Nataniel Tomasz was born on May 8th, 6 days after his due date. He was 9 lbs even and 22 inches. He is healthy and lovely!
But what an emotional few days...
Two days earlier, I had gone in for my 40 week prenatal appt only to find out that he had turned breech! I had a successful external version the next morning, but then my baby turned back to breech again within the hour of monitoring that followed the version.
So, the doctor, a perinatologist, decided to repeat the version the next morning in a labor and delivery room and induce immediately before the baby had a chance to return to breech. This was going to be the last effort to avoid a cesarean...
It worked!!!! Our baby was feet down when we went in that morning; the doctor was able to move his feet out and get the head down, but it was still a bit high. Then, they wrapped my belly up in a corset-type thing (a binder) to make it harder for the baby to move out of the vertex position. They started a pitocin drip. We just all hoped he wouldn't move his head! It wasn't until about 6-7 hours later that it looked like I was in a steady labor pattern. This took a long time because they used so little pitocin. My CNM checked me at 5:30pm and I was 7 cm! She also broke my water, and the baby's head engaged in the pelvis. At this point, she also turned off the pit.
It took 3.25 excruciating hours to go from 7 to 10 cm. I knew something was wrong -- it shouldn't take that long for a 3rd baby... I kept thinking that I was going to have to have the c-section after all. Maybe the baby really was almost 10 lbs, as the sonogram predicted… Finally, though, I was complete, and I pushed the baby out in the next 10-15 minutes.
He was wrapped in cord everywhere. Around his neck once, all over his body several times. Sort of lasso'ed. The midwife said this is why labor progress had slowed; baby would descend, then get pulled back by the cord (against my back, ouch).
Still, I just feel so amazed by it all. Instead of what looked like an imminent c-section, I got a fairly natural vaginal birth, all things considered. I managed the pit induction completely drug-free; don't let me kid you, though, it was agonizing for the last 3 hours. I ended up with the best midwife of my practice (you get whoever is on-call). She had me labor is so many different positions, including actually delivering the baby on my hands/knees. She was amazing. I didn't even have a single tear. And my labor nurse was just as amazing. She had had natural drug-free births of her own; I don't know how I would have made it without her support.
My baby is just beautiful. The kids are getting used to him, but I think they expected a pre-schooler to come out of my body, not a baby who does nothing but sleep and nurse!
But what an emotional few days...
Two days earlier, I had gone in for my 40 week prenatal appt only to find out that he had turned breech! I had a successful external version the next morning, but then my baby turned back to breech again within the hour of monitoring that followed the version.
So, the doctor, a perinatologist, decided to repeat the version the next morning in a labor and delivery room and induce immediately before the baby had a chance to return to breech. This was going to be the last effort to avoid a cesarean...
It worked!!!! Our baby was feet down when we went in that morning; the doctor was able to move his feet out and get the head down, but it was still a bit high. Then, they wrapped my belly up in a corset-type thing (a binder) to make it harder for the baby to move out of the vertex position. They started a pitocin drip. We just all hoped he wouldn't move his head! It wasn't until about 6-7 hours later that it looked like I was in a steady labor pattern. This took a long time because they used so little pitocin. My CNM checked me at 5:30pm and I was 7 cm! She also broke my water, and the baby's head engaged in the pelvis. At this point, she also turned off the pit.
It took 3.25 excruciating hours to go from 7 to 10 cm. I knew something was wrong -- it shouldn't take that long for a 3rd baby... I kept thinking that I was going to have to have the c-section after all. Maybe the baby really was almost 10 lbs, as the sonogram predicted… Finally, though, I was complete, and I pushed the baby out in the next 10-15 minutes.
He was wrapped in cord everywhere. Around his neck once, all over his body several times. Sort of lasso'ed. The midwife said this is why labor progress had slowed; baby would descend, then get pulled back by the cord (against my back, ouch).
Still, I just feel so amazed by it all. Instead of what looked like an imminent c-section, I got a fairly natural vaginal birth, all things considered. I managed the pit induction completely drug-free; don't let me kid you, though, it was agonizing for the last 3 hours. I ended up with the best midwife of my practice (you get whoever is on-call). She had me labor is so many different positions, including actually delivering the baby on my hands/knees. She was amazing. I didn't even have a single tear. And my labor nurse was just as amazing. She had had natural drug-free births of her own; I don't know how I would have made it without her support.
My baby is just beautiful. The kids are getting used to him, but I think they expected a pre-schooler to come out of my body, not a baby who does nothing but sleep and nurse!
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