Tag Archives: birth story

Becoming a Mother… Part Two

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Let me start this out by saying in almost exactly 12 hours (at the time written) I will have a toddler, a one year old, no ‘babies’ in my house.  Weird. Everyone with more than one child in their house will tell you, it goes faster the second time. They aren’t lying!

So here is comes… the Birth Story! Again it might be ‘graphic’ to some readers, so here is your warning!!!

Peanut’s Birth Story

It started a couple days before New Years Eve. I was having crazy strong contractions.  These were not Braxton Hicks and I knew it. They never stayed for long enough but got pretty close at times (7 mins or so). I wasn’t due until Feb 4th so this made me pretty nervous! Another concern was that our hospital was about 45 mins or so away (much longer with traffic).  These contractions continued just about every day until I delivered Peanut.

Each week I was checked from 36 weeks on. The OB was pretty sure she would come early… but there was NO guarantee! When I was checked I was progressing about a centimeter a week.  I knew it meant nothing.  I was a big fat ZERO when I was checked 4 days before I had a beautiful baby girl named Munchkin.

I took Munchkin to a story time that Monday and we had a pretty typical day. That night I was SUPER bummed because I wasn’t having the time-able contractions like I had for WEEKS! Rand McNally was working swing shift so he wasn’t home.  I decided to head to bed at about 10pm. I tossed and turned. Rand McNally came home around 1AM. I had just taken a Tylenol PM hoping that would make me sleep! Then I realized I couldn’t sleep because I kept having to get up to pee. It dawned on me… maybe those were contractions… I told Rand I was going to the basement to time them. I figured I would let him get some sleep in case it was the real deal.

I used this website called the Contraction Master. It is pretty cool and easy to use. If you have ever been in labor… clocks, watches, and telling time are practically impossible when you trying to continue to provide oxygen to your baby. I lasted about 15 mins before I realized they were LEGIT! I went upstairs and woke up a sleeping Rand and said..”Guess what buddy I am pretty sure this is IT! ”

Things weren’t as easy as just heading to the hospital… because we had Munchkin! I had about 400 plans depending on where/when I started labor. My dad was going to come down but he had a 2 hour drive. In the meantime one of me best friends here had offered to come over and stay with Munchkin. I hopped in the shower  and realized they were getting closer and closer, not to mention REALLY painful! Just after 3 Rand called my Friend Miss B. and she was awesome… gathered her things and was there about 4ish!  When she came in I was packing Munchkin’s school stuff and making her lunch! I wanted to make sure she knew I loved her even if I couldn’t wake her and hug her.

We arrived at about 5am (after what seemed like the LONGEST ride of my life) and made our way up to labor and delivery. There was another woman (NOT having a baby) and I swear it took forever to get signed in! In triage, I was checked and was a good 5-6cm. There was a monitor in the room scrolling pictures of food… all I wanted were the pancakes for breakfast ( I mentioned this SEVERAL times in labor :) ).  She asked me if I was interested in medication and I told her I was not. This was the ONLY time anyone asked me.  I let them place a heplock and that was it!

I labored in my tank top and it rocked! I spent most of my time on the labor ball and about 45 mins in the shower. I had reserved a labor tub but never asked for it.  My placenta was on my stomach this time (anterior) and because of this Baby 2.0 was sunny side up. Obviously, at this point this wasn’t confirmed however the back labor was enough confirmation for me! I made Rand use counter pressure and that was one of the things that made it bearable.   I also got on all fours as the nurse suggested and and that helped too!

It was about 630ish when I was checked at about an 8 or so… needless to say… things got  busier in my room. People set up things for baby to be but  it was still dim and quiet. It was pretty sweet. My doctor wasn’t on call but had been called in, she was on her way. Next thing I know I knew it was time.  The partner in my practice was there to catch the baby and it was FINE by me! My water had never broken so as I began pushing the OB sliced it. It went EVERYWHERE… on the right side, all over the NURSE. Rand was glad he chose the left!

5 contractions later…. out came a Beautiful crying baby girl! McNally and I saw she was girl as she rested on my chest. It was amazing the amount of skin to skin time they let us have! Peanut came into this world screaming like her sister.  She was 7lbs and 20 1/2 inches.

I tore again but not nearly as bad as the first time. I was also repaired much better!!! She was an 8/9 on the apgars but I guess the nurse said it is the best they typically give! My OB never made it because she was stuck in traffic and I had Peanut really fast!

So no epidural, no medications (just some pitocin after to control some clotting I was having). The experience was different than Munchkin’s but the end result was still an amazing healthy baby girl! I had great nurses, and really enjoyed time at the hospital they were helpful!

Watching Munchkin meet Peanut for the first time was pretty amazing! Words really can’t describe it She was so excited and couldn’t get over how ‘bitty her hands and feet were”. She also thought her belly button was GROSS and broken.  :)

Breastfeeding went much easier this time. Peanut was a little jaundiced so we spent several days getting her levels tested. I was pumping to try and increase my supply (which came in on day 2!) She took a bottle to try and drop her bili levels.

Tonight I am going to sleep knowing I am waking up to my toddler. She can walk, climb, talk (I wish I could remember all the words!), sign, and give a hug/kiss like no other 11 month old. We  are blessed…. and in love with her. I am probably going to cry… okay I am crying.

Being a Mother is hard… But that hug, that glance, that time they look at you and say Momma… it is priceless.

 

Oh… I wanted to add… I got my pancakes!! They were amazing… but I think ANYTHING would have tasted awesome at that point! :)

Happy First Birthday Peanut!

 

Becoming a Mother…. part 1

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This is going to turn into a birth story. There, I gave you plenty of warning. So you can stop reading here in the next few sentences to avoid anything that might creep you out.

In two days Peanut is turning one. How did this happen? It has been a busy couple weeks  preparing things for her party (a HUGE post to come!!). However, she didn’t make me a mother for the first time. Munchkin gave me that honor. Their births’ are very different but both hold a HUGE place in my heart.

I am what some might say crazy… but my goal was a non-medicated vaginal birth (ok I said vaginal… if you are still reading and that word made you freak out… STOP now!)  Tonight’s story is about Munchkin’s birth and the LONG ordeal that happened. Tomorrow I will fill you in on Miss Peanut’s story.

The  Birth Story  (Last chance to click the x in the top right corner!!!)

Well it all started on a Wednesday in 2008. I was definitely having contractions, which had been occurring irregularly for a few days. I had an NST (Non-stress test) the day before and the nurses told me I was definitely having some contractions but they were not close enough together.

Back to Wednesday, I called my husband at work and asked him to try and leave early because I wanted to get things set around the house.  We were having my Dad and  sister in law arriving  on Saturday. On his way home from work his radiator hose popped off… resulting in me having to bring him fluid and help him fix it (thank God he was not far from home) in the sweltering AZ afternoon heat. I must add I was LESS than thrilled about this!!!

When he got home he helped me bring in the groceries from my trip to the store. He brought in the dog food and as we were talking about his day in the kitchen, I felt water dripping around 5:30pm. I looked down and said “Uh, I think my water broke!” to which he replied, “I think so, seeing as it is hitting the floor!” I put on a pad and waited a bit- not wanting to go to L&D if I just peed myself. I made some dinner and we ate, I took a shower and we left for the hospital. I got all checked in and was in triage about 7:30pm. They did a preliminary test to see if the fluid was amniotic. Nope (great I am here and all I did was pee myself!!!)… but they did a second test and this one came back positive. Sure enough… it had broken!!!

All night I labored I was 3cm and barely effaced when I got there.  I wanted as natural a birth as possible. They were ok with just a heplock, until our baby started having a bizarre heart rate. Nothing terrible but they thought fluids would help.  I wasn’t too cool with it but I would do anything for the baby. I got 4 bags of fluids in about 18 hours. Needless to say I was swollen! Then they put me on Oxygen to try and help the heart rate as well. I was able to get up every hour though which really helped me get through the contractions- even attached to the IV pole.

By 6am I was 6cm…. by 9am no change… then they started the Pitocin.

Here is where I am going to insert a disclaimer…. Pitocin is a TERRIBLE drug! It caused my body to RUSH through labor and let me tell you it was more painful than the delivery!!!

I didn’t want this and was pretty upset. They also inserted an internal monitor to see if my contractions were intense enough (oh let me tell you they were). It didn’t take much Pitocin to get them moving. By 10 I was begging for meds. My husband knowing how I really wanted a natural birth was such an amazing coach. I ended up with a little bit of Stadol- that really just allowed me to relax. But by a little bit after 11am I was fully dilated.. . I pushed for 37mins and out our surprise Baby came… a beautiful girl! She was crying before I could get her shoulders out! It went so fast!!! Then the Dr. stitched and stitched (He did this for longer than I pushed)… who would have thought my 6lb. 9 oz. baby would do such damage! She was a 9/10 on her APGARs.

My husband was an amazing coach. He helped me through all the contractions. The Doctor who delivered Munchkin was someone I met that day (my OB was in Cancun!)- he wasn’t my favorite but he brought her into the world. Oh, and because of the full moon there were so many woman giving birth the night after I delivered we got moved @ 2:40AM to another room across the hospital! It was more than slightly annoying. My husband and I ended up sharing my hospital bed!!! The staff tried really hard to encourage me to get an epidural and thought I was nuts (many expressed this too me through out the course of my stay!), I am proud that I didn’t cave under their pressure!

The last week or so has been great. We had to go buy some clothing because NOTHING fit her.  Breastfeeding was tough at first but each day we both get better. We finally got to use our cloth diapers the middle of the week and LOVE them.  My husband commented on how much easier they are then disposables.

Though I didn’t deliver completely med-free I am very glad I didn’t get the Epi. It was amazing to feel in control. I can say though I understand why someone would choose it! In the end… no matter how it happened there was a beautiful baby waiting!

This was written a week or so after Munchkin came into our lives. Now over 3 years later she is a beautiful, intelligent, and caring little girl. I am proud to be her mother. I am really thankful she chose to have us as her parents. We are blessed… I can’t wait to see where she takes us!!