Charity's Birth Story

So a friend of mine was asking us all to post our birth stories for her (she's pregnant) and since I didn't have this blog when Charity was born I figured I'd add it here now so that I'll be able to look back on it later. :) I may go and compare this to what I wrote in my journal later because I think it's interesting to look back now and see how I see it differently after having another baby, parenting experience, and more knowledge behind me.

My whole pregnancy I felt that she was going to come early, I figured it would only be a week or two. At my appointment when I was about 36 1/2 weeks, I asked my doctor wanting to know what my chances were of going early (my mom had her kids 3-4 weeks early but us girls were twins and that's normal and then my brother was induced I think, but her mom had all of her kids 3-8 weeks early). So at my appoinment that was about 36 1/2 weeks (Tuesday), I asked him what my chances were of going early based on my family history. Well, I hadn't had any braxton hicks contractions or anything like that and he told me I was probably going to go to at least 40 weeks. Little did her know he'd be delivering a baby in a few days.... lol.

The day before I went into labor I had a huge urge to make Strawberry Shortcake. That's odd for me because I don't like to cook, or do a lot of baking so I should have realized something was up. I was on the phone with my mom several times making sure I could find substitutes for some things I didn't have and figuring out how to make it. Well, I didn't get the strawberries cut and juicing early enough so we decided to eat it the next day after the strawberries had a while longer. That night I woke up at 3:30 to my water breaking. Now, she was a little over 3 weeks early, I was NOT ready for it. lol. no bag was packed, I wasn't mentally ready (labor is what I feared the most that first time). So I sat on the toilet for 1/2 an hour going back and forth about whether my water had broken. Now it was pretty much a guarantee and contractions started within a few minutes and they started at 4-5mins apart. So I finally couldn't deny it to myself. Most of the stuff that I needed for the hospital bag was in the basement so I made a list of everything that I needed from downstairs and made 1 trip down to go get it. If you ask my husband he makes it sound like I was running up and down the stairs while I was in labor, but it was just one trip! He wouldn't really know anyway since I hadn't woken him up yet!

So, I got everything ready and then woke him up around 5 to let him know it was time to go to the hospital. He ate breakfast and got ready and we got there around 5:45ish. The labor and delivery nurse checked me and sure enough my water had broken and I was dialted to 3cm at this point. They asked when I wanted the epidural and I said now please. They have to do an IV before you can get the epidural so I said ok. OUCH! I seriously NEVER want an IV again if I can avoid it. It took them 4 tries to get it in right and it just HURT. I thought that was the worst part of the whole thing. Well, it took the anesthiologist 2 more hours to get there so I didn't get the epidural until 8. Around 7 the nurse gave me a shot of something in my IV that was suppose to take the edge off the pain but it didn't seem to help much. I hadn't learned any coping techniques really prior to this and I wish that I had. After the epidural my husband swears I was on cloud nine and out of pain, but I don't remember it that way! It didn't really take and I still felt every contraction, especially in my back. Oh, and they checked me right after I had the epidural and I was dialated to a 7 at that point.

Sometime between 9:30 and 10 I was fully dialated and ready to push but my doctor was next door delivering another baby! Well, the epidural had worked really well in that area and I didn't feel a thing in regards to pressure or anything so I said fine. It wasn't until around 10:45ish or so the nurse came in, had me do a trial push and then the doctor came in for me to start pushing. Looking back now, I wonder if that is why I pushed for so long because maybe after sitting for that long with her that close maybe I'd gotten a bit swollen or something but hey, I couldn't feel it. Anyway, so around 1 (2 hours of pushing) the doctor starts talking about maybe using forceps or the vacuum to help get her out. Up to this point, I gotta admit I hadn't really been concentrating on pushing, I was watching in the mirror, lol. Well, I got serious at this point because I didn't want any interventions and she was born at 1:30!

I had planned on holding her immediately and nursing her but since she was 3 weeks early she was covered in the vernix still so she came out all white and icky looking so when the doctor asked if I wanted her right then or if I wanted them to clean her off first I said go ahead and clean her off. BIG MISTAKE! they didn't just clean her off, they ran all of their tests and did everything so it was like an hour before I got to hold her and then I didn't even think of nursing at that time. Shortly after that a nurse noticed that she looked a bit shaky and they checked and her blood sugar levels were really low. So she ended up getting a bottle of formula to boost those up cuz the possibility of her needing an IV and being transferred to another hospital scared me. Thist caused us some major problems in getting breastfeeding established but we eventually worked them all out. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that being 3 weeks early she was still 7lbs 3oz!

Early babies can be extra sleepy and are at a higher risk for developing jaundice. Which, she did but luckily where you can get the bililights brought to your home so they don't have to have a hospital stay. Charity ended up needing to be under those for several days. The day she got to be off them was my birthday and what a great present!!!

Danielle's Story is my posst She's Here on May 14th.