Baby Lane Joins Our Family

Turns out that not only was our sweet baby measuring rather large, but my levels of amniotic fluid were getting too high (polyhydramnios). The midwife and consulting doctor recommended an induction. I was not thrilled, especially since I had been preparing for a natural birth for months. But the midwife promised to take the pitocin super slow and give my body every possible chance to do things on its own. We got to the hospital to be induced around 8:30 on Thursday night, February 6.

I was very excited to learn that my cervix had done some changing since my appointment earlier that week. I was 25% effaced and dilated 1-2 cm. Hooray! They gave me Cervidil to help ripen my cervix and told me to expect lots of cramping and discomfort. They wanted me to rest as best I could, and told me they had medicine if I asked for it.  Camden and I said a nervous, but excited goodbye, and then he went home for the night. They weren't lying about that crampiness. Yuck. I felt lots of contractions too, but they weren't painful at all. They felt more intense than any I'd had before, but I distinctly remember thinking these felt like uterine hugs. Anyway, after a few hours of trying unsuccessfully to sleep, I asked for the meds.  The first one (Vistaril) didn't really do squat. They suggested morphine. (!!!) I hadn't known that morphine can be used as a sleep aid.  But it is, and it was wonderful. It helped me to get a few hours of sleep.

They removed the Cervidil at 9:30 am, reporting that my cervix was nice and soft, 50% effaced and 2-3 cm dilated. I took a shower and was sitting down with breakfast as Camden got to the hospital. He'd left the boys with the Wolffords, our dear friends from State College who'd insisted we call them to babysit when I went into labor.

Post morning shower, eating my gruel. (Instant oatmeal in water. Why they didn't stick a packet of sugar on the tray is beyond me.)

I believe the Pitocin was started around 11:40. Tiny little dose of 2 ml/hour. I started contracting regularly, but every so often I would have an extra minute between contractions. As long as that continued, the midwife would come in and up the dose a little each hour. At 3:30 my cervix was 3.5 cm dilated and most of the way effaced. And that's when they counted me officially in labor.

Things had really been smooth sailing up to this point. Contractions were totally manageable and I was loving experiencing the absence of any fear. Unlike the births of Jarett and Miles, I was confident in my body's ability to birth (thank you, HypnoBirthing!) and I was feeling pretty much on top of the world. Camden was a great support, though it seems I mostly liked him to just hold my hand or hug me. He was exactly what I needed. I had also had a fantastic nurse, Annette, who was full of helpful suggestions and encouragement and praise. Shortly before the shift change when she went home, I learned she had magic hands that could apply counter pressure in the most miraculous of ways. I will love her forever because of that.

I noticed that the contractions were feeling different: much more of a downward force. My midwife checked me and said I was at 6 cm. Because of all the extra fluid, the baby had not been able to engage in my pelvis up to this point. But I had been upright in one way or another since starting the Pitocin, and that combined with the contractions had moved the little guy down enough so that he was engaged. This is important because it meant the midwife could finally break my water safely. Apparently when there is too much fluid, if your water breaks you run the risk of having the umbilical cord come out with it, which is real bad news. But when the baby's head is low enough, it blocks the cervix enough to keep the cord inside where it belongs. And if they don't break the bag of water, the baby will never get where it needs to get. So they broke my water, though I don't remember what time. Contractions got more intense, and I didn't think of them as uterine hugs anymore. As I was coming out of a particularly hard one, Annette rubbed my back and whispered, "Guess who's here?"  I remember wondering who on earth could possibly be in the hospital that would be worthy of announcing to me right at that time. My brain's list of acceptable people were God, Santa Claus, and my mom. Seriously. Then she whispered, "Dawn."  Dawn was our HypnoBirthing instructor. I had known ahead of time she would be working that shift, and I was excited for that, but let's face it: she wasn't Mom. Or God. Annette gave me a heads up before she left that things were going to pick up, but that I was doing a fabulous job and she knew I'd be great. I just loved her. And that was when I made up my mind that the transition stage was upon me, would FLY by, and that I'd be holding a baby in 15 minutes.

Things after that (just after 7:00) are a blurry mess in my mind. I should not have allowed myself to expect that things would happen very quickly. But I honestly thought I would zip through and be all done in no time. But no. Things were not slow, but because I was expecting something different, it seemed like an eternity of awful. I managed to convince myself that because it was taking so long, something was wrong, and so I no longer felt in control. I felt the old, familiar fear. Plus everything else that had been drowned out by epidurals in the past. Not so fun. I did not want to try different positions, for fear that they would make things worse. I didn't even want to try getting in the whirlpool tub. (Bummer. I'd been looking forward to experiencing that.) I didn't want Camden to walk me through visualizations. All I wanted was a baby. I should mention that I begged the midwife to give me anything to help. I may have sternly demanded drugs, and then to know why she wasn't giving me anything. She finally told me that I was past the point of having any of those kinds of options. I was burning up, so Camden and Dawn kept bringing cool cloths to lay on my neck and forehead. It was wonderful. At one point I was checked and told that my cervix was dilated to a 9. A while later Dawn took charge and told me it was time to change positions. The new position was called the polar bear. Look it up sometime. Then imagine doing that facing away from the midwife/nurses/whoever else while wearing a hospital gown that opens in the back. Yeah. Can't say I cared a lick at the time, though. Very shortly after that, I felt the urge to push. It was amazing to feel my baby moving down. Camden announced that he could see his head. Lots of dark hair. And I had hope again. Twenty-five minutes later, at 8:30 pm, I finally saw my beautiful boy.

I was so relieved to be able to hold him in my arms. He was perfect in every way. We named him Lane Currie, after my dad. I hope he will turn out as good and kind as his Gramps. I'm so blessed to have them both in my life.

I was more exhausted than I'd ever even approached before in my life. I got to hold him for a long time and nurse him before anyone poked at him or even weighed him. Camden cut the cord and we just enjoyed the newness of our little angel's presence. I always marvel at how close to heaven it feels. Eventually he was weighed: 8 lbs. 14 oz. 20 1/4 inches long. A big 'un, but he still seemed so tiny.

This is Dawn, my HypnoBirthing instructor and night shift nurse. She was an absolute ANGEL.

She had this method of swaddling that wrapped his little legs up in the bundle with everything else. He looked like a cute little potato baby.

Mama of THREE

The Wolffords came all the way from State College to watch the boys. Such dear friends.

First bath. He loved it. Everyone at the hospital told us that it is not necessary to wait until the cord falls off anymore to give a real live bath. But apparently every other medical professional in the world frowns upon that. Oh well. It sure was fun to see him lounging in the bubbles.

The rest of the hospital stay was a good one.

 

I so enjoyed rooming with this sweetheart and getting to know him. I felt like I was in such a sacred place. (Incidentally, I found the most PERFECT labor/delivery/recovery music EVER. Ask me about that sometime if you're interested.)

I chose a natural delivery because babies born with no interventions are supposed to be much better nursers. I really wanted to have a good go 'round with nursing this time, but Day 1 was pretty rocky. The nurses called him "peanut butter tongue", which pretty much means he would hold his tongue up at the roof of his mouth. My day shift nurse was rather useless, to be frank. Camden was actually the one who taught him how to eat. He would stick his finger in his mouth for a minute right before time to nurse. And Lane caught on right away and became a great eater!

He had some problems keeping his blood sugar high enough. That was stressful. I think if anyone had tried to stick his little heels one more time I would've tackled them and thrown them out.

Family of FIVE!!!

Big helpers helping to get baby brother out to the car.

We left the hospital on Sunday afternoon, already exhausted. We haven't done much catching up on sleep yet, but we know (or at least hope) we'll get there one day. Our sweet Lane has been such a blessing to our family. He has brought a sanctifying influence into our home. We are so glad he is here!