My Birth Plan (as of right now..)

I have been terrible about posting on my blog lately.
Forgive me.

So! I wanted to write this blogpost because quite a few people have asked me about my "birthplan." Well.. I don't REALLY have one.. But I kinda do. It's confusing. Here we go.

As some of you may know if you follow me on twitter, (@EagerlyExpectin), I was induced with one dosage of p-gel around 7 am on Wednesday, October 3rd (my due date.) I have an unfavorable cervix, and I am not showing any signs of progression towards labor, so my doctor gave me the option to be induced with the p-gel when I was 40 weeks to help get my body to go into labor, and if that didn't work, I am to come back when I'm 41 weeks to be induced with the drip. My doctor's vaginal labor policy is no mom can go past 41 weeks. All doctors are different, and this is just my doctor's view.

Some of you may disagree with being induced this "early" I guess I should say (since I am not 42 weeks yet). I NEVER wanted to be induced. My mother was induced with me a few weeks before her due date and she had a terrible labor. Not just that, but I personally believe that when the baby AND the mother's body are ready for labor, then THAT's when the baby should be born. That's why I wouldn't let him induce me until at LEAST my due date. The only reason I am going along with the plans of induction is because, according to my doctor and an ultrasound, my baby is on the chunkier side. Now, I am VERY aware that there is NO way of knowing for sure how big a baby is in the womb, and I know that the weight of the baby and the size of the mother don't always depict whether the mother can vaginally deliver the baby. BUT, if the doctor is correct, and Sawyer is a big baby (supposedly weighing over 8 pounds at 40 weeks) then I don't want to risk her growing TOO large for me to not be able to push her out and my labor and delivery resulting in an emergency c-section.

Did that last paragraph make any sense?? haha :)

ANYWAYS. So, I'm still pregnant, obviously, so the p-gel didn't work for me this past Wednesday. I was having great, regular contractions and was completely effaced, but my cervix just would not drop and dilate. So they released me to go home (which I did, only after going to Golden Corral first for the lunch buffet. I was STARVING from not being able to eat for 7 hours! Labor is gonna be so hard for me.. Bahahaha!)

So, my doctor told me if I do not deliver naturally by this Monday to come back to the hospital and he will administer the drip to me to get my labor started. Now, if I can go into labor and do start dilating, GREAT! I'll be ecstatic. Also, I will be receiving an epidural. I have done quite an amount of research on whether I wanted pain medicine, and have talked to multiple women about the pros and cons of receiving or not receiving an epidural during labor, and my conclusion is I do indeed want one :) Haha. I'll do an entire other blogpost on all that some other time.

But, if I get into labor and am still not dilating or progressing, then I will either be released to go home and come back in 2 days when I'm 41 weeks to be induced one final time (remember, my doctor won't let me go past 41 weeks) or I will end up having a c-section. Honestly, I haven't made my decision either way yet. I'm praying that I go into labor and everything runs smoothly so I don't even have to think about any of that!

I believe that a woman has every right to have a vaginal or cesarean birth, whatever she chooses. I personally want a vaginal birth, but I do not in any way, shape, or form disrespect a woman's right to chose to have a c-section. I know plenty of women that prefer one over the other and vice versa. I used to be against c-sections (for myself, not women in general), until I learned that I do have an unfavorable cervix and natural delivery might be difficult or even impossible for me. In the end, I want Sawyer to be safe. And if that means forgoing experiencing natural child birth and having a c-section to keep her from having any life-threatening complications, so be it. She is my priority and I will always put her safety first.

So, as it stands, I will be heading to my hospital on Monday, October 8th at 6:30 am to be induced with the drip. I'm hoping to go into labor and once I am 3-4 cm dilated, receive an epidural, and deliver her vaginally without any other interference. I'll let y'all know how that all plays out.. Haha :)

xoxo,
Tayler

Mommy and Me Haul!

Happy Friday, everyone!!

So, this evening I posted my "Mommy and Me Haul" video. Recording this video was so HARD! Hahaha. In my pregnancy update videos I always write down a list in order of things to talk about so I stay on topic. Well.. I didn't do that for this video! So, I rambled. A ton. I took a 37 minute video and chopped it down to 22 minutes! It could've been shorter, but I added some bloopers at the end (a new bit I'm trying out. Lemme know what you guys think!) 

SO! My haul was full of products from various stores. Here's some pictures :)

Not pictured: my HUGE changing safety pad. :)

1.  Baby Gap outfits for the hospital (including an adorable hat!)
2. Munchkins Diaper Wipe Warmer (SO happy I got this!)
3. Two baskets for her nursery from Target!
4. Cute "My first hand/footprint" frame from Walmart!
5. Two Bobby slip covers!
6. A set of two Swaddle Me wraps!
7. Changing pad cover in light green. :)

1. Almay blush in 110 natural. (So pretty!)
2. Butter London nail polish in Teddy Girl. (Love the pink!!)
3. Butter London nail polish in Yummy Mummy. (Can't wait to use it this fall!)
4. Revlon Color Stay Foundation in 110 Ivory! (I'm so white. Baha)

Nuetrogena Eye Make-Up Remover and cotton pads. :)

Check out my video to see a more detailed look at all the products!

xoxo,

Tayler

37 Week OB Appointment!

(I'm making gumbo tonight for dinner, and I couldn't be more excited!)

Back on subject! So, this morning I had my 37 week OB appointment at 8:30. I'm now going   every week until labor so my doctor can check my cervix. Is it weird that I still get nervous about being checked?? It's never that bad, but I still always get kinda scared! I've always been an extremely modest person.. But I'm getting better! Plus once labor and delivery time gets here, I doubt I will care. Just thinking about seeing my baby's beautiful face makes everything else in the world disappear. :)

Anyways! So, my doctor checked me and told me that I'm not dilated whatsoever, and he could feel her head so she isn't breached. (que the HALLELUJAH choirs!) He said that my uterus is measuring perfectly, and from all the past checkups and ultrasounds, he's not worried at all about her being low birth weight. (I personally think she's gonna be a chunky monkey!! So I wasn't worried either ;)) All in all, he said she is doing just fine. Music to my ears!

So, after he checked me, he asked me how my heart was doing, and I told him I was still having my episodes but I was afraid to take the medicine twice daily until I talked to him to make sure it wouldn't negatively effect Sawyer. He told me that because I am so far along, and she is so mature and now full term, I can take the medicine and it will hardly, if at all, effect her. So that was good! I always worry about taking any sort of medicine, knowing that it will end up in her system, too. Then the big questions: could I drive and/or exercise??

Drum roll please.....

YES! He told me that I shouldn't run a marathon, but walking 2 miles a few times a week would be fine, especially with the medicine in my system. AH! I'm so excited! Too bad it poured cats and dogs (never understood that expression...) today so I couldn't go to the track. But you best believe I will be out there tomorrow! :))) Then he explained that the reason I could drive is because even if my pulse sky rockets or my blood pressure drops, I will be sitting down while driving, so I wouldn't be able to necessarily pass out or anything. He told me if I ever have an episode and it gets too too bad, to just pull over if it made me feel more comfortable, but I would be fine just driving home because I wouldn't technically be moving around or risk falling. He told me to just follow my instincts, though. So that's exciting, too!!

So, all in all, today was a great day full of the best news. :) 

xoxo,
Tayler 

Happy Monday!

I did not wanna get outta bed this morning.

BUT! I did. Haha :) Now I'm watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians and eating some breakfast so I can get started on finishing my room. Yesterday, (with my mom's help) we reorganized all the furniture in my room to make everything more organized and accessible for when Sawyer makes her arrival :) But I have to finish going through all the, pardon my french, CRAP that I have hoarded for years. I want only the necessities left in my room, because I know as Sawyer gets older my shelves and cubbies will start filling with her things that I will hoard. BUT! More on all that later. :) I'll post pictures when I'm done.

What I wanted to write about today was just a simple idea I had this weekend. I think I'm going to start posting on here on weekdays. Just because my weekends are mainly devoted to family time, and I don't want to make a promise to post 7 days a week when I might go visit my sisters and dad outta town for a weekend and won't have internet access. Ya know? I just don't wanna make promises I can't keep. :) What if on Monday's I recap my weekend?? I would like to have a set schedule on what to post every day, with one day a week being a "free" day that I can post whatever I want for flexibility. :)

Any ideas?? I'm going to figure this all out. I'll probably make a post about my finalized ideas tomorrow. :))) 

xoxo, 
Tayler

Cardiologist Appointment

So I went to the doctor today.

This morning, I woke up at 8 am, took a shower, threw my hair in a ponytail and put on my makeup (favorite part of getting ready!). My mother drove me to my 9:45 am cardiologist appointment. I signed in as a new patient, noticed that everyone else in the crowded waiting room area was at least 40 years older than me, and took my seat. I was nervous to see what the doctor was going to say.

A young, super sweet nurse practitioner called my name and took us to the back. She took my blood pressure (on the lower side, as always) and my pulse (on the higher side, of course). She was very sweet, laughing at my jokes even though I know they probably weren't that funny. I always cover up any nervous feelings I'm having with a big smile and corny jokes. I wonder if she could tell I was nervous? If she did, she didn't let on.

I explained to her my symptoms when having on of my "episodes" that can last from a couple minutes to hours. 

• erratic heart rate ranging between 140-80 within minutes while at rest
• heavy chest
• inability to catch my breath
• dizziness, light headedness 
• headaches
• extreme fatigue
• blotchy vision
• occasional nausea

 She then performed an EKG on me. I felt like an alien having all those wires wrapped all over my torso! Anyways, she took down some more notes for the doctor and smiled as she left. She was really sweet. Have I mentioned that already?

I just really appreciate when there are genuinely NICE people in doctors offices. It's rare to come by that these days, at least for me.

Back on subject! My doctor came in about 15 minutes after the nurse left, and plopped down in the chair after shaking my hand and simply asked "So what's up." As if it was that simple! 

After telling him exactly what I told the nurse, he took my pulse, with both me breathing and holding my  breath. He told me I was going to live. HALLELUJAH! :) But, he then went into explanation of what was "wrong" with me.

I have sinus tachycardia brought on by pregnancy.

Sounds, scary, right? It's really not. Sinus tachycardia is a sudden, rapid heartbeat generated by discharge of the sinus node. The rate is generally 100-180 beats/minute in an average adult. SO, pretty much, my heart is being put under a lot of stress from being pregnant, and even while at rest, it can become erratic and my pulse can sky rocket. My doctor explained to me that this is very common in pregnant women, especially during the final trimester of pregnancy when the baby is growing the most. He explained that this condition should clear up after I have the baby, but not until then. Being 36 weeks and 2 days, he told me that I had two options on what I could do about my condition.

1. I could tough it out without any medication, but majorly risk being put on bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy.
2. I could be put on a low, 20 mg dosage of medicine to keep my heart rate lower, avoiding bed rest, but no exercise or strenuous activity, especially when I'm alone, is allowed.

Obviously, I do NOT want to put on bed rest (the thought of only being able to get up to use the restroom for four weeks TERRIFIES me; I'm too much of a busy body) but, I HATE taking medication during pregnancy, knowing that there's always that slight chance that it could affect Sawyer. So, I did what any mother would do.

I started asking a MILLION questions about the medicine.

I won't bore you with the back to back question, answer, question, answer game we played for about 10 minutes. Baha, your welcome. But, the final result was that it is such a low dosage, and she is so developed with me being so far along, that it shouldn't effect her, though she will still be monitored closely every week.

BUT. I mentioned earlier in the post that I have naturally lower blood pressure. It's not "low" just "lower", if that makes sense. Anyways, the medicine is used to lower heart rates AND blood pressure. So he explained to me that because my blood pressure is already on the lower side, the medicine could be completely counterproductive by making my blood pressure too low and me "crashing." So, he told me to pretty much just experiment with it. He said that I can start taking it daily, but if it is making me feel bad, I can quit and just take it during one of my episodes, and if that doesn't work either I don't have to take it at all. 

But, he warned me that my condition is only going to get worse the further along in my pregnancy I am. That worries me. So, I am going to experiment with the medicine to avoid having too much stress on my heart and ultimately be put on bed rest. 

Was this post interesting at all?? Haha, I wont usually make posts this "serious" or medical, baha, but I did want to explain what happened today to those of you who like to keep up with my medical condition (which hasn't been too great this entire pregnancy.)

WELL! All in all, today was a crazy day full of emotions. I'm just trying to decide what is best for me AND Sawyer. Guess that's what being a mom is, huh?? Always thinking about your child? No complaints:) Her health and happiness is all I care about.

xoxo,

Tayler

9 Months Pregnant!

I can't believe it.

So many emotions are pumping through my veins these days. As of yesterday, I am officially 9 months pregnant.  Within the next month (give or take a few weeks), my beautiful miracle of a baby will be here in my arms. I have her clothes all washed and put away in my childhood dresser that she will use, her nursery is freshly painted, and my hospital bag is packed and ready to go (post on that later) for whenever she decides to make her debut. I'm nervous.. But excited. 

This is it. This is the beginning of the rest of my life with my Sawyer. She has already changed my life in so many ways, even being unborn. I'm excited to see where our life together will take us. I've never loved something so much that I've been afraid. I'm afraid to mess up. Now, I know that no parent is perfect, but I want to give her the absolute best me I possibly can. I don't want to look back and kick myself for making stupid, little mistakes that added up. I want to be absolutely everything I can for her. I know I'm going to make mistakes; it's a part of life. But I want her to look back over her younger years and be able to look pass what I did or didn't do and see me simply as the person that loved her more than anyone or anything else in the world.

I am blessed to have the strong relationship I do with my own mother, and I can only pray that Sawyer and myself will be just as close when she is grown. I've seen so many of my friends part ways and often times blame their mothers for where they ended up in life. I don't ever want that to be mine and Sawyer's case. I want to shower my daughter with love, praise and affection. I want to teach her that she is beautiful inside and out. I want her to have a love for humanity, education and the simple things in life. I want her to have respect for her mind, body, and soul, and also for everyone she meets in life. I want her to find her faith and hold it close in her heart.

My mother was never the "perfect" mom. But she was the perfect mom for me by teaching me these same lessons I wish to pass down to my own daughter. That's all I aspire to be for Sawyer: the perfect mother for her.

xoxo,

Tayler

I have a BLOG!

This is so exciting.

I have wanted to start a blog for YEARS. I just never thought anyone would ever want to read something I would write. And who knows? No one might read this blog. But! I'm going to keep one and write in it as often as possible, anyway. ;)

I must admit. I am completely ignorant when it comes to technology. I spent about 6 hours working on this blog's layout. I also must admit. I am a wee bit of a perfectionist. I wanted it to be organized and perfect before I "launched" it to all my subscribers. It is not by any means perfect, and I hope to get better within this blogging world, but I am quite pleased with how it turned out. It's not fancy, but then again, whoever said simplicity was inferior to fanciness was never a single mom. :)

xoxo,
Tayler