Post Partum Recovery – A Comparison

I have now given birth to two little boys and each birth and recovery has been different. Before having kids I think I just assumed that there was a "normal" way to give birth (and recover), but like snowflakes, each experience is different.

With Jack, I gave birth by pushing him out of my body after 20 hours. That experience was not without complications and almost resulted in a c-section. With Isaac, I had an emergency c-section 3 hours after being induced. I thought I would do a comparison of my two different experiences, especially the recovery part. If you want to read about the different birth experiences, here are the links: Jack's Birth  |  Isaac's Birth

JACK
Pregnancy Exercise – I worked out 4x a week (yoga and kickboxing) up until the day I went into labor.

Weight Gain – Gained approximately 25 pounds.

Pregnancy – Easy. No morning sickness or complications beyond a risk for blood clots.

Labor – My water broke at 40 weeks and I gave birth vaginally (18.5 hours of labor and 1.5 hours of pushing).

Post Partum – Went home after 3 days in the hospital.

Pain – Had a lot of vaginal pain post birth (lots of ice packs, sits baths, and ibuprofen). This lasted a couple of weeks.

Restrictions – I had no post partum restrictions regarding picking up heavy items or driving.

40 Weeks Pregnant (Jack)

Hunger – Starving all of the time... I ate an entire 9x13 chocolate sheet cake in two days when I first came home from the hospital.

Nursing – Milk came in a couple of days after getting home from the hospital. Struggled with oversupply. Nursed for 15 months.

Post Partum Exercise – Started working out (yoga at first) at 4 weeks post partum, followed by Zumba and then Kickboxing in the following weeks. Worked out off an and on post partum, but didn't have a good child care option at the time.

Bladder – Struggled with a weak bladder after giving birth. It took over 12 months to regain bladder control (with the help of exercise I regained control when Jack was about 18 months old).

Energy Levels – Felt very tired for the 6 weeks following giving birth.

Weight Loss – back to pre-pregnancy weight 6 weeks post partum.

6 Weeks Post Partum (Jack)

 
ISAAC
Pregnancy Exercise – I worked out 3x a week (weight lifting and boot camp) up until the day before I was induced. I did strength training this time and was a lot stronger throughout my pregnancy. I am so grateful for the strength training because having strong arms and legs made a huge difference in my recovery from a c-section. You have no idea how much you have to use your arms to maneuver yourself when you can't use your core muscles for 4 weeks straight! Also, I think the weight training contributed to higher metabolism this time around.

Weight Gain – Gained approximately 25 pounds. 

Pregnancy – Morning sickness, pre-term labor at 30 weeks, Polyhydramnios and risk for blood clots.

Labor – Was induced at 40 weeks and had an emergency c-section after 3 hours of labor (my water broke within 30 minutes of being induced).

Post Partum – Went home after 3 days in the hospital. 

Pain – Experienced zero vaginal pain this time. Instead had tightness from my stitches. Took percocet a couple of times a day for 5 days post surgery.

Restrictions – For the first 3 weeks post surgery, I was only allowed to pick up things that weighed the same as Isaac (approximately 7 pounds). Also, no driving for 3 weeks.

40 Weeks Pregnant (Isaac)

Hunger – Starving all of the time... ate dessert every night for the first 3 weeks I was home after giving birth.

Nursing – Milk came in strong the day I came home from the hospital. Struggling with oversupply of milk again.

Post Partum Exercise – Was given the OK to start a modified workout regiment at 3 weeks post partum. Went back to boot camp at 4 weeks post partum and did the workouts with Isaac strapped to my chest in an Ergo carrier. At 6 weeks post partum, was able to fully do boot camp classes again.

Bladder – Had ZERO issues with bladder control during pregnancy and post surgery (at 6 weeks I can do full jumping jacks without bladder issues). One odd thing I didn't expect was that for the first 4 weeks I couldn't tell when my bladder was full. The internet says this is normal, so I just had to make myself go to the bathroom every time I changed a diaper. The sensation has since returned.

Energy Levels – Was told to take Iron on a daily basis to compensate for the blood loss during my c-section. When I miss taking an Iron supplement I find that I am completely exhausted (with Jack no one suggested I take iron to help with energy levels, and I didn't know to ask for help with this).

Weight Loss – back to pre-pregnancy weight 3 weeks post partum.

7 Weeks Post Partum (Isaac)

With both pregnancies I stayed very fit, but with both births I experienced difficulties. I am a little disappointed that I didn't get to experience a birth without complications, but I think the fact that I was fit helped me to get through those complications (especially with Jack's delivery).

Meanwhile recovery from both pregnancies, while different, was relatively easy. I attribute bouncing back and good metabolism to remaining fit during my pregnancies and working out as soon as I felt able. I often surprised myself with how much I was able to do during and immediately after pregnancy. I know this isn't for everyone, but it is what worked for me. Exercise is one of the few things that allowed me to feel normal during and after pregnancy. 

The best news is that I am now officially past the 6 week post partum time period and my doctor has cleared me to return to life as usual and I don't have to give myself any more shots!!!

Isaac's Birth Story

It's been one week since Isaac came into the world and in some ways I am still wrapping my head around how everything went. All pregnancies and births are different, and I don't think you can ever be fully prepared for how things will turn out. This experience was no exception.

We went to the hospital at midnight before our due date for a scheduled induction. Our baby was measuring big with a big head and we didn't want to take a chance of me having to deliver a really big head again (with Jack, it required a vacuum). Also there were the risk factors associated with having polyhdramnios – namely placental abruption and cord prolapse. Both of these risks are associated with your water breaking. With so much extra amniotic fluid in the uterus, there is an increased risk of the cord falling out before the baby is born (cord prolapse) or the placenta tearing away from the uterus (placental abruption). Both of which can be bad news for the baby and mother.

We arrived at the hospital shortly after midnight – we stopped on the way for some snacks. I ate a Twix bar as we drove up the hospital. We signed in at the front desk and waited for them to call us upstairs. Around 12:30am we were told that we could to go up.

Our nurse greeted us at the doors to Labor and Delivery. We noticed that the satellite hospital we were delivering at now had a NICU and we inquired about it. The lack of a NICU had been one of our initial concerns about delivering at Women's East instead of downtown. For a variety of reasons we stuck with East (Jack was also delivered at this hospital), so it was a relief to learn they officially had a NICU (just in case things didn't go as planned).

After signing more papers and discussing the induction process, my nurse gave me a gown and I hopped into bed to get things started. Around 1am, she finally started to slowly turn on the pitocin drip. Initially things were going fine. I had come in with contractions (that weren't painful) but was still only 2cm. We hoped my body would kick in on its own and the pitocin would be a minor part of this delivery.

After 10 minutes the nurse came back in to turn my pitocin up to a 6 (I think we started at 4, though I'm not entirely sure what those numbers mean). Almost immediately I started to get unbearable contractions. The kind where you feel like you are going to die. My nurse told me she would be back shortly and almost as soon as she walked out of the room my water broke.

I thought of the risks associated with your water breaking and immediately told Daniel to call the nurse. The water was gushing and the contractions were coming in waves without a break (very similar to my contractions with Jack after my water broke).

My nurse checked me and said I was already dilated to 5cm and I said I wanted an epidural as soon as possible. The contractions kept coming and the water kept coming. Another nurse came back in the room and they mentioned that there was meconium in the water. 

Pretty soon the anesthesiologist was in the room. I made the mental note that he was the same person that had done my epidural with Jack. Between contractions he inserted the catheter and Daniel held my shoulders still while I tried not to move or cry. As soon as my legs were numb, the nurse mentioned that she was having a difficult time finding a heart beat for the baby.

Sometime during this process, my doctor had been called and the NICU had been called because of the meconium. My legs were numb but I continued to feel the contractions. My doctor checked me between waves of pain and I was already dilated to 8cm and things had only been happening for about 2 hours. The pitocin had been stopped since my body was doing the work on its own.

After getting checked my doctor mentioned that there was blood in the water that was gushing out and she was concerned about a placental abruption. During this time the nurses were turning me from side to side trying to find the baby's heart beat. As the minutes ticked by, my doctor made the decision that for the safety of the baby and me we needed to go to the OR. During this period my anesthesiologist never had time to leave my room.

They immediately began prepping me for surgery and quickly explained to us what to expect. I asked if Daniel could come give me a kiss before we went to the OR. Then I started praying that things would go smoothly. Before I knew it, I was being whisked down the hallway to the OR.

The room was so bright with white walls and huge white lights. Somewhere in the background music was playing. The OR filled up quickly and it felt like only a few minutes before the cloths were draped and Daniel was sitting beside me again.

My drugs were pretty strong. My arms were numb and I could barely hold my eyes open so I lay there and just drifted. I was afraid to fall asleep. Daniel held my hand and I opened my eyes to see that he had stood up to watch the surgery proceed over the top of the blanket. He watched the entire process.

Within a few minutes our baby was out and Daniel said, "It's a boy." Shortly after, our boy started crying. He cried quite a bit and then they gave him to Daniel. He was born at 4:16am, weighed 6pounds 12 oz (like his big brother), was 20.25inches long and had dark blue eyes. His apgar scores were 6 and 8.

At this point I was shaking uncontrollably from the drugs. My arms where out to my sides and they began to ache at the shoulders. Every once in awhile I felt like I couldn't catch my breath and the anesthesiologist would tell me I was fine and that my oxygen levels were still at 100%.

I looked at our son, but was still having trouble focusing so Daniel continued to hold him. I started pitocin around 1am and our boy was born at 4:16am. It was all such an unexpected whirlwhind. It took another 20+ minutes to stitch me up and then we were off to recovery.

I continued to shake and I have never felt so thirsty in my life. Before we left the OR the anesthesiologist took pity on me and had squeezed water from a wash cloth into my parched mouth. I am so grateful that he did that for me. It was another hour before I was allowed ice chips. While we waited in recovery, they covered me with warm blankets to help with the shaking and put compression boots on my legs to prevent blood clots (I am at a higher risk for due to a blood clot 7 years ago).

The boots were very confusing at first because I didn't know they were on my legs. As feeling returned to me body, my legs would alternately start tingling. The nurses eventually noticed my confusion and let me know that the boots were making my legs tingle.

While in recovery I finally felt like I could use my arms enough to hold our baby. He immediately started nursing with very little help from me. We actually stayed in recovery for over an hour while he nursed heartily.

I think it was around 6am when they wheeled us back to my room. The delivery table was in the hallway outside my door. Whether vaginally or a c-section I was definitely having a baby before morning. Daniel later told me that the plan was to let me push if I was fully dilated when we reached the OR, but in the end my doctor decided that the c-section was the safest delivery for me and our baby.

I am thankful for my doctor's quick thinking and that the surgery went so well. Back in my room they told me that I should get up and walk as soon as I could. I was able to sit in a chair later that afternoon.

I only stayed in the hospital about 2.5 days. We are home and recovering now. I can't drive for 2 weeks and am focusing on healing. It is hard to not over do it. For recovery you are supposed to get up and walk, while also resting as much as possible. Overall I feel pretty decent for having major surgery a week ago. I am confident that working out throughout my pregnancy has made recovery easier. 

Read Jack's Birth Story here.

Baby Update: 40 Weeks, Induction on Horizon

Reading back over the account of my last days being pregnant with Jack is eerily familiar. This week I have fielded a lot of questions about my due date, followed by looks of surprise when I say Saturday. Not only is it my due date, but this baby is definitely coming then since we are choosing to induce due to head size. I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around the fact that we will be a family of four by the end of this weekend.

It really hit home when my sister texted me saying she had sent me a package for my "kids." Up until that text I hadn't really thought much about kids in the plural.

On Wednesday I got a pedicure in hopes of jump starting labor. Or maybe I was just desperate since I can no longer reach my toenails. The guy working on my feet was nervous that my due date is so soon.

Then last night I had an irrational moment of worry that I would actually go into labor and miss Jack's first preschool music program. Thankfully baby stayed put – though I would be fine going into labor any time now.

I made it to the Y three days this week in the hopes that I might go into labor on my own before my induction. Today was the first day I had to walk out of a class to take a breather because of a painful stitch in my side – I think I freaked some people out. Thankfully I was able to finish the class but the OB appointment I went to afterward showed no change from last week – I'm still 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. 
 
At the OB appointment we also learned that our baby is still growing and is currently measuring 8lbs give or take half a pound. My amniotic fluid is also back up in the high-risk category at 26cm. This explains the increase in my Braxton Hicks the last couple of days. Before we left my OB appointment, they put me on a fetal heartrate monitor. Of course I had only 2 tiny contractions while I laid there. As soon as we left, my Braxton Hicks went into overdrive. Have I mentioned that I'm ready to be done?

It is surreal to be finalizing plans for the weekend – who will watch Jack, what our game plan is if I go into labor in the middle of the night, that type of thing. I'm so glad we squeezed in our canoe trip on Sunday, I really needed those last moments with my family of three. We are in countdown mode now, in just over 24 hours we check into the hospital to start the process of meeting our new little one (unless I go into labor sooner).

Baby #2, almost 40 Weeks

 

Comparison: 40 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Baby Update: 39 Weeks (10 Days To Go)

Daniel stayed home from work today so that he could go to the OB with me. We are in the final stages after all. Jack is soaking up the extra time with his daddy – as I write this, they are outside changing a battery in a car with plans to wash all of the cars next.

I am still wrapping my head around the fact that we only have 10 days (at the most) before Baby#2 joins us. This past weekend Daniel and I finally committed to working on our list of names. We have narrowed it to 28 girl names and 22 boy names. We obviously need help... I think we are hoping we will just "know" when we see our sweet baby for the first time.

I am currently 2cm dilated and 80% effaced and the baby has dropped. I was fairly certain it must have dropped this past week because I can breathe and eat again and don't feel quite so miserable. My amniotic fluid is staying at a reasonable 22.5cm – so lower risks! I did lose 4 pounds this week. I am assuming that is water loss since I am barely swollen this week.

Over the weekend I experienced a horrific sinus headache that lasted 3 days. I thought my cheeks were going to explode. I am glad that has passed, but with allergy season upon, I may need to invest in a neti pot.

I have been more apprehensive lately as the time draws closer for this baby to come. With Jack, my water broke and I immediately knew that I was in labor. With my miscarriage, it was a similar experience, there was a moment when it was abundantly clear that things were going to start happening. With this labor, I have had a lot more uncertainty. I still get regular Braxton Hicks contractions – my stomach gets incredibly hard and uncomfortable and then 30 seconds later it stops. This has gone on for so long, I feel like I won't know when the time is real. 

I haven't done this list for this pregnancy, but here are a few of my numbers this time around:

368 prenatal vitamins swallowed.

203 shots in my stomach. 

91 baby names reduced to 50 (we only need 2).

62 bootcamp classes completed.

31 pump (weight lifting) classes completed.

24 piyo classes completed.

23 pounds gained.

22 OB visits checked off.  

14 ultrasounds.

10 Braxton Hicks contractions experienced on average every day.

10 days until our due date/induction. 

8 gender-neutral outfits purchased.

7.5+ pounds is approximately what Baby#2 weighs right now. 
5 pillows needed for sleeping.

2 nights in the hospital for pre-term labor.

1 crib, 1 rock 'n play and 1 carseat dug out of the basement and assembled.

1 final OB appointment and ultrasound scheduled for next week.

0 books read or classes attended pertaining to birth or parenting.

Baby #2, almost 39 Weeks

Comparison: 39 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Baby Update: 38 Weeks, Homestretch

At my weekly ultrasound and OB visit I learned that Baby#2 is currently measuring 7lbs 1oz (give or take half a pound) and has a large head. In addition, my amniotic fluid is 24cm this week (last week it was 25cm). The biggest concern right now is the baby's size, specifically the head. Jack had a big head and my OB had to use a vacuum to help deliver him. If this baby's head is already bigger, well, we don't want to wait too long to deliver.

The current plan is that we are going to induce on the baby's due date (April 18) but if I go into labor naturally, then that is all the better. It is kind of surreal to know that, at the most, we only have about 2 weeks before we meet Baby#2. Considering I have had continual Braxton Hicks since the 20 week mark I'm not sure what real contractions are going to feel like. My OB says that I will know. I hope so. I am currently 1.5cm dilated and 70% effaced, but it can take awhile to get to 4cm and there is no telling how long that will take. I'm praying that labor starts on its own before the due date rolls around. Jack came on a full moon, so maybe we will get lucky again?

My blood pressure continues to be low and swelling in my feet and legs, while existent, isn't too terrible. My twice-a-day Heparin shots leave painful welts under my skin which makes me more than ready to be done with this pregnancy. At the same time it is kind of hard to wrap my mind around the fact that a newborn will be here soon.

Daniel has been working long hours to wrap up some things before baby arrives, so we have been trying our best to make sure both of us spend as much quality time with Jack as we can. I know things are going to change and I want him to still feel like he is important. Thankfully the weather has been nice so we are spending lots of time at the playground.

Every night Jack prays the following prayer: 
Dear God, 
Thank your for this day.
Thank you for Mommy's baby, Jack's baby, and Daddy's baby.
Thank you for my friends.
Amen.

The best pregnancy comment from a stranger goes to the girl working the Dunkin Donuts drive through the other day: "Oh girl, you are glowing!" I was expecting the more typical, "You're huge!" or "Are you past your due date?" comments. This sweet girl's comment made my day.

Some friends and I were recently sharing our labor stories, which progressed to thinking about our "last" meals before labor and our "first" meal after delivery. This morphed into planning my last meal before I go to the hospital... got to make it a good one. With Jack we were grilling steaks when my water broke and I'm pretty sure my first post-baby meal was a piece of banana bread and a latte from Starbucks. Speaking of food, I feel famished all the time these days.
 

Baby #2, almost 38 Weeks

Comparison: 38 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Overall speculation on gender continues to be girl, with a few holdouts for boy. Overall this has been a more difficult pregnancy, but in both pregnancies I have only gained weight in my belly, but that could be due to working out. I guess we will find out soon enough – I still don't have a clue!

Baby Update: 37 Weeks, Just Live Your Life

One of the things I like about my OB is that she advocates living your life to the best of your ability, regardless of what may be going on with your body. It was advice she gave me while I was waiting to miscarry and it is something she reminds me of when I express fears over the risks of this pregnancy.

As someone who likes to be in control, the reminder that I can't prevent things from happening any more than I can force things to happen, helps me with my day-to-day living.

 Baby #2, 37 Weeks

Comparison: 37 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

As far as my weekly appointment, things are still looking good. My amniotic fluid is back up to 25cm (which is back in the risk category). The ultrasound tech said that the fluid regenerates every 3 days and it seems like my fluid is just going to hover between 23cm and 27cm. Our baby is still head down, but has not dropped at all and I am dilated to 1cm (with Jack I never dilated until my water broke at 40 weeks). I am anxious to see how things progress in the coming weeks.

In terms of living my life, workouts at the Y keep me sane. I think some people are getting nervous that I continue to show up, while others are happy to see me, knowing that if I am there labor hasn't started yet. With Jack I did kickboxing the day I went into labor and I hope to be able to continue to workout up until the time this baby makes an appearance.

My most uncomfortable symptom right now is swelling. I'm just glad it is warm enough to wear Chacos again – my feet are especially thankful. Second to the swelling is the fact that the baby's feet are lodged up under my ribs. This can cause some significant pain when he/she starts moving around and kicking.

This week I also swapped to 2 Heparin shots a day. The girl at the pharmacy was appalled when she gave me my meds. She must not have been taught privacy rules because she asked all kinds of questions about the twice-a-day shots. I'll just be glad when I can stop giving myself shots.

I finally got into gear and packed a bag for myself and one for Jack, for a procrastinator like me that is a big deal. Now we just continue to wait.

Baby Update: 36 Weeks, Stil Cooking

In a strange coincidence, when I was pregnant with Jack my OB had foot surgery that required her to take 2 weeks of leave right at the end of my pregnancy. This time around (3.5 years later), she is on a 3 week leave for hip surgery. I am praying that Baby#2 stays put until she is back at the end of the month.

Baby #2, 36 Weeks

 
So far it seems likely that Baby#2 is going to sit tight for awhile longer as he/she still has not dropped and my cervix is closed tight. As of today, this baby is measuring 6 pounds 11 oz (same as what Jack was when he was born) and has a large head. With 4 weeks to go, I am a little anxious about how big this baby might get (measurements are give or take half a pound).

Comparison: 36 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Some good news is that my amniotic fluid levels have dropped back to 23.5cm. That makes me happy. Last week was 27cm and I felt terrible.

While I was at the OB, they decided to monitor the baby's heart since I have had an uptick in Braxton Hicks again. Basically they are staying pretty steady throughout the day, but as I mentioned before, they aren't causing things to happen. I get them a lot when I am driving, especially if there is any elevation change. This is problematic since I live on a mountain and Chattanooga is hilly. Needless to say, I have lots of these contractions driving around town.

I have been counting on the fact that we already had baby boy clothes (50% chance that this baby is a boy), but this week I realized that we are missing everything in the 0-6 month size range. I'm not sure if we lost a box in our move or if I gave this stuff away. To be somewhat prepared, I ran by a local consignment sale this week and picked up a handful of gender-neutral onesies and sleepers. This baby has enough clothes for at least a couple of days, then we will need to do some shopping... regardless of gender!

I must be finally nesting. I am almost done crocheting a baby blanket for little one (it's gray and light blue) and I also took advantage of Daniel being home last week and had him help me clean all of the floors. Also, the crib is almost put together. 

I am not one to love being pregnant. I feel best when I am active – whether doing something outside like hiking or getting my hour workout in at the Y. Thankfully no one (doctors or workout instructors) have banned me from the Y.

One of the things I have learned since becoming a parent and being pregnant is that it really does take a village. I am so grateful for the friends and family that have offered to watch Jack. 

It is a relief to know I have people that can help me out in a pinch and many more that will come when Baby#2 gets here.

Another week down. The days feel long but the weeks are flying by.