The nesting bug bit me hard this past weekend - we made a huge grocery shopping trip and I cooked 45 meals in two days to "stock-up" the freezer. Needless to say, when Monday arrived I was exhausted. Luckily, DS1 was content to stay inside quietly playing while mama dozed the morning away.
The rest of the day passed quickly, except that DS1 was too wired to sleep at the end of the day. All he could talk about was driving into work with daddy and spending the day at his grandparents house, again. (They live 5 min away from DH's work, and we've been psuedo living there just in case I had another episode of pancreatitis or "happened" to go into labor.) And, he kept repeating that "baby brother" was coming too. (Kids must have a 6th sense.) At 10:30 DS1 finally crashed, but I had caught a second wind... so I cleaned house, cruised MDC, and visited the baby's room for a quick rock in the glider and a little chat about being ready. I climbed into bed just before 2 am, and slept for four good hours.
6:45 am Tuesday morning, we began our journey to DH's parents house. We had over-slept and DH was going to be really late for work, so I teased that I had less than 30 minutes to go into labor. I had been having irregular contractions for a little over a week, and commented out loud that I was so sick of contractions that didn't lead anywhere. At 7:15 I had a very strong contraction, followed by what I can only describe as a very violent movement inside of my uterus. I told DH, and wondered to myself if maybe my water had broken or would the next big movement I made, so I sat still.
At 7:30 we pulled into his parents driveway. DH got DS1 and our things out of the car as I struggled to get my preggo body out of the seat. As I was swinging my legs out of the door I felt a small gush of warm fluid, I announced that I thought my water had broken and that we should go to the birthing center right away. I used the bathroom, we hugged and kissed DS1 goodbye, and by 7:40 we were on the road headed for the birth center.
My contractions started 3-5 minutes apart and got more intense with each one. At 8:15 we arrived at the birth center, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting well over a minute. I was checked right away, 4 cm and 80%.
The next two hours are a blur. I was just trying to find a comfortable spot to labor in. I went from bed, to toilet, to tub. Nothing was cutting it. I was in transition - 8 cm and 100% and wanting to push. I started losing my focus, the contractions were coming one right after the other with no rest in between. At 10:20 I started yelling with each contraction. At 10:40 I was out of the tub and begging for something to take the edge off. At 10:51 I climbed onto the bed, put the head up, leaned over it on my knees and told the midwife I was going to push. She "barely" caught him 3 minutes later!
Ewan Michael
Born: Tuesday, September 12, 2006, 10:54 am (PST)
Stats: 8lbs 15oz, 21"
Gestation: 38+ weeks
Labored: 3 hrs, 20 mins - in the tub
Pushed: 3 mins - bent over bed on knees
Meds: None
Everything about this pregnancy has been intense, but I never anticipated a 3 hour and 24 minute labor! I'm scared to have another after everything that has happened this time around.
We are all home and resting. Kellen loves his baby brother so much. He is constantly touching him and saying, "he's so nice", "he's so cute", "I love him".
Breastfeeding is going well, my milk is just coming in and Ewan's appetite is gradually increasing. The afterpains are horrible this time around, but my bleeding is already very light (loving the post-partum mama pads) and I can get around better than ever.
We have a weight and jaundice check tomorrow an are expecting visitors, so it will be an interesting day.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Congrats to all the mamas who have recently given birth, and to the mamas still waiting -I can't wait to read your birth stories and see pictures of your sweet babies.
The rest of the day passed quickly, except that DS1 was too wired to sleep at the end of the day. All he could talk about was driving into work with daddy and spending the day at his grandparents house, again. (They live 5 min away from DH's work, and we've been psuedo living there just in case I had another episode of pancreatitis or "happened" to go into labor.) And, he kept repeating that "baby brother" was coming too. (Kids must have a 6th sense.) At 10:30 DS1 finally crashed, but I had caught a second wind... so I cleaned house, cruised MDC, and visited the baby's room for a quick rock in the glider and a little chat about being ready. I climbed into bed just before 2 am, and slept for four good hours.
6:45 am Tuesday morning, we began our journey to DH's parents house. We had over-slept and DH was going to be really late for work, so I teased that I had less than 30 minutes to go into labor. I had been having irregular contractions for a little over a week, and commented out loud that I was so sick of contractions that didn't lead anywhere. At 7:15 I had a very strong contraction, followed by what I can only describe as a very violent movement inside of my uterus. I told DH, and wondered to myself if maybe my water had broken or would the next big movement I made, so I sat still.
At 7:30 we pulled into his parents driveway. DH got DS1 and our things out of the car as I struggled to get my preggo body out of the seat. As I was swinging my legs out of the door I felt a small gush of warm fluid, I announced that I thought my water had broken and that we should go to the birthing center right away. I used the bathroom, we hugged and kissed DS1 goodbye, and by 7:40 we were on the road headed for the birth center.
My contractions started 3-5 minutes apart and got more intense with each one. At 8:15 we arrived at the birth center, my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting well over a minute. I was checked right away, 4 cm and 80%.
The next two hours are a blur. I was just trying to find a comfortable spot to labor in. I went from bed, to toilet, to tub. Nothing was cutting it. I was in transition - 8 cm and 100% and wanting to push. I started losing my focus, the contractions were coming one right after the other with no rest in between. At 10:20 I started yelling with each contraction. At 10:40 I was out of the tub and begging for something to take the edge off. At 10:51 I climbed onto the bed, put the head up, leaned over it on my knees and told the midwife I was going to push. She "barely" caught him 3 minutes later!
Ewan Michael
Born: Tuesday, September 12, 2006, 10:54 am (PST)
Stats: 8lbs 15oz, 21"
Gestation: 38+ weeks
Labored: 3 hrs, 20 mins - in the tub
Pushed: 3 mins - bent over bed on knees
Meds: None
Everything about this pregnancy has been intense, but I never anticipated a 3 hour and 24 minute labor! I'm scared to have another after everything that has happened this time around.
We are all home and resting. Kellen loves his baby brother so much. He is constantly touching him and saying, "he's so nice", "he's so cute", "I love him".
Breastfeeding is going well, my milk is just coming in and Ewan's appetite is gradually increasing. The afterpains are horrible this time around, but my bleeding is already very light (loving the post-partum mama pads) and I can get around better than ever.
We have a weight and jaundice check tomorrow an are expecting visitors, so it will be an interesting day.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Congrats to all the mamas who have recently given birth, and to the mamas still waiting -I can't wait to read your birth stories and see pictures of your sweet babies.
Congratulations mama!
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