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Hi Ladies (update...LONG)
Libby has been nursing like a champ and has a full tummy now and snuggling with daddy...so I have a chance to say hello!
And thank you! Your well wishes and positive vibes have been great! I have posted some pics on FB (none of my because they all have full bewbies in them...LOL!)...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2054991&id=1212812159&l=7e5ef0fd86
And I see you all caught onto my mom's posting updates from L&D...she was so excited and all of our friends and family are so far away, so she was "reporting" for them....LOL!
Our doula is writing a birth story and I'll post more details later...for now, here's the abbreviated version:
01.25.10
5 a.m. - report to hospital
6 a.m. - Pitocin started - 2 cm
7:30 a.m. - Mild contractions start
12:00 p.m. - 3 cm and 80% effaced; contrax were much harder (I was pretty upset that this is all I had progressed(
3:30 p.m. - 4 cm and still not very thinned. Contrax were becoming unbearable because my legs were spasming with each one. So as I was trying to relax and breath my legs were clamping closed and almost "seizing"...I was shaking uncontrollably.
4:30 p.m. - begged for the Epidural; got it and felt like a dream...legs stopped quivering enough for me to sleep for an hour
5:30 p.m. - 7 cm and fully dialated...legs still trembling but no pain! Upper body starts shaking though with each contraction so I still know when they're coming!
6:15 p.m. - Time to push! Worked with the awesome nurse of the day to "practice push" until the doctor arrived. The "practice" ones were easy and she crowned immediately. No pain, just pressure, which I was glad to have the sensation to know what I was doing.
Doctor arrived and in 4 pushes (I did 4 sets of breath and push for 4 times each, I wanted her OUT!)
7:04 p.m. - Libby was born! They put her on my chest immediately and within minutes she was latched on a nursing. It was amazing.
From here the details get very blurry for me. I had a very tough 3rd stage and lost a lot of blood. They worked on me for 45 minutes. My placenta came out swiftly but with some was retained (doctor doesn't think so) or a piece of my uterine lining came out with it. Apparently there were buckets of fresh blood being removed as well as being mopped off the floor. I remember none of this (no one was panicked or saying things that sounded urgent). I do remember the look on our doula's face and that my mom and Joseph took Libby to the warmer and were tending to her. Now I know they were distracting themselves from seeing me bleeding. I am fuzzy on these details but there was my doctor and the nurse, both inside of me with tools scraping my lining and massaging my uterus. It was very instense and it made me projectile vomit (imagine the Heimlich from within)! My blood pressure dropped to 84/43. They administered some shot of medicine in my leg and I heard the Doctor say, "800 of Cytotec"...
Anyway, long story short...they got my uterus to finally tighten up. It took about 45 minutes - hour. After that I am not sure what happened. I did have Libby back on my breast. And then I slept, I think. I awoke and the epi was out, etc. I am not sure how long that was...it was around 9 p.m. or so. I did have one fainting spell in the bathroom but other than that, I was stable and pretty much "back to normal" by 11 p.m. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries! They were delicious!
So in the end...I was incredibly grateful to be in hospital. I did have the vaginal birth I wanted and labored without pain meds fror 12 hours. In the end the epidural was the right choice...it allowed Libby to be born quickly and also enabled me to get through that horrible stage three scenario. Had I not had the epi I would have been rushed to the OR and fully sedated. And had they not been able to stop the bleeding my doctor said the only option was to have my uterus removed! Very scary stuff.
But all in all...I have no real memory of that and I feel great. Libby is so wonderful...she's a fantastic nurser and basically has been teaching me what to do. Joseph has been so hands on with her and we're making a great team. We check out later today and they next phase begins...
I'll post when I can. Thanks for all of your wonderful support...from before we decided to TTC and all the way through this pregnancy as well as L&D! You girls are the best!
Re: Hi Ladies (update...LONG)
congratulations!!! thanks for posting all the details. I'm so glad you were able to have her basically the way you wanted.
I'm also glad she's nursing well! YAY!
Hope you get some much needed rest.
Thank you for sharing your story and that you were well taken care of. It so wonderful that you are all doing well
Take it easy and enjoy your new bundle of Libby happiness.
Congratualtions!!!
First, huge congrats on pulling off what sounds like a challenging birth!
Second, I think your frank description of the afters of giving birth has settled it for me - adoption it is!! I can't believe what you mothers go through! There's no way I could do that.
Alyson & Phil | Planning Bio | Married Bio!
Dates & Quinces Blog
Congratulations! Libby is adorable!
Wow, everything really does happen for a reason. Thank God you were in a hospital and not at home, and thank goodness you got that epidural too! 12 hours in labor without one though means you are still a rock star girl!
I know free time is precious right now. Thanks for taking the time to update us :-)
Yaaaaay Lori! I'm so glad you were still able to have the vaginal birth you wanted...and I agree with Julie, epi or no, 12 hours means you're still a rockstar!
Huuuuuuge hugs, and cuddles for Libby!
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
Congrats Lori and Joseph! She is BEAUTIFUL!!!
12 hours w/o pain meds, you rawk, warrioress! Glad that you remember the wonderful parts and that the not-so-good parts are hazy for ya!
Enjoy your cherub, welcome to the start of a lifelong love!
CONGRATULATIONS Lori!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow what a birth story...a little scary at the end. Your Mom and Joseph were quick thinkers to distract themselves and you to what was going on.
So happy for you and your family!!!!