fluids

Today was messy. Trying to leave the house this morning took three outfits between the two of us. First Max spit up on my sweater. Then he spit up on himself. Then, after I got him all bundled up he pooped all over his onesie. And now it’s hard to imagine that 15 minutes ago this sleeping angel was screaming so hard I thought the neighbors would call DCS on me. At least I know he’s hydrated because there were definitely some tears tonight. Add to that the fact that whenever I’m feeding Max and he breaks his latch I spray his whole face with milk. It’s out of control. Like I told my dear friend Clarissa, I’m like a FemmeBot, but with milk.

everyone needs one of these pictures

3 weeks

Today we (okay Ty, with a little help from me) gave Max his first real bath. He was great! He didn't scream until he got out of the bath, and who doesn't hate stepping out of a warm bath into a cold room? Can't blame him. This weekend, Max's Uncle Philippe came to visit, and he had his first outings to a restaurant and to a marina. He was great. He peed all over his grandpa, which was pretty funny. It's hard to believe 3 weeks have gone by already. Max is still no closer to sleeping through the night, but that's okay. I'm surprised at how functional I am in the daytime. I even managed to get some work done today.

15 days

We've had lots of visitors, the best of whom bring food and do laundry.

Today Max came to Bioethics class with me. We had fun. I also had my first bout of public breastfeeding. I chickened out and ducked into a bathroom at Jiffy Lube. Last night he spent a lot of time smiling in his sleep, and he and Ty had some boy time at 4 am. I hope they don't make that a habit, or at least I hope that I am dead asleep if they do.

Speaking of, baby books are a lifesaver. I learned how to put him to sleep so he stays unconscious instead of popping back up 30 seconds later. I'm getting used to surviving on two hour naps, but slowly. Anyway, off to make some brownies while Max is still in a milk coma.

anti-epidural rant

first let me say I am looking this gift horse directly in the mouth. That 3 hours sleep I got after was pretty nice. BUT
a
Epidurals are the portal to a long and ugly path of superfluous medical intervention. They don't tell you that:

They will give you liters and liters of fluid to prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure, which will dilute the oxytocin your body is so diligently putting out to cause contractions and dilation.

This dilution will cause your contractions to slow, from 2 minutes apart and effective to 6 minutes apart and useless.

Then they will have to start pitocin.

Then, if you're unlucky, they will have to up and up and up the pitocin and if that doesn't work...

It's the operating room. And my doc doesn't VBAC.

mmm mmm mmm.

AND, it doesn't help to have the nurses telling you, "it's only going to get worse". I can think of two things worse to say to a woman in transition, but only two. And one of them involves fatality.

Anyway, Max and I went for a long walk today, but now it's cooling off and we should get back inside.

9 days/ birth story

Max has been in the world 9 days. He is getting cuter and cuter every day!

Our birth story, in a nutshell.

Saturday morning March 31 I woke up thinking I had dreamt about having contractions. Turns out, they were 8-10 minutes apart and they had been waking me up. Saturday I rested between contractions and made lasagna. Saturday night they picked up in intensity and frequency, to about 5-8 minutes apart. I was up all night with them, and I watched Borat to distract myself. I let Ty sleep because I knew I would need him later on! Sunday they got really regular, to about 3-5 minutes for hours... I knew they wouldn't feed me in the hospital so I made a delicious smoothie around 2:30 and promptly threw it all up. Ty and I looked at each other and said, okay, time to go.

At 3 pm we got to the hospital and I was 3 cm dilated, 90% effaced (baby comes at 10 cm, 100%). We labored until 10 pm, by which point (48 hours in!) I was delirious and exhausted. Too bad I didn't ask them to check me then, I just broke down and asked for the epidural. Turns out I was in transition -- 7 cm and counting, with the bag of waters bulging so much that Ty could see it. Oh well, there's always next time for a natural delivery! :) (I'll post my anti-epidural rant later) Anyway I took a much needed nap and when I woke up I couldn't feel my legs. So I asked them to turn the epidural down. Much better! I could actually feel the contractions a little better, be more in tune with my body and the task at hand. Then it was time to push. They turned the epidural off and I could feel what I was doing. I pushed him out in 5 contractions. Ty didn't tell me until two days later that his cord was wrapped around his neck and he was blue form the neck up. They put our boy on my stomach and tried to make him breathe. Ty pronounced him Max Theodore Malloy at 4:17 am. They had to take him to the warmer for a minute to drain his lungs of fluid, but he was fine -- APGARs were 8 and 9. Then we got to hang out for the 2 postpartum hours till they took him to the nursery. Max got a clean bill of health and we got to keep him in the room with us while we were in the hospital.