♥ I wrote all this in Word while in the hospital. I still can’t get over the fact that there was no internet there, but I thought about you all anyway! And I can’t even believe the virtual shower that was hosted for me while I was gone. I was in tears when I saw all the comments of good luck! THANK YOU! I promise I will be around to visit each and every one of you in the coming days! I am so very grateful!! ♥
Welcome to the world Baby Hudson!!
Seriously, what kinda brand spankin’ new hospital doesn’t have WiFi? This hospital was built only six months ago and you’d think that would be a prerequisite for a new hospital in this day and age.
But I digress. I shall use Word instead.
May 28, 10:30am I arrived at the hospital for my induction: exactly 41 weeks pregnant. Worried that I would have the gel and be sent home to wait it out for six hours I was pleasantly surprised that the doctor on-call decided to just break my water instead even though I was “definitely not in labour and only 1cm dilated – what was because (I’ve) had a previous pregnancy”.
Nothing like making a woman feel a little completely inadequate at delivering a child. Though I was a little disheartened by my first impression, this doctor - who was the doctor on-call – he was awesome, fantastic and wonderful all in one. LOVE!
After about four and a half hours of walking, shootin’ the shit with Mike and waiting it out in triage, I was bumped up to a Labour and Delivery room just as the contractions began. By five o’clock I was experiencing, what felt to me like, heavy contractions I was checked and only sitting at about 3cm. One –and-a-half centimeters of dilation; that’s it: Mike was still adamant that his guess of 11pm would hold true. I thought for sure this pregnancy was going to end in a C-Section.
Since I was contracting nicely and baby was doing well, I was given my epidural by a kind and wonderful nurse who felt there was no reason for me to wait it out any longer. God, love her. Epidural kicked in as did the pressure; and assuming that I was moving along, the pitocin was delayed to see how well I progressed on my own. No significant changes over the next two hours resulted in a pitocin drip and as ten o’clock pm rolled around I was feeling considerable amounts of pressure when my nurse decided to check me.
Mike was sure I was about 6cm and I bet that I hadn’t progressed past four.
I was right.
Sitting at 3cm during a contraction, and roughly 5cm during the “down time” there really was no change at all. I was disheartened, worried and succumbed to believing that this labour would undoubtedly end with my being cut open. By doctor’s orders, the pitocin was increased and after phone calls, to up-date family on my lack of progress, Mike and I bedded down for what we thought was going to be a very long night.
Before leaving to check another patient, my nurse stated that sometimes with second babies, women will sit at 2cm or 3cm for a long time and then everything can happen in a blink of an eye.
I was sure I wasn’t one of those women.
I was wrong.
By 10:30pm I was experiencing incredible urges to push and sent Mike for my nurse. I knew he was going to think I was some kinda basket case who was going to make her night really long, but after checked me, I was sitting at 9cm+ just waiting for the lip of my cervix to disappear; and I thought labour was hard before – that was until I experienced the urge to push and not being allowed to at all.
I had to wait for the lip of my cervix, then the doctor to come, the stirrups to be put into place and every one to be ready at their stations all the while trying my very hardest NOT to push and begging them to hurry the hell up. Yeah, they loved me.
After just shy of eight hours of labour and four pushes, weighing in at 8lbs 15oz, Hudson arrived to greet the world.
Time of birth: 10:57pm. Mike’s guesstimate was right on.
Mine was, thankfully, FAR off.
No C-section and only a one degree tear. I was up to pee just over 2 hours after birth and showered (all by myself!!) at about 10 hours after.
Not bad, not bad at all for a chick that didn’t even leave the bed for the first 24 hours after her first child.
Day 3: Today’s been a little rough - well, this evening. Breastfeeding on Day 3 is by FAR the worst day. The day that milk comes in and baby is completely restless as well as having a growth spurt there’s not enough to go around and every one is in tears. This day, when I had Carter, I remember like it was yesterday. Sitting on the couch at 4am bawling because neither Carter or I could carry on. He was starving, I was in pain and shit had just about hit the fan.
This time around, we’re supplementing. It only started because Hudson was getting pretty dehydrated from not eating for the first 16 hours of his life. His lungs were still filled with mucous from his rather quick arrival and he had no urges to even attempt to eat. Therefore supplementation was required if I wanted to leave the hospital at a normal time - which I very much did. Not that I have anything to justify, I’m just blabbering now.
So, we’re here. Everyone’s excited and Carter is absolutely the BEST big brother a little kid could ask for. All he talks about is “Baby Hudson” and how he wants to do everything for “Baby Hudson”. God, I love that kid. Both my kids.
A mom to two boys and I could not be happier.
