The Barrow Family

Anna Jacqueline Barrow

March 12, 2006

4:50 am

8 lbs, 2 oz

20.5 inches

Day 1- Mom still in a state of medicated hyper bliss, Anna sleeping away the day

So I finally figured out this blog thing!! Thanks to a little prodding from my dear college roommate, Emily, I've decided to try this blog idea out! So far, so good!

I can't believe 3 weeks has gone by since Anna's birth...I guess along with sleep deprivation comes memory loss because I'm having a hard time remembering what the first few days were like! Here's a quick synopsis of her first few weeks...

March 11- John and I declare Saturday night our date night- John's played golf all day and I've been running around Richmond (I think we covered the entire city) with my mom trying to finish up last minute returns, exchanges, and finish decorating the nursery- who knew that finding wooden letters the perfect size and shape would be so hard?? Anyway, so we went to a nice little mom and pop Italian restaurant near our house and then saw the movie, Failure to Launch, with my all-time favorite actor, Matthew Mccoughnahey....well I think Anna likes him too because she was very active the entire movie...at 2:30 Sunday morning I awake to a bursting balloon sensation...and luckily make it to the bathroom in time for the fluid to not get on the clean sheets OR the freshly cleaned carpet! I wake up John, call my doctor (who, bless her heart, gave me her cell phone number so she would be there for Anna's delivery- one of the benefits of being a labor and delivery nurse!!) and then alert the Grandmas to head to the hospital! I'm so excited that I can't think- I didn't "plan" on my water breaking- it happens so rarely that I was sure I would make it to the 14th for my scheduled c/section! My last cervical exam on Friday was long and closed and Anna's little rear end was up high- so I knew we weren't going anywhere fast....right?

We get to the hospital around 3 am, and my contractions are getting stronger- having to breathe through them is more challenging than I thought. I can't believe I'm 4 cm dilated...but am ready for my epidural nonetheless...while I wait to be registered and for my IV fluids to run in, I forget how to breathe- luckily there were a few nurses there to remind me and help me focus- it really does hurt- I get to the cussing point right before the godsend of an anesthesiologist comes in- who, even though I know went to Duke, is still a good doctor. Also I was informed that he had the stomach bug- but at that point I told the nurse to give him some Zofran and a bucket beside my bed- just get him!!!! I felt so much pain that I started shaking, and feeling her knee pressing through my cervix was not a great experience! The epidural was finished in a heartbeat, and though I'd been dreading it since I knew I'd get one, it was needed more than it was feared, so it wasn't too bad.

After the epidural I still felt a ton of pressure and Dr. Buettner checked me again- 8 cm and the knee WAS coming through- so off to the OR we went- unfortunately the epidural didn't have a chance to fully take effect and I had to get more drugs through my IV in the OR- which made me not recall her actual delivery- luckily John was able to take a quick video of her being pulled out, and Dr. Buettner saying she had "a big butt...cute butt!" It was the absolute best sound to hear my daughter's strong cry. Turns out by the time we got in the OR, Anna had her whole left leg coming out- I'm so glad we got to the hospital when we did! The next few hours were a blur- I remember being shocked to find out her weight- at 37 weeks- over 8 pounds- and needing a lot more pain medicine than I thought I would. I was so excited to see everyone in L&D and call people to tell them the news- it didn't matter at the time that I had only gotten a few hours sleep the night before!

We stayed in the hospital an extra 3 days because my blood pressure became elevated and her weight dropped by a pound- I was not thrilled to be there that long, but I knew it was necessary for both of us. By Friday, I was pumping breast milk like a champ, and my blood pressure was a stable 150's/90's. I was sent home on medication for my blood pressure and Anna was to be seen the next day by the pediatrician.

Coming home from the hospital was exhausting- I was so excited to be going home that I didn't consider the fact that a) I had major abdominal surgery less than a week ago, and b) I hadn't been out of bed longer than 20 minutes at a time, much less walking around for any good amount of time. It was more difficult and painful than I was expecting- the Demerol was great but not 100%- plus it made me feel light-headed at times. So I came home and crashed- unfortunately learning the hard way how tough it was to get off the couch and out of chairs without hurting...oh the things they don't tell you at the hospital!

Week 1 flew by trying to get the breastfeeding thing straight- Anna was a lazy eater who didn't want to wake up to eat and didn't want to latch on correctly- that was tough- I was pumping a lot, feeding her bottles during the night to get her fed, and alternating some bottles with syringe feeding too so that she would learn to work at eating better. I had no clue breastfeeding would be that difficult- I thought that as long as you have good nipples, no problem! Ha. The sheer stress of knowing her weight gain was solely dependent on me was hard- I was trying to eat well and drink well- and I knew things would come around, but when?? We had a paper where we would circle her pees and poos and when she ate- I became obsessed with that- trying to make sure she had a least 8 feeds a day and so many wet diapers....I originally thought that worksheet was a great idea but in the end it made me more anxious!!

Week 2 was much better- nursing became a little easier- still trying to figure out the nighttime routine of breast vs. bottle- I wanted her to gain enough weight by her next appt. that I wouldn't be so stressed out about her feeding, and at her 2 week check she was 8lbs 8oz! Yay. No more worries about her feeding well...she was growing like a little weed. Unfortunately her next problem was diaper rash- a few little open sores that were red and weepy- not fun! She got them right after we left the hospital and they got worse- so lots of diaper changes, different diaper creams, and finally some antibiotic ointment and Boudreaux's butt paste- we're still working on it!

So now we're at week 3- she's started to take both sides at a feeding- which cuts down on my pumping considerably...Yay! She's already outgrown some clothes, and is starting to be awake a little more, which is fun. This week we're trying to start a routine- bedtime between 8-9, wake around 7, etc, so that when I go back to work it won't be so tough- she's up every 2.5-3 hours to eat at night, and I'm attempting to catch a nap in the afternoon when she does- the morning nap I use to shower- which I need to do now!! As tough as this has been so far, it really doesn't matter- I would do it in a heartbeat again, and am reminded every time she smiles in her sleep and when she looks at me with her big blue eyes. I'm in love with the sweetest little girl in the world.