Esther Rivka was born July 13th at 1:31pm She was 38weeks 4 days 6lbs 1.4oz and 20" long.
The birth was pretty good. I liked my second birth better LOL Besides the leg pain during labor which I had no mechanism to cope with it was easy though. One hour of active hard labor and no pushing. I didn't rip or tear at all. I really don't feel post partum! I have barely bled and have been running around since the evening she was born.
The evening she was born is another story all together. I noticed that she was blue around her mouth, nose and chin and pointed it out to the nurse who told me it was normal buising from a precipitous birth. She had me bring her to the nursery to check her O2 saturation to make me feel better. Well it didn't make me feel better. Her oxygen saturation was in the low 80s and every time we moved her or another baby cried it dropped into the 60s- 70s and she got dusky colored from head to toe. It was scary. She ended up in the NICU and on antibiotics while they waited for a blood culture (48hours). She wasn't alowed to nurse for 14 hours which was torture for both of us. We already had an established nursing relationship and I hate pumping! She ended up with a pacifier (because she wasn't allowed oral feedings) and in disposable diapers (they know what the sposies weigh and each of them gets weighed when it gets taken off to determine urine output). The whole NICU experience was depressing despite the excelent care and the very very nice nurses.
We are home now, and Esther Rivka seems to be doing okay. She does still have trouble keeping her body temperature and gets a bit blue around the mouth and forehead when she gets chilled so we are keeping her warm! Good thing it is summer
I love my little baby!!
Here are some pictures:
http://webpages.charter.net/liba/esther.jpghttp://webpages.charter.net/liba/ERZ71604.jpghttp://webpages.charter.net/liba/familyjuly132004.jpg
She is nursing well now and sleeping 3-4 hour stretches at night. The pacifiers they used in the hospital actually seemed to help her latch LOL I never expected that. The nipple on the pacifier was big and she opens her mouth better now than she did before she was given it. The package says it was designed by a lactation consultant and I actually believe it! I am still happy that she doesn't need it now, but it is nice that it didn't hurt our nursing relationship
I am in love!
Liba, mommy to three girls
Zlata Tova 5/6/98 Tziporah Faiga 1/12/01 and Esther Rivka 7/13/04
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