Haha, in more ways than one. :) I was so tired and busy in the last few months but hopefully now I can focus more and get on here even just once a week to keep everyone updated, even if I don't always do a photo blog.
So I had my baby - April Selena, on March 19, 2008. Here's the full story, since I've had some requests for it. :)
- warning, long!
Tuesday (18th) evening I started having contractions off and on around 6 but they weren't regular so I shrugged them off. They continued for most of the evening but weren't enough to keep me awake. I woke up at 330 to contractions that were strong enough to wake me up, but still irregular - about every 5-10 minutes. Even though I was supposed to phone my midwife immediately (since this baby was going all over the place), I figured I'd wait until it was daytime - no point waking others up if this was just a false alarm.
At 9 a.m. I decided to finally phone, since the contractions were between 3 and 5 minutes apart and about a minute long. I got checked at the midwife's office at 10 - I'm dilated to 3 but stretchy, going up to 4 or 5 on contractions with the baby's head definitely there. She told me to go home, get things organized and that she'd be amazed if there wasn't a baby around by the end of the day.
Back home to watch the Incredibles with Caitlin, noticing the contractions as a strength not really as a pain, but not bothering to time them or anything. Just riding them out using mental imagery, walking, and some abdominal breathing with low exhale for stronger ones. Jon and Caitlin go take a nap and I just hang out on the couch, reading and drifting in between contractions. Next thing I know, my midwife calls to ask what's going on - it's been 4 hours (seemed to me like maybe an hour and a half). Since I hadn't bothered keeping track she tells me to time them and get back to her. I'm surprised to find they are 2 minutes apart and about 45 seconds long, so after calling her back, I get Caitlin and Jon out of bed and we get Caitlin off to grandma's, then off we head to the hospital.
I get to the hospital at around 4 pm, get checked and I'm at 5, stretching to 7 with contractions. I hop in the shower for a while until I notice I'm shaking a bit, uncertain on positioning, and slightly nauseous (but I thought transition was supposed to hurt!). So I go back and sit upright on the bed (tailor sitting) and in addition to my mental imagery (of the uterine muscles opening the cervix), low exhale with abdominal breathing, I also start taking any pain energy manifesting and push it slowly and steadily away with each exhale.
The midwife checks again around 6, and I'm amazed to find out I'm at 9cm and still haven't really gotten to a point where I found it very painful - then again 31 hours of back labour would be hard to match. A few nurses came in and said they were amazed at how calm and relaxed I was - joking and laughing in between contractions, and then just zoned in for contractions - no grimaces or even a frown. Anyway, it then took about an hour to go from 9 to 10, because my bag of waters is just bulging and making it so the head isn't exerting as much pressure on the cervix.
At 7pm I'm given the all clear to start pushing and this is when the pain begins! lol The baby keeps moving her head around while I'm trying to push her down, making her slip backwards. Then once I get her head out, her shoulders get stuck, so the midwife and nurses have to start pulling and turning her with each contraction, trying to get the shoulders to move in such a way they can come out. Finally she decides to turn with them, and with another push or two, she's out (at 7:53pm), onto my belly, and Jon cuts the cord. They almost had to take her away because she wasn't crying but then she gives this great big cry and starts pinking up. Apgars of 6 and 9, 9lbs even, 21 1/4 inches long. Her chest was actually a centimetre bigger than her head, which is why she was giving me all the trouble with her shoulders!
We decided to name her April Selena - April because we both like it, and Selena for my great-grandmother on my dad's side. Within 20 minutes she was latched and breastfeeding nicely. I had no tears or anything and was able to get up and shower within an hour of April's birth. I just can't believe how much better I feel after this birth - we went visiting on our way home from the hospital and I've been walking, cleaning, and do all sorts of other stuff since getting home! I have way more energy now than I've had for MONTHS! lol
I'm glad I was able to have the birth that I really was hoping for!
Now here are the pics!!
Holding On
Meeting her big sister
Mommy and the girls
After-bath story and snuggles
Miss April at one week
