I went into the hospital after my contractions had been 3-5 minutes apart on Sunday May 20th at 4 a.m. After having an internal exam and found to be 2 cm, my doctor (knowing I wanted a natural birth) gave me the option to go home and labor there or stay and labor at the hospital. I chose to go home. I went to sleep around 9 a.m. that morning and I woke up 2 hours later to no contractions. I was devasted.
My contractions came and went several times a day throughout the next week. I tried several different natural labor induction methods that would bring on contractions, but they would eventually stop. It was a very trying week.
Thursday, I decided to surrender. I cried, I prayed, I talked to my sweet baby and told her she could come when she was ready. It was her show, her decision, her birth.
Friday night, my contractions didn't stop after several hours and I went to bed with some Tylenol. Saturday morning, May 26th, I woke up to intense contractions around 8 a.m. I tidied the house, made my son breakfast, puttered around for the next few hours to increasingly painful contractions. At 11 a.m., I woke up my husband (who had worked a paramedic night shift the night before). I needed help taking care of our 2 year old son because of the contractions. By noon, I called our sitter to let her know what was going on. My dear husband still thought we had several hours. At 12:30 p.m., I said - no its time to go. We need to get ready to go. We feed our son lunch, got the car packed, made sure we had everything and met our sitter at the hospital around 1:45 p.m.
4:00 p.m. After two LOOOONNNNG hours in the evaluation room, we were finally admitted to the birthing room. I was given my IV lock (no fluids, just the line) and hooked to monitors for 15 minutes. At the end of the 15 minutes, I got in the shower and labored with the wonderful flow of HOT water on my lower back.
After about 45 minutes in the shower, my water broke. It was meconium stained. I freaked out and called the nurse who agreed, but explained to me that meconium wasn't necessarily a sign of fetal distress. (I thought that you couldn't have meconium stained water without stress) I labored on the bed for a while with DH giving me counter pressure by pushing on my knees for about 15 minutes, while we were monitored.
After my water broke my contractions got very very much more intense. I was telling my husband after every one that I couldn't do it. The nurse checked me right as I was getting into bed to be monitored and I was around 7 cm dilated. I think it was about 5 p.m. at this point.
15 minutes later I got back into the shower, but I was only in there for about 20 minutes before I started to feel "pushy". I got out of the shower and got back into bed. The nurse called my doc, and they started setting up for the delivery. I started pushing enough to relieve the pressure around 5:50 p.m. I knew I wasn't pushing hard enough to do anything, but it helped a bit. Around 6:05 p.m., I couldn't take it anymore and I started really pushing as hard as I could as my doctor walked into the room. After 3 more contractions, my daughter was born. I have never felt so much relief. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.
She was placed on my stomach and just clicked. After a few minutes, I allowed them to take her, weigh her, clean her up, etc, etc. During that time, I birthed the placenta. My doctor was trying to ease it out I think, when I offered to push it out. One painless push and it was complete. I didn't tear, I have no stitches. My daughter weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long. Her apgars were 9/9. She has a head full of dark hair.
About 10 minutes after her birth, my daughter started rooting around. My husband was with her while I was delivering the placenta, so he announced she was ready to nurse. She was given back to me and we were placed skin to skin to nurse for the first time. She's a pro. Everyone left us alone and we nursed and nursed and nursed.
I left the hospital the next morning and we've been doing really great at home. I've got some nipple soreness because she nurses so much, but my milk is completely in and for the most part I've avoided too much engorgement.
My son is doing really well with his new sister as well. Last night, my husband and I miraculously agreed on a name.... Emma Grace.
Here's a pic of her and her big brother:
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d5...maandethan.jpg
My contractions came and went several times a day throughout the next week. I tried several different natural labor induction methods that would bring on contractions, but they would eventually stop. It was a very trying week.
Thursday, I decided to surrender. I cried, I prayed, I talked to my sweet baby and told her she could come when she was ready. It was her show, her decision, her birth.
Friday night, my contractions didn't stop after several hours and I went to bed with some Tylenol. Saturday morning, May 26th, I woke up to intense contractions around 8 a.m. I tidied the house, made my son breakfast, puttered around for the next few hours to increasingly painful contractions. At 11 a.m., I woke up my husband (who had worked a paramedic night shift the night before). I needed help taking care of our 2 year old son because of the contractions. By noon, I called our sitter to let her know what was going on. My dear husband still thought we had several hours. At 12:30 p.m., I said - no its time to go. We need to get ready to go. We feed our son lunch, got the car packed, made sure we had everything and met our sitter at the hospital around 1:45 p.m.
4:00 p.m. After two LOOOONNNNG hours in the evaluation room, we were finally admitted to the birthing room. I was given my IV lock (no fluids, just the line) and hooked to monitors for 15 minutes. At the end of the 15 minutes, I got in the shower and labored with the wonderful flow of HOT water on my lower back.
After about 45 minutes in the shower, my water broke. It was meconium stained. I freaked out and called the nurse who agreed, but explained to me that meconium wasn't necessarily a sign of fetal distress. (I thought that you couldn't have meconium stained water without stress) I labored on the bed for a while with DH giving me counter pressure by pushing on my knees for about 15 minutes, while we were monitored.
After my water broke my contractions got very very much more intense. I was telling my husband after every one that I couldn't do it. The nurse checked me right as I was getting into bed to be monitored and I was around 7 cm dilated. I think it was about 5 p.m. at this point.
15 minutes later I got back into the shower, but I was only in there for about 20 minutes before I started to feel "pushy". I got out of the shower and got back into bed. The nurse called my doc, and they started setting up for the delivery. I started pushing enough to relieve the pressure around 5:50 p.m. I knew I wasn't pushing hard enough to do anything, but it helped a bit. Around 6:05 p.m., I couldn't take it anymore and I started really pushing as hard as I could as my doctor walked into the room. After 3 more contractions, my daughter was born. I have never felt so much relief. It was the most amazing feeling in the world.
She was placed on my stomach and just clicked. After a few minutes, I allowed them to take her, weigh her, clean her up, etc, etc. During that time, I birthed the placenta. My doctor was trying to ease it out I think, when I offered to push it out. One painless push and it was complete. I didn't tear, I have no stitches. My daughter weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long. Her apgars were 9/9. She has a head full of dark hair.
About 10 minutes after her birth, my daughter started rooting around. My husband was with her while I was delivering the placenta, so he announced she was ready to nurse. She was given back to me and we were placed skin to skin to nurse for the first time. She's a pro. Everyone left us alone and we nursed and nursed and nursed.
I left the hospital the next morning and we've been doing really great at home. I've got some nipple soreness because she nurses so much, but my milk is completely in and for the most part I've avoided too much engorgement.
My son is doing really well with his new sister as well. Last night, my husband and I miraculously agreed on a name.... Emma Grace.
Here's a pic of her and her big brother:
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d5...maandethan.jpg
