Well, baby boy is here and healthy! He was born 1/13/20 at 11:20pm weighing 7lb 8oz and 21in long.
So I had my membranes stripped the same morning around 9:30am and contractions became pretty regular around 5pm. Luckily Adam got off work a little early. We had actually planned to feed a couple of my friends families in our neighborhood who also just had babies. Our kids just got diagnosed with the flu earlier that day so I didn't want to risk getting any sickness on their food especially with new babies in the house. So I had Adam pick up some Cafe Rio on the way home from work. I didn't tell Adam that I was in labor because I didn't want him to stress out on the drive home. I was actually getting kind of nervous because Damon and Jade were losing their minds at home since they didn't feel well and were hungry and tired and then I had half the hospital bag packed so I was scrambling. I brought Jade upstairs with me while I put some makeup on in anticipation for some birth story photos (didnt end up having a photographer this time- thanks again sick season!) and also to finish packing the hospital bag. Adam got home in the middle of that and I just yelled down to him that it was hospital time. My parents were in Mesa for a party with some friends from the YSA ward they were a part of so I was able to get them to come by fairly quickly and off we went to the hospital. We probably got to the hospital around 6:30. When they got us into triage around 7pm I was at a 4. Luckily Newman got to the hospital before I even left triage so I didn't have to worry about waiting for her. She had more than one of her patients deliver that night. The nurse that checked me actually stretched my cervix for me so that I could be admitted so I went up to a 6 after she checked me. She was able to get my IV in first try thankfully! I made sure to tell her to go ahead and order the epidural so that we were ahead of the game instead of kind of late like I was with Jade. So after the IV was in, they took us back to labor and delivery and it wasn't long before the anesthesiologist was there. I am going to guess it was around 8:30. I filled her in on my history of the epidural only working on (my left) half last time. So this time when she was putting it in, I wasn't contracting as intensely as I was with Jade so I felt like I was more nervous and mentally present which didn't help probably. But she got it in and it worked. It wasn't as smooth of an application though. She had it off to my right (which actually is the side I had trouble getting numb last time) and I kept getting shooting pains on my right upper leg and that freaked me out. Eventually they tried further the other direction and it went in a lot better without that leg pain. The leg pain was so weird but kind of a similar sensation to when you hit a funny bone only more intense. But I think a big part of me is scared of the epidural so my mind was going a little crazy not knowing what I was experiencing or if it was normal or ok. But I asked afterward and they reassured me that it was just the nerves reacting to it and they didn't seem concerned. So hopefully I don't have any side effects from it. My contractions kind of got irregular especially after the epidural, so they gave me a little pitocin to nudge it along. Apparently he was sunny side up as well which they gave me a peanut ball to sit with for awhile to see if that would help. He was born that way anyway, but safely. Right before it was time to push, I thought my epidural was wearing off because I could feel a little pain in my crotch and started feeling that "need to poop" sensation. I called the nurse in and they checked me and I was at a 10. I expected that they would check my cervix more than that before it was time to push. But it only took 2 pushes and he was here. Newman let me reach down and pull him out myself which I haven't done before. He was very vocal at first (compared to my other kids) and cried for a good while until he was warmed up. Nursing had come fairly smoothly. He is still working on his latch but definitely knows what he likes. He is sleeping like a typical newborn. Sleeps well and often with mom holding him, but wakes up often especially when he's in the bassinet. Mom is getting maybe 2 2-3hour stretches at night and then hes up every hour or less in between. We tried to have his circumcision done in the hospital but it didn't go as we hoped. When they did it, they stopped half way through because he has a condition called concealed hypospadias (google it). They had no way of knowing he even had the condition because it was covered with foreskin. Had we not tried to circumcise, he would have had UTI issues until he was inevitably diagnosed later. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise because he would have had to have it fixed and saved him from having those issues. So he still needs to be circumcised and on top of that needs to have the condition corrected. He has his first pediatrician appointment on Friday and his Urologist appointment on the 28th. I'm hoping that the pediatrician is familiar with this and can bring some light to the situation. The recovery and care for the "half circumcision" is the same as if he was fully circumcised except they instructed us to not move any of the skin around the penis and to just leave it and apply tons of vaseline to help with healing and keep his diapers clean. So we are about 1 day post circumcision and he is healing ok and everything seems to be going as smoothly as possible. He doesnt seem to be having issues having wet or soiled diapers so far. So that was kind of a stressful start to his life, but it will get settled soon.
After we were discharged from the hospital, we decided it was best that we do not bring Reid home and expose him to Damon and Jade while they have the flu so he and I are staying at my parents house and Adam is staying with Damon and Jade at home till the coast is clear. So hopefully Adam does not get the flu again and everyone gets past it quick. This is actually our 2nd time with the flu in our house this season. Damon was diagnosed with type A on the same day Reid was born. Jade was having similar symptoms so we assume they both have it. I honestly have no idea how they even caught it and it makes me so mad. We had maybe 2 weeks of a break from being sick between the last flu back in December. At that time, Damon got it first then it made it's way through everyone. Adam got diagnosed after the kids had already had it so they never had any medication for it except pain relievers. Adam and I got on Tamiflu and idk how much of a difference it made, but we got over it. So when Reid was born, we let the OB know that our kids have the flu back home and she felt so bad that she stripped my membranes. I don't blame her for anything. I think I would have gone into labor within a day or so of that anyway. It just nudged it along a bit. She prescribed Adam and I some Tamiflu to take as a presentative measure so hopefully that keeps Adam from catching it. I have not started taking it because I'm nervous for the side effects but I might before we head home. Whenever that is. It's been a bummer being separated from the rest of the family and I feel so bad for Damon and Jade that they just don't understand why mommy isn't home with them and why I left them. I got to see them outside of the hospital for a minute and I was just like holding back the tears. They seemed distant from me but also (especially Jade) were reaching at me. I wanted so badly to pull them out of the car and hold them and stay. My mom told me that while she was watching them while Reid was born (they stayed the night on night 1 while Adam and I were at the hospital), she told Damon that I was going to stay at grandma's house and Damon started crying. Damon has been such a daddy's boy that I didn't expect that type of reaction. Bittersweet feelings of course, but I just couldn't hold back the tears because of the mom guilt and feeling just down about not being home like I should. Jade has been acting out and grumpy (doesn't help being sick) and I wish I could be there to fix things for everyone. I just keep telling myself that it would be so much worse if Reid got the flu. Hopefully by the weekend or next week I can go home and things will go back to how they should be and we can be a normal family again. I'm grateful that I have family close enough that we have this option though. I don't know what we would have done.
Aside from all the stress of the circumcision and flu issues, things have been pretty good and I'm thankful for that. I have been healing well. I had a small episiotomy that is healing (but this isn't new for me). The after birth contractions have been BAD this time. I'm sure I'm just forgetting some, but it's as bad as labor pains and I can hardly talk or think through them especially while breastfeeding. It's kind of weird and sucky though because the cramps are on my abs, back, and also shoot down my right leg. That's the same leg that had pain while I was getting my epidural. It makes me kind of nervous. I'm hoping I don't have any lasting issues. I never got to go to the chiropractor prior to delivery so maybe an adjustment would help. After my bleeding has stopped I will try that out. I am ready for these pains to go away and never come back. I will keep updated with all the things going on. Hopefully it all resolves soon. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy these baby snuggles. Note to self: never have a baby during cold/flu season again. K, cool.
