Mary Eleanor
7/23/09 3:38 am
9lbs 3.5 oz
22" long
Absolutely perfect in every way.
Nursing like a champ, and very curious about the world around her.
Her birth, though it had similarities to her brother's birth- both hospital inductions- was VERY different. Will post more later.
Finally...her birth story. It's a NOVEL. I'm not ever know for being brief.
It has taken me a few days (the hospital’s wi-fi was all screwy, I kept starting this, but by the time I’d get done my connection had timed out, and I’d lose it. Agh!) but here it is:
I should start by saying that my ds was induced b/c of his ginormous size at 39 weeks. It wasn’t just his weight that the dr was worried about, it was his head and chest measurements that had her concerned. I was induced, had an epidural, an episiotomy, and I tore. It was also a fast birth- the pitocin REALLY sped things up and I delivered, from starting the pit to delivery, in 5.5 hours. Despite all that, I felt like it was a truly amazing birth, and have never felt more empowered w/ my body, or proud to be a woman and to have the ability to bring life in this world. He was a big boy- 9lbs, 10 oz w/ a HUGE head and chest, just as predicted.
So, going into this birth, I knew things could be similar, but I also was trying to mentally prepare myself for something drastically different. I also knew that there was a chance I’d be induced, and that I would probably want pain meds again. I have a different hospital and dr this time b/c we moved right around the time ds was born, so I had a bit of anxiety over that as well.
We decided to induce Wednesday the 22nd. I had a noon appt, and if everything went like last time, I’d have a new little baby by evening. Ha! Once they started the pitocin, I knew that this one might take a little longer. They gave me a MUCH lower dose of pit to start. I was already having some contractions, it just made them a little stronger, but still bearable. The afternoon was actually rather enjoybable, dh and I laughed and talked and joked around. I was in really good spirits. I changed positions frequently, not wanting to sit in the bed for much time at all. The nurse I had was great about suggesting different positions, brought me a birthing ball, and was overall very encouraging.
My mom showed up after she got off work, and my good spirits continued. I realized that w/ ds’s induction they must have given me one heck of a dose of pitocin because w/in 2.5 hours I had asked for pain relief. At 8pm I was still going strong. The contractions were still getting stronger, but still bearable for me. I kept saying…this is NOTHING compared to the ones I had w/ ds!
I was progressing slowly. I knew I didn’t have the pressure I had last time, so it wasn’t going to be quick. I was okay w/ it, as long as I kept progressing. The contractions got stronger, and finally around 9pm I was so uncomfortable I asked for pain relief. This hospital had an option I didn’t have last time. My dr and I had talked about my pain relief options at one of my appts, so I wasn’t making an on-the-spot decision. For spinal pain relief I had the choice between a regular epidural and what they refer to as an ISN (intra-spinal narcotic)- a one-time shot. The two major differences- w/ the ISN you still have the use of your legs, you don’t have a catheter, so you’re not restricted to the bed. However, it only lasts 4-6 hours, depending on how your body responds to it. My dr and I figured that I’d be a good candidate for the ISN because of my quick labor last time. I really didn’t like having to stay in bed w/ the epidural, and I REALLY didn’t like the catheter (once I got the epidural I progressed so quickly that ds’s head came down and pretty much pushed it out- very uncomfortable). So for me, the ISN seemed like a good option. I got that around 10 pm. They checked me, and I was about a 6 at that point, 80% effaced, baby in -1 station.
For the first hour or so of the ISN, it really did seem like a good choice for me. I had immediate relief, but could still move around, get up and use the bathroom, and my good mood continued. Then the side effects kicked in. I became SO nauseous, it made the early pregnancy morning sickness seem like a cake walk. I felt like I was on the verge of vomiting for 3 hours. Except I never did, I just FELT like it. Agh. And, I itched. Like skin crawling itchy. I knew these were two of the side effects, I just figured that since I handled an epidural well, I’d handle this well too. Oh, was I wrong. From midnight to 3 am I wasn’t able to move. I sat in bed, eyes shut, just trying to breathe through the nausea. They gave me something for the nausea, and it helped for a little bit, I wasn’t ready to move around, so I just tried to rest. They also had to give me something for the itching. It was driving me CRAZY. We figured it was going to be awhile, so we sent my mom home.
Around 3 am I started feeling contractions again, and I knew the ISN was wearing off. This whole time they were slowly upping my pitocin dose. At 3 am the nurse checked me again. I was STILL at a 6. This time her head was a little further down, and the nurse thought that it felt like she was turned a little to the side. She gently suggested I switch positions, and offered to help me so that I could go slowly in case the nausea came back. I had seen the nurses exchange glances when they mentioned her being turned a little, and I knew they were thinking that I was becoming a C-section candidate. One nurse left to go call my dr (who decided to come in and check on me at that time). I took a big deep breath and got up enough energy to change positions. I got on all fours on the bed, supported w/ pillows and rocked slowly. I could feel contractions getting SO MUCH stronger again, this time so much more intense than they were when I had asked for meds hours earlier. I felt the urge to go to the bathroom (I’ve decided that my bladder is the bane of my existence during pregnancy and labor- I lost track of how many times I had to unhook the machines to use the restroom over the course of the day), my dh helped me to the bathroom, but I couldn’t go. The pain was becoming so intense I was crying during the contractions. He helped me back to the bed, and we told the nurse that I needed more pain relief, the ISN had worn completely off, and that this time I wanted an epidural. She stepped out to let the anesthesiologist know. I felt like I had to pee, AGAIN. DH helped me to the bathroom, again, but when I got there I realized that I didn’t have to pee….I was feeling the urge to PUSH. Just then the nurse came back in the room, told my husband to help me back to bed (she helped too), and paged my dr again. Thankfully, my dr was already in the hospital, they told her she better run. The nurse checked (it was 3:25), and sure enough, I was fully dialated, and the head was right there.
At this point it gets a little fuzzy. I was in SO much pain (keep in mind, the pitocin is still going), and it was all happening so fast. My dr RUNS in, they throw scrubs on her, and she’s ready to catch the baby. I’m NOT ready to push, my head is spinning, and I just feel very over-whelmed. I kinda pushed through two contractions, but I know it wasn’t being very productive. I couldn’t push through the next one- although everyone is saying hold your breath, push!, push!, I had to focus my thoughts. At that point breathed through it, closed my eyes and told gave myself the laboring equivalent to a pep talk. I told myself that YES, I KNEW it hurt worse than it would have if I would have just let her come on her own, but that I had work to do now, and there’s only one way I want my baby to come out…so I had better put on my big girl panties and PUSH like a rockstar. Two pushes later she was out. 3:38 am. Just like that, the pain was gone. They immediately put her on my chest and let me just hold her. She was perfect. 10 of everything there’s supposed to be 10 of, breathing great, just perfect. I was so mesmerized by her that a few minutes later I was like…wait second, something is happening again…and it was the placenta. I had forgotten about it! I only had one small tear, just enough to require a stitch or two.
Then came my favorite part. This hospital really advocates for what they refer to as “kangaroo care”. As soon as they know everyone is stable, the room clears out. Literally- everyone leaves the mom, baby and dad alone for about 1.5 hours. There’s no push for vit K shots, weight checks, bathing the baby- they really want you to take advantage of that special time after the birth to bond. For 1.5 beautiful hours my dh and I held our brand new little girl, cried, laughed, and took it all in. She nursed twice during that time- like she knew what she was doing! I was in awe over how well she latched on- so much more coordinated than her brother was!
Later the nurse came in to help me get ready to change rooms. While I was in the shower, the nurse gathered our things for us and let dh have some bonding time. Dh took off his shirt and held her skin-to-skin.
We stayed in the hospital until Saturday morning (she was born in the wee hours of Thursday morning). My dr said if we wanted to, we could go home Friday evening, but I actually don’t mind the hospital stay. To me, it’s like a mini get-away. There’s no laundry, no dishes, and I really like being taken care of. They nurses pretty much left us alone except for the periodic vitals checks. Once the nurses knew that I knew how to breastfeed, they left me alone w/ that too (and after seeing her nurse, told Mary that she needed to go into the nursery and teach the other little babies how to do that).
If you’re still reading, I’m amazed! I mostly typed this up because it was very therapeutic for me. I’ve been able to come to terms w/ not having things go as planned. Except for the stupid ISN side effects, it really wasn’t too bad. And, I have a beautiful little girl.
7/23/09 3:38 am
9lbs 3.5 oz
22" long
Absolutely perfect in every way.
Nursing like a champ, and very curious about the world around her.
Her birth, though it had similarities to her brother's birth- both hospital inductions- was VERY different. Will post more later.
Finally...her birth story. It's a NOVEL. I'm not ever know for being brief.
It has taken me a few days (the hospital’s wi-fi was all screwy, I kept starting this, but by the time I’d get done my connection had timed out, and I’d lose it. Agh!) but here it is:
I should start by saying that my ds was induced b/c of his ginormous size at 39 weeks. It wasn’t just his weight that the dr was worried about, it was his head and chest measurements that had her concerned. I was induced, had an epidural, an episiotomy, and I tore. It was also a fast birth- the pitocin REALLY sped things up and I delivered, from starting the pit to delivery, in 5.5 hours. Despite all that, I felt like it was a truly amazing birth, and have never felt more empowered w/ my body, or proud to be a woman and to have the ability to bring life in this world. He was a big boy- 9lbs, 10 oz w/ a HUGE head and chest, just as predicted.
So, going into this birth, I knew things could be similar, but I also was trying to mentally prepare myself for something drastically different. I also knew that there was a chance I’d be induced, and that I would probably want pain meds again. I have a different hospital and dr this time b/c we moved right around the time ds was born, so I had a bit of anxiety over that as well.
We decided to induce Wednesday the 22nd. I had a noon appt, and if everything went like last time, I’d have a new little baby by evening. Ha! Once they started the pitocin, I knew that this one might take a little longer. They gave me a MUCH lower dose of pit to start. I was already having some contractions, it just made them a little stronger, but still bearable. The afternoon was actually rather enjoybable, dh and I laughed and talked and joked around. I was in really good spirits. I changed positions frequently, not wanting to sit in the bed for much time at all. The nurse I had was great about suggesting different positions, brought me a birthing ball, and was overall very encouraging.
My mom showed up after she got off work, and my good spirits continued. I realized that w/ ds’s induction they must have given me one heck of a dose of pitocin because w/in 2.5 hours I had asked for pain relief. At 8pm I was still going strong. The contractions were still getting stronger, but still bearable for me. I kept saying…this is NOTHING compared to the ones I had w/ ds!
I was progressing slowly. I knew I didn’t have the pressure I had last time, so it wasn’t going to be quick. I was okay w/ it, as long as I kept progressing. The contractions got stronger, and finally around 9pm I was so uncomfortable I asked for pain relief. This hospital had an option I didn’t have last time. My dr and I had talked about my pain relief options at one of my appts, so I wasn’t making an on-the-spot decision. For spinal pain relief I had the choice between a regular epidural and what they refer to as an ISN (intra-spinal narcotic)- a one-time shot. The two major differences- w/ the ISN you still have the use of your legs, you don’t have a catheter, so you’re not restricted to the bed. However, it only lasts 4-6 hours, depending on how your body responds to it. My dr and I figured that I’d be a good candidate for the ISN because of my quick labor last time. I really didn’t like having to stay in bed w/ the epidural, and I REALLY didn’t like the catheter (once I got the epidural I progressed so quickly that ds’s head came down and pretty much pushed it out- very uncomfortable). So for me, the ISN seemed like a good option. I got that around 10 pm. They checked me, and I was about a 6 at that point, 80% effaced, baby in -1 station.
For the first hour or so of the ISN, it really did seem like a good choice for me. I had immediate relief, but could still move around, get up and use the bathroom, and my good mood continued. Then the side effects kicked in. I became SO nauseous, it made the early pregnancy morning sickness seem like a cake walk. I felt like I was on the verge of vomiting for 3 hours. Except I never did, I just FELT like it. Agh. And, I itched. Like skin crawling itchy. I knew these were two of the side effects, I just figured that since I handled an epidural well, I’d handle this well too. Oh, was I wrong. From midnight to 3 am I wasn’t able to move. I sat in bed, eyes shut, just trying to breathe through the nausea. They gave me something for the nausea, and it helped for a little bit, I wasn’t ready to move around, so I just tried to rest. They also had to give me something for the itching. It was driving me CRAZY. We figured it was going to be awhile, so we sent my mom home.
Around 3 am I started feeling contractions again, and I knew the ISN was wearing off. This whole time they were slowly upping my pitocin dose. At 3 am the nurse checked me again. I was STILL at a 6. This time her head was a little further down, and the nurse thought that it felt like she was turned a little to the side. She gently suggested I switch positions, and offered to help me so that I could go slowly in case the nausea came back. I had seen the nurses exchange glances when they mentioned her being turned a little, and I knew they were thinking that I was becoming a C-section candidate. One nurse left to go call my dr (who decided to come in and check on me at that time). I took a big deep breath and got up enough energy to change positions. I got on all fours on the bed, supported w/ pillows and rocked slowly. I could feel contractions getting SO MUCH stronger again, this time so much more intense than they were when I had asked for meds hours earlier. I felt the urge to go to the bathroom (I’ve decided that my bladder is the bane of my existence during pregnancy and labor- I lost track of how many times I had to unhook the machines to use the restroom over the course of the day), my dh helped me to the bathroom, but I couldn’t go. The pain was becoming so intense I was crying during the contractions. He helped me back to the bed, and we told the nurse that I needed more pain relief, the ISN had worn completely off, and that this time I wanted an epidural. She stepped out to let the anesthesiologist know. I felt like I had to pee, AGAIN. DH helped me to the bathroom, again, but when I got there I realized that I didn’t have to pee….I was feeling the urge to PUSH. Just then the nurse came back in the room, told my husband to help me back to bed (she helped too), and paged my dr again. Thankfully, my dr was already in the hospital, they told her she better run. The nurse checked (it was 3:25), and sure enough, I was fully dialated, and the head was right there.
At this point it gets a little fuzzy. I was in SO much pain (keep in mind, the pitocin is still going), and it was all happening so fast. My dr RUNS in, they throw scrubs on her, and she’s ready to catch the baby. I’m NOT ready to push, my head is spinning, and I just feel very over-whelmed. I kinda pushed through two contractions, but I know it wasn’t being very productive. I couldn’t push through the next one- although everyone is saying hold your breath, push!, push!, I had to focus my thoughts. At that point breathed through it, closed my eyes and told gave myself the laboring equivalent to a pep talk. I told myself that YES, I KNEW it hurt worse than it would have if I would have just let her come on her own, but that I had work to do now, and there’s only one way I want my baby to come out…so I had better put on my big girl panties and PUSH like a rockstar. Two pushes later she was out. 3:38 am. Just like that, the pain was gone. They immediately put her on my chest and let me just hold her. She was perfect. 10 of everything there’s supposed to be 10 of, breathing great, just perfect. I was so mesmerized by her that a few minutes later I was like…wait second, something is happening again…and it was the placenta. I had forgotten about it! I only had one small tear, just enough to require a stitch or two.
Then came my favorite part. This hospital really advocates for what they refer to as “kangaroo care”. As soon as they know everyone is stable, the room clears out. Literally- everyone leaves the mom, baby and dad alone for about 1.5 hours. There’s no push for vit K shots, weight checks, bathing the baby- they really want you to take advantage of that special time after the birth to bond. For 1.5 beautiful hours my dh and I held our brand new little girl, cried, laughed, and took it all in. She nursed twice during that time- like she knew what she was doing! I was in awe over how well she latched on- so much more coordinated than her brother was!
Later the nurse came in to help me get ready to change rooms. While I was in the shower, the nurse gathered our things for us and let dh have some bonding time. Dh took off his shirt and held her skin-to-skin.
We stayed in the hospital until Saturday morning (she was born in the wee hours of Thursday morning). My dr said if we wanted to, we could go home Friday evening, but I actually don’t mind the hospital stay. To me, it’s like a mini get-away. There’s no laundry, no dishes, and I really like being taken care of. They nurses pretty much left us alone except for the periodic vitals checks. Once the nurses knew that I knew how to breastfeed, they left me alone w/ that too (and after seeing her nurse, told Mary that she needed to go into the nursery and teach the other little babies how to do that).
If you’re still reading, I’m amazed! I mostly typed this up because it was very therapeutic for me. I’ve been able to come to terms w/ not having things go as planned. Except for the stupid ISN side effects, it really wasn’t too bad. And, I have a beautiful little girl.
: Congrats!! 
