Our second beautiful daughter arrived last Wednesday! 6 lbs 12 oz, 20 inches.
I was horrendously sick with a cold that started turning into bronchitis, my whole family was sick over the weekend and I got 4 hours of sleep Sunday night and then on Monday everybody was way worse, DH stayed home from work/DD stayed home from preschool--so of course that was the morning I woke up with early labor contractions. Couldn't rest in the day, then active labor kicked in Monday evening. After two days of slow progress and then no progress and a few other factors--we decided to transfer to the hospital early Wednesday morning. Luckily, the hospital staff was great and I didn't end up with any interventions I didn't want or believe were necessary, and although it was a pretty grueling and painful labor process, I ended up with an uncomplicated vaginal birth with only five minutes of pushing.
Subsequently we've been dealing with my sickness getting worse (horrible cough that prevented me from sleeping at all), low milk supply/jaundice, and it's just been a tough as hell week for all of us. I got some antibiotics and I seem to be recovering, though, and I am getting a bit of sleep now and starting to feel less completely exhausted and depleted. The baby is doing well too--her bilirubin levels peaked on Sunday and then started going down, and so she's off the lights and that is making nursing/mothering her easier. I also found a pp doula and hired her and my parents came from out of town on short notice to help for a few days, so that's good. I'm still working on the supply issues, but I think that is slowly improving, and it may be a long term thing like it was with my daughter but it might just be from exhaustion and some sudafed I took--apparently that stuff will just totally dry up your milk supply.
Meanwhile though, the baby is just insanely cute and sweet, and my DD is so thrilled to have a sister and although she's having some of the normal transitional issues, she has dealt really incredibly well with some of this insane stress and is being so awesome with the baby.
I was horrendously sick with a cold that started turning into bronchitis, my whole family was sick over the weekend and I got 4 hours of sleep Sunday night and then on Monday everybody was way worse, DH stayed home from work/DD stayed home from preschool--so of course that was the morning I woke up with early labor contractions. Couldn't rest in the day, then active labor kicked in Monday evening. After two days of slow progress and then no progress and a few other factors--we decided to transfer to the hospital early Wednesday morning. Luckily, the hospital staff was great and I didn't end up with any interventions I didn't want or believe were necessary, and although it was a pretty grueling and painful labor process, I ended up with an uncomplicated vaginal birth with only five minutes of pushing.
Subsequently we've been dealing with my sickness getting worse (horrible cough that prevented me from sleeping at all), low milk supply/jaundice, and it's just been a tough as hell week for all of us. I got some antibiotics and I seem to be recovering, though, and I am getting a bit of sleep now and starting to feel less completely exhausted and depleted. The baby is doing well too--her bilirubin levels peaked on Sunday and then started going down, and so she's off the lights and that is making nursing/mothering her easier. I also found a pp doula and hired her and my parents came from out of town on short notice to help for a few days, so that's good. I'm still working on the supply issues, but I think that is slowly improving, and it may be a long term thing like it was with my daughter but it might just be from exhaustion and some sudafed I took--apparently that stuff will just totally dry up your milk supply.
Meanwhile though, the baby is just insanely cute and sweet, and my DD is so thrilled to have a sister and although she's having some of the normal transitional issues, she has dealt really incredibly well with some of this insane stress and is being so awesome with the baby.
Another One Thread baby is here, hooray! 
Hope everyone feels well soon, and that you can get on with your babymoon. Sending you milky thoughts!
