Friday, April 16, 2010

Coming clean.



Wow- just realized the last two posts have been late/far apart....but I have some pretty good reasons! The move down here was more stressful than I anticipated. The drive itself wasn't bad- Brett, Lucy, and I were in the big truck, plus it took two more trucks hauling trailers to move everything.

The big issue was unpacking. Our new house is smaller than the old one, although very nice. The closets are the main issue- I have no idea where I'm going to fit everything. I also went back to work immediately- we arrived on Saturday night, spent the day Sunday unpacking, and I started back pretty much full-time on Monday. Luckily I am blessed with an amazing family to help with everything, but as clutter stresses me out, having a house full of boxes drives me especially crazy. We are getting closer to being "done," but still need to invest in more storage pieces (armoires, etc.) to fit everything. I will definitely post pictures when I get the chance.

Also, right before we moved, we found out that I am pregnant. BIG surprise. HUGE. Although we are very excited about our new addition, the idea of adding a new baby to the mix is hugely intimidating, as we were planning on waiting until Lucy was about two years old to start "trying." And yes, I got pregnant on my first cycle post-partum. Dang fertile genes from my mama! I was going to wait until later to "tell", but since work has to know, many people already do, and besides, the clinic won't even see me until 11 weeks, and I am horrible at keeping secrets.

With the pregnancy comes a whole slew of emotions for me- I'm worried about being able to continue to nurse Lucy (yes, I know all about tandem nursing, and am going to try my hardest, but some women just lose their milk during pregnancy due to the effects of estrogen on prolactin levels. Same reason why the birth control pill kills milk supply for some). Already I have noticed that my supply is going down- because I pump twice a day at work, it's easy to see. Also, pregnancy soreness is setting in, and pumping is becoming very painful. Throw in a seven-month-old who just started teething, is getting all four teeth at once, and is starting to bite, and you get the picture of what I'm experiencing. I also have some crazy guilt- in the realm of "how irresponsible of me to get pregnant while she was still nursing." I only have a small store of milk left, as I just donated my stash through MilkShare, so I'm contemplating my options. I'd really like to avoid formula, and I know that Dr. Newman, breastfeeding expert, says that whole milk is fine as a supplement at this age. I'll be doing a lot more research this weekend.

Probably my next biggest concern is this new baby's birthplace. Florida has AWESOME homebirth laws, but because I am active duty, I have been informed that I am required to give birth on base. If I was an active-duty spouse, I could give birth at home, and insurance would pay. Highly discriminatory, I say. I am still exploring my options, but as of right now, it appears that my only other option is applying for a "elective operation" and paying 100% out of pocket. I'm going for an orientation next week at the hospital, but I'm not too optimistic. Here's a quote I pulled from an article written by one of the doctors who worked there. The article is called "Current Trends in Cervical Ripening and Labor Induction," and also advocated the use of misoprostol- go figure.

“In an ideal world, all pregnancies would go to term, and labor would begin spontaneously. In reality, it is often best to deliver the infant before the onset of natural labor.”


Fabulous.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

First of all....CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is so exciting Emily! :) Lucy will love to have a little brother or sister. Also, it sounds completely unfair to treat you differently than a spouse. WTH? That is definitely discrimination and I would fight it if you can.

Can't wait to see pictures of the new house!!! :)

Beth said...

Whoa!! I had no idea! Congratulations!! We actually had a scare this past month and for a few days thought I might be pregnant too. A part of me would have been upset, but there was definitely a part of me that was hoping I was. :) Some benefits that I came up with are that A. your kids will be close together in age and B. everything about pregnancy/delivery/newborn care is still very fresh in your mind. A couple of years from now it would be harder to remember everything.

I'm glad your move went well! That's very stressful, I know! And of course, Lucy is a cutie, as always. :)

Jenny said...

WOW!!! Congratulations! Ivey is about Lucy's age, so I can pretty much imagine what a surprise that must be for you right now :-) I hope everything turns out fine with your nursing relationship. You said Lucy was really enjoying eating solids, right? Are you feeling sick at all? Ivey still isn't wanting to eat much of anything, and I'm starting to wonder if she'll ever wean.

I am confused about why the military treats women this way. So you COULD give birth at home as long as you were willing to pay OOP? Am I understanding this right? I don't get why this would matter to them. I recently read (on Julie's blog I think?) that with the new healthcare laws insurance companies will be required to pay for CPM's in birth centers but NOT homebirths. It doesn't make any sense. Jordan and I have pretty much resigned ourselves to saving up whatever is required to have all our babies at home. If insurance ever does come through at some point in the future, it'll be a fantastic surprise.

Anyway, wow. I'm really happy for you! I bet it would be awesome to see two kids grow up so close in age.

Kacie said...

Congratulations! Sounds like God needed Lucy to have a sibling sooner than later :).

I am newly pregnant myself, also nursing still, and happened on my first post-partum cycle. Oh, life is weird.

I hope that you are feeling well and that you get the whole birth thing sorted out soon!

Denise said...

Emily - you know my feelings on this!!! You and Brett are amazing parents, and I think Lucy will love having a sibling-friend that close in age. I am praying for your milk supply, and I really really hope your morning sickness stays away!!!

I'm boiling mad at the military's healthcare denying you coverage for a homebirth!!!!!! WTH??? I hope you find another way!

I got your phonecall, we were headed to NC and Elyana was crying in the car... Could not take it. I'm baking my sister's wedding cake this week, but I will call you to get that info. Plus, I want to catch up!!!

Bridget said...

Congratulations Emily! How exciting!!! Just remember that everything happens for a reason and you and your family will get through the trying times. I hope your birth plan works in your favor. Dang military! Lucy is super cute by the way ; )

Ida Mae said...

I read this on Friday (I think???) and I have been meaning to get back to say a great big CONGRATS!! So exciting for you and your family. If anyone is going to get the military to honor your birth plans, I bet it would be you, fight for it!

I am so excited about this..((almost)) makes me want to get pregnant again, but AF has yet to make a comeback. But that is a whole different story. would you believe I am actually wishing for it?

anyways... yay!!

stella said...

late to all this - but wow. that last quote IS SCARY!!!!

congratulations (belated) on the pregnancy girl!