If you haven't heard yet, Silas Thomas joined our family on Thursday, June 11th. He was a surprising 6 pounds, 14 ounces (I thought for sure he would be 8 pounds!) and 20 inches long. We came home from the hospital last night and I have been enjoying a relaxing day at home. My parents and my sister are here to help Matt with the kids and I have been feeding the baby and sleeping. I didn't have to have any stitches this time so the healing has been pretty smooth and I am feeling pretty good. Jesse and and Karis seem to be adjusting well, Jesse is very into his new little brother, wants to hold him all the time and kisses him and laughs at his little newborn noises. Karis is a little more indifferent, which is surprising to me. I am sure once things settle down she will be more excited, I think she is just getting used to the changes around here.
So, if you are curious to know how things went down, I'll indulge you now.
I was 4 cm dilated for about 2 weeks, starting with 2 false labors, one of which included a trip to the hospital and then back home. On Wednesday I went to my appointment with my midwife and when she checked me she said that she could stretch me to 5 cm and then she stripped my membranes. She took one look at me and could see that I was exhausted and she didn't see why I needed to be walking around 4-5 cm dilated with no contractions! She told me to come back the next morning and she would try to stimulate things again, if I didn't go into labor over night. Well, Thursday morning she looked at me and said, "Let's have a baby today." I said, "Thank you." So, the plan was for me to come back to the office in a few hours, have her stretch me out again to see if contraction got started and then send me to the hospital. Once there, she would break my water, sure that would bring on contractions. We did all that and walked the labor and delivery floor and bounced on a ball but we got only a few contractions that were nothing to write home about. So, at 5:00pm we started pitocin and after an hour or so I finally started contracting. Soon I was 6 cm with pretty strong contractions and then before I knew it, the contractions came with alot of pressure. I started to lose it at this point. I was 8 cm and wondering (out loud, very loud) why I had decided to do this without an epidural. Then my midwife told me to start pushing through the contractions as she tried to push my cervix to fully dilated. I remember screaming alot. I remember telling my midwife to get her hand out of me. I remember yelling, "Why am I doing this??" I remember peeing all over the poor midwife as I tried to gain composure and push. I think the hard part for me was the contractions and the pressure together, I think I could handle them separately but the combination of the two and then having to focus on pushing through it was just way over the top for me. I did do it, in three contractions, but there was alot more uncontrolled screaming than I thought there would be. And I am grateful he was not as big as I thought he was going to be. I remember the relief when he came out but didn't enjoy the moment as much as the other two births because I was so shocked at what I had just been through. I definitely think an epidural would have been great but I am not sorry I had the experience. I loved having a midwife, she was with me the whole time, chatting when we were waiting for contractions, rubbing my back when they came and got stronger, talking me through my out of control moments.
So, that's the story. I am so glad to not be pregnant anymore and to have finally met my newes son. And now, I think I will take a nap!
So, if you are curious to know how things went down, I'll indulge you now.
I was 4 cm dilated for about 2 weeks, starting with 2 false labors, one of which included a trip to the hospital and then back home. On Wednesday I went to my appointment with my midwife and when she checked me she said that she could stretch me to 5 cm and then she stripped my membranes. She took one look at me and could see that I was exhausted and she didn't see why I needed to be walking around 4-5 cm dilated with no contractions! She told me to come back the next morning and she would try to stimulate things again, if I didn't go into labor over night. Well, Thursday morning she looked at me and said, "Let's have a baby today." I said, "Thank you." So, the plan was for me to come back to the office in a few hours, have her stretch me out again to see if contraction got started and then send me to the hospital. Once there, she would break my water, sure that would bring on contractions. We did all that and walked the labor and delivery floor and bounced on a ball but we got only a few contractions that were nothing to write home about. So, at 5:00pm we started pitocin and after an hour or so I finally started contracting. Soon I was 6 cm with pretty strong contractions and then before I knew it, the contractions came with alot of pressure. I started to lose it at this point. I was 8 cm and wondering (out loud, very loud) why I had decided to do this without an epidural. Then my midwife told me to start pushing through the contractions as she tried to push my cervix to fully dilated. I remember screaming alot. I remember telling my midwife to get her hand out of me. I remember yelling, "Why am I doing this??" I remember peeing all over the poor midwife as I tried to gain composure and push. I think the hard part for me was the contractions and the pressure together, I think I could handle them separately but the combination of the two and then having to focus on pushing through it was just way over the top for me. I did do it, in three contractions, but there was alot more uncontrolled screaming than I thought there would be. And I am grateful he was not as big as I thought he was going to be. I remember the relief when he came out but didn't enjoy the moment as much as the other two births because I was so shocked at what I had just been through. I definitely think an epidural would have been great but I am not sorry I had the experience. I loved having a midwife, she was with me the whole time, chatting when we were waiting for contractions, rubbing my back when they came and got stronger, talking me through my out of control moments.
So, that's the story. I am so glad to not be pregnant anymore and to have finally met my newes son. And now, I think I will take a nap!
3 comments:
Welcome, baby Silas! Congratulations!
What a Beautiful Blessed boy! Congrats on Titus!
The Strickland Clan
Jane, he is beautiful! Congratulations- but that whole part about "stretching" you sounds pretty bad- but you did it!! I went for the epi every time, I can not handle pain! You were very brave. And the part about the peeing made me laugh- thanks for "keeping it real"!
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