Our newest addition to our family arrived 2 weeks ago today! Boy has she broken the mold in numerous ways! First off she is our only girl; second, she was our largest baby (10lb 14oz); third, she was the only one I had to have serial ultrasounds with to check for placenta previa (which thankfully resolved a few weeks before she was born); fourth, she came before her due date not a week later!; and Fifth, she experienced shoulder dystocia (which is an emergency!) and was not initially crying when she was born!
That last part was a little scary at the end. Initially I had no idea what was going on. I was just pushing along, then I heard she was stuck, and before I knew it about 20 nurses and other hospital staff flooded into the room. The Midwife was basically on top of me pushing on my pelvis, someone was counting out time, and then she was out, and quickly rushed outside of the room! I heard someone say “NICU” and I started to tear up. Thankfully I had gotten an epidural when I did, labor was already excruciating, not to mention quick! and this event would have probably made it unbearable. Also, I’m thankful that she was not away from me long. Within a few minutes I heard her crying down the hall or where ever she was and my husband carried her back into the L&D room and gave her too me within 10 minutes or less. After she was out (of me), the Midwife told me she had to pull out an arm in order to get her shoulder unstuck.
No one, I repeat, NO ONE thought this baby was going to be almost 11 lbs. I did not have gestational diabetes, I did not “look” that big, and I had not gained an excessive amount of weight either! Plus my last Ultrasound estimated her weight at 36/37 weeks to be a little less than 6 lbs, so there is no way she gained 5 lbs in 2-3 weeks! Everyone was also surprised that I only had a small one degree tear along an old scar from when I had my first son. I opted not to have stitches and I think I healed up just fine.
The first week at home was hard in someways but easy in others. The worst part was how I felt day 4 after delivery. It was negative 11 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I had to go to my daughters first primary care visit, the van wouldn’t start; the car would, but it was behind the van!!! And physically I felt awful. I felt like I had been run over. My hips hurt in the front, my abdomen hurt, my neck hurt, my whole body was sore, and I hadn’t slept much in 48 hours. I just curled up in bed and sobbed ugly tears. My body temperature felt like it was all over the place, I had body shakes, hot and cold flashes, etc… but my temperature was stable. The uterine cramping was also very uncomfortable and would happen every time I nursed for the first 5 days or so.
Two weeks out, I still have some scant uterine bleeding that is like a light menses. My abdomen feels much better and things are feeling pretty normal. I’m just left with my “mom pouch.” Our daughter’s massive bruise across her face has resolved and most of the hemorrhages in her eyes are healed. Her eyes are just left with a thin halo of blood around her irises. The boys love her and the youngest, who is two, is constantly getting in her crib (if the door is open) seating beside her, touching her face and saying baby! The oldest wants to be involved and help with diaper changes by handing me the diaper and the youngest just wants to be around everybody else. So I am so thankful that they have fully embraced her.
The Ruby Blossom 