Rachel Posted December 30, 2009 Report Share Posted December 30, 2009 Hi DINET Friends,My little girl has arrived! Adelaide was born earlier this month via c-section. Everything went very well, and we have a happy, healthy baby girl.I wasn't planning on having a c-section until two days before Adelaide was born. We were planning to induce labor once I was full term because Adelaide was getting so big, and because I really wanted to avoid a c-section. My body doesn't heal well, and I wanted to avoid surgery if at all possible. But before we could induce, Adelaide got too big. When I was 38 weeks along the ultrasound weight estimate was just shy of 11 pounds. Ultrasounds can be off by a pound either direction, but either way, we were looking at a baby that was going to be 10 pounds or more. After discussing things with my doctor, it was decided that the risks for injury for me and the baby were too great to continue with the plan to induce. I have now given birth to two babies, one naturally, and one via cesarean. The recovery has actually been much easier this time. It is still hard, and I'm still extra tired and sleepy. Caring for an infant (even with a lot of help) is taking its toll on me. BUT - I am doing so much better physically than I thought I would be. After going through labor and delivery with my son I was so completely exhausted. It was really nice to be able to skip labor and the extreme fatigue that came after that. With the c-section the only fatigue I've had has been due to lack of sleep and caring for an infant (and of course the normal fatigue that I always have). I'm still in pain from the surgery, and that will be here for a while. Time will tell how well my body heals from the incisions. For now, I'm just thrilled to not be completely bed bound because of fatigue! For me and my dysautonomia, it turns out that a c-section was the easiest and best way to deliver a baby.Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayjay Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 So happy to hear your good news! I'll be praying for speedy healing from your surgery and good sleep for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsdmom Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Rachel,Congratulations! And welcome, Adelaide! So how big did she end up being?I'm so glad that you are feeling as well as you could hope for. I hope you have lots of help and can try to rest up a bit.Thanks for sharing the news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ana_22 Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 congrats!!!! xxxx Im so happy everything went well and you and baby are safe x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettyinpink Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Rachel's blog has adorable pictures of her new baby! She is beautiful! Congratulations! What an awesome Christmas present Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted December 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Thanks, y'all. Adelaide ended up being just over 10 pounds when she was born. So she wasn't as big as we had thought she might be. I probably could have made it through labor delivery and pushed her out on my own (my son was 9 1/2 pounds, and I got him out), but I'm glad I had a ceserean. The recovery has been so much easier. I'm still shocked at how much easier it was with a c-section!I have even been able to nurse my baby this time. I tried breastfeeding with my son, but wasn't able to do much at all. I think my body was just too tired to produce milk. But because I'm not as fatigued this time around, I've been able to produce more milk. We do have to supplement with two, sometimes three, bottles a day, but I am able to do the majority of the feedings. I'll post some pictures and more of the "chit-chatty" stuff over in the chit-chat forum. Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brye Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Congrats on Baby #2! Glad it all went well. Hope you get caught up on your sleep soon!Brye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia3 Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Congratulations on your baby and getting through the C section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janiedelite Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Thank you for updating us, and congratulations on your new bundle! I'm glad your body is more functional this time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worththewords Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Congratulations on your baby girl! I'm glad you had a positive experience. I'm having a c-section next week so you couldn't have posted this at a better time! It's very reassuring so thank you for sharing. I hope your incisions heal up quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjt22 Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Congratulations! A ten pound baby? Yeah. I'm a huge natural childbirth proponent, but if any of mine had gotten to that size, I might have been willing to wield the scalpel myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownsea Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 im so glad you are doing well, and baby is fine. xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Congratulations on your baby girl and, apparently, not too bad of a recovery(POTS-wise). I missed good sleep with all my babies, so here is to wishing you an occasional great sleep!With two biiiggg babies, are they monitoring you for diabetes? I know there is a correlation between big babies and type-2 diabetes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Alexia,I hope that everything goes well for you next week with your c-section. When you're up for it after the birth, let us know how things went for you and how you're doing. No rush, though. It took me a few weeks to give an update. I understand the need for rest after having a baby.In case it helps you, I want to share two things that helped me POTS-wise during recovery:- Abdominal compression. I don't know if you pool in your abdomen or not, but I know that I do. The pooling was extra painful after surgery. I found that wearing light abdominal compression was very helpful at keeping my pain level down. I couldn't wear compression for a day or two after surgery. Then I wore light compression. After about two weeks I was back up to my heavy abdominal compression. It definitely made things more comfortable.- Taking it EASY after surgery. The doctors and nurses will tell you to take it easy, but unless they realize how POTS affects your energy level, they'll likely ask you to do more than you really should. My nurses wanted me to walk up and down the hallway four times a day. That was more than I could physically do on a good day without having surgery. I knew I couldn't do that, and so I didn't even try. However, I did walk around my hospital room. I thought I was taking it easy enough, but I should have done half the walking I did. My pain levels increased a LOT and for a day or so pain meds didn't help at all. I had overdone it. It is important to get up and move as soon as possible to help promote healing. Just be careful to not do too much.All the best to you!Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Sue,Thank you, and thanks for the concern. I definitely don't have diabetes, though. There is a corelation between gestational diabetes and big babies. My sugar levels were tested at every visit, and I had a glucose test at 6 months, which is part of standard prenatal testing. Everything always came back normal. My body just makes big babies!Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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