My question is, what store do you reccommend getting tights for the little peanut? I'm planning on going to the mall tommorrow, I already have a return to Macy's and a return to the Children's Place, so i'm already planning on going into both stores.
Last week I had to pull over and park on Ocean Parkway to change her, today was in the bank parking lot. ANd the bank is literally 2 min from the house, lol.
7lbs 5oz
I'm over the moon. She gained almost a pound in one week. Last week she weighed 6lbs 6.5oz. The doctor was over the moon. He would have been happy with 4-6oz gained.
SO now we don't go back for a few weeks, until her two month appointment, which we're doing a week early.
Considering we had hell with the formula, the one the doctor gave us Enfamil she was spitting up, so we switched to Similac.
And what makes me feel good, is Nikki will take a bottle of formula like 2oz and she still wants to nurse right after and soothe herself to sleep.
I currently have a Carter's reindeer outfit, and a Carter's penguin outfit.
But Mike is being annoying an uncooperative about my desire to do a theme. He thinks a good compliment to a penguin would be to dress as a frum jew. eye roll please
SO look at what I just found
http://www.costumehub.com/products/infanIt's a DRONKEY!!!
I've decided even if he won't do a theme, I think I'm going to buy the costume and dress her up around the house. Clearly I need new hobbies.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/p
So here's where all the baby's names stack up according to the 2008 list.
Nicole - rank 25
Rose- rank 126
Nechama- rank 133
Sara-rank 26/ Sarah- rank 5
we only had to redo it yesterday as the state had rejected the first blood sample.
Nikki's weight this week was 6lbs 6.5oz.
She gained 1.5 oz this week.
Just a rehash of numbers
birth 7lbs 1oz
discharge/4 days 6lbs 13 oz
8 days 6lbs 7oz
15 days 6lbs 5oz
22 days 6lbs 6.5oz
SO we go back next friday for a weight check. In the meantime we're supplementing one nighttime feeding with formula. ugh. I'm not upset about the formula, per se, it's more of I HATE THE SMELL OF FORMULA. Apparently I shouldn't be calling Nikki 'stinky baby'
The pediatrician said we should do the formula 4oz at 2am, and Mike should get that feeding. I turned around and said flat out I can get mike to do 12am, 2am isn't happening. Apparently last ntie Mike fed her, didn't grasp how one burps after formula. And then got really upset that she was spitting up. I apparently slept through her spitting up, I just thought she was a bit congested.
I don't think I'm that devastated by supplementing with formula. I do appreciate that the pediatrician didn't go OMG formula at 8 days, we modified my diet the first week. And then the past week we've been on the two hour feeding schedule.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated with my body. I just wish there was a way to know if the issue is my actual supply or is the issue the content of the milk.
I realize whatever Milk I have is satiating Nikki when she nurses, even if it's just briefly. But she has in the past week, also been seeking out to nurse to soothe herself, even if she nursed like 20 min earlier.
I forgot to include , the pediatrician said outright the only thing he's concerned with is her weight. She's not jaundiced, she's active, she isn't lethargic, so he's happy to see that this is the only area of concern.
Clearly she takes after her mom and has to do everything HER way on HER time.
I'm not driving yet, I'm also in no hurry to drive with her in the car. Today we went on a schlep, we went to Walgreen's, which is less than half a mile from the house. I opted not to stop at the kosher dunkin donuts, I was more eager to go to walgreen's and buy some 'necessities'.
MY shopping list:
aluminum foil
sanitary napkins
q-tips
baby friendly thermometer
only thing not on the list I bought: Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
As I knew that Mike couldn't handle getting me pads. It's also amazing I have boxes upon boxes of tampons, but only maybe two packages of pads in the house. I would use the hospital ones, but I hate that they don't have adhesive.
So I bought a forehead/thermal thermometer. I'm sorry but it looks like a 'personal massager'
http://exergen.com/medical/TAT/tatconsu
So I posted when we came home from the pediatrician on friday, ie while Mike was holding Nikki so I could futz on the computer and eat lunch.
So we were home about 12:15pm or so. At about 1:45 Mike's cellphone starts ringing. He didn't answer it, ie he was in the kitchen and didn't hear it. He calls back, it's the pediatrician.
Apparently that day friday after we left they got blood results back in the mail, that were done in the hospital.
Her thryoid was fine, however her tsh level was elevated. They wanted to rerun the test (fine), we were given a choice to go back to the office on friday or wait until sunday. Now we had a boat load of stuff to do planned on sunday I still have to post about that. So we said we'd be back in about 2:30, I wanted to nurse Nikki again.
So we went back for 2:30. Somehow the office was dead, and yet in the morning it had been really busy. And the blood was being drawn by the other pediatrician who I had met twice in the hospital, competent.
I said right away 'I'm not going to be helpful with this' ie I was to worked up. If you don't recall from the gd escapades I HATE NEEDLES!!!!
So the pediatrician and idk what she was in the office were holding Nikki and trying to do the blood draw. They used a rubberband as a tourneqiet(sp) which was kinda neat.
They couldn't get the butterfly needle in her hand so they wound up lanceting her heel.
My poor baby was screaming and crying. Mike and I were like 'she's never made that sound before' she sounded like a cat being forced into a box, and a turkey.
Mike was standing between me and the exam table watching, and he was clutching my hand. I was teasing him later that he was gripping my hand harder than I was squeezing his. Because I was sitting there looking to the side, tearing up.
We got home about 3:15 and shabbos was 4:18. B"H she was fine, once we put her back in the car seat she fell right asleep. And i let her schluff into candle lighting, so this way I could get stuff done, with her in the seat and then took her out to nurse after I lit.
We haven't heard anything back from the pediatrician yet. However I don't expect to hear anything back until friday. When we go for her next weight check.
iyh with this every two hour feeding schedule, and snack/demand nursing in between she'll at least maintain if not gain weight. I'm at a point mildly frustrated that I can barely get anything pumped with this nursing schedule. ie clearly my body is not producing copious amounts of milk. shrug
The bleeding has ebbed and flowed, but at some point that heavier dark blood, with some clots started again. But not only is it the bleeding but I've had cramps that literally leave me doubled in pain sobbing. The pain was so bad I called Mike early this afternoon and asked him to come home early.
I'm thrilled he did. Honestly all I wanted was to take a nice warm bath and take pain medication. neither of which I feel I can do safely home alone with Nikki, esp when she's having a 'feed me every 45 min- an hour' kind of day.
He was great about, he usually sucks with any and all female discussions. he's like 'can you take anything'. which was part of why I needed him to come home. I also told him this isn't even anything so horrible that I need to call my ob, the cramps are just kicking my butt. it didn't help today was one of those cold grey damp days, which probably triggers my back pain on top of the cramping.
the pain meds kicked me so hard, i actually have Mike holding Nikki as I was afraid as I felt myself drifting I was going to drop her.
Last week by the pediatrician she weighed 6lbs 7oz, which was down about half a pound from her birth weight of 7lbs 1oz.
Today at the pediatrician she weight 6lbs 5oz. And this week she's been nursing like crazy, like every few hours. i mean I feel like all day all we do is nurse. I'm not complaining, but she really has been nursing a lot B"H. I'm upset about her not gaining and in fact losing, and I'm struggling not to internalize it as a failure on my part.
We go back to the pediatrician next friday. What he wants us to do is nurse every 2 hours during the day, a minimum of 12 minutes on each side(that should be the greater challenge). And every 3 hours at nite.
I still want to emotionally beat myself up and cry.
I'm glad that we have gotten the hang of nursing, and she seeks it out ie for comfort or to fall asleep. But I can't help but feel like a horrible person/and parent that she's not gaining.
So I had Nikki two weeks ago today, wow. And because it was a c-section I was only allowed a liquid diet until I could pass gas. Isn't that just lovely sharing?
So I had the section at 5:48am on thursday, my first 'meal' after no food since 6am on Wednesday was about 3pm thursday. When the dietary person brought me the tray which consisted of ginger ale, fruit juices, non kosher chicken broth(no hechshur), and jello in a hospital container, tea and coffee packets with hot water; I asked if this was a kosher tray and I was told it was. I was also told the jellow was 'kozy shack'. Honestly I didn't eat much I was too busy with the baby, on the phone, and sucking down the gingerale as I hadn't had soda since mid-August.
My dinner tray of liquids came that nite while Mike and his parents were in the room, so I didn't eat right away, and only really picked at it once they left. It was essentially the exact same tray as the meal before.
The next morning when the dietary person came into the room to take my roommates food order, she went to ask me what I wanted and realized I was on a liquids diet. At that time I reinforced that I wanted a kosher tray. Only when my breakfast tray was brought to me on friday morning was I keenly aware that my previous two trays in fact had been 'non kosher' trays. That breakfast tray everything was individually wrapped, and the mock chicken broth was double wrapped with a sticker from the vaad and the label from the 'caterer'/pizza store who does the food for the hospital.
All day friday my meals were fine, in terms of liquid kosher trays.
Shabbos morning, I woke super early, I had to pee, clean stuff up, and I decided I was in enough pain to take pain medication, but not in enough pain not to schlep to the nurses station for drugs. I then proceeded to schlep in the hallway, as they wanted me 'moving' while i was walking, I noticed a dietary person going around doing orders. I went back in my room when she was a door or two away, so I was in the room. The dietary person never came in.
About an hour later, when they brought me the tray, I refused to accept the tray and demanded a kosher tray. I then wound up with the nurse in the room who incorrectly perceived that I was pissed about the liquid diet, and couldn't fathom there was a kashrus issue with liquids. HELLO TREIF JELLO IS GELATIN, THAT'S USUALLY MADE FROM MELTED BONEs.
In speaking to the nurse and trying to explain about kosher symbols. i did say the hospital was lucky it was shabbos otherwise I would have been on the phone with my lawyer. Who most likely would have told me to chill out anyhow.
I was pissed of those intial 6 trays 3 had been non-kosher trays, and the first two I was told were kosher trays. I understand on the part of the dietary staff the potential oversight and perception that liquids are liquids, but they're not.
I"m not worked up omg I eat a bite of treif jello in the hospital. I'm more angry that the situation overall happened. I also want to use the opportunity not to cause grief or make legal threats, but rather to write a letter to the dietary division of the hospital so that this doesn't happen to someone else.
It got back to my ob that I threatened to bring a lawsuit against the hospital, when I didn't do that, I only threatened to call my lawyer (who is a family friend, his dad gave me a dog when I was two and on top of that is allowed to yell at me and put in my place when I overreact.)
SO do you think I should write a letter, not with threats, but alerting them to the situation. And that perhaps this is an opportunity to better educate the dietary staff. Or do I need to let this go?
I also was pissed at Mike because, he didn't get bent out of shape about the situation. Not that he wasn't less then thrilled when I finally explained it to him coherently but rather he kind of shrugged it off, as a 'you can't change it' type situation. Which he is right about, but it was still infuriating nonetheless.
And we have a lovely service window of 8-12.
I feel like the outfit I'm wearing I look homeless. I have on baggy sweatpants from college, a sleeveless nightgown, a longer sleeved nightgown, a short robe, and a hooded sweatshirt and a hat
It's not a good look, but i'm covered.
I'm excited to see them, but I'm also super nervous and hesitant as it's so freaking bittersweet. I am thrilled they're making the schlep to see Nikki, but it's still bittersweet.
Then again i think sunday Mike and I are going to take on her first big car trip, beyond doctor's appointments. I think we're driving down to Bradley Beach, near Deal /Long Branch NJ to see my grandparents.
Apparently my grandfather is having a 'water problem' ie the man is going to be 90 in December and has become incontinent, so he's not going far from the house. The way I see the world, he's 90 loss of his bladder at this point, I'm greatful my grandparents lived to become great-grandparents.
Mike and I were talking over shabbos, regarding the Or and Nikki's birth and he turned around and said 'I couldn't have been there, even if you wanted me there' and it made me stop and we then looked thorugh some of the Kohain- tu mas mase(lack of better translation- death status or contamination) books we have but couldn't find anything concrete. Maybe you guys know.
The other downfall of the main tu mas mase book, in the section on birth there wasn't much distinction between a miscarriage/d&c and a delivery. ie there were things that I know of under nidda ie when a husband is supposed to leave the room in the labor process that was under the miscarriage heading. And Mike and I were having a circular argument that my point was 'this is the standard towards most births- ie niddah once the woman can no longer walk around (ex)' And he was convinced since it was under teh miscarriage heading this was specific to miscarriages.
His perspective is as a Kohain he could not be in the OR for a c/section. Specifically in relation to the amount of blood, as he can't come in contact with more than an olives volume of blood. I'm curious if a similar standard or thought applies to vaginal deliveries.
Has anyone else heard this. Where would one even look for additional information. As our kohain books seem to have failed us on this one.
So the idiot nurse couldn’t do an iv, and on top of that said in front of me the patient as she’s digging in my arm to another nurse ‘I don’t know how to do this’ and I basically turned around and said to a third nurse in the room ‘I didn’t know I was going to be the test subject/patient’
Well the following morning almost twenty four hours after I had begun the induction I was in a bed in the ‘recovery area’ across from the nurses station, when they wheeled me in, the room was empty. About 20 minutes later a frum woman, ie sheitel and hat, idk but I think Williamsburg or Boro Park was put in the next bed over. She apparently was having a c-section. Not my fault the ‘walls’ are thin.
This same idiot nurse, said to this patient who was forthcoming that she had small veins and in the past it had taken 4 attempts to get the iv in. At this point Idiot nurse says to the patient ‘If I can’t get it in you, someone else will.’ At some point a supervisor/coordinator pulled idiot nurse, who I overheard discussing her next assignment/ rotation unit, to speak upstairs. While she was out of L&D they discovered that Idiot nurse who had ‘successfully gotten the IV in’ had royally fucked it up. An hour plus after it had been put in the woman’s IV was still burning. Can you imagine having an IV burn for over an hour, and then having to have another nurse remove it and to redo it.
And idiot nurse when she was told, she was like ‘you’re doing it/handling it ok’’ like she didn’t get how much it negatively reflected upon her and her lack of professionalism. Or her lack of medical skills.
Induction
So my induction was scheduled for my due date, November 4th at about 7:30am. We got to L&D a few minutes late, shrug. Who is really on time at 7:30 am, I mean I knew I was coming in right at the tail end of the shift change. My doctor had said to be there for 7am, but that didn’t happen. We were doing intake by 7:40am and I was in a room by 8am.
I was initially excited, I had a private room in L&D. Mike didn’t appreciate this for what it was, but I was thrilled to know that I wasn’t going to have a ton of foot traffic or having to listen other women in labor and what not. And that I didn’t really have to worry about feeling ‘immodest’ or worry about my ass hanging out when I went to the bathroom.
They did the intial blood work and attempted to start an IV. I will continue about the idiot nurse in training later on. It took them three tries to get the IV in, that didn’t bother me what bothered me was that it hurt like an absolute bitch. And on top of that the nurse ‘who I later found out was a student’ actually said to another nurse ‘I don’t know how to do this’ as she was digging in my fucking arm. Oww. I turned around to the nurse on my other side who was doing the computer in take and said ‘I didn’t realize I was going to be the test subject/patient.
So at 9:25am, they inserted the cervadil, at about 3pm I started having contractions. I was then offered pain medication, which I gladly took. I think it was ‘stadol’ all I know was right after they put it in the iv, the room started to turn like the reels of a slot machine or like the old movie reels. And I was still talking even with my eyes open.
What sucked was once the pain meds wore off, they wouldn’t let me out of the bed, and made me use a bed pan. And I was in crazy amounts of pain as the contractions had increased in frequency and were closer together. Realistically they were also still pretty inconsistent but they were kicking my ass. And no one said to me what I understood later, which was they couldn’t give me more pain meds in that moment, because the cervadil was coming out within like two hours and that’s when they would evaluate if I had dilated and where we went from there.
At about 9:30 when they took the cervadil out I was assessed as 2cm dialted and 60%. The next course of action was an epidural, a catheter and for them to administer pitocin. I may be crazy but the catheter hurt more than the epidural..
At about 4am, my doctor came in. He at that point assessed me and his exact words were ‘what the hell is he talking about, 2? Your 1 cm barely’ and that was after 12 hours of cervadil and about 6 hours of pitocin. He broke my water and said we would reevaluate in an hour. But if I didn’t make more progress it would be a section.
My response at 4am was ‘I knew that’ and he said I know all you want is ‘healthy and safe.’
So we had a c-section, my little munchkin was born at 5:48 am, 7 pounds 1 ounce. 19 inches long. She measured 9/9 on the apgars. IT’S A GIRL!!!!
The following day when my doctor came to check on me, he was asking if I was ok I guess almost emotionally/philosophically with having the section, and I said honestly we did 18 hours of medication and inducing, I don’t physically think I could have been able to handle much more and still have any head or stregnth. At that point I found out from my doctor he was glad we took the route we did, because apparently the cord was wrapped around her neck.
What I don’t understand is, I had this high risk pregnancy with ultrasounds every week literally for the third trimester, I even had one Tuesday how the hell did we miss the cord was around the baby’s neck. I’m not assigning blame, as she is happy and healthy, but how the hell did we miss that.
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yeishlitikvah- Abby
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