Care Anymore." (I'm more likely to say this if Matt is not nearby to rub my back.) Then once it's over I'm fine. Fortunately at this point I still have a few minutes in between to rest and gear up for the next one.
It's so weird and amazing, the contractions I've had today and yesterday have been completely predictable, every 10 minutes for about 2 minutes and they take my breath away every time. I guess I'm not THAT impressed, because you can only go so long with a gigantic contraction every 10 minutes and still feel sane. Especially knowing that it's not going to get any easier.
Maybe I'll go to the hospital today or tonight. It's been about 12 hours of VERY intense contracting (with lovely back pain to go with it) every 10 minutes--except for a couple of hours early this morning when they conveniently spaced out to 15-20 minutes as I tried to sleep--but they haven't gotten any closer together...yet. I'm waiting for my doctor to call me back...at any rate I've decided to push off induction until next week and am thinking I might not need it anyway.
And that, my friends, is the update. Don't you love it...real time.
I have to say I'm impressed! Hopefully the baby will come soon. I've had pitocin both times. it hurts, but the baby sure does get here a lot faster, best of luck! we can't wait.
yee haw - how very exciting.
good luck - and believe it or not - it won't last forever.
You can do it drug-free!! Have your husband hold your knees and push against them hard during contractions for counter-pressure. It really helps. You'll be awesome. My advice--DO NOT let the nurses talk you into narcotics (i.e. Stadol.) They are are worst. You will be great!
Hey, Eliza! I've totally been monitoring your blog on and off and I'm so excited for you! This entry is completely hilarious, I'm dying! My husband and I are going to start trying for our first later this year... Your experience is totally an awesome introduction.
I want to do a natural childbirth too, but we'll see. Good luck with that. I also think it's awesome that you're not finding out the sex... I don't think we're going to either!
stop-what-I'm-doing, prop-against-the-wall-and-moan, lean-on-a-chair-and-dance-around, hands-and-knees-on-the-floor contractions
Oh lord... Can't wait!
xo Melissa!
You'll do great with or without meds. However, let me say that worse than back labor, pitocin-induced contractions are a faulty epidural that only numbs one side of your body.
I hear that NEVER happens.
I like to be different.
I must say that the best feeling I've ever had is having a baby all naturel. I think that every woman should try it once if possible. However, that said, I would never do it again. Pain makes me feel out of control and I hate to feel out of control, especially concerning my body. I think that I only got through with Aspen without drugs because she came so fast (an hour and a half). I love the epidural and the planned induction. I love being in control of at least part of the whole process.
I am very excited for you and hope that you get what your heart desires. We're waiting on tenterhooks to hear the news!!
I heard the news and saw the picture! Congratulations!
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