For those of you who have been wanting to know how my labour went this time around.. this is the post for you. If you remember Azriel's birth story, you know that I was hoping.dreaming.praying for a more 'natural' labour for Hudson. In many ways this was a completely different experience - and in others it was eerily parallel to Azriel's birth.
So here's the scoop:
Wednesday. February. 15th... 2am - got up for the bathroom and 'bam' my water broke. Feeling slight contractions I went back to bed assuming that I would wake in the morning with a baby ready to hatch!
Morning came, contractions didn't.
Waiting, walking.. nothing. By 2pm we were already booked for the "overdue" ultrasound, and since I was Strep B+ there was the issue of me not stalling with the waterworks depleted. Dr. suggested we head to the hospital and 'get things started'.
Ah yes, the familiar hit of oxytocin ( = contractions on 'crack').
A few hours spent riding the waves of contractions... trying various positions (like the fun bouncy ball seen above). Much like Azi's story, we were starting to notice his heart rate would dip during my contractions.. this was a concern to monitor.
After a warm soak in the tub... and the midwife saying I must have a 'high pain tolerance' since I was still pretty calm through contractions.. the nurses pumped up the volume of oxytocin with a wise crack about "we want to hear you screaming"! Awesome.
The final two hours of labour were INTENSE.
I spent most of the time kneeling on the bed - smothering my face into a pillow from home and groaning loudly through each contraction. They had raised the oxytocin twice now (which is just mean, really!) but I still managed to get through 'naturally' without any pain relievers - call me a masochist, but I wanted to feel this baby come out this time.
10:30pm... out he did come!
After the two intense hours of contractions, then pushing, screaming "Oh God" and wondering if I would make it... the euphoric moment of Hudson's arrival came!
I remember the second he was pulled out I thought "well, that wasn't so hard..." hah.
They flopped him onto my chest and he looked right up at me... melt mama's heart.
My parents and sister were ushered in to watch Hudson get all his vitals checked - and I hollered from the bed "his name is Hudson.. Hudson Blake!".
The final 'wow' moment came when my midwife asked if I wanted to see my placenta...
.... um, noooo thanks.
"Well it's really quite interesting" she said.
I'm not going to pretend to understand the medical/scientific terminology but it turns out there were two rare features happening on/in my placenta with 'exposed blood vessels'. Long story short - because my water broke naturally, it 'knew' to avoid rushing along this vessels. BUT if I had been induced by breaking my water (due to occur the very next day) then it could have passed over the vessels and caused a fatal blood loss for Hudson....
...so we praise God for this sweet mercy!
...this sweet boy - our new son.
I was also delighted to get to spend the first night in hospital with him snuggled in beside me. Azriel was in special care her first night... so I savoured this moment with my lil' man.
Now we're home at the nest, and learning afresh all those little details that come with having a newborn.
Like, how our entire delight in the day depends on if he poops or burps.
Or how all he seems to do is eat.poop.sleep... repeat!
And how he gets a cute lop-sided grin... with every poop!
yep, a lot of poop around here..
Thanks for sharing in our joy (stinky bits and all)!
mama Mel ;o)
