Evan's entrance into the world!

kellysensei · #1 February 22nd, 2012, 09:36 AM

Evan James was born on Saturday, February 18. I couldn�t have asked for a much better labor and delivery. It was exactly half the time of DS1's L&D; 7.5 hours.

I woke up at 6:05AM with bad back pain and a leg cramp. Got out of bed for the cramp and immediately felt a lot of wetness in my underpants. It wasn't a gush, though, so I just changed and climbed back in bed. Within 10 minutes, though, I had two more rounds of bad back pain, so I knew something was up. I told DH I had been wet and he got up. I got up, too, and this time felt several big gushes of fluid. No doubt about it - I was in labor!

I changed again and started doing my hair and makeup. The back contractions were already becoming fast and furious, 3-4 minutes apart. I kept gushing fluids and had to change four times. We left for the hospital around 7:30 after family arrived to babysit DS1. We checked in at the hospital at 7:45 and I was in quite a bit of pain by then. Within a very short time the contractions (back labor again) were excruciating and I was moaning loudly. When the nurse checked me, I was already 5cm, and by 8:45 I was 8+ cm! I started to get worried I wouldn't get the epidural in time and I was in horrific pain. But I did get it at 9:15 and I was at 9 cm shortly after. I just rested for a while then, and at 11:15 she told me I was complete and at zero station. They just had me rest some more after that to see if the baby would drop a little more, since I pushed so long with Gabriel. At 12:55 nothing had really changed, but the doctor had been called and wanted me to start pushing. So I did, and it felt much different than with Gabriel; although I wasn't in pain, I could feel pressure with each contraction and knew when to push. I could also feel Evan sliding out a little bit with each push, and DH held up a mirror at one point so I could see his head crowning, which was cool.

The doctor arrived at 1:10 or so and had to cut me just a tiny bit to fit his head through. After about 30 minutes and less than ten sets of pushes, Evan was out! It seemed like it happened so fast!

Evan was born at 1:27PM, weighing 7lbs 10oz (my prediction exactly!) and 20-3/4 inches long. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed the time after delivery so much more this time around since I wasn�t in much pain and I was �with it.� (I was so out of it after I delivered Gabriel and practically fainted.) I got to hold him right away, and my sister took some video while DH cut the cord. Evan�s Apgar scores were 9 and 9.

Recovery has been going well, and Evan is breastfeeding well. Yay!

Spyctre · #2 February 22nd, 2012, 12:12 PM

Boo to the pain you had to go through, but it sounds like a great labor and delivery! I remember that feeling of knowing when to push with my first. So neat feeling! Don't think I would have said "cool" to a mirror, though. LOL I'd rather not know what was going on down there! Congratulations!