Community› The Bump Month Clubs› May 2014 Moms
May 2014 Moms
New Discussion

So this is the story of a dragon named Elisabeth.

ThereBeDragonsThereBeDragons member
in May 2014 Moms
The short story: My water broke on Tuesday evening. 12hrs of contractions and 1 hour of pushing later, Elisabeth Calliope Joy arrived sunny side up and in perfect health. She was, of course, a little early still and is a petite girl at 5lbs, 14oz and 18 inches long- born at 9:03am April 30, 2014. The hospital wifi was awful and we couldn't connect to the Bump so this is coming to you all after our discharge Friday afternoon and a little time settling in at home.

The long version!

So I went in to the doc on Monday to have my cerclage removed. Statistics said that 20% of women deliver within 48 hours of a standard removal for an emergent cerclage so we rushed some prep and joked that we wouldn't deliver until 40w just because we were mentally prepared to head straight to the hospital from the docs office. Sure enough, removal was painful but not complicated. Doc sent me home with no dilation and the same 50% effacement I'd been at for months. Went home, took a nap, mentally prepared myself to stay pregnant for as long as little girl would stay put.

Next day, woke up from a late afternoon nap around 8pm went to the bathroom and... Yep. Water broke. No gush, just a trickle but I was sure. Asked DH if he was up to having a baby, called the doc to let them know I was coming, called my mom and SIL- laboring buddies. Got to the hospital three pairs of pants and a towel/trash bag later feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the ongoing trickle. 

Contractions didn't start for about an hour, but they ramped up pretty quick once they started. By the time I was dilated to a 4 I was totally over the idea of waiting for the epidural. Luckily the guy who put it in was pretty awesome and the experience went from wanting to scream to chatting cheerfully with my guests. I even took a short nap mid way through- but since I'd been napping right before labor started I was pretty awake all night and too excited to want to sleep.

Not going to lie. Pushing sucked even with the epidural. There's a difference between pain and pressure but the worse the pressure, the harder I found it to distinguish from pain. Also I'd been on bed rest for three months so I had absolutely zero abdominal strength. Was supposed to push to 10 but I passed out twice trying to. They got me an oxygen mask and DH, SIL, and my mom all helped hold my body in a good pushing position so I could just focus on the actual work of pushing. Not graceful, but I was so incredibly grateful to have people I trusted helping. I know lots of people prefer a minimum number of people there for the hard part- but I am so happy with the decision to let my little crowd stay.

Anyway, baby started the labor face down to the spine (best position for a standard vaginal birth) but they realized only right as she came out that the little stinker had rolled over midway through. I didn't know that could happen! She bruised the hell out of her head doing her little gymnastic stunt though. She came out in great shape, but since she was still almost a month early she has a very small voice. I was expecting a big newborn cry but she just made this polite little cat meow that I didn't even hear. I had to ask to make sure she came out breathing. She's gotten a little louder in the last few days but she's still surprisingly quiet even when she's in hysterics.

I somehow managed to not tear externally but had a couple minor internal lacerations that the doc sewed up. Doc joked with me that I'd had so much trouble getting to the delivery part that my body just decided to make the delivery and recovery easy on me. Which, thank god for that. They kept me and baby for 48hrs just to be sure that she wouldn't develop any preemie issues and to make sure I fully recovered from a nasty case of dehydration.

We are settled in at home now. Having issues breast feeding issues (she was good enough at the bottle to skip the nicu, but she's classically preemie with the boob- coordination and suck strength just aren't as good as a newborn) but I think we will get there eventually- I'm pumping for most of her feeds and trying to get practice time on the boob but she doesn't really get anything even with a good latch. Luckily I produce more than enough with the pump to give her a week or two to get a little bigger and transition back to the boob. Until then, DH is enjoying getting a chance to give her a few bottles a day :)
image
Friends for 17 years. Married 10. TTC since Jan 2009.
3 IVFs, 4 FETs, 11 transferred embryos, 3 losses (c/p, 6w, 17w)
2012: Lost "Peanut" at 17weeks to PTL/IC.
 Lilypie Angel and Memorial tickers
2013: IVF#3/FET#4  Elisabeth CJ born April 30, 2014
Cerclage, P17, and 3 months of bed rest brought us our Rainbow.
Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
 Dum spiro, spero.
Report Reply to Post
«1

Re: So this is the story of a dragon named Elisabeth.

This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"