Cheesy Post

If only life could be this fair!!! :)

So, a couple people have asked that I write a post about my labor and delivery...so, here's the quick run through...Day before...doctor's appointment...blood pressure a little high...Julie's surprise party...Morning of...off to work I go...blood pressure a little too high...doctor called, admitted at noon, pitocin at 2:00, dialted to a 1.5 at 8:30...l almost lost it when I heard that...epidural at 8:45, fully dialted 45 mins later, pushing 15 mins later, baby Max at 10:00...so,there's all you really need to know (or would want to know you sick-o's!).I did want to do a quick synopses of things I wish someone had told me before I had a baby...some of these on my list really should be labeled things people told me that I wish I had remembered...

1)Epidural, epidural, epidural!!!! When I was first admitted into the hospital three other girls were in labor...one in particular was wailing at the top of her lungs...up until that point in my life nothing had scared me more than that sound...and she had an epidural...I don't know what she was given, but my epidural wasFANTASTIC!!! (thank you Dr. Carver) I even took a moment from pushing to comment on how easy labor was after the epidural!
2) If you think people care about you, you are WRONG! (and to Lumpy's credit, she did tell me this)...it's like the first time you go through the temple...the world is focused on you..you get doors opened for you...people lead you down the right hallways, everyone showers you with compliments on how you are the most beautiful bride EVER (which they tell every bride)...then you get married and you go back...no nice old lady to hold your hand and tell you how wonderful you are...same thing when you have a baby...everyone is full of encouragement, "You're doing so well!""What a good pusher!" "I'm so proud of you" "I love you's" from everyone. Man, you push that baby out and you think, 'I've done it...now shower me with accolades..." but you look around and everyone has gone with the baby...it's just you and the doctor...he delivered the placenta and was gone, too...all I know is that I had to go pee and Iwasn't sure if I could walk there by myself...so, for all of you first time moms...be prepared...they will follow the baby!
3) Your Milk doesn't come in right away...you read in all the books that say you should try and breastfeed within a few hours of birth...nothing was happening and a nurse suggested that I try to pumpto stimulate production...well, nothing makes you feel as inadequateas pumping for half an hour and looking down at the bottles and seeing NOTHING come out...I know, I know...Colostrom is liquid gold...but you know....you still feel like a failure...so, yes, be patient...and it will come...with a vengence!!! Breastfeeding is natural...but that doesn't mean it comes naturally! Thank goodness for the internet!
4) Nurses are trained professionals, let them do their job! I'm not a physically aggressive person, but I tell you, I was ready to throw down with one of the nurses as she pricked Max in the foot. It took all the self control I could muster to smile while she pricked him for the 5th time in five hours...those are your hormones...you don't really want to fight the 62-year-old nurse!
5) Nurses are people and can totally be wrong...I was actually doing pretty well as a new mom...Eric and I fell asleep around midnight and changed his first diaper around 3:00 a.m. Then around 5:45 a.m. I noticed a little pool of white stuff next to Max. Apparently he had alittle mucas in his throat that didn't get pushed out since my labor was so short...so, I called the nurse in and she told me, "It's a good thing you are such an attentive mother, if you hadn't been watching him while he threw that up, he could have chocked and suffocated."Well, that sent me into a tail spin, I hadn't been awake and I wasn'tattentive,...so, I stayed awake for the next 50 some hours just staring at him and had a total melt down...I've never been one to needmuch sleep...but I do need SOME!!! Which brings me to my next item...
6) Listen to your mothers and mother-in-laws...they did it and their kids turned out fine! So, after my melt down, my mom kindly but firmly(no, not really kindly,...just firmly) told me to CALM DOWN and relax.I think that message hit home when my mom asked me what "high strung"meant because she had heard the nurses refer to me as such...yea, I know...BREATHE!!!
7) Circumscisions are neccessary...but it's not neccessary for you to watch...I'm still happy I did because I was able to be the first to comfort him...but, still...to each their own! My mom was insistentthat I not coddle him too much because that would be detrimental tohis ability to self-soothe...I did some research and it seems that newborns are not capable to being "spoiled" in this way...they are designed to cry when something is wrong...it is not a manipulation and you can at least wait until their umilical cord falls off before you need to start to worry about cutting the metaphorical cord...so, spoil away!
8) It's not fair to ask your husband, "Does he look more like me oryou?" right after they are born (particularly if one of you happens tobe Asian). I've discovered that ALL newborns look super asian...I waslooking at pictures on my mother-on-law's computer and found one of anewborn Asian girl...or so I thought...it turned out to be Eric'ssister's (Annie) baby Audrey (who now looks totally NOT Asian).
9) You're still going to look 5 months pregnant...I knew this one...but somehow thought I would be exempt from this. It's crazy that the baby is out and yet, still so much stomach left!!!
10) It's not fun or easy but totally worth it...Trials help humble usand teach us patience so as to be ready to receive greaterblessings...most of you know about some heartache we had in March oflast year...and seeing Max's face for the first time taught me that .Iecho Eric's earlier sentiment...I have never loved something/someone so absolutely and so instantaneously. I could not and can not imagine a better or higher purpose to live for.

Also, Max's blessing is two Sundays from now on the first of March...we hope all of you who can make it will come! We love you!