detailed birth story with pictures

2009-07-14T03:59:21Z

cross-posted to july09.

Elijah Cole
7:50 p.m. on July 8, 2009 (yay 7/8/9 babies!)
20 inches long, 8 pounds 3 ounces
medically necessary C-section
I went into the hospital at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7th for a scheduled induction at the recommendation of my OB.
my husband and I before we left for the hospital:

I was 40w6d.

I was given pitocin about an hour later.

I didn't actually feel it that much for quite some time.

The only things I could have were ice chips and popsicles.

I had 8 over the course of labor, mostly orange and a couple banana.

As long as I felt good, I spent the majority of the time doing this and watching tv:

The Golden Girls are on a ton during the day, so I was happy.

At some point, (25 hours before delivery, and before my husband's parents arrived) my OB broke my water.
I knew it would be a lot of fluid, but wow, what a watefall.

My in-laws came from Pennsylvania.

They came in and out as my pain got worse and then improved when I got an epidural.

After 35 hours of labor, 24 hours of broken water, not enough dilation, and the baby being at +1, this was the nurses' last ditch effort to get the baby to drop.

I got to ALMOST 10, with one thick piece of cervix getting in the way and the baby not turning.

I was given one more hour to try to progress (and push) but was unsuccessful.
The meds for C-section were intense. I hardly remember anything.
And according to my husband, I was audibly farting a lot hahahaha.

I was very drowsy and had sorta blurry vision.

Then there was a kink in our plans:

someone needed an emergency c-section, so we had to wait.

Just in time, a gift from my internet BFF arrives at the hospital.

It was all kinds of junk food covered in chocolate.

I remember saying I could still sorta feel the pain, and I definitely remember hearing the sound of ripping flesh.
But THEN we heard him crying for the first time!
My husband was a bawling mess. It was so sweet.
I was still way too out of it to react normally, but hearing his cries took away all my anxiety.

My husband saw him before they wiped him off and says it wasn't as gross as he expected.

He had a slight conehead and a scratch on his cheek.

The OB told my husband the scratch was NOT from the c-sec but from when he broke my water.

I meet him for the first time:

The grandparents were all there by then.
My parents meet him:

My husband's parents meet him:

He has some kind of infection because my water was broken for 25 hours, so he had a iv in his hand.

We've had a few different issues (latch, conflicts with staff here), and the baby is still a patient. They want him to stay for 3-5 more days to finish antibiotics. And because he's a hard stick, they put the iv in his head.
We don't know what kind of infection it is, but everything else looks good, so we're confident he'll be out within 5 days.

And my legs are still super puffy - this didn't happen till AFTER I was admitted.

We've now been here 5 days, after being discharged and luckily being given an open room to stay here with the baby.
We could be kicked out of the room at any time if someone needs it, but if that happens, we will stay at a hotel 2 minutes away to come for all the feedings.

other people's lives seem more interesting

detailed birth story with pictures