Birth Plan

This is the birth plan I used for Claire's birth. It was approved by my midwife for use in our hospital birth. Even though my midwife did not attend Claire's birth due to unforeseen circumstances, my birth went almost entirely as we had planned/hoped. The only things that did not go as we had planned were that I tore really badly and I needed to be stitched up right away, so I did not get to initiate breastfeeding as quickly as I would have liked, which necessitated an injection of Pitocin to help the placenta to come out. Cody also was unable to catch Claire as she came out because she came out quickly and unexpectedly! The second night in the hospital, we also decided to allow Claire the use of a pacifier because she was wanting to use me as a pacifier, which was way too painful! ;) 

My Birth Plan:

Labor:

•  Would like to go into labor naturally

•  No IV/heplock unless deemed medically necessary with my agreement (in which case a heplock in my left arm is requested)

•  Wear own clothes

•  Pain medication only if I request it

•  Pain management: bath/shower, hot/cold therapy, massage, birth ball, changing positions, walking, music, relaxation and breathing

•  Drink fluids, ice chips, and light snacks as long as tolerated

•  Intermittent fetal monitoring

•  Limited vaginal exams

•  Peaceful, quiet environment with dimmed lights, aromatherapy, and a closed door, with a mirror available

Delivery:

•  Unless otherwise requested by myself, Cody will be the only support person during the delivery

•  Spontaneous pushing

•  Position: squatting, upright and leaning against Cody, birthing stool, or hands/knees

•  Perineal massage, hot compresses, and oil would be appreciated

•  Prefer tear to having an episiotomy

•  Cody would like to catch the baby

 

After delivery/Infant care:

•  Hold her right away, warming her on my chest, and initiating breast feeding

•  ​Wait until cord stops pulsing before being clamped & cut by Cody

•  No Pitocin for delivery of placenta

•  We ask that newborn procedures be delayed until after initial bonding

•  We decline eye ointment, vitamin k, and the Hepatitis B vaccine

•  Either myself or Cody would like to be present with the baby at all times

•  No formula, pacifiers, or disposable diapers should be given or used

  

In the event a C-section is needed, I’d like:

•  Cody to be present at all times

•  The baby to be given to Cody as soon as possible for bonding and warmth

•  To breastfeed as soon as possible

•  Above requests regarding newborn procedures to be followed

Visitors:

•  Cody and I would like at least one hour of initial bonding time with our baby prior to visitors being allowed in the room

•  If I am feeling up to it, I would like to clean up a bit before having visitors.

•  All Pantalenas and Soltows are allowed to come in, as long as it meets the above requests. I would like to approve/deny all other visitors.

Week 13

I wish my belly looked more like I'm pregnant and less like I just really like cheesecake.

 

Cute puppies. They always come running up whenever a camera is snapping pictures. :)

SECOND TRIMESTER, BABY! <3

I am starting to feel a little better! I'm still really nauseous all the time, but I'm definitely grateful to be over the misery that was weeks 7-11..

On top of that, I've also gained two pounds, which is also a good thing, considering I lost EIGHTEEN pounds during the first trimester from being sick all the time. I'm now up to a whopping 16 pounds.I had my first appointment with my midwife, which was AWESOME. I really struggled with going back and forth between a birth center and a hospital birth with a midwife. There are pros and cons to each, but we ultimately chose the hospital midwife due to cost. The birth center would have almost been doable, but it was not covered by insurance at all, so any other medical issues we would have would be subject to our really high deductible. After hospital stay #1, we quickly realized that covering our deductible plus the birth center fee clearly was not going to be doable. That was a really difficult decision, especially considering that there is only one hospital midwife here. Due to other hospital visits, my appointment with her kept getting pushed back, which was really frustrating, because I so desperately wanted to meet her! Well, I had my appointment with her, and I LOVE HER! I like her even more than I like the birth center midwives! This just feels like a huge confirmation of my decision, and I'm so thrilled that it went so well! :)

Weeks 11-12

11 Weeks

I was still really sick during week 11, and my total weight loss capped at 18 pounds, putting me at a measly 114 pounds. I ended up having to go back to the ER this week (which was in Branson, MO when we were on vacation) because I was spotting for 8 days straight, which is generally the sign of a miscarriage, but PRAISE THE LORD everything was fine. There didn't end up being a reason to be concerned, and it was most likely the placenta starting to take over! t thought I was starting to get out of the vomiting stage, but unfortunately, after a five day break, it returned in full force. Side note: I may never eat Olive Garden's salad again.

12 Weeks

 I went back to the ER for the fourth time this week, the third time for fluids. I was vomiting even with the Zofran and Phenergan going directly into my bloodstream via IV, so I was admitted overnight. I had the same ER doctor that I had the first time, and he's great- best one there! He knew I didn't want to stay the night, so he snuck in the ultrasound machine to take a quick peek at Baby Soltow, who is apparently going to be an Olympic gymnast! The baby was bouncing from wall to wall, stopped and waved at us, and then started sucking his/her thumb! It was so cool to see the baby's sweet fingers and toes! <3

Cute boots courtesy of my mother-in-law. This baby is going to be STYLIN'!

Weeks 5-10

I'm not going to lie, this whole first part of my pregnancy has really been awful. I felt okay weeks 4-5, but since then it has been a downward spiral. 


During week 6, the nausea and migraines hit. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do much about the migraines because when you are pregnant, all you can take is tylenol for pain. Tylenol has NEVER worked on my migraines, so I've had to suffer through them. I keep reminding myself that I will sacrifice WAY more than this over the course of my child's life, so in the scheme of things, it's not really a major deal, even though it feels like one! :/


Week 7 brought the vomiting. Vomiting coupled with nausea and migraines is a blast. Starting week 6, day 6, is when I started to lose weight. I started pregnancy at 132 pounds.


Week 8 was the start of death. At 8wks 2days, I had to go to the ER. I had been unable to keep food or liquids down for four days, and I had lost eight pounds. I couldn’t even stand up anymore from pain and weakness, so Cody took me to the ER on Thursday morning at 7. They immediately got me hooked up to an IV and were pumping fluids into me. They did one bag, and then bloodwork, and my levels were still really bad, so they did another bag. More bloodwork, and levels were even worse. I was having really bad one-sided cramping, so the doctor did an abdominal ultrasound, but he couldn’t see the baby (although it was a crappy machine)! So, he ordered a transvaginal ultrasound. While waiting for that, I got another bag of fluids and they did more bloodwork to check my fluids and hCG levels. My fluid level was better, but not much, and my hCG levels were fine. We were all concerned that the pregnancy could have been ectopic because of the cramping. So, they finally brought the heavy duty ultrasound machine up and we could see the baby! We were so relieved and excited to see the baby for the first time. The one-sided cramping was due to a cyst I had that had ruptured! The baby’s heartbeat was 145, and the baby was measuring a few days small, which they weren’t really concerned about. Since my fluid levels weren’t getting much better, they decided to admit me to the hospital overnight for more fluids. Finally that night I was able to start eating and drinking. I had a total of like 10+ bags of fluids, plus a whole lot of Zofran (the miracle drug!) to help with the nausea. I was able to leave the hospital at noon on Friday, with a prescription for Zofran. I also had to stop teaching Zumba for the time being, as it takes all my energy to even wash my hair. I really hated week 8!


Week 9...this week, I was trying to recover from week 8! Whenever I wasn't working, Cody had me locked up in my room in bed. I religiously took my Zofran, but unfortunately, swallowing pills is quite difficult at the moment, plus the dosage was pretty low.


Week 10, this week, I had to go back to the ER. I lost an additional 5 pounds (currently down 13 pounds). I had my first appointment at my doctor's office with the nurse, and in less than three hours, I threw up six times, two of which were 30 minutes apart during my appointment. They sent me right over to the ER for more fluids. Unfortunately, this ER experience sucked and I didn't have as good care as I did during my last visit, and I left feeling just about as sick as I did before I got there because I could not deal with the horrible care. Thankfully though, the doctor did prescribe a higher dose of Zofran, which I had already been taking. This higher, dissolvable dose, has made life more bearable this week.


The second trimester is right around the corner, and I'm hoping that will provide some relief from my current misery as my hCG levels start to balance.

5 weeks, 2 days

Written on Thursday, May 3^rd, 2012

5 weeks, 2 days

This is all so surreal. We’ve wanted kids since the day we got married, and it is just crazy to think that in 8 months, we will have a precious little baby! <3

We planned for this. But when you see that second pink line on the stick, the feelings that run through your body are insane. Even when it’s planned, you are never fully prepared.

I thought I was pregnant and I went CRAZY testing and analyzing every symptom! Cody knew it was a possibility that I was pregnant. But he also knew that this was our first month trying to conceive, so that I could possibly be making up symptoms in my head. I thought this too, and I tried not to get my hopes up.

But I could not ignore my chart.

The chart was a perfect pregnancy chart. I even got one “question mark” of a test. The day after ovulation, I just had the weirdest cramps, and they continued for a week, along with nausea, and then my temperature dipped, signifying implantation. I tested two days later and got a second line, but it was facing the wrong way! So I disregarded it as a faulty test, which was annoying because those tests are obnoxiously expensive. I tested the next day and got a “positive” but it was so faint that I disregarded it as an evaporation line.

Oliver became very snuggly (even more so than usual). Instead of laying by my head as usual, he started laying by my side with his head and one paw on my lower stomach. I figured I was reading into things too much.

And then my symptoms stopped…and my temperature raised to a triphasic chart! I figured it was because of my head cold. I continued testing, which was entirely too early to test, and they were all negative, of course. I figured my worst fear had come true and that I had had a chemical pregnancy (a miscarriage that happens before miss your period- 25% of pregnancies end up being chemical pregnancies). I tested the day I was supposed to get my period, but it was still negative…so I happily went off to the wine festival with my hubby and two friends, excited for wine, but depressed by my fear of a miscarriage, all the while expecting my period to show up. I even cried on the way there because I was so terrified that I had a chemical pregnancy! One month of trying to conceive, and it was already a roller coaster ride!

And then…something weird happened. My period didn’t show up, which had never, ever happened. I tested the next day…and sure enough, it was positive! It was faint, but a line is a line! Cody still couldn’t believe it, so I took a digital test. I screamed and texted him a picture while he was at work, and he could not deny the word “pregnant” was the screen.

I was 4 weeks and 4 days when I officially found out. We told our family members and best friends over the next couple of days, and then decided to wait at least until the end of May to share with everyone else, since that chances of a miscarriage are SO much higher in the first trimester. Baby Soltow is due on January 1^st, 2013. <3

I guess that bottle of delicious chocolate white wine that we bought at the wine festival will be sitting on the shelf for a while. Maybe Baby Soltow will come a few days early so we can celebrate the New Year with it. ;)

I’m so nervous and excited! I found out literally the day after we conceived that I would be losing my job due to situations outside of my control. You can imagine how I felt knowing that I could very well be pregnant. Cody and I just feel like God has surrounded us and that we are totally in His will, because otherwise we wouldn’t have conceived on the first try! I feel so blessed right now. <3

Taking Charge of Your Fertility!

I think that every woman should read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility." Yes, it's a massive book, and the title is slightly scary, but I have learned more about my body from that book than from anywhere else. It's not just about getting pregnant- it's about understanding your body. After reading that book, I am in awe of the female body and just how perfectly God designed it! So many women are completely unaware of how their bodies work- all they know is that lovely little thing called a period, but often they don't even know their basic anatomy! Knowledge is power, and I think it is SO important to know how God designed your body and how it works!


I got made fun of last year when I read the book and started using charting as my means of birth control. I was told that it doesn't work, and that people are irresponsible to rely on charting as a means of birth control. Why do all that work when you can simply pop a pill everyday? I was on a birth control pill for a while, and it took me a while to find a pill that did not cause major side affects. I found one, but I still did not enjoy being a slave to my 4pm alarm every day, nor did I like injecting fake hormones into my body to trick it into being pregnant or the $35 monthly payment. There is also the question of the manner in which birth control works, which is threefold: 1. preventing ovulation, 2. thickening mucus so conception would be difficult, and 3. thinning the lining of the uterus so a fertilized egg cannot implant. Now, I won't go into the theology of birth control pills here, but #3 is something that everyone has to consider if they believe, like myself, that life begins at conception.


Any method of birth control can be labelled irresponsible if not used correctly, and charting is such a great method when used correctly!


When Cody and I first decided to try to get pregnant, I was discussing it with someone I knew who was also trying to get pregnant. She told me that "it was more difficult to get pregnant when you are charting." I'm living proof that that is simply not true, as Cody and I conceived on the very first try!