I am going to attempt to type out Presley's birth story before my memory fades and erases it from my mind forever. Trust me, I hope it completely goes away because honestly, the birthing process is not a fun one and if we want more children, I'm going to need to completely forget what birth was like this first go-around.
It was that tragic.
Tuesday July 12th was my weekly doctors appointment. I was still only 1/2 cm dilated so my doctor told me that I could go into the hospital Thursday afternoon to get Cervidil. It would help me dilate and get the process started faster for the induction on Friday. We had to be at the hospital at 5:00 Thursday afternoon, and like any expectant mother getting ready to meet her child, we were almost late because I spent the afternoon at the salon getting my hair washed and styled. We got admitted, hooked up to the IV, Cervidil inserted, then we just sat around a little. Adam ordered Olive Garden for us then he went home to get a good nights sleep. The nurse came in around 10:30 and gave me an Ambien and I was out like a light.
Or so I thought.
I woke up the next morning to find some pretty inner-esting text messages to a girl I work with. I sent her a text letting her know how "messed" up I was (although I used skankier vocabulary) and that I was still just a "fingertit" dilated. To say I was embarrassed when I woke up and saw that was an understatement. No more Ambien for me!
I was scheduled to have my water broken at 7:00. Now that is a weird feeling. It's just like peeing on yourself non-stop. I was able to get the epidural whenever I wanted and after feeling a few contractions I decided to pull the pansie card early and get it.
People had told me that getting an IV is worse than an epidural.
They lied.
It. Hurt. Like. HELL.
I cried but I survived! Once it kicked in I didn't even know when I was having contractions. My doctor came in and predicted that it would be around 8:00 PM before Presley was born. I progressed at a normal pace that day, had a few visitors, and just hung out. My right side was completely numb, but my left side wasn't. I could move my left leg like it was nobody's bidness, and looking back now I should've seen that as a warning sign!
I think it was around 7:00 or 7:30 when I started to push. Before I started to push my nurse took out my catheter and I got a little worried because I felt it when she took it out. She didn't think anything of it so I just started to push. It took me a while to get the hang of the pushing, but you literally just push like you're trying to take the worlds largest dump poo. Presley's butt was up in my ribs making it SO hard for me to take in a deep breath when pushing. I finally had to have my Mom push on my ribs every time I pushed and that made things much better.
They had to come in two times to up my epidural because I could pretty much feel everything. Turns out that it didn't take on my left side and even when they came back in to adjust it it still wore off.
Trust me when I say there are no words to describe the pain!!!!
During labor I actually fell asleep. I had heard of people doing this but thought they were making it up. Uh, NO! It happens! I fell asleep in between contractions, had a dream, and even talked in my sleep. It was the weirdest thing ever!
FINALLY Dr. Ray came in so that meant it was getting serious up in there! They uncovered all of those horrific looking tools and I knew it was time to get this meatball outta me!
I don't really remember much but I just remember it hurting and burning so bad I just wanted to get her out so it would be over! I had told the nurse from the beginning "Don't tell me 'one more push' if it's really not one more!!" and I don't think she ever did :) I pushed a few times and on the last push I heard everyone get really excited so I knew she must've been out most of the way. I could tell when her feet came out and I knew it was finally over!!!
Thank ya Jesus!
When Presley came out she was a definite cone head and wasn't really crying. She was wide-eyed though! I remember her being bigger than we had all guessed (we had predicted around 6 pounds since I was a week early, and during my whole pregnancy I measured a week behind). They threw her up on my chest and it sounds kinda gross, but I just remember she smelled weird. Not bad or nasty, but just....fleshy. I don't know. Maybe that's not the best word.
MOMS! Help a sista out and tell me what it is!
Then came the lovely after birth. I ended up losing a good amount of blood but they got it under control. I also ended up having an episiotomy which makes me want to puke when I think about it. But she got me all fixed up nice and purtty :) And yes, what they sew you up with definitely looks like a fish hook.
Anywhoozle, they cleaned the baby up, weighed her and all that junk and we just got to hold her and stare at her! She was super cute and very wide-eyed! From there we got moved to the postpartum room and I finally got to eat and rest a little!
Glory Glory Hallelujah, I survived!!!!!!!
So that's how it all went down. When I tell people how painful it was most of their responses are,"But it was totally worth it, right? Look at what you got out of it!"
Um Yes, of course it was worth it...but that doesn't mean I want to do it again any time soon, if ever, no matter what I get out of it! People say I will forget the pain but I disagree, we have it on video!
During all of this we had our great friend & photographer, Jamie Cormier, taking pictures. I highly highly highly recommend getting a photographer for delivery. She captured so many pictures that most people never get. She was also a great birthing coach :) We can't stop looking at the pictures and Adam and I both agree that was the best thing we could've done, having her in there!
And here we are a week and a half later! I'm still hurting like Hell but it's getting better!
Our house looks like Fisher Price threw up everywhere, there's baby blankets and burp rags strewn all over the floor, there's maxi pad wrappers and numbing spray sitting on the back of our toilet, nipple shields on our nightstands, and somewhere on my body smells like baby spit up and I can't, for the life of me, figure out where it's coming from.
But I wouldn't change a thing! We have little Presley here and she's the cutest thing we've ever laid our eyes on!...well, most of the time...sometimes she makes some pretty ugly faces...in which we made a collage of for your viewing pleasure...
But let's focus on the cuteness in these next two pictures...
And because I'm sure you're all wondering if I'm still swollen and huge..here we are a week and a half post baby....I owe it all to breastfeeding...and forgetting to eat. And yes, 2 days after having a baby I died my hair dark again.
You look awesome! I had my baby 17 months ago and I'm still not that skinny! Yay you! And P is pretty much the cutest baby I've ever seen!
Reply Deleteso glad I stumbled across your blog!
Reply DeleteLookin' good girl! :) I am so impressed by your post updates... i have no motivation right now to write.. and our little one isn't too fond of sleeping at night- which means, I'm def not sleeping either. I totally agree with the fact that you won't forget that pain... i definitely don't think I will.. even after getting the most precious package out of it.. OUCH. Glad to hear you're doing well though! I'm still sore too.. when's that going to end???
Reply DeleteNew moms everywhere will hate you for that last picture. You look great!!!! But let's focus on how precious my little cousin-neice looks in all of her DEVICES! She is the cutest thing ever!!!!! I'm glad to see that now you've told the birth story and can forget all that bad stuff ever happened! Haha~ Love y'all very much and I must see my cousin - neice again very soon!
Reply DeleteYou look great! And that baby is precious!
Reply DeleteYou are looking great! I'm glad you were very real with your birth story but can I just say that you scared the CRAP out of me for my own labor now?! AHH
Reply Delete