It has taken me a full week to get back on the site!
My baby girl, Camryn Elizabeth, arrived on Valentine's Day at 4:36 p.m. The labor/birth was nothing like I expected. Despite taking a birth class, I was naive and didn't realize that those "cramps" I had been having for 2 days prior were actually contractions. Please keep in mind that I've never had menstrual cramps before so I still thought it was a preparatory phase. Plus, I didn't think it was labor because I never had a bloody show, mucus plug discharge, diarrhea, and my water never broke. So, it was my husband that finally said on Friday night/Saturday morning that he thought they were contractions. I couldn't sleep at all and hadn't slept for more than 2-3 hours in a few days and was no longer able to talk through those "cramps."
Even as we arrived at the hospital I was still certain that the labor wasn't real. Reality only came when the nurse checked me and announced that I was 4 cm dilated.
The birth was long and arduous. I finally took an epidural 6 hours later when I learned that I had only progressed 2 more centimeters and began vomiting.
The epidural was a low dose so luckily I could move my legs the whole time and actually felt the urges to push and the contractions at the end. I pushed for nearly 2 hours before she finally came out!
The first 24-38 hours home was crazy as my milk was slow coming in. We are doing much better now, although I'm still working on getting my milk supply up. Lastly, I didn't know that I'd be so darn sore down there!
We're completely enchanted with our baby girl and I have a new respect for all you ladies juggling multiple children.
Photo #1
Photo #2
Oh, and she was born at 7 lbs., 5 oz.
My baby girl, Camryn Elizabeth, arrived on Valentine's Day at 4:36 p.m. The labor/birth was nothing like I expected. Despite taking a birth class, I was naive and didn't realize that those "cramps" I had been having for 2 days prior were actually contractions. Please keep in mind that I've never had menstrual cramps before so I still thought it was a preparatory phase. Plus, I didn't think it was labor because I never had a bloody show, mucus plug discharge, diarrhea, and my water never broke. So, it was my husband that finally said on Friday night/Saturday morning that he thought they were contractions. I couldn't sleep at all and hadn't slept for more than 2-3 hours in a few days and was no longer able to talk through those "cramps."
Even as we arrived at the hospital I was still certain that the labor wasn't real. Reality only came when the nurse checked me and announced that I was 4 cm dilated.
The birth was long and arduous. I finally took an epidural 6 hours later when I learned that I had only progressed 2 more centimeters and began vomiting.
The epidural was a low dose so luckily I could move my legs the whole time and actually felt the urges to push and the contractions at the end. I pushed for nearly 2 hours before she finally came out!
The first 24-38 hours home was crazy as my milk was slow coming in. We are doing much better now, although I'm still working on getting my milk supply up. Lastly, I didn't know that I'd be so darn sore down there!
We're completely enchanted with our baby girl and I have a new respect for all you ladies juggling multiple children.
Photo #1
Photo #2
Oh, and she was born at 7 lbs., 5 oz.
:
She's very alert and adorable!
