C's Birth Story

12/28

M and I arrived at the hospital at 6:45AM. We were set up in a room to await shift change and the OB to let us know what was going to happen. About 5 minutes later the OB comes in and asks what things were going on the day before. I tell him what I was told after the internal on Tuesday, that there has been no progress since the week before, still 2cm, thick and head high. He asks if they did a membrane sweep. I respond with yes. He asks if there was bloody show, and I respond with no. He said they didn't do it right then, and he'll be doing it again. Wholy Moly did he do a sweep. He also said that I was a 3, thin, but the head was still high. He believed that once the meds started we'd be having a baby by mid afternoon.

Everything was right on track for that prediction. The Oxytocin was started around 8:30. There were some contractions, but I barely noticed them. M and I put on a Top Chef All Stars marathon and just wondered around the room. Around noon the OB comes in to check things out and breaks my water. He still thinks mid afternoon. I'm at a 4-5cm at that point.

Still the contractions aren't too bad. I can definitely feel them, but nothing horrible. Every half hour to hour the Oxytocin is bumped up by 2, so it was at about a 12 at that point. I ask for a labor ball around 1, and the nurse bumps up the meds one last time. At that point the contractions were getting much more painful, but I was still able to breathe through them. The OB came in around 2 to check again. 7cm. He said he'd be back in a bit since I'll be ready soon. He has now changed his prediction to late afternoon. My mother came in around that time and her, M and I were just talking with each other and the nurse, while still watching Top Chef. The contractions were much more intense, so I had a lot of breaks in the conversation. Next internal still showed 7cm. I asked for some Nubane to take the edge off and that bought me another hour. Unfortunately I was still at 7cm after that hour. Then the pain was intense again.

I asked for more Nubane, but it wasn't doing anything to take the edge off. I went through a few more contractions, but it was too much. The nurse offered to do another internal and we agreed that if I was still at 7cm, she'd call for the epi. Still 7cm, bring on the drugs!

I got the epi all done and feeling great around 7PM. I still could wiggle my toes and my lungs felt tight when a contraction hit, but thank goodness the pain was gone. The OB told me to rest. I could either relax my body enough to get past that pesky 7cm, or I'd at least get some rest to keep going later. Sadly the nurse I had all day had to leave. She was so bummed to know it was all so close but her shift was over.

An hour later the OB comes in, checks, and tells me we're good to go. Unfortunately I can't feel anything in order to push, so they back off the epi. About 15 minutes later (8PM) the nurses set me up with M on one side, my mother on the other and explain how I'm going to push. She tells me to do some test pushes. After two contractions C is crowning. One nurse gets the OB. He comes in, sets up, and 2 contractions later C has arrived. 8:20PM, 7 pounds 12 ounces, 21 inches.

No tear, no hemhorage, no issues at all with me. C did take a big gulp of fluid, so there were some feeding issues with that, but nothing else. She spent the night with me and H in our room, and it was fantastic!

We're even breastfeeding. So far so good with that. It's an adjustment and there have already been times I thought of how easy formula would be, like the 4 straight hours she was attached to me last night, but we're hanging in there. I reached my first goal, and we made it through the hospital stay without formula. Next goal will be to make it to a week.

Such an incredible experience the whole day was. It was such a difference than with AJ, that I almost got sad that we have no plans to ever have that experience again.

We are so in love with the precious C.