well little princess decided to go against all odds and come on her estimated due date, which of course i was unprepared for haha! she is beautiful, and is definitely aaron's little sister. joey and i make perfectly adorable children :)
i'll share the story here, so if you don't want to read it go ahead and skip to the pictures below :)
june 14th, about 6:30pm: we had just been to the pool, so we cleaned up and i was making some dinner. i noticed that unlike most nights where i feel a contraction then maybe an hour or more later i'd feel another one... this time i was getting several... i text mom and tell her she better not have jinxed me (she will be here today).
7:30pm: still having contractions. realizing they're not going away, i start to panic. i'm not ready for this just yet! decide to go shower to relax.
8:30pm: yep, still 8 minutes apart about. joey's called his mom so she can be here, just in case. i may or may not have had a mini breakdown as the reality of what is happening hits me. (i've been trying to mentally prepare more this time around than physically. two kids?! i'm not sure i can do this!!) i go to our room and start talking to ana, and praying. realizing that i told her she could come when she's ready, i realize she's ready. and so i start to seriously relax and think about what all i need to gather still (just last minute things). we get aaron ready for bed and i sing him some songs, just like always.
10:30pm: contractions slowly coming closer together. still just resting in our room, knowing it's going to be a long night. ask joey for a blessing to get through this.
11:30pm: joey's mom gets here, and we talk about when we think we want to head to the hospital. decide to sleep for a bit, since joey is already wiped from a great day playing with aaron. my contractions get more intense, much stronger than i remember the beginning was last time. this is probably because last time i had several days of false starts, whereas this time around it's the real thing on the first go.
june 15th, 2:30am: lots more intense, not sure how far along we are, so we decide to head out. aaron wakes up, so i put him back down one last time before heading to the hospital.
3:30am: checked in, and only about 4cm open, but that's enough to hang out if we want. not wanting to endure another car ride, we stay and i labor without being attached to anything.
5:30am: nurses come in to get blood work, heplock attached, and check to see progress. only the first thing is attempted, as my iv blows and she has to try again. joey, holding my hand and helping me breathe through this (i'm terrified of IVs incase you forgot), sees the first attempt shoot blood as the second attempt is tried. remembering all the horror of the first delivery's hemorrhage, he passes out with a birth ball right behind him. so he goes from standing to flat on his back, smacking his head open and looking like a seizure. thankfully, the aforementioned blessing gave me comfort and even though i'm contracting and bleeding and freaking out a little bit, i know everything is still going to be ok. joey wakes up after a minute, nurses help him onto the gurney and he's taken downstairs to the ER to be checked out. the nurses decide a heplock isn't necessary at this point (they got the blood work), and also that enough excitement has been had that checking my station is probably not a great idea right now either (seeing as i hate that part too).
about 7am: joey is finally brought back up after getting 4 stitches and a CT scan. no seizure, just passed out (low blood sugar probably helped), but kept in a neck brace till the results of the CT scan are received. contractions definitely closer together, and definitely grateful to have my #1 support back, even if he can only sit next to me (i basically labored on my left side the whole time, switching to my hands and knees about now). the watch changes, so new nurses and staff come in, and they try to offer to break my water. knowing what my body does, and knowing i want this to be as easy as possible, i decline, even if it means a little bit longer labor.
about 8:45am: i tell the nurse i really just want to push and be done laboring. she checks me and says i'm open enough, so she goes to get the doctor. (side note: my midwife i've seen this whole time can't be here this weekend, so an OB i've never met would be.) i try to mentally prepare myself.
about 9:15am: i get into a squat and start pushing. (side note: the OB is a guy, but he's super calm and doesn't try to interfere, he's just there to help as needed - just perfect.) i remember thinking how much easier this is than last time, but it still SUCKS. the water is still intact, and i feel her head start to come through. the water breaks halfway through getting her head out, and joey (knowing exactly what i need to hear) reminds me that as soon as her head is through, the rest is a breeze. that gives me enough strength to push the rest of her head and then obviously the rest of her out, quite quickly.
9:30am: she's out, after only 15 minutes (roughly) of pushing, and the last 3 or 4 pushes being what actually brings ana out!
9:30-10:30am: there was some meconium in the sac, so i hold her for a few minutes then they put her on the table next to me to check and make sure everything is good/out/functioning. placenta comes, and i'm still bleeding... but ana is great and eats just wonderfully.
10:30-11:30am: waiting to see if the blood flow slows like it should... it doesn't so i need an IV and to see what's going on we decide on some anesthesia because it looks like there might be a cervical tear! (remember, this didn't hurt as bad as last time, and the water was still intact, so this is really weird!)
11:30am-12:30pm: OB and nurses fixing me up, while joey and ana take a nap next to me. nurses really great, and even though i was drowsy i stayed aware for most of it, and apparently was amazingly calm. just know, that sucked and i was so grateful when they were done!
12:30-4pm roughly: chilling in the same room still, making sure everything is going right now. it is. it totally was a cervical laceration towards the back, right over the artery that's about there. still unsure how that happened, but i think it must have been previous scars just giving in. who really knows?
4-7pm: moved to the mother-baby unit, rest, joey leaves at about 6 to get some dinner, say hi to aaron, and bring him and marmie to the hospital.
7-8:30pm: aaron gets some snuggle time, remains confused about baby ana, and marmie gets to say hi.
8:30pm to june 16th 8:30am: joey stays home to help aaron and get some rest, i get some antibiotics because of the craziness, and try to sleep.
8:40am roughly: things put in the day before are taken out by the same OB (who kept telling me i was amazing and such a champ, ha i feel like superwoman when talking to these people!), i get to shower, and joey comes to spend some time with us (i get some real sleep!)
3pm: told the pediatrician on duty won't let us leave before 36 hours, but they won't discharge after 8:30pm. i miss checking out that night by an hour. not cool. especially since ana and i rock and were doing so great, even then! at least the nurses are super awesome and i was the only one there that night.
june 17th, 10am: finally leave the hospital and see aaron at home!
my mantra this entire labor and delivery was "open and release". every contraction, that is what i thought over and over and over as i breathed through it. i'm amazed at how calm i remained, and yet is it that surprising? when i'm determined to do my best, i do. and i NEEDED this delivery to be a better experience than last time. it was still incredibly hard of course, very tiring and intense, and a completely different experience, but i was still able to go natural, and because i let my body do what it could/needed to, pushing was TONS easier and shorter. there was a lot more "back labor" this time, but that's because my entire core contracted more intensely this time around, for the whole duration of labor. because there was a cervical tear, i'm now compelled to tell future providers there was a complication, so i have no idea what the future brings, but i'm just so relieved that this past weekend went the way it did, even though so much "unexpected" happened! the Lord knew what i needed, and how best to help me. when i stopped being selfish and scared, He was able to help me.
and here is the outcome of the whole experience, enjoy :)
click on the pics to make them bigger if you want to see better. and happy belated father's day to joey and my dad. joey got his present early (i'm awesome and found a gotham city p.d. shirt), but daddy thanks for teaching me to be strong, and find someone wonderfully supportive just like you!
happy birthday ana, we love you!
ana marie
15 june 2013, 9:30 am
7 lbs 2 oz, 19.5 in
i'll share the story here, so if you don't want to read it go ahead and skip to the pictures below :)
june 14th, about 6:30pm: we had just been to the pool, so we cleaned up and i was making some dinner. i noticed that unlike most nights where i feel a contraction then maybe an hour or more later i'd feel another one... this time i was getting several... i text mom and tell her she better not have jinxed me (she will be here today).
7:30pm: still having contractions. realizing they're not going away, i start to panic. i'm not ready for this just yet! decide to go shower to relax.
8:30pm: yep, still 8 minutes apart about. joey's called his mom so she can be here, just in case. i may or may not have had a mini breakdown as the reality of what is happening hits me. (i've been trying to mentally prepare more this time around than physically. two kids?! i'm not sure i can do this!!) i go to our room and start talking to ana, and praying. realizing that i told her she could come when she's ready, i realize she's ready. and so i start to seriously relax and think about what all i need to gather still (just last minute things). we get aaron ready for bed and i sing him some songs, just like always.
10:30pm: contractions slowly coming closer together. still just resting in our room, knowing it's going to be a long night. ask joey for a blessing to get through this.
11:30pm: joey's mom gets here, and we talk about when we think we want to head to the hospital. decide to sleep for a bit, since joey is already wiped from a great day playing with aaron. my contractions get more intense, much stronger than i remember the beginning was last time. this is probably because last time i had several days of false starts, whereas this time around it's the real thing on the first go.
june 15th, 2:30am: lots more intense, not sure how far along we are, so we decide to head out. aaron wakes up, so i put him back down one last time before heading to the hospital.
3:30am: checked in, and only about 4cm open, but that's enough to hang out if we want. not wanting to endure another car ride, we stay and i labor without being attached to anything.
5:30am: nurses come in to get blood work, heplock attached, and check to see progress. only the first thing is attempted, as my iv blows and she has to try again. joey, holding my hand and helping me breathe through this (i'm terrified of IVs incase you forgot), sees the first attempt shoot blood as the second attempt is tried. remembering all the horror of the first delivery's hemorrhage, he passes out with a birth ball right behind him. so he goes from standing to flat on his back, smacking his head open and looking like a seizure. thankfully, the aforementioned blessing gave me comfort and even though i'm contracting and bleeding and freaking out a little bit, i know everything is still going to be ok. joey wakes up after a minute, nurses help him onto the gurney and he's taken downstairs to the ER to be checked out. the nurses decide a heplock isn't necessary at this point (they got the blood work), and also that enough excitement has been had that checking my station is probably not a great idea right now either (seeing as i hate that part too).
about 7am: joey is finally brought back up after getting 4 stitches and a CT scan. no seizure, just passed out (low blood sugar probably helped), but kept in a neck brace till the results of the CT scan are received. contractions definitely closer together, and definitely grateful to have my #1 support back, even if he can only sit next to me (i basically labored on my left side the whole time, switching to my hands and knees about now). the watch changes, so new nurses and staff come in, and they try to offer to break my water. knowing what my body does, and knowing i want this to be as easy as possible, i decline, even if it means a little bit longer labor.
about 8:45am: i tell the nurse i really just want to push and be done laboring. she checks me and says i'm open enough, so she goes to get the doctor. (side note: my midwife i've seen this whole time can't be here this weekend, so an OB i've never met would be.) i try to mentally prepare myself.
about 9:15am: i get into a squat and start pushing. (side note: the OB is a guy, but he's super calm and doesn't try to interfere, he's just there to help as needed - just perfect.) i remember thinking how much easier this is than last time, but it still SUCKS. the water is still intact, and i feel her head start to come through. the water breaks halfway through getting her head out, and joey (knowing exactly what i need to hear) reminds me that as soon as her head is through, the rest is a breeze. that gives me enough strength to push the rest of her head and then obviously the rest of her out, quite quickly.
9:30am: she's out, after only 15 minutes (roughly) of pushing, and the last 3 or 4 pushes being what actually brings ana out!
9:30-10:30am: there was some meconium in the sac, so i hold her for a few minutes then they put her on the table next to me to check and make sure everything is good/out/functioning. placenta comes, and i'm still bleeding... but ana is great and eats just wonderfully.
10:30-11:30am: waiting to see if the blood flow slows like it should... it doesn't so i need an IV and to see what's going on we decide on some anesthesia because it looks like there might be a cervical tear! (remember, this didn't hurt as bad as last time, and the water was still intact, so this is really weird!)
11:30am-12:30pm: OB and nurses fixing me up, while joey and ana take a nap next to me. nurses really great, and even though i was drowsy i stayed aware for most of it, and apparently was amazingly calm. just know, that sucked and i was so grateful when they were done!
12:30-4pm roughly: chilling in the same room still, making sure everything is going right now. it is. it totally was a cervical laceration towards the back, right over the artery that's about there. still unsure how that happened, but i think it must have been previous scars just giving in. who really knows?
4-7pm: moved to the mother-baby unit, rest, joey leaves at about 6 to get some dinner, say hi to aaron, and bring him and marmie to the hospital.
7-8:30pm: aaron gets some snuggle time, remains confused about baby ana, and marmie gets to say hi.
8:30pm to june 16th 8:30am: joey stays home to help aaron and get some rest, i get some antibiotics because of the craziness, and try to sleep.
8:40am roughly: things put in the day before are taken out by the same OB (who kept telling me i was amazing and such a champ, ha i feel like superwoman when talking to these people!), i get to shower, and joey comes to spend some time with us (i get some real sleep!)
3pm: told the pediatrician on duty won't let us leave before 36 hours, but they won't discharge after 8:30pm. i miss checking out that night by an hour. not cool. especially since ana and i rock and were doing so great, even then! at least the nurses are super awesome and i was the only one there that night.
june 17th, 10am: finally leave the hospital and see aaron at home!
my mantra this entire labor and delivery was "open and release". every contraction, that is what i thought over and over and over as i breathed through it. i'm amazed at how calm i remained, and yet is it that surprising? when i'm determined to do my best, i do. and i NEEDED this delivery to be a better experience than last time. it was still incredibly hard of course, very tiring and intense, and a completely different experience, but i was still able to go natural, and because i let my body do what it could/needed to, pushing was TONS easier and shorter. there was a lot more "back labor" this time, but that's because my entire core contracted more intensely this time around, for the whole duration of labor. because there was a cervical tear, i'm now compelled to tell future providers there was a complication, so i have no idea what the future brings, but i'm just so relieved that this past weekend went the way it did, even though so much "unexpected" happened! the Lord knew what i needed, and how best to help me. when i stopped being selfish and scared, He was able to help me.
and here is the outcome of the whole experience, enjoy :)
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| in our 2nd room |
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| fingers/tongue! |
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| wanted to hold her, then changed his mind |
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| ha, gotcha :) |
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| stretch!! |
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| snuggle bug |
happy birthday ana, we love you!
Cassia! She's beautiful!!! Congrats to you Joey!!!
ReplyDeletePerfection! What a story! Never a dull moment, right?
ReplyDelete