Posting some older things to catch this blog up! The Birth...

OK, Lennon was born 6 months and 2 days ago (wow it goes by fast) and I just decided to blog, so I am going to post some of the things that we have already been through to get the blog up to speed, starting here with his birth story.

Due Date: 2/3/09

Arrival Date: 2/5/09

Weight: 7 lbs 13 oz

Height: 21 inches

I had planned on a totally natural birth and I had this beautiful, thoughtful birth plan all ready, and everyone was supportive and on board. 9 months of prenatal yoga, learning to breathe, hypnobirthing techniques, Bradley, relaxing, you name it. I was stoked and so ready to do this.

My water broke Wednesday a.m. at about 10:30 in a huge (gross) gush. I called my midwife, and she told me to come by her office. I went in, she checked me, I was at about 2 cm and about 75% effaced. After 10 hours of strong but irregular contractions, they started me on pitocin (even though I had originally planned not to have it in my birth plan). I was group B strep positive and really wanted to make sure I delivered within 24 hours, as was the hospital's policy, so I could avoid a c-section. My original plan if my delivery needed to be induced or augmented was to have Cytotec. But something in my gut told me not to have cytotec and to go ahead with the pitocin. Thank goodness - it would have been a disaster if I had the cytotec, I found out later.

I made it 4 hours without meds on the pitocin, they checked me and I was at only 3 cm. At that point, if I had been 8 cm, I would have made it med free, I think, but because I was starting to get discouraged, and realizing this baby had to be out in 10 hours so I needed them to up the pitocin, I had an epidural. I had the epi, and went to sleep. Apparently, I had a 3 minute long contraction when they turned up the pitocin, and the baby didn't tolerate it very well. At that point, I started feeling my contractions again in only one place - I had a hot spot on my left side. The hot spot was much more painful than all-over contractions! The anaesthesiologist tried to fix it, but ended up having to take out my epi and do a second one. That one took and worked beautifully.

About 10 minutes later, the baby's heart rate dropped for about 4 minutes into the 80's. They had me get on all fours (which I can only imagine was amusing since I had an epi - it took 4 nurses to turn me up), and it got better. At that point it had been 20 hours since my water had broken, and the decision to do a c-section was made.

I was a little disappointed, but I really just wanted Lennon to be ok. Within an hour and a half, Lennon was born by c-section with the cord wrapped around his neck twice, which explained why he could not tolerate the contractions or the pitocin. Thankfully, he came out crying and is super healthy, beautiful, and breastfeeding like a champ. So much for the birth plan, but when it all comes down to it, who cares? I have a healthy, amazing, strong son.

I wrote this the day after he was born so I was still in a little bit of a fog about it. There are so many other things I remember - watching Wheel of Fortune with my husband and my friend who was there with me (and losing big time, which is not normal for me). The "puppy pads" they stuffed in my pants to soak up all the leaking amniotic fluid, the endless walking around the ward they made me do. Looking back, I really do feel like I did a good job with the natural labor, and somewhere deep down, I got the epi because I knew a c-section was coming. I want another child one day - have to talk my husband into it first - but I will absolutely attempt to naturally deliver VBAC.