All About Scarlett!

Today is the first day that I feel well enough to blog.

My daughter is one week old today! It's been a crazy week filled with extreme joy, fear, and pain.  I was induced on December 8th and had a 21 hour labor which resulted in an unplanned c-section.  Scarlett was posterior which ultimately meant that her face was towards my back.  In the end after two hours of pushing (luckily I was able to get an epidural at only 3cm!) I had to have a c-section because she was just not coming out. After each contraction I had intense back pain which was due to her being posterior.  The pain was outrageous and honestly the contractions didn't hurt as much as the back pain. I do think my epidural was wearing off at this point.

I never planned on having a c-section, nor did I think I would possibly need one.  I was extremely scared and upset.  Honestly, I blacked out during the surgery because the next thing I knew I was back in a hospital room and my mom and husband were holding her.  I was in so much pain that I didn't even know what she looked like for hours.  I couldn't hold her, nor did I even want to. 

After Scarlett was born, I had some complications.  My heart rate was sky high and fluctuated between 140-160.  The doctors and nurses were concerned and couldn't believe I didn't have any chest pains or heart palpitations.  I went through a battery of tests including a CT scan, a heart sonogram, and multiple EKG's.  In the end everything was fine, I just had extreme anxiety from the whole birthing experience.

My hospital was beyond wonderful.  The nurses and doctors took excellent care of Scarlett and myself, and I felt like I was in good hands from the minute I checked in.   The c-section recovery has been rough.  I needed help getting out of bed and felt truly helpless.  By day 2 and 3, I felt well enough to take a shower and walk around minimally.  Taking a shower, drying my hair, and putting on makeup made me feel like a new person.

I came home on Saturday and felt okay.  By Sunday I had extreme nausea and felt very weak.  I also weighed 4 lbs more than I did before I gave birth.  My feet looked like balloons and reminded me of a cartoon character.  Even after resting a lot I never felt better.  I wasn't able to keep anything down and just felt like death and very weak.  Today, (Tuesday) is the first day I feel better.  CVS gave me a prescription for anti-nausea and it WORKS!! I've also lost 17 lbs of fluid in about 3 days which I attribute to the weak feeling.

Scarlett is a wonderful baby and only cries when she wants to eat. When she's not sleeping she is content to just hang out and look around. So far in her short week of life, I've discovered that she loves to eat, makes cries and noises that sounds like a kitten, and is very strong. She also loves her Halo Sleepsack Swaddle.  From the minute I had her, she's been trying to pick her head up by herself.  She's a tough little girl and I can't wait to watch her as she grows.  We had a doctor appointment yesterday and the doctor said she is wonderfully healthy.

My mom has been here helping me every step of the way and I'm so appreciative for her assistance! It's certainly an adjustment with a new baby.  I'm learning to balance time and sleep when she sleeps, etc.  I do feel like I don't have any time for myself but I'm learning to make what time I have work.

I look forward to sharing many Scarlett updates with you in the near future!