19 weeks 3 days

Hey everyone. Nothing too big going on with my end but I wanted to update. Pregnancy is going beautifully so far. Mia is kicking me (as I write this). The movement is usually felt when i'm sitting up. I have felt it on the outside of my tummy the past few days but my hubby and 5 yr old has yet to catch it. They are super excited for the time to come : ).

It's MUCH more of a smaller anxiety level since I can feel her now. Our next appt is March 28th and we'll be doing our ultrasound with our OB's office. The last ultrasound - which was a follow up to the elective - didn't bring us ANY good pics : ( but our OB's machine is awesome and I am positive we will have some good ones with them. I want to be able to post a good photo so i'm just waiting to get one ; ).

Weight gain does worry me since the PCOS has already put so much on me. I *think* by my mom's scales (which I have been using since the beginning of our IVF cycle) I have only gained 4-5 pounds, which isn't bad for halfway there. My goal, though, is only 15-20 so I worry it will pick up now that she is growing so much more. I am trying to eat healthier but darn cravings seem to ruin that. We took a walk today and we are going to try to do that often. I really think walking around the block every night with my DD's pregnancy REALLY helped me have such a short and awesome labor. (From actual pain to meeting her was a little over 3 hrs - no epi!)

Speaking of labor and delivery - I do plan on going natural with Mia. I really hope she doesn't take a really long time though lol. I'm not opposed to something in the IV BUT here is a little background on my 5 yr old's delivery : At 36 weeks I was 1 cm, at 37 weeks I was 2 cm's ....

37 weeks 2 days - my water started leaking at 8 in the morning while I got ready for college, period cramp type contractions started at 830 and were 12-15 mins apart. By 11 am they were hard to time because I would have a 3 min one, then a 5 min, then a 2 min, then a 7 min, etc. My mom (who had a 19 hr hard labor with me) figured we had PLENTY of time since I wasn't hurting at all and drug me around for errands lol. The contractions were so much like my period I was used to it. It was my back that started in on me around noon. Still, we didn't get to the hospital until 2 pm.

When I walked in the hospital my contractions seemed to stop so I figured this was probably a bad thing. The hospital was packed and they set me in a storage type room with a portable monitor but the monitor wasn't picking up any big contractions so they left us in there for about 15 mins. One of the nurses who had been there years smarted off to me saying "oh great. You didn't even take the epidural class and you probably won't have time to watch the video while you're in labor." My mom informed her that's because I didn't want an epi but she was sure I was going to want one and wasn't happy I wasn't "prepared" for it.

When they finally came in to check me I was sitting up talking to my mom and hubby. The nurse looked up at me after checking and her eyes got big as she blurted out "You're 7 cm's! We've gotta get you into a delivery room". Then she ran out. lol We were stunned - there was no way I was 7cm and not hurting! But, it was true. Take that evil-natural-labor-hating nurse! ; )

Around 5 mins later they wheeled me into my room where the pain was finally starting to hit. I had so much back labor that the contractions weren't picking up on the tummy monitor so they put one in me internally. The back labor was excruciating - I felt like someone was taking an ice pick to my tailbone. I was in my own zone though - I didn't even know what time it was or how long I had been there and surprisingly, I wasn't thinking about meds for the pain. My mom on the other hand asked the nurse to give me something in my IV around 8 1/2 cm's. It wasn't a good idea. Right when they put it in I felt HORRIBLE. If someone would talk to me it felt like they were talking sooo slow that it was taking 5 mins to get one word out. There was no turning back after it was in though. 7 mins later, back labor set back in and the IV med was gone. (Now you can see why I really don't want any IV meds with Mia. I don't want the reaction to it - plus it didn't even work for 10 mins).

At 9 cm's her head turned up on us and I started bleeding a bit. They had me get on all fours and rock to try and move her back around. It worked and it wasn't long after I rolled back over that my body itself, NOT me, started pushing. Weirdest sensation of my life. My mom got the nurses in there and it was indeed time to get this baby out! Another odd thing for me - my contractions completely stopped when it was time to push. We're talking I go from hollering in pain to silence in the time they got my bed ready lol. I was just looking around at them. They had to watch my monitors and tell me when it was time to push. With 2 contractions (about 15 mins) she was out! The doc got there just in time to take the top of her head into his hands and help deliver her.

So, from actual pain to holding her - little over 3 hrs! Actual labor from first break of my water - little over 9 hrs. Which leads me to my worries with Mia lol. They "say" that the second comes faster, which is perfectly fine, but my hubby will be working on his river shift from 37 weeks until i'm 39 weeks and I really don't see me making it to 39 with how my oldest daughter came at 37. He has a 1 1/2 hr drive to where the hospital is so we're a bit worried on timing issues. Plus, if I start actually hurting i'm going to think i'm just as far along as I was with my daughter when it started hurting LOL. I'm going to freak out. But, we'll deal with it when the time comes. : )

Anyways - this got long but it's been awhile since a long post! Until next time ....