Post by happyday on Jun 7, 2016 12:42:55 GMT -5
Tl;dr - after an incredibly long labor, she arrived weighing in at 9lbs 12oz, at 39w5d. I had a scary blood loss situation immediately following delivery, but things are improving. Violet is beautiful and healthy... and her big sister is madly in love. She looks exactly like DD1. I make little clones!
Long story:
After 4 days of prodromal labor, things finally kicked it up a notch on Sunday (39w4d). I spent all day laboring at home so they would increase in strength and consistency.
11pm - We left for the hospital Sunday night.
12am - In triage I was determined to be 4cm, 80% effaced. I was bummed. Instead of checking in, we walked the halls (me, DH and our doula) for two hours to move things along without having to deal with constant monitoring by the nurses.
1am - After that, I was admitted to the hospital. I was 5.5cm, 100% effaced, and things were progressing, but I was so exhausted since I hadn't slept since Saturday night. And had been getting terrible sleep for the 3 days leading up to it, with contractions. I was managing contractions using a combo of hypnobirthing and Bradley method - and taking lots of suggestions from our doula bc DH and I were too tired to even think straight. (I loved my labor ball!)
2am - they move me the labor room. Contractions pick up forcefully.
3am - my water breaks and my contractions become insane. They are on top of each other with no break and I have the urge to uncontrollably bear down - although I wasn't dilated enough. I request an epidural. The wait was awful. I had hoped for a med free birth, so I was disappointed but knew an epi was the only way I could get through the whole thing.
4am - epidural put in. I can breathe. We all nap from 4-6am because I'm too tired to anything else.
6am - I wake up bright eyed. I'm checked and at a 7. Two hours later, I'm 9cm. My epi was amazing. I could still feel and lift my legs, and feel contractions (with pressure) minus pain.
8-10am - we wait and wait and wait to get to a 10, and to have her drop another station. Because I had the epi I asked to wait as looooong as possible before pushing so my body will have done the work for me. I wanted her as low as she could go. I rested a lot during this time and the room was very quiet and dark.
10:05 - Complete and ready! I start pushing. My midwife was unbelievable. She was there the entire time helping stretch me, pouring olive oil, and being so encouraging. The doula being there was also great. DH and I both cried through the majority of this. It was so emotional for us both.
10:33am - Violet arrived! And she was HUGE. They laid her on my chest and I sobbed. It was such a long wait for this beautiful baby and she was finally with us. She looks exactly like her big sister. Just a tiny clone.
She pooped a ton before they could weigh her. But AFTER the poop she was 9lbs12oz!!! I also did not tear this time!
Post delivery: the placenta took a very long time to deliver. I lost a lot of blood. They ended up giving me pitocin to help my uterus contract. Then, a shot of (something) in my thigh to help me clot. Neither worked so they had to give me cytotec. Things slowed down just short of hemorrhaging. The meds made me feel awful for about four hours after delivery. I felt very removed and completely drugged up. I'm finally feeling better, but still very weak from blood loss. I normally break out of the hospital after a day, but they're insisting I stay until tomorrow to keep things managed.
The baby also swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid that didn't get compressed out of her stomach bc I pushed her out fairly quickly. She had to have her stomach suctioned out, but since then she's been nursing so much better and the choking/spitting has disappeared.
We are madly in love and my recovery (minus immediately following birth) has been so much easier. I attribute that to not tearing and this being my second time around.
Good luck to all the mommas waiting for their babies!
Long story:
After 4 days of prodromal labor, things finally kicked it up a notch on Sunday (39w4d). I spent all day laboring at home so they would increase in strength and consistency.
11pm - We left for the hospital Sunday night.
12am - In triage I was determined to be 4cm, 80% effaced. I was bummed. Instead of checking in, we walked the halls (me, DH and our doula) for two hours to move things along without having to deal with constant monitoring by the nurses.
1am - After that, I was admitted to the hospital. I was 5.5cm, 100% effaced, and things were progressing, but I was so exhausted since I hadn't slept since Saturday night. And had been getting terrible sleep for the 3 days leading up to it, with contractions. I was managing contractions using a combo of hypnobirthing and Bradley method - and taking lots of suggestions from our doula bc DH and I were too tired to even think straight. (I loved my labor ball!)
2am - they move me the labor room. Contractions pick up forcefully.
3am - my water breaks and my contractions become insane. They are on top of each other with no break and I have the urge to uncontrollably bear down - although I wasn't dilated enough. I request an epidural. The wait was awful. I had hoped for a med free birth, so I was disappointed but knew an epi was the only way I could get through the whole thing.
4am - epidural put in. I can breathe. We all nap from 4-6am because I'm too tired to anything else.
6am - I wake up bright eyed. I'm checked and at a 7. Two hours later, I'm 9cm. My epi was amazing. I could still feel and lift my legs, and feel contractions (with pressure) minus pain.
8-10am - we wait and wait and wait to get to a 10, and to have her drop another station. Because I had the epi I asked to wait as looooong as possible before pushing so my body will have done the work for me. I wanted her as low as she could go. I rested a lot during this time and the room was very quiet and dark.
10:05 - Complete and ready! I start pushing. My midwife was unbelievable. She was there the entire time helping stretch me, pouring olive oil, and being so encouraging. The doula being there was also great. DH and I both cried through the majority of this. It was so emotional for us both.
10:33am - Violet arrived! And she was HUGE. They laid her on my chest and I sobbed. It was such a long wait for this beautiful baby and she was finally with us. She looks exactly like her big sister. Just a tiny clone.
She pooped a ton before they could weigh her. But AFTER the poop she was 9lbs12oz!!! I also did not tear this time!
Post delivery: the placenta took a very long time to deliver. I lost a lot of blood. They ended up giving me pitocin to help my uterus contract. Then, a shot of (something) in my thigh to help me clot. Neither worked so they had to give me cytotec. Things slowed down just short of hemorrhaging. The meds made me feel awful for about four hours after delivery. I felt very removed and completely drugged up. I'm finally feeling better, but still very weak from blood loss. I normally break out of the hospital after a day, but they're insisting I stay until tomorrow to keep things managed.
The baby also swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid that didn't get compressed out of her stomach bc I pushed her out fairly quickly. She had to have her stomach suctioned out, but since then she's been nursing so much better and the choking/spitting has disappeared.
We are madly in love and my recovery (minus immediately following birth) has been so much easier. I attribute that to not tearing and this being my second time around.
Good luck to all the mommas waiting for their babies!