So...I'm finally back to blogging! To start off my return I wanted to share Mila's birth story.
First, I have to say how I am not a huge fan of the unpredictability of labor and delivery. The only thing similar to my first go round was the fact that a baby did pop out in the end. Anyway, we went in to the hospital at midnight on December 26th. We never went to bed, not even Max who wasn't very happy about being in the hospital. Jeff had to leave pretty quickly after we arrived in our l+d suite (he had a thing about being there when I went in and wanted to know where my room was so that he didn't have to run around the next day trying to find me in case he was needed quickly.) My 1st nurse was awesome, even completely making up the rollaway bed for my mother. We got the pitocin drip going at about 3AM. The nurse told me that I was contracting regularly since I got there, according to the printout, but I wasn't feeling a thing.
My mom and I settled down and tried to get some sleep. I flipped sides every 20 minutes, but everytime I did, the contractions would slow. They were painful but not regular. At 8AM, my doctor checked me, I was 1.5 cm. She broke my water and the contractions became regular! I never once lost my cool throughout the crazy contractions, thank you very much! My mother continues to tell me how proud she is of me during that time. (I honestly prayed my way through each one, using the most painful peak as a time to name something I was thankful for. Such as my doctor, my nurses, that I wasn't giving birth in the freezing cold outdoors like some women in other countries, and that I had a wonderful husband to help me take care of my babies.) Next came a moment I never thought I'd experience. I became that crazy, screaming, pushing prego lady. Ugh, I still shudder with embarrassment...lol. At least it didn't last very long...
I opted for an epidural once things got hairy and pushed myself to remain cool throughout a contraction to chat with the anesthesiologist and sign for it. (My mom laughs about this now.) The epidural process took forever, but it had me sitting up rocking side to side waiting for it and that is, what I believe, helped me progress to complete so quickly (1.5cm to 10cm in 1.5 hours!) Once I laid back down, it was only a few minutes before I was screaming that she was going to "fall out" and telling my mom to get the doctor! Jeff and Max had only just arrived and it was, indeed, time. I was begging to be able to push but my doctor made me wait through one more contraction because nothing was ready!
I pushed twice and felt the "ring of fire," aptly named and something I never want to feel again. I was begging for my "mommy" and marveling at the burning feeling. The nurse chuckled and told me she was crowning. (I felt nothing during delivery of Max.) I pushed even when I wasn't contracting because of this and Mila made her arrival at 10:07AM! So incredibly "cheesy" and just 6#7oz. Tiny and precious!
Her Apgar scores were both 9s. Max watched the whole thing while drinking his milk and snacking on a cheese roll-up from Taco Bell. He wasn't jealous or scared of Mila, just worried about Mommy's boo-boo.
One thing I loved about having Mila was that I got to hold her for about thirty minutes before they ever took her for anything! I loved it! Here's some photos...
Weighing In
Already a Daddy's girl!
A kiss from her big brother!
My wonderful doc!
Meeting MaMaw
Meeting Aunt Kristen
Getting kisses from her boys!
After we were settled, they brought me lunch, and everyone left to nap and leave me to bond with my princess. Looking back now, I loved getting her all to myself and know that it was key to the amazing, beautiful bond that her and I share. The nursing staff took such great care of us. Aunt Kristen came to see her new niece before her shift started in the ER and Daddy and Max came back to visit after dinner. Mila was a nursing pro and we enjoyed cosleeping from the start. (another reason I love those nurses!) We left the next afternoon and our life with our complete family began. :)
