Our Island Family Life

It was an interesting pregnancy. My first two were rather simple. I only had a few things out of norm. I had no morning sickness. I didn't with my next two either. I am grateful for that. With my first, Will, I had problems with my wrist. I was told it was probably pregnancy related. I needed to wear a brace. I had a hard time moving it and it lasted for a while afterwords. With Connor, he would sometimes sit on my sciatic nerve and I would just drop to the ground. My knees would buckle. I bruised my tailbone. The labors were typical. I did them without medication.

Cade. A whole new bunch of firsts. At seven months I got a terrible lower back pain. After a full night of pain I went to the hospital. I knew it wasn't labor. Sean drove me but dropped me off so he could go back to the kids. After an ultrasound and some nervous staff thinking it was labor even though I told them it wasn't, it turned out he was sitting on my right ureter. The little (really like size of a hair) tube that is between the kidneys and the bladder. My kidney was backing up with urine and was about to pop. So, I had to have surgery to have a stent put in. I had my first IV, first ambulance ride and first surgery. Fun all around. The next several months were tough. I had a lot of pain still since the stent slipped once bringing me back to the hospital. They forgot to calculate I had a few months left to go and I got larger while the stent didn't. That almost didn't come out and that would have been very bad. I went into premature labor about once a week around the 8th month. I was back and forth to the hospital. They had me upside down and drugged. Finally I was induced. I went a long time with no meds but I found with the stent and my tolerance level rather depleted over the past few months, I decided to give it a whirl. It wasn't an epidural though. It was something that numbed my lower back so I could still walk. I had some crazy idea I would try and walk. I had 20 minutes of relief. Then I felt the pain all over again and since this was supposed to work for about 4 hours I knew something was off. I told Sean to call the doctor. He was rather condescending (I should have known) and said I couldn't have any more pain medication yet. I glared at him and told him I knew that and I was in labor not stupid. Something was wrong since I could feel everything. Luckily the doctor came in at that point to check me and see how the meds were working. I told her and she checked me. I was ready to push. I gave Sean an either "I told you so" look or a look that involved a swear word. So, I pushed and pushed and then the contractions stopped. I have no idea why, it was rather inconvenient timing. When one would finally come I pushed. After about half an hour they came back. I got tired at one point and said I was going to push every other contraction. I wanted to have real good ones and not two half hearted ones. The nurse asked me how I could stand the pain but it was really nothing to me by then. I was focused. My plan worked because he came out in three tries. He had the cord wrapped around his neck so I was very worried. He was a bit blue. I didn't get to hold him. The nurse held him up in the air for me to see for a second then he was rushed off. Sean left me to follow him because I shooed him away to make sure Cade was ok. I had been pleased to have not thrown up throughout the whole thing because I did with the previous labors. I thought, "I made it." It was shortly after I was cleaned up from the birth I got violently ill. I was so close! Turns out it was from the meds that for the amount of relief I got wasn't even worth having. I had to have some kind of medication in my IV to counteract it. By the time that was in my system long enough for me to stop throwing up the doctor finally came back saying Cade was fine. Sean was still with him. I had to wait a while to see him though. I was still on pain meds for the stent which felt like someone was poking me with needles in my back. I was in so much pain I was shaking. Sean thought it would be great to have everyone in my room when I was doing deep breaths to deal with it. I told him no but he did it anyway. I sent everyone home. I had been told I could have the surgery to remove the stent after I delivered but while I was there I found out I had to wait another 1o days. I cried. We went home and I shut myself away with him and the boys. I have been like that with all of them. I just wanted to be with them and enjoy them. Sadly, I then got strep throat. It was awful. I went back for the surgery and the nurses didn't quite get it when I told them I just had a baby. They asked me if I was having my period. I said no. I. Just. Had. A. Baby. Then Sean came in with the kids. They oohed and aahhed while I was spread eagled. I was not amused. I got the better part of the deal though. While I was in surgery Cade cried and Connor wet himself. Sean of course hadn't packed clean clothes. The Connor told an elderly couple he ate a penny and pooped it out. News to me. I was blissfully unconscious. Ahhh..memories. Happy Birthday Cade.