health – Sabrina J-R

Working (Out) Hard

The last 7 weeks have been very trying for me.

I started exercising again.

My parents have given me many things. The one thing they haven’t given me, however, was the “bounce-back gene”. The gene that would allow my belly to bounce back to flatness, post-pregnancy. And so, I must work hard to shrink & maintain the tummy area. It’s also important to incorporate fitness into my regular routine so that I set a good example for my family and so that I’m physically healthier too. Plus, I’m not ready to totally quit feeding my sweet tooth, so I must burn some calories in order to offset the occasional intake.

So far, the workouts have been going well. My goal was to exercise for five days a week. I’m happy to report that I’ve only missed one day. Yes, 1 day!! I do Monday through Friday and then take the weekends off. I’ve also been mixing up the routines a wee bit.

I started off with Jillian Michaels’ 30-day Shred. Good workout and a great way to start back exercising post-partum. I alternated that with 10 Minute Solutions Hip Hop Mix. More cardio, good for body. Then while blog surfing one day, I came upon a couple new (at least to me) Jillian videos; Ripped in 30 and 6 Week 6 Pack. Maybe I’ll review them later, but until then, just look them up on Amazon. The reviews sold me on them. And so far, I’m enjoying the ~~torture~~ workouts.

The best part for me, though, has to be watching my older girls join in on the workouts. I make a conscious effort to not talk too much (aloud, anyways) about shape, size & weight around my girls. What I prefer for them to hear is the importance of physical fitness and eating well. Making sure that meals are well-rounded and that treats are allowed in moderation. Fitness has to be a lifestyle thing, not a passing phase. I also want my girls to grow up with a positive body image. They’re female, which seems to automatically put them into an appearance battle.

Women tend to analyze each other when they first meet up. What’s worse—they are analyzed by nearly everyone, male & female. I will definitely explain all these things to them as they continue to grow older. In the meantime, however, I want their childhoods to be enjoyable and carefree from that pressure in our home. At 2 and 4 years old, they should be looking to learn ABCs and “reading, ‘riting & ‘rithmetic”. They are learning manners, proper hygiene and how to show love to everyone. This is a Christian home, so they’re also learning about God and how much He loves them, and how to reflect that love to others. After all that, there’s no time to bog them down with what size they are and how many curves they have and what outfit best accentuates those curves. Oftentimes, self-esteem is based on how we feel about ourselves—and the physical appearance is a huge factor here.

Overall, I want all my girls to be healthy. Look healthy, feel healthy and have a healthy self-esteem.

Rishayla’s Minor Hospital Drama

Rishayla also made a visit to the NICU, but a very brief one. Her stay lasted approximately five hours. Much better than the 2 weeks her older sister had lived there for. Why?

She was a bit sleepy from the Fentanyl I’d been given. This was to be expected; not a huge deal. However, she was also sounding very, very mucousy and congested-like. Even though she got the routine, post-birth aspirator suction, her little body was still full of mucous. So, off to the NICU she went, only for observation.

My thoughts on being back in the NICU? Because Rishayla was only there for observation, that was fine. Despite Jhyelle’s unfortunate health issues at birth, the overall NICU experience was still good. Very attentive staff and they cared for the babies. Parents have 24 hour access to the NICU, either in person or by telephone—and they encourage this. The observation room was separate from the other babies. She was suctioned a number of times. They would stick a tube in her nose and suction with a machine. Then someone got smart, and realized that they could still get a decently powerful suction from holding the machine just under her nose, as opposed to inside her nose, which was now causing some minor bleeding. She also received an IV port during her stay, for a couple preventative medication doses.

The dry hospital air did nothing to help with her mucous state. Whenever Rishayla gets really fussy, her breathing sounds a bit congested. Thankfully, her lungs are all clear though, so no major worries. They say that she should clear out on her own over time. I can use the aspirator at home, as well as some saline drops to help soften things up.

The medication drama. When babies are born, they’re really small and, for the most part, sleepy and easy going. It’s the adults in the outer world that add to the drama. She was given prescribed two medications because I’d tested positive for Group B Strep. One of the medications (I found out later) carries a risk of deafness if it stays in the body too long. This same medication is also a diuretic. But would Rishayla pee?? Barely. And the nurses were on her case about that. When you consider that she’s barely eating for the first little bit post-birth (their tummies are super tiny!), it’s no wonder that poop & pee are hard to come by for some babies. She’d have some dirty diapers, but very little wet mixed in, or none at all during some checks. And so the staff was starting to get worried. There was talk of supplementing her with formula to help increase her urination. I was so not good with that idea. Then there was talk of giving her an iv fluid drip. Turns out, they don’t do that on the ward (no one has the training) only the in the NICU. However, the NICU was all full and so that next thing would be to airlift her to another hospital out of province. ALL THIS FOR SOME PEE?? Finally it was decided to give her a bit of sugar water, after I nursed her. This way we weren’t messing with the growing nursing relationship. For the record, the sugar water didn’t help much either. When Rishayla’s doctor stopped in the following day, she chewed out the staff for their unreasonable measures. The Doctor thought it was unreasonable to expect a newborn to have 2 medium sized pees within 8 hours. So, after some words, she cancelled the next dose of that medication. She wasn’t too worried about Rishayla as it was. Of course when we got home, she had no issues peeing whatsoever. Change of environment does a baby good.

IV port drama. Rishayla had a port for her medications, so that they wouldn’t have to stick her with separate needles for each dose. Apparently finding a good vein was an issue. When I got her back, they’d tried twice on one arm, once on the other and once on a foot. The finally inserted it into her other foot. Then at one point on Saturday, the line became interstitial (thanks for the new word, Dai!), meaning it because useless. She ended up getting a dose of a medication in both thighs simultaneously before they sent her back to the NICU for them to insert a new port.

I’m glad that I was feeling well enough to handle all this drama. Physically, this was the best I’d ever felt post-partum, of the three girls. I was glad that none of this hindered us from going home on time. I’m also very glad for a magnificent pediatrician who stands up for the patient. That makes all the difference in the world.

One Is Better Than None, Right??

So, I tried to exercise today. I have a Leslie Sanson “Walk Off The Pounds” DVD. There are two options…either an express 3 mile or 4 mile super challenge. I opted for the latter because it moves at a slightly quicker pace. I figured that my time would be limited, so I knew I’d cover more distance in a shorter time with the 4 mile option.

Jamayia saw me setting up the DVD and announced that she wanted to join me. On my back. That’s right–I strapped on the Ergo carrier and she was ready to go. Talk about feeling the burn. Partway through the first mile, Ms Jhyelle was no longer content in her exersaucer. So, I had to pick her up and held her, praying to complete at least a mile.

So, that was my first mile. Only mile so far. I do hope I can squeeze in some more exercise time this week. No guarantees though, as tomorrow is a doctor’s appointment for both kids. And 4 months=immunizations for the little one. She was fussy last time; something tells me she’ll be fussy this time too.

Go Ahead, Load Up The Calories

We had a dr’s appt today simply to check her weight. She’s gaining weight slower than the charts suggest and the Dr’s a bit concerned. I’m not overly concerned because Jamayia’s still playful and happy and progressing nicely, and her height’s fine. She just isn’t all that interested in solid foods still, but she’s slowly making progress. Turns out that she’s just under 18 lbs. The Dr. wanted to send her for blood work to check her iron levels because we haven’t given her any meat yet. Can’t you find iron in something other than meat?? We’re also not big meat eaters to begin with, so it’s not something that I readily have on hand at home, nor is it something that I personally feel she needs to be eating at a young age. If she’s not big into the simple things like fruit & veggies and pasta, then why harass her tummy with meat just yet? The Dr. did say that at this point, she can eat whatever she wants. I believe the exact words were “I’m okay with her having some yogurt or ice cream everyday. She just need the calories right now.” Wouldn’t you just love that kind of diet?

After a quick trip out and back in, we were off to the lab. I had the ugly task of pinning her down. The (what I assume is) student phlebotomist ushered me into a tiny room, where there’s no room for the stroller. Then she says that she’ll just stick it outside the room, but within eyeshot (hey—if you can say earshot, then eyeshot should be legit too). She explains that for Peds cases, you need 2 people in the room. Then the more experienced phlebotomist came in and the student shut the door. Um, hmm, how am I supposed to see the stroller now?? I was too annoyed to say anything outloud. It would’ve just come across as rude. No need to be rude before they’re about to stick a needle in my baby’s arm. We get set up. I was told to pin down Jamayia; the student was holding her arm straight and the other lady did the actual blood draw. Well, have I mentioned that my baby doesn’t like to be pinned down?? Yes, that was the screaming you heard—we had to hold her down. The actual needle stick seemed like child’s play after the pinning down.

But of course, no day of mine would be complete without more drama, right?? So, they find the vein and start. Of course baby’s Ms. Squirmy Wormy. Then the blood practically stopped flowing. And with her silly manipulations, the lady managed to let the needle slipped out the vein, and then the arm. Then she has the nerve to say to me that she told me to hold Jamayia. Praise God for His restraint because He spared her from a few degrees lesser than this momma’s wrath. Yes, I managed to keep my tongue silent and said nothing. Nothing! I knew I hadn’t let go of Jamayia’s legs & body and that what went on in her arm area was not my responsibility. No need to waste breath in self defense for something that I didn’t cause. I just let that water roll right off my back.

So, they proceeded to the other arm. It worked. But here’s another senseless thing. They collected such a small sample for all the tests they needed to run, that she was unsure of the amount she collected. Yes, she pulled out the needle, and went to check with a lab tech if the amount collected was enough. Um, hello?? If you pull out the needle, how are you gonna collect more? Am I the only one having issues with this lady here?????? Thankfully, my babe’s quite the trooper, and survived this all. Hopefully without any long lasting scars.

Her next appointment is November 15. LOL. Never did I think I’d be praying for someone to actually gain weight.