Kjerstin's Birth Story

Before I forget too many of the little details, I want to post about our little girls birthday.

We had a scheduled induction for Friday, February 21st at 7:00am. Our doctor decided an induction would be best for a few reasons. The first being the distance we lived from the hospital. We live 80 miles from Sacred Heart and with it being winter the roads can get bad in a matter of hours and because I had a slightly higher risk of a uterus rupture being in a hospital for my entire labor was ideal. Also because I was going to be attempting a vaginal delivery after a c-section, we needed to have our doctor there who is on board with how we wanted our birth to go (many doctors are not supportive of VBAC's and will take you for a C-Section even if it isn't needed). 

Generally, I had researched that being induced isn't generally done for VBAC's as the artificial medicine that mimics contractions can be too intense for the uterus thus increasing the risk for rupture. Our doctor said that he would induce me only if my cervix was dilating and ripening on its own. Luckily at 37 weeks I had started doing both of those.

So, we checked in to the hospital on the 21st and after a whole ordeal attempting to get my iv's in (long story short, after five attempts by three people, one being an old lady with the shakiest hands who literally was slapping my arm while the needle was in and digging around) I was finally started on Pitocin at 8:30am. At that time, my doctor also broke my water. Contractions started immediately. My goal was to go as long as I could without an epidural. I went about 6 or 7 hours without pain medicine, but as they were getting more intense and not knowing how much longer I would have until I needed to push I decided to get the epidural. After I asked for it, I immediately regretted it, feeling like I gave in too soon. But after getting the first contraction after the epidural was put in, I was soo glad I got it. Best decision ever. I got the lowest dose, and didn't use my button to increase it but a few times. At about 2:00 or so the doctor came to check on me and said I was at 4cm and 75% effaced. I got the epidura right after that and was able to take a little nap. The contractions were coming strong but not necessarily in a full pattern. It would be every two minutes and then one in five minutes. I was feeling the urge to push a little bit and the doctor came in at about 5:00pm. He checked me and I was fully dilated and ready to push! I was not expecting him to say that and got super anxious and nervous. I was looking around the room and realizing that our baby was going to be born here and placed in that crib and those nurses were going to help us deliver, it was overwhelming as I hadn't taken the time to think about it yet! With a few preparations we were ready and I was pushing. Fifty-three minutes later and some of the most intense pain and work ever (should have upped the epidural!) Ryan said , "It's a girl!" as they placed her on my chest. Even though I had a gut feeling it was a girl I still had to ask, "It's a girl???"

She had dark hair and lots of it! I was glad all that heartburn wasnt for nothing! I couldnt believe all the dark hair. Her eyes are blue and she has blonde eyelashes. 

I had some pretty significant tearing as she was a big girl at 8lbs 7oz and 20.5 inches long. Unfortunately, my epidural was pretty much worn off by this point and I could feel them doing the stitches. Ouch and not a good feeling. 

I was so elated to have my baby girl. Our little Kjerstin Ilyse. This birth was such an overall better experience than my previous C-Section for Gavin. I was so much less drugged and was able to participate in my delivery. I was also able to get up and get on my feet an hour after she was born and though I was still in pain, the comparison was night and day. I felt amazing, and finally got the birth experience I missed out on the first time. 

Below- Gavin top, Kjerstin bottom

Baby Update!

Quick update...

Getting induced tomorrow at 7:00am! 

More to come later :-)

Nearly 38 weeks...

We are in the home stretch!!!!! I am SO ready and have been attempting every natural (and safe) way to induce labor. I have been eating spicy food, black licorice, drinking raspberry tea, bouncing on the exercise ball, taking bumpy car rides, you name it, I've most likely tried it!

We have a check up today, I am anxious to see how that goes. At my last appointment last week, I was about 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. I hope things have progressed a little bit, but I am not super optomistic about it as the nurse practictioner said that means I could progress fast or still go the full 40 weeks. Gah! After our last appointment I went and got a growth scan ultrasound to check in on the baby's size (again with the previous c-section there are a few extra precautions we have to take). The baby was perfect in size at about 7 lbs. It was a 3d ultra sound and probably the coolest experience ever! I was able to see the chubby cheeks and watched the baby suck on it's fingers. So cute! I was trying really hard to tell the sex from the face (I didn't peek at anything else!) and I just couldn't even tell ya one way or the other. I think it's a girl, I have from the start, but as we get closer my confidence fades, we'll just have to wait and see.

My blood pressure has been creeping up at the last couple appointments, though when we checked it at the place I had my ultrasound it was perfect...so I am not sure what is going on there. I find it hard not to believe it's just a coincidence that as soon as they started having issues with my insurance (and pissing me off) that my blood pressure began to raise every time I went in there.

I guess now is a good time to elaborate on my previous post about our insurance....

I think I blogged about us trying to find an insurance company that would take me in December, being pregnant and the new law not going into effect until January 1. Well, we had been weighing continuing on with "Tri-Care" as they had a Cobra type insurance that is contracted through Humana Military. It was expensive, so we shopped around but ultimately decided it was save us a ton of money to go that way as the deductibles are stupid low, like $150 and $1000. You absolutely cannot beat that anywhere. Within the first month of having it we would make up for the high monthly expense.

We were happy with this choice, especially since we were comfortable (or thought we were) with how that system worked and they already had all of our information and history and it was a very simple process.

When we chose our OB-Gyn, we did so from referrals from our family and friends and also because they are a provider listed on the website of our insurance. So let me spell this out - we are on a Cobra of TriCare, called Humana-Military. It is NOT Tri-Care and we have absolutely no affiliation with any military base. We can now get on a military base just as easy as the average civilian...i.e., we can't. We essentially have nothing to do with the military. Nothing.

I called our insurance about getting a referral to our doctors of choice and was told I never need a referral. We can go where we want, when we want. We can look to see who are in network and out of network to keep our cost low but we DO NOT NEED A REFERRAL, EVER. NEVER. EVER. No referral needed...with that in mind....

So.

I called to make our appointment and I tell the lady our insurance and she says, "Oh, you are Tri-Care, let me transfer you." Uh, no I never even said Tri-Care, I said Humana-Military....but oh well. So she transfers me to the billing department where the lady tells me I need a referral because we are Tri-Care. So I politely tell her that we actually have Humana-Military and that it is a separate insurance and that I just got off the phone with them and they said no referral is required. After going back and forth, I finally just tell her that I am going to make the appointment and that I have full confidence in my health insurance and if I have to pay out of pocket I will. She relunctantly agrees and tells me to check in with her at my first appointment.

So I do. And she tells me the same thing, and is trying to stop me from being seen for our appointment. I explain, yet again, how I have called our insurance (I called two more times) to double check, and she takes my insurance card and says she is going to make some calls. She comes back up to the front and says that she called the Air Force Base in Spokane to see if I could be seen there. I stop her, basically interrupt her mid-sentence, "WHY did you call the Air Force base!??!?! We are NOT affiilated with the military anymore, plus, my husband was never in the AIR FORCE, so why did you not call my INSURANCE company, with the phone number I just handed you on my insurance card???" She then says, well, I called them next and they told me everything is fine, but that is not what the Air Force Base said...Plus, I am 32 weeks pregnant at this point and I don't have time to just not have a check-up after having gone nearly a month without one. I do not have time for this.

"Uhh............." I didn't even know what to say or how to respond to that. So I just said, "Ok, well I guess we are good to go, as I would trust my insurance company over a random place that you decided to call that has absolutely no relevance to me or my healthcare..."

Well every time we went in there this lady would tell me they hadn't received an approval from their referral request (dumb...) and I would say, I'm sure it's fine! Thinking JUST BILL THE DAMN PLACE. Eventually she was able to get what satisfied her enough and I thought we were good. Until our doctor told me he wanted us to get a growth scan ultrasound. They have an ultrasound tech right in the office, you'd think this would be easy, just make the appointment, right? Wrong. Apparently, because we are "Tri-Care" ...we are not... we couldn't make an appointment for that without a referral.

SERIOUSLY, THIS AGAIN!??

I tried to explain in every way possible that I didn't need a referral or an authorization, that I could just set the freaking frappin appointment. Well, after literally a week and a half, I was finally able to get it out of the billing department that it was THEIR policy not to let me because of my insurance, not my actual insurance's decision. Well, at least that solved that.

I ended up getting the ultrasound at the hospital, where the lady who set it up was able to call my insurance and get everything going in one day. ONE DAY.

The lady who does the billing for my account at our OB-Gyn is one special lady. I want to punch her in the face.

I can't wait to see her today, and have her tell me that they still can't figure out the ultrasound appointment and tell her that I already figured it out and that I don't need her to do anything. Gah.

So that, is the insurance drama we have been dealing with. Thanks for reading my rant if you made it this far.

Gavin Turns 2!!!! (a month ago...)

Our baby (first baby that is) is officially a toddler, he is two years old! And BOY does he act like it. Literally, on his birthday, January 11, he learned the word "mine." Another favorite rehashed from the past is "NO!" He has so much attitude all of a sudden, do you think they know that they are in the terrible twos??? Hahaha! Nah, other than his special little moments, I am loving this age. He learns so much every day and surprises me with new things that he can say.

Gavin at two loves choo choo trains, specifically Thomas and Percy. He loves combines (bombines), trucks, cars and tractors. He loves his Nana and Papa Church and Papa Tractor. In fact his loves all his family. He has special names for people, like my brother Justin is Uncle Cha Cha, Ryan's brother Chris used to be Uncle Kiss but is now Chraaaaaaaaaaaaas (hilarious how he says Chris), Chris's wife Amber is Tautie Bamber, their daughter Alma used to be Baby Elmo, but he does really good at saying Baby Alma (which is every single baby he sees now).

He loves to play outside, he ESPECIALLY loves the snow! He loves building "nomen" but is uneasy about falling in the snow. He says, "oh it's slick!" when it's icy out, haha!

For Gavin's birthday, given all that we had just been through we didn't throw him a birthday party. Also- he is two...and we are still getting to know who his friends are going to be, maybe we'll do a party next year. We just had my parents and Ryan's dad out to our house for some Spaghetti (Gavin's favorite) and cake. What would a party with Grandparents be without way too many presents.

[Side note: So since Christmas and having so many Christmases with all of our family and then receiving late gifts in the mail, early birthday gifts, etc., Gavin seems to think that opening presents is a daily event. For two or three weeks after his birthday he was asking us to open presents. It was actually pretty funny, but man we have one spoiled kid!]

Gavin got all kinds of goodies, he got a big boy bed (which we haven't set up yet), more Thomas the Train gear, legos, magnet toys, bath toys, the list goes on and on!

Ryan and I are still in shock that we are parents to a two year old; parents to a child that is walking, talking and has his own thoughts and personality. It is crazy how fast the time flies! Just yesterday he was born, don't ya know!!!

I just got a new phone and need to retrieve all my pictures from my old one, so I will be back soon with a few pictures of Gavin eating his cake and blowing out the candles!