My first birth was a nightmare.
I was admitted to the hospital 2 weeks before my due date with influenza - had 104 fever, was hacking up a lung and vomiting up a bowel (or so it seemed) I ached all over and truly felt that if God took me at that moment it would not be a moment too soon. I was admitted at 7pm. At 4am my water broke. My midwife came to the hospital and after consulting with a physician decided to induce me so baby Alyssa would not be in such a hot environment (by this time fever was 104+) She administered the cytotecgel and I immediately went into hard (did i say HARD?) labor. No building, no natural transition, just intense constractions 1-2 minutes apart. I was so not prepared for this. I totally lost my mind - seriously. My husband still tells me that i became some crazy woman he never had seen before. We tried the jacuzzi tub (but with lukewarm water because my fever was too high), we tried the ball, we tried walking, position changes, everything. I started begging for help because I truly felt to weak to even stand. She offered an epidural which I immediately grabbed onto that idea - but low and behold, my fever was too high so I was at risk for meningitis. We talked about c-section (I even begged for one - I know bad bad girl), but she felt I could do this naturally. She was such an encouragement and I never could have done it without my midwife! (HUbby was in a state of shock by now thinking that I was going to die)
So 8hrs after the gel was inserted I started to push. LUckily, I was blessed because 2 pushes and she was out! Thank you God! Unfortunately, I missed some important bonding time with her as I immediately fell into a deep sleep. Don't even remember being stitched up from my tear. I think I finally held her about 6 hrs later (her and daddy have a very special bond because of this I do believe). After IV antibiotics and hospitalization for a few more days, she took to nursing like an old pro. I felt better and we went home to live our glorious life
Baby number 2- little Ellie. Complete and total opposite. I went with a physician this time (I had moved to a different town), but got extremely lucky - he had the attitude and belief that a mom is in charge during labor and she makes all the decisions. He was so supportive of everything that I wanted. He knew my first birth story and told me he was determined to give me a perfect birth this time if he could. I was a little nervous, but boy did he deliver! Literally
Ellie decided to make her entrance into this world 10 days after her due date. Started contracting at 9:30 am, slow and easy. Wonderful natural transition, hard labor came on at about 11AM - dialated to 10 by 1PM. Pushed for 30 minutes and little Ellie came into this world wide awake and ready for momma! What a wonderful experience! (Nice quick labor too - 4hrs total) I immediately felt a connection to her that I had not experienced before. I try my absolute best not to favor one child over the other, but Ellie and I have this "thing" between us and I do miss that with Alyssa. But we are growing and building every day! Anyway - Ellie also took to nursing easily and decided booby was best!
I actually am quite thankful for both experiences. They allow me to empathize with every woman's birth story much more now. I feel like I've been from one end of the birth spectrum to the other and it does make me a stronger person. I love my babies and would not trade them or their birth experience(s) for anything. (OK, maybe a little less fever with the first one
)
Now I'm ready for #3 if I can get DH to agree. He's still a little nervous and fearful of a repeat of scenario #1. Maybe someday!
I was admitted to the hospital 2 weeks before my due date with influenza - had 104 fever, was hacking up a lung and vomiting up a bowel (or so it seemed) I ached all over and truly felt that if God took me at that moment it would not be a moment too soon. I was admitted at 7pm. At 4am my water broke. My midwife came to the hospital and after consulting with a physician decided to induce me so baby Alyssa would not be in such a hot environment (by this time fever was 104+) She administered the cytotecgel and I immediately went into hard (did i say HARD?) labor. No building, no natural transition, just intense constractions 1-2 minutes apart. I was so not prepared for this. I totally lost my mind - seriously. My husband still tells me that i became some crazy woman he never had seen before. We tried the jacuzzi tub (but with lukewarm water because my fever was too high), we tried the ball, we tried walking, position changes, everything. I started begging for help because I truly felt to weak to even stand. She offered an epidural which I immediately grabbed onto that idea - but low and behold, my fever was too high so I was at risk for meningitis. We talked about c-section (I even begged for one - I know bad bad girl), but she felt I could do this naturally. She was such an encouragement and I never could have done it without my midwife! (HUbby was in a state of shock by now thinking that I was going to die)So 8hrs after the gel was inserted I started to push. LUckily, I was blessed because 2 pushes and she was out! Thank you God! Unfortunately, I missed some important bonding time with her as I immediately fell into a deep sleep. Don't even remember being stitched up from my tear. I think I finally held her about 6 hrs later (her and daddy have a very special bond because of this I do believe). After IV antibiotics and hospitalization for a few more days, she took to nursing like an old pro. I felt better and we went home to live our glorious life
Baby number 2- little Ellie. Complete and total opposite. I went with a physician this time (I had moved to a different town), but got extremely lucky - he had the attitude and belief that a mom is in charge during labor and she makes all the decisions. He was so supportive of everything that I wanted. He knew my first birth story and told me he was determined to give me a perfect birth this time if he could. I was a little nervous, but boy did he deliver! Literally
Ellie decided to make her entrance into this world 10 days after her due date. Started contracting at 9:30 am, slow and easy. Wonderful natural transition, hard labor came on at about 11AM - dialated to 10 by 1PM. Pushed for 30 minutes and little Ellie came into this world wide awake and ready for momma! What a wonderful experience! (Nice quick labor too - 4hrs total) I immediately felt a connection to her that I had not experienced before. I try my absolute best not to favor one child over the other, but Ellie and I have this "thing" between us and I do miss that with Alyssa. But we are growing and building every day! Anyway - Ellie also took to nursing easily and decided booby was best!
I actually am quite thankful for both experiences. They allow me to empathize with every woman's birth story much more now. I feel like I've been from one end of the birth spectrum to the other and it does make me a stronger person. I love my babies and would not trade them or their birth experience(s) for anything. (OK, maybe a little less fever with the first one
)Now I'm ready for #3 if I can get DH to agree. He's still a little nervous and fearful of a repeat of scenario #1. Maybe someday!
