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March 2014 Moms
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AKPuffin's Puffling is Here!

AKPuffinAKPuffin member
in March 2014 Moms
First thank you all for the well wishes and to @Cmmo14 for posting about my sweet baby's birth!

Short Version:  Penelope Kate was born in Landstuhl, Germany February 25, 2014 at 1:21 Central European Time, 7lbs 10oz and 18.9 inches long.

Long Version:  We had a schedule version (ECV) planned for 8am that morning.  H and I arrived at the hospital and as soon as I changed into the super cute hospital gown things got underway.  The IV line in my wrist was put in first and had to be the absolute most painful of the needle sticks I got that day.  Once I had a bag and a half of saline the anesthesiologist came into put in the epidural, which was the part I was most worried about and I shouldn't have been!  He talked me through the entire procedure and was very reassuring.  The midwife checked my cervix and I thought my husband was going to fall over because she had to go so far in to find it only to discover after a lot of uncomfortableness that is was completely closed.  She told me that if I did get to labor following the ECV I could expect up 3-4 days of labor.  

Once the epidural had taken affect the midwife and OB came in to do the ECV.  I'm not going to sugar coat it, that procedure hurts like a mother!  They tried four times and by the third I was in tears despite having an epidural.  It's five days later and the bruises on my abdomen are almost healed.  My child is as stubborn as I am and wouldn't budge.  After the fourth attempt the midwife and OB were both red faced and sweating.  The anesthesiologist came back into the room to up my epidural and prep me for a c-section.

The c-section is sort of a blur.  I remember being really numb when they wheeled me down the hall and when they moved me on to the operating table I remember thinking that from just under my breasts down I was totally exposed.  Normally, I would've been really upset about that, but the drugs were amazing and the anesthesiologist was describing all the prep work that everyone was doing.  Once my H was allowed into the OR shit got real and H watched almost the entire birth and gave me a play by play.  Baby was breech/transverse so her feet and backside were delivered first.  Her head was the last part out and she apparently had a ton of fluid in her lungs and after reading the doctor's report she needed deep suctioning and and CPAP.  It took 17 minutes before she was on room air.  I had no idea any of this was going on as I was focused on the sensation of the delivery of the baby and placenta and then the closing of my incision.  The anesthesiologist gave me Propofol because I was uncomfortable and thankfully he did because I was napping and unaware of the complications with the baby.

Because I'd had a c-section I was in my own tiny room with a shared bathroom and the baby was in the room the entire time.  There is no rest to be had while recovering with people coming in to exam you and the baby so don't expect to get much sleep!  We ended up staying an extra night because the baby was having a hard time latching and the hospital pushes breastfeeding like it's their only job.  We came home Friday afternoon and she's been eating every 2-3 hours as she should, but I'm using nipple shields when I breast feed because without them my nipples far too sensitive for me to handle breastfeeding without toe curling pain.  I'm sure when we go for our new born exam tomorrow the nipple shields will be discussed.  My incision is healing well, at least that's what my H tells me.  I can't see that part of my body yet so I'm taking his word for it!  I'm on Ibuprofen and Percocet for the pain, but I've been trying my damnest to not take the Percocet.  It'll just be nice to be able to bend over again!  Also, my feet, ankles and legs are still swollen from all the medication so flip flops are going to be my friends until I can wear normal shoes again.  

I'm so happy to have our little girl here.  She and I have really bonded since leaving the hospital and she is the love of my life.  Her disposition is great!  Such a happy baby until about 10pm when we want to go to bed, at which time she screams uncontrollably.  Thankfully we watched The Happiest Baby On The Block and are successfully using their calming techniques.  My H is also a SUPER dad who has mastered the swaddle and re-swaddles after each feeding in the middle of the night.  It's unreal how incredibly hot he's become since Monday, it's going to be a LONG 6 weeks!


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