Pregnancy Weight Gain (Updated 5/9/18)

My battle since I was a child was my weight. I've always been overweight, nothing new there. The battle to maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy is a whole new ball game. Especially when you're overweight already.

My first pregnancy I started at 208 lbs. Found out I was pregnant Nov 2015 By Jan, 2016 I weighed the below:

So that was 10 months in, with a 6 lb weight gain, not bad. But by May I was 247 lbs:

I finally delivered Aug. 9, 2016 So I surely broke the 250 lb mark. 45 lb weight gain. No thanks! Not this time!!!

So I'm sticking to a Low-Carb diet. As much as humanly possible, those sugar cravings are a killer sometimes, trying to fill them with fruit. Going to the gym & do at-home workouts as much as my body will allow. Here's my progress So far:

I was very happy when I got on the scale this morning only a 1 lb weight gain in 3 weeks!! I was expecting more because I've been slacking. But Last week I regained focus on my nutrition even though I didn't make it to gym, I made sure I ate right. And it paid off!

Update: 1/11/18

I'm up to 215 lbs. which means a total weight gain of 10 lbs. so far! Being that I'm 21 weeks as of today, my appetite has increased, and my energy has decreased the past few days I am happy with this, 4 lbs. in 4 weeks. I am still trying my hardest to stick to low-carb & my goal this week has been to up my water intake. So far so good. Now if my 1st trimester sleepiness would go away, I could get some movement going.

Update 2/3/18

I'm up to 216 lbs. at 24 weeks, total weight gain of 11 lbs. & I'm VERY glad with that. It's funny I took this picture on the 2nd, earlier that week I weighed and I was 220 lbs. purely bloated from carbs. Me & the Beautiful Carbs do not get along, although I love them so!! But after a few days of cutting carbs & drinking enough water that bloat was gone! I haven't been able to workout as good as I have wanted to due to horrible headaches & pelvic pain. But I'm getting 2 or 3 good workouts in a week, still trying to listen to my body. I started going to get pool gym, and that does feel quite wonderful!

Update: 3/1/18

Let the weight gain begin! Since the last post I've gained 5 lbs! My belly has got a lot bigger here lately, so hopefully it's all going to little man! I am fine with this! This means a total weight gain of 16 lbs this whole pregnancy! 3 months left to go! I cannot believe I am in my third trimester now. It's going to fly by! This is when you gain the most of your weight, because the baby is putting on getting bigger, fatter, longer, stronger! As long as he's growing healthy I'm a happy Momma! I have had some days where I've been so hungry it feels like I could eat everything in the kitchen! I am battling this by stuffing my face with fruits and fresh veggies with hummus. It has helped so much keeping healthy quick snacks around the house. Although the kids Cap'n Crunch is really calling my name sometimes, but I haven't gave in to that sugary mess! I am still doing whatever workouts my pelvis & hips are allowing. Which isn't much these days. That's why nutrition is so important! Remember to subscribe so you can get an alert, I'll be back to update with the next 4 week weight gain in April!

3/29/18

I didn't even realize 4 more weeks had passed! That really flew by! So today I hit 32 weeks pregnant, and I've gained another 5 lbs. Not surprised, third trimester is when baby boy packs on the weight. Hopefully it's all gonna be leaving when he does! But I'll be honest it's been harder to be stayed focused on healthy eating here lately. I have been craving sweets. Ice Cream is my bestie. I had about 2 weeks of bad eating, and I snapped back to reality this week. I've done really well since Monday. I post my calorie intake & macros on my Instagram story every night. Today I'm struggling with indigestion so eating light & eat is not a problem at all. Went grocery shopping today and loaded up on fruits & veggies. I hope the next weigh in at 36 weeks won't be another 5lbs. But if it is, he'll be worth it. Total weight gain thus far: 21 lbs. much better than this time last pregnancy.

4/19/18

I decided to update today because on 5/18/18 I'll be delivering via C-section unless he decides to pop out early! I hit 35 weeks today! I was 226 lbs. last weigh-in, up to 230 lbs. this morning. I won't make excuses I'm not eating like a crazy lady, but it's not always the healthiest choices. But it's not an everyday binge fest. I've done better than the last weigh-in with food, I've had a lot more salads, and fruits, with the side of pizza and nachos here & there!!! 4 lbs. isn't too bad, I'm glad it's not more! Pregnancy cravings are a struggle! So I've officially met my 25 pound weight gain goal for this pregnancy. I don't want to gain a pound past that, but that's not realistic since he's packing on fat still. What I can do is take the food day by day & be as healthy as possible with it. I have been active, walking a couple times a week & doing some light weight workouts. I really feel like doing workouts when my body allows it, has helped me tremendously this pregnancy! Also, chasing the toddler really helps the step count for the day! I will Update for the last time at 38 weeks, then I'll be getting ready to deliver my boy! I've had a few folks commenting on how I'm "all belly," carrying really well & didn't gain much. Makes me feel good because that was the goal I was working towards!

This is the final update for this part of my pregnancy journey. Because next Friday, my son will be in my arms! As you can see this from April 9th until today I've gained the most at once that I have my whole pregnancy! My appetite has been insane! So glad it wasn't like this the entire pregnancy! There are some nights I eat dinner, and an hour later my stomach is growling, hard & loud like I haven't ate all day! The third trimester is also when the baby packs on the last of his fat. So hopefully, most of these 6 lbs. gained some of that went to him! I started this pregnancy around 206 lbs. (you can see in the beginning of post). I'm ending at 236 lbs. which means a total weight gain this pregnancy of 30 lbs. So I'm 5 lbs. over my 25 lb. goal. I can live with that! I'm actually quite proud of myself I stayed pretty consistent this entire pregnancy, and even though there were some splurges I would bounce back to healthier eating. I will be back Post-partum with a new blog to share with y'all my Baby Weight-loss journey. The picture below is from my Maternity photos with my first son, and my new ones from last week. The differences I see make me very happy! I did it! I got through a pregnancy without eating everything insight and losing my nutritional wits! 

Please check back because I will be updating this blog post with my progress every few weeks!

You can also follow my journey on Instagram with daily updates of both my little guys!

16 Month Journey Comes to an End.

Last night was my last night nursing my son. I am so sad right now. This is normally the time I would be nursing him, then he goes to bed around 8. I've came into the room to be out of sight, out of mind hopefully. Hubby is taking over the bedtime routine until Baby is used to not getting it at night. It's gonna be a long week.

Overall breastfeeding him has been easy. He latched on as soon as they gave him to me in the hospital. I'll never forget that little head bobbing around looking for its nipple, and soon as he found it he was going to town!!  

We never had any issues with his latch, or him refusing. The only issue ever was with me, I was harder on myself than needed to be. Every woman goes through the doubt stage. Wondering if you will produce enough milk for the baby. If you can keep up with the demanding cries of a breastfed baby every 2 hrs, all day, every day. I remember one night he was probably a month old, I had my Boppy pillow, he was nursing, I rested my head back on the headboard, and I passed out. Next thing I knew I was waking up in that position and he was still latched on, asleep. Who knows how much time had passed. So glad he wasn't rolling around yet!! I was exhausted to say the least.

I was so sure I wasn't going to produce enough milk, mainly because of the bottles & bottles, bags & bags of milk I seen stock pile pictures of online. That made me feel so inferior, especially when in the beginning if I pumped I'd get 0.5oz or 1oz. These women were producing 8oz & more each pumping session. I never leaked. Was barely engorged. So, I drank teas and hunted down lactation cookie recipes. Also poured flax seed all up on my steel cut oatmeal. Looking back now it's almost comical. Why do we as women doubt ourselves so much?

I was able to exclusively breastfeed my baby until he was 6 months old!! Meaning nothing else went into his body other than Mommy's liquid gold. I did it!!! My milk kept my baby alive and well!! My body did it!!! It made just what he needed, always has, and still is.

I am pregnant again, and for me, I've decided this is the end of our breastfeeding journey. I feel he's doing it now more for comfort than anything else. He eats, well, and a lot. He'll be 21 months old when the baby is born, and weaning him now gives me 5 months of a break, and HOPEFULLY gives him time to not crave it as much. I know he's going to be jealous when baby is here, for more reasons than just nursing. But I want him to have had a break from it, so that it won't be as hard on him then when the baby is getting it & he's not.

The way I started weaning him has worked out great. We were nursing 3 times a day. Morning, Noon before his nap, & then before bedtime. 1st thing when he woke, we would cuddle In bed, mainly because I was still sleepy. He would Nurse, we would talk (baby gibberish) then get up, and get the day started, this was our little routine. It was the first to go. I started cutting that on a Friday when I knew we had to get up early and would be out the house and busy. DISTRACTION was my friend! And that weekend his sibling were here and they're an awesome distraction, because he plays with them the whole time! So this was the easiest one to cut out.

In Nov. I had to go to my mother-in-laws to help watch her mom for a week. While we were there I knew he would be distracted enough, so I could cut the midday feeding & I did. He was not happy the first two days at all. But here is when the distractions came in handy again! I'd take him outside to play. Or give him a snack and juice. Cuddle him some, then he would go down for his nap. This one hasn't been as easy as the morning feedings because he still gets grumpy around nap time and I can tell he's whining for his "ninny". But I cuddle him as long as he wants, then he goes down for a nap (told you he was just comfort nursing).

Once you make your mind up you have to stick to it!!! The tears suck so bad, especially when you know what he wants and it'd be so easy to give it to him... But you have to be strong! Or it's not going to end the way you wanted it to.

Now for the night-time feeding. Tonight he had dinner at 6, as usual. Then a bath. Now he's chilling with dad while I'm here trying not to go pull him from Daddy's lap and nurse him. It is so emotional. I am trying not to cry. Really didn't expect it to make me so sad. It is for more reasons than one. Yes, he's a big boy now, my baby is growing up so quickly, this makes every mom sad. But I also feel like I'm robbing him of his time by cutting him off now. I wanted him to get his 2 years. I also wanted him to understand what a little baby brother or sister is before we introduced him to one. But, that didn't go according to the plan in my head. So adjustments have to be made, for us all. I know he will get used to it and be thrilled to have a little buddy to play with 24/7. I just need to get past the emotions and feeling like I betrayed my firstborn. 

Dad is gonna be the biggest help in this last bit of weaning. It has to be done, and I'm glad I slowly weaned him. Going cold turkey would've been horrible for us both. I do not have the mentality to tandem feed. I applaud all the mommy's who do it. But I'm already tired. It is time to stop. It's been a beautiful 16 months. I'm so thankful I was able to provide this for my son. I'm praying it goes as smoothly with the next baby as well.

If you have any questions, or advice please leave a comment. I would love to know how your weaning experience went! Please follow my pregnancy journey on Instagram as well (www.instagram.com/momma.ape)

Baby #2 Coming May 2018

I am currently 15 weeks pregnant 💗 My son will be 21 months when this baby is born. We are super excited! Was that my first emotion? No, my husband yes, he was thrilled, me 5,000 different worries rushed through my brain at once. It took a few weeks for me to be able to, breathe. 

The worries, you may ask were a range of things like:

• OMG! My son is not going to know what is going on he's too young to understand, he's gonna feel betrayed!!!!!!
• OMG! I'm gonna be cut open again!!!!!
• OMG!!!! How am I gonna deal with a newborn and a toddler?? Plus my two older kids.
• OMG!!! I WAS JUST PREGNANT!!!
• OMG! I just lost all the pregnancy weight now I'm gonna be a cow again!

Then I snapped to reality, I am a strong woman, and women have been doing this for centuries! My son is going to LOVE having a little sibling to play with (he is already thrilled when his older siblings are here). And who says I can't try for a VBAC?! Also tending to a newborn and chasing a toddler will make the preggo weight fly off! So just calm your butt down woman!

Here's my little Cupcake 😍

I am very happy y'all!! We're hoping for a baby girl this time, but obviously all that matters is a healthy baby! I can already feel the baby moving and it's starting to get uncomfortable to wear pants. If the old wives tale about a girl stealing her mom's beauty is true, it's surely a girl because I am Mrs. Pimple Face & My hair is shedding horribly. Surely didn't' happen the first time around, but every pregnancy is different, so they say!

I was told by the last hospital I delivered at before, that if I deliver with them again it's an automatic C-Section. (You can read about that experience here:My C-Section Story). But you know what? I'm not down with that!! So we're trying out a new OB/GYN & Hospital and they empower women to try for a VBAC!!! I am so excited! I was rushed along first pregnancy, this time I am gonna take control and let my body do what it was made to do! If a C-Section happens, it'll happen after I have given my body time.

My weight had nothing to do with why I had to have a C-section the first time, but the new Doctor is adamant that a small baby, and a healthy weight gain makes a VBAC more successful. So I am determined to not gain much. I workout and do a Low-Carb diet. I was 205lbs when this pregnancy started, I'm 15 weeks in and I weigh 210. I am pleased with that! I want my snap-back to be on point!! 😉

Another huge goal I have is to wean my son. I have been exclusively breastfeeding him, his whole life. He'll be 16 months old this month. I wanted to give him 2 years. But I cannot tandem feed, more power to the mothers who do it, but this chick does not have the mentality for it! So we are currently down to 1 feeding a day, about an hour before he goes to bed. He's not happy but he's getting use to it. By the end of December I am going to have him completely weaned. That gives Momma 5 months of a break before the newborn is here suckling away. Hopefully, will give baby boy a chance to not be too jealous when new baby is getting and he's not. We shall see.

I will be documenting this pregnancy here, also on my Instagram.

 Feel free to follow, and let's exchange encouragement!

My C-Section Story

When you're a first time mom, you have this ideal picture in your head of how the whole pregnancy should go. Mid wive tells you to write out a birth plan, you sit and think hard about how you want everything to go, every single detail. Who's allowed in the room. What medicine you will or won't accept, down to if you want the lights on or not. I had it all planned out. I knew that I was gonna push this baby out!! Why not, that's what God made my body to do! 

But come Aug. 9, 2016 aroubd 5pm, my ideal birthing plan came to a screeching hault. I was told for the second time that I had to have a C-section. This time there was no other options, my son's life was at risk. So in I was wheeled for an emergency C-Section to bring my baby boy into this world. I now know that things could have went differently.  I will never forget that moment, ever. A C-section was never a thought in my mind. I was so not ready.

So, here's the details of how it ALL went donw! Where do I begin? Hmm... Oh yes, at the beginning. I carried my son 41+3 days when scheduled for  NST (non-stress test) and an ultrasound. The NST went fine, So I went to the next doctor for my ultrasound. This was a more thorough one than I had gotten previously. More in-depth to check him out to make sure everything was looking good and working properly. She got everything except the reading on the lungs that she needed. But my stubborn baby boy decided not to move around proper for the ultrasound. She could not get the reading and told me if she called my midwife back they would probably admit me because they'll see it as too risky to not go ahead and deliver...

So she called her, and admitted I was. Now you may wonder if I was worried for baby boy? Nope, not at all, because the WHOLE pregnancy he was stubborn, and for some reason he wouldn't move for other people's touches. He would be kicking up a storm, let dad touch my belly, boy would play opossum. Seriously. He was moving in the waiting room. But he just wouldn't move for that ultrasound, Even with a cup of coffee. My boy was stubborn, & still is 9 months later. So to the hospital I went, and here starts my motherhood journey, I was actually scheduled to be admitted later that week, but at this particular moment I was not ready, none of us were. We were in a bathing suits, heading to the beach after my appointment. Or so we thought...

Thinking back on this makes me question so much, and wonder if the staff would've handled things differently if maybe my body would've had time to do it's job. My Sis in law is a Labor & Delivery nurse and she was there, and frustrated by the way they were handling stuff (we were not at her hospital)  Now after researching I know that next pregnancy I will stand up for myself more. First time around you're clueless as to how things are supposed to go. You have trust in your midwives and doctors. You're supposed to be able to trust them. I should've questioned more. Next time you can bet I will have my voice strong!

My midwife got us checked in and told me my options. She said it was up to us if we wanted to be admitted or if we want to go home. After talking, we stayed. I mean I was 2 weeks overdue, let's do this! So they started me on Cervadil, that's a little strip of paper they insert inside you that is supposed to help induce labor, get you dilated... I was 3 CM when admitted. I wasn't making much progress, so here came the second round of Cervadil (Why the second round, if the first wasn't making good progress, why not Pitocin?) I started to contract around 4am on the 9th. First contractions I had ever felt, my whole pregnancy. WOAH!! & of course mine were all up in my back! Still 4cm dilated after all that, no progress made. Every time the nurses came aroudn they were offering an epidural like it was candy. They say the drip can make you and baby feel drunk and tired so they don't recommend... Around 9am when them contractions was strong, that epidural sounded beautiful so I got it. And I probably would again, I'm not one to sit there and battle pain when I don't have to.

Around 10am they broke my water, and baby boy's heart rate dropped. That has to be a shock to a baby's system right? You just interrupted his whole cozy environment he was in for 10 months, thankfully the heart rate bounced back & all was well. For now. Let me go ahead and fill you in on this important detail, do you know the monitors they put around your belly to monitory the baby's heart rate and contractions? 

Look like this: 

They are garbage! They would not stay in place. I can't tell you how many times they had to adjust them, or me to try to get readings. So they opted to put 2 monitors inside me, one attaches to baby's head. After epidural they inserted them, you would think this would be better, right? Wrong! They had to keep removing those as well and reattaching, to my poor unborn's head, once when taking it out of me, the end of it had his hair attached to it! They couldn't get it on him to stay properly because he had a full head of hair! These monitors plagued me & baby for hours!

Ok, so back to after the water breaks, his heart beat calms down, and we just wait. Wait, some more, and be adjusted, moved from side to side, sat me up, laid me down. Checked his position once, and the midwife (not the one I worked with for 9 months) said that he was positioned wrong, she couldn't tell what she was feeling, thought it was his neck and he was positioned with his head held backwards, so picture his face facing my cervix instead of top of his head. After she feels this she starts telling me I'm going to have to have a C-section. Now this is coming from someone who is supposed to do everything she can to avoid a C-Section. Thankfully she couldn't make the decision and had to call a doctor in. The doctor, to me, pretty much looked at the midwife like she was dense. She said to her "he's fine, this is the top of his head, it's his hair you're feeling." 

Really though, his hair. 

HIS HAIR LADY!

All my confidence was lost at that moment. The midwife tried to say he must've re-positioned by the time she got there. Yea, ok.  So here we go waiting some more, more moving me from side to side, sitting me up, which made me vomit & my blood pressure drop, way low. FINALLY giving me Pitocin, around noon or 1pm I believe. More of them pulling out the monitors and sticking them back to my son's head. There's a shift change, and now here we are at 5 pm where the new doctor on duty, is saying once more that I have no choice but to get a C-section because my baby is stressed, (They caused all his stress with those stupid monitors) and because I haven't dilated anymore, body made it to 5cm, even with all the meds. If they would've started me on Piticon when admitted this would've probably been different. They wasted so much of my time, and I was the bottom of their pregnant Momma totem pole, there were 5 other women there a few in active labor when I was admitted. I cried, so much I was so scared this was never a part of my plan. I knew that I was gonna die on that OR table, told my husband I loved him. He kept assuring me it was going to be ok. I felt like my body failed me.

Thinking about all this angers me. My midwife that I had done centering group with, and that was there for all my appointments, who knew me, wasn't on duty for my delivery. I feel like things would've went a lot different if she had been. I feel like they rushed me through everything. I sent her a message that they were talking C-section, but I didn't see her reply until the next day, when she was telling me to tell them no, give me time.  My son wasn't ready to be born yet, that's why he was nice and cozy over 41 weeks.  Next pregnancy I will make sure I give my baby the time he/she needs and not let anyone rush us. Especially if I feel like they're incompetent like the bunch I had then.

Around 6pm I was rolled into the OR, it was so bright, and so cold. My body was shaking uncontrollably, the anesthesiologist said that it was from the extra medications, son't worry I was ok, and that it's normal. Sure didn't feel normal it was super scary. It all happened very fast, next thing I knew I was handed this gorgeous dark-eyed, dark-haired baby.  All the nerves, all the anger, none of it mattered in that moment, he is healthy, and he was birthed. So what if by C-section? At the end of the day it doesn't make me any less of a woman. Or mom. Every time I feel that scar, I smile. I was cut open, and a life pulled out of me, I'm pretty freakin' fierce!!

In another post I will write about the Recovery. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, or want to share your experience please do, I'd love to hear about it!!

You can follow my Mom Journey on my Instagram (www.instagram.com/momma.ape)

Kiss your Mom

Aug 4, 2015 was the absolute worst day of my life. A call was made to me early that Tuesday morning that at my mom's home the ambulance and police were there, and that I need to come ASAP because something is going on. My mom suffered from Epilepsy & heart issues. This wasn't the first time I got a call like this. But I felt something was different. My husband rushed to my job to get me, and we flew down the highway towards My mother's house, which was 1 1/2 hours away. The calls kept coming, worried family members, neighbors. I couldn't get a hold of my father. I knew something was horribly wrong this time.

When I finally got my Dad on the phone, he said two words that crushed my entire existence. "She's gone."

I will never forget the tone of his voice. How the earth went quiet in that moment. My reaction. My husband's reaction. Time literally stood still. My mother, my best friend, gone? My heart was and still is, and always will be crushed until I kiss her cheek again.

I can replay every single second of that day, and the days that followed as if they just happened 5 minutes ago. Sounds, sights, how my body felt like it was going to split in two. The faces and emotions of my loved ones. Everything happening so fast, and so surreal.

We were not meant to handle death.

Now here I am, a mother myself, to a 9 month old boy. Everyday I am amazed by him and the things he does. Motherhood is a journey, an amazing one full of ups & downs, & I'm just getting started. Oh how I never in a million years thought I'd experience this without my mother's help, or advice. It makes me miss her a billion times more. Also knowing she won't get to see his beautiful face for quite some time, it's depressing, no other way to describe it. Just purely depressing.  But I do know the day she finally does meet him, she will instantly be in love.

Everything he does makes me wonder if I did that as a baby with my mom, and how she handled it. Mom rocked back and forth all the time. I catch myself doing it to rock my son to sleep, is that why Mom did, and it became a habit she couldn't break? Every time I catch myself rocking I can't help but to smile & wonder, and fight the tears. Did I wear her out the way he wears me out? Did I cling to her & look for her in a crowd the way he does me? Did I cry every time she walked away? Did I fight naps like he does? I have a million questions, I yearn so badly to call or text her to hear her answers.

Motherhood is hard, not having your mother's support that only she can give you, makes it a lot harder. I have family that loves me & my son, & they have helped me & will continue to do so. But there will always be a void no one can fill but her.

Being a mom now has made me love & appreciate her even more. She was a wonderful mother. I hope to be like her.

Never take your mothers for granted. Thank them for their hard work. Kiss them. Hug them. Love them endlessly. Because they did all that and a ton more for you. As soon as I see my mom in the resurrection, after hugging her so hard, I will be letting her know just how thankful I am for the hard work she put into making me the woman I am today. Until then I'll lean on & absorb the strength God & my family gives me.

For information about the Resurrection hope I so strongly believe in please visit: JW.org

My First Pregnancy!

It all started with a Cruise. What a great time we had. Obviously!!

        We had been planning for a baby, I said it'd be so awesome if it happened on our vacation. Our cruise was Oct 10-14th and Looky looky, Nov. 18, 2015 was the day that stick showed a + and our life was about to get even more interesting!!

I had an overall easy pregnancy. No major issues. Not a lot of discomfort. I carried him for 41 weeks & 3 days, he was comfy in that womb and did not want to come out!!

 On Aug. 8th 2016 I had been scheduled to go in for a NST for the baby, and an ultrasound. The NST was fine. The hospital sent me to a different office for the Ultrasound. Mr. Jacen didn’t want to cooperate for the ultrasound. He was asleep and she needed him to wake up so she could see his lungs move as he breathed. I drank coffee, sat there a while, still he wouldn’t budge. I wasn’t worried because he has been moving fine all morning, he was even moving in the waiting room. I knew he was stubborn like his Momma, and it seemed throughout my whole pregnancy he wouldn't move when being bothered. If his daddy touched my belly, or even if I was trying to record his movement, it's like he just knew something was up and he'd be still.

The ultrasound tech had to call my midwife to tell her she wasn’t able to get the reading on his lungs, and that she tried several times. Well, back to the hospital I was sent, and we were admitted. We were not expecting that. We were all in our beach clothes (I have two "bonus" kids as well 10 year old girl & 6 year old boy) Our car was loaded with beach gear we were expecting a nice sandy day, not to be having a baby. Hubby adrenaline started rushing, he didn't even have a hospital bag packed, yes Mr. Procrastinator. So there we stood with excitement and fear rushing through our veins. This was definitely not part of my amazing Birth Plan. My midwife was there when we were admitted, I loved her we worked with her through my whole pregnancy. She had me all setup & comfy telling me the first steps we were going to try to get me to go into labor, because once again, he was super comfy and not coming out. I was only 3 CM dilated at this time. 

So first thing they did was start me on Cervadil first to see if that would kick start labor. Cervadil was actually inserted twice, why Pitocin wasn’t started first I’m not sure. But after the second Cervadil was inserted around 10pm that night, I was at 4cm dilated, still not much progress. 

 By 4 a.m. I finally learned what a contraction felt like!! (Like I said I had an easy pregnancy, never experienced a contraction until that moment). And they were ALL UP IN MY BACK!

5 a.m. the Nurse came to remove the cervadil I was at 5cm, making progress but not enough for action. August 9th was the longest day of my life. 

 9 a.m. I was completely over the contractions!! The nurses seemed to aske every time they entered the room if I wanted an epidural. Starts to sound really good when that pain hits. So, bring it on... The anesthesiologist stuck me 3 times with that monster of a needle... 3 TIMES!!!! But I surely laid there afterwards oblivious to all the other contractions, and even the fact that I was peeing in a bag. I'm perfectly ok with that decision!  

A lot of women out there have their own opinions on Epidurals. We have different opinions on ever aspect of motherhood. More power to all the mommy’s who can handle that pain, and go all natural. You might think you can as well, it was in my Birth Plan not to get one. But when you're in that moment, in that pain your mind might change like mine. If it doesn't that's great as well! We all have the same result, we gave birth!!! So don't let anyone's opinion belittle the awesomeness your body just accomplished!!

 I sure am glad I got the epidural when I did. Because to make a long story short I ended up having to have an emergency C-Section at 5p.m. I was scared to death!! That was the last thing I ever wanted. I cried, hard. Told my husband if I die that I love him and to take care of the baby, and then I cried some more. All the while hubby telling me it’ll all be ok. 

The anesthesiologist came through to pump me with more stuff. I got wheeled into the SUPER BRIGHT & SUPER COLD Operating room. The medicine they pumped me with had my arms and shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't keep them still no matter how hard I tried.

Next thing I knew, by 6:27 p.m. my beautiful baby boy was handed to me. He was healthy and gorgeous. And in that moment that is all that mattered in the world. He was perfect.

If you have any questions about how it all went down, feel free to ask in the comments!!