We did it!
Biologically engineered superhuman progeny #2 has made it earthside and he's the most adorable addition we could have hoped for. Long story short for those who don't care to read it: He was born on October 12th at 12:12 AM, 8 lbs 4 oz, 21 inches long and came at 37 weeks and 5 days. He's healthy, doing well, eats and sleeps like a champ, and has a head full of dark hair.
The long story:
I decided pretty early on in this pregnancy that this time around, I really wanted to have an unmedicated birth. Among other reasons, I wanted to see how it affected recovery time and my baby with hopes that it would speed recovery, help avoid some of the post-partum anxiety/depression, etc. I didn't take any courses, but ready as many birth stories as I could, talked to several moms who had done it, and just did my best to mentally tell myself over and over as the months went on that yes, I could totally do this.
The week leading up to my 38 week appointment was full of start-and-stop prodromal labor. Because Cade was born at 36 weeks 5 days, I had been prepared to go into spontaneous labor any time after 36 weeks and instead just had hours of painful, regular contractions that got closer and closer and then would taper back to Braxton Hicks. I shared this with my doctor with my increasing fear that by the time the "real" thing rolled around and I realized it, I'd be too far progressed and have a baby by the side of the road on my own. He offered to strip my membranes and said he felt confident that would put me in real labor so I said PLEASE DO IT.
By 2:30 that afternoon, I was having regular contractions about 7 minutes apart. By 4, they were 5 minutes apart and stayed that way for the next couple hours. I told Jeff I felt like we needed to go in later that night and he did his best to hurry home from work so we could get into the hospital and have a baby. Per the Doc's instruction, we should go in to L and D after 2 hours of those contractions so we went in at 7:30 and I was 4 CM with contractions every 5-6 minutes. After an hour of walking, they were 5 minutes apart and I was at a 5. They admitted us at 8:30.
By 10, I was still having contractions at that same interval and I was almost 6 cm but was in good spirits. They weren't unmanageable and I was still having a decent break between contractions. The doctor offered to break my water to speed things up and I was all for it but was totally unprepared for how much faster it would make everything go. He broke it at 10:30 and immediately everything got way more intense. The contractions started coming at 3 minute intervals and were really painful in my back, but still manageable and I was able to feel pretty normal for 30 seconds to a minute between them which was really nice. It's crazy to feel like you're really laboring during a contraction, but then be able to walk and laugh and joke a minute later. Our sweet nurse, who was 7 months pregnant herself, was in our room most of the time and was so helpful. I had explained we were going for an unmedicated birth and she went out of her way to help me manage contractions, let me labor off the monitors, and taught Jeff how to do counter pressure and took turns with him so he could be up at my head.
For the first couple hours, I sat and bounced on a ball but by 11 PM it wasn't a great position anymore so I labored the rest of the time on my hands and knees on the bed. By the time 11:45 came around, I was starting to wonder how much longer I could handle contractions like that and told Jeff I didn't think I could do it. A few minutes later, I really started to reconsider whether an epidural would be the next thing I would ask for or not and just prayed and prayed and prayed that I would make it through that contraction. I think subconsciously I knew it was transition because I began to feel really hot and dizzy and like I was in another dimension during contractions. At around 12, I realized that I felt like I needed to push so she checked and said I was at an 8 and she would start getting the room ready. I tried to get back on the ball but was getting really dizzy so I climbed back in bed. Three contractions after getting checked, I yelled to Jeff that I had just pushed and they called her in. By that point, I was spontaneously pushing and there was no stopping it. The room filled up with people who kept saying to stop pushing and to breathe the pressure down.
IF THERE IS A WAY TO STOP YOUR BODY FROM SPONTANEOUSLY PUSHING I COULDN'T FIND IT.
I started to panic and kept asking them to please just help me over and over again. It wasn't that I needed help - I just needed him to come out and he was absolutely coming out whether or not I was purposefully pushing or not. The doctor walked in and a couple of spontaneous pushes later, and one intentional one, Jase flew right out. He had some trouble getting his breathing regular so they worked on him for 15 minutes and then brought him back to me.
Initially I felt pretty out of it and lightheaded and didn't feel like I could safely hold him, but 20 minutes later I started feeling much better and was able to hold him, do skin-to-skin, and then nurse him a few minutes after that.
After he ate, Jeff held him for the first time and there is nothing sweeter than seeing your better half love on your brand-new baby. It's just the best.
In hindsight, I was really worried about how painful pushing would be and I can honestly say that I wasn't feeling pain in the couple of minutes leading up to his delivery, just insane pressure. It is totally unnerving to feel your entire body contract and bear down without your say-so, and that's the part that freaked me out the most. Transition was definitely the most painful, I couldn't do anything or move any way that would give relief but it was such a short-lived part of labor that it really wasn't too bad.
The aftermath hasn't been awful. Despite being so much bigger than Cade, I just had a minor tear and pain has been pretty minimal and manageable with ibuprofen. I've been really surprised at just how much better I feel three days out and mentally am in a much better place than I was last time. Jase has been a champion eater since the first latch - and he hasn't had any latching issues at all which has been super awesome.
All in all, I'm so grateful that he is here safe, a little early, and that I was able to experience the delivery I had been hoping and praying for. Jeff was a rockstar and did everything he could to help from rubbing my back for hours to literally holding my weight when my legs buckled during a contraction. My sister was there and was a calming presence and also took some pictures that I'll treasure for a long time. Our nurse was just awesome and I just hope she has the same kind of support when she has her baby that she gave to me! It's been so weird to me both times that the people who play such a huge role in the most life-changing events I'll ever experience are also people that I may never see again.
Pictures below.
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| The time between this picture being taken and Jase's birth was 5 minutes. |
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