Labor and Delivery

It's been way too long since I wrote my last post, the recent pictures of Elia didn't count.

My sister in law April was able to be here for Elia's birth...Yay for amazing sisters in law!!!!!!

Anyways, during the labor and birth, besides being a wonderful support and always saying exactly what I needed her to say, she wrote everything down. Apparently I have myself a sense of humor while in labor. So, in lieu of a play by play birth story from my perspective here is what happened.

First of all, I was driving around all afternoon running errands in complete denial that I was experiencing contractions and was, in fact, in labor. I was searching for Castor oil to start the labor that had actually already started on its own. You know, the labor I was denial about.

April, the girls and I drove home and hauled all of our Costco purchases up 3 flights of stairs. Steve came home soon after and proceeded to ask me what my plan was for that night. He wanted to know if I was planning to have the baby that night or sometime the next morning. Hmmmm, let me see... I DON'T KNOW!!! He wanted to take the girls to run a couple errands with him and he'll feed them while out. Strange timing but it sounded good to me, it gave April and I the perfect opportunity to finish watching the final episodes of "The Tudors"

I tried to finish the last episode before calling the midwife but April made me pause it and call them, they live a distance away. I told Zaina (the midwife's assistant I didn't think she needed to come yet but she could tell by my voice it was coming soon. So, she left against my better judgement) I also called LeAnn, my sister, to tell her I was in labor and ask some important details about the final episodes of "The Tudors". Steve finally arrived home, 3 hours after leaving, we enlisted Cailin to text my Seattle friends before she and Avrie went to bed, and then we were off, laboring away...

(here are April's labor notes)

Jenny's last labor (ooohh, that sounds like a book title)

9:00 pm Calling midwife – midwife suggesting she go to sleep Jenny says, “Yeah, that’s not my forte.”

9:11

9:16

9:21

9:25

9:30 tiny contraction she talked through

9:35 57 seconds breathing and humming through it

9:40 55 seconds

9:45 50 seconds

10:06 lasting 1 minute, Steve heating up water for the tub

10:11 Steve leaving the gas on the stove while heating the tub up, trying to blow us up.

(we smelled something funny, and realized Steve didn't turn the gas off all the way, house was filled with gas, I like to labor dangerously)

10:21 contraction lasted over 1 minute, heavy breathing

10:32 “Oh, I shoulda shaved my armpits today.”

10:39 Eating ham and cheese sandwich. (April forced me to eat, I wasn't really hungry because...I WAS IN LABOR!!!!)

11:01

Feel contractions in the hips

11:04 laboring on hands and knees, kneeling, needing Steve for support 1 min, 10 seconds

11:08 vocal humming

11:11 “this one hurts.” “Get down here cause I need you.” (said to Steve) Hip rocking

11:15 some back labor, peed

11:31 2 minutes plus, came in waves, Liz and Zaina arrive (midwife and assistant, Zaina drove from W. Va, 2 hrs, Liz 45 minutes)

11:37 “Oh, that’s a strong one.”

11:45 in bathroom, pee, contraction

11:47 back labor

11:49 “It’s like not going away. Here we go again with another one.” 1 minute, 49 seconds

11:53 “that one came really fast. I was in denial for a second.” Steve says, “don’t be in denial.”

Asked earlier to be checked. “Just make sure it’s not pretend.”

12:03 am being checked by Zaina. Baby’s head is right there. There’s some cervix left, but things are very stretchy. 6 or 7 cm, head a little high

12:04 leaning against counter top in kitchen.

12:07 “That wasn’t much of a break.” Harder breathing. “Lots of pressure.”

12:10 tiny contraction

12:13 “this one is intense.” Peeing and moving around. (I wasn't randomly peeing around the house, I would actually go to the bathroom to do the peeing, just to let you know)

12:17 low tones and vocalizing

12:20 sitting on a chair in kitchen

12:23 “Okay, this wasn’t a good idea.” Projected time 2:13 am. (I wanted to know an end time for the labor and birth, so I declared at that moment I would have my baby at 2:13am)

12:27 “I need to hold his hands and smell his smell.” (I need Steve close close close to me the whole time)

12:39 whining. “It’s getting away. I can’t catch it.” Low moaning. “Okay, I got it.” (referring to the contraction)

12:50 side lying on couch. Totally zen and staying on it. “I’m telling you in my world we’re going to sit on eggs. This is retarded. It doesn’t make any sense.” (Alisa, this quote is for you)

12:54 “Can I push it out right now? Cause I want to.” Talking to the baby. “Oh, no. Don’t move right now. That makes it worse.”

12:58 1 min, 10 seconds. Waiting to get in the tub, feeling pressure like she’s got to poop.

1:03 midwife asleep on couch. “Okay, it’s feeling like I want to push.” Grunt. Low vocals.

1:07 good, long contraction. Grunting, wanting to bear down.

1:08 Getting checked by Liz. “The baby’s low, low, low. Bag intact. A little more cervix. As soon as your water goes, things will happen fast.” Liz the midwife

1:09 Starting to whimper. Low moans, guttural.

1:12 peeing before getting in tub. Midwives mention 9 but not there yet. Completely effaced.

1:14 In tub, using chair for support.

1:20 Lots of pressure. “Do we want to do something about that?” (referring to the pressure, trying to convince the midwife that its time to push)

“That’s up to you.” Liz

“I wanted you to make the decision.”

1:22 started and went away, then back again. “I don’t like this. It’s scary. Loud noises – hurting, baby moving.

1:29 “I can’t do this anymore. This is retarded. I’m tired.”

1:32 Lots of vocalization. “No more. That’s so hard.” “Am I in transition?” Liz says, “Maybe.”

1:39 Grunting through. “I want to feel the baby’s head and push it out right now. This is too hard. I don’t think I can do it again. Too tired.”

1:41 "I don’t feel the head. It’s just a vagina.” “There’s nothing in there.”

1:44 “I don’t think I can do this one. I’m pretending it’s not coming.” She got on top of it. Wants to push. Low moaning and vocalizing. “I don’t think my other babies hurt this bad. “

1:46 “I think the baby wants to come out now. I think it’s done.” “do you want me to check you?” Zaina. “Yes, I want you to tell me it’s time to push it out.” “I’ll see what I can do.” Zaina.

1:52 Good break. Vocal contraction. Checked by Zaina. Just lip of the cervix.

2:01 Pushing bag out. “It’s like an elevator.” (I hate when the pushing starts and you feel the baby moving down and the second you stop pushing I feel like your body just sucks the baby back up, frustrating)

2:12 “It hurts so bad. This is so stupid.”

2:16 Head out.

2:17 Baby out, cord around her neck, gets back rubbed and wails.

Elia Petra Vergara

May 7, 2011

2:17 am (notice I'm only a few minutes off from my prediction, I'm amazing like that)

Head: 14

Chest: 14.25

Length 21 inches

Weight: 8 pounds 14 ounces

So, that's that.

3 Months