At a mere seven weeks and four days old, our little Riley rolled over from her belly to her back, much to her surprise! Usually in the mornings when she wakes up, I bring her out to the living room floor mat and we do stretching and some tummy time because she's fairly content and relaxed and quite playful. This morning, we were moving slowly, so Tay was also awake and Tita Beth had already arrived at the house. I placed her on her tummy on the mat to see if she'd reach for some toys we had set in front of her, and after doing a little mini-push-up and holding her head and shoulders up a while, she suddenly rolled onto her back going to the right. She looked so surprised and we were all so surprised that we yelped with joy and laughter (which I'm sure startled the little one even more). Anyhow, we wanted to see if it was just a mistake, so I placed her once again on her belly, and less than two seconds later, there she went, rolling immediately to her right and startling herself again and flailing on her back. :) We decided to let her try again, so she went on her tummy again, and with a few more grunts this time, she flipped herself right over onto her back once again. YAY! :) Perhaps tomorrow morning, I can get it on video...
I feel awful that this is my first posting on Riley since she has been born, but life is much more hectic with two little girls to entertain than it was with one. As for milestones, the rolling over one is probably the first really big milestone for her, but she has already passed many of the smaller ones. She has been lifting her head when lying on her tummy since birth, almost...whenever I'd put her on my stomach as I lay on my back, she'd lift her head to look at my face. She studies faces like they are the most interesting things on Earth...especially new faces. She always turns toward the sound of her big sister...:) She smiles and coos a lot in the morning and after every nap when she's at her happiest. She chuckls in her sleep...which I personally find hilarious...when she's dreaming, you can actually hear her go "hm-hm-hm-hm-hm" with a huge smile on her face. She hasn't actually done that awake yet, but I think she's going to have a great sense of humor much like her big sister. Around five weeks, she noticed her hand for the first time and stared at it for a while before hitting herself in the eye with it. Then, she didn't know what to do, so she got all upset and made sad faces until I picked her up. Earlier this week, I had laid her in her little floor mat gym and she stared intently at the hanging toys for a while with her hands by her side, then suddenly, she swung her right hand up and batted one of the toys! When she did that, her eyes got really big and both her arms and legs started flailing, but she didn't do much more coordinated hitting after that...mostly accidental batting, I think. She smiles a lot at any face that's smiling at her, including stuffed animals and dolls.
I have a feeling she's going to be as talkative as her big sister because she'll gurgle and coo at anyone who's talking to her, but especially her big sister. She really enjoys the interaction and will spend quite a long time just lying on the mat as long as someone is talking to her and listening to her. She's generally a very happy baby and also a very good sleeper. Her hardest time is between 6 and 8pm when she's most cranky. Our nightly routine now is she gets a bath while her big sister is getting a bath, then a nice little massage and swaddling, nursing, then put down for sleep...usually by 7:30. Then she'll sleep until three or four in the morning! Last night, she slept until 5:15 in the morning and woke up STARVING! :) She's been doing that for a couple weeks now already...it makes my life so much easier. :) If by chance she doesn't get a bath, though, she definitely wakes up many more times in the night. I think the bath relaxes her and she sleeps so much better. Her big sister was much like that as well, and I had a good sleeper until around 4 months when she started waking up more frequently in the middle of the night...I attribute it to a growth spurt...perhaps it will be the same with this one, too.
Speaking of growth, Riley's growing like a weed! Her birth weight was 3.47 kgs (7lbs, 10oz), her one week weight was 3.85 kgs (8lbs, 8oz), and her one month weight was 5.2 kgs (11lbs, 7oz)! I have her two-month appointment scheduled for the 18th, so we'll see how much she weighs then, and perhaps they'll do a length measurement, too. She looks fairly long now, as opposed to when she was first born and she was just this tiny, curled-up bundle. I'm thankful that I am able to breastfeed and that it is plenty for my little one because it is just so much easier than having to prepare and warm bottles and such, but I must admit, pumping is not my favorite thing in the world...
Going back to work full time in a short six weeks after delivery has been a rough adjustment. Work has been very lenient with my pumping and feeding schedule, so I am able to go home at lunch time every day and pump twice/three times a day. I don't really like having to pump in the bathroom - it's quite chilly and not the most comfortable environment - but luckily, my milk lets down pretty quickly and my quantity is going up since I nurse on demand when I'm home, so the routine is getting easier. I think the first week back, I had some major tension headaches because of the stress of coming back to work and getting back into the swing of things while having to leave my little baby at home. Luckily, the baby is not with a stranger and I know she's very well taken care of, so that part was a little easier than I thought it would be.
I can't complain about how things are going right now because it is only getting easier. The girls are doing very well and are generally quite happy the way things are. I'm getting accustomed to being at work again, although it's hard to focus on work when all I can think about are my babies back home. I look forward to the holidays this year as a family of four...although it would be nice to be able to spend them with our extended family back in the States.
How thankful I am for the life I lead...I truly cannot ask for more.
Rosa
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
My Second Labor Story
After about a week of recovery, I finally feel sane enough to right down my second labor story. So here goes...
My mom arrived in Korea at 4:30 in the morning on the 19th of September. Jeff went to pick her up and after they arrived home, we got cleaned up and mom, Tay, and I went to church while Jeff got caught up a bit on sleep. The rest of that day was spent just catching up with mom and we made a run to E-Mart for some basics to fill the kitchen and prepare for after the delivery. After the trip to E-Mart, I was exhausted, and when we got home, I felt a little cramping in my lower stomach, but nothing I thought that was worth noting or worrying about...
Later that evening, we had a nice dinner and my mom left for her sister's house because the next day, 20 September, was the anniversary of my grandmother's passing, so my aunt had rented a van to transport all the sisters down to Daejeon in the morning to visit the grave site. Jeff and I put Tay down for the night around 8:30 and we actually went to bed around 9pm.
I was feeling a little anxious for some reason so I tossed and turned for a bit, but I eventually dozed off until I was awoken by a stronger-than-normal contraction. I got up out of bed because I wanted to know what time it was...it was only 9:30. I didn't think I could fall back asleep right away, so I decided to check my email and facebook. A short while later, I felt another one of the contractions, so I checked the time and it was 9:40. No pain associated with the contractions, though, so I didn't think anything of it. As I'm facebook-stalking my friends, I have another contraction...9:49. Another one at 9:59. Now I'm curious...could this be...early labor? I Google early labor and continue timing the contractions. They keep coming regularly at 9 to 10 minute intervals...still no pain. Then they get a little closer...about 7 to 8 minutes apart. Still no pain...but the Google findings are confirming that I am probably in early labor since the contractions are coming on regularly and getting progressively closer together and not going away when I "change positions" by walking around or sitting for a while or lying on my side. I still haven't woken Jeff yet because I am still not convinced that I'm in labor...
Around 12:45, the contractions are coming about every five minutes now and I'm debating whether or not to wake Jeff up, so at 1am, I decide it might be time to wake up Jeff and let him know I might be in labor. When I tell a very groggy Jeff, he almost leaps out of bed and says, "Let's go!" but I am not in a hurry because I'm still not convinced I'm really in labor. There's still no real pain coming with the contractions, so I guess that's why I just had no sense of urgency...I hadn't gotten to the active labor part yet...perhaps. I finally call my mom at 1:30am at my aunt's house and tell her we're probably going to head to the hospital soon to check if I am in labor and my mom says she'll meet us there...then she says she'll just come straight to our house and go with us to the hospital because I told her we were getting our bag ready to go and that it might be a bit before we actually get out of the house. By 2am, Jeff and I are packed up and ready to go, but my mom hadn't arrived yet...and Jeff's now getting antsy, but I'm still pretty relaxed although my contractions are still coming every five minutes or so. My mom finally arrives, we pick up Tay from her bed (who is still sleeping), we head to the hospital and arrive there at 2:30am. On the drive over, Tay wakes up and she's wired...poor thing.
We first walk into the Emergency Room (ER) because I'm not sure if there's anyone in Labor and Delivery (LD), but the staff in the ER direct me to LD. We walk over to LD and there seems to be only a cleaning staff there and one of the ladies tells me to go on in (no children allowed). We leave a wide-awake Tay with my mom and Jeff and I go in to find out what's going on with me. When I tell them my contractions are coming about five minutes apart and not painful yet, they have me fill out a card and direct me to a tiny labor room. They have me change and such to prep me and check me and tell Jeff to wait outside. Disappointingly, no one is really friendly or smiling, which is bothersome since this should be a happy time...but since it was the middle of the night shift, I assumed they were just all really tired. There were a few other women I could hear laboring, which was also a bit disturbing.
Jeff came back in after I had changed into the hospital gown, so we waited some more for them to come and do a non-stress test and check my contractions. Jeff went out again to check on how Tay and my mom were doing and he brought in all the bags so that my mom didn't have to watch Tay and keep an eye on our bags.
With the monitor on, the contractions were showing that they were still coming every four to five minutes. They checked my dilation and effacement and I was only about 30% effaced and 3cm dilated. After about 30 minutes of the NST, they removed the contraction monitor and kept the heart rate monitor on for the baby. By now it was past 4am and I was getting antsy and uncomfortable from just lying there. I was also getting upset because I had wanted to tell Tay that everything would be okay and that I love her before I was stuck to a hospital bed. I also thought she'd be able to be in the labor room with me for a bit before they had to leave, but they wouldn't let me go back out to see her because I was already dilated. I guess that's the difference between a Korean and American hospital system...I was restricted to the bed entirely even though I still wasn't in any pain from my contractions. Quite frustrating. Anyhow, it was 7am now and Beth was on her way to the hospital to pick up Tay and I really missed her so I asked the nurse again if I could go see her and at least tell her good bye before she went with Beth for the day. They finally said okay, but after their shift change! Ugh...I was frustrated, but I said I'd wait and waited and waited and waited...until finally I called someone in it was someone new, so I knew shift change had happened (by now it was about 7:30 and Beth was already there, but I asked her to wait so I could see Tay before they left). When I mentioned to the nurse that the previous shift nurse had told me I could go see her after shift change, the nurse said she had to check me first and that it was not recommended that I walk anywhere. NOOOOOOOOO!!!! I told her I HAD to go see my daughter and that I would be very very upset if I didn't get to, so when they checked me, I was still at 3cm dilated and just a bit more effaced. So they finally said I could go see her so I got up and walked out (all of 20 yards or so) to see her in the waiting area and got to hug and kiss my sweet big girl...knowing that the next time I saw her, our relationship would change drastically...even though I would still love her all the same...::sigh:: It made me so sad to see her go...seeing her so grown up.
After the brief meeting and farewell, Jeff took Tay and Beth home (where Tay finally fell asleep since she woke up at 2am) and Jeff went into work...for a bit. It was about 7:45 by now.
When I came back in, they checked my dilation once more and told me I was at 4cm now and almost 100% effaced. A good sign! They moved me into a "labor and delivery" room where they informed me I would be delivering there. They also told me my labor was stalling (I was back to having contractions about every five minutes again), so they would be starting me on Pictocin to get things moving again. I let Jeff know that they were going to start me on the drip so things may start moving quickly, so he started making his way back to the hospital. Shortly after they started the drip, the contractions started coming back more frequently (no clock in front of my bed now, so I don't know how frequently) and I started to feel a little bit of pain along with each contraction. I actually had to concentrate and breathe rhythmically to get through them. Nothing worth yelling about, though. Less than four or five of those times of contractions later, another nurse came and checked my progress and I was already 6cm dilated from the previous four! Sweeeeeet. Only concern was that since I had progressed that quickly, they were saying I'd probably be ready to push soon, but Jeff wasn't back yet! Anyhow, the contractions continued to come on stronger, although I couldn't tell if they were coming on more frequently or anything. A few more contractions later, they checked me again and I was at 8cm! The room started to buzz with a few more nurses and they called the doctor to tell him I was almost ready so he should make his way down. The nurse also broke my water (I think) when she last checked me to keep things moving (or else my water broke naturally while she was checking me, but whatever) and after that happened, the contractions were significantly stronger and definitely painful...but still not nearly as painful as I could recall from my first labor. They told me to roll over on my side to help things move along (and reduce my back labor!) so when I did that, MAN, the contractions were much more painful, but still manageable with controlled breathing...and shortly after that, I felt Jeff's hand on my shoulder to tell me he was here. I guess that was Riley's cue, too, because I had that sudden sensation that I really really needed to push really soon! I started to say, "I need to push, I need to push!" but apparently no one understood me except Jeff and my mom...and of course, my mom runs to one of the nurses and tells her that I was ready to push...in ENGLISH. :) Hehehe...not so funny at the time, but funny now that I think about it. Anyhow, eventually they got the message that I was ready to push and they told me not to push too hard because they didn't want me to tear. One of the nurses coached me through the breathing so I wouldn't push too hard and soon everyone was ready to receive the baby and I was ready to push her out of me. I'll spare any further details, but after only about five or six times pushing, Shinah Riley Ryals entered the world at 9:08am. A healthy 3.47 kgs (7 lbs, 10 oz.) little girl born at 38 weeks + 5 days and a whopping 19.5 inches...a whole inch shorter than Tay was when she was born and almost a whole pound lighter than Tay.
As they're discussing various things about the baby and such, one of the nurses asked if I had registered for cord banking and someone responded "No" and oddly enough, I was lucid enough to speak up and say, "YES I DID!" and they came over to me and asked me if I had any paperwork, and luckily...I had all of it, including the receipt of when I paid for it all together in my hospital bag that I had packed! HA! If this had happened with Tay, I definitely would not have been lucid enough to catch the conversation, much less remember that I had all the paperwork in my bag. They brought the bag over to me and I fished out the paperwork and they banked the cord blood right away. We didn't bank Tay's cord blood, but we did decide to do it this time...just on the off chance that we may need it someday. Hopefully not.
Unlike when I had Tay, they wrapped the little bundle up and handed her to me to hold while the nurses were massaging my abdomen so that Riley could get familiar with my scent before they took her to the nursery to be examined, cleaned, etc...I'm not sure where Jeff and my mom went (perhaps with Riley) but the nurses covered me in a super-warm blanket after the doctor left and I was left in the dimmed room to rest and recover for a bit before they moved me to the recovery room in a whole different wing. I also had to remind the nurses again that we wanted to room in with Riley instead of leaving her in the nursery so they would bring her up to the recovery room as soon as she was ready.
All in all, this hospital experience was much worse than my first time around with Tay, but the labor and delivery was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier...and I felt lucid the entire time. I never felt out of control and I can clearly remember the entire event with no negative feelings about it. I have no negative feelings about my labor with Tay, but I also can't remember exactly what happened toward the end when I actually started having the stronger contractions. I guess maybe because my body had experienced it before, it was more ready to take it on and my tolerance for pain had grown significantly. I didn't even need to let out a yelp. Jeff likes to remind me that I yelled at him quite a bit in Korean during my first labor. I don't recall any of that.
Anyhow, that is my second labor story, and it was surprisingly pleasant for me. The recovery story will come at a later time. :)
Welcome to our family, Shinah Riley. :) We're so glad to have you!
My mom arrived in Korea at 4:30 in the morning on the 19th of September. Jeff went to pick her up and after they arrived home, we got cleaned up and mom, Tay, and I went to church while Jeff got caught up a bit on sleep. The rest of that day was spent just catching up with mom and we made a run to E-Mart for some basics to fill the kitchen and prepare for after the delivery. After the trip to E-Mart, I was exhausted, and when we got home, I felt a little cramping in my lower stomach, but nothing I thought that was worth noting or worrying about...
Later that evening, we had a nice dinner and my mom left for her sister's house because the next day, 20 September, was the anniversary of my grandmother's passing, so my aunt had rented a van to transport all the sisters down to Daejeon in the morning to visit the grave site. Jeff and I put Tay down for the night around 8:30 and we actually went to bed around 9pm.
I was feeling a little anxious for some reason so I tossed and turned for a bit, but I eventually dozed off until I was awoken by a stronger-than-normal contraction. I got up out of bed because I wanted to know what time it was...it was only 9:30. I didn't think I could fall back asleep right away, so I decided to check my email and facebook. A short while later, I felt another one of the contractions, so I checked the time and it was 9:40. No pain associated with the contractions, though, so I didn't think anything of it. As I'm facebook-stalking my friends, I have another contraction...9:49. Another one at 9:59. Now I'm curious...could this be...early labor? I Google early labor and continue timing the contractions. They keep coming regularly at 9 to 10 minute intervals...still no pain. Then they get a little closer...about 7 to 8 minutes apart. Still no pain...but the Google findings are confirming that I am probably in early labor since the contractions are coming on regularly and getting progressively closer together and not going away when I "change positions" by walking around or sitting for a while or lying on my side. I still haven't woken Jeff yet because I am still not convinced that I'm in labor...
Around 12:45, the contractions are coming about every five minutes now and I'm debating whether or not to wake Jeff up, so at 1am, I decide it might be time to wake up Jeff and let him know I might be in labor. When I tell a very groggy Jeff, he almost leaps out of bed and says, "Let's go!" but I am not in a hurry because I'm still not convinced I'm really in labor. There's still no real pain coming with the contractions, so I guess that's why I just had no sense of urgency...I hadn't gotten to the active labor part yet...perhaps. I finally call my mom at 1:30am at my aunt's house and tell her we're probably going to head to the hospital soon to check if I am in labor and my mom says she'll meet us there...then she says she'll just come straight to our house and go with us to the hospital because I told her we were getting our bag ready to go and that it might be a bit before we actually get out of the house. By 2am, Jeff and I are packed up and ready to go, but my mom hadn't arrived yet...and Jeff's now getting antsy, but I'm still pretty relaxed although my contractions are still coming every five minutes or so. My mom finally arrives, we pick up Tay from her bed (who is still sleeping), we head to the hospital and arrive there at 2:30am. On the drive over, Tay wakes up and she's wired...poor thing.
We first walk into the Emergency Room (ER) because I'm not sure if there's anyone in Labor and Delivery (LD), but the staff in the ER direct me to LD. We walk over to LD and there seems to be only a cleaning staff there and one of the ladies tells me to go on in (no children allowed). We leave a wide-awake Tay with my mom and Jeff and I go in to find out what's going on with me. When I tell them my contractions are coming about five minutes apart and not painful yet, they have me fill out a card and direct me to a tiny labor room. They have me change and such to prep me and check me and tell Jeff to wait outside. Disappointingly, no one is really friendly or smiling, which is bothersome since this should be a happy time...but since it was the middle of the night shift, I assumed they were just all really tired. There were a few other women I could hear laboring, which was also a bit disturbing.
Jeff came back in after I had changed into the hospital gown, so we waited some more for them to come and do a non-stress test and check my contractions. Jeff went out again to check on how Tay and my mom were doing and he brought in all the bags so that my mom didn't have to watch Tay and keep an eye on our bags.
With the monitor on, the contractions were showing that they were still coming every four to five minutes. They checked my dilation and effacement and I was only about 30% effaced and 3cm dilated. After about 30 minutes of the NST, they removed the contraction monitor and kept the heart rate monitor on for the baby. By now it was past 4am and I was getting antsy and uncomfortable from just lying there. I was also getting upset because I had wanted to tell Tay that everything would be okay and that I love her before I was stuck to a hospital bed. I also thought she'd be able to be in the labor room with me for a bit before they had to leave, but they wouldn't let me go back out to see her because I was already dilated. I guess that's the difference between a Korean and American hospital system...I was restricted to the bed entirely even though I still wasn't in any pain from my contractions. Quite frustrating. Anyhow, it was 7am now and Beth was on her way to the hospital to pick up Tay and I really missed her so I asked the nurse again if I could go see her and at least tell her good bye before she went with Beth for the day. They finally said okay, but after their shift change! Ugh...I was frustrated, but I said I'd wait and waited and waited and waited...until finally I called someone in it was someone new, so I knew shift change had happened (by now it was about 7:30 and Beth was already there, but I asked her to wait so I could see Tay before they left). When I mentioned to the nurse that the previous shift nurse had told me I could go see her after shift change, the nurse said she had to check me first and that it was not recommended that I walk anywhere. NOOOOOOOOO!!!! I told her I HAD to go see my daughter and that I would be very very upset if I didn't get to, so when they checked me, I was still at 3cm dilated and just a bit more effaced. So they finally said I could go see her so I got up and walked out (all of 20 yards or so) to see her in the waiting area and got to hug and kiss my sweet big girl...knowing that the next time I saw her, our relationship would change drastically...even though I would still love her all the same...::sigh:: It made me so sad to see her go...seeing her so grown up.
After the brief meeting and farewell, Jeff took Tay and Beth home (where Tay finally fell asleep since she woke up at 2am) and Jeff went into work...for a bit. It was about 7:45 by now.
When I came back in, they checked my dilation once more and told me I was at 4cm now and almost 100% effaced. A good sign! They moved me into a "labor and delivery" room where they informed me I would be delivering there. They also told me my labor was stalling (I was back to having contractions about every five minutes again), so they would be starting me on Pictocin to get things moving again. I let Jeff know that they were going to start me on the drip so things may start moving quickly, so he started making his way back to the hospital. Shortly after they started the drip, the contractions started coming back more frequently (no clock in front of my bed now, so I don't know how frequently) and I started to feel a little bit of pain along with each contraction. I actually had to concentrate and breathe rhythmically to get through them. Nothing worth yelling about, though. Less than four or five of those times of contractions later, another nurse came and checked my progress and I was already 6cm dilated from the previous four! Sweeeeeet. Only concern was that since I had progressed that quickly, they were saying I'd probably be ready to push soon, but Jeff wasn't back yet! Anyhow, the contractions continued to come on stronger, although I couldn't tell if they were coming on more frequently or anything. A few more contractions later, they checked me again and I was at 8cm! The room started to buzz with a few more nurses and they called the doctor to tell him I was almost ready so he should make his way down. The nurse also broke my water (I think) when she last checked me to keep things moving (or else my water broke naturally while she was checking me, but whatever) and after that happened, the contractions were significantly stronger and definitely painful...but still not nearly as painful as I could recall from my first labor. They told me to roll over on my side to help things move along (and reduce my back labor!) so when I did that, MAN, the contractions were much more painful, but still manageable with controlled breathing...and shortly after that, I felt Jeff's hand on my shoulder to tell me he was here. I guess that was Riley's cue, too, because I had that sudden sensation that I really really needed to push really soon! I started to say, "I need to push, I need to push!" but apparently no one understood me except Jeff and my mom...and of course, my mom runs to one of the nurses and tells her that I was ready to push...in ENGLISH. :) Hehehe...not so funny at the time, but funny now that I think about it. Anyhow, eventually they got the message that I was ready to push and they told me not to push too hard because they didn't want me to tear. One of the nurses coached me through the breathing so I wouldn't push too hard and soon everyone was ready to receive the baby and I was ready to push her out of me. I'll spare any further details, but after only about five or six times pushing, Shinah Riley Ryals entered the world at 9:08am. A healthy 3.47 kgs (7 lbs, 10 oz.) little girl born at 38 weeks + 5 days and a whopping 19.5 inches...a whole inch shorter than Tay was when she was born and almost a whole pound lighter than Tay.
As they're discussing various things about the baby and such, one of the nurses asked if I had registered for cord banking and someone responded "No" and oddly enough, I was lucid enough to speak up and say, "YES I DID!" and they came over to me and asked me if I had any paperwork, and luckily...I had all of it, including the receipt of when I paid for it all together in my hospital bag that I had packed! HA! If this had happened with Tay, I definitely would not have been lucid enough to catch the conversation, much less remember that I had all the paperwork in my bag. They brought the bag over to me and I fished out the paperwork and they banked the cord blood right away. We didn't bank Tay's cord blood, but we did decide to do it this time...just on the off chance that we may need it someday. Hopefully not.
Unlike when I had Tay, they wrapped the little bundle up and handed her to me to hold while the nurses were massaging my abdomen so that Riley could get familiar with my scent before they took her to the nursery to be examined, cleaned, etc...I'm not sure where Jeff and my mom went (perhaps with Riley) but the nurses covered me in a super-warm blanket after the doctor left and I was left in the dimmed room to rest and recover for a bit before they moved me to the recovery room in a whole different wing. I also had to remind the nurses again that we wanted to room in with Riley instead of leaving her in the nursery so they would bring her up to the recovery room as soon as she was ready.
All in all, this hospital experience was much worse than my first time around with Tay, but the labor and delivery was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier...and I felt lucid the entire time. I never felt out of control and I can clearly remember the entire event with no negative feelings about it. I have no negative feelings about my labor with Tay, but I also can't remember exactly what happened toward the end when I actually started having the stronger contractions. I guess maybe because my body had experienced it before, it was more ready to take it on and my tolerance for pain had grown significantly. I didn't even need to let out a yelp. Jeff likes to remind me that I yelled at him quite a bit in Korean during my first labor. I don't recall any of that.
Anyhow, that is my second labor story, and it was surprisingly pleasant for me. The recovery story will come at a later time. :)
Welcome to our family, Shinah Riley. :) We're so glad to have you!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week 38/39 Doc Visit
Well, this morning's visit to the doctor's office was none too exciting, but it was lengthy. I had the usual ultrasound to check the size of the baby, then had my consult, then a chest x-ray and EKG. Riley's growing like a weed in there because she's already measuring 3.5 kgs (7.7 lbs!!!), but the doc assured me that babies usually weigh a little less than the measurement on the ultrasound. That still means she's going to be over seven pounds, which is fine, but I still have two weeks to go according to the calendar! How much more is she going to grow?
At least the no-later-than date is now set - the induction is scheduled for the 29th of September if she doesn't come out on her own before then...so that she doesn't get too big and get stuck. I guess I need to start powerwalking everywhere to make sure she comes out before then...I'd rather try and avoid the induction this time around, but there is something nice about knowing when her ultimate due date is...I guess.
Other than that, Riley's growing strong and running out of room in there. I'll get the results from my x-ray and EKG next week at my next appointment. I know most hospitals do the cervix check and such around this time to see if I'm effaced or dilated at all, but they haven't done that and doesn't look like they'll be doing that in the next week or two, so I guess it'll just be when she comes she'll come. I do have another NST (non-stress test) scheduled for next week's appointment; I had one of those two weeks ago as well and she's definitely doing just fine. She was asleep for the first ten minutes of the test, so they came and buzzed her so she'd move around, and she definitely didn't like that so she got active and kicked around quite a bit for the next twenty minutes. We'll see how she does next week.
Insomnia has really been kicking my behind the past week and it doesn't seem to be getting much better. The frequent bathroom trips don't help, but it's not the primary cause...I just have very very busy dreams where I'm just busy doing every day stuff from work to taking care of household chores to caring for Tay, so when I finally wake up, it feels like I haven't slept at all! The constant exhaustion is really making me cranky throughout the day, which I'm sure is wearing on Jeff and Tay...so how do I break this cycle? I feel like I got no rest this weekend, and it was supposed to be relaxing! Ah well...even taking naps during the day just don't seem to help much anymore. Perhaps this is the way my body is trying to prepare me for having a newborn in the house again...getting my body used to the lack of good "rest?" At least then I'll have a cuddly newborn to love on with a sweetheart of a big sister to help me out...and no work to think about...at least for six weeks? Maybe I should just start my maternity leave next week...::sigh::
Mom gets here on the 19th and Chuseok is on the 22nd...I'm hoping the little one comes on the 23rd. Others are betting earlier. I'm still hoping the 23rd. Riley, come on the 23rd, yes? Please? :)
Hoping for a good next week...and a safe and happy delivery after my mom gets here!
At least the no-later-than date is now set - the induction is scheduled for the 29th of September if she doesn't come out on her own before then...so that she doesn't get too big and get stuck. I guess I need to start powerwalking everywhere to make sure she comes out before then...I'd rather try and avoid the induction this time around, but there is something nice about knowing when her ultimate due date is...I guess.
Other than that, Riley's growing strong and running out of room in there. I'll get the results from my x-ray and EKG next week at my next appointment. I know most hospitals do the cervix check and such around this time to see if I'm effaced or dilated at all, but they haven't done that and doesn't look like they'll be doing that in the next week or two, so I guess it'll just be when she comes she'll come. I do have another NST (non-stress test) scheduled for next week's appointment; I had one of those two weeks ago as well and she's definitely doing just fine. She was asleep for the first ten minutes of the test, so they came and buzzed her so she'd move around, and she definitely didn't like that so she got active and kicked around quite a bit for the next twenty minutes. We'll see how she does next week.
Insomnia has really been kicking my behind the past week and it doesn't seem to be getting much better. The frequent bathroom trips don't help, but it's not the primary cause...I just have very very busy dreams where I'm just busy doing every day stuff from work to taking care of household chores to caring for Tay, so when I finally wake up, it feels like I haven't slept at all! The constant exhaustion is really making me cranky throughout the day, which I'm sure is wearing on Jeff and Tay...so how do I break this cycle? I feel like I got no rest this weekend, and it was supposed to be relaxing! Ah well...even taking naps during the day just don't seem to help much anymore. Perhaps this is the way my body is trying to prepare me for having a newborn in the house again...getting my body used to the lack of good "rest?" At least then I'll have a cuddly newborn to love on with a sweetheart of a big sister to help me out...and no work to think about...at least for six weeks? Maybe I should just start my maternity leave next week...::sigh::
Mom gets here on the 19th and Chuseok is on the 22nd...I'm hoping the little one comes on the 23rd. Others are betting earlier. I'm still hoping the 23rd. Riley, come on the 23rd, yes? Please? :)
Hoping for a good next week...and a safe and happy delivery after my mom gets here!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The last month...
I now have just about one month left before our second angel joins our family. I don't know what it is that I feel about the pregnancy right now, but a strange sense of calm and happiness has settled over me, so perhaps serenity is the best word to describe it. For most of the pregnancy, I think I was feeling anxiety and some guilt about brining this new life into our seemingly perfect three-person family life, but now as the time draws closer to meet little Riley, I'm happy and feel ready to take on the task of mothering a newborn again with enough love to spare for my still beautiful and ever-needy-yet-independent Tay. I feel bad for those people who always comment that Tay will become old news once the new baby is born because I think I will be even more amazed and loving toward her because of her new role as a big sister, and I fully believe that she will embrace that role with enthusiasm. Of course, I expect the natural jealousy and moments of frustration she will feel when I, or others, have to be preoccupied because of the newborn, but I feel I will be able to help her feel loved enough for her not to feel threatened. Not because I think I'm some super-mom or have any special skills on mothering...just because I know that Tay has an enormous heart and my love for her is so overwhelming that I can't fathom feeling any other way toward her...no matter what. It's a great sort of feeling that has settled over me, and I hope it carries through the rest of the time I have left being pregnant and through the birth and thereafter.
As for my physical well-being, I can't say it's quite as happy as my mental state. My lower back is aching all day, especially first thing in the morning when I get out of bed, and of course, by the late evening when the day's activities are wearing me down. It feels like little Riley is starting to move down already, which puts a little more pressure on my lower nerves and of course my bladder...which results in more frequent trips to the restroom. I don't mind those as much, but I don't like the wake-up calls in the middle of the night feeling like I'm about to wet myself if I don't hurry up and get to the bathroom. Also, when pregnant the first time I didn't have any reccurance of nausea once my third trimester hit, but now I'm feeling that slight queasy feeling again; thankfully not as severely as the first trimester. I am significantly more tired this trimester than I was in my second trimester, but I know it's because I'm wearing myself out trying to keep Tay busy and entertained after work. Keeping active has also given me much more energy, though, so I think the tiredness during the day is worth having more energy in the evening to spend with her. I have started to battle the "waddle," as my natural gait starts to widen to make room for my ever-dropping baby belly, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that I don't like the way my inner thighs rub together in this sweaty heat. Waddling reduces the friction...ugh. Sleeping is also a little less comfortable now because when I lie down, breathing gets to be more difficult until I get my belly situated "just-so" on one side or the other, so every time I wake up to roll over (or go to the bathroom), I have to resituate myself into a comfortable position to fall back asleep. My insomnia seems to have passed, but I still feel like I'm losing quite a lot of sleep because of all the time spent waking up in the middle of the night with visits to the bathroom and rolling over. And of course, I can't forget Mr. Sciatic Nerve as it continues to cramp my behind's style and Mr. Leg Cramps as it wakes me up in a jerking motion trying to get the cramp out before it really locks me up. I don't remember being so whiney about all the physical pains of pregnancy during my first pregnancy, but man...it just all seems so much worse this time around. I think I just got lucky and had it super easy my first time, so I'm paying for it this time around...:P Can't REALLY complain, though...I still have it pretty easy compared to some of my poor pregnant friends who are on bed rest or have morning sickness throughout the entire pregnancy. I feel for you guys...
Last, but not least, I've been doing a lot of reading about doulas lately and now am considering hiring one for my birth. It seems there are quite a few options here in Korea for doulas, and although I feel a lot less anxious about this labor/delivery than the first time around, I have this feeling that I experienced my first labor/delivery sort of haphazardly. I think after Jeff gets back from this exercise, we'll chat about it and see what he thinks and maybe we'll chat with one or two ladies to see how we feel. Anyone have any experience with doulas here in Korea wanna share? :)
As for my physical well-being, I can't say it's quite as happy as my mental state. My lower back is aching all day, especially first thing in the morning when I get out of bed, and of course, by the late evening when the day's activities are wearing me down. It feels like little Riley is starting to move down already, which puts a little more pressure on my lower nerves and of course my bladder...which results in more frequent trips to the restroom. I don't mind those as much, but I don't like the wake-up calls in the middle of the night feeling like I'm about to wet myself if I don't hurry up and get to the bathroom. Also, when pregnant the first time I didn't have any reccurance of nausea once my third trimester hit, but now I'm feeling that slight queasy feeling again; thankfully not as severely as the first trimester. I am significantly more tired this trimester than I was in my second trimester, but I know it's because I'm wearing myself out trying to keep Tay busy and entertained after work. Keeping active has also given me much more energy, though, so I think the tiredness during the day is worth having more energy in the evening to spend with her. I have started to battle the "waddle," as my natural gait starts to widen to make room for my ever-dropping baby belly, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that I don't like the way my inner thighs rub together in this sweaty heat. Waddling reduces the friction...ugh. Sleeping is also a little less comfortable now because when I lie down, breathing gets to be more difficult until I get my belly situated "just-so" on one side or the other, so every time I wake up to roll over (or go to the bathroom), I have to resituate myself into a comfortable position to fall back asleep. My insomnia seems to have passed, but I still feel like I'm losing quite a lot of sleep because of all the time spent waking up in the middle of the night with visits to the bathroom and rolling over. And of course, I can't forget Mr. Sciatic Nerve as it continues to cramp my behind's style and Mr. Leg Cramps as it wakes me up in a jerking motion trying to get the cramp out before it really locks me up. I don't remember being so whiney about all the physical pains of pregnancy during my first pregnancy, but man...it just all seems so much worse this time around. I think I just got lucky and had it super easy my first time, so I'm paying for it this time around...:P Can't REALLY complain, though...I still have it pretty easy compared to some of my poor pregnant friends who are on bed rest or have morning sickness throughout the entire pregnancy. I feel for you guys...
Last, but not least, I've been doing a lot of reading about doulas lately and now am considering hiring one for my birth. It seems there are quite a few options here in Korea for doulas, and although I feel a lot less anxious about this labor/delivery than the first time around, I have this feeling that I experienced my first labor/delivery sort of haphazardly. I think after Jeff gets back from this exercise, we'll chat about it and see what he thinks and maybe we'll chat with one or two ladies to see how we feel. Anyone have any experience with doulas here in Korea wanna share? :)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Vacation, Hiccups, and a little more...
Vacationing while pregnant has its perks and its disadvantages. The obvious disadvantages are the discomforts of travelling by any mode of transportation for any given amount of time; dietary changes that may or may not impact your digestive tract; not being able to sleep in your own bed; and just being out of sync because you're out of your routine.
Some of the perks are pretty sweet, though. Like...being able to eat whatever dessert you want without feeling guilty (although I still did because I knew my doc in Korea would pass out at my weight gain when I got back); no work to think about (!!!!!!); napping in the middle of the day with my big girl...every day; seeing FAMILY; catching up with friends; and I think I have to admit that jet lag on vacation is actually a perk for pregnant women because now we really have an excuse to sleep all day and sleep all night...and so much more.
Moving on...
Another part of being on vacation is that I get lazy. I haven't decided if that's a perk or a disadvantage because part of vacation is supposed to be enjoyable because you get to be lazy...right? Anyhow, when pregnant, you must be vigilant about certain things, like taking your prenatal vitamins, and recording special developments with the little baby growing inside of you as if she were your first. I can't say I've been as dilligent about writing about this pregnancy as I did with Tay, but I think circumstances are a little different right now, too...I'm still working full time at the tail end of this pregnancy, I've got a toddler who's quite interesting to say the least, and some things I guess are just not as novel the second time around.
I was going back and reading through some of my pregnancy experiences with Tay, and noticed that I recorded the very first time I felt her hiccupping inside of me and how excited I was (and how hilarious I found it) to know what it was. Well, I can't equate the experience of my first hiccups with little Riley to Tay's first hiccups, but I did record it and it was memorable. Riley had her first hiccups on July 14th and 4:45am and it woke me up because she was hiccupping right by my bladder. The first thought that actually crossed my mind when I realized she was hiccuping: "Thank goodness, she's now in the head-down position." Is that odd? I guess I was a little more concerned with the possibility of her being breech than I thought I was.
I did get asked if I was carrying twins a couple times, but I decided not to get offended because some people just aren't used to seeing pregnant women...eh. At least while I was in the states, I had more people tell me that I looked small for being so far along instead of the constant "you're so huge" comments I received here in Korea.
Once we got back to Korea, though, the jet lag is kicking my butt since I actually have to be awake during the day because of work, but Tay doesn't want to sleep past 2am...ugh. It's been a rough few days, but she's slowly starting to sleep a little later...like this morning, she woke up at 3:45 instead of 2am and stayed in bed until at least 5:15...
I also had my doctor's appointment after I got back and luckily, the doctor didn't fall out of her chair when she saw my weight (although she did gasp in disgust). Little Riley is quite healthy and developing and growing at a rapid rate. She is still in the head-down position and looks to be stuck there for the time being. According to the measurements, she's looking like she's already over four pounds...let's hope she doesn't double in weight between now and when she wants to come out, but if she does, then I'll just have another healthy big baby girl. :)
I transfer over to Cha hospital now so my next visit will be with Dr. Cha on the 16th of August. Looking forward to getting to that finish line, but am in no rush to get there. We'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy my last couple months with Riley's ever-growing big sister Tay as an only child.
Some of the perks are pretty sweet, though. Like...being able to eat whatever dessert you want without feeling guilty (although I still did because I knew my doc in Korea would pass out at my weight gain when I got back); no work to think about (!!!!!!); napping in the middle of the day with my big girl...every day; seeing FAMILY; catching up with friends; and I think I have to admit that jet lag on vacation is actually a perk for pregnant women because now we really have an excuse to sleep all day and sleep all night...and so much more.
Moving on...
Another part of being on vacation is that I get lazy. I haven't decided if that's a perk or a disadvantage because part of vacation is supposed to be enjoyable because you get to be lazy...right? Anyhow, when pregnant, you must be vigilant about certain things, like taking your prenatal vitamins, and recording special developments with the little baby growing inside of you as if she were your first. I can't say I've been as dilligent about writing about this pregnancy as I did with Tay, but I think circumstances are a little different right now, too...I'm still working full time at the tail end of this pregnancy, I've got a toddler who's quite interesting to say the least, and some things I guess are just not as novel the second time around.
I was going back and reading through some of my pregnancy experiences with Tay, and noticed that I recorded the very first time I felt her hiccupping inside of me and how excited I was (and how hilarious I found it) to know what it was. Well, I can't equate the experience of my first hiccups with little Riley to Tay's first hiccups, but I did record it and it was memorable. Riley had her first hiccups on July 14th and 4:45am and it woke me up because she was hiccupping right by my bladder. The first thought that actually crossed my mind when I realized she was hiccuping: "Thank goodness, she's now in the head-down position." Is that odd? I guess I was a little more concerned with the possibility of her being breech than I thought I was.
I did get asked if I was carrying twins a couple times, but I decided not to get offended because some people just aren't used to seeing pregnant women...eh. At least while I was in the states, I had more people tell me that I looked small for being so far along instead of the constant "you're so huge" comments I received here in Korea.
Once we got back to Korea, though, the jet lag is kicking my butt since I actually have to be awake during the day because of work, but Tay doesn't want to sleep past 2am...ugh. It's been a rough few days, but she's slowly starting to sleep a little later...like this morning, she woke up at 3:45 instead of 2am and stayed in bed until at least 5:15...
I also had my doctor's appointment after I got back and luckily, the doctor didn't fall out of her chair when she saw my weight (although she did gasp in disgust). Little Riley is quite healthy and developing and growing at a rapid rate. She is still in the head-down position and looks to be stuck there for the time being. According to the measurements, she's looking like she's already over four pounds...let's hope she doesn't double in weight between now and when she wants to come out, but if she does, then I'll just have another healthy big baby girl. :)
I transfer over to Cha hospital now so my next visit will be with Dr. Cha on the 16th of August. Looking forward to getting to that finish line, but am in no rush to get there. We'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy my last couple months with Riley's ever-growing big sister Tay as an only child.
Monday, June 21, 2010
No Phone Call Yet...
Well, so far, I've received no phone call regarding my glucose screening, which might mean good news that I am not gestationaly diebetic. It's been almost a week, and usually they call within the week if anything is wrong. We'll wait a few more days before the final determination.
The doctor's visit last Tuesday went about as expected. They told me I was gaining too much weight and told me I needed to go on a diet. Eh. Luckily, I am somewhat numbed to them saying it now, so it didn't have the effect it did the first few times. :P The baby has grown quite a bit since my last visit, too, though, so it's not just all me! Anyhow, I'm now sitting around 27 weeks according to the size of the baby, and they said it's about time for me to start doing exercises to make the baby turn. She's sitting in a breech position right now with her head snuggled up near my rib cage and constantly kicking my bladder. It's so strange to have so much information this pregnancy. I wouldn't have known if Tay was in a breech or otherwise position until at least week 36 or so...and probably wouldn't have worried about it. Now I'm doing daily exercises already to get this little one to turn...but I think there's still too much room in there for her to stay in the head-down position. A few times after the exercises, I'll feel her kicking up in my rib cage and think, oh, she's turned, but then later on that day, she'll be right back down by my bladder kicking away. Maybe I should just wait a few more weeks before trying to get her turned...in the mean time, she seems to be just fine rolling around in there however she feels like rolling.
I've also tried adjusting my diet a little, mostly snacking on grape/cherry tomatoes - my latest "craving" persay. It's hard trying to eat only healthy alternatives...for me, I think it's mostly portion control that I have issues with...and preventing myself from eating whatever is available at the time...
In other symptomatic news, I have had minor bloody noses for the past three or four days in the morning. I think it's because our air conditioner finally works in the bedroom, so it's drying out my nasal passages, but I am sleeping a whole lot better since I'm not sweltering...is it worth the tradeoff? Perhaps. My lower back is also bothering me quite a bit, but I think that is mostly due to my sciatic nerve and carrying around Tay everywhere. She doesn't feel heavy to me, but I can feel the ache in my lower back after I've carried her for a while and set her down.
Another thing that has been on my mind lately is what Saint's name to give to little Riley since she will be baptized in the Catholic church shortly after she is born. I'm hoping that she will be able to be baptized while my parents are still here visiting after her birth. Some of my favorites with the September month association are Seraphia and Teresa, while Sophia is also one I like. Also, who can we ask to be a God-parent for her? Religion is increasingly important for me these days...I'm not exactly sure why...but I just feel the need for God's presence in our lives, and I want to raise our children with an awareness and understanding of God and His love for us.
Oooo...another improvement from last week is that my crazy sweets craving has subsided, mostly, so I'm not craving chocolate every minute of every day. :) I am satisfied with a piece of fruit or even a cherry tomato! Thank goodness. Maybe I can finally get this weight under control...ha ha...
Anyway, I got my fit-to-fly memorandum for our vacation! We fly on Saturday so I'm hoping for the best. I never flew so far into my pregnancy last time around, so this should be interesting. I hear I should walk a lot to prevent clots and swelling...I'll see what I can do. Also...will they let pregnant women take snacks on board?
The doctor's visit last Tuesday went about as expected. They told me I was gaining too much weight and told me I needed to go on a diet. Eh. Luckily, I am somewhat numbed to them saying it now, so it didn't have the effect it did the first few times. :P The baby has grown quite a bit since my last visit, too, though, so it's not just all me! Anyhow, I'm now sitting around 27 weeks according to the size of the baby, and they said it's about time for me to start doing exercises to make the baby turn. She's sitting in a breech position right now with her head snuggled up near my rib cage and constantly kicking my bladder. It's so strange to have so much information this pregnancy. I wouldn't have known if Tay was in a breech or otherwise position until at least week 36 or so...and probably wouldn't have worried about it. Now I'm doing daily exercises already to get this little one to turn...but I think there's still too much room in there for her to stay in the head-down position. A few times after the exercises, I'll feel her kicking up in my rib cage and think, oh, she's turned, but then later on that day, she'll be right back down by my bladder kicking away. Maybe I should just wait a few more weeks before trying to get her turned...in the mean time, she seems to be just fine rolling around in there however she feels like rolling.
I've also tried adjusting my diet a little, mostly snacking on grape/cherry tomatoes - my latest "craving" persay. It's hard trying to eat only healthy alternatives...for me, I think it's mostly portion control that I have issues with...and preventing myself from eating whatever is available at the time...
In other symptomatic news, I have had minor bloody noses for the past three or four days in the morning. I think it's because our air conditioner finally works in the bedroom, so it's drying out my nasal passages, but I am sleeping a whole lot better since I'm not sweltering...is it worth the tradeoff? Perhaps. My lower back is also bothering me quite a bit, but I think that is mostly due to my sciatic nerve and carrying around Tay everywhere. She doesn't feel heavy to me, but I can feel the ache in my lower back after I've carried her for a while and set her down.
Another thing that has been on my mind lately is what Saint's name to give to little Riley since she will be baptized in the Catholic church shortly after she is born. I'm hoping that she will be able to be baptized while my parents are still here visiting after her birth. Some of my favorites with the September month association are Seraphia and Teresa, while Sophia is also one I like. Also, who can we ask to be a God-parent for her? Religion is increasingly important for me these days...I'm not exactly sure why...but I just feel the need for God's presence in our lives, and I want to raise our children with an awareness and understanding of God and His love for us.
Oooo...another improvement from last week is that my crazy sweets craving has subsided, mostly, so I'm not craving chocolate every minute of every day. :) I am satisfied with a piece of fruit or even a cherry tomato! Thank goodness. Maybe I can finally get this weight under control...ha ha...
Anyway, I got my fit-to-fly memorandum for our vacation! We fly on Saturday so I'm hoping for the best. I never flew so far into my pregnancy last time around, so this should be interesting. I hear I should walk a lot to prevent clots and swelling...I'll see what I can do. Also...will they let pregnant women take snacks on board?
Monday, June 14, 2010
Pregnant Beauty
Never during my first pregnancy did I ever think my pregnant body was...too fat or too ugly or too anything...except perfect. I can't say that I didn't have any of the typical pregnancy symptoms like breakouts and fat rolls and funny skin color changes, but NEVER have I ever felt "unattractive" because I knew my body was growing a beautiful human being inside of me and that she was healthy and I was healthy. It didn't matter that I gained weight every second I breathed and it didn't matter that I didn't stay under the recommended weight gain for a "healthy" pregnant woman...I still felt BEAUTIFUL and happy with my physical body...literally the entire pregnancy. I might not have been emotionally stable throughout it, much like this current pregnancy, but the emotional instability was more focused on what I was going to be doing in the future, what kind of mom I was going to be, if I'd be a good mom, etc. Not about my body image.
This pregnancy, I think 90% of my stress is coming from how "fat" I'm getting and how much I weigh. I stepped on the scale yesterday, to psychologically try and prepare myself for my next doctor's appointment tomorrow, and nearly fell over in shock at the number on the scale. Honestly, I probably weighed more than that with the first pregnancy at 25/26 weeks, but all I could hear in my head was, YOU ARE GAINING TOO MUCH WEIGHT, YOU ARE OVER OBESE, YOU NEED TO STOP EATING...
I keep telling myself I'll adjust my diet, eat less, no more sweets, etc...but constantly worrying about my weight is actually making me crave the sweets and unhealthy foods that I need to be avoiding! Why do I do this???
I don't feel "unhealthy." I did just jog a 5K fun run in 40 minutes and 45 seconds and felt fine (my leg muscles were sore for a couple days after). I do walk fairly frequently, although not the recommended three hours a day from my doctor. I never charted my weight gain the first time around, but for this pregnancy, I have been keeping track, somewhat, but not religiously like my doctor recommended (to ensure I gain only 11 pounds this prengancy, ha!). Sadly to say, I have already burst the bubble on those recommended eleven pounds, but I'm happy to report that I have been steadily gaining one to two pounds (most weeks, two pounds) throughout this second trimester. My understanding is that is an okay weight gain for someone who was in the normal weight range before I got pregnant. According to my current doctor, though, I started out my pregnancy as an obese person, so I was not supposed to gain the "normal" amount of weight for this pregnancy. Blah blah blah...so I weighed more than 100 pounds when I got pregnant. I'm not the "typical" Korean woman. Give me a break.
This next doctor's appointment will be my last with this doctor. I'll be transferring to the hospital where I am planning on having little Riley - the same hospital where I had Tay. And I'll even have the same doctor if everything goes as planned. Maybe they'll give me a break about my weight and just be happy for me that the little life growing inside of me is healthy and strong and that she will be just as lovely when she's born as my first angel was...:)
Tomorrow is my glucose screening...yay. More to follow after the test. Hopefully I'll have a better self-image by then...:P
This pregnancy, I think 90% of my stress is coming from how "fat" I'm getting and how much I weigh. I stepped on the scale yesterday, to psychologically try and prepare myself for my next doctor's appointment tomorrow, and nearly fell over in shock at the number on the scale. Honestly, I probably weighed more than that with the first pregnancy at 25/26 weeks, but all I could hear in my head was, YOU ARE GAINING TOO MUCH WEIGHT, YOU ARE OVER OBESE, YOU NEED TO STOP EATING...
I keep telling myself I'll adjust my diet, eat less, no more sweets, etc...but constantly worrying about my weight is actually making me crave the sweets and unhealthy foods that I need to be avoiding! Why do I do this???
I don't feel "unhealthy." I did just jog a 5K fun run in 40 minutes and 45 seconds and felt fine (my leg muscles were sore for a couple days after). I do walk fairly frequently, although not the recommended three hours a day from my doctor. I never charted my weight gain the first time around, but for this pregnancy, I have been keeping track, somewhat, but not religiously like my doctor recommended (to ensure I gain only 11 pounds this prengancy, ha!). Sadly to say, I have already burst the bubble on those recommended eleven pounds, but I'm happy to report that I have been steadily gaining one to two pounds (most weeks, two pounds) throughout this second trimester. My understanding is that is an okay weight gain for someone who was in the normal weight range before I got pregnant. According to my current doctor, though, I started out my pregnancy as an obese person, so I was not supposed to gain the "normal" amount of weight for this pregnancy. Blah blah blah...so I weighed more than 100 pounds when I got pregnant. I'm not the "typical" Korean woman. Give me a break.
This next doctor's appointment will be my last with this doctor. I'll be transferring to the hospital where I am planning on having little Riley - the same hospital where I had Tay. And I'll even have the same doctor if everything goes as planned. Maybe they'll give me a break about my weight and just be happy for me that the little life growing inside of me is healthy and strong and that she will be just as lovely when she's born as my first angel was...:)
Tomorrow is my glucose screening...yay. More to follow after the test. Hopefully I'll have a better self-image by then...:P
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