1. Second trimester: it's my favorite part of pregnancy. All the movement and you aren't miserable yet.
2. Labor and delivery: I typically have easy labors and deliveries. I prefer unmedicated. I have had epidurals and I will never have another one. Even if something happens and I need an emergency C, they will just need to put my completely under.
3. 4th trimester: I love this phase. All the baby snuggles are the best. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Also, never let anyone tell you you're holding your newborn too much. YOU CAN'T SPOIL A NEWBORN!
4. Third trimester: my back hurts all the time and my body aches. I'm miserable!
I have 4DD’s. Was very much part of my 3rds BMB, Dec13. Not much with others. This is our 5th, definitely lots different going through this at 38. Looking forward to seeing my oldest really embrace the big sister role. Neutral on labor. Disliking the sleeplessness that we signed ourselves up for.
This thread went silent - time for another question
Of the ages you have. What has been your favorite and least favorite - why?
I have 3 and a half and 1 and a half old girls.
Favorite so far - Loving 3 and a half. The tantrums are mostly gone and she is potty trained day & night which is EVERYTHING. Plus she now gets out of bed in the morning, brushes her teeth, gets changed and comes downstairs without us having to go get her. AMAZING.
Least favorite - 2. People say 3 is hard but for us it is about 20 months to 2 and a half at least. The tantrums, alllll the limit and boundaries that need to be tested. Plus all the changes, switching from cribs, starting potty training, getting rid of pacifiers. It is a year of cute to be sure, but man oh man. I am not going to be sad once it is over for this second one. She is a tougher cookie than my first born so I know it is going to be a year.
I loved age 1-2. They are so fun and independent but not yet sassy and stubborn.
I suppose 3 has been my least favorite. I LOVE the sweet/good moments, but my son has my temperament and personality so we butt heads ALOT already. I feel like I'm arguing with myself some days. Its exhausting and 3-nagers just can't be reasoned with 🤦♀️
I have an almost 17 year old, 5, 3, and 19 months.
Least favorite - teens in general. He attitude and just general, "I know better than my parents," gets old fast. Plus the smells. A teenage boy has more disgusting smells coming from him than anything else in the universe. 🤢
Favorite - newborn. They sleep a ton and cuddle a bunch. They aren't passing or throwing tantrums either.
Edit: to add more things about teenage boys I dislike. 😂
1. 2nd trimester (easy peasy last time!) 2. Labor (relatively quick and straight forward, no major issues) 3. 3rd trimester (still easy, but getting uncomfortable toward the end) 4. 4th trimester (ugh, I tore during delivery and had so many stitches. I hurt for weeks afterward while I healed.) 5. 1st trimester (weeks of aversions and morning sickness, blah!)
@Dancer688 that gives me some hope! My son is 2.5 right now and this.is.hard. He’ll be 3 in September and we’ve already potty trained, so I’m hoping for less tantrums by the time baby arrives 🙃
My favorite by far is the baby stage, where everything is still flexible but a bit more predictable than the newborn stage, before strict nap schedules, once feeding is established, and they just like to be with you and look around. My favorite thing with my son was baby wear all day and I cannot wait to do that again (he’s not so comfortable in a sling anymore at 32lbs!).
2 is awesome, but so hard at this stage feeling the way I do. I was an elementary teacher before having my son and have older nieces so I know how quickly things change and want to hold onto my “baby” for as long as possible, even though he’s quite independent these days!
Ugh there are things I love about every stage I can't choose a favorite 😍 ...but hands down 2-3 was really tough even though he was adorable most of the time he could be such a monster. So many tantrums and fights this was about the time I learned to not even engage when they are in that mode 🙄 At that time I was in college and he would attend the day care at my school. Riding the bus and train with him was a nightmare and scary and most days pretty miserable. You could usually find me looking overwhelmed and sweaty with bags and stroller and screaming child in tow. He had no mercy and neither did a lot of my fellow commuters (NYC) lol That year or so was really rough.
@ABabyMarshall My oldest was like that. He would literally hold me hostage. I have him to thank for how I parent my LOs now. I was only 18 when he was little so I had no clue what I was doing. Now, I regularly read parenting books and I'm constantly working on my parenting. I'm not trying to be perfect. I just want to avoid the same problems and mistakes I made with my first.
@ABabyMarshall as a snooping FTM I can say that yes, it is reassuring to know that the first trimester is one of the hardest! Thank you all for posting about your experiences
@mimigarden second tri is fun. It's like the honeymoon stage. You aren't too big but you can feel baby moving. The movements don't hurt yet. It's my favorite part.
Mine from Best to Worst is: 1) 4th Trimester I got really lucky my son was a super chill baby. 2) 2nd Trimester 3) 3rd Trimester 4) 1st Trimester I had extreme fatigue unfortunately had to take time off work. 5) Labor I had a really difficult labor with multiple complications ultimately had to have a c-section.
This is my second pregnancy that has lasted this long. I have an almost three year old and was part of the June 16 BMB (under a different handle).
Best to Worst:
1) 2nd trimester 2) Oddly, 3rd trimester. I had awful SPD and sciatic nerve issues, I hardly ever slept because everything hurt, but because of my GD diet I felt healthier and with more energy than I had in some time. I got the sciatic nerve worked out by my massage therapist and I just had to tough through the SPD. Thankfully it resolved postpartum. 3) 1st trimester-I was so thankful to be pregnant but so nervous about the pregnancy continuing 4) Labor and delivery. I had to be induced because she stopped growing and they had to keep the fetal monitor on the whole time so getting comfortable was almost impossible with someone standing by me moving the fetal monitor constantly. I had a relatively shortish labor and delivery, starting pitocin around noonish and she came out right before midnight. I finally got an epidural about 40 minutes before she came out because I couldnt relax at all. 5) 4th trimester. My baby didnt sleep, didnt nurse, and had awful witching hour (my poor husband, I go to work in the evenings so he had to deal with it all by himself). But I loved the snuggles. She didnt sleep well until after 2 years old and we are finally feeling caught up with sleep. For at least a little longer.
I was part of Aug 15 group and those ladies were pure evil sometimes.. lol. I had always been told that it was the meanest group around, and I believe it!
@Ambermom043 - Interesting! I think that makes at least 3 of us from that group although I wasn't very active. Definitely just watched most of that action.
Okay - I have another game of sorts. Mostly because someone brought up birth stories in another thread and I too love to read them, I don't know if it is the comfort of knowing how they are so many normal stories or amusing sides from their husbands forgetting something. Anyone interested in sharing their birth stories from their children?
I am happy to start although mine are short and sweet. Labor is my favorite part of pregnancy
3 1/2 YO: My water broke on a Friday around midnight (2 WEEKS LATE) I was literally due to go in for an induction the following Monday since they couldn't fit me in on Friday. My dr never answered her phone so finally we just went to the hospital calling her occasionally along the way and had to go through the ER literally leaking since my water gushed out not a trickle haha. Once in the hospital I went as far as I could without an epidural which was only 4 cm and then 14 hours later it was time to push and my first born was born after less than an hour.
1 1/2 YO: This one is barely a story because my water didn't break and it was so ridiculously easy but I was 4cm at my last dr appt and she said any day and the day before her due date. I went to the hospital and after only a few hours and 10 minutes of pushing I got to hold my second born.
@Dancer688 those are such happy birth stories! I love reading them too. I enjoyed reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth last time around and think I’ll go through it again. It has birth stories from her time as a midwife on a retreat of sorts where women went to have home births.
My own birth story is a bit traumatic so I won’t share and scare anyone, but my sister and sil have 5 kids between the two of them and all had easy labors, pushed a “few times” and, “poof” had a baby! I have all my fingers and toes crossed I get to enjoy my birth stress free this time around. With my son, amongst a lengthy induction and a few complications with him during labor, the friggen fire alarms were going off for about 40 minutes of me pushing. They were so loud and they kept announcing “shelter in place.” It’s comical looking back on it! It was not conducive to relaxing to say the least, but the nurses and everyone were amazing. They asked my husband if he could come to support every birth, he was a superstar. It does help that he’s delivered a few babies before as a paramedic, but it’s so different when they’re your own!
I love birth stories!! Here's mine, it's a little long:
Water broke at home after a late night bathroom trip 430ish. There was a distinct internal little pop! and gush of fluid just like the movies!!
I woke up my mom, called my son's father and then my doctor. I was GBS+ so had to go right in to get hooked up to antibiotics. Showered and was surprisingly relaxed. It was busy day in the hospital so I was literally in a teeny tiny triage room for my whole labor until I was 9/10 CM and they moved me 🙄
I don't know how far along I was but I requested and eventually received an epidural. I had a reaction and was itchy everywhere I could feel on my top half, but it was sweet relief overall. Epidural slowed things down and they gave me pitocin.
Finally they check me and I'm ready to go so they move me. They turn off my epidural thinking I won't feel enough to push. At this point I'm so exhausted I'm falling asleep between contractions. As they are getting the room ready my body starts pushing on it's own...it was really cool! The nurses were trying to count and tell me when but there was just no stopping it and holding for their count..I said I'll tell YOU when..my body had totally taken over. My baby was born on his due date after 14 minutes of pushing! I did get stitches but all that mattered to me was baby at that point. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I
woke up and got ready for work. I was feeling some pressure in the lower
part of my belly, but didn’t think too much of it. When I got to work, I was experiencing more
pressure that turned into light contractions that I could work through. The contractions were getting stronger, to
the point that I couldn’t sit thru them in my chair no longer. I had to
stand for each one. I hurriedly tried to get all of my emails out.
At 1:23 in the afternoon, my water broke while I was at my desk discussing last
minute things with my manager. I quickly headed to the bathroom to
confirm that my water had indeed broken. More gushed out. I quickly
packed up my things and drove myself home. When I stepped out of the car
into the garage, a big gush of water came out. I didn’t want to get the
floors dirty in the house, so I waddled out to the front lawn where more water
kept coming out. When I was fairly certain that I was done with the major
leaking, I went inside the house and started packing my hospital bag with last
minute toiletries. The contractions were stronger at this point, and
coming pretty frequently. I downloaded an app on my phone to time
them. They were lasting 30 – 40 seconds every two minutes. I called
the number at my clinic to let them know I’d be on my way. They informed
me that the hospital was in divert mode because there were full, and that it
would be in my best interest to go through the emergency room and not mention
that I had called in. So that’s what we did.
DH pulled up to the emergency doors and a staff member met me at the car
with a wheel chair. The emergency room was filled with people that must
have found me fighting thru contractions pretty entertaining. DH joined me
inside, and we made our way to the elevator. It was at this point that I
realized I didn’t have feeling in my hands, arms, or my lower lip. The
nurse told me it was because I wasn’t getting enough breathe while fighting
thru the contractions. We entered the maternity ward and were brought to
an vacant room right away. I undressed and the nurse confirmed that there
was a green tint to my water, which was an indicator that the baby had pooped
in the water (meconium). She explained to me that this meant there was
some type of infection going on, and there would have to be additional nurses
in the room to clear the baby’s airways by suction and get her breathing.
This meant the baby would not cry upon being delivered. By this point it
was just after 3:00 pm in the afternoon. She checked me for dilation, at
which I was only dilated to 2 and 80% effaced. I was so saddened to hear
this, as I felt that these contractions were so much stronger than the ones I
had experienced with DS1. She took my temperature and found that I was
running a fever. The fever combined with the meconium in the water were
both signs pointing to a repeat cesarean section. I was disheartened, but
wanted to try and keep a positive attitude. If it meant that surgery was
imminent, I figured there was no reason to hold off on getting an
epidural. I asked for it right away, and they agreed to my request.
Shortly after, the anesthesiologist appeared to administer my epidural.
He had me lay on my side very still. It took forever it seemed.
Finally he said that it should take effect in five to ten minutes. I kept
waiting for relief; for my legs to go numb. They never did, and the pain
never dulled. The contractions were coming consistently, one right after
the other, and they were very, very intense. I was screaming out in pain,
and lots of profanities ensued. The anesthesiologist decided to take out the
first epidural and administer a second. I had to lean over the bed for
what seemed like forever. I didn’t feel any relief for a long time.
Finally, the doctor came in to check me for progress. I was dilated to
ten, complete. I was never so happy to hear news from a doctor. We
decided it was best to give me some medication to make me sleep for the next
hour while we gave the baby time to station down. This was at 6:00 in the
evening. I slept for an hour, and when I awoke, DH asked if I thought he
had time to grab some dinner down at the cafeteria. I told him to make it
quick. While he was down in the cafeteria,
the doctor and nurse came in and asked if I was ready to push. I tried
calling DH to let him know, but he didn’t answer his phone. I sent him a
text, “pushing now”, and he was up by my side in no time! The doctor was
a large, sturdy woman with a light hearted, calm demeanor. Now it was
time to start pushing. DH grabbed one foot and pushed it back while the
nurse grabbed the other. I beared down multiple times, but couldn’t feel
if I was making any progress. I had the doctor set up a mirror so that I
could see if I was making any headway with the pushes. I could see the
baby’s head crowning, and felt a motivation to push even harder. I pushed
and pushed and then suddenly felt the baby come out in a rush. I wasn’t
aware at the time, but the doctor had cut me to make way for the baby to
exit. Immediately, they took our baby girl over to an incubated cubby and
started sucking her and working her to get her to breathe. Finally she
started crying, and the sound reminded me of a fragile kitten meowing. I
asked if I could see her, and DH brought her over and laid her on my
chest. I had him take a picture of her with me, because I never wanted to
forget what that moment felt like. They brought her back to the incubator
and carted her to the NICU right away. They wanted to get her on
antibiotics right away and monitor her. She was very pale and they did not
like the look of her coloring. They warned me that if she did not start
breathing better on her own by morning, they would transport her to Children’s
Hospital. I was finally able to hold her at around 3:00 am in the
morning. The next day the doctors determined that she looked much better
than the previous night and could stay on at the current hospital in the NICU
until release. I came to visit my sweet baby every three hours to
nurse. I would start out each session by pumping for five minutes, and
then having baby girl latch on. At first she was very sleepy during our
sessions, but eventually she would wake hungry and the nurse would call me
in. We were in the NICU for five days. I do not wish that on
anyone, but I am thankful for the alone time that I got with my baby girl as we
established our nursing relationship. I was supported in the hospital in
a way that I don’t think I would have been at home alone. The day we
brought her home was one of the happiest days of my life.
@perfectoops - I think my favorite part of that story (aside from everything being alright) is that you were still getting emails out after your water broke. I would have been home as soon as the first few contractions became recurrent.
Re: BTDT Mom Check in!
1. Second trimester: it's my favorite part of pregnancy. All the movement and you aren't miserable yet.
2. Labor and delivery: I typically have easy labors and deliveries. I prefer unmedicated. I have had epidurals and I will never have another one. Even if something happens and I need an emergency C, they will just need to put my completely under.
3. 4th trimester: I love this phase. All the baby snuggles are the best. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Also, never let anyone tell you you're holding your newborn too much. YOU CAN'T SPOIL A NEWBORN!
4. Third trimester: my back hurts all the time and my body aches. I'm miserable!
5. First trimester: the worst part of pregnancy.
Of the ages you have. What has been your favorite and least favorite - why?
I have 3 and a half and 1 and a half old girls.
Favorite so far - Loving 3 and a half. The tantrums are mostly gone and she is potty trained day & night which is EVERYTHING. Plus she now gets out of bed in the morning, brushes her teeth, gets changed and comes downstairs without us having to go get her. AMAZING.
Least favorite - 2. People say 3 is hard but for us it is about 20 months to 2 and a half at least. The tantrums, alllll the limit and boundaries that need to be tested. Plus all the changes, switching from cribs, starting potty training, getting rid of pacifiers. It is a year of cute to be sure, but man oh man. I am not going to be sad once it is over for this second one. She is a tougher cookie than my first born so I know it is going to be a year.
I loved age 1-2. They are so fun and independent but not yet sassy and stubborn.
I suppose 3 has been my least favorite. I LOVE the sweet/good moments, but my son has my temperament and personality so we butt heads ALOT already. I feel like I'm arguing with myself some days. Its exhausting and 3-nagers just can't be reasoned with 🤦♀️
Least favorite - teens in general. He attitude and just general, "I know better than my parents," gets old fast. Plus the smells. A teenage boy has more disgusting smells coming from him than anything else in the universe. 🤢
Favorite - newborn. They sleep a ton and cuddle a bunch. They aren't passing or throwing tantrums either.
Edit: to add more things about teenage boys I dislike. 😂
My favorite by far is the baby stage, where everything is still flexible but a bit more predictable than the newborn stage, before strict nap schedules, once feeding is established, and they just like to be with you and look around. My favorite thing with my son was baby wear all day and I cannot wait to do that again (he’s not so comfortable in a sling anymore at 32lbs!).
2 is awesome, but so hard at this stage feeling the way I do. I was an elementary teacher before having my son and have older nieces so I know how quickly things change and want to hold onto my “baby” for as long as possible, even though he’s quite independent these days!
...but hands down 2-3 was really tough even though he was adorable most of the time he could be such a monster. So many tantrums and fights this was about the time I learned to not even engage when they are in that mode 🙄
At that time I was in college and he would attend the day care at my school. Riding the bus and train with him was a nightmare and scary and most days pretty miserable. You could usually find me looking overwhelmed and sweaty with bags and stroller and screaming child in tow. He had no mercy and neither did a lot of my fellow commuters (NYC) lol That year or so was really rough.
1) 4th Trimester I got really lucky my son was a super chill baby.
2) 2nd Trimester
3) 3rd Trimester
4) 1st Trimester I had extreme fatigue unfortunately had to take time off work.
5) Labor I had a really difficult labor with multiple complications ultimately had to have a c-section.
Best to Worst:
1) 2nd trimester
2) Oddly, 3rd trimester. I had awful SPD and sciatic nerve issues, I hardly ever slept because everything hurt, but because of my GD diet I felt healthier and with more energy than I had in some time. I got the sciatic nerve worked out by my massage therapist and I just had to tough through the SPD. Thankfully it resolved postpartum.
3) 1st trimester-I was so thankful to be pregnant but so nervous about the pregnancy continuing
4) Labor and delivery. I had to be induced because she stopped growing and they had to keep the fetal monitor on the whole time so getting comfortable was almost impossible with someone standing by me moving the fetal monitor constantly. I had a relatively shortish labor and delivery, starting pitocin around noonish and she came out right before midnight. I finally got an epidural about 40 minutes before she came out because I couldnt relax at all.
5) 4th trimester. My baby didnt sleep, didnt nurse, and had awful witching hour (my poor husband, I go to work in the evenings so he had to deal with it all by himself). But I loved the snuggles. She didnt sleep well until after 2 years old and we are finally feeling caught up with sleep. For at least a little longer.
Okay - I have another game of sorts. Mostly because someone brought up birth stories in another thread and I too love to read them, I don't know if it is the comfort of knowing how they are so many normal stories or amusing sides from their husbands forgetting something. Anyone interested in sharing their birth stories from their children?
I am happy to start although mine are short and sweet. Labor is my favorite part of pregnancy
3 1/2 YO: My water broke on a Friday around midnight (2 WEEKS LATE) I was literally due to go in for an induction the following Monday since they couldn't fit me in on Friday. My dr never answered her phone so finally we just went to the hospital calling her occasionally along the way and had to go through the ER literally leaking since my water gushed out not a trickle haha. Once in the hospital I went as far as I could without an epidural which was only 4 cm and then 14 hours later it was time to push and my first born was born after less than an hour.
1 1/2 YO: This one is barely a story because my water didn't break and it was so ridiculously easy but I was 4cm at my last dr appt and she said any day and the day before her due date. I went to the hospital and after only a few hours and 10 minutes of pushing I got to hold my second born.
My own birth story is a bit traumatic so I won’t share and scare anyone, but my sister and sil have 5 kids between the two of them and all had easy labors, pushed a “few times” and, “poof” had a baby! I have all my fingers and toes crossed I get to enjoy my birth stress free this time around. With my son, amongst a lengthy induction and a few complications with him during labor, the friggen fire alarms were going off for about 40 minutes of me pushing. They were so loud and they kept announcing “shelter in place.” It’s comical looking back on it! It was not conducive to relaxing to say the least, but the nurses and everyone were amazing. They asked my husband if he could come to support every birth, he was a superstar. It does help that he’s delivered a few babies before as a paramedic, but it’s so different when they’re your own!
Water broke at home after a late night bathroom trip 430ish. There was a distinct internal little pop! and gush of fluid just like the movies!!
I woke up my mom, called my son's father and then my doctor. I was GBS+ so had to go right in to get hooked up to antibiotics. Showered and was surprisingly relaxed.
It was busy day in the hospital so I was literally in a teeny tiny triage room for my whole labor until I was 9/10 CM and they moved me 🙄
I don't know how far along I was but I requested and eventually received an epidural. I had a reaction and was itchy everywhere I could feel on my top half, but it was sweet relief overall. Epidural slowed things down and they gave me pitocin.
Finally they check me and I'm ready to go so they move me. They turn off my epidural thinking I won't feel enough to push. At this point I'm so exhausted I'm falling asleep between contractions. As they are getting the room ready my body starts pushing on it's own...it was really cool! The nurses were trying to count and tell me when but there was just no stopping it and holding for their count..I said I'll tell YOU when..my body had totally taken over. My baby was born on his due date after 14 minutes of pushing! I did get stitches but all that mattered to me was baby at that point. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I woke up and got ready for work. I was feeling some pressure in the lower part of my belly, but didn’t think too much of it. When I got to work, I was experiencing more pressure that turned into light contractions that I could work through. The contractions were getting stronger, to the point that I couldn’t sit thru them in my chair no longer. I had to stand for each one. I hurriedly tried to get all of my emails out. At 1:23 in the afternoon, my water broke while I was at my desk discussing last minute things with my manager. I quickly headed to the bathroom to confirm that my water had indeed broken. More gushed out. I quickly packed up my things and drove myself home. When I stepped out of the car into the garage, a big gush of water came out. I didn’t want to get the floors dirty in the house, so I waddled out to the front lawn where more water kept coming out. When I was fairly certain that I was done with the major leaking, I went inside the house and started packing my hospital bag with last minute toiletries. The contractions were stronger at this point, and coming pretty frequently. I downloaded an app on my phone to time them. They were lasting 30 – 40 seconds every two minutes. I called the number at my clinic to let them know I’d be on my way. They informed me that the hospital was in divert mode because there were full, and that it would be in my best interest to go through the emergency room and not mention that I had called in. So that’s what we did. DH pulled up to the emergency doors and a staff member met me at the car with a wheel chair. The emergency room was filled with people that must have found me fighting thru contractions pretty entertaining. DH joined me inside, and we made our way to the elevator. It was at this point that I realized I didn’t have feeling in my hands, arms, or my lower lip. The nurse told me it was because I wasn’t getting enough breathe while fighting thru the contractions. We entered the maternity ward and were brought to an vacant room right away. I undressed and the nurse confirmed that there was a green tint to my water, which was an indicator that the baby had pooped in the water (meconium). She explained to me that this meant there was some type of infection going on, and there would have to be additional nurses in the room to clear the baby’s airways by suction and get her breathing. This meant the baby would not cry upon being delivered. By this point it was just after 3:00 pm in the afternoon. She checked me for dilation, at which I was only dilated to 2 and 80% effaced. I was so saddened to hear this, as I felt that these contractions were so much stronger than the ones I had experienced with DS1. She took my temperature and found that I was running a fever. The fever combined with the meconium in the water were both signs pointing to a repeat cesarean section. I was disheartened, but wanted to try and keep a positive attitude. If it meant that surgery was imminent, I figured there was no reason to hold off on getting an epidural. I asked for it right away, and they agreed to my request. Shortly after, the anesthesiologist appeared to administer my epidural. He had me lay on my side very still. It took forever it seemed. Finally he said that it should take effect in five to ten minutes. I kept waiting for relief; for my legs to go numb. They never did, and the pain never dulled. The contractions were coming consistently, one right after the other, and they were very, very intense. I was screaming out in pain, and lots of profanities ensued. The anesthesiologist decided to take out the first epidural and administer a second. I had to lean over the bed for what seemed like forever. I didn’t feel any relief for a long time. Finally, the doctor came in to check me for progress. I was dilated to ten, complete. I was never so happy to hear news from a doctor. We decided it was best to give me some medication to make me sleep for the next hour while we gave the baby time to station down. This was at 6:00 in the evening. I slept for an hour, and when I awoke, DH asked if I thought he had time to grab some dinner down at the cafeteria. I told him to make it quick. While he was down in the cafeteria, the doctor and nurse came in and asked if I was ready to push. I tried calling DH to let him know, but he didn’t answer his phone. I sent him a text, “pushing now”, and he was up by my side in no time! The doctor was a large, sturdy woman with a light hearted, calm demeanor. Now it was time to start pushing. DH grabbed one foot and pushed it back while the nurse grabbed the other. I beared down multiple times, but couldn’t feel if I was making any progress. I had the doctor set up a mirror so that I could see if I was making any headway with the pushes. I could see the baby’s head crowning, and felt a motivation to push even harder. I pushed and pushed and then suddenly felt the baby come out in a rush. I wasn’t aware at the time, but the doctor had cut me to make way for the baby to exit. Immediately, they took our baby girl over to an incubated cubby and started sucking her and working her to get her to breathe. Finally she started crying, and the sound reminded me of a fragile kitten meowing. I asked if I could see her, and DH brought her over and laid her on my chest. I had him take a picture of her with me, because I never wanted to forget what that moment felt like. They brought her back to the incubator and carted her to the NICU right away. They wanted to get her on antibiotics right away and monitor her. She was very pale and they did not like the look of her coloring. They warned me that if she did not start breathing better on her own by morning, they would transport her to Children’s Hospital. I was finally able to hold her at around 3:00 am in the morning. The next day the doctors determined that she looked much better than the previous night and could stay on at the current hospital in the NICU until release. I came to visit my sweet baby every three hours to nurse. I would start out each session by pumping for five minutes, and then having baby girl latch on. At first she was very sleepy during our sessions, but eventually she would wake hungry and the nurse would call me in. We were in the NICU for five days. I do not wish that on anyone, but I am thankful for the alone time that I got with my baby girl as we established our nursing relationship. I was supported in the hospital in a way that I don’t think I would have been at home alone. The day we brought her home was one of the happiest days of my life.
That is some great work ethic!