Here is our Baby Canyon story:
On Thursday I woke up and thought "Today looks like a good day to have a baby." I had started walking that week to help move things along. That morning I went for an extra long walk with Colette and the dog. That got some contractions going, as the other walks had that week, but they eventually fizzled out. I ran some errands and went about the rest of the day as normal. That afternoon while Colette was up in her room "napping" (which was just loudly reading books and talking to her dolls) I had a sensation that made me think my water broke. When I checked - it was all blood. A rather decent amount too. Not something anyone wants to have happen, especially since there were placenta issues earlier in the pregnancy. I called Chris and then left a message for my midwife. The midwife said to head to L&D if it increased or there was cramping. I didn't want to freak out and rush in, but it is hard to sit there and not question yourself if you stayed at home.
We headed in that evening to get checked out, with Little Lady in tow. We hoped it would be a quick check, "oh, just a cervical bleed, you're fine" and we could return home. After checking some things out, they basically said they couldn't determine the source, so I should stay and come up with a plan with my midwife in the am. There was no active bleed, but it was possible the contractions I was having earlier was causing my already low placenta to detach a bit. Problem was - contractions would continue to happen - needed to happen - to begin labor. The more intense the contractions would get, the more the placenta could detach - and that could be bad and they didn't want me at home when that happened. Chris headed home with Little Lady and I got settled into the comfy hospital bed with the wonderful monitors hooked up! Been there before....but this time I got them to agree to just leave them on for two hours and I could "sleep" the rest of the night w/o wires! Yay!
So, Georgianna Ainslie, my midwife, stopped by in the morning and we discussed. The bleed could be nothing - but it could also be the placenta detaching. There was no way to know. An induction would be the only way to "resolve" the issue. So we discussed the different options - and went with a gel. I would have to lay down for the first hour but could then walk around to move things along. I called Chris and went over everything. We know how long these things can take (um, three days with Little Lady) so the plan was for him to take her to the church play group and see the availability of those that had offered to watch her during delivery. As soon as I was able to, I started walking....and walking.......and walking.........and texting with a wonderful group of supportive ladies. We didn't get a doula - but it really would have been helpful at that point. Chris was occupied with Little Lady and I was alone. I think it was good in the sense I just felt like I was on a mission. I was going to walk that baby out. Walk, walk, walk. The staff here at St. Alphonsus is AWESOME and all the nurses were helpful and supportive, but being able to get words of support and inquiries from Sarah and Julie and Kathleen was invaluable. Georgianna checked how things were moving - I was getting mild contractions, but nothing special. We discussed the next line of options: more gel, break my water, or pitocin. The problem with more gel would be that we couldn't try anything else for 4 more hours. I don't even have to start on the issues with pitocin.....so we went ahead with breaking my water. AND - more walking. I walked, and walked, and walked. Breaking my water certainly put me into labor. The nurses kept letting me know the jacuzzi was available whenever I wanted to use it. I had a game plan - I would walk 'till I couldn't walk through the contractions anymore and would then try the tub - and I really hoped Chris would be here by then. My walking was getting slower, the contractions were getting more intense. I had to brace on the wall and do baby steps during them. The entire time I was stopping every 30 min for them to monitor Baby Canyon. Just as his sister was, he was ornery about monitoring, moving about and "hiding" from them, or being a bit too sleepy and 'causing them to take out a little buzzer to wake him up. Walking, walking, walking......and then Chris got here. He got in the groove quickly and was my walking buddy.
Monitoring break! I will never again wear a hospital gown if I can refuse....
I then reached the point I was ready for the tub. We put "yoga" radio on pandora and some jets and I tried to relax. Focusing on each contraction, breathing - and apparently I vocalize when they get intense. Didn't think I would do that, but you do what gets you through them. Starts as a hummmmmmmm but ends up not as elegant.
That right there is the face of pure enjoyment....
Eventually the tears came and the doubt - I didn't think I could do it. It was intense. The nurse came in to check on baby but left - she apparently went to get my midwife - things were getting close - and it was shift change! Must be fun to be a nurse and be taken in to be introduced to your new patient and realize you're right at that part in labor where things are getting fun and your patient is crying. Georgianna observed and helped - talking me through the contractions, asking me what was different between ones I would respond differently to. She told me I was doing great, but that I was going to have to get out of the tub at some point - she couldn't fit in there with me. A couple contractions later I decided it was time to get out. Back in the room they had to do more monitoring of Baby Canyon since it had been a while and they had trouble monitoring him while I was in the tub. I was in a lot of pain at that point. I was also getting very tired. Chris was wonderfully supportive. Georgianna is awesome too - she is so calm and soothing and was there through the entire process. I'm really sold on the midwife assisted birth. Everything was very intense and I had her check and I was just 6 cm. I was so tired. I started to worry that I was going to be too tired to push him out and end up with a c-section. I did not want a c-section. I was worried he would be bigger than Colette was, worried about being exhausted and I was in lots of pain - so I asked for an epidural. Georgianna said they were all valid concerns and she understood my decision. I was 7cm right before the epidural went in. I must say, getting an epidural while the contractions are that often and that intense is not very fun. So they got it in and explained it would take about 30 min to take full affect. When they were asking if the pain was fading away I said yeah, but it was as if the origin of it had shifted too. Hmmmm. So Georgianna "tucked" us in and said she would come back to check in an hour and Chris went to get a sandwich. As soon as he left the room I felt extreme pressure....the kind where you need to push something out. I told the nurse and she said to just pump the button for more medicine and give it time - let my husband get a sandwich and give things time to stretch out.......yeah, I decided to pick up my cell phone and call him. He was on the way back with his sandwich and got Georgianna at the desk on his way to the room. She checked and, sure enough - he was coming out. Seriously - less than a half hour after getting it put in I was pushing him out. To add even more doubt to my decision to get the epidural, I pushed him out in six minutes. Hind sight is 20/20 of course and there is always the possibility the epidural relaxed stuff just enough for things to move like that. His cord was around his neck once, but it wasn't tight and she just unwrapped it as he came out. As soon as the shoulder was out, Chris got to grab Canyon and place him on my stomach. When the cord finished pulsing, Chris cut it. He was an bit blue and "flaring" when he came out, but he finally let out a nice cry. I had to wait a little while to nurse, to give him time to clear out his lungs/throat - he was coughing a bit. When I finally did get to nurse, he seemed to have the hang of it just fine. Our Little Man was here!
First cry - after a bit of suctioning.
On Mama's tummy, finally letting out some good cries!
I looked like a hot mess - but that's how you know I was working! ;-)
So precious!
Exhaustion finally caught up to me. Well, after I totally had Chris split that sandwich with me.
**Forgot to add one awesome part - after a baby is born they play a nursery song over the intercom. It was so nice to hear while walking the halls - as the contractions got stronger, hearing the song would bring tears of joy to your eyes. Every hospital should give each baby a "shout out" like that!**
They have you stay in the L&D section for something like a minimum of two hours afterwards, which was fine with me. At Holy Cross it felt like they were packing up our stuff before he was even washed up and telling us not to let the door hit us on our way to the next floor.....
We eventually got moved over to the maternity suites some time after midnight. Yay - I got a room with one of the full size beds! We all got settled and I tried nursing again - but he didn't want it. The nurse said we would try waking him again in an hour or two. Chris settled into bed with me and we went to sleep - 'till it was time to try again. Again, he didn't want it and just wanted to sleep. We tried several times throughout the night and I think he nursed one of the times. He just wanted to sleep and wasn't interested in eating. In the morning the lactation consultant and pediatrician explained that when they come out so quickly they don't get the benefit of being squeezed for very long, to get all the amniotic fluid and stuff out, so they might take a little longer to come out of their "haze" - they have to transition to being out here. He was spitting up fluid, so he probably didn't want to mix breastmilk with it. That comforted me enough to stop stressing about him eating (too much). About 24 hrs after his birth he emerged from his haze and took right to nursing. Georgianna also stopped by to check on me and asked how I felt about everything. Of course, I was a bit bummed I got the epidural so close to the end. She said she thinks I was probably just transitioning at that moment and that is why it was so intense. With a smile, she said "Now you know for the next one" - and patted my leg. We shall see........
"There he is!"
Holding him for the first time.
Canyon got her a present!
A camera! Now she can take pictures of her own!
Nosing with Papa.
Trying out her new camera.
So Canyon was born Friday night, and I was all set and ready to head home Sunday morning. The pediatrician came in to do the final check and asked me if they told me how his bilirubin test went. The lactation consultant said his numbers were looking good, so I said I heard they were fine. Guess she didn't know the latest numbers. He said - nope, he has to stay and go on light treatment. His numbers had been good but jumped pretty quickly, so we couldn't do biliblanket treatment at home. He left and they started setting up the "tanning bed". I was processing it when my midwife came to do my discharge. She explained she still had to discharge me - I started to freak out a bit 'till she explained I could stay as his guest, I just wasn't technically a patient anymore - she wasn't sending me home without my baby. SO - I called Chris and let him know and he had to tell Colette that they weren't bringing us home that day afterall.
Getting him set up.
Tanning.
Papa and big sister keeping an eye on him.
So he tanned for 24 hours and they rechecked him Monday morning. Toughest 24 hrs - not being able to hold your newborn as you want. We took him off every 2 hrs or so for me to nurse him, but he had to stay on the lights the rest of the time. When they tested him Monday his numbers had gone down so they took him off the lights. They rechecked him 6 hrs later and they had gone up a bit, but it was still low enough for us to go home. Yay!
Our new little family was heading home!
All packed up....
...and buckled in!
We are all home together now and getting adjusted! It's good to be home!
