Michelle's Birth Story (Baby Maya)
By Michelle Kowalski (Michko203)
Michelle kept a journal throughout her pregnancy.
If you would like to read her journal, follow
this link!
You're four days old today and I can still remember Monday pretty
well (ha!), so I'm writing it down before I forget.
Mom drove in from St. Louis on Sunday afternoon so she could take
care of Marcus and Megan while Marc and I drove to the hospital.
Surprisingly, I slept pretty well Sunday night. My alarm went off
around 4 a.m. and by 4:45 a.m. we were off. It was bitter cold Monday
morning and I don't think it got out of the 20s all day. Snowed
that night a little, too.
En route, I checked my blood sugar around 5 a.m. and it was 72.
I was floored, but suspected it was nerves. I had been 81 Sunday
night after dinner and I had some milk before bed, which is normal
for me. But then to be 72 at 5 a.m. was almost unheard of for me.
Anyway. So I ate as much of my peanut butter sandwich as I could
and drank some water.
 We
arrived at the hospital just after 5:30 a.m. They got us into a
room and started the IV, asked questions and so forth. Even though
my educator had told me to take my Lantus that morning, I had postponed
until we got there because I had taken it so late Sunday night.
The nurses said I shouldn't take it, so I didn't. We checked my
sugar around two hours post and I was only 101. Again, absolutely
floored that I wasn't higher, but I suspect it had something to
do with nerves and anxiety and all that.
So they started the pitocin around 6:30ish and I was handling the
contractions pretty well. They were increasing in intensity, but
still nothing I couldn't really manage. My doctor came in around
9ish and broke my water and it was an absolute flood! And with every
contraction it was like she had broken my water all over again there
was so much fluid! So that explains a little about why I was so
uncomfortable-dragging around some extra fluid.
So the doctor said there were two c-sections scheduled for that
morning-9 a.m. and noon-and suspected I would be ready for an epidural
shortly after the 9 a.m. section. And she was right. The anesthesiologist
came in around 10ish or a little after. I was starting to get really
uncomfortable with each contraction and not really being able to
talk through it. I suspected that getting the epidural was going
to be painful while dealing with the contractions and it was. I
don't remember crying while getting the epidural with Megan, but
I cried with this one. The nurse was incredible and let me squeeze
her fingers and didn't complain at all!
The nurse had checked my cervix prior to getting the epidural and
I was at 4 cm (I was at 2 cm when we got to the hospital, so I was
making progress). Within about five minutes or so after getting
the epidural the contractions were really intense and I was really
having a hard time with them because the epidural hadn't taken full
effect yet. The nurse checked me and I was at 7 cm and stretchy.
She started really moving quickly to get things ready and told another
nurse to get the doctor ASAP.
I told them that I felt like I had to poop and that I was really
feeling the contractions in my rectum. When I was fully dilated
I could feel it. I knew it was time. It was only a few minutes after
the nurse had checked me when I was at 7 cm and I was already fully
dilated.
So they got my legs up in the stirrups and got me all ready, etc.,
and I started pushing. I was still in so much pain and so uncomfortable
that I couldn't really focus. I felt like my pushing was more effective
with the other kids because I wasn't so uncomfortable. But I got
focused and pushed well. I didn't go for the full 10 count because
it hurt so bad. But the nurses and Mom and Marc were all incredible.
I pushed with four contractions and she was born!
The cord was around her neck (all three of my kids had the cord
around their necks) and they cut it even before her body was out.
The doctor put her on my tummy and I was so happy that she was finally
here. They whisked her away pretty quickly, though, and put her
under the warmer. She was pretty blue, but came around.
Overall, I was in labor exactly five hours. We all thought she
was going to come quickly, but I don't think anyone really expected
her to come that quickly. I suspect that it might have had something
to do with the fact that I'd been having contractions for five weeks.
I'm not a doctor, though, so who knows. I'm sure it also had to
do with the fact that this was baby number three.
I didn't tear or need an episiotomy, so no stitches, either! We
spent about three hours in the delivery room. The nurse catheterized
me while I still had some epidural in me and then several hours
later she had me get up and walk to the bathroom so she could help
me clean up and so forth.
The next morning, my doctor said I could go home that day instead
of waiting until the next day. I think she said it had something
to do with the labor going quickly and easily and that I didn't
need stitches AND that I had already been up that morning by myself
to shower.
So we came home Tuesday afternoon and I've really done well for
the most part. I've gotten a little edgy with the older kids, but
it's mostly because they want to be on top of Maya all the time,
especially when I'm nursing her or when she's trying to sleep. I'm
trying to remember that they've waited a long time to meet her and
just want to see her. It's hard, though. But in terms of depression,
I have none! It's only been four days, so it could come back any
time, but I stayed on the Prozac throughout the pregnancy and am
still on it so I think that should keep things on an even keel.
 I
keep feeling like I have so much to do and I just don't know when
to start. I want to start writing again. Hopefully I can get one
interview in tomorrow to polish off a story I started on a few weeks
ago. So I'll be happy to have the house to myself. Of course, the
baby was a little crabby tonight, but hopefully that was just a
gas bubble or something because she's sleeping pretty good right
now. Of course, we haven't put her down in the last like four hours.
Anyway. Oh, my sugars were good throughout labor. I was 101 and
then in the 80s I think and I got down to 66 and ate two pieces
of candy and got back up to right around 100 I think. Maya's first
blood sugar was 28, which is low. They want the baby to be above
40. I had just nursed her, thankfully, and then they gave her some
formula and sugar water. Her next sugar was 59. So all is well in
that area.
Would you like to read more about Michelle's pregnancy?
Go to Michelle's
Journal!
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Diabetes
and pregnancy, fertility issues, gestational diabetes, parenting, 
