Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Baby day 1 - Surprise Delivery!

40 weeks, 4 days

Monday AM: I have officially passed my due date. We went to the doctor for weekly check-up... baby is not in distress, I am only 1 cm. dilated. However, the baby has flipped around and is no longer in the essential head-down position, meaning he was "breech". Because we were so far along, there was no hope he would flip and would need to be born via c-section. We schedule the appointment for Tuesday, 1:00pm.

Afternoon: I am sad to not have the natural childbirth I planned for, but how nice to have a planned baby! This gives us a chance to get things done and plan a nice evening out. We stop by Kyle's office and spread the news... he stays and puts in some hours at work.

5:30pm: How strange... I appear to be leaking clear fluid. We call the doctor, who tells us to go to the hospital to see if my water has broken. We finish packing our bags and head in, without eating - because c-sections are performed with an empty tummy.

7:00pm: We arrive at hospital and are placed in exam room. I am hooked up to a machine to monitor the baby and contractions. The fluids continue and increase - I am more certain this must be my water slowly breaking. (Unlike the movies, not all women have a big gush of water if and when it breaks.) The contractions are frequent but erratic and really not that intense.

7:30pm: The nurse has been filling my room with equipment for surgery, because I am clearly in labor and they will have to move the c-section sooner! The house doctor comes to examine me, manually pokes around at my tummy and performs an ultrasound to check on Ace. To everyone's surprise, he is no longer breech! The nurse quickly changes her focus from gathering surgery supplies to prepping a labor & delivery room! HURRAY!!!!!! This baby is coming and he is back on track for natural childbirth.

8:00pm: After insisting that I don't need continuous monitoring, the nurse removes the equipment so we can walk around. The contractions are still coming, still frequently but not as intense as I expected. In fact, I had been having much stronger contractions in the prior week. We are both famished as we had not eaten - they offer us popsicles.

9:00pm: We move to the labor & delivery room. Contractions are much stronger- Kyle holds my hand and counts while I breath. Our nurse, Amy, is great. My plans to walk around while laboring, use a birth ball and such a quickly changed as I want only to stay in bed and labor while laying on my side. I get out of bed once to take a shower at a particularly rough patch of laboring.

1:00am: The breathing is working great; Amy suggest we use the traditional Lamaze breathing (whoo-whoo-heee) and that I find a happy place and go there. Kyle helps me avoid wanting to push during the strong contractions with his genius idea of whistling... I am whistling made up songs and just jamming while I take myself to my happy place - (which is a thatched-roof hut on the beach - you've surely seen this on a poster or postcard).

3:00am: Poor Kyle has been the best labor coach ever. I am sleeping between my contractions, he is sitting next to me, holding my hand and counting 1-20 for every single contraction. I am only 5 cm. dilated, (delivery happens at 1o cm), so we appear to be about half-way there and decide its time to invite my Mum to join. A new nurse takes over while Amy takes a break- I am upset by this and miss Amy. Apparently this is a good thing because I quickly begin dilating. The contractions are much stronger and I am whistling to keep from pushing.

4:15am: Our doctor has arrived; Mum arrives as I am just beginning to push! The baby has flipped over so he is facing the ceiling rather than the ground, which is (sometimes) called sunny-side up, making laboring even harder. At some point, he flips over again. His umbilical cord is wrapped around his shoulder - tugging him back in as I try to push him out. At least it isn't tied around his neck!!

6:10am: The baby arrives!! 6 lb. 13 oz. 21" long






2 comments:

  1. Michelle10:58 AM

    What a great way to come into the world! You look amazing and the baby is adorable!! Congratulations to you, Kyle and your family!

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  2. Oh my goodness Alyssa. This sounds wonderful, I'm so happy you were able to have a natural childbirth like you wanted. I have to say, it is a pretty funny mental image of you whistling away while in labor. :) Way to go, Kyle!

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