At hospital around 6pm Sunday after going into labor that morning at 3am- 15 hours in...using the birthing egg (oblong exercise ball) to try to alleviate the intense pain in my hip joints. 4cm
Trying to breathe through them...decided the jacuzzi tub sounded nice - and it WAS!
Still able to smile between contractions- post jacuzzi tub...around 5cm around 10:30pm-19.5 hours in labor.
Post-breakdown, post IV with drugs (which didn't do a dang thing for
excruciating pain in my hips joints and lower back) and finally on the epidural(put in around 6am after 27 hours in labor)- 7cm (after an hour and a half on pitocin to see if baby's lack of decent was due to a tired uterus and poor contractions or if he was too big to get through...it was determined that it was his position, his head was facing my right hip instead of the back-preventing him from decending- basically the pain I was feeling was his skull grinding against my hip bones and he wasn't tolerating the pitocin contractions well so we decided it was time to just get him out )- 7:39am- c-section scheduled.
Tim putting on a brave and encouraging face for me.
Man was it cold in there! They were very kind and wrapped my head and arms in warmed blankets but between the anxiety of surgery and the drugs I was shivering like crazy.
Hard to tell, but that is James' head coming out.
Tada! 8:32am- I was so proud of Tim looking and taking pictures- he hates blood and all things medical but was excited to see his son and get some pictures for me to see later. Look at that big noggin! The doctor had to extend his original incision and use the vacuum something or other to pull that head out. Plus, the midwife practically used her entire weight with her elbows just under my sternum to push from above. Almost made me panic to not be able to take a full breath while that process was going on. Tim was horrified at how...brutal...the process was.
This is what Tim could see, I had a more restricted view from below the drape and pretty much just saw James' upper face, but even from just that he looked so like Tim.
And I was thrilled.
Our little Sharpee (or however you spell the name of that dog breed that is so adorably wrinkly).
Tim got to watch all the bathing, assessments and got to bring him over to me to introduce us. Tim, who hasn't had very much experience with babies at all, looked completely as ease holding him and I think was surprised by how he immediately fell in love with this tiny little guy. It actually worked out well that Tim got all the firsts with James- if it had been a vaginal delivery all the first would have been directed towards me, with me, focused on the mother-baby bond...but this was a perfect way for our family to begin.
8lbs 9oz! The midwives had guessed that it was probably a 7pounder...
maybe an 8, but my long torso was hiding quite the surprise.
My parents and Tim's mom got to see James' wheeled from the recovery room to the nursery and then watched him get his first bath through the window.
Not a happy camper.
But Tim definitely was a happy and proud papa.
Amazing how James looked at me in the recovery room (not a picture that can be posted publicly- as it was our first nursing session which he took to quite readily) and how he seemed to gaze up in recognition at me.
After my first shower- 24 hours after surgery- felt great but oh-so-tired.
And he knows his daddy.
Chatting with Tonya (Tim's sister lives in Botswana) via Skype.
Two days old.
At hospital around 6pm Sunday after going into labor that morning at 3am- 15 hours in...using the birthing egg (oblong exercise ball) to try to alleviate the intense pain in my hip joints. 4cm
Trying to breathe through them...decided the jacuzzi tub sounded nice - and it WAS!
Still able to smile between contractions- post jacuzzi tub...around 5cm around 10:30pm-19.5 hours in labor.
Post-breakdown, post IV with drugs (which didn't do a dang thing for excruciating pain in my hips joints and lower back) and finally on the epidural(put in around 6am after 27 hours in labor)- 7cm (after an hour and a half on pitocin to see if baby's lack of decent was due to a tired uterus and poor contractions or if he was too big to get through...it was determined that it was his position, his head was facing my right hip instead of the back-preventing him from decending- basically the pain I was feeling was his skull grinding against my hip bones and he wasn't tolerating the pitocin contractions well so we decided it was time to just get him out )- 7:39am- c-section scheduled.
Tim putting on a brave and encouraging face for me.
Man was it cold in there! They were very kind and wrapped my head and arms in warmed blankets but between the anxiety of surgery and the drugs I was shivering like crazy.
Hard to tell, but that is James' head coming out.
Tada! 8:32am- I was so proud of Tim looking and taking pictures- he hates blood and all things medical but was excited to see his son and get some pictures for me to see later. Look at that big noggin! The doctor had to extend his original incision and use the vacuum something or other to pull that head out. Plus, the midwife practically used her entire weight with her elbows just under my sternum to push from above. Almost made me panic to not be able to take a full breath while that process was going on. Tim was horrified at how...brutal...the process was.
This is what Tim could see, I had a more restricted view from below the drape and pretty much just saw James' upper face, but even from just that he looked so like Tim.
And I was thrilled.
Our little Sharpee (or however you spell the name of that dog breed that is so adorably wrinkly).
Tim got to watch all the bathing, assessments and got to bring him over to me to introduce us. Tim, who hasn't had very much experience with babies at all, looked completely as ease holding him and I think was surprised by how he immediately fell in love with this tiny little guy. It actually worked out well that Tim got all the firsts with James- if it had been a vaginal delivery all the first would have been directed towards me, with me, focused on the mother-baby bond...but this was a perfect way for our family to begin.
8lbs 9oz! The midwives had guessed that it was probably a 7pounder...maybe an 8, but my long torso was hiding quite the surprise.
My parents and Tim's mom got to see James' wheeled from the recovery room to the nursery and then watched him get his first bath through the window.
Not a happy camper.
But Tim definitely was a happy and proud papa.
Amazing how James looked at me in the recovery room (not a picture that can be posted publicly- as it was our first nursing session which he took to quite readily) and how he seemed to gaze up in recognition at me.
After my first shower- 24 hours after surgery- felt great but oh-so-tired.
And he knows his daddy.
Chatting with Tonya (Tim's sister lives in Botswana) via Skype.
Two days old.
That last photo is so sweet.
ReplyDeleteI love it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have a shot of the early days of nursing. I have a shot of my mother nursing me (you could see me latched on), and I love it. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to learning more. Glad he got here safely.
Loved reading more about his birth. :) I say you're a rock star. OUCHIE about the grinding into your hip.
ReplyDelete