If you do not want to read the gory details stop now........
I should start out by saying the third pregnancy was the easiest, by far, for me. Instead of being horribly sick the first 6 months I was only sort of six the first six months. I was also as uncomfortable as any pregnant woman at the end but I hadn't gained too much weight so I wasn't nearly as heavy as I normally am. Ok so here is Daphne's birth story
At 33 weeks, a week before Ed was due to come home from a 5.5 month deployment, I was put on modified bed rest. I was having a lot of contractions and they didn't want me to deliver until at least 34 weeks. I didn't want to deliver until at least 38. At 36 weeks I took myself off bed rest because the contractions had slowed down back to brackston hicks. I thought for sure she would come early. At 38 weeks I went in for my Dr's appt and the Dr checked me and told me that I was 3 cm dilated. "Well I guess you don't have to worry about being induced," she said. I REALLY wanted to go natural and my Dr knew that. I continued to have intense contractions about every other night, most of the time for at least 6 hrs. I usually thought I was headed to the hospital and then would take a short nap and wake up 3 hrs later to the contractions being gone. I even went as far as to text all the ladies who had come to my shower to light their candles.(They had been given support candles at my shower to light while I was in labor)
I went to the Dr every week for my stress test, everything was fine. The Wed before my due date I went in to the Dr, she checked me and told me I was 4 cm and 50% effaced and they needed to schedule and induction because they wouldn't let me go over 1 week past my due date. I was devastated. I had been given pitocin with Kevin and I knew that I would never make it naturally with it. They scheduled me for Thurs. March 29th. The instructions were to call the hospital at 5 am and they would tell me what time to go in.
March 29th
I woke up and called the hospital, was told they had no beds available and to call around 7. So I called around 7. Still no beds call around noon. So I got up got Anya off to school and Kevin off to gymnastics class and finally around 11:30 called the hospital. She said that a bed had just opened up and it should be cleaned up by the time I got there. I told her I would take my time and be there in about 1.5 hrs. (The hospital is 20 min away) So I re-packed my bag, called the sitter, ate a great lunch. Then once the sitter got there and I gave her all the directions I called Gwen and Jess. They are 2 very good friends that I have here in Jersey and they had agreed to be my labor support along with Ed. I had decided that I wanted lots of support, Jess went natural with her 3rd and Gwen had gone to all my Bradley classes with me while Ed was gone. So I got to the hospital, checked in and got comfy( I was expecting a long drawn out labor) like my other 2.
When the Dr came in it was one that I didn't know very well. I asked if he could check me and if I was at least at 4 cm (which I knew I was) if he could break my water and then if nothing happened then we could talk drugs. He agreed, after telling me I didn't have to be induced. Ugh! So at 1:30 pm he broke my water and told me he would be back in 45 min to check on me. Immediately the contractions got stronger. When he came back yo check on me, I was already not able to speak through contractions. Things got intense quite quickly after about 1.5 hrs I couldn't even sit on the ball or stand up anymore. I spent the remainder of the time with the back of the bed straight up and leaning over that. That tidbit of info from my Bradley teacher was worth the cost of the class! After a while I felt a very strong urge to push, so we called the Dr in and he checked me while on my hands and knees still and told me I could push. I told him I couldn't do it in that position, so I literally slid down the bed and flipped onto my side and pushed. Apparently he walked away because next thing I knew he was scrambling and saying oh my she is pushing there is her head! 3 pushes later I had her, 3 hrs after they broke my water. She was born at 4:41pm on March 29th.
After she was born they let me do Kangaroo care, and she was put on my chest all naked and slimy. They waited about 40 min before they even took her to weigh her. I was in awe of my little baby. She was slow to cry, slow to nurse, and had the blackest hair and chubby cheeks. I didn't think she was over 7.5 lbs. I only gained 28 lbs total with her pregnancy so I figured she had to be little. I was so shocked when they weighed her and she was 8lbs 5 oz. 21.5 inches long.
She has been a perfectly delightful baby for the week and 2 days we have had her now. She is still slow to cry, a great sleeper and she loves to be held. Her sister and brother love her to death and fight over who gets to hold her first every day. I hope she stays the way she is. I am glad she was not my first though because I would have tons of kids if they were all like her. (so far)
And now the pictures:
