I've been promising people I'd start to write again, and that I'd start a "new mommy" blog. Literally every time I've sat down in the past two weeks to start this, my baby has started crying. Ah the joys of new mommydom! By the way, for those of you who don't know me, I have a newborn baby - Charlotte Faye Meriwether - who is 4 weeks and 5 days old. She is absolutely amazing. My husband, Sam, and I absolutely adore her and we are very blessed to have a happy, healthy baby girl. I'm a native of Pittsburgh, PA but I've lived in Cleveland for the past seven years. I also have a 5 year old Spanish Water Dog named Bruiser. I'm sure I'll mention Bruiser, or B man, Bruise daddy, or Swampy in several posts.
The purpose of this blog is to track my progress as a new mommy, get advice from other moms out there, and navigate the world of motherhood with an audience - it's already been quite a ride and hopefully this blog will entertain you at the very least! If you have any questions, topics you'd like me to write about, or general advice for me or any mom out there - please feel free to leave a comment/question.
So where to start? "Let's start at the very beginning" (sung in the "Sound of Music" voice, naturally)! I was lucky in that I had a fairly easy pregnancy. Aside from the Sakyo Japan chicken teriyaki cravings and mega-swollen feet, I did not have some of the rougher symptoms that can often come with pregnancy - morning sickness, stretch marks, etc. So I figured I'd have a rough delivery. No one gets off with an easy pregnancy and an easy delivery - of that I am convinced!
Sparing a lot of details, here is the general rundown of how Charlotte came into this world. My due date was originally set as August 22nd by MetroHealth Hospital. For those of you not familiar with the Cleveland area, this is the downtown hospital. I really liked my doctor, who I had been seeing since I moved to Cleveland, however, I was concerned about the level of care I'd receive, and the fact that downtown was not really a convenient location once I moved to the Shaker Heights area (about 7 miles east of downtown). So after a glowing recommendation from my lovely hairdresser whose mother is a nurse for a particular doctor, I switched to Cleveland Clinic - delivering at Hillcrest Hospital. My new doctor changed my due date to August 25. In the days leading up to the due date, I was feeling great. I had a lot of energy and even though I wasn't sleeping well, I was generally in good spirits. My team of direct reports at work had thrown me a baby shower a few weeks prior and I was excited to finally find out if "Baby M" was a boy or girl. She turned out to be a girl - much to my surprise - I was 90% sure it was a boy!
August 25 was a Sunday, and when I woke up I had a feeling that today was the day. Don't ask me how I knew, I just felt different. I went to the grocery store that morning to stock the house. Later, Sam and I started watching "The Money Pit" when Bruiser came a-barking. Sam said he'd walk him, but I said I'd do it, that I needed the exercise. As I was walking Bruiser, I called my mom as I normally did. I told her that I wasn't sure, but I thought my water had broken, since I had heard a really faint popping sound. I wasn't sure though, because only a tiny amount of liquid came out and all the google searching I had done said it was a lot more than that. As Bruiser and I came closer to my house, my water definitely broke. That was at 1:30 PM, give or take a few minutes.
Now, labor starts one of two ways - 1) water breaks - very rare, most women do not have this happen. Only about 20% of women will have their water break, or so my baby class taught me. 2) contractions - I did not have any contractions at this point, so at 2:30 PM the doctor on call (who by the way was not the doctor I had switched for as he was on vacation) said I didn't need to rush to the hospital but I needed to get there within two hours. Sam and I arrived at the hospital around 4:30 PM, and some nubain and an epidural later, Charlotte Faye was born 23 hours and 50 minutes after my water broke. It was a very long labor and we had some complications along the way, but the moment that I pushed that baby out and Sam leaned down and said "it's a baby girl" my heart melt. People say the moment that you see your baby your life forever changes, and I can say that I never really believed that until it happened to me.
Now on to some tips for my friends out there who are expecting, or who may be considering becoming pregnant:
* Don't get pressured into finding out the sex of the baby if you want it to be a surprise.
People thought Sam and I were absolutely bonkers for waiting to find out, but I will tell you one of the only things that got me through those 23 hours of labor was the excitement in finally finding out the sex. I know for Sam that was an exciting part, too.
* Take a baby class with your husband/partner.
Sam will probably disagree with this point, but I think the baby class taught me a lot. When I passed out in a class talking about needles, I knew instantly that Sam would be a great labor coach! Bonding before the baby with your spouse is always a good idea, too.
* Don't worry about weight gain/loss.
The only exercise I did for 10 months was walking. And I'm glad to say I've lost almost all of my pregnancy weight. I still have about 8-10 lbs to go, but I don't regret any of the ice cream or chicken teriyaki that I ate and I'm not stressing at all about losing those last few pounds.
* Ask your friends with babies what to register for, and what to leave off the registry.
I asked a lot of my new mommy friends (thanks Gia, Kelly, and Dana) for some registering advice, and it made my life a lot easier. Some of my favorite and must-have baby items: a baby swing (Charlotte loves to take little naps in there), sheet savers, lots of burp cloths, and California Baby Calendula Cream - I love this stuff and it smells amazing!
* Speak up if you think something isn't going right during your delivery.
I had some complications during my labor, and looking back, I wish I had asked more questions. Don't let the nurses or doctors intimidate you. In the end, the health of you and your baby is the most important thing. Don't be afraid to question the care you are receiving.
* Have a birth plan, but be flexible if it has to change.
During labor, I was sure to tell each nurse that I wanted to bond with the baby right after it was born. Unfortunately due to the complications that came up, the baby had to be taken to the NICU, and I did not get to hold her right after birth, which was devastating for me. At least I got to see her before they took her away to the NICU, and she looked right at me for a few seconds. Those are seconds I will never forget.
Charlotte and I bonding in the NICU
* This may sound simple, but be nice to the nurses!
I was sure to remember each nurse by name, and try to be as nice as possible, even when I wanted to rip someone's hair out. The nurses at Hillcrest were amazing and I think they appreciated Sam and I being friendly and engaging.
Alright, I hear a crying baby, time to go!
Thanks for reading - stay tuned for more mommy updates!
Charlotte at 1 month, 4 days old. She's a freaking cutie pie if I do say so myself.
