super great, easy home/waterbirth. and it's a GIRL! fooled all of us but dh. 7 lbs 5 oz, 20 3/4 inches. big sister is not wild about her yet. nak because she basically hasn't stopped nursing since she was born!!! she has an awesome suck and required no coaching to get on. no name yet. we're in love all over again!
loooooong birth story!
Well, I woke up yesterday with intense low back pain, a couple small contractions, and a leak of fluid. I wasn't sure if it was my water starting to leak or what, so the midwife came over around 9ish and did the pH test...nope! Just mucus. So we went for a walk and ordered lunch. I was having contractions but mild ones every 10 minutes or so, I thought we had a long way to go. THEN, I got a stupid aura (migraine thing) where my vision gets weird, I see sparkly circles for awhile, while DH was out picking up lunch, and MIL was hanging out at our house. So I got to entertain her and Abby while not being able to see straight. At least the contractions stopped while that was happening.
So we ate lunch, MIL went home...contractions started getting more intense. DH asked when we should call the m/w...I said I wasn't really sure but I didn't think we should yet. I had a really tough contraction where I was leaning over our stairs and he said "I'm calling her." I talked to her on the phone through a contraction and she said she'd pack up and be on her way. I thought everyone was nuts because nothing really got serious with Abby until I couldn't talk between contractions and I still felt fine other than when I was having one.
So, she got there around noon, then my SIL who was going to watch Abby for the birth, and then my parents. Ctx stopped. Once everyone cleared out, m/w checked me...5-6 cm! I was shocked and happy. I labored on my exercise ball for awhile, then my mom got back. It was totally awesome...I would have intense contractions every 4-5 minutes, but I was completely fine between them. We just picked up our conversation where we left off. Meanwhile the m/w and her assistant were filling the tub. I still didn't believe it was going to happen so quickly.
After a little bit of that the m/w had me go do two ctx on the toilet thinking my water might break. It didn't but I started feeling pushy so they had me get in the tub and checked me again...9cm!! I seriously could not believe it. I didn't think I was working that hard at all. But fairly soon I was ready to push. That was the only part of my labor that was difficult at all...I got kind of tired and mentally discouraged and I wasn't pushing effectively at first...not pushing long enough to keep the baby from slipping back. I had a really hard time emotionally but once I got around that bend things went better. I think what spurred me forward is that the m/w told me we could either get this baby out or they'd have to warm up the tub again.
I had had a tough contraction and they were going to give me some oxygen. But another ctx came up really fast and I was able to push right around the second bend and get her to crowning...the m/w yelled at her assistant to forget the oxygen, the baby was coming! Her head came out and then she twisted her shoulders kind of funny (I don't remember what she told me she did...I think she tried to put her back one out first) but DH got to help catch her and bring her up to my chest.
She was SUPER blue and not into breathing at all at first, which the m/w had warned me about water babies, because they're so comfy when they get out, they don't start crying right away. But I knew she was ok, we just kept rubbing and talking to her and they gave her some oxygen by blow. I probably waited about 5-10 minutes before I even looked to see whether she was a girl or boy! I was pretty shocked, as I was fairly convinced it was a boy. I had to look twice.
We got out of the tub shortly after so I could deliver the placenta and get her all warmed up. Then we got to nurse, and she seriously latched on like she'd been doing it her whole life and nursed for about an hour....we actually had to pull her off to do her newborn exam. It was amazing. Abby we had to coach into latching and even then she didn't nurse for very long. My SIL brought Abby over after awhile and we all had champagne. Abby wasn't too sure about the whole thing...she was more interested in the fish tub than the baby, but she's doing great today. Yesterday she wanted to pinch her and poke her eyes, I guess to check her out. Today she likes to take her hat off. I think they're going to do all right, though it about broke my heart today when Abby first came home (she spent the night at my parents house) she wouldn't come anywhere near me, even after I handed the baby off to my mom. But, things are settling out now.
Everyone cleared out last night around 8 and it was so nice...we ate dinner in our bed and just got to relax, it was SO GREAT being at home. I would not birth any other way now that I've done it (but we're not planning on anymore kids). Baby was a little nutso...she literally nursed pretty much from 8-4 this morning. She would doze off for about 15 minutes and then fuss to get back on. I even tried giving her a paci, I was so desperate to get some rest. Finally at 4 she fell asleep on DH and I got to sleep for a couple of hours. She's been more normal today, still nursing lots but sleeping lots too. She's already peed a whole lot and had meconium pass so she is a real champ! Hoping my milk comes in for her quickly!
whew...if you got that far, kudos and your reward is our current name (it's not final yet, but it seems to be sticking) Eliana Violet (Violet was my grandma's name and is my middle name).
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...5138Bcs27hu1a0
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...6108Bcs27hu1a0
loooooong birth story!
Well, I woke up yesterday with intense low back pain, a couple small contractions, and a leak of fluid. I wasn't sure if it was my water starting to leak or what, so the midwife came over around 9ish and did the pH test...nope! Just mucus. So we went for a walk and ordered lunch. I was having contractions but mild ones every 10 minutes or so, I thought we had a long way to go. THEN, I got a stupid aura (migraine thing) where my vision gets weird, I see sparkly circles for awhile, while DH was out picking up lunch, and MIL was hanging out at our house. So I got to entertain her and Abby while not being able to see straight. At least the contractions stopped while that was happening.
So we ate lunch, MIL went home...contractions started getting more intense. DH asked when we should call the m/w...I said I wasn't really sure but I didn't think we should yet. I had a really tough contraction where I was leaning over our stairs and he said "I'm calling her." I talked to her on the phone through a contraction and she said she'd pack up and be on her way. I thought everyone was nuts because nothing really got serious with Abby until I couldn't talk between contractions and I still felt fine other than when I was having one.
So, she got there around noon, then my SIL who was going to watch Abby for the birth, and then my parents. Ctx stopped. Once everyone cleared out, m/w checked me...5-6 cm! I was shocked and happy. I labored on my exercise ball for awhile, then my mom got back. It was totally awesome...I would have intense contractions every 4-5 minutes, but I was completely fine between them. We just picked up our conversation where we left off. Meanwhile the m/w and her assistant were filling the tub. I still didn't believe it was going to happen so quickly.
After a little bit of that the m/w had me go do two ctx on the toilet thinking my water might break. It didn't but I started feeling pushy so they had me get in the tub and checked me again...9cm!! I seriously could not believe it. I didn't think I was working that hard at all. But fairly soon I was ready to push. That was the only part of my labor that was difficult at all...I got kind of tired and mentally discouraged and I wasn't pushing effectively at first...not pushing long enough to keep the baby from slipping back. I had a really hard time emotionally but once I got around that bend things went better. I think what spurred me forward is that the m/w told me we could either get this baby out or they'd have to warm up the tub again.
I had had a tough contraction and they were going to give me some oxygen. But another ctx came up really fast and I was able to push right around the second bend and get her to crowning...the m/w yelled at her assistant to forget the oxygen, the baby was coming! Her head came out and then she twisted her shoulders kind of funny (I don't remember what she told me she did...I think she tried to put her back one out first) but DH got to help catch her and bring her up to my chest.
She was SUPER blue and not into breathing at all at first, which the m/w had warned me about water babies, because they're so comfy when they get out, they don't start crying right away. But I knew she was ok, we just kept rubbing and talking to her and they gave her some oxygen by blow. I probably waited about 5-10 minutes before I even looked to see whether she was a girl or boy! I was pretty shocked, as I was fairly convinced it was a boy. I had to look twice.
We got out of the tub shortly after so I could deliver the placenta and get her all warmed up. Then we got to nurse, and she seriously latched on like she'd been doing it her whole life and nursed for about an hour....we actually had to pull her off to do her newborn exam. It was amazing. Abby we had to coach into latching and even then she didn't nurse for very long. My SIL brought Abby over after awhile and we all had champagne. Abby wasn't too sure about the whole thing...she was more interested in the fish tub than the baby, but she's doing great today. Yesterday she wanted to pinch her and poke her eyes, I guess to check her out. Today she likes to take her hat off. I think they're going to do all right, though it about broke my heart today when Abby first came home (she spent the night at my parents house) she wouldn't come anywhere near me, even after I handed the baby off to my mom. But, things are settling out now.
Everyone cleared out last night around 8 and it was so nice...we ate dinner in our bed and just got to relax, it was SO GREAT being at home. I would not birth any other way now that I've done it (but we're not planning on anymore kids). Baby was a little nutso...she literally nursed pretty much from 8-4 this morning. She would doze off for about 15 minutes and then fuss to get back on. I even tried giving her a paci, I was so desperate to get some rest. Finally at 4 she fell asleep on DH and I got to sleep for a couple of hours. She's been more normal today, still nursing lots but sleeping lots too. She's already peed a whole lot and had meconium pass so she is a real champ! Hoping my milk comes in for her quickly!
whew...if you got that far, kudos and your reward is our current name (it's not final yet, but it seems to be sticking) Eliana Violet (Violet was my grandma's name and is my middle name).
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...5138Bcs27hu1a0
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...6108Bcs27hu1a0
the name you have tentatively chosen! Eliana was our pick if ds2 was a girl 
