Friday, August 27, 2010

My accidental Natural Birth

Now that my little one is asleep, I will talk about her birth and how it was an accidental natural birth.

The weekend of August 1st I had been having some back pain and a few contractions, but nothing regular or that screamed to me "get to the hospital". So I took a bath on the 2nd and went to bed. Waking up on Tuesday the 3rd I felt great, better than I had in a long while, I was not having any contractions (that I could feel), and my back didn't hurt at all. My husband left for work at 7:15am and laid back down with the dog for a few hours of rest, I may have felt good but I was tired. I woke up around 10:30am with really bad back pain, I couldn't feel any contractions and I was not leaking any fluids. I ran a bath and climbed in around 10:45am as soon as I got in I started to feel the contractions, they where strong and felt very close together (I never kept track of them). I put the call in to my husband, (had to call him 3 times before he answered), and got dressed. During the 15 minutes it took for my husband to get home, I got the dog ready to go to my in-laws, finished getting my bag ready, and tried to breathe, all while in lots of pain and the dog jumping on me because he was worried.

My husband got home and we left home at about 11:30am, we had to drive cross town to get to my in-laws and the hospital and the whole time I was in pain and crying. We get to the hospital around 11:50am, I don't even have time to get fully checked in and I got to labor in my own clothes, which after it was all over I realized that it made it better because they smelled like my dog and he calms me a lot when I am in pain or upset. I was checked upon arrival and was at 8.5cm, so no pain meds for me (hence the accidental because my husband and I had decided that I was going to get the epi because I don't do pain well).

They called my doctor, who I love and was so glad it was her that delivered my little girl. They pulled my doctor out of a meeting (she said thanks :) ) and she barely had time to change before I was at 10cm and ready to get the baby out of me. NOTE: The pain I was feeling to my surprise was no worse than stubbing your toe, it hurt for a bit and then turned into a dull manageable pain. Then came the pushing, I think it took maybe 5 or 6 rounds of pushing to get her out, and the pain was intense but nothing that even I couldn't do, it did burn though. My little girl was born on August 3rd, 2010 at 12:58pm (almost an hour after I got to the hospital) she weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces and was 19 inches long. If she was any bigger it would have been worse I fear, I only had a 1st degree tear and I did get a dose of IV pain meds after that made all the pain go away (also let my doctor sew me up without me getting hysterical because I have a fear of needles).

My advice is labor at home as long as you can, but try to get there sooner than I did even if you are not getting pain meds, it makes the nurses happier because they don't have to rush.
Also, have a good support person that understands if you snap at them that you are in lots of pain and you don't mean what you say.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Sleepless nights

So, how many of you are not getting any sleep? I know I get very little if any, and I wouldn't change it for the world. It seems as if as soon as I fall asleep, my little one is waking up to eat, (kinda like waiting for Christmas morn). My body knows that is has been anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours but my mind cannot comprehend that I have indeed gotten sleep.

My advice to those that think they are not getting enough sleep:
* Above all else Sleep when your little one sleeps!
* If you have a willing husband, let them help!
* Don't be afraid to ask for help or ashamed if it is offered (and you take it)