Your Birth Story

Dear Aiwyn,
Today you are one week old!! A lot has happen in the last two weeks....

First off we had your big baby shower with friends and family about a week before your birth (1/24/09). We had a co-ed shower which was great to see all of our friends that are already Dads and to see the friends that will be Dads within the next few years. The only bad thing was all the men won all the prizes (sorry ladies). We received lots of well needed gifts and some beautiful clothes. Unfortunately, we didn't really have time to go through all your gifts before you decided to arrive. Your room (ok our house) was a disaster!

BABY SHOWER


BOYS AT THE SHOWER (THEY WERE REALLY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR STROLLER!)


The following week was tough at work. I had lots of swelling and lots of contractions. We had started going to the doctor once a week and I was only 1 cm on Monday. Thursday was rough. I really didn't feel good at all in addition to the contractions and swelling. When I got home from work, I laid on the sofa (yes we finally got the new sofa- another blog entry, another day) until your father came home. Your father came home with a new/"touched up" (as he called it) tattoo. It was below the elbow (which I had begged for him not to get anymore tattoos below the elbow). I was so mad when I found out where it was that I didn't even look at it for about an hour or so. Then when I do look at it, it has your name in it. I told him he would regret that if you came out as a boy. He felt certain you were a girl because of the three ultrasounds we had that showed your girliness. Then I went to bed early.

The next morning was more contractions, but I felt a little bit better after some much needed rest. Now here's your incredible journey into this world:

Friday (January 30th)
7:15am I was bending over drying my hair when I realized I was leaking amnoitic fluid down both legs. I woke your father (who now wishes to be called Pops) to tell him what was going on. I said, "I think I'm leaking amniotic fluid." His reply, "What do you mean you THINK?" I then told him I thought we should at least go to the doctor's office to be checked. The doctor's office didn't open until 8am and it's 35-40 minutes away, so we decided to head in that direction and call them on our way. As we were getting ready I asked your Pops if we should put the car seat and hospital bag in the car just in case. He asked me, "Well, how do you feel? Do you feel like you are in labor?" I told him I wasn't sure, I've never been in labor. I was having contractions, but I didn't feel horrible. He said, no we don't need to pack the car, we'll come back home.

8:00am still on the way to the doctor's office: I call the office to let them know we are on our way. They tell me all the doctors are at the hospital and we need to go there. (We didn't want to go to the hospital because we thought they would keep us).

8:20am arrive at hospital. The midwife from the practice comes in to check me and as she does a gush of fluid comes out*. She says, "Yep, your water broke." I asked if we could go home. She said, "No, your in labor and need to stay here." So, I had to send your Pops home to get the car seat and bag (which was only partially packed and had a check list next to it to finish packing).

*We later realize that was not your water that broke, but it was your twin's. At our 20 week gestation ultrasound we discovered that you were sharing amniotic fluid with your sibling, even though (s)he no longer had a beating heart. That's why there was more than just a trickle of fluid.

~10:00am I get moved to my room (instead of triage).

I walk the halls to help labor. I get an electric breast pump for nipple stimulation to help progress labor (and laugh hysterically as tears roll down my face for the 8 minutes it's pumping). I walk more. I eat some spicy food. We try acupressure points.

4:30pm I call Sara to let her know where we were. (It felt strange to be in the hospital for so long without telling anyone).

7:00pm Your Pops texts the family to let them know where we were since it had been 12 hours.

Saturday (January 31st)
2:00am Nurses start pumping ampicillian into me since it's now been 18 hours since my water broke. I am now attached to an IV every 4 hours.

I walk the halls more. We have now named the waiting room hall the refrigerator hall because it's 20 degrees colder than the other halls. But it is the best hall for walking as it's the longest.

1:00pm Pitocin is started. Normal rate of infusion is 2 units increased by 2 units every 1/2 hour. I negotiate 1 unit increased by 1 unit every 1/2 hour. I was then tied to the fetal and contraction monitors. My eyes are now closed as I try to manage the pain with my breathing and Hypnobirthing techniques.

4:00pm Your water breaks.... well actually it gushes all over me and all over the hospital bed requiring a complete linen and clothing change.

5:30pm Our doctor decides to stop the Pit to see if my contractions will progress on their own since the new water breaking. Within 15 minutes of stopping the Pit, I am a new woman. My eyes open back up. I decide to drink some cold soup, eat some warm jello and drink some water and Gatorade. I was free to walk the halls again. I pass some visitors in the hall that comment seeing me walking the halls the night before. I replied with something like "Yeah, that was me. I'm still trying to get this baby out."

7:30pm Measured 2 cm :(

10:00pm My contractions didn't progress on their own. They decide to put me back on Pit. I ask to make sure that we start back at 1 unit and progress only by 1 unit every 1/2 hour. My eyes close again and don't really open until your birth. I quit speaking except for the necessities and start talking in a whisper as I have discovered that I start a contraction every time I speak or move.

~11:30pm I ask to hear about pain management options other than an epidural. I start on a combination of Nubain and Phenergan that can be administered every 4 hours, but again I will be tied down to the monitors. I am able to rest for about 2 hours after getting the combination, but it doesn't seem to last the full 4 hours hours. I get 2-3 doses total.

Sunday (Feburary 1st):
6:30am Measuring 3 1/2 cm

10:00am The nurses no longer let me take the Nubain as I am now 5 cm.

2:00pm My body starts to have downward convulsions with the contractions. I remember thinking "this is how a woman in a coma can deliver a baby... your body will help you push the baby out." I tell your Pops he has to get the nurse now because I think it's time and I have to pee. The nurse comes in saying she has to check me and is really surprised to find you are ready and I am 10 cm. My hospital room becomes a hive of activity with several nurses rushing in with equipment and my doctor is called to come deliver. She was not expecting to deliver you until that evening. She had just sent her "Nanny" (her brother) out to the grocery store so she had to bring her children to the hospital and keep them entertained in the locker room until the Nanny could pick them up. I start pushing with the convulsions as it feels like the natural thing to do. I am exhausted from the hours and hours of labor. I scream and scream (but still not words) more from frustration than from pain. The words that I do say are "Please come out baby. Please come out." I am able to watch our progress through a mirror.

3:30pm YOU ARE BORN!!!! It was scary during the last part of getting you out. To start off with it took you awhile to get past my pubic bone. Then the doctor and nurses thought your heart rate dropped drastically (but it was just the monitor slipped) and were quick to try and get you out. I had a nurse pushing on my stomach and the doctor had to give me an episiotomy as you had a hard time passing through a small lip of skin. Then you had a nuchal cord and the doctor had to cut the cord from around your neck. You were completely blue when you came out. The NICU nurses were in the room and immediately began working on you. I heard a nurse ask for "the bag." I exhaustively asked if you were ok. She told me she was working on it. Then you made a slight squeak and they said your Pops could go over to see you. Shortly after you voiced your first cry. The nurse soon handed you over to me to "pink you up." I had you on my chest and you slowly started to turn pink. Your hands and feet were blue for much longer than the rest of you (until the next day). Your first apgar score was a 4, but your second was a 9. You are considered premature as you are born at 37 weeks of gestation, but you don't look like a premature baby. At birth you weigh 7 pounds 2.3 ounces and you are 20 inches long. And yes, you do have those long legs we saw in the ultrasound!



As I look at you, I'm not sure who you look like (your Pops or me). I am sure you are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. You have the cutest chubby checks, the longest eye lashes, beautiful dark hair, and super long perfect fingers and toes.



I was discussing your birth with a friend of mine who has a little 9 month old boy and she asked "What would you do different next time." My reply was "Nothing. I am glad I took Hypnobirthing to help me cope with the 40 hours of labor with absolutely no pain medication. And it still helped me with the remaining 15 hours of labor. I did not have a quiet birth where I was able to "breathe you down the birth canal" but I think the exhaustion and absolute fatigue of my body wouldn't allow that. I was up going to the bathroom and taking care of you within hours of the delivery. I was up picking up the hospital room early the next morning. I felt pretty darn good for just having had a baby. I was not drugged and you were not drugged. No, I would not change a thing." My doctor and all my nurses were very respectful of our birth plan and my desire to have a natural delivery. I have decided that anything really worthwhile doesn't come easy. And you are priceless, 55 hours of labor was worth it to have you in our lives.

Mucho,
Mama