here was the plan,
I would go into labor at 40weeks exactly. I have had two 38wkers, two 39wkers, and 1 40wker in that order. It seems this is a set pattern and of course I would have this baby at 40 weeks :). I would stay at home as long as possible, even if i birthed at home. I really dont like the hospital and I figured since my last birth was about 2hrs start to finish this would be easy. Healthy happy baby would result and that would be that.
here is the real story :)
I become impatient at 38weeks, every time. Did that, nothing new. I also began to feel around 38weeks that my baby was not head down, or at least not in the correct position. Something just didnt feel right. I wasnt too worried, in general i am comfy that babies will make their way out and there is always a way.....but it was on my mind. Piper was born in a less than optimal position, but we did it and all was well so i knew i could do it again if i needed to.
Weds Jan. 10 was normal, I wasnt going into labor till Friday so i was just cooking, cleaning, folding my wraps for the babywearing meeting the next day. I went to bed as usual but had trouble sleeping. No signs of labor, just a up and down toddler, a snoring hubby and the general feelings of being a whale. I gave up around midnight and came downstairs to read. I was reading Jaycee Dugards memoir of her years in kidnapping. I read her two amazing birth stories and fell asleep in tears. .....I woke up at 2am with a really painful contraction. Must be a dream since i was reading birth stuff. No big deal, i wasnt going into labor till Friday. ....I laid back down and got another one. Well that felt real im pretty sure so i decided to stay up and see. Got on the computer to look for awake mamas, found a few and told them i was timing contractions. 3min apart......hm that seems close for someone not in labor, and since they just started and all.....hmmm. About 2:30am i checked the spacing again, 2min apart. I figured i should wake up beau and let him know i am in labor, then get back in bed for a bit.
I get upstairs and there is a toddler in my bed. Not exactly an ideal labor spot so I wake up beau "I am in labor, MOVE HIM". Beau says huh and falls back asleep lol. I take this as a sign that i should labor a lil more before i wake him. I go to the bathroom and see my water leaking. It was not clear and this upset me. Ive had that before but I was unsure about staying home with it, and i really hated that something was making me unsure because i was sure! and i was so close right?
I went back to my room and sat on the floor with my head on the bed. Toddler was still in my spot and I was feeling ok. Still 2min apart but hurting more. After a couple more I try and wake up Beau again same quote "I am in labor MOVE HIM" this time beau popped out of bed and before I opened my eyes he and the toddler were gone. I laid down , gave a quick fb update and dad was back wanting to know what was going on. He processed my stats and began to panic. Somehow this woke grandma and again those two are trying to push me out the door. It was around 3am by now and by 3:30 am Beau had dressed himself, me, and warmed the car. I stalled him by refusing to get into a cold vehicle. Didn't work that well.
We get to the hospital and i am feeling really good. Almost too good and I began to panic that I had made the whole thing up. CRAP! well Labor and Deliver is absurdly far from the hosp entrance. INSANELY so , so i figured the long walk there would really tell me for sure if i was in labor. We get to the desk, I am fully prepared for them to doubt I am actually in labor and want to monitor me and check me etc etc and not just take my word for it. I am also fully prepared for many nasty comments about my lack of records and the fact that i hadn't been to the midwife in 6 wks etc etc.
Something happens when you fill out their slip of paper and you have to write in your number of pregnancies and births bec they don't have enough blanks. People take you seriously. They had no rooms available but took a swift second to find a spot for me in triage and they kinda began a mini panic that I was gonna drop the baby any second. I hoped they were right and I was not concerned with the when or wheres. The nurse asked to check me. The natural mama in me thought no, but there is a part of me that loves measurable progress so I went for it. I also realized that I had been in labor for 2hours by now and Pike was born already....so I was worried that I was gonna get some crazy long labor and short and sweet only happens once. He checked me and announced happily that I was 6cm. He was so excited and immediately ran to find a better room. I expressed my disappointment. I told him the last time i did this the nurse declared me complete and begged me not to push, people stay at 6cm for days....I considered asking to go home.
When i got into the room everyone was panicking. Asking me to tell them as soon as I felt pushy blah blah. I was excited to learn that my favorite midwife who supports all my choices was delivering. They tattled on me about my lack of testing (GBS , Diabetes, etc etc) and she said "Well she has done this before". I fell in love :) They went on and on about the GBS wanting antibiotics etc. She said "She wont be pregnant long enough to get the antibiotics anyway". They announced they would treat the baby as a preventative measure (with iv antibiotics for 7days). She said " I dont think so, she has no risk factors and unless baby shows signs I'm sure he will be fine. GBS complications are very rare". I fell more in love :) She and my nurse kinda took over after they set up the room. they said i didnt need monitoring, I could walk around and do whatever i wanted as long as I promised to tell them when I was pushing. It was about 4:30 am , everyone is still complaining here and there that i am just gonna drop this baby blah blah. The midwife and nurse say that hubby and I can be on our own and just call them when we are ready. I'm disappointed its taking so long and just gonna chill and play on my phone.
5am the nurse comes in. She offers to check me and I say yes. At this point Im sad that Im gonna have a long labor and am even thinking of drugs since this is gonna take all day obviously. She says "Complete" and the bag was bulging so not totally broken. My midwife thinks if we break it the baby will just come out in a push or two. I say "Grab your hook lets go!". So we do that and she notices that the baby is in an odd position with his shoulder and she says we will need to turn him just a bit. No big deal. I kinda knew that so I'm ok. But baby isnt flying out asap obviously.
She calls in an OB because she is just a teeny tiny lady and needed a lil more strength to change his position. No prob, baby is all good and OB is out......but he left something nasty behind....his resident Dr. Doofus. At first I thought it was a hobbit but it clearly proved itself not as cute. He sat on my bed taking up half my space for the rest of the delivery.
I started pushing and with the first glance under the sheet they saw lots of meconium bleh. The midwife is cool but says we prob cant give baby to mom right away. I say nothing, beau kinda laughs. We know that even though I am supposed to want that I never do. Beau always has to hold the baby first cuz it just takes me a bit to get my brain back after birth.
I could not get comfy and at this point with all my labors i begin to go crazy. It feels like I go crazy for half an hour but Beau says this is only a min or two. The midwife is so cool, she just keeps asking me what they can do to make me more comfy and what do I want to do. In my brain i recognize this as awesome, but outwardly I have gone crazy so i say nothing. I do not like the hobbit on my bed and I do ask him repeatedly to get out of my crotch. He claims there is an anterior lip and he needs to move it (for non birthy folks this means you are dilated but there is a teeny bit left). I always have an anterior lip and I tell the mw that I always push through it no prob. I refuse to speak directly to the hobbit. He responds when I tattle on him to the mw right in front of his face.
A few more pushes and baby Paladin was skinside. I could barely see him , It seems like people were standing in front of me but I don't really know why. I just saw super skinny legs and heard lots of screaming. I was sooo glad we were done! I almost forgot that we aren't quite done :(
The midwife and dad head over to check out the baby. He is 8.3oz and 20in long. Happy and healthy :) ..........meanwhile Im left with the hobbit??? He announces that he is going to examine me for tears. I had a small tear with my first baby and ever since then all my births have been tear free. Even Pike who was 8.6! so i knew there were no tears. The midwife is checking out the baby but she hears him and tells him she already checked and there are no tears. Hobbits are stubborn, he proceeds to look (using a weird metal stick thing to dig around?). This hurts, I had no meds, I just gave birth, go away! I tell him to stop, and tell him a few more times. I remove his hand and tattle on him to the midwife by calling out "didnt you say there were no tears"......she answers "yes" , hobbit's efforts to annoy me are thwarted.
Meanwhile dad is snuggling our new baby and people are busy cleaning the room. Somehow I find myself again alone with the hobbit. I wouldn't even notice him except that he began pulling on the umbilical chord. I know the placenta will detach and come out when its ready. Why doesn't the hobbit know this? he is a doctor? I asked him to stop. About 5 times. He explains to me that they have to come out.....Like I don't know that, I'm pretty sure I've birthed more babies than him. He keeps pulling and it really freaking hurts!! Again I resort to tattling as conversation with the hobbit proves futile. I ask the mw "Wont my placenta come out on its own"......she comes over and says "yes" .....hobbit quits and the placenta comes out on its own a min or two later.
I get all cleaned up and am ready to hold my new baby!!! Im feeling good and just as my postpartum bliss starts to arrive here comes the hobbit. He wants to talk to me about contraception. I use some magic eye vibes to call over my hubby who must save me from the hobbit. We tell him that we arent gonna do it before we leave the hospital and we arent worried about it. I tell him I breastfeed and do not regain fertility for months....he tells me that isnt true.....hmmm...guess he knows my body better than i do.
He is concerned that I did not make it to all of my prenatal appointments. He tells me that I shouldn't have any more children if i cant make it to appointments and throws in a "I'm not trying to say you are a bad mom or anything but.." just to make sure that I am well aware he is a jerk. He asks if I have been nursing the baby and tells me his latch isn't correct because he has a blister......which is odd since i haven't yet nursed the baby because I am under hobbit attack! I cant really remember but Beau said something that made him finally go away.
AAAAAAhhhhhhhh at last, I can enjoy my beautiful new baby boy! He is perfect and absolutely amazing :)
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