Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and everyone in between

I think that I have been spoiled with regard to medical care. I have never had so many great providers at one time, and I couldn't be more thankful to the staff at our primary care physician's office or at the midwifery office. I have truly come to feel like they are family. I couldn't be more thankful for the care provided by both Karen and Isabelle throughout my pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpardum period. They provide thorough care and are genuinely invested in their patients. As I enter my 6 week period in between seeing them I am a little sad. I will miss coming into the office and chatting with them. And their support and excitement at the birth of our daughter is truly inspiring. It makes me happy that they make so many women and families feel the same way. Then Dr. Love, Dr. Martin,Corey, Michelle and all the support staff at Dupage Medical Group's Bay Scott Office are wonderful as well. With all the visits to track Margot's jaundice and all of the visits for Miles and Maggie in the past 4 and a half years, I have felt nothing but welcomed, listened to and supported. When the receptionists know you by name, its both a good and a bad thing, but when they know your kids by first name and the kids love being there, that's something. Or when you get a phone call with lab results on a Sunday afternoon because your doctor is heading out of town and doesn't want to leave you hanging, that's something too. I hope I never have to move, because I cannot imagine finding such a wonderful mix of health care providers and feeling so well taken care of. This is what healthcare should be for all people. Its sad that I see it as such a gift, but its probably because so many people go without good healthcare in this country, and there is just no need for it.

Welcome Margot Violet Keen

Last week was a whirlwind of activity that began with Jeremy headed out of town for a conference for work. This was a day that I had dreaded and feared the last few weeks of pregnancy, as I'd already been having contractions. He left on Sunday as planned, and I spent the day terrified that I was going to go into labor and he was not going to make it back in time.

Sunday was uneventful, and labor did not set in. WHEW!

Enter Monday. The kids got dropped off at daycare, and I went home to get some work done. I felt off. I felt weird. I had NO appetite and was restless. I had some contractions, but nothing different than what I had been having the previous weeks. Then as the day progresses, I force myself to take a nap. Upon waking from my nap, I realize that there is now a new, clearer sign that I will probably be going into labor within the next 24 hours. So I call Jeremy and warn him that this is a possibility. I pick up the kids and feed them. Put them to bed, and call my dear Melanie to come stay the night with me just in case. Jeremy calls me back and says he can either take the 11:30pm flight or the 7:00am flight to get back if I want him to. He decides to take the 11:30, and boy are we lucky he did. It was storming all night. Badly! But he made it home around 1am.

At 6am I woke up to make sure Melanie had time to get back to the city. At 6:30 I was having contractions 10 minutes apart. I told Jeremy to get the kids up and to daycare so that we wouldn't have to worry about them if I went into real labor. He began to get them ready.

7am-Contractions are 5ish minutes apart, and I tell him to nevermind on the taking the kids, I'm calling my parents to come take them.

7:15am - Contractions are 3minutes apart. I tell him that I'm not sure my parents are going to get there in time and start calling neighbors to see if anyone can cover until my parents get there. No one answers their phones!

7:25 - Parents arrive and we bolt out the door.

7:30 - We check in at L&D and they put us in a room for the usual observation and monitoring.

8am -They get me on the monitor and realize how close together my contractions are. The nurse decides to check me and to my surprise I am already almost 7cm dilated.

They rush me to the Labor suite and start setting up rapidly. They ask me if I want an epidural, and I say I don't know. And apparently, I don't have time for I don't know. Jeremy suggests I get it since I wanted it last minute with Miles but it was too late. So, they pump me full of fluids and I wait for the anesthesiologist. She was GREAT, and got me hooked up. I didn't even get itchy like I did with Maggie's epidural. They check me again. 8 cm.

Then things slowed down a little and we just hung out. As my epidural started wearing off, I was almost 10 cm, this was around noon. They broke my water, and in 2 pushes Margot was born.

It was my fastest labor yet, and the most relaxed atmosphere. LOVED my nurse Audrey. Loved my midwife Karen. Just a great experience overall. 12:19 she was born on March 22.

She was 6lb20z and 4 weeks early. She is a fiesty and impatient little thing, and I ADORE her. I can't wait to see her personality develop, but I have a feeling that she will always be our fiestiest baby.

Keep on swimming

So I ended up in L&D last week with contractions like crazy. First they thought I was dehydrated, an insistent nurse implying that once she finished giving me my IV, I would be on my way home. Well, her IV didn't work, so next they gave me shots of some terrible drug that makes your heart race and gives you the shakes. The headache the next day was worth it to keep little Margot in for just a bit longer. The most disappointing thing is realizing that the calculations of my due date were slightly off, and I was not the 35 weeks and 3 days that I thought I was, I was 34 weeks and 6 days. Had I been the 35 weeks and 3 days originally thought, they would have let me keep having contractions to see if labor was actually happening. Ahhhhhhh well, what can you do?

So now, I am 35 weeks and 2 days. Still having contractions, though not like I was Wednesday night, and just wondering when this little girl is planning on making her debut. In an ideal world she would hold off until after 37 weeks, but everyone says that's not likely. So life is up in the air, not an uncommon thing in the Keen household.

However, one thing I would like to confirm is that the stomach flu should NOT be allowed to happen to women that are 35 weeks pregnant. It is miserable. As if its not hard enough to get comfortable, try having stomach issues and a fever. UGH!

Whoa

I am swiftly approaching B-day, possibly swifter than I had imagined it would approach. As I get closer to the birth of my third child, I am filled with fear, awe, and a twinge of sadness. Most know this has not been the easiest pregnancy for me, but it is my last. That in itself is bittersweet.

I am 35 weeks tomorrow, but have been having contractions off and on throughout the week, signifying that this baby is determined to come in her own time. She is spritely and fiesty already, and I will miss the gentle movement, karate sized kicks, and slightly gag inducing stretches. I can sometimes almost see her foot stretch out there. It gives me the heebie geebies. But there is something empty once the baby is out. Something lost on sharing them with everyone else.

I digress. . .

My biggest fear is how fast she will grow once she's here. If she comes this week like she seems determined to be, she will be small. Very small, and perhaps not even ready to be here. Impatient little thing. But it won't be long before she smiles, then laughs, then rolls, crawls, walks, runs, talks, goes to school, and leaves us for college.

Yes, I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but all this time spent with my brilliant, precocious, loving, and determined children is precious. And in my haste to get through the day to bedtime, I sometimes forget that. And I look back at the face of my four year old daughter and wonder where the time went.

So I am excited and sad all at the same time. Probably partly hormones and lack of sleep, but nonetheless, I adore my children, and I want to remember every quirky, funny, angry, and loving moment we spend together.