I'll try this again...

Yeah, this lasted a week when I tried it back in August. But I do have a few things I'd really like to write about, and I have a lot of people I want to keep up with. So, we'll try this again. :)

First, the big news that everyone already knows: we have a new baby! Kristen joined our family on Wednesday, 3/15/06, at 10:10 am. She was 7 pounds and 20 inches long (no ounces or fractional inches for my girl!). Here's how she came into the world:

On Tuesday, 3/7, I had a regular 37 week appointment with my OB. By that time, I'd been contracting for a couple of weeks, was ridiculously uncomfortable, emotionally unstable, and definitely convinced there was no way I would make it to 40 weeks with my mind intact. I'd hoped for a spontaneous labor and unmedicated birth but decided to ask about elective induction at that appointment, given my awful state. After checking my cervix (almost 3 cm and 25% effaced at that time) and deciding I had a great chance of successful induction without increasing my risk for c-section, we scheduled for 3/15. Of course I was still hoping that I'd end up in the hospital on my own but I was so relieved to have an end in sight, too. It helped my spirits dramatically to be able to say "8 more days" or "7 more days". That Friday, Ms. Mucus Plug parted ways with my cervix which renewed my hope of spontaneous labor. Then that Sunday I had some great contractions for a few hours straight which I thought would result in a baby...but they stopped. Monday night I got the best sleep of my third trimester, so I figured, "Oh no, no baby in sight." Tuesday night (3/14) I was up just about all night with discomfort and excitement about my 5:00 am induction time the next morning. I slept from about 2:00 to 4:00 am, and then we were off to the hospital.

When we arrived, we got settled in and they ran a 30-minute strip recording Kristen's heart rate and my uterine activity. Only a mild contraction or two during that time, and her heart rate was perfect and steady. Toward the end of that time, the nurse checked my cervix to see where I stood prior to beginning my oxytocin. Shocked, she announced that I was 5 cm dialated and about 70% effaced. I was so excited ~ this was going to be more of an augmentation than an induction! I was going to have my baby today for sure! She started an IV and then started the oxytocin. They started at the lowest dose, which was 2 (but I don't know the unit of measure), and then increased it by 2 every 15 minutes, up to 20.

At around 6:30 am, my wonderful friend and birth assistant (she was there for the birth of Owen, too) Amy arrived. Her job has been to entertain me and make me laugh and she did an outstanding job as usual! We were cutting up so much that the monitors were having a hard time getting readings on my contractions and the heart rate monitor was not working well either. The nurse (the second of my birthing journey, as shift change was at 7:00 am) wasn't particularly impressed that I was "up & around" so much, but I hadn't left the bed. hee hee hee. Anyway, by 8:00 or so, I was near the max dose of oxytocin that the nurses could give without additional orders from my doctor, and things were getting a bit more uncomfortable anyway so I wasn't quite so giggly. Still a mighty fine mood, however. :)

I reached max dose at 8:15 am and my doctor, Ken Taylor, came in to check on me at 8:30 am. He asked how I was feeling and talked with me a bit about how he thought the day might go. He then checked my cervix and was impressed that I was at 6 cm and 100% effaced. I, somewhat disappointed, said, "Really?" and, somewhat surprised, he replied, "Yeah, why, where were you when you came in?" I told him 5/70 and he chuckled and remarked that if that was the case, today was going to be this baby's birthday with or without the oxytocin! Knowing that, he said he could break my water and move things along if I was ready, and that as soon as my body took over, he would shut off the oxytocin. It was abotu 8:45 am. I consented, felt that warm & wet release of fluid, and then...ohhhh..... myyyyy...... God. Active labor really began. My own body took over. Immediately. The oxytocin was shut off. And I was painkiller-less, just like I'd wanted. I'd heard that pitocin would just about kill any chance of an otherwise unmedicated delivery. I'm here to attest that it's not true!!! My contractions were every 2 minutes and were 1 minute long, so I got a 1 minute rest between each one to collect myself and prepare for the next round of pain. Sometime around 9:15 or so, Owen arrived with Gramma Bit and thankfully, they walked in just after a contraction ended. I had just enough time to tell him hi, that I loved him, that I was going to get Kristen out of the uterus soon, and to have a great day, and then I looked at Herb and told him to get Owen out of there before the next one began. Through each contraction, I would take a deep breath, moan as I exhaled, breathe in, moan, and then lay quietly and try my best to relax during my down time.

Before I knew it, Dr. Taylor was wanting to check my cervix again and let me tell you, the last thing in the world I wanted was someone checking my cervix. He checked between contractions and told me I was fully dialated and he was ready whenever I was. I didn't feel quite ready to push and I was scared, too. Within five minutes, my body was demanding I push...it was almost like my body took over and did the first push for me, and then I told the nurse I was ready. But still scared. I gave the first push a try, telling myself I could just not push if I didn't want to, and it felt better to push than to not push. Dr. Taylor checked my cervix again and said she was pretty high, at a -2 station, and I just about lost it. That seemed so far and I said I couldn't handle the pain for hours & hours & hours. After being reassured by Dr. Taylor, the nurse, my husband, and my Amy, I did my first few sets of pushes (2 per contraction) lying on my side and while it seemed to help with the pain, it didn't feel effective, so I asked for positioning suggestions from Dr. Taylor.

He helped me roll onto my back and up into a reclining position, not lying flat and not sitting. I put my arms between my legs and grabbed the arches of my feet and that felt effective. But I just have to say, unmedicated childbirth is painful. Continuing with my 2 pushes per contraction rhythm for the next however-many minutes (I'd guess it was about 30), I was able to feel exactly how hard I was or wasn't pushing and make slight adjustments according to Dr. Taylor's advice. He didn't want her to come so fast that I had an awful tear and I was able to hold back when needed or push extra hard when needed to get her where she needed to be. And then, at 10:10, before I knew it, she made her debut! And I was so proud of myself and felt so wonderful and overwhelmed and happy!!! Daddy cut her cord and she was placed on my chest where I got to talk to her and look at her and comfort her right away. She was so beautiful and looked so much like Owen, too!

I had an episiotomy plus a small tear beyond it that needed repair so Daddy took Kristen over to the nurses to have her checked out while I marveled at what I'd just accomplished. Within ten minutes she was back in my arms, and though I'd planned to nurse right away, I was so busy staring at her and talking to her that I forgot to do it for another several minutes! Dr. Taylor showed me the placenta (as I'd requested) and it was amazing to think that was where Kristen had spent the last 8+ months. A short time later, Gramma Bit came in with Owen so he could finally see his mommy and meet his new baby. Then Kristen got her nurse on!

She was alert for a couple of hours before her first nap and during that time we were moved to my recovery room. I walked from my laobr & delivery room to my recovery room and it felt great (not to mention that my nurse was thrilled to see me mobile...she stood in the doorway exclaiming, "Is that my patient walking to her own room??? Look at her!"). We got settled in, Amy left to go back to Oklahoma City, and we ate birthday cake and finally took a nap...though it was only around 12:30! What an amazing morning that turned out to be.