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November 2014 Moms
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Taj Ronan birth story (very long!)

JFH2010JFH2010 member
edited November 2014 in November 2014 Moms
I know I haven't been around very long, so I really appreciated the good thoughts and encouragement when I went into labor last week! Taj was born at 6:55pm on Nov 4th, weighing 8lb 6oz and measuring 20.5". The deets....

My water broke when I got up to pee at 5am Tuesday morning. I was 38 weeks 5 days. It was just a little bit at first, so I got back in bed, unsure if it was the real deal. I sat in bed for a few minutes then got up and walked back to the bathroom. As soon as I walked in, there was a big gush and my plug came out as well. There was no mistaking it! 

As a sidenote, I really believe the P17 shots kept Taj baking as long as he did. DS1's labor started the same way, with my water breaking entirely first thing in the morning, but at 36 weeks 3 days. This time I went into labor just 12 days after my last shot. So glad I got them!

We got DS1 off to preschool and then just lazed around the house while I worked through early contractions. They started around 6:30, but they didn't get intense until late morning. We went for two walks around the block, and those really got things moving. In fact, DH had to go back for the car and get me during our second walk. I was fine between contractions but they were coming pretty steadily. At 11am I called the midwife to ask if I could take a bath, since my water was broken. She was concerned about things happening quickly, since contractions were 5 minutes apart and DS1's birth was pretty short (7 hours), so she suggested I go to the hospital. The drive was not nearly as bad as I had feared - I listened to hypnobabies and kneeled on the floor with my upper body over the passenger seat. 

We checked in a little after noon and the midwife met us there. I agreed to a cervical check but asked that she not tell me, since I didn't want to worry about progress or how much time I had left. After he was born, I asked her out of curiosity, and I was at 4cm on arrival. We settled in and I labored on the yoga ball, and when things got more intense I put on hypobabies. During this time, DH and the midwife mostly left me alone so I could focus on my hypnosis. But we chatted between contractions, which was a new experience for me, since with DS1 they were basically overlapping and I never got a break. It was nice to feel that I could recharge between them this time. For the most part I moaned in low tones through them. DH the music nerd used an app to determine what pitch I was using, since my tone was very steady the whole time. Apparently I labor at an E, lol. One of my favorite moments happened when I opened my eyes after a contraction and DH was sitting next to me watching me, and he told me how beautiful I looked "doing this." It makes me tear up remembering it. I assure you, I did not feel beautiful in labor.

I coped very well with hypnobabies until around 4:30, when shit hit the fan. With DS1 transition was intense but very short. This time it was long....so very long. It lasted about an hour and half and I was off my rocker for most of it. DH and the midwife were AMAZING - so calm and supportive. They just kept moving me to different positions and telling me how great I was doing. I spent a lot of time in the shower draped over the yoga ball, with DH running the shower thingy over my back. I also spent a lot of time just rocking on hands and knees. I said "You guys, I can't do it" about a million times. I threw up. I cried. I thought fondly of the awkward anesthesiologist who had come in earlier to talk to me about how epidurals work - the one my midwife so expertly handled with a "no thank you, we'll call if we need you." But I knew I was in transition, and I felt like, if I made it this far I can finish it out. I'm glad I didn't know how long transition would last. When it came time to push, I kind of panicked because with DS1, I couldn't feel when to push. They just felt like regular contractions. So I was afraid I wouldn't know what to do again. The midwife assured me that my 8+ pound baby would definitely set off my pushing reflex, and BOY HOWDY, was she right. I realized that truly, I did not have the pushing reflex last time - this was entirely different. Way more powerful, and just a different sensation altogether. I went through a number of positions, but ended up lying on my side with my feet braced against the nurse and DH. This is where the midwife really shone - as his head came out she guided me through pushing, making sure he didn't come out too quickly and massaging thoroughly at every pause. I fully credit her with the unscathed status of my vagina. She set up a mirror, and it really helped me to see the progress I was making as his head came out. I pushed for about an hour. 

It's amazing to me that the end of labor is SO intense, but when you give that final push and the baby comes out, it's done. You are in that moment completely released from pain and craziness. She put him on my chest and it was pure bliss. DH didn't want to cut the cord, so I cut it, which was cool. Taj latched immediately (and basically hasn't unlatched, lol). We spent the night in the hospital, but I was able to get an early release, which made me so happy. Last time DS spent 10 days in the NICU and it was SO HARD going home without my baby. The experience of taking him home 24 hours after having him was priceless.

Recovery has been very easy, breastfeeding has been a million times easier than the first time, and he's a very mellow baby so far (also different from his brother, who had terrible reflux, cried all the time, and hardly slept). I know things could change as he becomes more alert, but we feel so grateful to have this period of calm after his birth. 





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