Newborn Photos Are In!

My sister, an amazing photographer (Katie Cooper Photography), worked hard taking, reviewing and editing Adam’s newborn photos. 

This baby did not want to cooperate one bit, so we got very few of those sweet sleeping baby photos. 

She did great capturing his little personality though. 

Even having known him for a short time, our miniature schnauzer, Kirby, has decided he will be the protector. If anyone other than Rusty or myself are holding the baby, Kirby is right beside them, keeping watch. I was nervous that he would not like him, but am excited that they will continue to grow close. 

Fun tidbit – Adam, we have found in his three weeks on this earth, will pee as soon as you take off his diaper. He feels that cold air and there it goes… well, the newborn shoot was no exception.

Luckily, I had the foresight to put a towel underneath the sheet we were using to get some naked baby shots. He hit Katie, but not the camera. 

Anyways, I am so happy about how they all turned out and will be getting them printed very soon. I loved getting them done in our home instead of in a studio, which just seems impersonal to me.

Breastfeeding Bind

In the hospital, I had lots of issues with breastfeeding. As much as I tried, Adam just wouldn't latch and I became very discouraged. Thankfully, my hospital puts a VERY high importance on breastfeeding and the benefits it gives to both the mother and the child. Because of this, there are lactation specialists available 24/7 while in the hospital and a hotline once you leave. There is also a "mommy and me" group in my area that at least one lactation specialist attends each week (we haven't attended yet, but hopefully will be when he is a little older).

The nurses noticed that I was having issues and sent for a specialist right away - best thing that could've happened. They were patient, instructive and very knowledgeable. Although each of them had different suggestions and techniques, I was able to learn from each of them and adjust my own technique with what worked.

One thing that was very helpful was learning that I have shallow nipples (sorry if that is too much info for you). Because of this, I was given a nipple shield, which is a small plastic piece that you put over your own nipple. It basically extends your nipple to allow the baby to latch better.

Even after I was given the shield, it took many tries to get Adam to latch. I was supplementing with formula and was afraid that he wouldn't want the breast once he had the bottle. Luckily, we stuck with it.

I'm glad to say that he is now latching with little to no difficulty at all. We still use the nipple shield (which I was told I would probably need for a couple of months until my own nipples extended out enough), but all he is growing on is my own breast milk. There are times when we don't get started quick enough and I have to calm him with the bottle (one or two ounces are enough) to get him to latch properly, but he always does and with pumping, I can still use breast milk to calm instead of formula.

FYI to all expecting and new moms - ALL insurances are now required to provide a pump. Some insurances require you to buy or order from a specific place, so you should check into this before you give birth in case it has to be shipped to you. I you didn't order in time, many hospitals allow you to rent one for as long as you need. We were fortunate that our insurance allowed us to purchase the pump from the hospital, so we walked out with it and all of the attachments when we left the hospital.

Postpartum Recovery

So - after 27 hours of labor and a c-section, I was exhausted... but we had a baby, so my excitement overwhelmed my exhaustion by far. I was wheeled to the recovery room where Rusty and Adam awaited. Adam was being assessed and his vitals checked. The thing I remember most was shaking. I was told that I would shake as the epidural drugs left my body, and I sure did! My jaw began to hurt because of the shaking. After Adam was assessed, they asked if I wanted to hold him. Of course I did, but I was afraid that my shaking would cause me to drop him - but Rusty stood right by my side to help out.

Me and Adam in the hospital.

Oh - I don't think I mentioned that as I was being wheeled to the recovery room I asked if I could eat. The nurse told me I had to wait twelve hours - TWELVE HOURS!

Adam's breathing was very fast, so although we just got him, the hospital needed to take him to the nursery for a pediatrician to look after him for a couple of hours. As I was still being prepped to move from recovery to our postpartum room, I couldn't go with him. Rusty went, but returned to my side once Adam was in the nursery. We were moved to the postpartum room. At this point (2am or 3am), the only family left were my mom, one of my sisters and my brother. They came in to say hello, Rusty walked them to the nursery so they could see Adam and then they left.

Adam in the nursery.

I believe it is my grandfather who says that you don't go to a hospital to rest. That is all too true. My vitals were checked every three hours for the next five days. I needed to feed the baby every two-three hours. The cleaning staff came in twice a day and room service three times a day. Constant visitors of friends and family dropped in. About 24 hours after the c-section, I had to start getting up and walking around.

Those days at the hospital were very tiring. Everyone on staff was very helpful and attentive, but all my husband and I wanted to do was sleep. On day two or three, some family came to visit, so Rusty went home (which is only seven minutes from the hospital) for some much needed uninterrupted sleep. I think this really helped him as he came back rested and energized.

Rusty and Adam in the hospital.

By the end of the stay, we were learning to run on little sleep, but it was now time for us to go home and learn how to raise this little baby on our own...

Adam's going home outfit.

Chapter One: Your Birth Plan Means Nothing

I've decided to start this blog to document my life as a wife and a recent mom. After much thought, consideration and prayer, my husband and I decided that I quit my job to stay at home and raise our baby boy. As this new adventure begins, I wanted an outlet to document our journey as a family.

What better way to start then with the birth story...

Short version:
27 hours of labor. Baby's heart almost stopped twice. Emergency c-section. Adam Gray Bailey joined us at 12:33am at 9lbs, 2oz and 21 inches.

Long version:
I was told throughout my entire pregnancy that I had a "hefty" baby, so when I went past my due date, my OB decided it would be best to induce. We were told we would get a call from the hospital for when to come in and to go about our day as normal. Rusty was working from home that day, but neither of us got much done in anticipation of the call. Finally, whilst sitting in Chick-fil-a for dinner we got the call to come in at 7:45pm on 4/9/14.

We went home, grabbed out "go bags" and headed to the hospital. Phase one began at 9:20pm. This was the inserting of Cervidil. The purpose of Cervidil is to basically soften and teach your cervix to start expanding. As I was dilated 1cm at the time, we were told that we had a long way to go.

The Cervidil was to stay in for 12 hours, but at 4am alarms began going off and I was met by a rush of nurses and a midwife who had me moving and shifting. An oxygen mask was thrown on me as well as more wires and monitors. I had no idea what was happening, but the urgency in which they were working let me know it was serious. It turns out, the Cervidil was working too well. It has caused me to have contractions almost immediately - but it caused them to occur too close together. This stressed the baby out and caused his heart to almost stop.

The wonderful staff at the hospital got his heart going again and after a call to my OB, it was decided that the Cervidil be removed and phase two begin (5 hours ahead of schedule). I was given an hour to shower and eat (had I known that it would've been the last time I would eat until after the whole process, I probably would've asked my husband for something more hearty). During this break I was also given an enema - without being too graphic, it was one of the most discussing things that ever happened, but I'm very glad it did because it made the post-birth time less stressful.

At 6am-ish we began phase two, which consisted of Pitocin. It's purpose was to regulate contractions and get them consistent. Again, this phase worked "too well" also and at 9:30pm, I was met with another rush of nurses and hospital staff because the baby's heart almost stopped again. This time was even more terrifying because I knew what was happening. They got the heart working again and stopped the Pitocin until my OB arrived.

My OB decided to restart the Pitocin, but at a level 2 instead of a level 5 (which was what most women started at). About this time (10:30am -ish), our family began to arrive. We could only have 3-4 visitors in the room at a time, so our parents and siblings visited in shifts. I'll take this time to shout out to them - who stayed until the wee hours of the night even though many of them had to work the next day.

In the early afternoon, I called for the epidural. I have never been one to want a "natural birth". I don't like pain and through my own personal research, I decided I would have one. Once the epidural was in (which was not as scary as I thought it would be), it was a sweet relief. I hadn't gotten any sleep that night because of the contractions and although the nurses had to flip me every hour, being able to sleep really helped me.

Whilst on the Pitocin, I was slowly dilating and at 10pm-ish, I hit 8cm and was excited that the baby would be here soon. Unfortunately, I began feeling the contractions again, so we had to increase the epidural. Right before midnight, I hit 9cm so my OB was called in. I began to feel the pressure that the baby was ready to come. I told my husband to get a nurse. I was in tears because I felt I needed to push but was told to wait - worst feeling ever! When my OB got there (very quickly I might add), she assessed the situation. The baby had been pushed his head against my cervix and had caused it to begin to swell shut (kind of like getting hit in the lip). At this point, nothing could be done and an emergency c-section was called.

The surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses and techs were there within five minutes. I was wheeled to the OR. I was very afraid to say the least and could do nothing but keep my eyes on my husband and let my OB give instructions to the staff. Within ten minutes, Adam Gray was with us. My husband went with him to the recovery room. Fifty minutes later I was stitched up and brought to the recovery room where Rusty and Adam were waiting.