Blood Incompatability

When Hannah was born, they took a sample of her blood and my blood and they found that while I was pregnant with her, I started producing antibodies to attack her blood. I have type O+ and she has type B+. I guess this is pretty uncommon. They said that if I have another baby, they will have to monitor it more closely while I am pregnant. Hannah had a blood test taken yesterday at her one-week follow-up appointment. If my antibodies continue to attack her blood, she may have to have a blood transfusion... They are going to take another blood test from her in two weeks to compare and see what's going on. I really hope she doesn't have to go through that. If she does, though, at least Brian and his mom can donate blood for her to use, so we won't have to worry so much about hepatitis or anything like that. I hope she will be okay...

Hannah: One-week-old

Today, I took Hannah in for a follow-up appointment... and she Really Grew this first week!

Birth Weight: 8 lbs 14 oz
Weight at 1 week: 9 lbs 5 oz

Birth Length: 21 3/4 inches
Length at 1 week: 22 1/2 inches

Hannah Grace Picture - 9 Hours Old

Last Thursday morning at about 1:20am when I was laying in bed trying to sleep, I felt something that felt kind of like a pop "down there." I wasn't sure if my water had broken or if it was something else that I don't want to describe on here (in case I might gross somebody out). I also started shaking a lot (from adrenaline, I guess)... and I think that's about when I probably started having some mild contractions. I went into the hospital to be checked out at 7:30am, but they sent me home to rest...

I had been having contractions all day and they were getting pretty intense as the day went on. Brian was supposed to go to a meeting down in Portland Friday with work, so I was hoping I could at least wait until Friday evening to go into the hospital (so he could be there when she was born).

As the day went on, I started to worry that I might not make it to Friday evening. My contactions had gotten to about 2 minutes apart... so I called the hospital to see if they thought I should go back in yet, but the doctor that I talked to (Dr. Kellert, who was also the same doctor who sent me home that morning) said to me "Well, you should know if you are in labor or not since this is your second baby." But I really wasn't sure if I was to the point that I needed to be admitted or not yet. She really was not very friendly and was even a little on the rude side... and told me that maybe I should stay home and rest if I am not in labor yet. I just didn't know for sure if I was. I was induced with my last baby and the experience was totally different. (This was at about 8 - 9 pm)

Anyway, I decided yhat I would try to relax... and was going to try to go to bed... but then when I just decided that I couldn't relax, Sylvia took me to the hospital. It was kind of hard getting in the door because my contractions were probably about a minute apart by this point. (This was at about 10 pm).

When I made it to the front desk, I told them that I thought I needed to be checked because I might be starting labor. I wasn't even sure if I had dialated. The previous morning, I was only dialated to 1/2 cm. The lady at the desk said "I don't think we even need to check you... we're going to go ahead and get you into a birthing room... I can tell by looking at you that you are in labor."

They immediately got me into a room and checked to see if I had dialated... and she said that I was at a 7 and fully efaced. I was just worried that they were going to tell me that I was only at a 1 or 2 and think I was just being a wimp... and send me home again... but, they immediately called the dr and anesthesiologist and told them they needed to get there NOW. Sylvia called Brian (who was going to sleep down in the apartment on the other side of Seattle, which is two hours away) and told him to get up here. I guess he was only slightly understanding what she was saying... but he got in the car and was up here in two hours... JUST in time for the pushing!

I was pretty disappointed when I heard that I was going to have Dr Kellert deliver my baby. That was the same dr who sent me home that morning and the same dr who was a little rude on the phone with me just a couple of hours earlier.

I was also worried that I was not going to be able to get an epidural because I was already at a 7! I guess the dr did not even call the anesthesiologist right away. We kept waiting for one to show up, but nobody ever came... and a nurse called the dr again to find out what was going on... and I guess one hadn't even been called yet!!! One of the nurses said something like "somebody needs to be told about this..." because we should have had someone in there by then to give me an epidural.

Soon after, a girl came in and said that she had to give me something that was fast acting. I was already dialated to a 9 by then... (my water broke and kind of exploded across the room when she went to see how far I was dialated) and soon after, Brian came in... I started pushing... had to push for about 3 hours... and finally, at 3:29am, Baby Hannah was born... sunny-side-up (so she was really difficult to push out).

When her head came out, they told me to stop pushing because the cord was wrapped around her neck twice. Luckily, it was a long cord and they were able to unwrap it pretty quickly... and then the rest of her was born.

Brian was back on the road at 4am to make it in time for the meeting in Portland... and back on the road up to Bellingham that evening to spend time with us in the hospital.

I hope the baby doesn't come when Brian is down in Portland

It is now Thursday night. Brian is going down to Portland, OR for a meeting tomorrow with work. I have been having some pretty intense achiness today in my lower back and lower belly area. I hope I can wait until he gets up here tomorrow evening to have the baby!

I was in the hospital this morning and they checked me out (because I wasn't sure if my water had broken). I guess I've been having contractions... they just told me to go home and rest and come back tomorrow... so I'm going back tomorrow sometime.

1/2 cm Dialated...

I had another appointment today with my OB. I guess I am now dialated a whole 1/2 cm. The doctor says that I have a short window of time that he thinks I could have a chance of having the baby w/o having to worry about a c-section (because she is getting pretty big). He said that by feeling my tummy right now, she feels like she is around 9 pounds right now. He doesn't think she is a 10-pounder yet, but he has scheduled for me to go into the hospital on Friday to be induced (if I have not already had her by then). I will probably go in sometime in the evening, which is good because Brian will be down in Portland, Oregon all day in a meeting and won't make it back up to Bellingham until Friday night sometime... so he can just come up to the hospital when he gets up here. My mom is also flying in on Saturday, which is when I'll probably end up having the baby. I hope everything works out okay... and I REAAAAAALLY hope I don't have to have a c-section!!!

Heidi and I have been sick this week and I had told her that if she is still sick when I have the baby, she won't be able to come in and see me. They'll have to take me whether I'm sick or not if I go into labor, but I don't think they want sick children visiting. She seems to have understood this when I explained it to her. This morning when I was getting her ready to go to my dr's appt with me, I told her that she was going to see the doctor with me today, so he could check on the baby... She said to me something like "But I can't go to the hospital if I'm still sick." I'm glad she understands and I hope she won't get too upset if she can't go see me... I told her today was just a dr's appt, though, so it was okay and that she could go with me. She did pretty well sitting in the chair waiting in the office. As her special treat for being good, she got to eat a special cookie with pink frosting and little hearts on top.

Still no baby...

Well, I am officially past due now... and still no baby... and now, Heidi and I are sick, so I am hoping I can get over whatever I have before I have to go into labor. I don't want to be achey and have to blow my nose every 10 minutes or so while I'm pushing... and I REAALLY don't want to give whatever I have to a brand new baby! :( I have another appointment with my OB tomorrow, so we will see what he says.

"That looks like orange juice, Mom!"

Well, today I had another appointment with my OB doctor. I was hoping this would be the last appointment... but I guess it is not...

When I walked into the office, I went right away to the bathroom to give a urine sample (as usual). Heidi was with me again (like last week), and just like last week... after I peed in the cup, she said in a really loud voice (that I'm sure everyone in the lobby could hear) she said "That looks like orange juice, Mom!"

Then, when I went into the appointment, I told her that if she was really good and sat really still in her chair while the doctor was checking on the baby in my tummy, she would get a special treat. She was great... didn't even try to get out of the chair and didn't even make a sound! So, She got a chocolate heart candy and a cookie when we got back to Grandma Sylvia's house (where we're staying).

The doctor checked to see if I was dialated today. He said that my cervix is softened, but not dialated... and he Really would like for me to have this baby This Weekend if possible... because she is going to be a Big baby, but he doesn't want to try to induce me yet because my cervix is not favorable. I guess it could be even harder to deliver a baby if I am not even dialated (even with the meds they give you to induce the birth)... so I'm going back next week. He Really wants me to try to have it at least by next week because he said she's probably going to be pretty big, and if she is 10 pounds, it might be more difficult to deliver. I REEEEAAAAALLY don't want to end up having to have a c-section!!!!! I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

He also said that the baby is still in position. I guess the two big lumps across my belly the other day were the baby's bottom and the tumor (which has gotten pretty big). Her head is still down, though, so that's good!

Baby's Position

The baby had moved into position (head down), where it should be in preparation for childbirth a long time ago, but the past couple of days, I've been wondering if she has moved. Today and yesterday, it looks like I have two huge lumps on the sides of my big, pregnant belly. I hope it is just her bottom and her legs (or maybe it is even the tumor). I hope her head is still in the down position... because if I have the baby this weekend, I DON'T want a c-section!!!

Might have a baby in a little over a week!

I had another doctor's appointment today. The baby is getting pretty big, so I might go in to be induced next week on Thursday/Friday the 12th/13th. It would be nice to have the baby next Friday because Brian is working down in Seattle, while I'm staying up here in Bellingham... If I had the baby on a Friday, it would be easier for him to be able to have a few days to spend with us at the hospital. He just started his new job recently... and I don't want him to try to ask for too much time off (since he is JUST starting). Also, Brian's mom would have the whole weekend off from work to watch Heidi while I'm in the hospital...

"Let's just pretend I'm two..."

Yesterday, Heidi was getting pretty grouchy, so I told her she had to have 3 minutes of calm-down time now (since she's now three). It used to be more like 2 minutes of time-out when she was 2. When I told her she had to sit quietly for 3 minutes of calm-down time since she's three now, she said to me "Let's just pretend I'm two... Pleeeeeaaase?"