Scarlett's Birth Story

Soooo, I've been meaning to post this for a while now but what with dealing with a newborn I've been preoccupied with dirty diapers, feedings and cries for attention. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who have told me how much they've enjoyed my blog while I was pregnant. It's been great having an outlet to voice my observations, frustrations, complaints and happiness throughout. And the fact that people actually enjoy reading about them is just icing on the cake. So, thank you. I'm going to try my best to keep this blog up but now that I'm a mommy (see aforementioned dirty diapers, etc.) we'll see how that goes.  But I at least wanted to update you on how the best/most challenging day of my life went. And with that, I give you Scarlett's birth story.

For personal reasons that I won't get into, my goal had always been to have as natural a birth as possible. I had read that a lot of first time moms go past their due date and have to be induced which is something I wanted to try and avoid. But when you're approaching your 40th week of pregnancy and are in constant discomfort your temperament can get a bit testy.

Around 38 weeks I started researching ways to naturally induce labor.  Spicy foods? That just gave me heart burn. Walking? I walked about 3 miles a day to try and shake her loose. Sex? Um, no comment. But I had also read that some women swore by evening primrose oil. Apparently the herb can help thin the cervix so I figured I would give it a shot. I took two capsules on April 9th and three capsules before I went to bed on April 10th. Three hours later (on my due date!), my water broke.

It was around 2:45am on April 11th and I had just gotten back in bed after a middle of the night bathroom trip. I hadn't even fallen back to sleep when all of a sudden I felt this warm trickle that turned into a steady stream. I kind of laid there for a second thinking, "Oh shit, that was totally my water breaking." Nik was still up so I immediately found him in the living room and announced, "Um, I think my water just broke". We both inspected and concurred that it most definitely wasn't pee. Hey. you just never know when you've got something the size of a watermelon pressing down on your bladder. Also, here's the thing about your water breaking. It doesn't just gush or trickle out once and then it's over. Oh, no. It will keep trickling until you push that baby out. Talk about gross and uncomfortable. And that's just the beginning.

So at that point everything was a little surreal. Unlike what Hollywood has taught you, when your water breaks it doesn't mean you have to rush to the hospital. It could be hours before contractions begin. Since I wasn't really feeling anything yet I took a shower and got ready while Nik double checked the hospital bag I had prepared weeks in advance and started loading up the car. I did some pacing around the house and bounced on my exercise ball for a bit. Around 5am I thought I started feeling a little something. Since this is Los Angeles where traffic is the WORST THING EVER we decided to go ahead and head to the hospital in order to beat the morning commuters. I probably could have labored at home a while longer but I didn't want to tempt fate and have to give birth on the side of the 405.

Typical LA traffic.
NOT an appropriate birthing place

We checked into the hospital around 6am and they took me to the triage area to make sure I was really in labor. You know, just in case that fluid coming out of me was something other than amniotic. It didn't take them long to figure out that it was. I still wasn't sure if I was feeling contractions or not so they hooked me up to a monitor and they were already 3 minutes apart. Oh, don't you worry. I definitely felt them later on.

After confirming my active labor status we moved into the labor and delivery room. There was a reason I chose Cedars-Sinai to give birth in. This was one of them.

Posh private labor and delivery room

Room with a view

You can't see it in the picture but we had a view of the Hollywood sign. You know you're in Beverly Hills when you get to push a baby out overlooking one of the world's most famous landmarks.

After becoming sidetracked with our posh digs we spoke to the nurses and I let them know I was hoping to labor naturally for now. Since I was low risk they just slapped a portable heart rate monitor and hep-lock IV on me and let me do my thing. That consisted of walking the halls of the hospital and bouncing on a yoga ball for several hours to try and get my labor to progress. At some point in the afternoon things started to become more uncomfortable and I wanted to know how much more real shit was going to get or if I could hold off on that increasingly enticing epidural.

A midwife came in and explained to me that since my water had broken on its own there was a risk of infection each time they checked my cervix to see how far dilated I was so they would rather hold off. They asked if I wanted an epidural but I decided to keep on trucking through it. I was afraid that an epidural might slow down my labor which would mean they would have to use medication to speed it up. So if I were to get an epidural I wanted to try to progress on my own as much as possible.

Unfortunately, my natural pain relief options were running out. I had always planned to soak in a hot tub during labor but that option was also out since my water had already broken. Again, it would have been another risk of infection. So the midwife suggested I try a hot shower instead to see if that helped. The nurses got clearance to remove the heart rate monitor with the exception that they would come back once an hour to check the fetal heart rate with a hand held device. And for the next three hours I stood in the shower and let the warm water run over me.

Around 4pm the contractions became unbearable and my stamina was wearing thin since I had been laboring over 13 hours on only 3 hours of sleep. So I decided it was time to get out of the shower and get a needle into my back instead.

At this point in time we still didn't know how far along I was but everyone, including my amazing nurses, were hoping that my efforts hadn't been in vain. Around 5:30pm my OB came in and checked me for the first time. Fist pumps went all around when I was I told that I was at a 6 1/2. I was dilating at about a centimeter an hour  and my body was doing all of the contracting on its own so I didn't need pitocin or any other medication to help speed things along. My doctor estimated that the baby would arrive by midnight. My doctor was wrong.

I was hoping to get some sleep after receiving the epidural. I think I may have dozed off here and there but nothing solid. Perhaps it was the excitement of being in labor or the sounds of the heart rate monitor that kept me awake. Either way, I couldn't turn my mind off enough to get any good rest. That was a tragic mistake. I'm not sure what time it was, sometime before midnight, but all of a sudden I started feeling immense pain on the right side of my body near my hip. I had been dealing with hip pain the last month of my pregnancy but this was worse. Thankfully when you get an epidural they also give you a little button you can press to boost it up. I pressed it twice in three hours to help alleviate the hip/nerve pain. Unfortunately, my epidural fun was about over

My nurse had been in periodically to check on me, ask me if I needed anything and whether I was feeling the pressure to push or not. Each time my answer was no. I could sense that she was growing concerned about the lack of pressure sensation so around 2am on April 12th she received clearance to check me again and I was dilated to a 9. That was the good news. Then they hit me with the not so good news. Since I wasn't feeling the urge to push they were going to cut my epidural in half.

And that's when shit got real . . .

Oh, I could finally feel the pressure all right. Along with EVERYTHING else. When they cut my epidural in half that right hip pain I was telling you about, it came back in full force. I'm not sure if it was the baby pressing on a nerve as she made her way through the birth canal but it was absolutely excruciating. Even worse than the contractions because there was no interval. It was just constant, intense pain that I could do nothing about. This went on for hours. The nurses felt so bad for me. They tried propping my leg up in order to elevate my right hip and put hot compresses on it but nothing seemed to help. Except when it came time to push. Even then, I'm not sure if the hip pain miraculously went away or if a new set of pain just took its place.

I know of women who get an epidural and are able to push a baby out without feeling a thing. Lucky bitches. When it came time to push I was so exhausted from dealing with everything else for the past 26 hours that I didn't have much left to fight with. This was around the time I started thinking that maybe just scheduling a c-section wasn't that bad of an idea. All the while my nurse was assuring me that things will go much quicker with my second baby. I wanted to choke the bitch. Kidding. But seriously, how about let's just get this one out before we even discuss the possibility of a second one.

They had me do some practice pushes while we waited for my OB to get there. I feel like with all of my preparation and research on child birth no one had prepared me for the pushing part. It sucks. Basically, you feel this intense pressure to push and the only thing that will alleviate that pressure is actually pushing. And the closer the baby gets to coming out the more uncomfortable it gets because of the obvious. So when they had me stop after a few practice pushes so we could wait for my doctor to arrive I started getting pretty impatient. Also, it's not just one long push. They had me push in three 10 counts. Take a deep breath, push for 10 seconds, take another deep breath, push for 10, take one more deep breath and push for another 10. The first 10 count was the easiest but getting through the other two took some work. So they put an oxygen mask on to help me out.

I'm not even sure what Nik was doing at this point. Trying to be supportive I'm sure. Giving me sips of water when I needed them. Making sure the puke bucket was nearby in case it also became necessary. Thankfully, it did not. Suddenly, my room got very busy. Since my water had broken over 24 hours ago they had several doctors in the room in case there was an issue with the baby. My OB had finally arrived and was putting on the gloves to get ready for business. Using the motivation to get this labor over with and finally meet my daughter I pushed. For about an hour they told me. At one point during the pushing I looked down and could see her head. After a bunch of 10 count pushes they had me do a series of 5 counts and then a few 1 counts. And at 6:05am I heard crying and out plopped the love of my life, all 8 pounds and almost 22 inches of her - Scarlett Elizabeth Karpen.

The nurses immediately placed her on my chest as she started wailing and I just remember saying hello to my sweet baby girl. All of that pain and discomfort I had been feeling was instantly gone. We spent I don't know how long just staring at each other. And have been ever since.

Several people have asked how we came up with her name. I have always been an avid reader so her name is inspired by two of my favorite literary heroines. Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. They are both strong and spirited female characters and so is our own little Scarlett. Sweet Jesus, the girl started crying before she was even all the way out. I can't wait to discover the person that she becomes. But in the meantime, I am happy to let her sweet baby snuggles fill my days.

Babies Everywhere (and other recent developments)

Holy smokes! I know so many fabulous ladies who are expecting right now or who have recently had a baby. It must be something in the water. I swear to god,  there was one week where I had about 10 friends announce their exciting news on Facebook all on the same day. So I would like to start off this post with a big, fat congratulations to all you new and/or expectant mommas out there. If this isn't your first rodeo then welcome back. But if you're a first time mom like myself then I would like to welcome you to the club. You are in for a wild and crazy ride. 

It's been a while since my last post. Sorry, I've been busy. And when I'm not busy I'm just lazy and pregnant. But since I last checked in I've had some pretty amazing baby showers thrown for me. My family put one together for me back home and some good friends of mine hosted one out here in Los Angeles. My co-workers even threw me one before I took maternity leave. I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Cuteness overload

The lovely LA hostesses

34 weeks here

But now I am officially 38 weeks which hopefully means there are only two weeks left until D-Day! Although with my luck she'll probably be late so she can make a fashionable entrance. So LA of her. I'm going to be the first one to admit that it's been a relatively easy and conflict free pregnancy for me, especially compared to what some mommas have to deal with. I had some bouts of nausea during the first trimester but never threw up. I've definitely experienced some discomfort here and there but nothing debilitating and my energy and spirits have always been pretty good. But then week 37 hit and along with it so did everything else.

For the past week and a half or so I've been battling constant hip, pelvic and nerve pain and some awesome menstrual type cramps. The kind of cramps that make you want to pair an entire bottle of red with a handful of Midol just to try and numb the pain. None of which I can do of course. I've discussed everything with my doctor and big surprise, it's all completely normal. Another big surprise, there's pretty much nothing I can do about it. Except squeeze a giant baby out of my vagina.

The pelvic, hip and nerve pain is just my daughter putting pressure against everything. I swear, she's outgrowing me. And the cramping? I guess that's just my body's way of practicing for game day. As if it didn't get enough practice the past 20 years.

But it's starting to get pretty bad and I'm lucky to get much sleep these days without waking up to a searing wave of pain. And since I'm not getting much sleep and have to deal with all this discomfort I'm probably not always the happiest person to be around. I try to save those pleasantries for my husband's ears only though.

The silver lining is that I'm already on maternity leave so at least I don't have to deal with work on top of everything else. So I've been doing my best to keep myself busy. Everything's been washed, sterilized and put away. And the nursery is pretty much complete. Fair warning, it's pretty freaking girly. 

Shelves to be filled with lots of books for bedtime readings

Quote from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Glider for cuddling

Requisite girly bedding

But now, it's just the waiting game and trying to enjoy the last remaining days before we're completely responsible for another human being. Which let me tell you, is scary as shit. But that's a whole other blog post. Until then!

38+ weeks

The Home Stretch

 

Well, here I am in the home stretch.. Otherwise known as the third trimester. Let me tell you, it sure doesn't feel like the home stretch to me. Currently, I still have 10 weeks left. And that my friends, feels like . . . .

That's still two and a half months left. Two and a half months! And it's all uphill from here. The good news is that we had another ultrasound at 28 weeks and baby girl is developing right along and looking healthy. She's around the 70th percentile in growth, measuring almost a full week ahead and weighing in at a 3 hefty pounds. And I feel it. Oh lord, do I feel it. Here I was thinking things were getting uncomfortable a couple months ago. Hah! That was a picnic compared to the new aches and pains.. Breathing is becoming difficult to do since I now have three pounds of baby compressing my lungs. Speaking of compressed organs, Tums have become an everyday necessity. I don't think I have ever in my life experienced heartburn until now. In an earlier entry I posted a visual of what the insides of a pregnant woman versus a non pregnant woman look like. Let's come back to that just for effect.

Normal vs pregnant body

Is that compressed and stretched out lima bean shaped thing really my stomach? Well, that certainly explains the heartburn. And the bladder. Okay, where the hell did my bladder go? Essentially all of my internal organs have been rearranged and flattened out. And I still have 10 more weeks left of this.

Unfortunately, since I sit all day at my job the poor thing is scrunched up next to my rib cage. She lets me know how much she enjoys it by spiritedly kicking the hell out of my ribs. Her and I both wish I had a longer torso for her to stretch out in. My belly no longer feels like it's my own. It's just this extension of me that I carry around. Most of the time it feels like I'm wearing a huge fanny pack with weights in it.  A fanny pack that kicks, squirms, hiccups, and completely flips around. It's getting a little bit like Alien in there.

 

 

Only much cuter of course. But I do have to say, it is pretty cool to have a little buddy with me all day long. We roll our eyes at all the dumb things people say and do (which is pretty often) and fist bump when things go our way. 

 

So, until recently I was still cycling at my favorite spin place but that started getting too uncomfortable around the 27 week mark. Those tiny bicycle seats can give you a sore bum anyway without the added pressure against your tailbone. I can't quite seem to find the motivation to exercise during the work week after a 12 hour day so I'm trying to fill my weekends with physical activity to keep my stamina up. I'm still rolling around on a floor mat with the other expectant mommas during prenatal yoga, hitting the gym and hiking the hills of Southern California. I usually get in some sort of exercise at least 3 days a week. It's not much but I'm under the mindset that every little bit helps.

 

Gym brat - 28 weeks

Hollywood Hike - 29 weeks

 

30 week selfie

 

 And here's a recent development. Strangers are now acknowledging the bump. There's no more hiding it. A couple of weeks ago I was at Starbucks and ordered a tall white chocolate mocha to help me get through a day of furniture shopping and Babies R Us. After the barista handed me the drink and noticed my burgeoning belly he asked if I wanted it decaf. I politely told him no. Later that afternoon, Nik and I were in the grocery store when a sweet woman next to me asked how far along I was. When I told her 7 months she told me that I was just adorable. Made my freaking day. I've also noticed that strangers seem to be opening doors for me or offering to pick something up when my clumsier than usual self drops it. Los Angeles isn't exactly the most friendly city so I can only assume it's the baby bump. There are still a few people who tell me that I look small for how far along I am. And those people are my new best friends.

 

Things are also progressing on the home front. Nik and I have started on the nursery! We still have a lot to do but here's what we were able to accomplish so far.

 

 

I'll try and take a panoramic once it's complete, which probably won't be until sometime in March. But it's quickly becoming my new favorite room in the house.

 

In addition to that we have also received some early shower presents from my family. I now sleep next to a beautiful cradle in the bedroom, there is a car seat in our living room and a stroller in my trunk. It's just so odd to see baby gear in the house. Definitely a first. Also a first? Getting excited about diapers. One of Nik's colleagues recently had a baby boy who outgrew his newborn diapers. We now have almost 80 free Pampers Swaddlers hanging out in the baby's dresser drawer. Life is most certainly changing.

 

 And in 10 "short" weeks we get to welcome this beautiful and permanent change into our lives.

 

 

28 week mug shot

 

.Can not freaking wait.

 

 

 

Post Holidaze

Well, Nik and I survived the holidays. For the most part at least. We traveled to the Midwest on December 20th and were back in L.A. by the 28th. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with family. Four days with the Karpens and four days with the Gerlings. Family time is so good for the soul. A recharge button to help get the new year started off right.

The Karpen clan

Unfortunately, we both ended up sick. He was initially worse off than me. High temperature, chills, the usual fun flu symptoms. Fortunately, mine never escalated that far. Good thing too since I couldn't really take any medication due to Baby Girl. The only thing my doctor did okay for me to take was Sudafed. But guess what you need a prescription for in Jefferson (aka Metherson) County, Missouri? And here's why.

You see that county with the number 212 indicated on it? That is where I proudly hail from. I believe we come in second place in the nation, right behind Tulsa, OK, for identified meth labs per county. You can check out where your neighborhood stands here.

Anyway, I did my best to suck it up and tried to kick it with soup, Vitamin C and hot showers but it was still pretty miserable. So I drugged myself up once we landed in Los Angeles where Sudafed is readily available. Here's a fun observation. Being sick in 75 degree weather isn't as miserable as being sick in -15 degrees. Thank god we escaped before the polar vortex, or whatever they're calling it, descended upon the nation. Times like these I don't mind paying that premium price tag for sunny skies and warm weather. Although I am a little jealous of everyone's snow days.



No, thank you.

Nik and I probably had the  most chill New Year's Eve since living in Los Angeles. In the past we've always spent way too much money at clubs or bars to ring in the new year. This year however, we spent it over at our friends place where the atmosphere was a little more preggo friendly, complete with yummy snacks and sparkling cider. Nik even had himself a designated driver this year which he delightfully took advantage of.


NYE 2014

I just celebrated my (*cough, cough*) 32nd (*cough*) birthday this past Sunday. We had friends over on Saturday night for a joint housewarming/birthday party. I spent so much time cleaning and readying the place for its grand debut when seconds before the festivities were about to begin, chaos struck. Apparently, our upstairs neighbors were having plumbing issues. All of a sudden there was water gushing down into our apartment. A good 1/2 inch of standing water soaked our hallway and bathroom floors. It was like a scene from a sitcom. Especially with me in my dress, 6 months pregnant, hair and make up done, down on hands and knees furiously trying to sop everything up with every spare towel I could find. But the leak fortunately stopped and we managed to clean the place up moments before anyone arrived.



Birthday bump

But in all honestly, I'm kind of glad the holidays are over. 2014 is finally under way and we're getting closer to Baby Girl's arrival. Here are some quick updates on how that is progressing:

* I had an appointment with my doctor last Friday for my glucose test. It's where you drink this nasty, sugary stuff and the doctor takes your blood an hour later to see if you're at risk for gestational diabetes. He called with the results on Sunday. It was a lovely birthday present. My results came back normal so I don't have diabetes. Yay! But I am anemic. Boo. Evidently it's common in pregnant women so I just have to pop an iron supplement everyday and I'll be fine.

* Apparently I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions for the past month or so and didn't realize it. I've been getting this tightening sensation in my lower belly at times and just figured it was the baby curling up into a ball or something. Nik's sister, a nurse and mother of two, told me it sounded like Braxton Hicks and my doctor confirmed it. It doesn't hurt, it's just a really weird and heavy sensation. I guess it's just my body's way of rehearsing for the big show.

* At the doctor's appointment last Friday both the nurse and my OB remarked on my weight gain. I know, I'm supposed to pack on some pounds. But hearing the words "Well, it looks like you've gained some weight since your last visit," still feels slightly disconcerting. I initially wanted to blame it on the holidays until the baby kicked me and I remembered that she's the cute, little culprit. The doctor assured me it was a good sign and I'm right on track. I should be gaining about a pound a week from here on out.

* I'll be closing out the second trimester soon and I'm a little anxious about this third trimester business. I hear that's when things start to get REAL uncomfortable. Say goodbye to that cute, little baby bump. Instead it's massive weight gain, swollen feet and ankles, insomnia, bladder control issues, leaky boobs and a general misery that lasts for the remaining 13 weeks or so. I take it back. I'm not anxious about it. I am living in fear, horror, and trepidation about the third trimester. As a glass half full kind of girl I'm trying to look at the bright side. At least it is the last and final trimester. Perhaps the most difficult but also the most rewarding. So I'm up for the challenge. I just pray it goes by quickly.

* I think I'm getting into the nesting stage of the pregnancy and have been obsessing over the nursery. I'm tacking up ideas on Pinterest, ordering furniture and the baby's room has officially been painted. I'll try and post some pictures when it's a little more polished. And this what the conversations that Nik and I have now look like:



Regarding a birthing play list



Regarding baby furniture

But it's a fun and exciting time despite the occasional aches and pains. One of my favorite evening activities now is counting Baby Girl's kicks. She has moved north so I'm feeling them more in the middle of my belly and sometimes up against my ribcage. I can see them now too. All of a sudden my tummy will give a little shudder like a popcorn kernel is popping inside. And sometimes she'll play back when I start poking at her. There are days when she's super active and days when she's just plain lazy. I prefer the super active days, just as long as they're days and not nights.

Happy 2014 everyone!!