First post! wow! well thanks to a friend of mine I decided to join the blogging world. I have had a few people ask me things about parenting, pregnancy, breastfeeding anything to do with babies and I am glad to answer! They have told me they love what I have to say so I decided to take it to the blogs and share it with everyone. I'm glad that when people think babies they think of me. I love everything that has to do with pregnancy, breastfeeding and parenting. So I'm glad to help. Perhaps I should give you a little back story about myself.
I'm Gina and I'm 27 (ill be 28 in July) I am married, have been for 4 years (in May) to my amazing husband Garrett who I met when I was 14! (Believe it or not!)We are madly in love even after all these years! He is amazing and I truly am blessed! We have 2 beautiful children together. Taylor May (4) and Chase Michael (17 months). We work as a team to raise our children. We rarely disagree on anything even in the 13 years we have known each other we rarely have had a fight. Now we are by no means experts when it comes to parenting ( I really don't think anyone is) and we are still learning every day. But that's what I love about parenting, as you're teaching your children things, they're teaching you just as much.
Now some back story into how I became a mama! My pregnancy with Taylor came as a bit of a surprise. Well, she just came earlier than expected that's all. A very welcomed mother's day surprise :) with her I experienced the norms, morning sickness, being extremely tired and cravings ( OH MY THE CRAVINGS!) but I also experienced gestational diabetes with her and my experience with that I can now turn into advice and guidance for anyone that is going through it and scared about what they're hearing from their Dr. I went 5 days overdue with her. and my goodness was I big and READY for her to be born! I had an induction and being a first time mother I was scared hearing all of that, Gestational Diabetes, overdue baby, induction it can strike fear in even the most seasoned of mothers. But it was all in my head. I had a medicated birth with her (Epidural and my goodness was it a good one!) and 11 hours later my 6 lb 3 oz baby girl was born! But her birth didn't come without some surprises. I had waited 40 weeks and 5 LONG days to hear what any mother wants to hear...her baby's first cry. I didn't get that right away. I was so scared because I wasn't hearing my baby. She was born with the cord wrapped around her neck AND body which meant she would retain some fluid in her lungs. They managed to clear her out a bit and she let out the weakest little cry but she let her mama (and daddy) know she was here and she was going to fight! As soon as she was born they let me see her and kiss her for a second and say I love you then they whisked her away to the NICU. Another experience I can turn into advice or guidance for anyone going through that situation. I was able to go see her a few hours after I had recovered. Once the epidural wore off and my blood pressure was normal(ish) again. I had blood pressure issues the entire time I was there which got me a 4 day sentence...I mean stay in the hospital ;) but Taylor was hooked up to oxygen machines for a little bit and I was able to feed her (formula) and do kangaroo care with her (skin to skin time). As a first time mom I didn't think to do my research and it wasn't until 3 days later that a nurse saw me feeding her formula and asked me why I didn't try breastfeeding...WOW WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THAT?!?! unfortunately by that time I was competing with a bottle. Now 4 years later I realize I COULD'VE started breastfeeding even after formula feeding. Again another experience...well you know the rest :) so after 4 long days we were both ready to go home and start life as a family of 3. With me being a Stay at home Mom (oh I wish I could go back!)
Fast forward 2 years and low and behold after 6 months of trying to get pregnant and using every cycle tracker app on the market...I had in my hand 2 yes 2 positive pregnancy tests! :) baby # 2 was on his way. He would make his presence known via those pregnancy tests on Super Bowl Sunday....destined to have a boy I'd say :) My pregnancy with Chase was pretty much the same not as much morning sickness but boy was I tired...I had a 2 year old to chase after and NO NAP TIME for this mama I was a full time working mama so yeah I'd say I was pretty tired. This pregnancy wasn't NEARLY as easy as my first. I had the stress of work to add to the mix. I had blood pressure issues as well (which i believe is due to anxiety because Id test it at home and it was normal, walk into the dr's office and it went SKY HIGH) but there was another commonality between these pregnancies...Gestational Diabetes....AGAIN!!! I hated it I'm a sweets kinda girl and for someone to tell me not pregnant I cant have sweets I'd freak so add in the hormones of pregnancy oooo boy you're messing with the wrong girl. But I took it in stride anything to make sure my babies were safe. But GD allowed me to get more ultrasounds and see the growth of my little boy and he sure was little! I saw the specialist on top of seeing the normal dr. and I had a non stress test towards the end of my pregnancy (38 weeks and 4 days) and he was very sleepy on the monitor and I was spilling protein in my urine so they said are you ready for a birthday today...I said COME AGAIN?! They booked me in the hospital for 7 pm that night to start my induction ::Insert shocked face here please:: Now being that I was 38 weeks and 4 days I was in the "safe zone" to deliver but I was still scared out of my mind my baby boy still had time to grow in there. But when I walked into my induction much to my surprise I was in active labor...this boy was gonna come whether I was being induced or not....which now makes sense as to why he was so quiet on the monitor..my boy was getting ready to be born! I was having contractions 2 minutes apart and not even feeling them my nurse was SHOCKED I was even carrying on a conversation with her. I went about 8 hours before getting an epidural (only because I had back pain and needed to sleep) which wore off by the time he was born and as soon as they broke my water I HAD to push! I had no pain medication and I FELT EVERYTHING ( I even said that while pushing...I had my very own "Knocked Up" moment) and about 3 pushes later my 5 lb 3 oz baby boy was born also with the cord around his neck but not badly. He was a screamer :) he let me know for sure he was here! Now, before his birth I did my research because I was DETERMINED to breastfeed. So once he was born I asked to have skin to skin time with him immediately and he nursed right away!! I was ECSTATIC! this was the one thing I wanted and I got it! I had my beautiful girl and my sweet baby boy and he was a nurser! :) he then wound up in the NICU too just like his big sis due to spitting up on formula that the nurses pushed me to give him and possibly aspirating. He was there for 8 LONG days. He kept losing weight from spitting up formula and then developed Jaundice... another experience (again you know the rest) but after 8 long days and nights of pumping religiously every 3 hrs (yes even through the night) I was able to bring our baby boy home! and we could now begin life as a family of 4!
Now if you've hung on long enough I thank you so much! What I want to do with this blog is have it be a place where if you have any questions or concerns about getting pregnant, being pregnant, breastfeeding, parenting or anything else and want answers from a mama whose been through her fair share of things I can hopefully answer them here. Or if you just want me to be an ear to listen I want that here! As a mommy of 2 I will do my best to keep up with blogging and of course as you can see I'm new to this so bare with me :) again thanks for reading as long as this was and hanging on until the end! I hope this turns out as great as I think it'll be!
The Thoughtful Mama :)
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