She's finally arrived!

Hey girls,
I finally had her on Tuesday night at 7:56pm.
For those of you following my other posts...On Sunday morning at 3am i thought my water broke. Had start and stop contractions all day and very little sleep after that. Went to bed and woke up with strong contractions by about 12:30am Monday morning. Headed to L&D after timing them at 4-5 minutes apart for 2 or 3 hours. Nothing going on with my cervix...contractions slowed down after a few hours. But I had enough of them I wasn't able to get too much sleep on monday. Went to bed around 8:30pm. Got one hour of sleep. Woken again by strong contractions at 9:30pm. by 10:30pm they were again 4-5 minutes apart, strong enough I had to breathe through them. Woke dh around 12:30. He helped me time them until around 2:30am. We headed back to L&D after contractions wre 4-5 minutes for over 4 hours. Got to L&D found out that I was around 1-2cm and 80% effaced. A very nice, pro-vbac resident said to me, "well, we can keep you here and start you on pitocin or send you home. Since you are vbac we really want to do this as natural as possible..let's send you home." A bit of tough love, but I appreciated the fact that he wanted me to have my vbac probably more than I did at that point! Went home...my labor coach came over so dh could get some sleep. She encouraged me. I was really discouraged, in tears at this point. Exhausted from the lack of sleep since Saturday night, and confused as to why my labor was so strange, so long, especially after having had a vaginal delivery before. Anyway, she left around noon after dh got up. My contractions had kind of slowed down again, although they were stronger. By 4:00pm I was in tears. My contractions still weren't close together but they were hurting so bad I was so discouraged. My mom finally convinced me to call my doctor and go to the office to have them check me and find out what could be done...this just couldn't continue like this. So I got over to the ob/gyn office around 4:30pm. They checked me...I was at a 5!!! Hallelujah. Totally renewed my state of mind. Headed to the hospital in rush hour traffic, start and stop bumper to bumper...at this point I was already being ...shall we say...vocal... during my contractions. Got to the hospital, by the time they checked me I was 7-8cm. Being very loud during contractions. I had to make the decision whether or not to get the epidural...I opted to try natural, with my labor coach there and dh. Later I sort of regretted that! It didn't take too long to get to a 9. By then I was having major pushing contractions. The doctor and nurse were yelling at me not to push. The nurse even made a nasty comment about not wanting me to have another c/s b/c I couldn't stay under control. I'm not sure if she thought that the bullying tactic would work on me...but at that point absolutely nothing could prevent me from pushing...it was like my body just took over and nothing I could do would stop it. So in spite of fighting that urge for around 10 contractions, I still was pushing and pushed her past my 9cm cervix. The doc came back and sure enough I was 10cm and she was crowning. I then had about 9pushes, through 3contractions...the doctor did a small episiotomy...which I originally was really against..but he told me that my previous one was so tightly repaired that it had to be done..and when you tell that to a woman who is screaming as she pushes, at that point she really could care less what you do to get the baby out. Anyway...she arrived... they put her right on my chest which was an awesome experience. My other kids were all cleaned up before they handed them over. It was just neat to get her immediately. I didn't keep her for long b/c the doc had repair work to do and it really hurt so badly I couldn't hold the baby and focus. They tried numbing me but it didn't work too well. I just kept thinking, "if I had the epidural I wouldn't be feeling this." Anyway, he had to clean out some clots which they think was related to my first trimester bleeding. he also told me that her placenta had started to abrupt before I pushed her out, which was part of his motivation to get her out quickly. He thought that might have been related to the first trimester issues too...so really I'm so, so thankful her placenta held on full term, and she was born healthy.

I'm still in shock over the fact that I actually made it through the thing unmedicated. I'm not sure I'd be willing to try that again. At one point the nurse really had me convinced that I was going to have a c/s b/c I couldn't control myself..and I just kept thinking..."I should've gotten the epidural, then this wouldn't have been a problem." But in hindsight...I think that the doctor was just thinking a little too textbook...I think there are cases where a woman has such an overwhelming urge to push that there is no point in trying to prevent it...that if I had been allowed to push when i felt the need I wouldn't have been so "out of control..." I can't exactly call it a short labor..but the really rough part took from around 5pm until 8 Pm...so not as horrible as it could've been.

Julianna Luisa was born at 7lbs 6oz...so the u/s was correct that she'd be an average baby...not a 9lb baby!! LOL! And believe me...I'm soooo thankful she had a 13.5 inch head instead of 15inch like her big sister! LOL!. she was 21 inches long.

Nursing is going pretty well... still waiting on my milk coming in. but hopefully that will happen by tomorrow. Thanks for all the prayers.

Recovery seems sooo much easier than it did with my c/s or with my first birth which had a 3rd degree tear. So overall, I'm glad things worked out the way they did. At this point I'm having those typical feelings of "I'm NEVER going to do that again!!" LoL!

 

Congratulations on your girl! Sounds like it was rough going getting there, but it all worked out the way you wanted. I can't wait to see some pictures!!

 

Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you! Glad it happened the way you wanted!

 

Congratulations!!

 

congrats.. Im glad everything went well for you!

 

So happy for you!!! Congrats!

 

Congratulations! I'm so glad it happened the way you wanted it to. I'm sure she's beautiful!

 

Congrats! That's awesome! Took me back to my 15-inch-headed boys. Can't wait for pics!

 

Congratulations! I'm glad all is well! Can't wait to see pictures!

 

YAY!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! :birthday: sweet girl!!!!!!!!!!

I was wondering if that's where you were!! I am so happy for you! I wonder how long that I'm never doing that again feeling
will last! lol!!! welcome to the world Miss Julianna!!!

 

:birthday: Julianna! Way to go Susanna. I am so glad that you had your VBAC and did it without drugs. Congratulations I am so excited for you!!

 

Congrats on your little girl! Glad it all ended up great!

April

 

WOW, what a long labor, but I'm glad to hear it all turned out like you wanted. I knw how badly you wanted a VBAC...that's awesome!!! Unmedicated too...AWESOME!!!

She sounds beautiful...I can't wait to see pictures! Welcome to the world little girl!

 

Congratulations!!!! I am so glad you got the vbac you wanted. And unmedicated at that!!! :clapping:

Tiffaney

 

Wow!! That is an amazing birth story, I dont know that I could have done that! Congratulations on your new little Girl!

 

Wow you are amazing. You hung in there so long and went without an epidural! You are my new hero. Glad it worked out great.


Stacy

 

Congrats! :Clap: :sign0016: Julianna

Awesome birth story! Great Job Momma!

 

congrats! I'm so glad to hear that things went as you had planned!

amanda

 

Wow!! I am very impressed. I am happy that she is healthy and that you are doing so well!! Pictures, we must see pictures!

Shannon

 

Congrats! That's a great story. I can't wait to see the pictures.

 

Congratulations and :birthday: to Julianna!

 

Congrats!! What great news!!

 

Congrats on your natural birth.

 

I'm so glad you got the vbac you wanted and that things are going well. Congratulations!

 

I am so happy for you!! I saw your ticker earlier today and I was thinking, oh no, she hasnt had her baby... so I went on a search and found this post!! WTG momma!! You are awesome!!!

Now, I wanna see some pics!!!!!

 

Congratulations Susanna! That is so wonderful that you had VBAC supporters around you during that time so that you could progress. I'm sorry your body took so long to make it to 10 inches but I guess it just had some work it wanted to get done. :hug99: Congratulations again on a beautiful baby and a successful VBAC!

 

That is so great! I am so happy for you, congratulations!

 

Susanna, that is wonderful! Congratulations and best wishes!

Naua

 

I've been out of town and couldn't wait to see if you posted or not. Congrats on everything!!! You are my hero! Except for maybe the length of your laboring, I hope I can follow in your footsteps (but maybe I will get the epidural).

Cannot wait to see a picture.