Izzy
Birth Story:
Israel Jameson West
10:22 pm 1-22-2010
6lbs 12 oz
20 1/2 inches long
I was scheduled for a non stress test on 1/20 because I was a week over due. I had been leaking mucus for a week, but no 'plug' per say. None of my waters had broke, either. My husband and I went in to L&D, got into a room and the nurse informed us that we were there the wrong day, we should have been there the 20th. But they decided to preform the test while we were there. I was hooked up to a fetal monitor and a blood pressure monitor. Half hour passed. Then they did the ultrasound to check my waters. Nothing had popped yet. Everything was just fine.
Except my hemmorhoids. I have NEVER felt more uncomfortable in my life. I was crying on a daily basis, just from being in so much pain. My midwife came into the room and she told me she would like me to be induced at 42 weeks. I didnt have a problem with it, Israel was all cooked, I was done being pregnant, and very much ready for him. I was 41 weeks and 5 days at that point so she scheduled me for an induction at 6:30 am Friday, 2 days later. She said we would try a few ways before the pitocin was introduced, so I was extremely comfortable with everything.
Fast forward to the next day. Nothing new, nothing exciting. I had been spending quality time with my husband, we went to a few shops in Portland, Oregon and were just dinking around. We had breakfast at a really awesome place, where a waffle cost $5 (HAHA, wtf). We walked around and I got a coffee. We decided we should see a movie, since it would probably be our last opportunity for a few weeks and he really wanted to see Sherlock Holmes. We were to go to the 4:15 showing. I sat down to check email and finalize a few things, tell people on Facebook about the induction (I got a lot of flack for it, go figure). At exactly 3:50 PM I felt a gush. I was weirded out by it because I had felt mucus for so long. This was different though. I got up, looked at my leather computer chair and giggled, I had made a small mess. I told my husband and my mother that I thought my water had broke. My first thought was "Damn, and I wanted to go see that movie!" Of course, my second thought was "I cant wait for him to be here!".
I called my midwife office, she asked if I was having any contractions. I told her no, not even back pain. She told me to take it easy, take a shower and sleep tonight and come in for the induction in the morning. I agreed, and thought going to the movies was going to be peach. We were kind of miffed about how my waters WOULD break. Would it be like the movies where 10 gallons rushes down the ladys legs and she stands there and screams? Or would it just trickle out slowly over time. I told my husband I thought we should at least attempt to go see the movie, because I dont know how all this is going to pan out. I brought a few pads with me and off we went! Everything was fine till I stood up to get out of the car. I gushed for about 5 seconds. I just looked at Charles and said... "Uh, I think we should go back home, I could totally get through the movie but I dont think that I would even see much of it running back and forth to change the pads!" We drove over to Wal-Mart which was across the street and he picked up a Red Bull for the morning.
We drove home, everything still pretty uneventful (yet so uncomfortable, I didnt want to walk into Wal-Mart to change my pad, the only sanitary bathrooms are in the back and it had looked like I pissed myself 10x over). We got home and I made tea, took a shower. I couldnt fall asleep for the life of me. I tried every position, I was for too anxious. Charles, on the other hand fell right asleep, go figure. I tossed and turned. I used the computer, I watched TV, I just could not get comfortable. Everyone and their mother was telling me to RUSH INTO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW, THE BABY CANT BREATHE WITHOUT THE WATER! I laughed, and went with the advice my midwife and my mother gave me.
At around 3 in the morning I started feeling contractions. I hadnt started timning it, because I wasnt terribly uncomfortable (Ha, okay, between the contractions AND the hemmorhoids I wasnt a happy camper, but it could have been worse). At around 4am I moved to the front room and brought a pillow and sat in the lazy boy. My pitbull, Pepper, followed me. Every time I had a contraction I looked at my phone. They were about 10 mins apart. Every time I had one my doggie would get up and lay her head in my lap. I petted her, she was totally helping me through the contractions. I didnt wake Charles up because I know he still needed sleep, and I was 'content' being with Pepper.
I woke him up at 5, the scheduled induction was for 6:30. He hadnt packed a bag yet, so I rushed him to do that. I had him pack more snacks, and get a few more things that I had just thought of. We left at 6:15, I was in my Betty Boop PJ's and my puppy slippers. I had contractions at least every 5-10 minutes, I was holding (squeezing the life out of) Charles hand in the car.
We got to the hospital, he dropped me off at the Emergency room and parked. It felt like a freaking lifetime. The barista lady kept looking at me all funny, I had one contraction when I was sitting in the chair there and I moaned through it. They were getting more and more intense. Charles came back, and we headed up to L&D. I was checked into a room, told to put a gown on, and we waited. I guess it was really busy because nobody came for another hour. My midwife was scheduled to come in at 7:30. Finally a nurse came in, and right with my midwife. I was asked what sort of birth I wanted, and I said "I want an epidural!!" They told me I could have it now, and not be able to walk around or go in the jet pool. I was fine with that. I got the saline IV, as I am very prone to being dehydrated. Since my waters had broke the day before they debated on the pitocin, I told them it was up to them, they ended up starting it an hour later. I got my epidural (What was all the fuss about this again? I didnt feel anything...) and I slept for a while, during that time Charles played on the internet.
All day was spent ramping the pit up and down. I was checked ver minimally, everything was going very slowly. I didnt feel any contractions, or my damn legs. I was stuck at 7 centimeters for about 4 hours, and my midwife started talking about POSSIBLY having to do a c-section if there was no more progress by 12 that night. I was scared shitless. I did NOT want a section. Israel was stuck in a very odd position, and any of the moving they had me doing (switching sides every hour and a half, contorting me in odd positions, putting me on my hands and knees), nothing seemed to be working. I tried to set my mind straight, and I told my husband I was concentracting and he left me alone. I thought of the Grand Canyon, and how the air and water had shaped it. I thought of rivers and oceans, and how the ice cold blue waters shaped the rocks, and rolled them around. I thought of my mothers friend, who had passed away years ago, I asked her to be there with me.
My midwife came and checked me at 9 pm. I was 10 cm dilated, and ready to push. I couldnt belive it. I was ELATED. He had been sunny side up so that was his issue. As I pushed, he scooted around, rolled a bit. My husband was putting cold rags on my forehead and neck, changing them every time they got warm. He told me in the begining "I dont want to see any of that happen, I dont even want to look." He looked alright. He thought it was beautful, yet the freakiest thing he had ever seen. He held my hand and was telling me that I was doing so good. I pushed for an hour and I was done. They handed me to him skin to skin, put a blanket over me, and I cried for about 10 minutes. They let at us look at him for a good 20 minutes, and then took him to clean him and do all the tests. It was all in the room with me, so they didnt take him out until they really needed to.
I didnt notice (till I realized later), that there were a few other nurses and such attending the birth. The only people I noticed were my husband, my nurse and my midwife. I had a perfect delivery, only tore a little and it didnt require sitches. It was really everything I wanted it to be.
I stayed for 2 and a half days, since I gave birth at night. The staff was great, the food was great, and it was just a really nice place to be. He REALLY hurt me breast feeding at first, it was horrible. I had blisters and bleeding day one. Turns out he has a large frenulum (lamens terms 'tongue tied'.) It really didnt stop me though, I was very determinded to get him to eat from me. The pediatrition suggested they clip his tongue. I thought about it, asked the nurses. One of the nurses has a tongue tied husband and she said he never had any speach impedements or any trouble. I didnt want to have him have more than 1 surgery (he got a circ within the next 3 days) in the first week of his life. So I let him keep breast feeding. It hurt SO bad until I got my milk in. I am so glad I decided to trudge through that. He now feeds every 3 hours and is a CHAMP!
I wasnt ready for not sleeping, that is FOR sure. I didnt have time (what is time, again?) during the day for the first 2 days to 'sleep when he sleeps'. I was buzzing around, rearranging things, getting things to where they really needed to be. I cried the first few nights because I thought it would never end. But for the past 3 days he has been sleeping through the night, with the exception of feeding every 3 hours. We co slept for a night, and now he happily sleeps in his bassinet.
I am so ecstatic to be a mother, I have recieved so much help from my mother and my husband I have no idea how to thank them. Husband even took me out for sushi and saki yesterday. It was goooood!
Israel Jameson West
10:22 pm 1-22-2010
6lbs 12 oz
20 1/2 inches long
I was scheduled for a non stress test on 1/20 because I was a week over due. I had been leaking mucus for a week, but no 'plug' per say. None of my waters had broke, either. My husband and I went in to L&D, got into a room and the nurse informed us that we were there the wrong day, we should have been there the 20th. But they decided to preform the test while we were there. I was hooked up to a fetal monitor and a blood pressure monitor. Half hour passed. Then they did the ultrasound to check my waters. Nothing had popped yet. Everything was just fine.
Except my hemmorhoids. I have NEVER felt more uncomfortable in my life. I was crying on a daily basis, just from being in so much pain. My midwife came into the room and she told me she would like me to be induced at 42 weeks. I didnt have a problem with it, Israel was all cooked, I was done being pregnant, and very much ready for him. I was 41 weeks and 5 days at that point so she scheduled me for an induction at 6:30 am Friday, 2 days later. She said we would try a few ways before the pitocin was introduced, so I was extremely comfortable with everything.
Fast forward to the next day. Nothing new, nothing exciting. I had been spending quality time with my husband, we went to a few shops in Portland, Oregon and were just dinking around. We had breakfast at a really awesome place, where a waffle cost $5 (HAHA, wtf). We walked around and I got a coffee. We decided we should see a movie, since it would probably be our last opportunity for a few weeks and he really wanted to see Sherlock Holmes. We were to go to the 4:15 showing. I sat down to check email and finalize a few things, tell people on Facebook about the induction (I got a lot of flack for it, go figure). At exactly 3:50 PM I felt a gush. I was weirded out by it because I had felt mucus for so long. This was different though. I got up, looked at my leather computer chair and giggled, I had made a small mess. I told my husband and my mother that I thought my water had broke. My first thought was "Damn, and I wanted to go see that movie!" Of course, my second thought was "I cant wait for him to be here!".
I called my midwife office, she asked if I was having any contractions. I told her no, not even back pain. She told me to take it easy, take a shower and sleep tonight and come in for the induction in the morning. I agreed, and thought going to the movies was going to be peach. We were kind of miffed about how my waters WOULD break. Would it be like the movies where 10 gallons rushes down the ladys legs and she stands there and screams? Or would it just trickle out slowly over time. I told my husband I thought we should at least attempt to go see the movie, because I dont know how all this is going to pan out. I brought a few pads with me and off we went! Everything was fine till I stood up to get out of the car. I gushed for about 5 seconds. I just looked at Charles and said... "Uh, I think we should go back home, I could totally get through the movie but I dont think that I would even see much of it running back and forth to change the pads!" We drove over to Wal-Mart which was across the street and he picked up a Red Bull for the morning.
We drove home, everything still pretty uneventful (yet so uncomfortable, I didnt want to walk into Wal-Mart to change my pad, the only sanitary bathrooms are in the back and it had looked like I pissed myself 10x over). We got home and I made tea, took a shower. I couldnt fall asleep for the life of me. I tried every position, I was for too anxious. Charles, on the other hand fell right asleep, go figure. I tossed and turned. I used the computer, I watched TV, I just could not get comfortable. Everyone and their mother was telling me to RUSH INTO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW, THE BABY CANT BREATHE WITHOUT THE WATER! I laughed, and went with the advice my midwife and my mother gave me.
At around 3 in the morning I started feeling contractions. I hadnt started timning it, because I wasnt terribly uncomfortable (Ha, okay, between the contractions AND the hemmorhoids I wasnt a happy camper, but it could have been worse). At around 4am I moved to the front room and brought a pillow and sat in the lazy boy. My pitbull, Pepper, followed me. Every time I had a contraction I looked at my phone. They were about 10 mins apart. Every time I had one my doggie would get up and lay her head in my lap. I petted her, she was totally helping me through the contractions. I didnt wake Charles up because I know he still needed sleep, and I was 'content' being with Pepper.
I woke him up at 5, the scheduled induction was for 6:30. He hadnt packed a bag yet, so I rushed him to do that. I had him pack more snacks, and get a few more things that I had just thought of. We left at 6:15, I was in my Betty Boop PJ's and my puppy slippers. I had contractions at least every 5-10 minutes, I was holding (squeezing the life out of) Charles hand in the car.
We got to the hospital, he dropped me off at the Emergency room and parked. It felt like a freaking lifetime. The barista lady kept looking at me all funny, I had one contraction when I was sitting in the chair there and I moaned through it. They were getting more and more intense. Charles came back, and we headed up to L&D. I was checked into a room, told to put a gown on, and we waited. I guess it was really busy because nobody came for another hour. My midwife was scheduled to come in at 7:30. Finally a nurse came in, and right with my midwife. I was asked what sort of birth I wanted, and I said "I want an epidural!!" They told me I could have it now, and not be able to walk around or go in the jet pool. I was fine with that. I got the saline IV, as I am very prone to being dehydrated. Since my waters had broke the day before they debated on the pitocin, I told them it was up to them, they ended up starting it an hour later. I got my epidural (What was all the fuss about this again? I didnt feel anything...) and I slept for a while, during that time Charles played on the internet.
All day was spent ramping the pit up and down. I was checked ver minimally, everything was going very slowly. I didnt feel any contractions, or my damn legs. I was stuck at 7 centimeters for about 4 hours, and my midwife started talking about POSSIBLY having to do a c-section if there was no more progress by 12 that night. I was scared shitless. I did NOT want a section. Israel was stuck in a very odd position, and any of the moving they had me doing (switching sides every hour and a half, contorting me in odd positions, putting me on my hands and knees), nothing seemed to be working. I tried to set my mind straight, and I told my husband I was concentracting and he left me alone. I thought of the Grand Canyon, and how the air and water had shaped it. I thought of rivers and oceans, and how the ice cold blue waters shaped the rocks, and rolled them around. I thought of my mothers friend, who had passed away years ago, I asked her to be there with me.
My midwife came and checked me at 9 pm. I was 10 cm dilated, and ready to push. I couldnt belive it. I was ELATED. He had been sunny side up so that was his issue. As I pushed, he scooted around, rolled a bit. My husband was putting cold rags on my forehead and neck, changing them every time they got warm. He told me in the begining "I dont want to see any of that happen, I dont even want to look." He looked alright. He thought it was beautful, yet the freakiest thing he had ever seen. He held my hand and was telling me that I was doing so good. I pushed for an hour and I was done. They handed me to him skin to skin, put a blanket over me, and I cried for about 10 minutes. They let at us look at him for a good 20 minutes, and then took him to clean him and do all the tests. It was all in the room with me, so they didnt take him out until they really needed to.
I didnt notice (till I realized later), that there were a few other nurses and such attending the birth. The only people I noticed were my husband, my nurse and my midwife. I had a perfect delivery, only tore a little and it didnt require sitches. It was really everything I wanted it to be.
I stayed for 2 and a half days, since I gave birth at night. The staff was great, the food was great, and it was just a really nice place to be. He REALLY hurt me breast feeding at first, it was horrible. I had blisters and bleeding day one. Turns out he has a large frenulum (lamens terms 'tongue tied'.) It really didnt stop me though, I was very determinded to get him to eat from me. The pediatrition suggested they clip his tongue. I thought about it, asked the nurses. One of the nurses has a tongue tied husband and she said he never had any speach impedements or any trouble. I didnt want to have him have more than 1 surgery (he got a circ within the next 3 days) in the first week of his life. So I let him keep breast feeding. It hurt SO bad until I got my milk in. I am so glad I decided to trudge through that. He now feeds every 3 hours and is a CHAMP!
I wasnt ready for not sleeping, that is FOR sure. I didnt have time (what is time, again?) during the day for the first 2 days to 'sleep when he sleeps'. I was buzzing around, rearranging things, getting things to where they really needed to be. I cried the first few nights because I thought it would never end. But for the past 3 days he has been sleeping through the night, with the exception of feeding every 3 hours. We co slept for a night, and now he happily sleeps in his bassinet.
I am so ecstatic to be a mother, I have recieved so much help from my mother and my husband I have no idea how to thank them. Husband even took me out for sushi and saki yesterday. It was goooood!
