Baby's First Year Community

Well I guess I'll go first. After 3 weeks of false labor where I would labor for 5 hours only for everything to stall. At 2:30 am on January 25th, my water broke. We got to the hospital around 3am, where the contractions started in full force. Having had 2 of my boys naturally and 2 of my boys with an epidural, I was going to attempt a water birth. My midwife was totally on board, and the hospital had the facilities to accommodate. However, my daughter did not want to participate. She was turned what the midwife called "sunny side up". All my labor was in my lower back and very unmanageable for me. Even being an "experienced" mom. After 6 hours of laboring this way, I opted for a epidural.

Since I had pain medication, my midwife told my nurses to go get some lunch along with my mom and SO. When they returned we started pushing 4 pushes later at 12:56pm, on January 25th 2010, Elizabeth Sage was born. She weighed 9lbs 8 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. She had a head full of dark brown hair, the tiniest little mouth and the biggest blue eyes. She was absolutely beautiful.

I had told myself after having 4 boys I didn't really care if she was a boy or a girl. But she is all girl and I enjoy her so much!

Who's sharing next?

Well, my birthstory isn't too exciting since it was a repeat cesearan. My hospital doesn't allow VBACs but since my first born was 9lbs 15oz at birth there was no way this next kiddo would have fit also! My husband and I had to be at the hospital at 5 am--so I got up around 3 am. I did cry in the shower since this actually was my first csection being awake (my first was an emergency and i was given general anesthesia)--and I got all of my emotions out! It was finally time and they wheeled me down to the OR. And since I also work at the hospital I knew the OR staff---they were so caring and kept asking me questions so I wouldn't get so nervous. Oh, but the spinal came---ouch is all i have to say!!! I had extreme pain down my right leg (i mean excruciating) and that happened a couple of times while she was trying to get it in. And then ALL of the emotions came out again i was in pain, i didn't want to get general anesthesia b/c i want to see my baby right away, and just when i thought i was going to freak out---she got it in!!!! My husband came into the room so I knew it was close---i know this is kinda gross but they didn't tell me they actually started--I actually smelt them cauterizing me...lol...i know gross!!! And i was like well i guess they started---its amazing how FAST the section was...I've watched alot of Baby Stories on TLC and watched some sections on YouTube but being in the moment was surreal! Just when they were going to push him out I thought I was going to get sick but then my BIG boy was here (we didn't know what we were having)! And here's why even if I could have choosen a VBAC it would have never worked: Edison Michael born January 27th, 2011; 10lbs 12 oz; 22 inches long; 15 1/2 inch head circumfrance; and 14 1/2 chest!!!! Yes, I did have gestational diabetes but my numbers were well controlled w/ diet alone---I just make big babies!!! And I love it----my babies literally come out w/ rolls!

HI Demeli,

I understand you saying your babies have rolls, all mine were over 9lbs as well. With Elizabeth being my biggest. I also had Gestational diabetes. With my last 3 my numbers were controlled well. But 2 of my largest babies were in those last 3 :).

Congrats again on his birth! I love reading birth stories even the c-section stories. It's that moment in time, we mom's won't forget!

Take care and hug your little one for us!
Emma

I'm a first time mom and didn't really know what to expect. So they wanted to induce me on August 5 a few days before my due date because her activity was starting to decline and I wasn't getting much bigger, but I wasn't dialated enough. I waited the weekend and I ended up getting induced on August 9 making her birthday 8/9/10! I went in around 12 and they started me on pitocin drip and slowly increased every hour maybe I forget, The contractions started to get stronger and stronger. I was surprised how painful they were having never gone through this before but I am told they are more painful when on pitocin. I did that for about 4 hours which seemed to fly by surprisingly when I got my epidural I was only dilated to a 4! after that it took maybe and hour to get to a 10. My whole family was out eating and had to rush back not even finishing their dinner because she was coming so fast. I pushed for about 1.75 hours which wasn't bad at all during labor they kept saying "you're almost there, you're almost there" so I took it literally and let the epidural start to wear off because i didn't want to be all numb when I held her. So when she was in the birth canal she kind of got stuck and I could feel her in there it was painful but cool all at the same time. She was born about 845 pm 6lbs 6 oz. when they gave her too me i unwrapped her to she what she looked like.

She was born with clubbed feet and I started to cry because she wasn't perfect. She was also born with craniosynostosis a fused suture in the back of her head which is why I think she had a hard time coming out. She unfortunately had to stay in the NBICU for 10 days which seemed like a lifetime!! she had a hard time eating/sucking and was on trace amounts of Oxygen. It was so exciting get her out of there and taking her home. She is doing sooo good now and all her little malformations are all fixed up now and she's just a little angel....such a trooper.

Groolphite,

Thanks for sharing your birth story with us. My 4th son was born with a bi-lateral cleft lip. I understand that moment when you find out. But still isn't it the most amazing experience ever? Sounds like your little girl is doing amazing!

Congrats again!
Emma

My due date with my first daughter was Dec 26 - On Christmas Eve I was not dropped, dialiated, effaced, etc. My husband was more nervous than I thought because he downed a whole bottle of Champagne at Christmas dinner (supposed to be for BOTH of us to enjoy after the baby was born).

At 10 pm my water broke (all over the couch!) My husband said "I can't drive! I'm too tipsy!" Lucky for us, I didn't have to go in till the morning so I got to shave my legs and get some sleep before my hungover hubby drove me to the hospital.

She came on her due date 12/26, after a day of painful (and boring) labor 6 years ago!

I'm still in shock (and thrilled every day) that I'm a mommy :)

Hi SoCalSuz,

What a story you can tell her when she's older :). I love reading everyone's experiences.

Thank you for sharing yours!
Emma

Great idea Emma! I love reading everyone's birth stories. Here is mine:

On Thursday night (Feb. 3rd) when I was 37wks, 6days pregnant at 11:20pm I woke up to my water breaking. Within minutes my contractions started and they were strong and regular from the get go. Knowing that I was 3cm dilated and 60% effaced 10 days earlier when the doctor last checked me, we decided to head right in to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 12;30am and were put in a triage room to monitor baby and contractions. We were in that room for an hour or so before we were taken to a delivery room. By the time we got to the delivery room my contractions were so strong! I actually threw up my dinner during one of the hard contractions in the triage room. I knew then that this labor would be a lot shorter than my DS's 22 hour ordeal! In the delivery room the contractions were getting intense, but I had already decided that I didn't want an epidural this time around (I had a bad experiencee with it when in labor with DS), so I just rolled with the punches so to speak.
At some point during labor it was discovered that I had become pre-eclampic, so the nurses started me on meds for that and from that point on I wasn't allowed out of the bed for the rest of the labor.
By 4:30am, the contractions were super painful and intense and I started to feel the urge to push through them. The nurse checked me and said that the baby was crowning, but the on-call doctor had not yet arrived on the hospital campus, so she asked me not to push. When you get that urge to push, it is almost impossible not to, but I was able to hold off until the Dr. got there. He literally walked in the room, I got in position to push and I pushed her out during the next contraction in 3 pushes! Lily Anna Grace was born at 4:54am weighing 7lbs. 9oz. and 21 inches long. I was able to hold her for awhile after giving birth, which was nice because with DS, he was 5 wks early and had trouble breathing, so he was taken away to the nursery very quickly.

After giving birth, the doctor stitched me up since I had a small tear. Afterwards though I started to feel some uncomfortable pressure and pain in what I thought was my rectum area. The nurse checked me, and couldn't see anything, but the pain continued to get worse and I couldn't get comfortable no matter what I did. The pain got so great that 3 vicodin and 2 shots of morphine didn't touch the pain! The on-call doctor had already left to go back home, so they called him back in to check me out. After examining me he told me that I had formed a hematoma (blood clot) under the stitches in my vagina from a ruptured blood vessel or vein. With only a small amount of numbing (which didn't seem to work because I felt everything), he unstitched me, cleaned out the hematoma, which was the size of a fist and a half and sewed me back up. I can't even begin to describe the pain involved in this procedure! I had just given birth without an epi and I would take that pain any day over the pain of that hematoma and the procedure to fix it. After the hematoma was taken out, and I was stitched back up, the doctor told me that the pain should go away, but within minutes, the pain started getting worse again. By this time I was pretty much out of my mind with the pain, so they prepped an OR and tooke me in to surgery. I was put to sleep so that the doctor could really clean up the area without hurting me. When I woke up from surgery, the pain was gone and I couldn't have been happier. I woudn't ever discourage anyone from getting an epi, but it was a very good thing that I didn't get one, because I wouldn't have been able to feel the pain from the hematoma until the epi wore off and by then it could have done some major damage. Everything worked out in the end, and although I was a lot more sore "down there" than after a normal birth experience, I healed just fine and am enjoying my little baby girl who is 7 weeks old today.

well i guess mine is kind of exciting after going into labor at 28 weeks 30 weeks and 32 weeks they decided to send me to a high risk doc. After 4 weeks of doc appointments every 2 days they decided to set up a c-section date. On January 12 DH and i got up and made the hike to Boston in the blizzard. i remember sitting in the room before they took me and looking at DH and saying "i dont want to do this" so he told me "thats fine you can stay pregnant then" and then i said "i dont want to be pregnant either fix it!!" Finally at 1:10pm they took me in gave me the spinal block and at 1:40pm my LO was born 5lb5oz and 10 inches long

Hi StarryGrrl,

Wow you had an eventful birth. I am sorry about the after birth experience. Little girls are amazing! Enjoy her and I look forward to hearing more stories about her through out the year :).

Take care,
Emma

Hi Newmommy112,

I think we all have "second" thoughts with our first. I know at one point with my oldest I thought what am I doing. But after they are here you forget all the troubles the pregnancy caused. And the anxiety. Enjoy your little one and I really do look forward to reading your stories through out the year.

Take care,
Emma

I should also add, for those mom's who because mom's through the wonderful ability to adopt. We want to hear your stories too. When you first met your little one, when you first brought them home. All of that. This community is not inclusive to only birth mom's but for all MOM's!

Thanks everyone so far for sharing I look forward to seeing more stories!

For those that are new mom's just checking in on this board, please let us get to know you by reading your stories as well!

Take care,
Emma

My DS was born via emergency c-section and I so desperately wanted to try a VBAC with my second pregnancy. With each appointment during my last month of pregnancy, I was not dilating and the ability to do a VBAC was getting slimmer and slimmer. The week before my due date (10/18/10) my doctor and I decided to schedule a c-section for the day following my due date. I was so disappointed, but knew that in the end I would have a beautiful baby. I got absolutely NO sleep the night before I was to report to the hospital. At 3am on 10/19, I started having contractions. When we got to the hospital at 6am, I mentioned to the nurse that I had started contracting and asked if it was too late to change my mind and try laboring on my own. She called my doctor, who said let's give a try!

I got into a nice labor pattern all on my own (no pitocin!) and at around 11:00am, I asked for my epidural. I took a little snooze, and an hour later, I had progressed from 6 centimeters, to fully dilated! I was ready to push!! My doctor had gone to the clinic to see a couple of patients - and she was called out to come deliver my baby!

After just 45 minutes of pushing my beautiful baby girl was born at 1:54pm!!! I got my VBAC after all!!!

Charley Kay was born on 10/19/10, weighing 6lbs 15 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. She is now a beautiful, healthy 5 month old baby girl!

Oh Hrmomof1, I am so very glad you got to have your VBAC! BTW my middle name is Kaye :) my mom's happens to be Kay but when I was born she wanted to add the "e". Beautiful story!

Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

I look forward to hearing more about Charley Kay, in our community!

Take care,
Emma