Onto Postpartum

Sophia and I had a nice amount of time to bond. The nurse allowed me to hold her while the cord blood procedure was complete. Once the blood was packaged, my doctor had to close up shop if you know what I mean.

No one explained how many stitches one may receive from the episiotomy. No one told me one could be in excrutiating pain after the episiotomy for weeks. No one told me that one would bleed for a month! Ladies...why haven't we all been honest. I have to say... I would do it all over again to have Sophia, but that recovery was horrible. Almost crippling.

Ok, enough about that. The positive...Jeff and my mom watched as Sophia was weighed and measured. They got to see her get dressed and receive her first vaccine. Jeff caught it all on video which makes me very happy because I was unable to see it.
Right after the nurse was done with Sophia, she made sure I started to breast feed right there! It was amazing. It seemed so natural for Sophia, and yet it was weird to think that my breasts were ready to sustain a human life. Anyhow, more bonding. It was great! Then Jeff and Mommom, and Aunt Maria demanded some bonding time too.

Shortly after they wanted me to get over to my new and beautiful room in the postpartum wing. First I had to go to the bathroom. That was frightening, but I was able to get by with the help of my sister, the nurse. It was at that point that I knew the recovery would be difficult. I had an epidural and local, and I still felt a decent amount of discomfort. Oh No!

Once those steps were successfully completed, we were off. Mom and Maria carrying bags. Jeff pushing Sophia's bassinet and Nurse Vicki pushing me. Sophia went to have her check up in the nursery. My family got me situated into my new room, and the bliss began.

I will fill you in our two day stay and breast feeding in my next post. Sophia is doing great and so are we. Keep reading:)

PUSH

Vicki grabbed my feet, told me to take a cleansing breath, then she said it. "Deep breath in and push!" Before I knew it, I was pushing. It was so empowering. In an instant I was in a place no one else could be. My breath was strong, my legs were limber and my baby was coming. There is no way pushing can be described, so all I can say is that giving birth vaginally is the most amazing experience ever.

After three pushes, my doctor was in and shocked. He couldn't believe how quickly things progressed. I looked up to ask him how long he thought it would take, and his response was, "I don't like being hot." At that moment I realized he was all suited up with his "garb". After watching nine months of a baby story I knew this was minutes away. Breathing and pushing was my only memory. It was easier yet harder than I thought it would be. The only time I entered back into reality was when I felt IT! I could feel the snipping of scissors. The cutting had began, but more about that later. I caught my mother's eye and she was jumping out of her skin and shaking her head yes. Suddenly I knew I was nearing the end. She gave me that last push to push. Like a champ, I gave two more pushes and Sophia was born!

That moment...that moment is like none other. When they put my daughter on my chest my whole world changed. From the trauma of birth, infants are wide awake. Her yes locked on mine and I became a new woman. She was gorgeous. No real cries, just blue eyes, a tiny mouth, a button nose and lots of love. I was a mom. No more pushing or cutting, just me and my daughter.

Birth is a gift!

OK comfortably numb

From noon until 2 Jeff and I passed time by talking to our nurse, visiting with my sister, getting checked by my doctor and listening to music. Around ten minutes of two, my mom and Maria called from the waiting room to say they were getting lunch. I encouraged Jeff to go with them to get a bite to eat. Everyone kept telling me it would be a long wait, so I figured one of us should be well nourished. Off Jeff went to Au Bon Pain to get lunch. I sat quietly reading my book. I wasn't nervous, scared or anxious, until...

I felt a pounding down below that no one prepared me for. I rang for my nurse, but I had to wait for her. Waiting wasn't an option. I rang again as the pressure increased. i have to admit, now my concern level was increasing. Once Vicki, my nurse, came in everything happened so quickly it's actually hard to recall.

Vicki examined me and said, "This is it. You are ten centimeters." She wanted me to start pushing, but I had to get Jeff. I called his cell and told him to come quickly and to bring my mom. I hadn't said hello to her yet that day and I didn't want to go into labor without seeing her.

While I was waiting for them, Vicki ordered the tray for delivery, and started to prepare the room. My mom and jeff came running in with their food. I have to say, it did make me hungry. We said a prayer and before I knew it, Vicki said I should start pushing. It was at that very moment, and only that one moment, that I got freaked out.

I never, through the entire pregnancy or the morning of induction, felt scared or nervous. When she said, "Push!" I got really frightened. I couldn't conceive how I was going to push a human out of my body.

Yet, before I knew it, it was happening. I went within to a place where I didn't even know where I was, and I just pushed with a force I hoped I would have. The only thing I said to Vicki was, "Let's top off my epidural."

To be continued...

Pregnancy, Child Birth, Hospitals, OH MY!

In my last post, I was 9 months pregnant and preparing to be induced. Now our beautiful baby is 14 days old! It has been very long since I posted, but I promise I will be writing a lot. Today, I'd like to tell you about the day of my delivery.

Jeff and I woke up and were perfectly on time to the hospital on that cool Wednesday morning. I wasn't nervous in the slightest. We had everything packed, and my mom and my sister were on their way for moral support. Jeff was unbelievably cool and loving. Everything seemed simple enough.

Once admitted by my wonderful nurse, Vicki, my doctor strolled in with his coffee. In a matter of minutes in the hospital, my water was broken and we were on our way.

NOW, this is where y post gets interesting. From here on in, I plan to tell you exactly what the birthing experience was like. Because no one was truly honest with me, and they should have been. When he broke my water, I thought I was going to feel my brains drain out with my amniotic fluid. It was way intense. Jeff was silent for 20 minutes after that because he just had no words to describe what he had seen.

Things quieted down and the waiting began. I spoke to my sister and she recommended that I get the epidural ASAP. I waited longer than I should have, but I did order it around noon sometime. Thank goodness I didn't wait longer because I would have been delivering au natural. Jeff was allowed to stay in the room for the shot, but he was banned to a corner of the room. I must say, I was most worried about that needle in my back, but that proved to be the easiest part of everything. I did flinch once but not from pain. The sensation was just odd and eery. Once all was done, the numbing was wonderful.

I will have to leave you hanging for now. Sophia is rousing and it is time to nurse.

TO BE CONTINUED...