Just Hold On a Little Longer, Baby!

I am typing this from my room at our hospital.  I woke up to use the restroom around 1 am on Saturday morning to find my underwear, nightshirt and pillow under my hips SOAKED.  I got up to use the restroom while trying not to alert Husband (who was still awake) to the situation and tried to decide if my water had broken or if maybe I had a bad UTI and pee'd the bed or something.  I was only 31 weeks and 5 days!  It was not time for my water to break!

I was pretty sure it was not pee.  So I went back to the living room and Googled "Did I Pee Myself or Did My Water Break" and the general consensus of the Internet was "Your Water Broke".  By this time, Husband was curious as to why I was awake and why I had thrown all the bedding off my spot, so I had to fess up.  He immediately jumped and paced and started asking me a million questions.  So I called my mom who told me to call the hospital and she would meet us there.

An unattractive picture of a still pregnant looking me in triage at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning.
My belly is a lot smaller now!  All my visitors think I've already had Cam, but I've just lost a lot of water weight.

The hospital did tests and told me not only had my water broken, but it was a 'gross rupture', which means  my water BROKE.  All capital letters.  They gave me a room, an iv, antibiotics and steroid shots to speed his lung development and told me to hang out until something happens.

Nothing has happened yet.

The doctor this morning said that 75% of women in my situation would give birth in the next 48 hours.  If that happens, Cam will weigh about 4 pounds and stay in NICU about a month.  They would have to make sure he was breathing on his own fine, wasn't jaundiced, can keep his body temp regulated on his own and was eating and gaining weight.  I'm hoping since he has been stubborn and not very statistically correct so far, that he will stay in longer and be in NICU less time.  The doctor said if we stay like we are (and Cam seems to be pretty cozy in there now, I'm not having any contractions at all and have stopped leaking fluid) he would let us go for up to 10-13 days before he started labor.  That would put us between 33-34 weeks along and it would be so much better.  Let's hope we are the weirdo 25%!  I feel better, healthier and more relaxed than I have this entire pregnancy and Cam likes to snuggle, so maybe now that he's stuck tight with less fluid he'll hang out a little longer.

We are touring the NICU today and they said they would show us some babies that would be about his size so we know what to expect.  They're letting me take showers, and I know it seems silly because I'm in the hospital, but I've done my makeup and will be blow drying my hair when I'm done with this post.  It just makes me feel better!  Aside from visiting NICU, I'm not allowed out of my room so as to prevent any infection because my water has ruptured, so any break in routine is nice.  We didn't get to go to our birthing, breast feeding, or newborn classes because they are all in June, so I'm going to call the people at the hospital that do them and see if I can at least get the literature to go through.  I don't like to do anything important without knowing everything I can about it, and this is the most important thing I've ever done!  I think it will help me be more prepared.

Husband weighed ten pounds at birth, so no one has really bought any newborn clothes because they said he would be too big for them, so now everyone is scrambling to buy preemie things, which is a big help.  My mom and sister are finishing his little spot in our apartment and getting things together for bringing him home, which is a HUGE help.  We don't have anything completely done yet!

I should have a baby this week!  I'm so afraid I won't be able to hold him right away or that he'll be developmentally behind or that he'll be in the hospital for a month like they say.  But I've been telling everyone this whole pregnancy that he isn't going to stay in for 40 weeks, he's too hyper, and they've been telling me I'm a first time mom and he'll probably go past the due date.  I knew he was going to come early, even though everything has looked normal (even though I didn't think it would be THIS early!).  Now I hope we prove everyone wrong again and my thoughts are right that he is comfy and planning to stay in his little, deflated sack for as long as he pleases and we'll be a little longer before labor!

Tips for Morning Sickness Relief

I had horrible morning sickness for a very long time, it went away, then came back.  I've learned  a few tricks and I wanted to share them.

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1) Never ever let your stomach get completely empty.

I know that the smell, taste, texture or thought of food might make you want to toss your cookies, but this is important.  Find whatever it is that you are able to tolerate that week/day/hour/minute and put some in your belly.  I always felt my sickest when I let myself go too long without food.  I carried pre-cut apple slices with me everywhere and if I started feeling sick, I would RUN to wherever I had them stashed and stuff two or three in my mouth before resuming normal business.  My doctor said something about the acid in your stomach affecting something… blah blah.  I was too sick to pay attention to the WHY's, I just knew food helped.

2) Sometimes, what you want most makes you the sickest, so always be prepared to throw up.

Cookie crisp and apple slices.  That was a rough night.

3) Spicy things are the enemy.

This should just be common sense.

4) Tums are your friend.

I carried around an industrial sized bottle in my purse for months.

5) Preggie Pops.

They make these suckers called "Preggie Pops" (I discussed them in my last post) and they are WONDERFUL.  I carried two bags on me at all times.  They come in different flavors and I recommend the sour flavors and the lavender.  I do NOT recommend the spearmint or ginger.  Yuck.

6) Liquids + Food = Vomit

I couldn't drink anything with meals.  It worked out best when I waited a half hour after I ate to drink.  I'm not sure why this is a thing, but it helps.

7) They say citrus is good for morning sickness. . .

. . . but lemonade is not helpful for heartburn.  AT.  ALL.  If you have heartburn, stay away from the citrus stuff.

8) Mouthwash

I carried a giant bottle of mouthwash in my purse next to the Preggie Pops and Tums (my purse weighed about 20 lbs, lol).  I started carrying it to rinse my mouth out after I threw up.  However, I started noticing that rinsing my mouth out when I felt nauseous helped with the nausea.  I don't know if that would work for everyone, but the rinsing your mouth out thing is definitely helpful.

9)  What works for one person is not going to work for every person.

Pay attention to what you eat and when you feel sick.  Eventually, you will learn what foods cause you to be sick and what foods help you feel better and those foods will change all the time.  Find what works for you!

10) Everyone thinks morning sickness is a regular part of pregnancy, 

but if you feel so sick you can't function, or if you are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.  Mine suggested I take Pepcid, which is an over the counter medicine, but they can also prescribe anti-nausea pills if they feel they need to.

These tips helped me so much!  I hope they can help other people.  Does anyone else have tips?

Pregnancy Product 911

The past couple of weeks, my back and belly have been hurting so bad!  It was the kind of hurt that makes a person frustrated.  No relief ever. I was ready to just lay down on the floor and refuse to move and everyone could just figure out what to do with me.  I was just done.  My husband bought a maternity support belt from Babies R Us.  It has a billion straps and looks like some weird belly straight jacket, but it works!  I think it might be a miracle.  I am no longer tempted to make such a dramatic show of desperation.


Feeling better really relieved me because I was starting to feel kind of guilty for being so miserable.  We tried SO HARD and for such a long time to get pregnant, and I don't even LIKE being pregnant.  However, now that I'm not so miserable from pain, I realize that we didn't try to get PREGNANT, we tried to make a BABY.  I can dislike this stupid pregnant thing as much as I want, because this isn't our result, this is just a short little road on the way to getting our little Cam.  Just because I don't like being pregnant doesn't mean I'm ungrateful or that I don't want our baby.  I can't WAIT to meet our baby.   Thank heavens for this blog.  I'm sure there will be some other horrible thing that will make me go crazy and it will be good to go back and read those words!  


The bliss of a product I could buy causing me to not be in constant pain made me think of the other things that have been so helpful through this pregnancy.  I wanted to make them into a list so maybe they could help other desperate future moms!

Below are just a few of the most helpful products I've used so far. . .

Preggie Pops - These come in different flavors.  I am a huge fan of the sour flavors and the lavender pops.  I keep these on my person at all times.  They really do help calm my belly when I get nauseous!

Heavily Scented Lotion - My mom is a nurse, and she gave me this idea when I texted her in a panic from the office.  Two coworkers had brought Mexican food to their desks to eat and I thought I was going to get sick from the smell.  She told me to put a dab of something that smells good under my nose.  Instant relief!  Orange is one of the few smells I like now, so I used that.  You could also use essential oils or even perfume.

The Crazy Maternity Strap - This really did help so much!  I'm still excited about mine.  I highly suggest it for third trimester (or bigger second trimester) bellies.

Stretch Mark Cream

Body Pillow - It is almost impossible to sleep without one anymore!

Tummy Sleeve - This is a life saver!  You wear it over your pre-pregnancy jeans and just leave the button and zipper undone.  I'm 8-months pregnant now, and I can still wear some of my non-maternity jeans thanks to this little superhero!

Sad, sad day.

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I am trying to be sensible about this.  I'm pregnant.  Pregnant women get stretch marks and that is ok.

But really, I'm freaking out.

I already feel unattractive, and my husband was the one who pointed it out to me by putting his finger on it and saying "uh oh!  Whats that?!".  Mr. Sensitivity he is not, bless his heart.

Ugh.   The no stretch marks was my last little normal thing I had and I feel like this is just the one, little, inch long mark before the flood gates open and my belly looks like a zebra.

I think pregnancy might be harder emotionally/mentally than it is physically.

*sigh*

* * * UPDATE! * * *

Since this post, I have calmed down and decided that a single, inch-long stretch mark is getting off easy.  I've decided to name it Vivienne, because that sounds kind of bitchy and stretch marks are not nice.  She had just better not invite her friends over.

Online Shopping Saturday

I don't want to overwhelm everyone with pregnant stuff.  So, to break up the gestational posts, I wanted to post about something I am really interested in right now.

And that is normal people clothes.

I miss looking cute so much!  I've been checking out skinny clothes and pinning them to my Pinterest boards and lusting after them in stores.

Below are some of my favorite items that I'm hoping to purchase this fall, post-baby.

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I love everything about this Polyvore set.  Mostly what I love is the button down shirt under the sweater look.  It is casual and comfy, but just nerdy enough to wear to the office.

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Shoes!  I miss heels so much!  All of the shoes in this set are under $50, so I feel like I could buy every pair.  I can just picture the toes of those blue pumps peeking out from under a pair of trouser jeans with a loose, blousy shirt on top.

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Last, but certainly not least, are the dresses with a WAIST.  I miss having a waist so much.  I'm not so unrealistic as to think I will get my body back immediately.  I haven't gained any weight due to morning sickness, but I know one's stomach does not just go back to it's normal, tight-skinned self.  Also, a dress that zips up the back is not exactly practical while breastfeeding.  However, I can not WAIT until I can wear things that make me feel feminine and attractive again, and these colorful ladies would do the job nicely.  Again, they are all under $50, so I could actually buy these dresses!

Things I Wish People Had Warned Me About Pregnancy

I am so excited that little Camden George will be here so soon!  However, there are several things I wish someone had warned me about before I got pregnant.  Below is a list of things I would like to tell my pre-pregnant self.

Dear Pre-Pregnant Sarah,

1) No matter how cute you thought pregnant bellies are on other women, your's will probably freak you out. You did a double take when walking past the mirror in your second trimester.  You looked like a pot-bellied alien all of a sudden!  Like Roger, from American Dad, in a blond wig!  Now, you see women farther along than you and rather than finding them cute, you are a little scared.

2) You will get angry with your unborn child (and feel guilty about it later).  He will kick, punch, stretch and lay in the most uncomfortable places.  You can try to negotiate your comfort, but he has no mercy.  Pregnant women don't sit with their hands on their belly because they are bonding with the baby (unless they are just feeling for movement).  They are usually pushing on a butt, head, foot or elbow to try and GET IT OUT of wherever it is pressing.

3) Morning sickness can last all day and the whole pregnancy.  You will have 18 weeks of sick, get an 11 week break and think you are doing great, pre-pregnant Sarah, and then it will come back with a vengeance.  Third-trimester morning sickness means you also have a baby kicking you in the sick parts.  Enjoy your 11 week break.  Eat more cinnamon rolls and chinese food.  You will miss them.

4) People say really dumb things to pregnant women and you are no exception.  There are no off limits topics of conversation, even with complete strangers.  Examples: "How much weight have you gained", "Are you going to breast feed", "You are huge", "You look too small", "Have you bought any nipple cream yet", "If you think you are tired now, wait until the baby comes", "You should sleep all you can now because you won't after the baby comes".

5) People you barely know or don't know at all will try to touch your belly.  You have a coworker you are not super fond of who will touch your belly when you are only a couple months along.  You will not be showing yet.  That will be really weird.

6) You will feel the most unattractive you have ever felt in your life.  More unattractive than your awkward junior high school years.  More unattractive than the time you cut your hair in a pageboy.  It's bad.

7) Pregnant women don't waddle because their bellies are big.  They waddle because the little bundle of joy has nestled so far down, they are pressing on momma's hips and bladder.  If you try to walk normally when you have to pee, you may spring a leak.  Just waddle.  It is better that way.  Also, try not to cough or sneeze.

8) You cannot suddenly eat anything you want when you are pregnant.  It is actually harder to eat whatever you want because you have a doctor weighing you at least once a month and holding you accountable for any weight gain/loss.  They will have an amount they want you to gain and will let you know what that amount is.  Do not listen to the people who try to force cake and candy on you while saying "but you are eating for two!".  If you gain 60 lbs, your doctor is not going to like it.  You just keep doing what you want to do and don't listen to the civilians.  You are doing great and your doctor thinks you are awesome.

9) Some advice related to number eight above ... everyone around you becomes a doctor and gives you crazy advice.  Don't listen to any "doctors" except the one you go visit for appointments.  You can ask him about the "advice" and he will make fun of those people.  

10) You will suddenly become terrified that your baby will grow up to be horribly flawed because of your bad parenting.  What if he is a murderer or rapist or child molester or drug addict or a bully or any number of horrible things?  What if he just decides to drop out of school and lay on your couch eating cheesy poofs all day?  What makes people turn out like that?  You are not sure and it scares you to death.

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If you can't tell from my list, I haven't really enjoyed being pregnant.  At. All.  I have been sick and exhausted pretty much the whole time.  It is uncomfortable and sometimes painful.  I am actually looking forward to labor and delivery.  Bring it on.  However, I don't think it would be possible to love anything as much as I love this little creature I have beating the crap out of my insides.  He already has a little personality and a schedule.  I know when he is going to kick and flip, and when he is going to snuggle down and squish my hips and bladder and sciatic nerve.  I like wondering what he is doing in there and knowing when I should expect to feel him move.  He likes to nap after lunch and after my drive home from work.  Metallica makes him bounce around, but my singing makes him still.  He sleeps all night (let's keep that going!) and likes to exercise in the mornings.  He enjoys kicking the cat when it lays on my belly.  His favorite foods are oatmeal, skittles and apples.  When he is born, he is going to wear adorable outfits and be squishy and warm and nice to cuddle.  When he is older, he'll have manners and play the cello.  No football, but swimming, tennis and golf would be ok.  We'll take him on nature walks and enroll him in some kind of martial art.  I hope he is funny and sweet and a little weird and awkward.  I hope he has my tact and compassion and his dad's sense of humor and charisma.  I hope he has my dimples  and my husband's eyelashes, skin, height and smile.  I hope he is kind to animals and those less fortunate.  He will no doubt be spoiled, but I hope we can teach him to appreciate and be grateful for what he has, with the knowledge that there are lots of people who don't get those things.

Most of all, I hope he loves us as much as we love him.  I don't want him to go through a parent-hating phase.  I hope I never forget what it was like to be a child.  I hope we can walk the line between being good parents and being a friend to him and not cross too much into one or the other.  I hope he always knows how much we love him and how much we want him.

And I hope July 24 gets here FAST.

Pregnancy Story Part 2

I know it has been months since I last wrote.  I've been busy and lazy.  My bestie, Lisa, has been hinting forever that I am neglecting this poor blog and I suppose Mother's Day is an excellent day to continue the second half of the pregnancy story!

When we left off, it was the night I took the positive pregnancy test.  I called my OB/GYN's office the next day from work.  I was concerned because I had been spotting off and on for ages.  They wanted me to come in right away, so I immediately assumed something was wrong.

My last missed period had been mid-September and this was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  That would have put me at about 8-9 weeks pregnant.  My husband went with me to the appointment.

I had never seen the actual doctor before.  I had always had appointments with his nurse practitioner (whom I loved).  The man had never met me, knew next to nothing about our issues getting pregnant or my wacky periods.

Before he even started the exam he told me that spotting was a bad sign.  I discovered later that spotting is completely normal for some women, especially light, light brown spotting.  It happens.

During the exam, he told me that my uterus was not big enough for 9 weeks along and that I was probably miscarrying.  Then he sent me to ultrasound.

The ultrasound tech found no sign of a 9 week pregnancy.

Doctor said that I was definitely miscarrying and told me that the next pregnancy had a good chance of sticking and not to be torn up about this one.  He casually informed us that 1 out of 5 pregnancies ended in miscarriages and if I was a "betting woman" I would see that we had a good chance of a "sticky baby" next conception.  He sent me to the lab for blood tests  and then sent me home with miscarriage pamphlets.

My heart was crushed.  I can't even describe how agonizing the rest of that day and night was.  

The doctor called the next day and said my blood tests showed I had been pregnant, but that he had "no hope of a viable pregnancy" and that the hormones would drop off as I got further along in the miscarriage.  I was to go back for more blood tests on Friday to see how my pregnancy hormones had changed.

We had Thanksgiving and I went in for more blood tests that Friday.  I started thinking.  If I was miscarrying a 9 week baby, wouldn't my uterus show that I was 9 weeks along?  Wouldn't they show the 9 week embryo on the ultrasound, even if it was dead?  I was still lightly spotting.  If I was miscarrying, wouldn't there be more blood and some cramping by now?  I started having hope that the doctor was full of crap.

We got my results back on Monday and my levels had quadrupled.  The doctor said he was surprised and scheduled an ultrasound for a few weeks out.  I scheduled it at an imaging center in a larger town.  I said it was because the imaging center was more convenient, but I think I just didn't want to go back to the first hospital.  

The ultrasound tech put her little wand on my belly and started moving it around.  Husband stood and watched.  She found our little peanut and we could see his little heart beat.  It was the most beautiful thing in the whole world.  She said he was only just 8 weeks along.  That means, I conceived in October and just never had a "real" period that month.  Like I mentioned before, my periods are wacky.

We had a picture of the little baby and I was the most paranoid woman in the whole world, but we really were pregnant and the doctor really was full of it!  That was months and months ago and I have since changed hospitals completely and love my new OB.  I never did go back to the original doctor.  The baby and I are both healthy.  HE measured perfectly at my last checkup.  I'm due July 24 with a little boy we decided to name Camden George.  Camden, because it was the only first name we could agree on (we call him "Cam"), and George after my grandpa and papaw.