Dawson's Birth Story

Dawson's due date was 8-27-12, we had a scheduled c-section on 8-20-12.

On Thursday, 8-9-12, while at work I noticed contractions.  Not painful, but noticed them.  They started in the afternoon, but I was too busy to really think about them or time them.  At 4pm I had an appointment with my OB/Gyn doctor for my 37 week routine appointment.  So I timed my contractions on the 50 minute trip to the appointment- they were between 6 and 9 minutes apart.  At the doctor's office they checked my cervix and I was dialated 2cm's and 50% effaced.  They hooked me up to monitors for a while and confirmed I was having light contractions abut 9 minutes apart.  They sent me home, and told me if I rest and they go away it is not labor.  If they continued it was labor.  We lined up help for during the night in case I had to go in.

Contractions continued until about 2am, I was able to sleep thru them a bit.  I went to work the next day, I was not prepared for leaving work for a couple months!  Around 9am the contactions started again.  They became more noticible but stayed about 9 minutes apart.  By 11 I knew I should be calling it a day, I was worried my water would break at work.  I went home, laid down and napped for an hour or more.  Woke and started timing them again, they were closer to 8 minutes apart.

At this point in time, I still didn't think this was the real deal.  They were not painful or really getting any closer together.

Chris lined up meeting my mom in Neillsville to drop off the boys to spend the weekend with her and my sister.  This was about 1.25 hours away, but closer to the hospital.  I went with, and we took our hospital bags along.  I timed contractions all the way there using this cool App on the IPod.  They were getting closer and closer.  As we approached our meeting place they began to hurt and I started to get a little worried and think that this was a stupid idea to be driving all over the place (and road construction all around).  I had to hide all this from the boys, who had no idea that we might be welcoming the baby really soon!

After the boys were safetly with Grandma, we headed to the hospital which was only 20 minutes away- whew!  I felt a little better.  We got there about 5pm, got checked in and waited an hour for the dr to check me out.  They confirmed that it was contractions on the monitor and baby was doing well.  I was at 3.5cm and 75% effaced, she said it was time to have the baby!  We were both sort of surprised that this was the real deal.

(It figured, that the one time I actually went into a nice labor on my OWN, I would have to have a c-section!  Oh well!)

By 7 I was in the OR, got the spinal, which I was in real pain and wanted ASAP.  Before delivering the baby they tied my tubes- everything aligned nicely to get this done- unlike the mirena/implanon fiasco!  In no time the doctor announced that the baby was going to be delivered and he was out!

The procedure went really well, it was my easiest c-section out of the 3.  They did have a small problem at the end... when they were counting tools and 1 was missing.  X-Ray had to come in and make sure it wasnt in me, thier first x-ray was of my chest- they had to come back and do the proper area.  This took an extra 45 minutes and I was starting to defrost- thank goodness it wasnt in me or else I would have needed to been knocked out for them to retrieve it.

Daddy was with the baby all this time, he was very content and perfect.  He was 6lb, 11 oz and 19" long  He was born at 37 weeks and 4 days.  We named him Dawson Donald.

Once I got back with baby (nearly 2 hours later), we attempting nursing which is never a breeze when you are still numb and have all sorts of stuff hooked up to you.  But it went OK.  While in the hospital Dawson did very well, he was very quiet, never cried and had to be woken to nurse.  We went home on the 14th.

New WI law!

New Wisconsin law protects breast-feeding mothers

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Jim Doyle has signed a law granting mothers in Wisconsin the right to breast-feed in public places.
Under the measure, anyone who interferes with a breast-feeding mother in any location she’s authorized to be would face up to $200 in fines. In those locations, no one can prevent a mother from breast-feeding or tell her to cover up her breast or move.
The bill is designed to protect women who breast-feed in malls, restaurants and other places from harassment.
More than 40 other states have passed similar laws as part of a push to make breast-feeding more socially acceptable. Health officials say breast-feeding improves the health of babies and mothers.
Doyle signed the law today.

How to Pump Handsfree.

This is sort of my public service announcement for pumping mom's. It changed my life, and chatting with other pumping mom's out there, I cant believe how many havent figured out how to pump hands free! So easy...

OK. Get a sports bra and cut holes in it. That way is super easy and requires no skill and little cost. Nuisince for pumping at work because you have to take the bra off and on.

2nd option, requires little skill. But a Medela Nursing bra. (not the sleep ones) All the medela bras I bought have these tabs in them. They are between the two layers of fabric on both cups. one on each side of the breast. Hook rubber bands to them, (I like hair ties, because they stay put, dont itch, and can be left on for washings!) and use the rubber bands to hold it up.

3rd option- use your imagination! Find a solution using what you have onhand to pump hands free. I sewed multiple tabs in one of my nursing bras so I can pump standing up getting ready for work in the morning. (yeah, changes how you look at pumping!)

Life becomes so much better when you arent sitting there holding the little bottles pumping. You can blog, ;), write, read, nurse one side while pumping the other, hold hands with a 2yo, the options are endless. Gets you darn closer to having pumping time be me time (but dont tell ur husbands!) I am still considering if I should figure out how to pump and drive......

Now I am waiting for someone to invent a way to pump and go on with your normal life- like 100% discreetly pumping in public.

pumping time is me time?

WTF? this is "dad's" thought, that my pumping time is me time. LOL. Serisously. LMAO sort of LOL!

breastfeeding parker

Parker is such a gentle latcher, he opens and closes his mouth waiting for the nipple- he looks like Pac-man so that is what I call him while we are feeding.

He has been having some gas issues I think. I've done some research, since I dont accept the thought that is what I eat. (do your research, that is rarely or if ever the issue) Problems rarely occur from foods like onions, garlic, or spicy stuff. If it is a food problem it is most often from dairy products. Anyway... I have been wondering about an oversupply of milk/ forceful letdown. Poor little pacman sounds like he is drowning gulping down milk. I leak like crazy. This is all the worst at night when he sleeps well and have lots of milk. I found this information from LaLeche League, imo the best place to go for breastfeeding advice. http://www.llli.org/FAQ/oversupply.html I have noticed that while side laying he nurses the best and is far less gassy, and the milk spills out the side of his mouth. Excellent excuse to side lay while nursing! ;) I'll report back in a week or so and see if we have some results and can decrease my milk supply.

Recommendations: sling for nursing

Can anyone please give me opinions on nursing slings/carriers? Ones that work, ones that don't work. I'd greatly appreciate it! THANKS!

I like this so much!

that I am posting a link to a ~friends~ blog:

http://logicalmommy.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-make-breastfeeding-difficult.html

thanks for sharing molly!

We have Weaned!

I am so proud of B and I! We both did a fabulous job with the nursing thing, and we weaned as easily and perfectly as you can imagine. I dont think B has even noticed, and my bbs havent noticed either.

My boys left for the weekend to go to his parents so I could have scrapcamp. We havent nursed since thursday (and we had only been nursing 1 time a day for the last 2 months... if even taht somedays).

Everyone should Breastfeed

I heard a report on NPR this morning that trace amounts of melamine has been found in US formula. The FDA is saying that levels are extremely low, and it doesnt cause any concern.

I like to be open minded, I aim to be open minded. But lately I find that I judge people who say No to breastfeeding. I am not talking about years ago. I am talking about today, with what we hear about plastics, and formula, and dishsoap. The information is readily available to us to research and learn why breastmilk is the obvious choice.

It would be so great to change everyone's viewpoint on breastfeeding. Let's have that be the norm, and the use of formula should be rare. It is such the perfect food for infants, and there is no worry about the plastics or the dishsoaps used either. Nursing in public needs to be better accepted too. Come on! We have the most perfect food available to us right now for free, we shouldnt be embarassed about needing to nurse in public.

Seems like I am becoming kind of crunchy lately. I'm loving the cloth diapers, and last night I picked up some new laundry detergent that is much easier on our world (7th generation is the brand). When I think about some of this stuff, the answer seems to be so obvious that it leaves me wondering why I never did it that way before. BTW, I am looking for a new deoderant, anyone with a suggestion? I have been getting rashes from my Secret antiperspirant and want to go with something more natural.

biting

wow, did that hurt! for the first time Brady bit me while nursing. I think we did the right thing, but I am nervous for our next nursing.

So here is what happened- he bit me, I pulled away and said firmly (and painfully) "Brady no, biting hurts mommy". He cried really, really hard. (made my heart sad, this was the first time I have had to discipline my little boy) I hugged him, then quit the nursing and gave him to dad. About an hour later we nursed again, and all was fine. Let's hope this remains a rare thing, because those sharp toothers HURT!

Back to my rocking chair/recliner obsession. ;-) I have started a rocking chair fund envelope in my closet. Any extra $$$ I stumble upon it goes in there. There is now $10.40 in it. I called in to cancel the gap insurance for paying off my car.... so I get the $10.40. Now....... I made the effort to pay off the car over a year early, shouldnt that money that we saved go into my rocking chair fund? I have decided I want the smaller one that I showed in a photo below. It really does fit ME better then the big comfy cushy one that fits Chris better.

I took the leap!

well, was forced to anyway. I have been working on cutting out my ~pump at work on my lunch~ session. Brady really only drinks about 8oz of milk while I am work- so once my freezer stash is gone, he will get formula. Today I had to cover work alone, so I could not take a private lunch. This day was going to happen within a week or so, but the decision was made for me today.

I do feel like I am missing that part of Brady at work, but then kind of happy to have mobility while I am on lunch.

Not sure when we will wean any further. With him still waking once a night or more (like lately while teething!) nursing is SO easy. And I love our special snuggle time when we sing lullibyes and relax at the end of the day. We are not ready to give those times up just yet.

moo

I completely feel like a cow. I have mastitis. Ouch!!!!! Really, ouch! It came on fast, and hurts incredibly bad. Yes, I know I am a ninny with a low tolerance to pain, but this really hurts. I started an antibiotic yesterday, dr. said it would get worse before it gets better and it did. But now I think things are better (or the pain pills are just taking effect). I had to take yesterday and today off work to empty my breast every 1-2 hours during the day and every 2-3 hours at night. (another reason I feel like a cow)

Dr. thinks it is just a odd thing- it usually happens in the early days of bf'ing when there are sores to allow bacteria in. It's been 7 months, and this hasnt happened yet. Hope it never happens again too! It seriously hurts bad!