Jcrewgirl's Birth Story
Oct 11, 2016 15:14:08 GMT -5
Post by jcrewgirl on Oct 11, 2016 15:14:08 GMT -5
Short version: Henry Graham was born on October 10 @ 9:41 am at 38 weeks and 6 days. 8 lbs, 15 oz and 22 inches long.
Detailed version: On Sunday morning, 10/9, I woke up and went on a 2 mile run. Before heading to Baltimore's aquarium with my MIL, DH and DD, I felt the need to wash out all the couch cushions. I put them all in the wash and left out to dry while we were away. We walked an easy 5 miles on Sunday and DD had a blast. Got home, put DD to bed, put the covers back on the couch cushions, vacuumed, and did a load of laundry. I was bouncing on my birth ball, watching the debate and feeling my BP inch up every time Trump spoke. Seriously, between all the physical activity and the debate - there was no way I wasn't putting myself into labor.
After the debate, I took a hot bath and got into bed. It was about midnight. As soon as I laid down, a contraction hit. It was just like DD's labor - all in the back. I sucked my breath in and thought that was weird. Another one hit a few minutes later. I downloaded an app and started timing them. They were lasting 45 seconds and coming at every 3-5 minutes. DH got into bed and I told him that I thought this might be it so get a few hours of sleep. I tried to sleep through them and that wasn't working. I took a hot bath again about an hour later. At this point, they were getting stronger but a little further apart. At 3:30 am, I woke up DH and told him we were going. My MIL was staying with us just in case so DH woke up her and told her we were leaving too.
The drive to the hospital was terrible just because back labor in a car sucks. Admitted at 4am at 6 cm dilated and in active labor. I had to wait an hour for my labs to come back before the anesthesiologist would see me. I hated every second of it. Contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and I had to groan and swear through them. I finally got the epidural sometime between 5:30 - 6:00 am and was checked after that - 9 cm. The on call OB knew my tearing history so she broke my water and said she'd let me labor down and rest until I felt the need to push. At 8:30 am, I started pushing and the OB told me I wasn't progressing like she expected a STM to - at this point, she was worried about the shoulders fitting through my pelvis as well. Baby boy was also having heart decels. Since my contractions were coming every 20-30 seconds, she wanted me to push every other contraction to give me a break and to make sure he was continuing to handle them well. At 9:15, she told me she'd be back in 30 minutes or so and if I hadn't made progress, she wanted me to seriously consider a csection. DH was amazing and knew how badly I wanted to deliver him vaginally. He cheered me on, kissed my forehead, fed me ice chips, etc. At 9:30 or so I had a few good pushes and the OB covering the on call OB told me to stop pushing. All of a sudden, 3 other nurses appeared and took the bed apart and got the room set up for baby boy. I pushed and his head came out. I had to breathe through another contraction until she could get his shoulders through. Baby boy was born at 9:41 am. His first act was to pee over everybody. The nurses and OB were soaked. He started crying and I did skin to skin with him. He is a big boy with the cutest little cheeks. It took us about 12 hours to name him but we decided on Henry Graham. It suites him well.
Luckily, I only had a 2nd degree laceration this time and am already feeling much further along in the recovery process.
Big sister came to visit later in the evening and is smitten with him. She told me that he was hungry and needed chicken nuggets - god, I love watching them together already. He was circumcised this afternoon and has been nursing like a champ. I'm taking advantage and staying an extra night to snuggle and be waited on hand and foot.
...and now for some pictures!
PDQ - I will delete in a few days.
Detailed version: On Sunday morning, 10/9, I woke up and went on a 2 mile run. Before heading to Baltimore's aquarium with my MIL, DH and DD, I felt the need to wash out all the couch cushions. I put them all in the wash and left out to dry while we were away. We walked an easy 5 miles on Sunday and DD had a blast. Got home, put DD to bed, put the covers back on the couch cushions, vacuumed, and did a load of laundry. I was bouncing on my birth ball, watching the debate and feeling my BP inch up every time Trump spoke. Seriously, between all the physical activity and the debate - there was no way I wasn't putting myself into labor.
After the debate, I took a hot bath and got into bed. It was about midnight. As soon as I laid down, a contraction hit. It was just like DD's labor - all in the back. I sucked my breath in and thought that was weird. Another one hit a few minutes later. I downloaded an app and started timing them. They were lasting 45 seconds and coming at every 3-5 minutes. DH got into bed and I told him that I thought this might be it so get a few hours of sleep. I tried to sleep through them and that wasn't working. I took a hot bath again about an hour later. At this point, they were getting stronger but a little further apart. At 3:30 am, I woke up DH and told him we were going. My MIL was staying with us just in case so DH woke up her and told her we were leaving too.
The drive to the hospital was terrible just because back labor in a car sucks. Admitted at 4am at 6 cm dilated and in active labor. I had to wait an hour for my labs to come back before the anesthesiologist would see me. I hated every second of it. Contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and I had to groan and swear through them. I finally got the epidural sometime between 5:30 - 6:00 am and was checked after that - 9 cm. The on call OB knew my tearing history so she broke my water and said she'd let me labor down and rest until I felt the need to push. At 8:30 am, I started pushing and the OB told me I wasn't progressing like she expected a STM to - at this point, she was worried about the shoulders fitting through my pelvis as well. Baby boy was also having heart decels. Since my contractions were coming every 20-30 seconds, she wanted me to push every other contraction to give me a break and to make sure he was continuing to handle them well. At 9:15, she told me she'd be back in 30 minutes or so and if I hadn't made progress, she wanted me to seriously consider a csection. DH was amazing and knew how badly I wanted to deliver him vaginally. He cheered me on, kissed my forehead, fed me ice chips, etc. At 9:30 or so I had a few good pushes and the OB covering the on call OB told me to stop pushing. All of a sudden, 3 other nurses appeared and took the bed apart and got the room set up for baby boy. I pushed and his head came out. I had to breathe through another contraction until she could get his shoulders through. Baby boy was born at 9:41 am. His first act was to pee over everybody. The nurses and OB were soaked. He started crying and I did skin to skin with him. He is a big boy with the cutest little cheeks. It took us about 12 hours to name him but we decided on Henry Graham. It suites him well.
Luckily, I only had a 2nd degree laceration this time and am already feeling much further along in the recovery process.
Big sister came to visit later in the evening and is smitten with him. She told me that he was hungry and needed chicken nuggets - god, I love watching them together already. He was circumcised this afternoon and has been nursing like a champ. I'm taking advantage and staying an extra night to snuggle and be waited on hand and foot.
...and now for some pictures!
PDQ - I will delete in a few days.
. Congratulations!
