Welcome to the World Handsome Baby K!

KELDON DAVID CAIN
BORN MAY 1ST 2009 @ 10:34 PM
6 LBS 5 OZ 19 INCHES LONG

This isn't a very clear picture but at least you can see him. I went in yesterday morning at 8:00 am to be induced. I was given cytotec vaginally which is a drug that helps to ripen (open/dilate) your cervix around 8:40am. Your Cervix has to go from 0-10 to deliver which is completely closed to the size of baby's head. I was only 1/2 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. Almost like starting from scratch. Once in labor, some people dilate faster than others and some just get stuck at a certain point. Usually I think you dilate about one to two centimeters and hour when you are in the actual labor part. Everything is really blurry right now as far as details, so I will do a better post later when I have notes from Kim. I only got one dose of cytotec and right away felt contractions like crazy. They were fairly consisitant and I could see them on the chart which was kind of exciting. I knew I wasn't making the pain up then! The contractions eased up a bit when I got up and walked around for while. Dr. Salisbury checked me later and I was a 1. Then from 2-10 I was a hurting mess. I am too tired to remember everything. I got in the tub for a while which was AWESOME. Chris did the best job helping me breath and get into a rythm. I had to get back in bed to be on the monitors again for a while and then It really stepped up a notch. I was laying on my right side and closing my eyes so I could block out everything in my mind. I didn't want to be rubbed, just a steady hand and no talking. I had my legs together and was on my side but kept feeling like my pelvis was opening and separating and it came really fast. The nurse checked me again and I was at a five. After a while, they got more intense and I decided to have 1/2 a dose of a mild pain killer in my IV. That hit for maybe 2 minutes max. I can't remember if I threw up before or after that but I threw up because I hurt so bad. I kept feeling the urge to push and Chris and Sherri were trying to get me to do fast little breaths and not to push. I would push hard 2 or 3 times because it felt so good, and then I would freak out and do little puff puff puff breaths and get through it. I kept telling the nurse to check me because I swear my hips were opening. I got scared and started to panic but brought myself back to reality, this is the rock in the hard place. I can't give up and I have to go forward so just breath and do the best you can. I said I wanted an epidural around the same time I got the IV med because I thought if I was going to panic and stop my rhythm of good breathing I would be taking 2 steps back for every one forward. I asked for it, but in my mind I didn't give up. I thought, okay I will do it, it will help me relax and get to that point to help me push and I will have them just do a little so I can still feel stuff. They were talking about paging the anesthesiologist and then after that, my contractions got super bad and I had to deal and not think of anything else. The thought of the epidural never crossed my mind again because I was too busy dealing with labor.Shortly after she checked me and I was a 9 1/2. They started to get the room ready and I started feeling less abdominal and back pain and more pressure. I thought, forget the epidural that takes too much time, lets get this kid out! I could see my tummy drop and I was able to sit up a bit more. I pushed for about an hour. It is really hard to push and get in rhythm. I tried some things on my own, then Dr. Salisbury had me push for 10 big counts and then take one big breath in and bare down for another 10 big counts. I had a mirror so I could see which helped me so much mentally. As I progressed I got more determined to push as hard as I could. I had my eyes closed because I was pushing so hard when he came out that I didn't see him actually come out. I didn't tear but did have some issues with some mild extra bleeding. They gave me a shot of something in my leg, and pitocin in my IV and my Placenta came out about 2 minutes afterwards. Instead of the cord being attached in the middle of the placenta, it was attached on the very edge and the vessels going to it were getting fairly small. Dr. Salisbury said that was pretty rare to have it attached there. I had him put on top of me as soon as he was out and his throat was clear. He cried for ever and ever....good lungs. I tried to breast feed a little later when things settled down, but he was trying to fall asleep on me. We got him to eat a little on one side so I guess that is better than nothing. I'll update more later.... time to eat breakfast and go back to bed!

Decisions

I usually don't have a hard time making decisions and once I set my mind to something I am pretty set. However, having a child is a little different. I can make decisions fairly easy..... wow a cookie for me! BUT I HATE CHANGE. My birth plan changed a month ago when we were booted out of our house, moved in a few days and my blood pressure went up. Yesterday I was at my doctors office for 3 hours on the monitor and talking with him about my situation. I can be induced safely at 38 weeks, with no huge concern for the baby's lungs being underdeveloped and so on. He is measuring very small, in the 9% rate for his gestational age and the ultrasound shows he hasn't been gaining weight. So basically he is okay, not struggling but not growing either. I am sort of a walking incubator. If we continue to wait (STAY PREGNANT!) I will have to continue non-stress tests a couple times a week, do blood work, monitor my blood pressure and stay on bed rest until A) something goes wrong and they have to induce right away or B) I magically go into labor on my own. A and B are both unknown and if A or B happens, there are just as many and more risks than being induced under a controlled environment in which I am not completely freaked out. Because my ultrasound shows Keldon is size wise right now, about 34 weeks instead of almost 38 and isn't gaining, we don't know if my placenta will be sufficient enough to get him through delivery, or why he is even small in the first place.....ladeeee da. There are too many unknowns and it freaks me out. SO.... I think I will just try to be induced Friday so I know what is coming and can try to be more relaxed and he can grow when he comes out. Some babies do better on the outside I guess. I am just frustrated because they can't really tell me why I have a uterine growth restricted baby, aren't even really worried about it and its safe to have him at 38 weeks. Chris thinks I should wait it out and just see how my blood pressure is and so on but I feel more comfortable having him now and not waiting to SEE if something goes wrong, or trust that my body will start on its own. Especially since he is small, you'd think my body would try to hold on to him longer. After talking to 10 or 12 different people yesterday, I have decided to try it Friday. I am 75% effaced right now and 1/2 centimeter dilated. The dilation is the tricky part with inductions because if your body isn't dilated the induction is longer and harder on you. They have medicine to help ripen your cervix and help you dilate. We are going to try that and if I am dilated enough, he may be able to strip my membranes. We will go to that point and try.... If it works than awesome, If it doesn't I can wait a while and try later I suppose. My sisters and my mom usually have their babies in less than 8 hours so I praying for the good genetics.

37 Weeks

These top 2 pictures are for you Sherri! HA hA, Fat Cheeks and my big round Belly!

I love my Sweetheart Husband

Chris has been so sweet. He is a little grumpy but he has been working sooooo hard lately and when he gets home, he has to hear me complain about all the mommy stuff and the house needs this stuff etc. I freaked out on Tuesday because of the heat wave that struck Tri-Cities and literally thought I might die. I was crying and having somewhat of a panic attack that my kid was going to cook inside my womb if I didn't get air conditioning. Chris was so cute, telling me to calm down and that we would go look at ac's when he got home from work. We shopped around a little and found the best prices at Lowes. He went back yesterday and got the AC then went to walmart and returned the dresser that we got that he broke as he was putting it together. There was a broken piece to begin with, but as he was putting it together he got frustrated because it wouldn't fit together and tore it all apart. He put all the pieces in a random box from the house and brought it back to the store like that. I was so embarrassed but hey, he wasn't and we got all our money back. Yesterday I had my ultrasound which showed my amniotic fluid level was okay but Keldon is measuring at 34 weeks and around 5.7lbs (Give or take a pound, you know hot that goes, not always accurate). I will be 37 tomorrow so I am not sure what is going on. I had a non-stress test at KGH today, with my blood pressure the normal semi-high around 140/90. The nurse talked to the Doctor and I am suppose to continue moderate bed rest and take it easy until Monday's appointment, but watch for any red flags over the weekend. His goal was to get me to 37 weeks so Monday I am going to ask him about setting a date for an induction and talk about why the baby isn't growing. He will have the ultrasound results back by then as well as my blood work so we will go from there. I have all my baby stuff ready, his and my bag packed and my house closer to looking like a house. Can't wait till he gets here.... I just want to snuggle him.

High Blood Pressure- Bed Rest and Frustration

I AM SO BORED. I don't know how people can handle being home all day. I miss working and being able to feel normal and do normal things. I am on bed rest for high blood pressure and I swear it stresses me out more. My house still has unpacked boxes from moving, baby clothes all over without a dresser to go in and I don't have any air conditioning. I went in to KGH on Sunday after church because my BP was 150 over 104 and my feet and hands were a swollen mess. When I got there of course it was lower so after a while they sent me home. Yesterday I took it easy and slept a little better last night. ( More then the 3-4 hours I have been getting) Today... I told myself I wouldn't do anything, just get up to go to the bathroom and snack. Bad idea! Now I have one of those, I haven't done anything and slept too long headaches and I am still all swollen and miserable. I hope he can come soon. They are most likely going to induce me before next week but my DR. wants me to try and get to 37 weeks, which is Friday. He doesn't think I will get to 38 weeks. Tomorrow morning I go in for an ultrasound to confirm the baby's growth. The doctor thinks he is at the most 5 1/2 pounds and wants to check to see how my amniotic fluid level is. I have a stress test scheduled on Thursday at the hospital to monitor everything. When we get the blood tests and ultrasound results back we will know more. I am suppose to go back in to Dr.Salisbury on Monday morning, so if nothing changes before then, that is the plan.

35 WEEKS 5 DAYS

My sister Kim loves to take pictures so yesterday we experimented. I do not like taking pictures but wanted to have some so I wouldn't regret not taking them later on.... 3 kids and 5 million stretch marks later. We pulled it off with the help of photo shop. Not bad for using a black piece of material draped over a mattress for a backdrop in the front room eh? Kim was trying hard not to cry the whole time. She was taking pictures with a broken collarbone and 4 kids at home. Here's our favorites!

Baby will be here soon!

So I am officially starting to panic. Dr. Salisbury said I won't make it to 40 weeks. I will be lucky to get to 37 with my blood pressure and am probably looking at an induction. Nice eh? I am 50% effaced but not dilated yet. He said to take it easy and monitor the headaches and swelling. Did I mention I hit the 40 pounds gained mark!!!! 40 stinkin pounds OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If my diastolic blood pressure is up to 100 in the next week then we are looking at an induction. Otherwise, if it is consistently high for the next two weeks, then we will try to get to 37 before we induce to be safe. I am really glad I am having my shower this week, so I can go get the rest of my stuff before he comes. Maybe all my boxes will be unpacked by then huh? At least I have a new cozy recliner to be lazy in and couch for my awesome sister/fill-in mom to sleep on. I miss my mommy today :(