Baby Corner

[Gemmie 142]

Congratulations! Glad to hear that it was all worth it.

[anya-D 8]

yes. my only concern is - if our child -god forbid- ends up with cancer or any other diesease- who is actually going to retrieve the stem cells, send them to the appropriate instition and "make" it into an infusion? The lady i called at the cord blood bank didn't have an answer to that when Ben was born. Yet, I absolutely think stem cells are imperative in treating cancer and so many other diseases and with cancer numbers going up, we are definitley doing it. Yes it is a little expensive but its only a small price to pay in the event that your child or a relative need it. Getting umbilicsl stem cells is a once in a lifetime chance, if I wouldn't do it I would also consider donating. Our friends son was diagnosed with end stage liver cancer at 8 months and they really regretted it to have opted out of stem cell harvesting. He now has a liver transplant, but is still battling cancer.

Anna: just out of curiosity- what is the concept behind delayed cord clamping?

Ask your hospital about cord blood donation. The cord blood donation people came and asked us if we would like to donate sam's. They are in need of inter racial as it's rare. The good thing is that if I ever needed it they can find it for me, but if I dont, then someone else will also be able to use it and I hoping it will help safe someone life if not my baby's. And it's free!!!

The delayed cord clamping is that to make sure the baby vital signs are good and that he will get the last of the nutrition from it. It's just a way to make sure that the baby gets the oxigen after birth - long enough for him to be able to breath on his own... I dont really know how to explain, I read it from Ina May book.

[Anna C. 4]

@ Anya: Congratulations! Enjoy your baby-moon and I hope you won't be engorged for too long. Cool packs really were my best friends during those first 14 days (it really relieves the engorgement pain).

[Staashi 371]

Hi ladies

So finally some update from me.. He finally came!! My baby arrived Monday June 21th at 8.58 pm - it's the first day of summer! (we were hoping for Father's day gift). I was in labor since Sunday early morning 4 am and waited at home until 6pm but got sent home becasue I was only 2 cms. That night was the worse night, contractions got so bad I yelled and screemed and forget all the breathing! I finally got atmitted to the hospital on Monday morning around 6.30 am. I decided it's time for the epi coz I was too tired to deal with the pain. It was a really hard and long labor and around 6 pm I got a fever and I wasnt fully dialted yet and the situation was not very clear if they would need to give me the emergency c-section or not. By around 8.40 pm my midwife decided to have me try to push (still about 9 cms)and about 5 pushes later (about 20 mins) Sammie decided to come see the world! He weight in at 9 lbs and 21 inches long. Thanks to my lovely husband, my sweet friend / doula Brooke and my midwife!! He is a sweet heart!! (oh and I got 2nd degree.. not that bad for such a big boy, my midwife tld me to stop pushing but his head came out anyway lol)

Now I'm pretty miserable with no sleep at night. Sam wont sleep on his back and have bad gas - we put him on his tummy but then we have to watch him closely so that didnt help much (but Sam got his nap and I got a little down time) my milk just came in yesterday and today my breasts hurt

I love Sammie to death though.. with all the aches and pains - he's so worth it

Anya - congratulations! I'm so happy that your little one is finally here - and what a big boy! Feel well soon and I hope you heal quickly.

[anya-D 8]

Thanks ladies, I'm feeling so bless right now that my in-laws are here to help and force me to go to bed I'm going to go take a much needed nap now. zzzzzzzz

[Fandango 1,440]

Yay Anya!!! Congrats!!!

Thanks for all the information about delayed cord clamping....we are now gonna have to sit down and really think about this!

[chnst 6]

Anya: congratulations, wow a 9lb baby, good job!! Try to get as much sleep as possible and i second the coolpacks!

Anna: ok, I never heard of these studies, I just remember the 2 minute golden rule, although I don't think there are any disadvantages for the baby or they wouldn't do it, right? I guess I haven't seen it much either because most babies that came into the NICU didn't have the time to wait for their cord to stop pulsating. The only thing I am curious about is theoretically, there must be more blood in a baby that is clamped after 10 or 15 minutes vs a baby that is clamped right away. Maybe that explains the different hematocrit labs in some newborns.

oh and on another note: Ben fell asleep on the couch last night and we carried him to his bed, went to sleep there again, woke up 1 hour later, climbed in our bed, I moved him to the foot of the bed and he actually slept there until 8:30 this am!! We have a quen size bed and I am trying to talk hubby into getting a king size bed, it would probably make life a lot easier.

[Eveline 9]

The delayed cord clamping is that to make sure the baby vital signs are good and that he will get the last of the nutrition from it. It's just a way to make sure that the baby gets the oxigen after birth - long enough for him to be able to breath on his own... I dont really know how to explain, I read it from Ina May book.

Anya congratulations on your big little man.

About the quote above. I don't think it's to make sure the vital signs are good. We wanted to delay cord clamping with Allie BUT her vital signs were actually so bad they had to cut it immediately. She had an APGAR of 3 and wasn't breathing. She was limp and blue. I don't know if waiting to cut would have done anything but I remember the nurses urging the doc to finally cut the cord as they got the little breathing thing out and rubbed her like crazy so she would finally start breathing.

Also, I think bonding isn't something that happens within 20 seconds of birth. I didn't see Adam until he was close to five hours old and I think we've bonded just fine over the past three years. I'm sure it would have been better and easier for me and him if we got that chance to be close a little earlier than that but in the end I think we managed just fine.

[Anna C. 4]

Harr Jona just killed my post, arrghh.

Anyways, emergency situations won't allow for delayed cord clamping. But Jona had a first Apgar of 5 or 6 and was handed to me right away, I don't know the exact cutoff...

@ Evi: I know that bonding doesn't have to start right away, but I found it beneficial. Holding Jona for the first time made it real to me that there was a little human I just birthed. And I know tons of stories of mamas who had nursing troubles due to separation upon birth, it does happen.

[chnst 6]

Anya congratulations on your big little man.

About the quote above. I don't think it's to make sure the vital signs are good. We wanted to delay cord clamping with Allie BUT her vital signs were actually so bad they had to cut it immediately. She had an APGAR of 3 and wasn't breathing. She was limp and blue. I don't know if waiting to cut would have done anything but I remember the nurses urging the doc to finally cut the cord as they got the little breathing thing out and rubbed her like crazy so she would finally start breathing.

Also, I think bonding isn't something that happens within 20 seconds of birth. I didn't see Adam until he was close to five hours old and I think we've bonded just fine over the past three years. I'm sure it would have been better and easier for me and him if we got that chance to be close a little earlier than that but in the end I think we managed just fine.

I didn't even know her apgar was so low. I think this is exactly part of the reason why they clamp early instead of waiting it out- the oxygen coming throu the umbilical cord may not be sufficient once the baby is born, esp if baby is compromised. Not a 100% sure, but this theory makes sense to me. On the other hand- if baby has a perfect Apgar, there shouldn't be a reason why not wait unless cord blood is donated.

BTW I looked into the cordblood thing, and didn't realize they draw over 100cc out of the baby's umb vein! That is like drawing 2 liters out of an adult at once. I don't know if that is true or if they also draw blood out of the placenta. Definitely something to consider. Plus most children won't ever need their stem cells but I still think it's a great thing whether you donate or store it only for the child.

Mommies: do you think it's acceptable to eat only vegetable sushi while pregnant, or should you avoid because of the seaweed? I am craving sushi, I just inhaled 12 rolls and now I feel really guilty about it.

[tnh9479 1]

I just found the price of cord blood banking to be extreme. Plus...I would have had two at the same time. My OB asked me a few times about it, as well as the hospital. I guess quite a few people do it.

Wow at some of the APGAR scores! I guess we were really lucky that both were 9's at birth.

I am counting down the days until I need valium (joking...I hope). My mom and I are flying with Hana and Zak as lap infants from FL to VT for 10 days. I really hope the tv's in the plane and the novelty of it all keep them entertained on the two flights.

[gabby4ever 1]

Congratulations Anya

[Eveline 9]

Right around pushing time Allie must have put pressure on her cord or something. Her heart rate went down into the 60s while I was pushing her out. It took only about six minutes and at that point the nurses started getting quite worried. I didn't realize it back then but I remember the fetal heart monitor going "bump bump" very very slowly (not as fast as you expect a baby's heartrate). It was scary, her eyes were open and she was staring at the ceiling but she was blue and wasn't moving. Her first Apgar was 3, her second Apgar was 9 so she came back rather quickly and started crying a little after they started putting that breathing mask on her. I don't remember if I put that pic of my husband either in here or the German thread but my MIL took a pic of him right after Allie was born (and I had gotten a major episiotomy) and he just looked like he wanted to throw up, faint and die at the same time. He just sat in a chair, his face in his hands, white, all blood drained out of his heat LOL. Considering what had happened (he saw the blood squirting from the Epi and of course Allie shortly after and me not getting any pain meds for the epi) I can totally relate gg. Now we laugh about it, back then I don't think we were in the mood for it.

I never felt like Allie was in danger though, that's the weird thing about it. I'm not the 'lion mama' that defends her kids from the moment they are born. I need a few minutes to get myself back together. Of course I was worried but I wasn't asking questions what was going on or even crying or so. Maybe I wasn't aware of how serious it was. I don't know.

Adam (my c/s baby after 30+hrs of labor and 5hrs of pushing) had Apgars of 9 and 9 though.

[Nizzy 1]

Right around pushing time Allie must have put pressure on her cord or something. Her heart rate went down into the 60s while I was pushing her out. It took only about six minutes and at that point the nurses started getting quite worried. I didn't realize it back then but I remember the fetal heart monitor going "bump bump" very very slowly (not as fast as you expect a baby's heartrate). It was scary, her eyes were open and she was staring at the ceiling but she was blue and wasn't moving. Her first Apgar was 3, her second Apgar was 9 so she came back rather quickly and started crying a little after they started putting that breathing mask on her. I don't remember if I put that pic of my husband either in here or the German thread but my MIL took a pic of him right after Allie was born (and I had gotten a major episiotomy) and he just looked like he wanted to throw up, faint and die at the same time. He just sat in a chair, his face in his hands, white, all blood drained out of his heat LOL. Considering what had happened (he saw the blood squirting from the Epi and of course Allie shortly after and me not getting any pain meds for the epi) I can totally relate gg. Now we laugh about it, back then I don't think we were in the mood for it.

I never felt like Allie was in danger though, that's the weird thing about it. I'm not the 'lion mama' that defends her kids from the moment they are born. I need a few minutes to get myself back together. Of course I was worried but I wasn't asking questions what was going on or even crying or so. Maybe I wasn't aware of how serious it was. I don't know.

Adam (my c/s baby after 30+hrs of labor and 5hrs of pushing) had Apgars of 9 and 9 though.

Evi: Allie's birth and your reaction sound EXACTLY like mine. I remember looking at him when he came out and he was soooo white (due to lack of oxygen) and the doctors took him to the corner of the room as the respitory team came in and tried to get him to breathe. I remember my husband's Aunt having that same reaction as your DH and she told the story later and at the time I did not freak out or think things were as bad as they were. I didn't really think anythng was wrong or the magnitude of the situation. It didn't take them long to get him ot breathe and I was carrying him less than 10 minutes later.

[Anna C. 4]

@ chnst: Wow 100cc, that is quite a lot... As tempting as the technology may seam, we won't do it... Plus they keep finding stem cells in more and more things, I recently came across a study on PubMed about stem cells found in breast milk even... I think there will be lots of advances in the next decades. Plus, we have no childhood diseases nor cancers in the family which puts my mind at ease.

I like never felt sick with Jona, but now I have major nausea. I can barely keep anything down let alone function. I hope it goes away, I didn't anticipate this at all. With the constant nausea and not eating (cause it comes right back up!), little drinking (spiked with some vitamin water or juice) my blood pressure is way low and I feel feverish too. I had no idea how miserable one can be in pregnancy. Jona's pregnancy was just so easy on me, apart from the early contrax, but that was kept at bay with tocolytica. I just ordered myself some pregnancy herb teas per recommendation from the midwives and other mama groups. I hope it will help!