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	<title>WIRL Project &#187; Birth</title>
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	<link>http://www.wirlproject.com</link>
	<description>What It&#039;s Really Like.</description>
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		<title>My Best Experience as an RN</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/my-best-experience-as-an-rn/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/my-best-experience-as-an-rn/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2015 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Anonymous WIRL]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nurse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spanish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Medical Professionals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The best thing to ever happened to me as an RN occurred I was taking care of a woman in labor. It was her second baby and she spoke Spanish, so I took her as a patient because I also spoke Spanish. I entered the room and recognized her, she looked at me with wide eyes. So did her sister. And her husband. I recognized the husband. And then they told me, You were our nurse the &#8220;last time&#8221;. But I didn’t remember. But then I did&#8230; She had a baby that had passed away from many fetal abnormalities just a year prior. She was here for delivery of her second baby which was healthy and normal. She started to tear up. So did her sister. I knew it might be awkward, so I decided to ask if she still wanted me to be her nurse because maybe she wanted a more positive experience this time around, and it would have been totally fine because I understood. She responded to me in Spanish – I do want you to be my nurse and I couldn’t go through this again without you. I said, Okay good. Perfect. So I excused myself, went into the hallway and cried. Got it together and went back in the room. We delivered a HEALTHY BABY BOY! I put that baby on her chest. I showed her his body parts. We delayed a lot of the baby measurements and medicating just because I didn’t want to take her baby away. The entire time she cried My son! My son! This is my baby! My baby! This was the most exhilarating delivery and one that I won’t ever forget. &#160; - An Anonymous Nurse from NYC]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Your First Poop as a Mommy &#8211; What It&#8217;s Really Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/your-first-poop-as-a-mommy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/your-first-poop-as-a-mommy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Jun 2015 08:30:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mom Poop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poop]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=3380</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yes, you read the title correctly…today I am talking about mom poop! As a new parent, you know what to look for in your infant’s poop (texture, color, when it should come, etc.), you may even cheer when they do their first one, but nobody EVER talks about what its like for the new mama to pass her first poop after birth! So, here is a short little post about what it’s like. Don’t worry, I don’t get into too much detail and this may be TMI (too much information) for some, but I just had to share…so read on, you know you want to. Alright, so you just shoved a 5-10 pound baby out your you-know-what, so why on Earth would you worry about your first poop? It’s nothing in comparison to the accomplishment you just achieved, right? Wrong! All I have to say is Oh. My. Good. God. – it’s super scary to “go” for the first time because that area of your body was just just so incredibly traumatized by the whole birth process, you dread the thought of more irritation, stretching, pushing, ripping, popping stitches, aggravating hemorrhoids, etc. … yeah, it’s scary! I cannot attest to what it’s like to “go” after a vaginal birth, but what I can say is that my first time going after a C-section was absolute horror! &#8230;it’s super scary to “go” for the first time because that area of your body was just just so incredibly traumatized by the whole birth process, you dread the thought of more irritation, stretching, pushing, ripping, popping stitches, aggravating hemorrhoids, etc. … yeah, it’s scary! I believe the trouble with pooping after a c-section comes primarily form all the of pain medication you must take to be able to breathe, walk, move – it really clogs you up! This, combined with the fact that your body was just sliced open and the mere thought of contracting those muscles could bring you to tears, makes new moms who had a c-section never want to go again! Unfortunately, nobody told me the importance of fiber during this insane time of my life and I really wish they had because Holy. Crap. (no pun intended) it was absolutely terrible! Here are a few of the words I would use to describe my first time “going” after birth: 1) Labor pains &#8211; I truly thought I was going into labor again – the worst abdominal cramping I’ve EVER had from a bowel movement! 2) Sweat &#8211; I was drenched by the time I was through. 3) Constipation - I did not go for about a week after I gave birth. 4) Tears &#8211; It hurt so badly I cried for the entire process. 5) Slow &#8211; From the time I sat down to the time I finished, I was in the bathroom for about an hour, which for dads is somehow considered normal &#8211; who knows what they&#8217;re doing in there for all that time? So, there you have it &#8211; What It&#8217;s Really Like to poop for the first time as a new mommy. If you’ve been there before and it was a struggle, you probably just laughed at every line of this post because you could SO relate. Or, maybe you are one of those “lucky ones” who had no issues with this at all, and if that’s the case, then I really dislike you (just kidding…sort of)! And, if you’ve yet to achieve this wonderful milestone after giving birth, please take my advice and pump the fiber and liquids!!! I’ve never wished diarrhea on anyone before, but hey, there’s a first time for everything, right? I hope you all know I mean that in the nicest way possible! This WIRL was originally published to WIRL Project on February 24, 2015. ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Twin Life: What It&#8217;s Really Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/twin-life-what-its-really-like/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/twin-life-what-its-really-like/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2015 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest WIRL]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Girls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nausea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nursing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sisters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[that twin life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Twin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6711</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My toddler and I had a great thing going. We napped when we wanted (yes, we). We came and went as we pleased. I had a kid-friendly, work-from-anywhere business that I could do with him in tow. 18 plane rides by the time he was 2, and monthly 4ish hour car rides to see mom and family in DC – he was used to being on the go. We had fun. We loved the non-stop adventure. Thankfully, my husband was pretty understanding. We did it with relative ease. And then, I hit the jackpot with a twin pregnancy. They tell you it’s going to be hard. Who, you ask. Everyone. Parents of twins, doctors, family, friends, random strangers at the grocery store. Guess what, it is. All of it. The pregnancy, the delivery, the breastfeeding, the sleepless nights, the napless days, the general speedy blur of the first year. Now, I’m not downplaying a singleton pregnancy, delivery or home-life. (By the way, singleton is a word I never thought I’d be using. Ever.) It’s not easy. Every parent knows that. But I’ll put it to you this way – almost every person that found out I was having twins asked one question, “Do you have help?” My response was usually a casual, “yea, mom and in-laws will be in town for the first few weeks.. we’ll figure it out after that.” Okay people, I get it now. I totally and completely get it.  They tell you it’s going to be hard. Who, you ask. Everyone. Parents of twins, doctors, family, friends, random strangers at the grocery store. Guess what, it is. All of it. Help would have been really nice as early as the first trimester. How is it that most people feel the absolute worst before most people even know they&#8217;re pregnant? The nausea. Completely debilitating for 3 months straight. Having nausea so bad you feel like you’ll pass out at any moment. To move from bed or even think about food was virtually impossible. ‘Double the nausea’ – and they’re not kidding. Trying to keep an extremely energetic toddler alive and entertained, survive myself, and eat to nurture two energy-sucking blessings that had yet to enter the world.. probably the most difficult task of the century. At least, up until that point. Sex. Who&#8217;s having sex? By the time you feel like you won’t vomit at the thought of movement, you feel bigger than a house. That’s right, a house. (My poor husband.) But get this, you feel like a house only for the mere fact that your belly is growing at twice the speed of a normal pregnancy. You’re not a house. Yet. Yup, just when you think you can’t get bigger, you do. I remember this from my first pregnancy – but it is to the 50th power in a multiples pregnancy. I marvel at the fact that the human body can expand, shift and retract that way it does. Sex. Who&#8217;s having sex? By the time you feel like you won’t vomit at the thought of movement, you feel bigger than a house. That’s right, a house. Which brings me to labor and delivery. I had a cesarean with my first. That’s a story all in itself. To be brief, I was all gung-ho about a natural and intervention free delivery. 22 hours of natural labor, a baby that was not cooperating with his position, and I ended up with every intervention possible. Not at all my dream delivery. So, fast-forward 3 years a month and a day, and we&#8217;re ready to bring the girls into the world. My dream delivery, a VBAC. I had an amazing doctor who was known as the ‘if anyone will let you attempt that, she’ll be it’ doctor. She had the experience and the willingness to take risks other doctors would not take. But that being said, she was also known as the ‘that doctor saved my life’ doctor. So, she was really really good. I had to be induced at 37 weeks. Strike one. (The fear that lingers after a previous cesarean delivery is hard to deal with. And the fear is often what takes us right back to where we don’t want to go. I did a lot of praying. And He did deliver.) The girls were doing great, but I wasn’t progressing as fast as the doctors like to see. Water (one) was broken. (Yes, one. Remember, there are two in there. Twice the everything.) Contractions unbearable. Epidural. Strike two. Once we got to the point of pushing, it seemed to take forever. They tell you the epidural doesn’t help with the very end. But my gosh, I swear they turned that thing down because it was hard. All of it. Vaginal delivery is no easy feat. Even with an epidural. Abigail was born healthy and thriving. Miracle number one for the day. There is something to be said about ‘delivering’ your child. It was very different for me than the cesarean. I had my moment. Then, crap, there’s still another baby that needs to come out. Ultrasound to check positioning. Crap, she’s breach. Strike three. Attempts to flip her were unsuccessful. Strike four. I had to sit and not push for 45 minutes. That was even harder than pushing was. That is, until I had to push out a Frank Breach baby. That’s right, butt first. I’m still in awe at the fact that my doctor even attempted this. But we were both determined to get that baby out without a cesarean. We did. It was merely impossible. With shear determination, the grace of God, and a lot of encouragement from a supportive husband and doctors, we did it. Selah only needed a little bit of oxygen to be safe – but not at all like your typical &#8216;less than thriving&#8217; breach baby. A true miracle. Another testament to the wonder of what the body is capable of, pushing out a butt-first baby. And I even got to delay cord clamping for both of them. Amazing I tell ya. There is something to be said about ‘delivering’ your child. It was very different for me than the cesarean. I had my moment. Then, crap, there’s still another baby that needs to come out. Feeding and breastfeeding, the first month. Pumping, there was a lot of pumping going on. Pumping and breastfeeding and feeding. It seemed like it never ended. I was determined to have enough milk for twins and to not give formula. I had no idea it would be so much work. But we plugged along. There was no ‘oh I’ll just pump and have mom or Ben (husband) feed them when they wake. And I can continue sleeping.&#8217; That’s not possible. Why? Because I would have to pump again while they were feeding them with the bottle I pumped earlier. They were gassy. They cried. They wanted to be close to me. To be held. By me, by anybody. They wanted to be close to each other. There were many nights I only got one full hour of sleep. And that was ‘with&#8217; help most nights for that first month. I was determined to have enough milk for twins and to not give formula. I had no idea it would be so much work. There’s so much more to tell. But for the sake of keeping this from being a novel, I’ll close with this. Chaos ensues. And then, we up and moved to Switzerland. Crazy? Yes. And the blessed chaos continues on the other side of the Atlantic.  &#160; Join the conversation! Easily contribute your story here. &#160; About the Author… This WIRL was contributed by Kimberly Whitfield. Kimberly can be found via Email or Instagram.  &#160;]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Being a Twin with Twins: What It&#8217;s Really Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/being-a-twin-with-twins-what-its-really-like/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/being-a-twin-with-twins-what-its-really-like/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Caitlin Bloom]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blessing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fraternal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multiples]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Siblings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sisters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Twin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6668</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My name is Caitlin and I am a fraternal twin. This is my story. My sister’s name is Chalise. We grew up in a small town in northwest Pennsylvania. We had a pretty normal childhood with amazing parents and two older sisters, Alison and Amanda. Once we reached high school, we started having different friends and different interests. Chalise is very smart and very talented. She was always the star of our high school plays because she had an awesome voice. I was more interested in hanging out with my friends than schoolwork. I was homecoming queen and she was one of the top students in our class. We always remained pretty close. We never looked much alike, so we were never able to play any tricks on anyone! I always wanted to be an identical twin; I thought it would be so cool. After high school, Chalise went to college while I stayed in town and worked for a little less than a year. I decided to join the Marine Corps. Living so far away from her was rough. She was in Pittsburgh and I was stationed in Camp Lejeune, NC. Over the past 7 years, we’ve seen each other less than 10 times. She moved to Florida for work, and I moved to Illinois with my fiancé. It’s hard for both of us to find the time to visit home, or each other. I wish so badly we lived closer, because I miss her. We pretty much grew up just like regular siblings would. I guess I just don’t know what it’s like to NOT be a twin! I never thought too much about whether I wanted twins of my own or not, I suppose it just never crossed my mind. Well, about 11 months ago, I had fraternal twin girls of my own! I’ll start from the beginning&#8230; I got pregnant late fall of 2013. I hate to say I wasn’t trying, but I wasn’t trying! Haha! I already had a daughter of my own, and my fiancé, John, has two kids from a previous marriage. One morning I woke up with some familiar symptoms, so when I got to work (I worked in a hospital) I went to the women&#8217;s clinic for a test. The results came almost immediately. I was happy, but nervous. What would my fiancé think? We had just gotten a house and we were starting renovations. I noticed I was showing much faster than I did with my first, but everyone told me that you show faster with your second pregnancy, so my “what-ifs” were calmed down a bit. In the back of my mind I kept thinking, “twins.” When I went in for my first appointemt with my nurse practitioner to listen to the heartbeat, I asked her if she only heard one heartbeat and she told me yes. So, once again, my “what-ifs” were calmed. In the back of my mind I kept thinking, “twins.” When John and I were waiting to go in to our first ultrasound we were talking about how we would react if she told us it was twins. We were just being silly. When I got back there, she started doing some measurements without showing it on the big screen. Just messing around and making small talk, I asked, “There’s only one in there right?” She just looked at me. I knew by the look on her face there was more than one in there. I asked if she was for real, and she was. I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t believe it. Twins?!?! What am I going to do? What’s going to happen to my body? Am I going to have major complications and have to deliver early by way of an emergency c-section?? Will I have to visit my babies for months in a NICU? What if I can’t handle two babies at a time? I was scared. Although I remained pretty scared throughout the pregnancy, I got so excited. I was lucky enough to be absolutely blessed with TWO babies at the same time!! Not everyone gets to say that, and I can. I was very happy when I found out I was having two girls. At first, they thought they were identical, but it turns out the placentas were just fused together making it look like one. When John and I were waiting to go in to our first ultrasound we were talking about how we would react if she told us it was twins. We were just being silly. My pregnancy was rough. I had terrible headaches and was always nauseous. I didn’t puke much, though. I ended up getting carpal tunnel in both wrists, making it hard to do pretty much everything! I also had some symptoms that most might not want to hear about as well! Haha! Twin pregnancies are considered high risk, so I had many more appointments than what I did with my first. Many more ultrasounds as well, which was nice. When I got pregnant, I was only about 115 pounds and stood only 5’2”. I was amazed that my little body could possibly support two babies inside!! It’s really something when you think about it. Towards the end, I started having 2-3 appointments a week. My baby “B” wasn’t growing as much as baby “A” so they were monitoring us closely. Intrauterine growth restriction is what they called it. I received a shot to develop their lungs just in case I delivered early. I was doing very well. I worked until I was 35 weeks and 2 days pregnant. That following week, my doctor recommended a induction. Trying for a vaginal delivery was very important to me, unless medical necessary. We decided on the date July 3rd, only two short days away. I was so ready to have those sweet girls in my arms. My poor body was ready, too! I was amazed that my little body could possibly support two babies inside!! It’s really something when you think about it. July 3rd comes along. My fiancé and I headed to the hospital at about 5:30 am. The nurses got me ready and I was given drugs to start the process. At about 7:30 or so, my doctor came in and broke my water for me. I was checked hourly and I was progressing smoothly. My epidural went in without a problem and helped me with the pain. My nurse came in close to 1:30 and checked me. Little did I know I was 9cm dilated and baby “A” was ready! She rushed to call my doctor. She came back to get me started on pushing. Well, that didn’t take long at all, and if my doctor would have come into the room 5 seconds later than what she did, my nurse would have been the one delivering my first! Like I said, she was ready!! Baby “B” was a whole two pounds smaller than baby “A”. She was breech after her sister came out. My doctor was confident that she could get her out without a problem since the first was so much bigger. My sweet baby was born exactly 5 minutes after her sister by being pulled out by her legs! I was so extremely relieved to be able to have just what I wanted, a perfect vaginal delivery. No problems. No tears. Very quick. Hearing so many other twin delivery horror stories makes me so proud and grateful that I was able to do it. My body is amazing. Not only did my delivery go perfect, my girls were pretty much healthy with the exception of a little bit of jaundice. Baby “A” was named Avery Mae, was born at 1:30pm and weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces. Baby “B” was named Reagan Marie, was born at 1:35pm, and weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces. They were absolutely perfect. We left the hospital two days later. No NICU time!!! If you were to ask my fiancé or myself what it’s like to have twins, we would tell you it’s not that much different than just one. You’re already breastfeeding or making a bottle, so doing the same for a second baby isn’t much more work. Same with diaper changes. Sure, it’s more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You really don’t need two of everything. The only things you really need double of are car seats, diapers and either breast milk or formula. They can share most everything including clothes, a crib, bottles and toys. We had two swings that really helped, so I would totally recommend some of those! We bought them used so we didn’t break the bank. The worst part of having these beautiful girls is that my mom never got to meet them. My mom passed away in 2012 due to her second stroke. She was only 51. It was very hard, and it really doesn&#8217;t get any easier. I wish so bad I could call her and ask for twin stories and advice&#8230; but I can&#8217;t. She was an amazing mother and amazing grandmother. It absolutely breaks my heart that my twins will never personally know her. But, I will never stop talking about her and &#8220;keeping her alive&#8221; in my heart. I believe she&#8217;s here, keeping an eye on these sweet babies every day. Avery and Reagan are perfect. They’re about to be 11 months old in a couple days and this last year has been amazing. The girls have been sleeping through the night for many months now, which I couldn’t be more thankful for. Getting them on a schedule was the best thing I could have done. It’s a little tough going places by myself with my three girls, so most of the time I just wait until John is able to go or stay home with them. Whenever we are out, it never fails, someone stops us to see them, or talk about them. We have heard “you sure have your hands full” more times than I can count. The best thing you can say to a twin parent when you see them out is telling them how blessed they are. Not how busy they must be or how it’s better them than you. Just say, “You have been so blessed.” Because, really- we have. Us twin (and other multiples) parents are special. We have been chosen to raise two (or more) babies at once. The best thing you can say to a twin parent when you see them out is telling them how blessed they are. Not how busy they must be or how it’s better them than you. Just say, “You have been so blessed.” When people babysit, they tell me they don’t know how I do it. Even though my girls are seriously so well behaved, they are crawling now, and they don’t always go to the same place. They’re busy. It’s tough. Even for me it’s tough. Every day is hard work. When asked how I do it, I respond, “I just do.” My girls have filled an empty void I didn’t even know I had. I feel complete now. Sure, I love my oldest daughter, but something was missing. Not anymore. My family is complete and I have never been happier. My life has more meaning. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with them and raise them, to watch them grow and learn. My heart explodes with love every single day. I have brought these beautiful girls into the world. I am happy and blessed beyond words.]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A MAN In Labor? YES! Happy Mother&#8217;s Day!</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/a-man-in-labor-yes-happy-mothers-day/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/a-man-in-labor-yes-happy-mothers-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 May 2015 09:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giving Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Husband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labor Pains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labor Simulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Man in Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mothers day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Revenge]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[HAPPY MOTHER&#8217;S DAY FROM WIRL PROJECT! We wanted to put something out there that would bring a smile to everyone&#8217;s face and what better than a MAN suffering labor pains! We can guarantee that all men, women, children, and moms can find humor in this video below! And remember, Mother&#8217;s Day isn&#8217;t just about being a mom, but it&#8217;s about recognizing the people in you&#8217;re life who have served as a mother figure to you and thanking them for loving you in that special way. We hope everyone takes the time to celebrate and relax today. Enjoy! Image source: The Holderness Family You Tube Channel]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The C-Section: What It&#8217;s Really Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-c-section-what-its-really-like/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2015 04:40:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C-Section]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motherhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Oh, a C-Section? I&#8217;ll take it! Most women think this is the &#8220;easier&#8221; route because you don&#8217;t have a push something the size of a bowling ball out your you-know-what, but I&#8217;m here to tell you a different story. This post is strictly about my personal experience (but a lot of other moms have agreed with me) and I do not have any medical background to support my claims; I’m just talking to you straight. So first off, I need to say that I had pre-eclampsia the last few weeks of my pregnancy, so I was dealing with a whole lot of issues that many other pregnant women don’t face; such as, high blood pressure, EXTREME swelling, rapid weight gain, dizziness and just feeling pretty bad. I was in 26 intense hours of Pitocin induced labor prior to my C-section and hooked up to, what seemed like 10,000 cords as they came in to check my blood pressure every 10 minutes, around the clock! When it came time to check to see how much I’d dilated since my last check several hours ago, I was anxious and hopeful that I had made some progress…wrong! 4 centimeters and that’s it! The baby was fine, but I was not so we had to move quickly or I could have had a seizure from my ever-so-high blood pressure. I was ready to deck someone at this point…I was frustrated, tired and just so ready to meet my little baby boy, but really was quite scared about what would happen next. The doctor told my husband and me that the only way I would get better is if I delivered the baby and that needed to happen via C-section. To be honest, it scared my husband and me to think about baby Mason getting all those drugs and chemicals into his tiny body and we really didn’t want the delivery to happen this way; but we really had no choice. I am definitely a Type-A person, so things going this unplanned almost send me spiraling out of control…this was definitely not in the “birth plan”. So, I agree to the whole thing and immediately a team of about 20 people rushed in to my small delivery room and hooked me up to even more cords, gave me more medicine, provided my husband scrubs to wear so he could come into the room too and then began to push me out the door. Finally, I was going to get all of this over with and meet my sweet baby boy. NOPE! Some other lady had an emergency that was somehow greater than mine, so they wheeled me back into my room and said I’d have to wait an hour…GREAT! So, we waited. And to be completely honest, we were actually quite excited because we love the show “Big Brother” on CBS and it was nearing the end of the season and just about 8:00 pm, so we got to watch the episode while we waited! Anyway, it finally was my turn and they wheeled me into the operating room labeled “C-section Delivery” and it we got to business. Here is a step by step list of what happened next (from what I can remember)… 1)      They moved me from my wheeley bed to this very cold, stainless steel table that had a big drape over it. It was cold, but that part was the least of my worries. 2)      They injected me with this medication that would make me even more numb (I already had the epidural at this point and was pretty numb anyway) but the medication made me shake like Shakira having a seizure! I mean seriously, I was trembling from head to toe and could not stop it for like life of me! I asked why I was shaking and they said it was completely normal…great. 3)      They then sealed up the “curtain” type thing that blocked my view of what was about to happen to me. They tape it to you (I think) and then they tape all around your belly to sanitize and make the area as sterile as possible. This part was fine, but I was still shaking like crazy. 4)      They clamp your arms out to the sides of the table, I guess to keep you from moving or trying to move or brace yourself from what’s about to come. 5)      Then my husband came in and he had our nice camera we’d just got a few months ago…the nurses told him he should take pictures of the whole thing, so he did (I was a little iffy about this, but who cares what I think). 6)      Then, it was the moment of truth, we were about to begin the procedure…the doctor said to me, you shouldn’t feel much, only a little pressure here and there. I said “OK”, but then I yelled out to her, “Please make the incision straight, I can’t stop shaking and don’t want a jagged scar!!” She laughed and proceeded to make the first incision…and I felt it! 7)      I screamed out, “Ouch! I felt that!”…it felt like a plastic butter knife was scraping across my lower abdomen. She said “Is it too much to bear Sara? If it is, we will have to give you more medicine and it will take longer.” Boy, did she set me up for that…like I wanted it to take longer at this point…so I said, “No, I guess not…keep going”. 8)      With every single pass of the blade it felt it, more and more every time. Not necessarily pain, but definitely uncomfortable. I felt like she was going at it for hours…but I’m sure it was only a matter of minutes. But then she got to the part where it was time to pull Baby Mason out, and by this point he was head down but he’d wedged himself into the left side of my belly and was he quite comfortable there. 9)      I felt her shove her hand, then arm(!) into my belly and holy shit, did that hurt! The pressure is indescribable, nothing could explain it…it felt like I was going to burst or something. Then I kind of felt her “digging” around to find a good way to grab him…she was almost up to her elbow inside me and was now using both hands! She finally got a hold of him good enough and pulled that baby right out! He screamed and we all cried but it was incredible…I’m tearing up right now just thinking about it! And the entire time, my husband was watching, talking me through it, holding my hand, but mostly taking pictures of everything (I only posted a few of the least gross ones I had).  I’m glad he did end up taking the photos because I look back at them every now and again and still find the whole process amazing, so if you ever have the chance, definitely let/force your husband to take some pics! 10)   It was not over though… Mason was taken away to be cleaned up, weighed and measured and my husband left my side to be with the baby (which was fine). But then, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck and suddenly I said to the nurse next to me, “I’m going to vomit! I’m going to be sick!” which I guess is another common side effect of all the medication. So, they put cold, wet washcloths on my head and neck and give me a pan just in case I did throw up, but all I could think about was how much it would hurt to flex all those abdominal muscles they just cut into as I vomited in the OR. Thankfully, whatever they did to help me worked and I didn’t get sick but man, it was bad! 11)   My husband brought Mason over me (I’m still shaking and strapped to this cold steel table) and I finally got to meet my baby boy for the first time. He was perfect and had so much color; I was so incredibly happy but also exhausted. They swaddled the baby and put him in a little cart and my husband pushed him out into the hallway and back to our room where my family anxiously waited. I on the other hand, was still on the stupid table getting all cleaned up, delivering my placenta and all that jazz. They finally transferred me back to my wheeley bed and brought me to my little family about 10 minutes later. At this point I was still shaking obnoxiously, but it was starting to slow down a little bit. 12)   The last step of this process is to prepare for the hour of bonding you and your baby are supposed to do right after birth. Skin to skin contact with both the mom and the dad is ideal and this is also when you are supposed to breast feed for the first time. Because it’d been such a long journey for me, I kept falling asleep during this magical hour, but Mason was on my chest and everything that I’d just went through was worth it. So, after telling that story people ask me all the time, if it was that bad, why would you ever do that again? And if you would have asked me 1 week, 1 month even 3 months afterwards, I would have honestly said that I was not sure I wanted to do it again. BUT, motherhood teaches you that it’s not just about you anymore, and if that’s what it takes to deliver another perfect little angel baby, then I will do it. So, yes it was hell, but I wear my six inch, non-jagged, keloid scar on my lower abdomen with pride because it’s a little reminder of how amazing my body is for making it through all that, but more importantly, that my little boy once lived inside me and I created a life; that is what makes me one very happy and proud mama. &#160;]]></description>
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