juanab

Congrats!

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BC'ed: 03-29-11
Last Relaxer: July 2010

Mod CG
texture - medium/fine, porosity - low/normal, elasticity - normal, co-wash - tresemme naturals moisture, jessicurls cleansing cream, leave-in - tresemme naturals moisture, gel - SM souffle, mop top anti- frizz light hold gel, vatika oil, QB BRBC, shealoe butter, mango butter

LittleGirlBlue

Congrats on the new baby!

Like.Australia

This is really long and detailed, but I know that I always liked reading others' details, so I just kind of tried to write as much as I could. Here it is:

Ethan’s Birth Story

6/30 – I felt like I had the urge to urinate, almost like that over-full bladder kind of pain feeling, seemingly every 5 mins all day long. I thought it was just baby pushing on my bladder, so it was annoying and bothering me, but I certainly didn’t think I was in labor at the time. Now, I think these were probably early labor contractions that I was feeling, but didn’t know it. I was also seeing small amounts of egg white cervical mucus towards the end of the day (probably pieces of plug).

7/1 - I woke up around 2am to use the bathroom and had very slightly pink discharge. I was very nervous and didn't know what to do. I did nitrozine(sp?)/amniotic fluid test swab test because thought i might be leaking amniotic fluid and it came back dark blue (positive). I asked my husband to call my midwife and she said it sounded like I needed to go into hospital. I was freaking out because did not want to deliver in hospital.
My husband helped get everything together and calm me down. We got to hospital around 3 am and was put in triage room. I was put on fetal monitoring, toco (contraction) monitoring and blood pressure monitor immediately. Blood pressure was high because of stress and I was having mild contractions every 2-7mins.

[Sidenote: Because I had been seeing a CPM (midwife without hospital privilages), I knew I was going to deliver with whoever the on-call doctor was if I was in fact in labor.]

The overnight on-call doctor came in and checked me at some point a few hours into being in triage and said I was completely effaced and 3cm dilated. She also said it felt like baby was butt down and told me I'd need a c-section!! Her bedside manner was terrible and this made me very unhappy as I had wanted/planned for a completely natural birth.

At that point, they started an IV and sent an ultrasound tech to confirm baby’s position. Luckily, the doctor was wrong and baby was head down - big relief! I stayed in triage for a couple more hours as they weren't sure if I was really in active labor I guess, but contractions became stronger and more consistent quickly.

I was admitted around 8:30/9 and doctor checked me again and I was already 5-6cm. The same doctor who was in triage came to do this, but it turned out that it was the end of her shift and I was getting the next doctor, which was great, because I didn’t like the night doctor at all.

My husband called my doula and she arrived a little bit after 10. [Sidenote: It turned out that my doula was attending another labor at the same hospital that night, so she actually had stopped by when I was in triage. We told her to go home and we’d update her, so we had been texting with her throughout the time we were in triage.] Contractions were getting really close together at this point. My doula asked if I thought I’d want to try the tub for transition and I said ok, so she said she would fill it up and just keep it warm until I got to that point so she wouldn’t have to rush when I got there.

She started to fill tub and massaged legs, shoulders through contractions. I got up from the bed to get in the tub around 10:30/11, but sat on toilet because the water was too hot and I felt like I had to sit down to get through the contractions. Because I was moving around/leaning/etc, the fetal monitor wasn't picking up baby’s heartbeat and nurse was being really annoying trying to fix it while I was having contractions. I felt the urge to push quickly while sitting on toilet and they wanted to check me again fast.

I went back and had them check and was progressing fast. I laid back in bed and got through to 10cm probably by 11:30/11:45 and felt incontrollable urge to push. Lots of doctors/nurses were apparently in the room at that point, but I didn't know until after. All through pushing that same nurse was pushing the fetal monitor on me and getting in the way of doula helping me. [At one point, this same nurse all said, “KEEP IT TOGETHER!!!” I wanted to hurt her.] My doula was great about keeping her and probably others at bay though. My husband and her were on either side of me with support.

I pushed for what seemed like not very long at all. It was hard, but not what I expected really. I breathed through each contraction as much as I could, but also screamed to get through it some. Soon, I felt burning and doctor told me to slow down. I tried hard to concentrate and be controlled and baby was born a few pushes later at 12:15pm. The placenta came naturally 10-15mins later.

The baby was crying and pink. I watched the preemie doctor check him and only got to hold him for a couple of mins before they took him to the NICU.

I ended up with a fair amount of tearing, despite the control, and doctor didn't want to do repair with local anesthetic, so went under general sedation in OR for repair. I woke up and couldn't figure out where I was at first (very weird feeling). I stayed in OR recovery for 45mins or so and I talked to the doctor. She said even if I had had baby at birth center, it's likely I would've had to go to the hospital anyway for repair and blood loss. She also said with a narrow pelvis it’s unlikely I would've been able to deliver baby naturally or even vaginally at all at full term.

I went to recovery room and got more IV fluids, antibiotics through IV for repairs, and some Motrin. The nurses were very nice, a bit pushy with drugs (refused all but motrin). I got to go see go baby in the NICU around 7pm. He was on sipap machine and I didn't get to hold him.

7/2 - My catheter and IV out came out and I was feeling much better! The NICU nurse came to tell us baby was off sipap and would be watched for 4 hrs. If he was ok after that, we could hold him. We got good news – he was off – and we got to go in for an hour of skin-to-skin 2x after that. I was pumping every three hours and giving nurses some colostrum for him each time. At some point, I found out my CBC numbers were lower and was hoping they would be better tomorrow so I could get discharged.

7/3 – I was still running on very little sleep and the hospital staff was relentless about coming for checks and such every 15mins. I was getting really tired of being there at that point, but the lab tech came before 7am to take my CBC blood sample again and I was fine with that because I wanted to be discharged asap! CBC was better and I found out I could go home! I had breakfast and lunch in the hospital, pumped a couple of times and got to hold and feed the baby and now I’m home! Before we left, I dropped off some milk for his next feeding at 5pm. I pumped again at home and I got the most milk so far with this last pumping, so I am really pleased. We will go back to see him around 8pm tonight.

nynaeve77

Congrats, S! I'm glad you and Ethan are doing well. Can't wait to see pics of the little guy!

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Like.Australia

Thanks Working on pics. DH has them on his phone and camera. He's doing a couple of things around the house that had been neglected since we've been otherwise occupied and then we'll get the pics into some kind of gallery.

SarahMarie

Thanks for the birth story. Sorry you had to go through all of that, but at least you got to give birth naturally still instead of C-section. Congratulations again!

sarah42

Congratulations on the new baby!!

You will feel so much more rested at home. I hope Baby Ethan will soon be joining you. Sounds like everyone is doing great!

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cosmicfly

Congratulations!!!

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RingletTeenLove

Congrats

Like.Australia

Baby Ethan at 3 days old:

eche428

WOW!!! He's so super cute! That smile - he's gonna be a heart breaker!

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< member since 2006. No idea where 1969 came from.

juanab

What a cutie!!!

__________________
BC'ed: 03-29-11
Last Relaxer: July 2010

Mod CG
texture - medium/fine, porosity - low/normal, elasticity - normal, co-wash - tresemme naturals moisture, jessicurls cleansing cream, leave-in - tresemme naturals moisture, gel - SM souffle, mop top anti- frizz light hold gel, vatika oil, QB BRBC, shealoe butter, mango butter

happyface

He is a cutie! Congrats again.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using CurlTalk App

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“Mama says pretty comes in all different sizes. And my size… is cute!” -Honey Boo Boo

jeepcurlygurl

Congratulations!!

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In Western PA
Found NC in 2004. CG since 2-05, going grey since 9-05. 3B with some 3A.
Hair texture-medium/fine, porosity-normal, elasticity-normal.
Suave & VO5 cond, LA Looks Sport Gel, Ojon Restorative Treatment, oils, honey, vinegar.
http://public.fotki.com/jeepcurlygurl/ password jeepy **new pics added May 2013**

coilynapp

What a cute baby he is!!!! I love his smile

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B-Nessa11

Awww he is SO CUTE! And he has my god son's first name

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Who's My Hair?
3c/4a-b looking stuff lol
BC- May 16, 2010
Why I chopped: heat damage/breakage
Luv'd my permed hair I just didnt take care of it.
LUVVV my natural hair!!!

RingletTeenLove

He is adorable. Does he look like you or your significant other?

curlysue21

Congratulations! He is perfect!

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2b/c, medium/high porosity, medium/coarse texture
Current HG: Kinky Curly errythang, GVPCB, LALSG

"I will never be the woman with perfect hair, who can wear white and not spill on it."

forestwillow

He is so adorable! Glad that you could give a natural birth and not have to do a c-section! Congrats! 🎉

Jess the Mess

Congrats! He's adorable. It sounds like even though it didn't go as planned you stood your ground and are happy with the outcome of your birth. Continue to take care of yourself and that precious baby.


My fat thumb will make mistakes.

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High Priestess JessMess, follower of the Goddess of the Coiling Way and Confiscator of Concoctions in the Order of the Curly Crusaders