41 Weeks and 1 Day
Elijah entered the world on June 29 at 12:30 a.m. weighing in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces and measuring 20-1/4 inches long.Here is the birth story (minus the parts you probably don't want to hear about...):
Seventeen hours after being induced via Cytotec, we were able to finally meet our son. I only needed one dose, and then my body took over on its own with mild contractions to begin with. I remember thinking at first, this isn't so bad and I can handle this...then the doctor broke my water and the REAL contractions started setting in. It wasn't long after that the order for the epidural was placed which also required an IV line. From watching (way too many) Baby Story shows, getting the IV and epidural at one time scared me way more than actually giving birth because of the needles. I am now proud to say I will no longer be scared of needles the next time I need to get my finger pricked, blood drawn, or get a shot. Both the IV and epidural were nothing compared to those contractions! I barely felt anything except for a small poke with both. The epidural process went very smoothly and gave me immediate relief.
I began having contractions that were much closer together and stronger, and the dilation process started picking up at a very fast pace. Then, the fetal heartbeat began slowing. They decreased the amount of medicine I was receiving from the epidural and tried positioning me different ways to get the heartbeat back up, but it didn't seem to be working. Then, there was talk of a C-section. I was terrified! They even went over all the C-section protocols and exactly what would take place since the nurse said it would happen very fast. Thankfully, the heartbeat came back up again and stayed strong, so we were able to avoid the surgery.
Soon, my pain level began to rise, and I was given a dose of fentanyl which made me very drowsy. After my contractions started coming further apart, the doctor suggested using Pitocin to get them coming more frequently. I was worried about this too since I knew I would experience stronger and more frequent contractions without being able to get any more pain relief since I was too far along in the process. This was avoided though when the contractions started picking up again. FINALLY, I was dilated to 10 cm, and it was time to push!
I thought at the time I would be pushing for 10 minutes and then get to meet our son. The doctor and nurses always made it sound like just 1 more push would get me there. Little did I know, it would be after 3 hours of pushing and almost having to use the vacuum device to assist in delivering him (luckily they were able to put this away soon after they got it out without having to use it) that he would be born.
Then, I remember the doctor asking for lidocaine which I knew was an anesthetic from typing it all the time in reports, which meant an episiotomy was coming next. At that point, I didn't even care about this procedure since I knew we were closer to meeting our son. I just remember feeling some pressure but not really any pain. After a few more pushes, he was placed on my chest for the very first time. I remember the feeling of relief washing over me when he was born and hearing that first cry.
The birthing experience far exceeded my expectations, and I have a new-found respect for labor and delivery nurses whose profession is both physically and emotionally taxing I would think, but they all provided us with so much genuine care and compassion. Ian was also such a great support and stayed very calm during it all and provided me with the courage and confidence I needed to make it through to the end.
In retrospect, the whole experience now seems very surreal and almost like a dream now that Eli is 1 week old. Giving birth was the best and most life-changing experience I have ever had.
Just as I had expected (and hoped) Eli resembles his dad, as everyone in the hospital also said. He is a very good eater, eating every 3 to 4 hours, and a good sleeper and is overall a happy and content baby. Yesterday, a visiting nurse came to the house to check out his progress so far, and she said his heart and lungs sound good and everything else checked out okay as well, and he is up to 9 pounds now.
I know it's been said babies don't come with instruction manuals, but luckily ours did, complements of Aunt Cari as part of her baby gift for little Eli who gave us a copy of the book The Baby Owner's Manual!
We hope you enjoy the first moments of Elijah's life below:
First of all, thank you very much for fitting in a blog update in your busy, hectic, road-running schedule! ☺
ReplyDeleteLike you said, the whole process seems surreal now and as if it were a dream. I’m just the AUNT and I feel like the whole thing is still a dream after all the anticipation waiting for his arrival is finally here and gone.
I cannot begin to explain how proud I am of you, Chucks, on making it through the whole labor process! I sent Ian a text the morning of the 28th when you went in saying, “Chucks was always considered the whimp of the family…but after this she will definitely be the CHAMP!” ☺ Not sure if that message was relayed to you or not anywhere during the 17 hours of labor. But you truly rang through as the CHAMP and provided all of us with the greatest bundle of joy anyone could ever imagine!
As there have been so many moments already I keep thinking about and envisioning in my head, the one that sticks out the most and definitely brought me to tears of course…was the day after, when Mom, Megan, and I walked in the room to you holding Eli out on your lap and looking down on him. I’m nearly tearing up just writing this but that literally make my heart skip a beat and then it hit me….you and Ian both are going to be the greatest parents Eli could ever ask for!
After talking to mom last night on the phone she had brought up another point that made me stop and think and almost come to tears again. That is…the hour after Eli was born and we were able to come in the room and he was being handed to all of us…and it was as if we were taking the pride for your gruesome 17 hours of hard work!!!! I felt terrible after Mom had pointed out and you’ve carried him for 9 months…you worked for 17 hours to get to the point to meet him and here we come BARGING in and took him away from you!! So Chucks…I apologize for that but it was the happiest moment of all of our lives! ☺
Ok…so as you can see from this book I’m about to publish…Elijah is a definite blessing to us all and he could never have been brought into a more loving and excited family!!
Once again…Friday cannot come fast enough and I thank you SO much for letting me join in on the first photo shoot of the little man! ☺
XOXOs and Love to All!
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Love the birthing blog, Molly - and after reading Jamie's comment, I'm not sure who had the more awesome experience:) I'm just glad everything went so well for all of you - you are blessed. Just want to say, based on my limited viewing of the little man (through the nursery window) I think he resembles you as a baby a little bit, at least from the eyes up. And I thought he looks like Jamie, too, when she was born. So I think he has your eyes, and maybe the rest is Ian??? After seeing Ian's baby pictures at the shower, and knowing what a cute baby you were, I knew Eli was going to be a beautiful baby. And he is. Now, Anna and I just have to be patient until we get to see him and hold him! Judging from the pictures on Shutterfly - which are awesome - we have some catching up to do:)
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