Re: Ted's Birth Story (loss ment, c*rc*mc*s**n)

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Congratulations again! Thank you so much for sharing Ted's birth story with

us. I'm glad you had a thick skin when it came to the nurse's chatter. Hope

your recovery continues to go well also.

Becki

26, UU

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Congratulations again! Thank you so much for sharing Ted's birth story with

us. I'm glad you had a thick skin when it came to the nurse's chatter. Hope

your recovery continues to go well also.

Becki

26, UU

[Guest guest]

Beth

Wow, what an amazing story. Thanks so much for sharing with us. I

am so glad to hear you, Mike and Theodor are doing well.

The stuff about the nurses is funny in a way...although I am sure you

are not laughing about it! I would be pissed myself in the same

situation, if my birthplan wasn't followed and if I was " scolded "

about not circumsizing. If it was really so hard to keep clean, then

how do you explain how we managed to survive before the procedure was

invented?

Congratulations again to all of you.

Tina

31, 2 m/c

[Guest guest]

typing with 1 hand - but what a wonderful story. brought tears to my

eyes. good luck and continued health & happiness!

[Guest guest]

typing with 1 hand - but what a wonderful story. brought tears to my

eyes. good luck and continued health & happiness!

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Congratulations on the birth of Theodor, I think we all agree,

biases or not, that he is really cute and charming!! I know what

you mean about the farts - you just adore absolutely EVERYTHING

about your newborn, I guess it's one of nature's " preservation of

the species " mechanisms.

Thanks for sharing your birth story, it sounds like the glitches

were fairly minor and you are all doing well. I couldn't help but

compare how different medical care is here in Canada, for all the

whining we do about it. Rooming in is assumed here, unless your

baby needs serious special care. My son also needed oxygen at

first, but ended up in my room for the duration of the stay. They

also don't routinely feed babies anything unless you request it

specifically. As far as circumcision, in Canada it is NOT done, you

would have to make special arrangements, it's not covered by

insurance, you have to pay for it privately and ASK to have it

done. As a sideline, speaking from experience as a mom of THREE un-

circ boys, the line about it being " dirty and impossible to keep

clean " is just absolute BS!! (sorry to be so adamant). Regular

bathing is all you need and we've never had even a hit of problem.

It sounds like you are settled in and thoroughly enjoying

your " babymoon " period. Congratulations again, to say that you

richly deserve this is SUCH an understatement.

all the best,

Lia

UD

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Congratulations on the birth of Theodor, I think we all agree,

biases or not, that he is really cute and charming!! I know what

you mean about the farts - you just adore absolutely EVERYTHING

about your newborn, I guess it's one of nature's " preservation of

the species " mechanisms.

Thanks for sharing your birth story, it sounds like the glitches

were fairly minor and you are all doing well. I couldn't help but

compare how different medical care is here in Canada, for all the

whining we do about it. Rooming in is assumed here, unless your

baby needs serious special care. My son also needed oxygen at

first, but ended up in my room for the duration of the stay. They

also don't routinely feed babies anything unless you request it

specifically. As far as circumcision, in Canada it is NOT done, you

would have to make special arrangements, it's not covered by

insurance, you have to pay for it privately and ASK to have it

done. As a sideline, speaking from experience as a mom of THREE un-

circ boys, the line about it being " dirty and impossible to keep

clean " is just absolute BS!! (sorry to be so adamant). Regular

bathing is all you need and we've never had even a hit of problem.

It sounds like you are settled in and thoroughly enjoying

your " babymoon " period. Congratulations again, to say that you

richly deserve this is SUCH an understatement.

all the best,

Lia

UD

[Guest guest]

Beth,

It's so wonderful to hear your story. It did bring a tear to my

eye. I cannot imagine the unabated joy you feel with Theodor here.

I am so very happy for you and Mick.

I'm sorry that Nurse Ratchet and her ugly sisters work at your

hospital, but glad that you were able to impress your wishes upon

them (although not without a lot of resistance). Luckily, you are at

home now and running the show.

Glad you are doing well and cherishing every moment of life.

Congratulations,

Sara

[Guest guest]

Beth,

It's so wonderful to hear your story. It did bring a tear to my

eye. I cannot imagine the unabated joy you feel with Theodor here.

I am so very happy for you and Mick.

I'm sorry that Nurse Ratchet and her ugly sisters work at your

hospital, but glad that you were able to impress your wishes upon

them (although not without a lot of resistance). Luckily, you are at

home now and running the show.

Glad you are doing well and cherishing every moment of life.

Congratulations,

Sara

[Guest guest]

Beth: Thanks for sharing your story with us!!! We've all been

thinking about you and your little Theodor!!! You're such an

inspiration to us.

At last, our wonderful leader is home with her new baby boy!

Congratulations... and rest up! Enjoy these special holidays!!!

- (Chicago)

Mom to (April 5-17, 2002)

> Hi all,

>

> Here's how Theodor came into the world.

>

> We checked into the hospital Tuesday morning for a planned c-

section, after

> the amnio showed practically mature lungs. The section went very

smoothly,

> although I was dosed with fentanyl more than I wanted to be, so

things were

> a bit foggy. For my money, sedation for surgery under local

anesthesia is

> scarier than not having it. I had a cerclage earlier this year

with no

> sedation (could hurt an 11-week fetus), and that was just fine.

>

> BTW, they took out the cerclage minutes before the section.

Apparently my

> cervix had begun to efface but was nowhere near ready, and very

high up,

> too. My OB (the same one who has been treating me for the past

four years)

> had to pull down with a tenaculum to reach it. The cerclage was

not only

> flimsier-looking than I ever imagined--it was blue. Someone joked

that they

> used pink suture material for girls. A litmus cerclage?

>

> So there I was, in the crucifixion position, feeling actually kind

of good

> as the warmth and relaxation of the spinal took hold. It overshot

the mark

> and my thumbs went numb and I lost the ability to swallow, which

bothered

> me, but otherwise was fine. Mike, my DH, held my hand as he sat

behind the

> drape with me. There was some fuss about my heart throwing PVCs

but I told

> them that I had had them all through the pregnancy (you know, the

extra

> strong beat you sometimes feel). I just closed my eyes and

listened to the

> clatter of the room. Pretty soon the anesthesiologist (or " gas

passer, " as

> DH referred to him) said that they'd started, and were down to the

uterus.

> Then I felt a rocking and pressure, and someone said, " The head's

out. "

> Then I heard my son's strong voice and began to cry myself. " We

did it! " I

> either thought or said.

>

> " That'll wake you up at night, " someone, maybe the OB, remarked.

>

> They held him up for me to see, and all I could see was white

vernix and a

> very emphatic crotch shot; his face was tilted up and away. Then

some time

> later they unstrapped a wrist and I got to kiss and fondle him as

the

> anesthesiologist snapped pictures. According to DH, I would not

give him

> back, and said " I wish your brother were here, " which makes me

glad, because

> the day after Jack died, I promised him that I would kiss the next

baby

> twice as much, for all the kisses he could not feel.

>

> We have a whole set of very graphic photos of the birth and uterine

repair.

> " Just another day at the butcher shop, " my mom said, while

looking. This

> was not your average Discovery Health Channel footage of a c-

section. They

> had this

> big baggie thing draped over my midriff and it caught all the blood

and

> amniotic fluid. The nurses and OB were totally bespattered. Shots

show the

> OB pulling Ted out by the head. " Jeez . . . what if it came off? "

DH asked

> later . . . but from what I understand, this is a common maneuver.

>

> In all the shots, you can see Mike sitting there holding my hand.

He had

> felt squeamish, but after he heard Ted, he said he wished he'd

peeked at the

> birth itself. (Incidentally, Mike and his other two sons were also

> c-section babies. Back in the early Seventies, he had been

relegated to the

> waiting room, and no one even bothered to stop and show him his new

sons).

>

> " Will you have any more babies? " My OB asked me at one point,

because he was

> willing to cut away more of my still rather large uterine septum.

My uterus

> did have a lot of septum left, including front to back in the lower

segment.

> The baby's head stretched out the left cavity of the lower segment

and made

> a tiny pocket or " tube, " as my OB described it, out of the right

lower

> segment cavity. The septum remaining at the fundus was thick, and

he is

> betting that I actually have a combination of a bicornuate and

septate

> uterus-- he said the outer top of the uterus was indented quite a

bit. Not

> evident in the uterine repair photo, though.

>

> I told him not to resect more of the septum (because they say

surgery on a

> recently pregnant uterus can cause adhesions--most women are asked

to wait

> after a c-section before having repair work done. And my basic

answer was

> that I would not be having any more children, anyhow, and if I

changed my

> mind, well, I have a uterus that did fine in spite of the remaining

septum.

>

> My birth plan, easy as it was, was just so much phlogiston to the

hospital

> staff. I'd wanted to nurse him in recovery, but since I was sent

to recover

> in a non-OB room, I could not have a neonate in with me. And he was

> tachypneic (very common with a c-section baby), so they had him on

an O2

> blow-by for an hour or so. But because I could not nurse him right

away, he

> suffered from hypoglycemia, so according to my DH, who stayed with

Ted, they

> gave him half an ounce of formula, which he sucked right down. I

was

> pissed, but I guess nothing could be done at that point. I did

tell the

> nursery staff when they wheeled me in to see him, that I was

serious about

> breast feeding and to please consult my birth plan and stick with

it. No

> formula, no rubber nipples or pacifiers. Off to a nice start with

the

> nurses, eh? ;-)

>

> And let me say that most nurses were great. There were some run-

ins with

> nursery personnel, though. I think they think that they know much

better

> than the mother what is and is not good for a baby. The first

night they

> did not allow me rooming in (I forget why) and also failed to wake

me up

> when he was hungry that night, and cup-fed him formula. I lay

awake missing

> him and stewing about their violation of my wishes. Told the OB,

who set

> them straight, and after that I had Ted whenever I wanted and for

however

> long, and he got no more cup feeding. But one nuight, as I was a

bit

> groggy, an older night nurse or nurse's assistant gave me the third

degree

> about why I chose not to c*rc*mc*se, and said that it was dirty and

> impossible to keep clean. I said nothing, but asked her how many

people

> chose not to c*rc. " Hardly anyone. " The American Midwest is very

> conformist that way, but I think it's a 15-20% rate of not

circumcising, so

> what was it to that old bitch, anyhow? Another night staff told me

I'd have

> to " get him a Nuk, " meaning pacifier, because he had been crying

too much

> while I changed his diapers. I could tell that a couple of them

really

> thought I was a twit. Whatever. All I can say is if you want to

nurse or

> don't want to have your baby boy c*rc'd, stick to your guns and

ignore the

> biddies from the nursery.

>

> What can I say about Ted? He's my little baby man, that's for

sure. I am

> told that he is exceptionally cute, and I do think so myself, but

I'm not

> exactly neutral on the subject. Everything he does in his limited

> repertoire is calculated to steal our hearts, from the dimple in

his cheek

> to the birdlike way he wags his head settling in for a nursing

session. I

> especially love the red arc described above his upper lip when he

is done

> nursing, and how he throws his arms flang dang above his head when

sated and

> ready for a nap. Even his farts are endearing.

>

> Ted has been having jaundice, with a peak bilirubin level Sunday of

19.

> It's come down to 13 and sort of stayed stable . . . no one is too

> concerned, as long as he keeps the diaper production going.

Phototherapy

> helped him a great deal.

>

> He also lost 12% of his birthweight, bottomed out and has put back

2 ounces

> since Saturday, which satisfies the doctors. He has been cluster

feeding,

> so I expect a burgeoning soon.

>

> It's so hard to believe that things are working out! I have to keep

> pinching myself about all of this . . . and trying not to be too

> overprotective. I find it very hard to put him down. Mike is far

more laid

> back about it all, having had 2 healthy sons before.

>

> As for me, aside from water retention and some incision pain, I'm

feeling

> pretty good and have no trouble getting around. We are so

outrageously

> happy to be shutting the door on IUIs, uterine surgeries, touchy

> pregnancies, and so forth. December 7th marked not only Pearl

Harbor Day,

> but the fourth anniversary of my first IUI, and it was

exhiliarating to

> finally be bringing home our munchkin on that day.

>

> Thanks for all the support.

>

> Beth

> Theodor's mother

> 12/3/02

[Guest guest]

Beth: Thanks for sharing your story with us!!! We've all been

thinking about you and your little Theodor!!! You're such an

inspiration to us.

At last, our wonderful leader is home with her new baby boy!

Congratulations... and rest up! Enjoy these special holidays!!!

- (Chicago)

Mom to (April 5-17, 2002)

> Hi all,

>

> Here's how Theodor came into the world.

>

> We checked into the hospital Tuesday morning for a planned c-

section, after

> the amnio showed practically mature lungs. The section went very

smoothly,

> although I was dosed with fentanyl more than I wanted to be, so

things were

> a bit foggy. For my money, sedation for surgery under local

anesthesia is

> scarier than not having it. I had a cerclage earlier this year

with no

> sedation (could hurt an 11-week fetus), and that was just fine.

>

> BTW, they took out the cerclage minutes before the section.

Apparently my

> cervix had begun to efface but was nowhere near ready, and very

high up,

> too. My OB (the same one who has been treating me for the past

four years)

> had to pull down with a tenaculum to reach it. The cerclage was

not only

> flimsier-looking than I ever imagined--it was blue. Someone joked

that they

> used pink suture material for girls. A litmus cerclage?

>

> So there I was, in the crucifixion position, feeling actually kind

of good

> as the warmth and relaxation of the spinal took hold. It overshot

the mark

> and my thumbs went numb and I lost the ability to swallow, which

bothered

> me, but otherwise was fine. Mike, my DH, held my hand as he sat

behind the

> drape with me. There was some fuss about my heart throwing PVCs

but I told

> them that I had had them all through the pregnancy (you know, the

extra

> strong beat you sometimes feel). I just closed my eyes and

listened to the

> clatter of the room. Pretty soon the anesthesiologist (or " gas

passer, " as

> DH referred to him) said that they'd started, and were down to the

uterus.

> Then I felt a rocking and pressure, and someone said, " The head's

out. "

> Then I heard my son's strong voice and began to cry myself. " We

did it! " I

> either thought or said.

>

> " That'll wake you up at night, " someone, maybe the OB, remarked.

>

> They held him up for me to see, and all I could see was white

vernix and a

> very emphatic crotch shot; his face was tilted up and away. Then

some time

> later they unstrapped a wrist and I got to kiss and fondle him as

the

> anesthesiologist snapped pictures. According to DH, I would not

give him

> back, and said " I wish your brother were here, " which makes me

glad, because

> the day after Jack died, I promised him that I would kiss the next

baby

> twice as much, for all the kisses he could not feel.

>

> We have a whole set of very graphic photos of the birth and uterine

repair.

> " Just another day at the butcher shop, " my mom said, while

looking. This

> was not your average Discovery Health Channel footage of a c-

section. They

> had this

> big baggie thing draped over my midriff and it caught all the blood

and

> amniotic fluid. The nurses and OB were totally bespattered. Shots

show the

> OB pulling Ted out by the head. " Jeez . . . what if it came off? "

DH asked

> later . . . but from what I understand, this is a common maneuver.

>

> In all the shots, you can see Mike sitting there holding my hand.

He had

> felt squeamish, but after he heard Ted, he said he wished he'd

peeked at the

> birth itself. (Incidentally, Mike and his other two sons were also

> c-section babies. Back in the early Seventies, he had been

relegated to the

> waiting room, and no one even bothered to stop and show him his new

sons).

>

> " Will you have any more babies? " My OB asked me at one point,

because he was

> willing to cut away more of my still rather large uterine septum.

My uterus

> did have a lot of septum left, including front to back in the lower

segment.

> The baby's head stretched out the left cavity of the lower segment

and made

> a tiny pocket or " tube, " as my OB described it, out of the right

lower

> segment cavity. The septum remaining at the fundus was thick, and

he is

> betting that I actually have a combination of a bicornuate and

septate

> uterus-- he said the outer top of the uterus was indented quite a

bit. Not

> evident in the uterine repair photo, though.

>

> I told him not to resect more of the septum (because they say

surgery on a

> recently pregnant uterus can cause adhesions--most women are asked

to wait

> after a c-section before having repair work done. And my basic

answer was

> that I would not be having any more children, anyhow, and if I

changed my

> mind, well, I have a uterus that did fine in spite of the remaining

septum.

>

> My birth plan, easy as it was, was just so much phlogiston to the

hospital

> staff. I'd wanted to nurse him in recovery, but since I was sent

to recover

> in a non-OB room, I could not have a neonate in with me. And he was

> tachypneic (very common with a c-section baby), so they had him on

an O2

> blow-by for an hour or so. But because I could not nurse him right

away, he

> suffered from hypoglycemia, so according to my DH, who stayed with

Ted, they

> gave him half an ounce of formula, which he sucked right down. I

was

> pissed, but I guess nothing could be done at that point. I did

tell the

> nursery staff when they wheeled me in to see him, that I was

serious about

> breast feeding and to please consult my birth plan and stick with

it. No

> formula, no rubber nipples or pacifiers. Off to a nice start with

the

> nurses, eh? ;-)

>

> And let me say that most nurses were great. There were some run-

ins with

> nursery personnel, though. I think they think that they know much

better

> than the mother what is and is not good for a baby. The first

night they

> did not allow me rooming in (I forget why) and also failed to wake

me up

> when he was hungry that night, and cup-fed him formula. I lay

awake missing

> him and stewing about their violation of my wishes. Told the OB,

who set

> them straight, and after that I had Ted whenever I wanted and for

however

> long, and he got no more cup feeding. But one nuight, as I was a

bit

> groggy, an older night nurse or nurse's assistant gave me the third

degree

> about why I chose not to c*rc*mc*se, and said that it was dirty and

> impossible to keep clean. I said nothing, but asked her how many

people

> chose not to c*rc. " Hardly anyone. " The American Midwest is very

> conformist that way, but I think it's a 15-20% rate of not

circumcising, so

> what was it to that old bitch, anyhow? Another night staff told me

I'd have

> to " get him a Nuk, " meaning pacifier, because he had been crying

too much

> while I changed his diapers. I could tell that a couple of them

really

> thought I was a twit. Whatever. All I can say is if you want to

nurse or

> don't want to have your baby boy c*rc'd, stick to your guns and

ignore the

> biddies from the nursery.

>

> What can I say about Ted? He's my little baby man, that's for

sure. I am

> told that he is exceptionally cute, and I do think so myself, but

I'm not

> exactly neutral on the subject. Everything he does in his limited

> repertoire is calculated to steal our hearts, from the dimple in

his cheek

> to the birdlike way he wags his head settling in for a nursing

session. I

> especially love the red arc described above his upper lip when he

is done

> nursing, and how he throws his arms flang dang above his head when

sated and

> ready for a nap. Even his farts are endearing.

>

> Ted has been having jaundice, with a peak bilirubin level Sunday of

19.

> It's come down to 13 and sort of stayed stable . . . no one is too

> concerned, as long as he keeps the diaper production going.

Phototherapy

> helped him a great deal.

>

> He also lost 12% of his birthweight, bottomed out and has put back

2 ounces

> since Saturday, which satisfies the doctors. He has been cluster

feeding,

> so I expect a burgeoning soon.

>

> It's so hard to believe that things are working out! I have to keep

> pinching myself about all of this . . . and trying not to be too

> overprotective. I find it very hard to put him down. Mike is far

more laid

> back about it all, having had 2 healthy sons before.

>

> As for me, aside from water retention and some incision pain, I'm

feeling

> pretty good and have no trouble getting around. We are so

outrageously

> happy to be shutting the door on IUIs, uterine surgeries, touchy

> pregnancies, and so forth. December 7th marked not only Pearl

Harbor Day,

> but the fourth anniversary of my first IUI, and it was

exhiliarating to

> finally be bringing home our munchkin on that day.

>

> Thanks for all the support.

>

> Beth

> Theodor's mother

> 12/3/02

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Thank you so much for letting us know how everyhting is going. You

don't know how much that has helped me today. Your success is so

uplifting and full of hope for me. You see my surgery for resection

is tommorrow. I came to the library for just a quick check of the

board and to find some support. I'm so nervous I feel sick to my

stomach!! Thanks once again!

Aurora

SU RESECTION 12/13/02!!!

[Guest guest]

Beth,

Thank you so much for letting us know how everyhting is going. You

don't know how much that has helped me today. Your success is so

uplifting and full of hope for me. You see my surgery for resection

is tommorrow. I came to the library for just a quick check of the

board and to find some support. I'm so nervous I feel sick to my

stomach!! Thanks once again!

Aurora

SU RESECTION 12/13/02!!!

[Guest guest]

Dear Beth,

Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing! Personally, I

think the nurses were just jealous. They only got Theodor for 4

days, while you get him for a lifetime. Enjoy!

Mindy

[Guest guest]

Dear Beth,

Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing! Personally, I

think the nurses were just jealous. They only got Theodor for 4

days, while you get him for a lifetime. Enjoy!

Mindy

[Guest guest]

First off, congratulations again. I had tears as I read your story

- no one, bar none, deserves this happiness more than you. He

sounds absolutely wonderful. As for being enamored with him in

every way - of course, you're his mama! I often say it is pitiful

how much I adore my son, but then...that's my job. Don't you love

the post-nursing drunken sailor look?!? That was my newborn

favorite.

I'm appalled by the nurses at your hospital. Really. I just can't

even imagine it. Here in Iowa, my hospital is SO nursing-friendly,

rooming-in-friendly, etc. Wow. I'm glad you triumphed in nursing

(and your c*rc decision : ) in spite of their " help " .

As for being overprotective, I'm afraid I have no advice there. Love

with all your heart and try not to let the fears overtake you. I'm

not always successful there myself, but I do understand where you are

coming from.

Again, many congratulations and best wishes to you, your husband, and

baby Ted.

((((Hugs))))

> Hi all,

>

> Here's how Theodor came into the world.

>

> We checked into the hospital Tuesday morning for a planned

c-section, after

> the amnio showed practically mature lungs. The section went very

smoothly,

> although I was dosed with fentanyl more than I wanted to be, so

things were

> a bit foggy. For my money, sedation for surgery under local

anesthesia is

> scarier than not having it. I had a cerclage earlier this year with

no

> sedation (could hurt an 11-week fetus), and that was just fine.

>

> BTW, they took out the cerclage minutes before the section.

Apparently my

> cervix had begun to efface but was nowhere near ready, and very high

up,

> too. My OB (the same one who has been treating me for the past four

years)

> had to pull down with a tenaculum to reach it. The cerclage was not

only

> flimsier-looking than I ever imagined--it was blue. Someone joked

that they

> used pink suture material for girls. A litmus cerclage?

>

> So there I was, in the crucifixion position, feeling actually kind

of good

> as the warmth and relaxation of the spinal took hold. It overshot

the mark

> and my thumbs went numb and I lost the ability to swallow, which

bothered

> me, but otherwise was fine. Mike, my DH, held my hand as he sat

behind the

> drape with me. There was some fuss about my heart throwing PVCs but

I told

> them that I had had them all through the pregnancy (you know, the

extra

> strong beat you sometimes feel). I just closed my eyes and listened

to the

> clatter of the room. Pretty soon the anesthesiologist (or " gas

passer, " as

> DH referred to him) said that they'd started, and were down to the

uterus.

> Then I felt a rocking and pressure, and someone said, " The head's

out. "

> Then I heard my son's strong voice and began to cry myself. " We did

it! " I

> either thought or said.

>

> " That'll wake you up at night, " someone, maybe the OB, remarked.

>

> They held him up for me to see, and all I could see was white vernix

and a

> very emphatic crotch shot; his face was tilted up and away. Then

some time

> later they unstrapped a wrist and I got to kiss and fondle him as

the

> anesthesiologist snapped pictures. According to DH, I would not

give him

> back, and said " I wish your brother were here, " which makes me glad,

because

> the day after Jack died, I promised him that I would kiss the next

baby

> twice as much, for all the kisses he could not feel.

>

> We have a whole set of very graphic photos of the birth and uterine

repair.

> " Just another day at the butcher shop, " my mom said, while looking.

This

> was not your average Discovery Health Channel footage of a

c-section. They

> had this

> big baggie thing draped over my midriff and it caught all the blood

and

> amniotic fluid. The nurses and OB were totally bespattered. Shots

show the

> OB pulling Ted out by the head. " Jeez . . . what if it came off? "

DH asked

> later . . . but from what I understand, this is a common maneuver.

>

> In all the shots, you can see Mike sitting there holding my hand.

He had

> felt squeamish, but after he heard Ted, he said he wished he'd

peeked at the

> birth itself. (Incidentally, Mike and his other two sons were also

> c-section babies. Back in the early Seventies, he had been

relegated to the

> waiting room, and no one even bothered to stop and show him his new

sons).

>

> " Will you have any more babies? " My OB asked me at one point,

because he was

> willing to cut away more of my still rather large uterine septum. My

uterus

> did have a lot of septum left, including front to back in the lower

segment.

> The baby's head stretched out the left cavity of the lower segment

and made

> a tiny pocket or " tube, " as my OB described it, out of the right

lower

> segment cavity. The septum remaining at the fundus was thick, and

he is

> betting that I actually have a combination of a bicornuate and

septate

> uterus-- he said the outer top of the uterus was indented quite a

bit. Not

> evident in the uterine repair photo, though.

>

> I told him not to resect more of the septum (because they say

surgery on a

> recently pregnant uterus can cause adhesions--most women are asked

to wait

> after a c-section before having repair work done. And my basic

answer was

> that I would not be having any more children, anyhow, and if I

changed my

> mind, well, I have a uterus that did fine in spite of the remaining

septum.

>

> My birth plan, easy as it was, was just so much phlogiston to the

hospital

> staff. I'd wanted to nurse him in recovery, but since I was sent to

recover

> in a non-OB room, I could not have a neonate in with me. And he was

> tachypneic (very common with a c-section baby), so they had him on

an O2

> blow-by for an hour or so. But because I could not nurse him right

away, he

> suffered from hypoglycemia, so according to my DH, who stayed with

Ted, they

> gave him half an ounce of formula, which he sucked right down. I

was

> pissed, but I guess nothing could be done at that point. I did tell

the

> nursery staff when they wheeled me in to see him, that I was serious

about

> breast feeding and to please consult my birth plan and stick with

it. No

> formula, no rubber nipples or pacifiers. Off to a nice start with

the

> nurses, eh? ;-)

>

> And let me say that most nurses were great. There were some run-ins

with

> nursery personnel, though. I think they think that they know much

better

> than the mother what is and is not good for a baby. The first night

they

> did not allow me rooming in (I forget why) and also failed to wake

me up

> when he was hungry that night, and cup-fed him formula. I lay awake

missing

> him and stewing about their violation of my wishes. Told the OB,

who set

> them straight, and after that I had Ted whenever I wanted and for

however

> long, and he got no more cup feeding. But one nuight, as I was a

bit

> groggy, an older night nurse or nurse's assistant gave me the third

degree

> about why I chose not to c*rc*mc*se, and said that it was dirty and

> impossible to keep clean. I said nothing, but asked her how many

people

> chose not to c*rc. " Hardly anyone. " The American Midwest is very

> conformist that way, but I think it's a 15-20% rate of not

circumcising, so

> what was it to that old bitch, anyhow? Another night staff told me

I'd have

> to " get him a Nuk, " meaning pacifier, because he had been crying too

much

> while I changed his diapers. I could tell that a couple of them

really

> thought I was a twit. Whatever. All I can say is if you want to

nurse or

> don't want to have your baby boy c*rc'd, stick to your guns and

ignore the

> biddies from the nursery.

>

> What can I say about Ted? He's my little baby man, that's for sure.

I am

> told that he is exceptionally cute, and I do think so myself, but

I'm not

> exactly neutral on the subject. Everything he does in his limited

> repertoire is calculated to steal our hearts, from the dimple in his

cheek

> to the birdlike way he wags his head settling in for a nursing

session. I

> especially love the red arc described above his upper lip when he is

done

> nursing, and how he throws his arms flang dang above his head when

sated and

> ready for a nap. Even his farts are endearing.

>

> Ted has been having jaundice, with a peak bilirubin level Sunday of

19.

> It's come down to 13 and sort of stayed stable . . . no one is too

> concerned, as long as he keeps the diaper production going.

Phototherapy

> helped him a great deal.

>

> He also lost 12% of his birthweight, bottomed out and has put back 2

ounces

> since Saturday, which satisfies the doctors. He has been cluster

feeding,

> so I expect a burgeoning soon.

>

> It's so hard to believe that things are working out! I have to keep

> pinching myself about all of this . . . and trying not to be too

> overprotective. I find it very hard to put him down. Mike is far

more laid

> back about it all, having had 2 healthy sons before.

>

> As for me, aside from water retention and some incision pain, I'm

feeling

> pretty good and have no trouble getting around. We are so

outrageously

> happy to be shutting the door on IUIs, uterine surgeries, touchy

> pregnancies, and so forth. December 7th marked not only Pearl

Harbor Day,

> but the fourth anniversary of my first IUI, and it was exhiliarating

to

> finally be bringing home our munchkin on that day.

>

> Thanks for all the support.

>

> Beth

> Theodor's mother

> 12/3/02

[Guest guest]

>Beth

>Theodor's mother

>12/3/02

Beth, seeing this made me cry (happy tears!) for you. I am so happy that

your baby journey is taking you on this new path of motherhood and that Jack

now has a brother. Thanks for sharing Ted's birth story. And, BTW - your

" wacky uterus " did GOOD!

SU resected, bicollis

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

>Beth

>Theodor's mother

>12/3/02

Beth, seeing this made me cry (happy tears!) for you. I am so happy that

your baby journey is taking you on this new path of motherhood and that Jack

now has a brother. Thanks for sharing Ted's birth story. And, BTW - your

" wacky uterus " did GOOD!

SU resected, bicollis

_________________________________________________________________

STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*

http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

[Guest guest]

> loved reading baby Ted's story.........sounds like you have it all

under control.......Max's Bili level was 21 on day 6, that's when we

camped at the hosp!

you will love all the little things he does each day....

I miss him being so little already!

enjoy it all///

J/ BU

[Guest guest]

Beth --

So happy to hear from you :-) You sound absolutely, wonderfully drunk

with love ... thank you so much for sharing that with us! From what I

hear from my friends around here, ignorant nursery biddies aren't

relegated to the Mid-West. I'm glad you stood your ground (not that I

had any doubt you would!) regarding your wishes. I'm glad your doc

spoke up as well.

Much health and happiness to you, Theodor's Mommy :-)

Love,

[Guest guest]

Beth, thanks for sharing your story. I plan to request the hospital staff for no

pacifier or bottle feeding. I read that I should ask for a sign posted " please

no pacificer or bottle feeding " at my baby's cart and hope that will work! I

expect to nurse immediately after delivery.

That s interesting about your residual septum but at least you made it through

successfully!

Glad to hear your delivery went well. I'm waiting for my turn. Congrats again

and enjoy your holidays with Theodor!

Rita

Resected SU, 40 weeks today

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing with us!! I hope you are keeping some of your

posts & replies for his baby book. You, Ted and DH are an

inspiration. Some of my friends ask how many IUI's I will have and I

cite your tenacity. (was Ted with #17, 18?) Much love and blessings --

Kate

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing with us!! I hope you are keeping some of your

posts & replies for his baby book. You, Ted and DH are an

inspiration. Some of my friends ask how many IUI's I will have and I

cite your tenacity. (was Ted with #17, 18?) Much love and blessings --

Kate

[Guest guest]

Beth

You go girl!!!!

Your little guy is absolutely beautiful.

It is great to hear such a happy ending.

Hope you get some sleep and the nursing goes well.

[Guest guest]

Oh Beth! I am finally getting to look back at some posts to find your

announcement of Ted's arrival. I just feel so happy for you and DH.

You are truly an inspiration. Ted's pictures are gorgeous! He looks

so perfect.

Please take care and enjoy your holidays with your beautiful little

boy.

28w3d