So I promised my birth story and this is the first chance I've really had to get to it. Things have been a little hectic around here these first few days, but anyway, here goes:
Thursday May 31st, I had my 39 week Dr's appointment, Dr. Skiles checked me and said I was 50% effaced and almost 3 centimeters dilated. So she said she could strip my membranes which will help move things along... (Stripping membranes is basically separating the baby/amniotic sac from the cervix.) I left the appointment with cramps and some minor contractions which stopped when I got home. We had a regular night, then went to bed, I woke up at 4 that morning having some minor contractions, but basically the same type of contractions I had been having pretty much every day for the last week. I thought about going into work, but decided against it since those contractions are slightly painful and very annoying and hard to breathe through.
I told AJ at about 7:30 that I was having regular contractions that were increasing in frequency and a little painful but they weren't too bad and he decided to stay home. Then we called up AJ's Mom and she brought the girls we all went to the mall and walked for about 2 hours. During the 2 hours, I could feel the contractions but they weren't really painful yet. AJ told me though that they helped because he could visibly see that I had dropped about 4 inches from when we started. After that we went home and I sat on the couch Buddha style to make sure Ella stayed down low. My contractions seemed to go away at first. But then they finally came back, a little stronger but still not too painful and they weren't very regular... then at about 4:00 I was just getting fed up and frustrated, so I told AJ that we would be going to the hospital in an hour whether things had changed or not. As soon as I said that my contractions evened out and started coming in five minute intervals, a little painful but nothing I couldn't function through. On the drive there though we were almost to the hospital when I felt the contractions really take off and change.
We walked into the birthing unit and got checked in and the nurse checked me, she said I was 3 1/2 cm dilated and that she was pretty sure they would be keeping me, but they usually won't admit til 4 cm, so they had me go walking. I hated them at that point because then I remember what true labor actually feels like, I can't believe I forgot that pain, but it is horrible. As soon as we started walking my contractions got 2 minutes apart... We walked for about 25 minutes, and that was all I could take. We went back to the room and waited for what felt like forever for the nurse to come back at check me... at 7 they finally checked me and I was 4 1/2 cm dilated. So they started the admit process. Which involves even MORE waiting. I was pretty grumpy by this point I was in so much pain. I'm sure they didn't appreciate me cussing up a storm there... I finally found a way to cope with it so I wouldn't have to cuss, but if they had taken any longer they would've heard it from me. Finally we got the IV in and they wheeled me to the delivery room. Once there the Anesthesiologist got me started on my epidural within like 5 minutes... While he was putting it in, I wanted to punch him for taking so damn long, but by the time it took effect I could have kissed him... (really I don't know how women go through natural labor... I really, really don't.)
After getting my epidural the Dr came in and checked me and said I was at 7 cm, but Ella needed to come down some more. So she broke my water and the fluid was clear (yay!) and then said to let them know when I started feeling pressure. This was at probably 8:00 pm. We sat around talking for a while, and I started feeling some pressure, but it wasn't too bad yet, so I didn't say anything. I felt about 100 times better after the epidural just was itching like crazy from the pain meds. At about 9:00 I told the nurse that I was feeling a lot of pressure and so they checked and said I was almost to 10 but they would check again in about 15 minutes. At 9:30 the Dr came in and I told her there was a TON of pressure and I felt like my catheter was coming out. So she checked and said we are ready to push! They broke down the bed in about 5 minutes and the nursery was there, then they wanted me to start pushing, I felt a contraction and pushed and that one push was really all it took, Ella's head came out pretty much immediately and then I had another half push and the rest of her was out too. She was born in about 30 seconds of pushing. They laid her on my tummy and I was able to say hi and love on her for a minute then they took her to the nursery bed and cleaned her and me up. Ella was 8lbs even and 20 inches long, her head was 13 1/2 inches around.
It was so different from last time, I didn't feel tired (even though I had been awake since 4 am) I was awake and happy and totally energized. I only had a minor tear that they stitched up but nothing like last time. I also got to meet my little lady right away and snuggle with her immediately and after she was born we all got to love on her for a while before AJ was able to take her to the nursery and give her the first bath and do all the fun daddy things. I don't look like I was hit by a train either like with Sam and I was able to get up and get moving as soon as my epidural wore off, I didn't feel bad at all. It was pretty great actually.
All in all this was a much better experience compared to when I had Sam, but then Sam paved the way for his little sister so if it weren't for him I'm sure it wouldn't have been this easy with her.
.
Now that we are home things are going okay. She got a little jaundiced and is on photo therapy right now, hopefully today is the last day of this. She is already a better sleeper then Sam ever was and sleeps at night for 4-5 hour stretches at a time. I'm hoping she will continue this pattern. We are still working on Breastfeeding, but I don't think I'm going to do it for very long, only because I'll be going back to work in two months. The best part about it is that I don't have the postpartum anxiety like I did when I had Sam. Of course I am still very watchful of her but with Sam I was very anxious all the time because of the oxygen and all that, not to mention I had a long recovery myself. I find I am enjoying myself about 100 times more with her and I am much more relaxed about everything. Sam isn't sure what to think about his sister and ignores her about 90% of the time. Sometimes he will interact with her, but thankfully he is not jealous or crazy or throwing fits or anything (at least not more than a normal 2 year old.) We are just settling in now and enjoying ourselves!
