For anyone who likes to hear about other people’s labor and delivery… this is for you 🙂 I’ll try not to draw it out too much, but you know how we love going on and on about these things…
So I started feeling contractions on Friday morning, but I didn’t even mention them to my husband, David, or sister who’s staying with us, because I wasn’t even sure I was having them. But by around 2:00 I was like, “Oh, by the way, I think I’m having contractions” and then began the super-annoying process of trying to count them and time them and all that. I didnt have much chance to focus because darn it, there was a lot to take care of before I could get around to having a baby! Finally around 3:15 we went to the hospital, becuase although the contractions were not very strong, they were getting more frequent.
I was 3 cm dialated when we got there. Accepted the enima as graciously as one can accept an enima, it’s actually kind of nice in away… You feel so cleaned out afterward! David kept saying he wished he could have one too. LOL. But they didnt offer him one…
The midwife poked me three times before getting a “good vein” for the IV, that might have been the worst part of the whole labor, the way they poke you and dig around inside your arm. Ugh! I have these huge nasty bruises where they failed to find an acceptable vein (want pictures??). So eventually the contractions got worse and I was like, OK, where’s my epidural??? For some reason it took an hour or so until the doctor was able to come and give it to me. And I was so unhappy because aside from the contractions, they made me lay there on the stupid moniter and the most uncomfortable position for me was laying on my back and I think it made me gassy, so there was extra pressure in that abdominal area and my back hurt and I was not happy about it. Even trying to turn over on my side was not helpful. And the IV was bothering me too. It was very annoying. So finally I got my epidural, but last time they gave me the type where I could administer it myself, and it was such a pleasure. This time they just gave me a little bit, and I had to ask for more becuase it wasn’t working. And once it did start working, I got the shakes and I was so cold and shaky and even though I couldnt feel the contractions I was still not a happy camper. I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t lie down becuase it was too uncomfortable, and my feet felt like ice and I was all shakey and felt wretched. *sigh* so much for my bright dreams of a peaceful, comfortable labor. But definitely better than not having the epidural at all.
Anyway at about 12:25 they checked me and there was the head! A few pushes and the head was out, and then the midwife yelled for help, and another midwife came in and together they pulled out the rest of the baby (I pushed a little to help them along, nice of me, huh?) It was kind of a funny sight with my legs every which way and the 2 midwives pulling with all their might. Funny, but probably not very pretty. Anyway, out he came, all 4 kilo of him, and as I said before I was not bowled over by the first impression. But dont worry, I am growing to love him more 🙂 He is such a good, sweet little baby. And he’s a boy, so he doesn’t have to be a beauty…
Thank G-d a million time I didn’t tear, so no stitches, and it makes a world of a difference in the recovery! I feel like a normal person, and last time it was painful to go to the bathroom and even walk around! The contractions I got during nursing were pretty bad for the first few days but thankfully we are over that too. I actually feel really good (don’t tell that to my mother who’s been scrubbing my apartment, cooking and shopping for me!).
So there you have it, labor and delivery in all their exciting, glamous detail. Just glad it’s over and glad to have the little fellow out in the wide wonderful world, instead of in me! Can’t say much for the post-partum figure but I guess now we just wait patiently in our roomiest sweaters…