We thought of taking it to the firestation, about 1000 ft away from the house, but I think we were afraid to look like idiots. The straps actually dont get any tighter, and it didn't move at all front to back, just side to side, and even then, not much. I am probably just being paranoid - though thats not like me, maybe its a sign I will be a better parent than we thought! We also considered that maybe some give would be good for shock absorbtion, but there's no real way for us to test that.
Maybe we will just suck it up and go to the station.
True. I'm waiting to hear the various stories about water breaking... it is one of the things that, oddly enough, has made me the most afraid to get pregnant...
It's weird that no one really finds out how any of this works until you actually do it. They kind of hide a lot of the true info from us women, don't they? I get the distinct feeling we're not supposed to know until it's Too Late...
if i can say this without sounding presumptuous (being a male) i'd suggest that NOTHING is hidden. in fact, you can learn all the 'true' detail you'd ever want to know on any of dozens of internet sites and in books. when my wife's first pregnancy started, in fact, we finally decided not to look at any more first-person accounts on the web because they made us too anxious.
it's just not something that you really want to research until you need to know - who would WANT to learn all that stuff in advance? no one would ever get pregnant!
Well I guess I mean in all the many, many health and sex ed classes you are forced to sit through--you learn nothing about any of this. There is tons of info, yes, once you're stuck in the position, but in terms of general education and general culture it's a very opaque and (deliberately?) misconstrued subject. Take the matter of gestation period--NOT nine months, but you literally do not ever learn that. Etc etc etc. There's all kinds of popular myths that gloss over the truth and are perpetuated stringently until you literally have no other choice but to try to uncover them. Imagine what it was like before the advent of the internet, too!
I think doctors perpetuated this for many many years... maybe not so much nowadays, but the stories my mother and aunt tell about giving birth only in the last 20 years or so are awful in terms of what the doctor told them and didn't tell them. Yeesh.
mantaray, Vicki Iovine's book The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy clears away all the mystery about it all. It's also a fun and funny read - she's a former Playmate, went to law school, and became a famous author. She's also married to Jimmy Iovine, if you're a fan of 80s rock! Anyway, the book tells all those little secrets - if not for her, I never would have heard the term "mucous plug", and in my case it's a really good thing I did.
But Steven is right, you don't really need to know all this stuff until you NEED to know it - though if you have an interest in anatomy and medical stuff, like I do, you would enjoy learning it whenever.
SARAH: The firemen won't think you are an idiot if you go get the seat installation checked, they will think you are smart. If your kid ends up hurt in an accident because the seat wasn't installed properly, and the firemen come to rescue you from the crash, *then* they will think you are an idiot! Be proud that you are smart and willing to avail yourself of whatever information is available, and drive over to the firestation. Do it in the morning and bring them thank-you donuts, if you wish.
Sarah, ABSOLUTELY go to the fire station and/or police station to make sure you installed the car seat correctly. It has nothing to do with being humble an idiot or anything other than being a responsible parent. And I don't doubt your husbands ability to secure the seat to the car frame but the seat may be defective or missing pieces/parts.
My wife knew a family (growing up) who had 3 infant/toddlers. They bought a new car and went to the fire station to have the car seats installed. The very next day, the baby sitter was driving the kids home and was forced off the road by another car. Their flipped and flipped and flipped some more. Every one of the children was fine, the baby sitter died.
I hate detailing bad stories (because personally I hate hearing them too) but if it helps persuade you to go to the fire station then we'll all sleep better at night!
Manta, as I've stated before, I think its all one BIG conspiracy to both propogate the species, and to lure unsuspecting young ladies into the pain and discomfort that others had to deal with. Misery loves company, you know, even if its 20 years down the road. I think thats why pregnancy details aren't common knowledge. (ok, brain fart, that looks so wrong, is that how you really spell that last word?)
And Ether, that story is scary. Glad the kids were ok, but it still sucks about the sitter, not to mention that they had to then find a new sitter ontop of the emotional stuff that was sure to be going on at the time. We will take the seat to be inspected this weekend, and if I'm in the hospital, then Husband can take it while I rest.
Say, how hard do y'all think it will be to take a shower after to wash off the mess I'm sure to make on The Day? We have packed swimming trunks for Husband so he can help me, but is this really just a pipe dream?
So Manta, this may be your lucky day, or my lucky day.
Its 1217 am, and since 515 I've been having fairly consistent pains, like my hips are being pulled apart. The pains come every 3 to 8 minutes, and at times are very consistent, but haven't been consistent for that magical full hour, and I don't think my water has broken. So Husband and I are still at the house, dutifully putting the times down, and waiting. We tried to go to sleep, but it not only slowed down the times, but also made the pain more intense, and being awakened every 10 minutes doesn't do much for a person's sleep mechanism. So we got up. Husband took a shower and made coffee to keep himself awake - he doesn't have the years of training that architecture school give you - and we packed everything we had left to pack. If these are REAL contractions, then I wish my water would break so I would know FOR SURE, and we could just go to the hospital and get this over with. Right now, I just want to go to sleep, but thats not happening. Guess I will post more later...this has helped to take my mind off things; who knew archinect would be a relaxation tool.
Cross your fingers that this is it! If this takes too much longer, we may go to the 24 hr wal-mart for a long walk around the store just to get things moving. Man this kid is never on my schedule.
Oh man!!!! I'm sorry I didn't check in last night before bed! Sarah, my water never broke, and I arrived at the hosipital at 7cm having nearly constant contractions - still, they had to break my water! So if you're still waiting aorund for it, keep in mind it might not happen.
Walking aorund WalMart at 2am to bring on labor would be a fantastic use of that store!!
Yay, I'm thinking about you and will be until we hear back what is going on....!
Good morning, everyone. Sarah's husband called us at 0150 AM to tell us they were at the hospital, and as you can imagine, I spent the rest of the night wondering what was happening with MY baby! But as we say in Texas, it's ALMOST over but the shoutin'! I'm sure Sarah will provide you all the details when she's recovered; but I know they were taking the computer to the hospital, so you may hear something today!
So, yeah we are at the hospital, and yeah I'm crazy enough to post from my delivery-bed.
We waited until about 1:45 before we called the hospital. At that point the contractions had gone from 5 to 3 minutes, and were getting pretty painful, so we called and they said come on over! We got here, I swear husband drove 30 mph the whole way - it was the longest trip ever, and they checked me out and checked me in. I was 4cm, and I guess thats the magic number cause they IV'ed me and got me all ready.
Then I got to lay here, trying unsuccesfuly to sleep until 6am when they came to check me again - STILL 4 EFFING CENTIMETERS!!!! What was all that pain for?
So we waited some more, still no water breakage. By 715 I had decided if when they checked me I still hadn't changed, and my contractions kept getting worse, I would go for the epidural. At 745 the DR showed up, checked me, 4cm!, broke the water, and then said oh, you're at 5cm. So I'm still drugless, but they are pumping me full of saline so I have to pee alot. Since they broke the water, my contractions have gotten closer and stronger, but they say I,m doing really well so I am still drugless.
we *loved* it when they told my wife 'sleep!' and then put the blood pressure collar on her arm that inflated and squeezed her arm every 10 mins while we waited hours for anything to happen.
patience, sarah.
good you brought your laptop. better than daytime tv in the hospital.
Wow, that was tough, but I feel good now, and even though it wasn't perfect, all the main wishes I truly had were answered.
A recap...
After I last posted, I kept riding out the contractions, and they were getting much worse, but I wasn't getting any further than 6cm. By 1230 I was so tired, and in so much pain - it had past the "slammed hand in car door" phase to something about 5 times worse, that I was shaking, and couldn't relax ANY of my muscles; not my shoulders, not my abdomen, not my back, where the most pain was focused, and so I met with the Epidural Lady. She agreed to do a low dosage one so that I could still move my legs and such, but the pain woould be greatly reduced. I love her. I cried while they installed the epi, but I dont know why really. It could have been because I was so tired, or the pain from the contractions, or that I was getting an epidural, but I'm not sure the last reason was really it. I think it was just the lack of sleep and emotions that come with birth.
So after the epi is finished, my Dad shows up. I wasn't expecting him until much later, but I like him, so it was ok. He and I talked a bit, and then he left so I could rest. Husband got a nice three hour nap, me, I just half slept, partly because of the reason Steven stated above - the silly arm cuff expanding every so often, and because the nurse came in to check the monitors every half hour.
By 330, the pressure from the contractions was becoming so intense that it was feeling more like pain, and I was having the nurse check to make sure NOTHING was falling out. By 345, the epi-lady returned and gave me just a little more medicine since the "dope-me" button just wasn't doing the job, and the nurse called the Doctor.
He arrived at 4pm, and checked me out. He then gave the nurse permission to help me start pushing while he relieved himself and washed up. Not too smart on his part if you ask me. Why? Well...
After the third contraction, pushing three times during each, the Nurse makes me stop pushing, and runs to get the doctor. I can feel that the baby has crowned, and I'm stuck there. The Doctor comes in, completely unprepaired, obviously expecting it to take me much longer, and I swear, takes his sweet time with gloves and such in order to catch the kid. The whole time, I'm BEGGING them to let me push, and they're saying no, and I can feel that the kids head is slowly moving out anyway, and I'm telling them that I'm not pushing, and that he's coming anyway, and they finally get over to me, and finish the job. In all, there was 30 minutes of pushing. I do, I do, I do consider myself very lucky, most mothers push for hours - that would've sucked.
They place the baby on my stomach, and while I was wiping him of, he smiled at me. I didn't think they learned to do that until weeks later, but he did. Then they took him away for all his things, while I was left to finish delivery the accesories, and getting my ONE stitch. Yep, thats right, the massages actually did pay off, and I only have one tear, and it was small and shallow. The doctor was gone by 5pm.
I tried to feed him soon after, more for bonding, than for nourishment, and we didn't do so well. He wouldn't latch, but when he finally did, he stayed for about 8 minutes. Then off he went to get his bath, and for me to get mine.
We let him sleep in the nursery the first night, mostly so I could get some rest after being up 36 hours or so, but of course the nurses were still coming in and such, so it wasn't the best sleep. I did get some though. Today, I feel great. To be honest, I feel like I did before I got pregnant, and if it weren't for the awkwardness of some of the 'attire' i have to wear, I'd be acting like I did before I was pregnant, too.
In the end, all of my most important prayers were answered. He was small, only 6lbs 15oz, the pushing phase was short - I'd actually go through that again, it wasn't bad at all, and he is actually cute. I know that every parent thinks their child is cute, but truth is, most infants tend to look pretty funny after they are born, and can be downright ugly. Abram isn't. I will post pictures soon, but right now, all we have are blurry grandmother shots.
sarah, take time to recover, don't worry about posting every little bit of bonding, we know everything is going to be fine. we won't miss you for a few weeks.
Big congratulations, Sarah!!! You did it and it is such a joy to hear you say the pushing "wasn't bad at all" - see? It's all awful, but, actually, it's not really.
I hope you do get a little rest, 36 hours of labor is a lot, and there will be so little time to sleep after you get home. Glad your folks are nearby and able to help.
Of course Abram smiled at you, he was happy to finally see you! And you him.
I hope the further breastfeeding continues to go well And hope the husband hangs in there and gets a little rest too.
Welcome Abram, you are a very much loved little boy!!
On a side note: my mom is a maternity nurse and has delivered more than her share of babies due to late doctors. I guess it happens much more than it should!
the acorn is up for early-mid may. Isn't there another archinectrix expecting before then?
we had our first of two birthing classes today. as the oldest folks in the room - some of the other folks had to have been teenagers (including the girl who brought her mom). Those videos were a hoot and more graphic then I expected with ugly 'normal' people. I was reminded that I'm not normal, since only 5% of the country is as well educated as us 'necteurs tend to be.
my favorite suggestions of what to do during early stages of labor is bake a birthday cake. I was also relieved to learn that most mothers-to-be have super delicate olfactory senses and that I don't have a bad case of halitosis. it was suggested that we pack 'breath spray' for the hospital (for the dad).
The tour of the maternity suites left me wondering why the interior decorations of institutions/hotels rooms has been sooooo bad for sooooo long? why can't they have some modern boutique birthing rooms designed by stark or some one interesting?
those comfort techniques we learned will come is handy, even if we don't suffer through labor.
Sarah, did your man ever get to use his bathing suit?
we decided that there will be NO cameras or video gadgets present during labor and delivery. a few hours after mrs. tk has recuperated and the baby is thriving will be the first photo op. so ya'll will have to wait.
TK- Most hospitals won't allow video cameras anymore, I figure its a liabilty issue.
And, no, Husband didn't need his swimtrunks. The nurse helped me clean up first, and I didn't take an actual shower until the next day, at which point, I was feeling pretty good anyway. Actually, I felt pretty good 10 minutes or so after getting stitched up. I don't know if this is normal, or if I was just lucky, but I was pretty happy and comfortable.
And as for how motherhood is progressing so far...
Some parts have been frustrating, and I have discovered I have NO patience when it comes to myself. Certain feeding tools don't seem to work properly, and I have to use attachments, and thats driving me nuts, but Abram has been sleeping about 3-4 hrs at a time, even at night, so I've been getting some sleep. We have discovered that he is an unusual kid - he HATES having his diaper off! Screams bloody murder, so we bought one of those wipe warmers thinking that might help, but it only helps some. At least we're learning.
His photo debut should be sometime this week, I promise.
Congratulations! What a great adventure, indeed. I've been following this thread for so long, and I think it will be my favorite for a long time in the future. I am happy the birth went well, and that you have a healthy little guy! :)
re: Abram hating being without his diaper: Angus was only happy as a "baby burrito" (fully swaddled) for about two weeks. Then he slowly came out of it. Now he WILL NOT keep a blanket on at night. So it's probably something that Abram will change his mind about later. In fact that is how ALL parenting seems to go, especially the first 12 months: just when you get to understand what they are doing, they change.
When you mentioned "feeding tools" not working properly, were you talking breastfeeding? Call me - my number is on my profile page - and I'll talk you through as much as I possibly can. Or call the hospital and tell them you need a lactation consultant. Don't be afraid to ask for help, that is what new parents need MOST - if I was in Texas I'd be showing up with homemade frozen lasagnes and quiches for you!!
Thanks LB. I called a lactation consultant today. She was very helpful. Turns out that my kid doesn't have gas issues as we thought - he was up ALL night screaming night before last - but instead was just starving. I pumped and bottle fed him, and after the consult with the specialist, I feel much better.
Some mother's breast milk does not contain all of the nutrients the baby needs. There can sometimes be a need to supplement breast milk with formula... ie feeding the baby both milk and formula. Your pediatrician can help you make this decision. This was the case for several of our friends. It wasn't until baby had been screaming for a couple of days, do they finally figure it out.
You're the mom, you're more in tuned with Abram's needs more than any other human being on the planet. Trust yourself and go with your intuition when in doubt.
Rowan loved having her feet and body swaddled but not her arms.
I also know lots of babies who were starving the first week while their mom (and baby) got the hang of breastfeeding - don't worry, Abram will be fine - just keep going to those doc's checkups to make sure he's gaining!
Also, my dear best friend, a yoga-loving organic earth mother if there ever was one, could not ever get a proper latch with her kid. She pumped and bottle fed for three months, which was all she could handle. Sometimes the physics of baby mouth/nipple just don't quite work out, and it's anyone's guess why. I'm telling you this to make sure you don't feel like you're doing anything "wrong" - if the lactation consultant was there, I'm sure she said the same thing! And John is right - you're in tune with Abram, he'll tell you what's going on.
I know it took a while, but I wanted to make sure they were the best to describe his personality, or at least what could be considered personality at one week old. Wow, he's been here for one week - crazy.
A Great Adventure
We thought of taking it to the firestation, about 1000 ft away from the house, but I think we were afraid to look like idiots. The straps actually dont get any tighter, and it didn't move at all front to back, just side to side, and even then, not much. I am probably just being paranoid - though thats not like me, maybe its a sign I will be a better parent than we thought! We also considered that maybe some give would be good for shock absorbtion, but there's no real way for us to test that.
Maybe we will just suck it up and go to the station.
Ack Sarah every time I see your name in this thread lately I gulp and think 'is this the big day??????'
my heart can't take much more!
if this is the big day - and sarah KNOWS it - i don't think you'll be seeing her name...
True. I'm waiting to hear the various stories about water breaking... it is one of the things that, oddly enough, has made me the most afraid to get pregnant...
It's weird that no one really finds out how any of this works until you actually do it. They kind of hide a lot of the true info from us women, don't they? I get the distinct feeling we're not supposed to know until it's Too Late...
if i can say this without sounding presumptuous (being a male) i'd suggest that NOTHING is hidden. in fact, you can learn all the 'true' detail you'd ever want to know on any of dozens of internet sites and in books. when my wife's first pregnancy started, in fact, we finally decided not to look at any more first-person accounts on the web because they made us too anxious.
it's just not something that you really want to research until you need to know - who would WANT to learn all that stuff in advance? no one would ever get pregnant!
Well I guess I mean in all the many, many health and sex ed classes you are forced to sit through--you learn nothing about any of this. There is tons of info, yes, once you're stuck in the position, but in terms of general education and general culture it's a very opaque and (deliberately?) misconstrued subject. Take the matter of gestation period--NOT nine months, but you literally do not ever learn that. Etc etc etc. There's all kinds of popular myths that gloss over the truth and are perpetuated stringently until you literally have no other choice but to try to uncover them. Imagine what it was like before the advent of the internet, too!
I think doctors perpetuated this for many many years... maybe not so much nowadays, but the stories my mother and aunt tell about giving birth only in the last 20 years or so are awful in terms of what the doctor told them and didn't tell them. Yeesh.
mantaray, Vicki Iovine's book The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy clears away all the mystery about it all. It's also a fun and funny read - she's a former Playmate, went to law school, and became a famous author. She's also married to Jimmy Iovine, if you're a fan of 80s rock! Anyway, the book tells all those little secrets - if not for her, I never would have heard the term "mucous plug", and in my case it's a really good thing I did.
But Steven is right, you don't really need to know all this stuff until you NEED to know it - though if you have an interest in anatomy and medical stuff, like I do, you would enjoy learning it whenever.
SARAH: The firemen won't think you are an idiot if you go get the seat installation checked, they will think you are smart. If your kid ends up hurt in an accident because the seat wasn't installed properly, and the firemen come to rescue you from the crash, *then* they will think you are an idiot! Be proud that you are smart and willing to avail yourself of whatever information is available, and drive over to the firestation. Do it in the morning and bring them thank-you donuts, if you wish.
Sarah, ABSOLUTELY go to the fire station and/or police station to make sure you installed the car seat correctly. It has nothing to do with being humble an idiot or anything other than being a responsible parent. And I don't doubt your husbands ability to secure the seat to the car frame but the seat may be defective or missing pieces/parts.
My wife knew a family (growing up) who had 3 infant/toddlers. They bought a new car and went to the fire station to have the car seats installed. The very next day, the baby sitter was driving the kids home and was forced off the road by another car. Their flipped and flipped and flipped some more. Every one of the children was fine, the baby sitter died.
I hate detailing bad stories (because personally I hate hearing them too) but if it helps persuade you to go to the fire station then we'll all sleep better at night!
Manta, as I've stated before, I think its all one BIG conspiracy to both propogate the species, and to lure unsuspecting young ladies into the pain and discomfort that others had to deal with. Misery loves company, you know, even if its 20 years down the road. I think thats why pregnancy details aren't common knowledge. (ok, brain fart, that looks so wrong, is that how you really spell that last word?)
And Ether, that story is scary. Glad the kids were ok, but it still sucks about the sitter, not to mention that they had to then find a new sitter ontop of the emotional stuff that was sure to be going on at the time. We will take the seat to be inspected this weekend, and if I'm in the hospital, then Husband can take it while I rest.
Say, how hard do y'all think it will be to take a shower after to wash off the mess I'm sure to make on The Day? We have packed swimming trunks for Husband so he can help me, but is this really just a pipe dream?
So Manta, this may be your lucky day, or my lucky day.
Its 1217 am, and since 515 I've been having fairly consistent pains, like my hips are being pulled apart. The pains come every 3 to 8 minutes, and at times are very consistent, but haven't been consistent for that magical full hour, and I don't think my water has broken. So Husband and I are still at the house, dutifully putting the times down, and waiting. We tried to go to sleep, but it not only slowed down the times, but also made the pain more intense, and being awakened every 10 minutes doesn't do much for a person's sleep mechanism. So we got up. Husband took a shower and made coffee to keep himself awake - he doesn't have the years of training that architecture school give you - and we packed everything we had left to pack. If these are REAL contractions, then I wish my water would break so I would know FOR SURE, and we could just go to the hospital and get this over with. Right now, I just want to go to sleep, but thats not happening. Guess I will post more later...this has helped to take my mind off things; who knew archinect would be a relaxation tool.
Cross your fingers that this is it! If this takes too much longer, we may go to the 24 hr wal-mart for a long walk around the store just to get things moving. Man this kid is never on my schedule.
Crap! It figures the only one of us that's awake for this is the one person that cringes every time somebody uses the word placenta in conversation.
Good luck Sarah! I'm thinking about you! Not too hard though, or else I might wretch!
GO SARAH!!
oh, and the kid will NEVER BE on your schedule. good you're getting used to it already.
Oh man!!!! I'm sorry I didn't check in last night before bed! Sarah, my water never broke, and I arrived at the hosipital at 7cm having nearly constant contractions - still, they had to break my water! So if you're still waiting aorund for it, keep in mind it might not happen.
Walking aorund WalMart at 2am to bring on labor would be a fantastic use of that store!!
Yay, I'm thinking about you and will be until we hear back what is going on....!
Good morning, everyone. Sarah's husband called us at 0150 AM to tell us they were at the hospital, and as you can imagine, I spent the rest of the night wondering what was happening with MY baby! But as we say in Texas, it's ALMOST over but the shoutin'! I'm sure Sarah will provide you all the details when she's recovered; but I know they were taking the computer to the hospital, so you may hear something today!
Ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy.....I'm giddy! Sending good vibes your way Sarah (and Sarah's mom and husband, too)!
Thanks for the update Sarah's mom!
yeay!!!!!!!!
go sarah go!
we go for our first birthing class saturday, but I've already learned tons of stuff from ya'll.
So, yeah we are at the hospital, and yeah I'm crazy enough to post from my delivery-bed.
We waited until about 1:45 before we called the hospital. At that point the contractions had gone from 5 to 3 minutes, and were getting pretty painful, so we called and they said come on over! We got here, I swear husband drove 30 mph the whole way - it was the longest trip ever, and they checked me out and checked me in. I was 4cm, and I guess thats the magic number cause they IV'ed me and got me all ready.
Then I got to lay here, trying unsuccesfuly to sleep until 6am when they came to check me again - STILL 4 EFFING CENTIMETERS!!!! What was all that pain for?
So we waited some more, still no water breakage. By 715 I had decided if when they checked me I still hadn't changed, and my contractions kept getting worse, I would go for the epidural. At 745 the DR showed up, checked me, 4cm!, broke the water, and then said oh, you're at 5cm. So I'm still drugless, but they are pumping me full of saline so I have to pee alot. Since they broke the water, my contractions have gotten closer and stronger, but they say I,m doing really well so I am still drugless.
Wish me luck.
Congratulations Sarah!
good luck sarah. we'll be thinking about ya'll today!!!
we *loved* it when they told my wife 'sleep!' and then put the blood pressure collar on her arm that inflated and squeezed her arm every 10 mins while we waited hours for anything to happen.
patience, sarah.
good you brought your laptop. better than daytime tv in the hospital.
Hurrah Sarah...1
WOO-HOO SARAH!!!! Hurray the day is here. You go woman!!!!
luck!
Texan women...archinect addiction, even from your delivery bed!
good luck SH!
(a little georgia o'keefe never hurt a labor did it? helped out mrs.mightylittle during the pushing phase!)
This HAS to be a first - no one has ever before posted to the 'nect from their delivery bed!!!!
Sarah, you rock - hang in there and best wishes still being sent your way...
How ff'ing exciting.
wow, just wow
Wow, that was tough, but I feel good now, and even though it wasn't perfect, all the main wishes I truly had were answered.
A recap...
After I last posted, I kept riding out the contractions, and they were getting much worse, but I wasn't getting any further than 6cm. By 1230 I was so tired, and in so much pain - it had past the "slammed hand in car door" phase to something about 5 times worse, that I was shaking, and couldn't relax ANY of my muscles; not my shoulders, not my abdomen, not my back, where the most pain was focused, and so I met with the Epidural Lady. She agreed to do a low dosage one so that I could still move my legs and such, but the pain woould be greatly reduced. I love her. I cried while they installed the epi, but I dont know why really. It could have been because I was so tired, or the pain from the contractions, or that I was getting an epidural, but I'm not sure the last reason was really it. I think it was just the lack of sleep and emotions that come with birth.
So after the epi is finished, my Dad shows up. I wasn't expecting him until much later, but I like him, so it was ok. He and I talked a bit, and then he left so I could rest. Husband got a nice three hour nap, me, I just half slept, partly because of the reason Steven stated above - the silly arm cuff expanding every so often, and because the nurse came in to check the monitors every half hour.
By 330, the pressure from the contractions was becoming so intense that it was feeling more like pain, and I was having the nurse check to make sure NOTHING was falling out. By 345, the epi-lady returned and gave me just a little more medicine since the "dope-me" button just wasn't doing the job, and the nurse called the Doctor.
He arrived at 4pm, and checked me out. He then gave the nurse permission to help me start pushing while he relieved himself and washed up. Not too smart on his part if you ask me. Why? Well...
After the third contraction, pushing three times during each, the Nurse makes me stop pushing, and runs to get the doctor. I can feel that the baby has crowned, and I'm stuck there. The Doctor comes in, completely unprepaired, obviously expecting it to take me much longer, and I swear, takes his sweet time with gloves and such in order to catch the kid. The whole time, I'm BEGGING them to let me push, and they're saying no, and I can feel that the kids head is slowly moving out anyway, and I'm telling them that I'm not pushing, and that he's coming anyway, and they finally get over to me, and finish the job. In all, there was 30 minutes of pushing. I do, I do, I do consider myself very lucky, most mothers push for hours - that would've sucked.
They place the baby on my stomach, and while I was wiping him of, he smiled at me. I didn't think they learned to do that until weeks later, but he did. Then they took him away for all his things, while I was left to finish delivery the accesories, and getting my ONE stitch. Yep, thats right, the massages actually did pay off, and I only have one tear, and it was small and shallow. The doctor was gone by 5pm.
I tried to feed him soon after, more for bonding, than for nourishment, and we didn't do so well. He wouldn't latch, but when he finally did, he stayed for about 8 minutes. Then off he went to get his bath, and for me to get mine.
We let him sleep in the nursery the first night, mostly so I could get some rest after being up 36 hours or so, but of course the nurses were still coming in and such, so it wasn't the best sleep. I did get some though. Today, I feel great. To be honest, I feel like I did before I got pregnant, and if it weren't for the awkwardness of some of the 'attire' i have to wear, I'd be acting like I did before I was pregnant, too.
In the end, all of my most important prayers were answered. He was small, only 6lbs 15oz, the pushing phase was short - I'd actually go through that again, it wasn't bad at all, and he is actually cute. I know that every parent thinks their child is cute, but truth is, most infants tend to look pretty funny after they are born, and can be downright ugly. Abram isn't. I will post pictures soon, but right now, all we have are blurry grandmother shots.
YEAY!!!!
Welcome Abram!
sarah, take time to recover, don't worry about posting every little bit of bonding, we know everything is going to be fine. we won't miss you for a few weeks.
congrats again!
such wonderful news, Sarah and family. we are so so happy for ya'll. get some well deserved rest before the real fun begins!
Big congratulations, Sarah!!! You did it and it is such a joy to hear you say the pushing "wasn't bad at all" - see? It's all awful, but, actually, it's not really.
I hope you do get a little rest, 36 hours of labor is a lot, and there will be so little time to sleep after you get home. Glad your folks are nearby and able to help.
Of course Abram smiled at you, he was happy to finally see you! And you him.
I hope the further breastfeeding continues to go well And hope the husband hangs in there and gets a little rest too.
Welcome Abram, you are a very much loved little boy!!
Congratulations, it always amazes me to think that there is a whole new person alive today that wasn't yesterday
Thank you for sharing!
Congratulations!!!!
now the real adventure begins.
congratulations!!! and thanks for sharing your experience!
excellent work sarah - congratulations to you and your families!
so who's next, mrs.treekiller?
Congratulations Sarah!
Congrats!
On a side note: my mom is a maternity nurse and has delivered more than her share of babies due to late doctors. I guess it happens much more than it should!
the acorn is up for early-mid may. Isn't there another archinectrix expecting before then?
we had our first of two birthing classes today. as the oldest folks in the room - some of the other folks had to have been teenagers (including the girl who brought her mom). Those videos were a hoot and more graphic then I expected with ugly 'normal' people. I was reminded that I'm not normal, since only 5% of the country is as well educated as us 'necteurs tend to be.
my favorite suggestions of what to do during early stages of labor is bake a birthday cake. I was also relieved to learn that most mothers-to-be have super delicate olfactory senses and that I don't have a bad case of halitosis. it was suggested that we pack 'breath spray' for the hospital (for the dad).
The tour of the maternity suites left me wondering why the interior decorations of institutions/hotels rooms has been sooooo bad for sooooo long? why can't they have some modern boutique birthing rooms designed by stark or some one interesting?
those comfort techniques we learned will come is handy, even if we don't suffer through labor.
Sarah, did your man ever get to use his bathing suit?
my wife is due in 5 wks...
I guess that puts me on deck
cln 1 stole my line! :)
congrats, sarah & husband! can't wait for pics.
we decided that there will be NO cameras or video gadgets present during labor and delivery. a few hours after mrs. tk has recuperated and the baby is thriving will be the first photo op. so ya'll will have to wait.
Congrats Sarah and husband to the new addition to the family. Looking forward to seeing the photos.
TK- Most hospitals won't allow video cameras anymore, I figure its a liabilty issue.
And, no, Husband didn't need his swimtrunks. The nurse helped me clean up first, and I didn't take an actual shower until the next day, at which point, I was feeling pretty good anyway. Actually, I felt pretty good 10 minutes or so after getting stitched up. I don't know if this is normal, or if I was just lucky, but I was pretty happy and comfortable.
And as for how motherhood is progressing so far...
Some parts have been frustrating, and I have discovered I have NO patience when it comes to myself. Certain feeding tools don't seem to work properly, and I have to use attachments, and thats driving me nuts, but Abram has been sleeping about 3-4 hrs at a time, even at night, so I've been getting some sleep. We have discovered that he is an unusual kid - he HATES having his diaper off! Screams bloody murder, so we bought one of those wipe warmers thinking that might help, but it only helps some. At least we're learning.
His photo debut should be sometime this week, I promise.
Congratulations! What a great adventure, indeed. I've been following this thread for so long, and I think it will be my favorite for a long time in the future. I am happy the birth went well, and that you have a healthy little guy! :)
Congratulations and much love to your family!!!!
re: Abram hating being without his diaper: Angus was only happy as a "baby burrito" (fully swaddled) for about two weeks. Then he slowly came out of it. Now he WILL NOT keep a blanket on at night. So it's probably something that Abram will change his mind about later. In fact that is how ALL parenting seems to go, especially the first 12 months: just when you get to understand what they are doing, they change.
When you mentioned "feeding tools" not working properly, were you talking breastfeeding? Call me - my number is on my profile page - and I'll talk you through as much as I possibly can. Or call the hospital and tell them you need a lactation consultant. Don't be afraid to ask for help, that is what new parents need MOST - if I was in Texas I'd be showing up with homemade frozen lasagnes and quiches for you!!
wow - i'm late here but congrats sarah!!!
hey LB - i have a photo i took of my oldest daughter when swaddled titled "baby burrito".
swaddling properly is an amazingly useful thing...
Thanks LB. I called a lactation consultant today. She was very helpful. Turns out that my kid doesn't have gas issues as we thought - he was up ALL night screaming night before last - but instead was just starving. I pumped and bottle fed him, and after the consult with the specialist, I feel much better.
Some mother's breast milk does not contain all of the nutrients the baby needs. There can sometimes be a need to supplement breast milk with formula... ie feeding the baby both milk and formula. Your pediatrician can help you make this decision. This was the case for several of our friends. It wasn't until baby had been screaming for a couple of days, do they finally figure it out.
You're the mom, you're more in tuned with Abram's needs more than any other human being on the planet. Trust yourself and go with your intuition when in doubt.
Rowan loved having her feet and body swaddled but not her arms.
I also know lots of babies who were starving the first week while their mom (and baby) got the hang of breastfeeding - don't worry, Abram will be fine - just keep going to those doc's checkups to make sure he's gaining!
Also, my dear best friend, a yoga-loving organic earth mother if there ever was one, could not ever get a proper latch with her kid. She pumped and bottle fed for three months, which was all she could handle. Sometimes the physics of baby mouth/nipple just don't quite work out, and it's anyone's guess why. I'm telling you this to make sure you don't feel like you're doing anything "wrong" - if the lactation consultant was there, I'm sure she said the same thing! And John is right - you're in tune with Abram, he'll tell you what's going on.
OK, as promised...Photos!
I know it took a while, but I wanted to make sure they were the best to describe his personality, or at least what could be considered personality at one week old. Wow, he's been here for one week - crazy.
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