@@@ new human just dropped!

[jane6672]

@@@@

Baby girl finally decided 9 days overdue was fashionably late enough and joined us last week. Birth story below if you like that stuff, or scroll to the end for photos.

-----------------

I had an appointment and did a membrane sweep at 40 weeks + 5 days – 4cm dilated, 50% effaced, -1 station. “Beautiful” exam was proclaimed.
~ I was SKEPTICAL because at my appointment a week prior, a different midwife had also told me things looked beautiful and confidently said she’d be seeing me in the hospital within 48 hours (obviously she did not)... disappointment and resentment ran high. ~

So we walked the 1.5 miles home (much slower and less comfortably than I’d walked there), and H headed to an evening class. I decided to make oatmeal cookies to freeze, and was having regular light contractions. Decided to rest and watch TV and see if they kept up (they did). H came home and was like “uhhhh, you okay? Your breathing is different.”

We went to bed and contractions got stronger, and I quickly realized I wasn’t going to be getting any sleep. I told H to rest while he could. I woke him back up when contractions were moderate and regularly 8 min apart. We called the doula and she came over, we were using the yoga ball etc. as things slowly progressed. Then contractions started getting closer together (~2-3 min apart) but less intense. When the sun came up, everything stopped dead. The doula said this is a thing and it could potentially go on for a few days. ☹️

The next night, rinse and repeat. As soon as the sun went down, I had my first contraction. By the time I went to bed, it was a contraction every 20 min strong enough to wake me up that I’d have to get on all 4s and rock through, and then I’d get a short nap until the next one. But they never got stronger or closer together. Again, it stopped at daybreak. 😑

Third night was NOT the charm, though this time it came in waves – 30 min of contractions that kept me awake, 30 min of milder contractions I could nap through. The wave would start again one hour after it began, almost to the minute.

The fourth day I was losing my MIND. 3 nights with little to no sleep, and being faked out on labor. To make things worse, I’d requested induction dates a week earlier (so I’d at least have a definite end point in sight), and I still hadn’t heard back when it was scheduled. I contacted the scheduling team, and the customer service team, and both told me I should have heard back already, they would look into it for me, and would call me back with an update by end of day. THEY DID NOT. 💀

We had an ultrasound scheduled that morning, and the tech said they couldn’t get a good picture of baby’s head circumference because she was “so far down in your pelvis.” Like yes I KNOW, at this point I literally could not get a poop out around her freaking head it was lodged so low in there.

During the day I was having very mild but fairly regular contractions, maybe 2-3 an hour. I told H “I’m not saying it’s our night tonight, but it’s not NOT our night.”

We went out for lunch because I couldn’t face eating any of the dumb shit reflux-friendly food we had at home (I ate a really nice savory crepe that made me feel almost human). We took the long way back, and when we came up the last few stairs I felt a few trickles that I was pretty sure my water was breaking. But I felt so gaslit by my own body I didn’t want to trust it. It kept up doing small trickles for a few hours, and I was in the shower thinking I should look up slow water breaks, and then I was like “what am I thinking, I should be calling a professional.” ha.

So I called the midwife, she agreed it was a water break, said that things would likely kick into gear for real now (especially since I’d had 3 nights of prodromal labor already), and that we could stay home and try to rest, or come in to the hospital now. I eventually decided to stay home, she recommended taking a benadryl and trying to get some sleep.

Literally as soon as I laid down in bed, I had a strong 2 min strong contraction and I was like, okay, here we gooooo.
So we started doing some positioning stuff through contractions – baby was posterior still and I was having back labor. At about midnight, I was doing an inversion off the couch and I felt (and heard) a pop, and I was like “that is DEFINITELY my waters. Sure enough, big water break and it started gushing. We called the doula and she headed over, but things ramped up quickly from there – contractions started coming back to back with no break. I was internally debating whether we should call a taxi instead of waiting for our doula, but I also really didn’t want to be in labor in the back of a taxi.

I got into a bath to try and slow things down, and I heard dishes clattering in the kitchen and called for H. He asked what I needed, and I asked “are you doing the dishes?” and he said “Yes, and cleaning the fridge” and I said “Okay can you not and just be here with me?” haha. He was desperately trying to do something useful.
The bath spaced out the contractions to 1-2 min apart, and then the doula arrived. She was commented that things were pretty intense, and apparently suggested we head to the hospital and I *apparently* said “no.” I have no recollection of this conversation, I just remembering feeling that it would be impossible to exit the apartment and get into a car (I was in transition at this point).

20 or so minutes later, she suggested again that we head out, and I said “yes, I don’t want a car baby” and was wondering why we hadn’t left yet – no recollection that they had been trying to suggest to me that we leave earlier.

I will tell you what, speeding down FDR drive in active labor is NOT fun. Too bumpy. We got to the hospital in ~25 min, and the labor and delivery triage folks were very la-di-da. They kept asking “is this your first?” and trying to chit chat with me during contractions.

When they checked me and realized I was 9 cm dilated, the tune changed VERY fast. Suddenly they were asking if I wanted an epidural and hurrying me to a room. Like yeah, you dillweeds, just because I’m a first time mother doesn’t mean I’m fucking faking this.

My midwife told me to start pushing whenever I felt the urge, and WOW, I’ve heard the fetal ejection reflex described as “like vomiting in reverse” and that is SO, so accurate.

I pushed for about an hour, she would crown, then slip back up, and then with the next push come just a little further down. It turns out she was tangled in her cord – it was looped around her neck, arm, and leg. THIS was why I couldn’t get her re-positioned despite everything I’d tried for weeks. When her head finally popped out, the midwife slipped the loop of cord over her head, and the rest of her body shot out like it was spring loaded without me having to push again.

Also, every time she crowned, I could feel her EARS which seemed bonkers, but sure enough the tops of her ears were folded down for about the first half a day.

From first real contraction (of that night) to birth was 7.5 hours.

My blood pressure plummeted right after delivery, and then I kept fainting every time I got out of bed, but eventually after fluids, food, and a NAP I was able to stay conscious while out of bed and be cleared to move to post partum.

—————

She’s been adjusting to outside world really well, a good sleeper, and cluster feeds have shifted to daytime after a few rough nights.

Aside from sleep deprivation and my tits weighing 80 lbs apiece, I’m feeling pretty good.

And my reflux is virtually GONE I can eat real food again. The apple juice I had right after delivery was a transcendent experience after nothing but water and almond milk for months.

PDQ pics


*poof*

[cmeon]

Look at that sweet little face!! Congrats, and thank you for making the world cuter!

[ssmjlm]

Congrats momma!

[sju]

Congratulations!! She is beautiful.

[mcppalmbeach]

Squeee! I love a fresh baby. She’s so very cute! Congratulations!!!

[dancingirl21]

Congratulations! She’s adorable.

[scm1011]

Those cheeks!! Congrats, mama - she's beautiful!!

[erbear]

She's gorgeous!!

[lostrn]

Congratulations!!

[underwaterrhymes]

She’s absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations!

[UMaineTeach]

Congratulations!

[RoxMonster]

Congrats!!

[fernweh]

Congratulations, she is wonderful!

[kdubs923]

Squeeee!! She’s so cute! Congratulations!! 💕

[eb777888]

Yay!!!!! I'm so happy for you! She's beautiful!!

And yay for being able to eat without pain!! Man, there was nothing like that first meal after giving birth, lol.

[blondemoment123]

Congratulations!!

[nicolewi]

Congrats on your sweet baby!

[circa1978]

Yay! Simply beautiful baby and I loved your birth story. I had a pop with my water too and have totally described the need to push like vomiting! Doctors who tell you not to push have clearly not experienced that, lol. Congratulations!

[wildrice]

She is perfect! Congratulations!!!

[gretchenindisguise]

Oh gosh, she is beautiful!!

Congratulations to you! I am glad she finally came out!

[sadlebred]

She's adorable!

[sproctopus]

Congratulations!! ❤️❤️

[HRH Queen Dick I]

I'm glad I never read anything about having a baby before I had one because all that is a big fat no.

[candreco]

Congratulations, she's beautiful! A little more joy in the world ☺️

[Patsy Baloney]

Congratulations! May every day of her life be better than the last.

[cricketwife]

Congratulations!!!! She’s beautiful!!!

[1confused1]

She is beautiful! Congratulations!

[Alex]

Oh she's perfect! Congratulations!

[fivechickens]

Congratulations! She is beautiful!

[jane6672]

Nov 9, 2024 17:33:19 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

Yay! Simply beautiful baby and I loved your birth story. I had a pop with my water too and have totally described the need to push like vomiting! Doctors who tell you not to push have clearly not experienced that, lol. Congratulations!

Haha, yeah, there’s no way I could (or would attempt to) hold that in, thank you very much!