The Incredible Shrinking Woman

I have become the incredible shrinking woman since giving birth to Ginny.  Seriously!  I knew I would lose some weight at the outset, but that weight loss afterward would be slow.

When I got pregnant, I was a lot heavier than I ever wanted to be, much less being pregnant.  I dreaded the idea of gaining weight and even discussed with my doctor how much weight she wanted me to gain--which was 10-15 pounds.  I wondered how that would be possible to only gain 10 pounds. I fretted about it for a while.  However, I was quite surprised as I started losing weight.  I lost weight throughout the first 2 trimesters.  Initially the weight loss probably stemmed from morning sickness.  Then my stomach felt smaller and I couldn't eat as much.  I started to gain back the weight I lost until Ginny was born.  In fact, the morning of the c-section, I weighed myself (in clothes) and found that I was still 1 pound less than I was when I got pregnant.

About 3 hours before Ginny was born!

I had heard that when you have a baby that you lose double the baby's weight right off (placenta, etc is the double part).  When I got home on Sunday, I had only lost 4 pounds.  I was so bummed.  I was counting on a 15 pound weight loss.  However, I was holding a lot of water and very soon after getting home the pounds started to drop.  In fact, since Sunday, I have lost 24 more pounds.  That means I'm averaging a loss of 5.8 pounds per day at this rate.  I'm sure it will slow down soon, but I feel like the incredible shrinking woman.  I'm starting to enjoy looking at my figure again too.  :-)

Yesterday (Thursday) holding Ginny.  My clothes are large on me.

It's a....GIRL!!!

For months, we had fun playing the guessing game as to whether I was pregnant with a baby boy or a baby girl. A lot of people were guessing a boy based on how I was carrying.  I even did the blog where I went over all the old wives' tales--that leaned toward girl.  A couple weeks before we had our baby I did a poll for my friends on FB asking what they thought.  The majority leaned toward a boy.  I guess we fooled quite a few people because to our incredible surprise and delight, we had a beautiful baby girl--Virginia Sophia Geelhart.  She was born at 7 pounds 8.8 ounces.  We plan on calling her Ginny.

My c-section wasn't too awful, but I'm not in a rush for another.  I had a spinal to block the pain.  While the pain is blocked, the sensations of pushing and pulling are not.  The c-section was far from easy and definitely NOT comfortable.  For those out there who decide to get a c-section because they think it is easier and less painful than a vaginal delivery--I would say it is likely you are crazy.  You should try vaginal if that is an option for you.  It wasn't for me and when we decide to have another baby (if God so blesses us again), I'll have to do the c-section again.  However, all the discomfort is worth it in the end.

I've been home from the hospital for 3 days now.  Sleep has been hit and miss.  I expected that.  What I didn't expect is that even without sleep, I have more energy now than when pregnant.  What some women might forget or others might not realize is that if you have pregnancy fatigue in your 1st and 3rd trimesters, it can be nearly "debilitating".  That is kind of strong wording, but the fatigue I had left me with no energy to do much.  More sleep didn't help either.  I just felt exhausted all the time and then if I got little sleep it was even worse.  Now, the fatigue is gone.  I just have some basic sleep deprivation.  Sleep helps that.  But when I am awake I do have some actual energy.  It feels good to have energy again.  Of course, most of my energy is spent on Ginny now. :-)

I'm also recovering from the c-section.  I take pain medication every 3 hours--rotating hydrocodone and prescription strength ibuprofen.  If I miss a dose, I'm okay but end up in more pain later.  Tomorrow we go to the doctor to have her remove my staples (I have staples instead of stitches).  Hopefully that isn't too awful and will help some of the pain deplete (fingers crossed).

The most important and wonderful thing is my lovely daughter.  I can't believe I'm a mom, but I love her with my whole heart and being.  I would do anything for her.  I just enjoy gazing at her and loving her.

In 24 hours...

I will be heading to the operating room in the Carol Jo Vecchie building of St. John's Hospital for a c-section. Part of me will be slightly uncomfortable because I will not have had anything to eat or drink for 10 hours or more, but I won't be focused on that.  I will be filled with nervous anticipation knowing that my life is about to change.

It is hard to believe that the time is here and that in less in 24 hours Chris and I will be heading to the hospital.

I still remember seeing the FRER with a positive result in early August and exploding with joy.  It is kind of strange because I had such a sense of peace that this baby would be okay and I would carry it to term. God filled me with that peace from the beginning.  It doesn't mean I wasn't nervous the whole way that something would go wrong--a miscarriage or incompetent cervix or many other possibilities that crossed my mind.  Who would blame me for those fears after losing 3 babies?  However, I would always go back to the feeling I had when I first saw the positive pregnancy test.  Hope!

I'm so looking forward to meeting Baby G and loving on Baby G.  I can't wait to "know" his or her name either.  I still have fears and worries.  My main concern now is that my baby is healthy.  That is all I want is a healthy baby....not so much for my sake, but for my baby's sake.  I will take what God gives us with joy, but I hope and pray that the baby is healthy so it can live a long and happy life.