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August 2014 Moms
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Eleanor Rose is here!

Alaska_BrideAlaska_Bride member
in August 2014 Moms
Short version: Eleanor Rose was born on August 5th, one day before her due date, after a roughly 12 hour med free labor, including 3 hours of pushing. She's a whopping 9 lbs 12 oz and 22 in. She was totally worth the wait.

Long version: I had been having either braxton hicks or very early labor for several days, and Monday night they seemed to be getting a bit stronger. I was still able to walk and talk through them so it was hard to tell when things really started. Eventually I couldn't sleep through them and they suddenly went from 5-8 minutes apart to around 2-3. We called the hospital and they said to come on in. They still weren't very strong and I thought they were easing up as we got to the hospital. I was joking around during contractions and not in much pain, so it was very surprising when my midwife told me I was already 6 cm dilated! I wanted very much to have a med free birth if possible, and hearing that I was already at a 6 gave me the inspiration to know I could do this.

As the contractions got stronger, I did a lot of leaning over the hospital bed with DH squeezing my hips and applying counter pressure to my lower back. I have no idea how long this lasted for, but it wasn't intolerable. The midwife came back and checked me again, said I was at a 9 and broke my water. After the breaking of the water, shit started to get more real. Leaning over the bed wasn't cutting it, and I was down to one word sentences, such as "back!" and "tub!". I was so very thankful for the whirlpool tub. I don't think I would have been able to stick it out if it weren't for the tub. Apparently I laid in there for around 2 hours, with DH continuously pouring hot water over my belly. The relief was great, but still contractions in the tub were difficult and I didn't like being on my back through them. 

They finally talked me into getting out of the tub, checked me and I was complete. I pushed for 3 hours, sometimes on my back, but also with the squat bar, on hands and knees, on the birthing stool and kind of squatting/hanging from the side of the bed. I felt like I was the most ineffectual pusher in the world and that she would never come out. They brought in a mirror which helped me focus and encouraged me to get her out so I could meet her. She finally made her appearance, and I was totally shocked to hear that she was 9 lbs 12 oz! No wonder pushing was so difficult! I had a 2nd degree tear. 

She is beautiful, and has a head full of her dad's hair. She had a low white blood cell count at birth, so she had to have an IV of antibiotics for 48 hours as a precautionary measure. She's perfectly fine now though. We had to stay an extra day, which ended up being a good thing because I started having chest pains and shortness of breath on the last night. After an EKG and CT scan, they found nothing wrong and decided it was somehow caused by postpartum anemia? Still doesn't make sense to me. The chest pain has let up quite a bit and usually doesn't bother me. Now we're all home and recovering and falling in love with her. Wow, sorry this was a bit long winded. Now for the good stuff:

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