HELLO ALL!!!

WOW I miss this board... it was once my go to board... just automatic.

Now I have to get used to the parenting board.. I should get around to posting a hello post!!

ANYWAY just wanted to pop on to say hi and post some of my Birth Story. I need to try to post pics too....

I went in Wed for a scheduled C section. I had 3 epi's and they didn't take. My right side wasn't going numb... and my entire stomach wasn't numb at all. they started "test" poking and scratching on me... and I yelled "I CAN FEEL THAT!!" They upped the epi a few times... but I could feel it all.
They couldn't believe it. So they tried to trick me and poke me with their hand then poke with something sharp... I was able to distinguish the difference and describe location, etc. i have found scratches and cuts on me where they were "testing" to see what I could feel.

So the only option left was to put me out to sleep. Which meant DH wasn't allowed in the room at all.

Kassidy Delilah was born at 1:13pm at 7lbs 15oz and 19 inches long. It took me about 6+ hours to be able to see her for the first time. DH got to see her for a few minutes before they took her to the NICU for sugar and jaundis testing due to the GD.

She failed her first sugar test so she was given formula. She passed the rest of the sugar tests and the jaundis test and was kicked out of the NICU in no time and sent to the nursery.

While in recovery.. which I don't really remember too well... DH showed me a video he took of the time he had with her. He only had about a minute... but he did get to see her when she was only minutes old.

By the time they wheeled me to my room she was in the nursery... so my first glimmer of her was being wheeled passed her in the nursery as someone pointed her out to me.

As soon as I got to my UNEXPECTED PRIVATE room in LIJ they brought her in to see me. She was gorgeous and sooo sweet and even smiled! We have a little video of it!! Ahh soo in love!! She's a nice mix of me and DH which is even more touching to me!!

LIJ was GREAT!! The staff was SO SO SO nice. They really were. I only had very few things that I didn't care for. 1.. they came into the room ALL THE TIME!! I literally had NO SLEEP while at the hospital and so I couldn't wait to get home. They came in at all times of the night, morning, day, evening...etc. I'd have one person in the room doing something or talking to me about something while another was knocking at the door for something else. By Friday it really was getting on my nerves and by Sat morning I was losing my mind. It was hard to be annoyed though, because they all were so nice. My other issue with LIJ... and this might seem an odd one.. but the chairs in the room. They were SO LOW and when you have a patient with a C section... to sit on a low chair was seriously painful and somewhat impossible. I had to put pillows on the chairs just to sit and even then I couldn't stay there long. So most of the time was spent in the bed... which was uncomfortable for me as well.

I think I must have some sort of resistance to medication. I had 3 epi's that didn't have any effect on me... followed by 6 bags of morphine in my IV and didn't feel ANY of that either. I was def in a lot of pain... ended up taking percoset... which finally worked a little bit... just made the pain more bearable really.

I got up the first night to walk to the bathroom (I only got into my room at around 6 or 7 pm... so I guess I got up around 11 pm or so???) to get cleaned up.
The next day i got up again and made sure I walked around a bit. It really hurt to get up and the first minute was the worst... but the more I walked around the better i felt. I made sure to walk around as often as I could. It really was the best thing... even if it hurts a ton at first... it's necessary. SO SO SO glad I did that. I'm feeling better with each passing day.
I lost my voice for a few days due to the tube in the throat.

BFing Issues: This might really help some of the mom's planning to BF....
Kassidy lost quite a bit of weight while in the hospital. she was bordering on too much weight loss. she lost a total of 14 oz. I was BFing with Colostrum (beginner milk - like a thick sticky sort of substance) and it just wasn't enough for her. By Fri night and Sat she was literally starving and crying constantly. She couldn't sleep for very long.. no longer than about 20 minutes bc she was so hungry. My boobs were so so so so so sore because she would feed for 80 straight minutes, sleep 20 then feed for another 60, etc. This went on all night long, followed by all day. Once I figured out what the problem was... we decided to BF first then follow up with some formula. WOW what a difference that made. She was instantly back to normal again and I was soo happy. I was literally crying and upset and just beside myself. I didn't know what to do anymore or how i could continue. The first 2 days of BFing didn't hurt AT ALL... but then as the next 2 days passed it got progressively more painful as she was needing more than just the Colostrum I had.
Great plan for the time frame when you are waiting for your milk to come in. I know they say "nipple confusion" and all... but that has not happened at all. I did make sure that DH gave her the bottles and I did the BFing so she knows exactly what she gets from me and never looks for a bottle with me. When I hold her and she's hungry... she goes after my boobs. Late Sat night into Sun my milk came in... Now I BF and Pump just for nip saving reasons. it's working out much better!!! I ended up getting the Medela Style Bag pump (I bought at the hospital from the lactation nurse... BEST THING EVER... so glad I bought and didn't end up renting). Now I BF then she usually follows up with a bottle of pumped milk. I was going to rent the pump...then buy later on... but i knew i was dedicated to this and the only way I would be able to continue was if I could pump as well.

What else can i ramble on and on about??? sorry.. since I haven't been on in a long time.. I had a lot to say.

I will try to edit to post some pics.

Well hope you all had a great 4th of July. Good Luck with all your pregnancies!! I will be stalking the boards to see what ya'll are up to!!! It's so strange to not be really a part of the pregnancy board after having been here for SO LONG it seems!!!!

Re: HELLO ALL!!!

Congrats again Kerri, and thanks for sharing your story! I am about your apparent resistance to pain medication. Good thing you really spoke up about that!

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Congratulations!!! Thanks for sharing your story!

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Congrats and thanks for sharing

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congrats on your baby girl!

Re: HELLO ALL!!!

Posted by Bearcat

Congrats again Kerri, and thanks for sharing your story! I am about your apparent resistance to pain medication. Good thing you really spoke up about that!

Re: HELLO ALL!!!

Congratulations!!! Thanks for all the bfing info!

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Congratulations!!! Thank you so much for sharing your story I can almost see your LO smile the first time from reading! That's amazing re your pain resistance and crazy they stuck and scratched you so many times.... Please drop by and say hello again

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I had the same issue with anesthesia with DS#2

I swore to them that I could feel everything and then they started testing..OW!

The anesthesiologist was freaking out since he was certain that he got it in, but didn't want to give me a second full dose...so i got bare minimum and the morphine after did not cut it either!

I told OB that I did not want that anesthesiologist for this one!


I'm glad your milk came in! Congratulations

Re: HELLO ALL!!!

Congrats! I can't wait to see pics!

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Congrats Kerri
What a story, glad you are all doing well and home. cant wait to see pics

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Congratulations! Thank you for sharing the BF info!

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Congrats!!! Thanks for sharing your birth story and BF story.

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Thank you for sharing Congrats!!! I love your baby girls name!

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Congrats and thanks for sharing! cant wait to see some photos.

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Many congratulations to you. Thank you so much for sharing so many of the details. Hope mommy and baby are doing well.

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cONGRATS KERRI!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Congrats Kerri!! So happy for you!!
Kassie is beautiful!
And what a crazy birth story! eek!

Re: HELLO ALL!!!

Congrats!!! Cant wait to see pictures!