Do not continue reading if you do not want ALL the details of Sidney joining our family!!!! You have been warned! :P
On June 12th we had finally had enough of the hard Braxton Hicks contractions. I had sorta been having them. This night they were coming regularly. We went to the hospital and were FINALLY told that it was just that, braxtons. They were coming every 2.5 minutes. I wanted to cry. I was only dilated to slightly more than a 1. For the next two weeks and next two appointments nothing changed. I was still having contractions pretty hard, pretty regularly every evening. I finally stopped getting my hopes up and stopped timing them. I knew that they didn't feel right. At both appointments I had not dilated any more. Of course the whole time we were doing a lot of things to do what we could to induce labor. I even considered castor oil. I think it was on Wednesday that I changed the sheets on my bed. They didn't need it, but maybe if they were nice and clean then my water might break on its own. I kept saying that if my water would just break then I would know that I was in labor. My hopes were up for that as they have had to break my water for both of the other kids. I kept not making plans cause I didn't want to have to cancel plans.
So Friday, Mike and I went on a date. We ended up going to Wendy's and to see the Proposal. When we got home we watched an episode of THE WEST WING and then fell asleep. The last time I looked at the clock it was 11:11. I woke up at about 12:10 and went to move but that was awkward as I seemed to be wet. I woke Mike up and asked him to see how bad it was. It was only a little so we were kind of confused. That and I wasn't having any contractions, at least not that I was feeling. once I actually stopped and put my hands on my belly I could feel that I was having them, but wasn't actually feeling them. I blame it on sleepiness. After half an hour we finally decided that indeed my water had broken, called my parents to come watch the kids, and went to the hospital.
We got to the hospital a little after one. They got me all situated and were trying to put in an IV just in case I bled too much, apparently common with a third child. The first time didn't work. The second time didn't work, but they were able to collect the blood that they needed and left me with a HUGE bruise on my hand that is still there almost 7 days later. A different nurse tried my other hand and was able to get it to take this time. I only mention this because it seems to be a common thread with my labors. At this point I had dilated to a 3 and my water had broken so she was coming. FINALLY
For the next two hours the contractions slowly got painful. Mike took a half hour nap until I woke him up and told him that I needed him. :D The nurse came in, it was 3:30, and I was at a 6 plus. She said that she thought we would have a baby within the next hour. Since I was doing this drug free the nurse kept saying that I know what it feels like so when I feel pressure let her know. After about 20 minutes something changed. It wasn't quite right but I felt like I should let the nurse know. She came in and checked me and I had actually regressed down to a six. Did I know this was possible? She told me that I was probably just feeling her moving down and getting ready. So another 20 minutes and something changed again, this time I was a little more sure of what I was feeling. She came in and checked me again and mentioned that the Dr on call was currently in emergency surgery. Great. I am still at a six, so she was trying to figure out what was going on. She said that there was a sack that was making it so I couldn't dilate anymore. So she told me, again, to let her know when I felt pressure. The contractions were getting really really hard. Because of the bruise on my hand I wasn't able to push on Mike like I had done with previous labors. So my awesomely wonderful husband actually had to hold me from behind while I pushed on the railing with my good hand. He had to pull a chair over so that he could sit down between contractions. I was starting to feel like I really needed to push. I was checked again and was told I was STILL at a 6. So with an ok from the Dr on my next contraction the nurse broke that sack. I actually felt relieved. She had already set up the room to be ready for labor.
Sometime after 5 I was really in a lot of pain and really feeling like I need to push now. The nurse came in with another nurse who was going to help out with the delivery. The Dr finally came in and checked out what was going on. Sidney was a little posterior so on the next contraction he had me push while he got her turned right. We got a little break and on the next contraction I did two big pushes, while screaming pretty good. I had been told to not scream and focus on pushing. Did I mention that I did this drug free? I think I get the right to scream. Once she got her head out I thanked her. That just makes everything feel like it is do-able.
Sidney was born at 5:33 AM. She was born with lungs that worked very well from the beginning. She was 20 inches long, and weighed 6 lbs 1 oz. She ate right away and looked exactly like Libby and Henry did when they were born.
Here is my brag list from the pregnancy and delivery. I have complained about some of these things, I apologize, and am now bragging about them :D
- My belly was so small that at school I was still mistaken for a student a couple times
- My belly was so small that the Dr was worried that she wasn't growing well and ordered an ultrasound. She was actually bigger than she should have been.
- I have been able to to wear my original sized clothes after the other two pregnancies, so I packed a pair of new capris that I had bought, I couldn't fit into them on Sunday, but was able to fit into them Wednesday. Until then I wore another pair of pants that were originally a little big on me.
- I did the delivery with NO drugs. Just Mike, thanks again!
- Sidney ate really well right after she was born, and still doing rather well.
