I just typed this without proofreading so I hoped it still makes sense.....
The morning of Monday the 13th DH and I made use of the natural prostaglandins to see if we could get things moving. I was to spend the day at a friend's house doing laundry and we were running late so I tried to lift these huge bags of laundry into the car by myself and pulled a groin muscle. I thought I would just rest and it would be better soon but the pain didn't go away. About noon I started to feel crampy and knew something was happening because I felt the same as right before I went into labor with Uriah - restless and irritable - so I was excited but worried because of the pulled muscle made it so I could barely walk. DH and I stayed up watching a movie that night and I told him how I was feeling and that we needed to make sure all the bags were packed but he wasn't believing me and that was making me more irritated. Things were kinda tense between us because he was mad that I didn't ask for his help that morning. Did get everything ready, we live about 45 min. away from the hospital and still had to drop the boys off at a friend's house. Plus I was truly frightened I'd have to ride in our shockless standard car after my water broke - every little bump was painful the last time and we only lived 10 min from the hospital before.
Ok so around 11:30pm that night I started to have real timeable contractions. They were pretty weak and about 20 minutes apart, but I could feel my cervix dialating. My other labors went really quickly (6 and 4 hours) so i decided to drink the RRL tea then. I had run out and was waiting for payday to get more in bulk, so I used the last 6 tea bags of the tradition medicinals and made a very strong cup. Contractions seemed to dissappear after that and I decided to go to bed.
4:30am on Tuesday the 14th the contractions were strong enough to wake me up and I kept having to pee with each one. Started timing again and they were about 4-5 minutes apart and I was having to breath though them a little. I was still undecided about going to the hospital so I waited a bit to wake DH at about 5:30. Still took us awhile to get the boys ready and we got to the hospital about 7:30. Midwife said I was 6 cm! Then a new midwife came on duty and said the other is usually more liberal in her estimates so not to be discouraged if she checks me later and says I'm still at 6. But we had time to go over my birthplan and even though she recommended getting the heplock and wanted to give me a shot of pitocin after the birth when I declined both she didn't treat me any differently.
Dh and I were left alone to labor which I liked. We talked and decided to change the name from Ayla Miriam to Ayla Hadassah because it was Purim! Hadassah was Queen Esther's name before she changed it. So contractions got harder, no position felt comfortable anymore and I started thinking I couldn't do it - made a mental note that meant i was probably in transition but it didn't help too much. So I was checked again and was 9 cm with a little lip. Midwife adjusted the bed, added the squatting bar and called in the nurse. Next check I was complete with a little lip and the MW said I could start pushing if I wanted. But I didn't feel the urge yet so I just gave some small pushes squatting to see what it felt like. Now I was getting some back pain since transition but it was quickly increasing and not going away between contractions. Let me tell you back labor is nothing to mess with! With both previous labors pushing felt so good, but this was completely different, I dreaded pushing because it intensified the back labor. When the urge to push did come I'll be honest and say I wanted to run away but knew I couldn't I just wanted to it to be over ASAP, plus with the muscle I pulled the day before I was having trouble opening my legs wide enough. I gave up trying to squat because I couldn't feel any progress and just layed back with my legs on the bar, then I could feel her moving down when I pushed. But I did lose it at this point and started saying 'help, please, help', wasn't really talking to anyone in particular. Really pushing with all my might I was relieved to feel her move out - I thought she was out completely, but it was just her head. 1 more push and she was completely out. It was so intense and tiring, and I DID IT! Had second degree tears and getting the stitches was pretty horrible. But it was worth it.
Ayla Hadassah was born March 14th at 10:44 am, she weighed 7 lbs. 3.5 oz and was 19 inches. She's nursing great and thankfully sleeps a lot.
My muscle is still pulled, my pubic bone separated again and i have the stitches so ouch, but DH is being very helpful and the MIL is coming today to help me for a week. The boys really love their little sister. Right now everyone is sick though, except Ayla and DH, a stomach bug so that is complicating things - having to keep Ayla away from the boys. But we're all getting better. Glad to read all of your birth stories too - Congratulations!
The morning of Monday the 13th DH and I made use of the natural prostaglandins to see if we could get things moving. I was to spend the day at a friend's house doing laundry and we were running late so I tried to lift these huge bags of laundry into the car by myself and pulled a groin muscle. I thought I would just rest and it would be better soon but the pain didn't go away. About noon I started to feel crampy and knew something was happening because I felt the same as right before I went into labor with Uriah - restless and irritable - so I was excited but worried because of the pulled muscle made it so I could barely walk. DH and I stayed up watching a movie that night and I told him how I was feeling and that we needed to make sure all the bags were packed but he wasn't believing me and that was making me more irritated. Things were kinda tense between us because he was mad that I didn't ask for his help that morning. Did get everything ready, we live about 45 min. away from the hospital and still had to drop the boys off at a friend's house. Plus I was truly frightened I'd have to ride in our shockless standard car after my water broke - every little bump was painful the last time and we only lived 10 min from the hospital before.
Ok so around 11:30pm that night I started to have real timeable contractions. They were pretty weak and about 20 minutes apart, but I could feel my cervix dialating. My other labors went really quickly (6 and 4 hours) so i decided to drink the RRL tea then. I had run out and was waiting for payday to get more in bulk, so I used the last 6 tea bags of the tradition medicinals and made a very strong cup. Contractions seemed to dissappear after that and I decided to go to bed.
4:30am on Tuesday the 14th the contractions were strong enough to wake me up and I kept having to pee with each one. Started timing again and they were about 4-5 minutes apart and I was having to breath though them a little. I was still undecided about going to the hospital so I waited a bit to wake DH at about 5:30. Still took us awhile to get the boys ready and we got to the hospital about 7:30. Midwife said I was 6 cm! Then a new midwife came on duty and said the other is usually more liberal in her estimates so not to be discouraged if she checks me later and says I'm still at 6. But we had time to go over my birthplan and even though she recommended getting the heplock and wanted to give me a shot of pitocin after the birth when I declined both she didn't treat me any differently.
Dh and I were left alone to labor which I liked. We talked and decided to change the name from Ayla Miriam to Ayla Hadassah because it was Purim! Hadassah was Queen Esther's name before she changed it. So contractions got harder, no position felt comfortable anymore and I started thinking I couldn't do it - made a mental note that meant i was probably in transition but it didn't help too much. So I was checked again and was 9 cm with a little lip. Midwife adjusted the bed, added the squatting bar and called in the nurse. Next check I was complete with a little lip and the MW said I could start pushing if I wanted. But I didn't feel the urge yet so I just gave some small pushes squatting to see what it felt like. Now I was getting some back pain since transition but it was quickly increasing and not going away between contractions. Let me tell you back labor is nothing to mess with! With both previous labors pushing felt so good, but this was completely different, I dreaded pushing because it intensified the back labor. When the urge to push did come I'll be honest and say I wanted to run away but knew I couldn't I just wanted to it to be over ASAP, plus with the muscle I pulled the day before I was having trouble opening my legs wide enough. I gave up trying to squat because I couldn't feel any progress and just layed back with my legs on the bar, then I could feel her moving down when I pushed. But I did lose it at this point and started saying 'help, please, help', wasn't really talking to anyone in particular. Really pushing with all my might I was relieved to feel her move out - I thought she was out completely, but it was just her head. 1 more push and she was completely out. It was so intense and tiring, and I DID IT! Had second degree tears and getting the stitches was pretty horrible. But it was worth it.Ayla Hadassah was born March 14th at 10:44 am, she weighed 7 lbs. 3.5 oz and was 19 inches. She's nursing great and thankfully sleeps a lot.
My muscle is still pulled, my pubic bone separated again and i have the stitches so ouch, but DH is being very helpful and the MIL is coming today to help me for a week. The boys really love their little sister. Right now everyone is sick though, except Ayla and DH, a stomach bug so that is complicating things - having to keep Ayla away from the boys. But we're all getting better. Glad to read all of your birth stories too - Congratulations!
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...sounds like you were a champion during birth, mama! Great job! Re: the stitches...I found that putting "neosporin + pain relief" (a product they sell, also available in store brand) on the stitches daily helped A LOT. They should be feeling better in a week or so!
