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The very speedy birth of the Dillo
Jul. 14th, 2006 03:19 pmSo, here is the very short birth story:
Monday was a normal day at work, and an evening La Leche League meeting. You may recall my oh-so-presceint post about how Braxton-Hicks contractions mean nothing about when labor will start. I had a little show about 7:30 but thought it might have stemmed from other causes. Starting having more unusual B-H contractions at around 10 - still didn't feel like actual labor contractions, but bordering on painful. They were irregular - 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour apart. At this point I started thinking, "ah, prelabor, which in non-first children can last several days." Went to bed, woken up by a B-H contraction at 1 and talked with mr. flea for almost an hour. Back to sleep. Woken again at 3, and two weirdo B-H contractions later my water broke at 3:20. So I finished packing, and mr. flea called the doctor and Tonya to come over to stay with Casper, and I sat around on the toilet sweating and starting to have real contractions. Tonya came around 4, and we drove off to the hospital under the full moon. Whoops, front door is closed at 4:20 am. Back to car, around back to ER, where they swept us in with great efficiency (yay pre-registration!) and up to L&D. Hooked me up to fetal monitor and I threw up a little (the first and only time - woo hoo) and they're doing the basics of paperwork and so forth. I was having pretty decent contractions but still able to walk and talk and so forth. Overall I was much more aware of what was going on and present this time around. Obviously much less tired and dehydrated. When they first checked I was 8-9 cm and I very quickly was in transition, with shaky legs and urges to push. So we pushed, and I screamed like a banshee (in between screams saying "god this is easier than last time!") and we decided to do another episiotomy, and then at the next contraction we got the boy out. I got to hold him right away and I believe this is a direct quote: "Hello, little one! You are so gross!" The room cracked up. (He was, in my defense, purple and vernixy and bloody - and I said "gross" in a loving tone, I swear!) Seemed very big (he seems so much smaller now). Cried a lot, right off the bat and then when they weighed him and wiped him off (and later, when they gave him a bath he howled and I rolled my eyes some more.) So easy, and I have felt fine from the get-go - only pain is from uterine cramps when I nurse, now nearly gone, and I've had a lot less lochia than last time.
Incidentally, my friends Sunshine (Satsuki) and David had their daughter Sumi Rose just an hour before the Dillo was born. Birthday twins! Sumi's big sister is Lucy (who is herself a birthday twin with Avery Kate, another friend.)
Coming soon: more pictures (download cord is in room with sleeping grandma) and the continuing saga of the evil billirubin, in which much stress worry and hassle but no actual negative consequences for baby, so far.
Monday was a normal day at work, and an evening La Leche League meeting. You may recall my oh-so-presceint post about how Braxton-Hicks contractions mean nothing about when labor will start. I had a little show about 7:30 but thought it might have stemmed from other causes. Starting having more unusual B-H contractions at around 10 - still didn't feel like actual labor contractions, but bordering on painful. They were irregular - 10 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour apart. At this point I started thinking, "ah, prelabor, which in non-first children can last several days." Went to bed, woken up by a B-H contraction at 1 and talked with mr. flea for almost an hour. Back to sleep. Woken again at 3, and two weirdo B-H contractions later my water broke at 3:20. So I finished packing, and mr. flea called the doctor and Tonya to come over to stay with Casper, and I sat around on the toilet sweating and starting to have real contractions. Tonya came around 4, and we drove off to the hospital under the full moon. Whoops, front door is closed at 4:20 am. Back to car, around back to ER, where they swept us in with great efficiency (yay pre-registration!) and up to L&D. Hooked me up to fetal monitor and I threw up a little (the first and only time - woo hoo) and they're doing the basics of paperwork and so forth. I was having pretty decent contractions but still able to walk and talk and so forth. Overall I was much more aware of what was going on and present this time around. Obviously much less tired and dehydrated. When they first checked I was 8-9 cm and I very quickly was in transition, with shaky legs and urges to push. So we pushed, and I screamed like a banshee (in between screams saying "god this is easier than last time!") and we decided to do another episiotomy, and then at the next contraction we got the boy out. I got to hold him right away and I believe this is a direct quote: "Hello, little one! You are so gross!" The room cracked up. (He was, in my defense, purple and vernixy and bloody - and I said "gross" in a loving tone, I swear!) Seemed very big (he seems so much smaller now). Cried a lot, right off the bat and then when they weighed him and wiped him off (and later, when they gave him a bath he howled and I rolled my eyes some more.) So easy, and I have felt fine from the get-go - only pain is from uterine cramps when I nurse, now nearly gone, and I've had a lot less lochia than last time.
Incidentally, my friends Sunshine (Satsuki) and David had their daughter Sumi Rose just an hour before the Dillo was born. Birthday twins! Sumi's big sister is Lucy (who is herself a birthday twin with Avery Kate, another friend.)
Coming soon: more pictures (download cord is in room with sleeping grandma) and the continuing saga of the evil billirubin, in which much stress worry and hassle but no actual negative consequences for baby, so far.
