Hi, you guys! I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to update you sooner.
I started really feeling strong contractions around 5 p.m. Saturday. By 6, they were around 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long (they took a big leap ... they didn't gradually get closer together like I thought they would). So I called my doula and headed to the hospital around 6:30.
The contractions got REALLY painful in the car. They admitted me to triage, and found that I was fully dilated. (I was totally shocked!!! So was the nurse -- she had to get someone else to double-check!) So I went right to labor and delivery and had Matthew at 9:03 p.m. He was 7 pounds, 6 ounces, and about 20 inches long. (Btw, his middle name, Senkow, is a family name on DH's side. It's Russian.)
I didn't have an epidural, which I was proud of .... ironically, however, I tore badly enough that my OB thought I should get a spinal for when they stitched me up. (I had two pretty bad interior lacerations, because he shot out so quickly.) So I ended up getting the spinal and (from what I've heard since from ladies who got local anesthetic) am pretty glad I did.
The first two nights were kind of rough ... breastfeeding wasn't going well at all. He would wake up and cry, so I'd try to feed him, and he'd latch on, but only for about three sucks, then pull off and start crying again. Repeat ... repeat ... repeat ... until I was in tears and DH was close to them. But this morning, an AWESOME nurse really helped me out, so he's been eating like a champ today.
Anyway, here are a couple of pics!
Matthew
Me and Matthew
I started really feeling strong contractions around 5 p.m. Saturday. By 6, they were around 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long (they took a big leap ... they didn't gradually get closer together like I thought they would). So I called my doula and headed to the hospital around 6:30.
The contractions got REALLY painful in the car. They admitted me to triage, and found that I was fully dilated. (I was totally shocked!!! So was the nurse -- she had to get someone else to double-check!) So I went right to labor and delivery and had Matthew at 9:03 p.m. He was 7 pounds, 6 ounces, and about 20 inches long. (Btw, his middle name, Senkow, is a family name on DH's side. It's Russian.)
I didn't have an epidural, which I was proud of .... ironically, however, I tore badly enough that my OB thought I should get a spinal for when they stitched me up. (I had two pretty bad interior lacerations, because he shot out so quickly.) So I ended up getting the spinal and (from what I've heard since from ladies who got local anesthetic) am pretty glad I did.
The first two nights were kind of rough ... breastfeeding wasn't going well at all. He would wake up and cry, so I'd try to feed him, and he'd latch on, but only for about three sucks, then pull off and start crying again. Repeat ... repeat ... repeat ... until I was in tears and DH was close to them. But this morning, an AWESOME nurse really helped me out, so he's been eating like a champ today.
Anyway, here are a couple of pics!
Matthew
Me and Matthew
matthew! And congrats mama you look radiant! Hope you heal quickly!
