Wednesday, March 11, 2009
One last entry!
In case anyone checks back again, this is my last entry on this blog! I have started putting Liam's pictures on another site. You can see them at liamallenpetersonishere.shutterfly.com. Thanks!
My birth story
I was due Monday, December 29. That day came and went. I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, December 31. I was 2 centimeters and 70% effaced that day. The doctor gave me the option of coming in to be induced that Friday (January 2), when she would be on call. Or, I could wait until Monday, January 5, when I would be one week overdue, and I would then go in for another doctor's appointment where they'd do an ultrasound and non-stress test, to make sure the baby was okay, and they'd then schedule an induction for later that week. We decided against the induction on Friday, January 2, because it would have been considered "elective" since I wasn't yet a full week overdue, and we were unsure how (or if) that would affect the way our insurance would cover it. Plus, I just thought it was better to wait and let the baby come when he wanted to.
On Thursday, January 1, I went to the gym in the morning and walked 3 miles. I then lost my mucous plug in the bathroom at the gym after the workout. (One word- gross!) I was then hopeful that something would happen soon. I began to have contractions that day, but they were really spread out and sporadic- not timeable at all. However, overnight that night they started to get really close together. I almost woke Clay up to say that I thought it was time, after they'd been going on at about 5 minutes apart for about an hour, but then they suddenly started slowing down again, and I was able to get about a half hour of sleep at a time.
On Friday, January 2, Clay went to work. I had taken the day off, so I was at home. I was having contractions all day, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes apart. I felt pretty crappy, so I kind of just laid in bed all day, and tried to keep track of the contractions. In the evening, they started to come closer and closer together. By about 10pm they were 3 to 5 minutes apart. At this point, I was pretty sure that this was really it. I hadn't really eaten much all day- just some oatmeal and toast. Clay made me a piece of toast at about 10pm, and I think I ate about two bites. I just couldn't do it. At about 11pm, we decided to leave for the hospital.
During the short drive to the hospital I had three contractions. They were definitely getting more painful. After getting checked in, they checked me and I was 4 centimeters and 80% effaced, so I had definitely made progress since my appointment two days prior. When they checked me again about an hour later, sometime around 12:30 or 1 am, I was 7 centimeters and 100% effaced. This was definitely it! At that point the contractions were becoming pretty painful, and I was progressing pretty quickly, so I decided to ask for the epidural then. It took at least an hour for the anesthesiologist to come to administer the epidural (so I'm guessing I was at least 8 centimeers by that time). Getting the epidural felt really strange- like cold water running down my back. It took affect pretty quickly. My left leg became much more numb than my right leg, so I spent most of the rest of the labor on my right side (to try to get it to balance out). I could still feel when I was having contractions, but I didn't feel any pain.
After I got the epidural, the nurse suggested I just try to rest for awhile and let the baby come down naturally. (He was still up a bit high at that point.) So, Clay actually slept on the pull-out couch for awhile, but I didn't sleep. I just laid there, waiting for another cervical check. (I found out later that there were 7 babies born that morning in about a 4 hour period, so the doctors and nurses were really busy!) Finally I got checked at around 8 or so, and I was 10 centimeters and ready to push. I had to wait for my doctor to get there though, so in the meantime we watched some TV. We turned on the Food Network, which was terrible because I was starving! The whole night I just kept hoping for everything to move quickly so I could eat something (since I couldn't eat because of the epidural).
Dr. Wood finally got there and broke my water. There was meconium in the fluid, so they brought in a pediatrician and a couple of baby nurses to be present for the birth, in case he had swallowed too much of the meconium. I started pushing at 9:07 am, with the nurse. Dr. Wood came back in at about 9:45 to see how I was progressing, but then she had to leave to go to another delivery, so I had to stop pushing then and wait. All of a sudden, some random man (not in scrubs) walks into my room. I had no clue who he was! Turns out he was a doctor (not from my doctor's practice) who was on his way home from the hospital, and he'd been called back to help (since so many babies were being born at the same time). His name was Dr. LeBon. He likes to deliver babies standing up, so he moved my bed up really high off the ground! Crazy! So, I pushed with him for awhile, until Dr. Wood came back at about 10:30. I had to stop pushing again then, so she could get cleaned up and ready. She had me reach down to feel his hair- freaky! I refused the mirror though- I really didn't need to see what was going on down there! Finally, I was able to push again, and Liam was born at 10:53 am. I swear I didn't feel any pain. I could feel that he was coming out, but it wasn't painful. I just had a small tear up (towards the urethra) inside, and it only took 2 stitches. She said I had lots of internal bruising and lacerations, but I didn't really feel any of it then, or later.
Liam immediately began to cry, so the meconium wasn't a problem. Clay cut the cord. He was taken over to the pediatrician right away, so Clay went with him over to that side of the room. Liam then peed all over the nurses! Funny little guy! While that was going on, I was stitched up and delivered the placenta (which basically just slid out a couple minutes after Liam was born). He was weighed and cleaned up. He was 7 lbs 2 oz, and 19 inches long. They then finally brought Liam to me for some time skin to skin, to warm him up. It was wonderful to finally have him in my arms.
I had to stay in the labor/delivery room for a few more hours, until the epidural wore off. Clay had to leave to go home at about 1 pm, since Matt was there alone. I was moved to my postpartum room early in the afternoon. I was alone there until Clay and Matt came back at about 5pm. They stayed for about an hour, and then I was alone again. So, I spent the first night all alone with the baby. The hospital encourages "rooming-in," so he was in the room with me at all times (other than a few checks in the nursery). That night Liam slept for 5 hours straight, which I definitely appreciated! I knew that probably wouldn't happen again for awhile!
On Sunday, January 4, Clay came back in the morning for a few hours. That afternoon, Liam went to the nursery to be circumcized. (Poor little guy!) After that, he slept for quite awhile. Clay and Matt came back for a little while late in the afternoon. Clay then left to take Matt home, and a little while later my mom and dad arrived. Clay then came back again. Everyone left at about 7:30, and I had another night alone with the baby. He behaved exactly as babies generally do on their second night- he basically ate every hour or so all night, which is callec cluster feeding. I think I only slept about 2 hours that night.
On Monday, January 5, Clay, Mom, and Dad all came back in the morning. Liam had his last tests in the nursery. His jaundice level was high, so we would have to take him to the pediatrician right away the next day to have that checked. (It ended up going up even more, so he was on the bililights for a day.) He had dropped down to 6 lbs 14 oz by that time. I was released at about 2pm. It felt great to get out of the hospital, and it was wonderful to bring Liam home.
I feel so lucky. I had an unbelievably easy pregnancy and delivery, and Liam is an easy-going baby. Everything is going well!
On Thursday, January 1, I went to the gym in the morning and walked 3 miles. I then lost my mucous plug in the bathroom at the gym after the workout. (One word- gross!) I was then hopeful that something would happen soon. I began to have contractions that day, but they were really spread out and sporadic- not timeable at all. However, overnight that night they started to get really close together. I almost woke Clay up to say that I thought it was time, after they'd been going on at about 5 minutes apart for about an hour, but then they suddenly started slowing down again, and I was able to get about a half hour of sleep at a time.
On Friday, January 2, Clay went to work. I had taken the day off, so I was at home. I was having contractions all day, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes apart. I felt pretty crappy, so I kind of just laid in bed all day, and tried to keep track of the contractions. In the evening, they started to come closer and closer together. By about 10pm they were 3 to 5 minutes apart. At this point, I was pretty sure that this was really it. I hadn't really eaten much all day- just some oatmeal and toast. Clay made me a piece of toast at about 10pm, and I think I ate about two bites. I just couldn't do it. At about 11pm, we decided to leave for the hospital.
During the short drive to the hospital I had three contractions. They were definitely getting more painful. After getting checked in, they checked me and I was 4 centimeters and 80% effaced, so I had definitely made progress since my appointment two days prior. When they checked me again about an hour later, sometime around 12:30 or 1 am, I was 7 centimeters and 100% effaced. This was definitely it! At that point the contractions were becoming pretty painful, and I was progressing pretty quickly, so I decided to ask for the epidural then. It took at least an hour for the anesthesiologist to come to administer the epidural (so I'm guessing I was at least 8 centimeers by that time). Getting the epidural felt really strange- like cold water running down my back. It took affect pretty quickly. My left leg became much more numb than my right leg, so I spent most of the rest of the labor on my right side (to try to get it to balance out). I could still feel when I was having contractions, but I didn't feel any pain.
After I got the epidural, the nurse suggested I just try to rest for awhile and let the baby come down naturally. (He was still up a bit high at that point.) So, Clay actually slept on the pull-out couch for awhile, but I didn't sleep. I just laid there, waiting for another cervical check. (I found out later that there were 7 babies born that morning in about a 4 hour period, so the doctors and nurses were really busy!) Finally I got checked at around 8 or so, and I was 10 centimeters and ready to push. I had to wait for my doctor to get there though, so in the meantime we watched some TV. We turned on the Food Network, which was terrible because I was starving! The whole night I just kept hoping for everything to move quickly so I could eat something (since I couldn't eat because of the epidural).
Dr. Wood finally got there and broke my water. There was meconium in the fluid, so they brought in a pediatrician and a couple of baby nurses to be present for the birth, in case he had swallowed too much of the meconium. I started pushing at 9:07 am, with the nurse. Dr. Wood came back in at about 9:45 to see how I was progressing, but then she had to leave to go to another delivery, so I had to stop pushing then and wait. All of a sudden, some random man (not in scrubs) walks into my room. I had no clue who he was! Turns out he was a doctor (not from my doctor's practice) who was on his way home from the hospital, and he'd been called back to help (since so many babies were being born at the same time). His name was Dr. LeBon. He likes to deliver babies standing up, so he moved my bed up really high off the ground! Crazy! So, I pushed with him for awhile, until Dr. Wood came back at about 10:30. I had to stop pushing again then, so she could get cleaned up and ready. She had me reach down to feel his hair- freaky! I refused the mirror though- I really didn't need to see what was going on down there! Finally, I was able to push again, and Liam was born at 10:53 am. I swear I didn't feel any pain. I could feel that he was coming out, but it wasn't painful. I just had a small tear up (towards the urethra) inside, and it only took 2 stitches. She said I had lots of internal bruising and lacerations, but I didn't really feel any of it then, or later.
Liam immediately began to cry, so the meconium wasn't a problem. Clay cut the cord. He was taken over to the pediatrician right away, so Clay went with him over to that side of the room. Liam then peed all over the nurses! Funny little guy! While that was going on, I was stitched up and delivered the placenta (which basically just slid out a couple minutes after Liam was born). He was weighed and cleaned up. He was 7 lbs 2 oz, and 19 inches long. They then finally brought Liam to me for some time skin to skin, to warm him up. It was wonderful to finally have him in my arms.
I had to stay in the labor/delivery room for a few more hours, until the epidural wore off. Clay had to leave to go home at about 1 pm, since Matt was there alone. I was moved to my postpartum room early in the afternoon. I was alone there until Clay and Matt came back at about 5pm. They stayed for about an hour, and then I was alone again. So, I spent the first night all alone with the baby. The hospital encourages "rooming-in," so he was in the room with me at all times (other than a few checks in the nursery). That night Liam slept for 5 hours straight, which I definitely appreciated! I knew that probably wouldn't happen again for awhile!
On Sunday, January 4, Clay came back in the morning for a few hours. That afternoon, Liam went to the nursery to be circumcized. (Poor little guy!) After that, he slept for quite awhile. Clay and Matt came back for a little while late in the afternoon. Clay then left to take Matt home, and a little while later my mom and dad arrived. Clay then came back again. Everyone left at about 7:30, and I had another night alone with the baby. He behaved exactly as babies generally do on their second night- he basically ate every hour or so all night, which is callec cluster feeding. I think I only slept about 2 hours that night.
On Monday, January 5, Clay, Mom, and Dad all came back in the morning. Liam had his last tests in the nursery. His jaundice level was high, so we would have to take him to the pediatrician right away the next day to have that checked. (It ended up going up even more, so he was on the bililights for a day.) He had dropped down to 6 lbs 14 oz by that time. I was released at about 2pm. It felt great to get out of the hospital, and it was wonderful to bring Liam home.
I feel so lucky. I had an unbelievably easy pregnancy and delivery, and Liam is an easy-going baby. Everything is going well!
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