Amélie's Birthday

Friday, October 22, 2010

This is Amélie's birth story and sorry it is long. I started writing this and wanted to make this my record of her birth.
When it became apparent after two weeks of thinking labor should happened anytime. My midwife said if by some miracle I had not gone into labor by weds the 20th (39 weeks) she would induce me. Monday I got a message from my midwife saying she would see me bright and early on Wednesday at 6:30 am. I was group B strep positive so getting induced was ideal they could have enough time to get me antibiotics before labor and during. We got to the hospital and they checked me in at 6:30. It wasn't until 7:45 am that they had started the antibiotics. I was not informed until then that after they started the antibiotics that I would have to wait 4 hours until they induced me. At 11:45 am they finally started the pitocin. I had been having contractions for about 2 weeks which were strong enough to put most women in the hospital. So I didn't need much pitocin to get "active" labor started. I progressed to a 5 after weeks of being a little over a 4. Around 1 my midwife came and ruptured my membranes and turned down my pitocin to almost nothing.My labor really start to pick up. I had planned on doing a natural birth. Most of my coping methods involved being able to move around the room. Around 2:00pm My contractions were really starting to pick up and become closer together.Robert had already expressed to me his wish that I would just get drugs. When none of my pain management methods were distracting enough I decided on the epidural. I asked Robert to call my nurse and order the epidural. My nurse had been saying all morning Robert was a man of few words. She swears that Robert calling was the first time she had heard him speak.By 2:30 pm the nurse and the anesthesiologist came to put in my epidural. Robert was excited to see the epidural be placed.The epidural worked so quickly. My nurse left and was doing other things for what seemed to be FOREVER! Around 3:30 I started wondering and asking Robert why nobody had come and checked on me in awhile. I doubted very much that I had made any progress at all. I even had taken a small nap and made so jokes. My nurse's ears must have been burning because she came right in. Checked me and told me that I was complete and went to call my midwife and get the table and room ready. From 4pm I started pushing, pushing, and more pushing. Apparently I have a very strong pelvic floor which is why after two weeks of her head down that low it had not started labor. I was glad to have an epidural since it was almost three hours of pushing. Apparently I'm the kind of patient everyone loves because I'm so dang nice and positive about things.Haaaaa... Who says the glass is always half empty! I would push and they would say I see her head but then as the contraction would stop her head would go out of view. But all my hard work paid off and her head finally stayed out and then a few good pushes later and her whole body appeared. The midwife placed the baby on my stomach and in seconds she was breathing and crying on her own. Robert was able to cut the cord and watch as the afterbirth was delivered. (Here is where we gross everyone out) We both were amazed by what the placenta looked like, how much blood, and amniotic flood there still was.It's truly amazing what the human body can do. I had a little bit of tearing but nothing to complain about.My epidural wore off quickly and I had no problem getting up and walking.
She had an 8 on her first apgar and a 9 on the minute mark. She weighted in at 7 pounds 13 oz and 20.5 inches long. She is such a sweet baby. She had no problem learning how to breast feed! We were able to go home 24hrs after delivery! Our first night at home was great.