From: bloch@wupost.wustl.edu (Charlene Bloch Abrams)
Newsgroups: misc.kids,soc.singles
Subject: Birth Announcement and Labour Story
Date: 8 Oct 1992 13:27:45 -0500
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis
Distribution: na
NNTP-Posting-Host: informatics.wustl.edu

Stuart Isaac Abrams
Born: 7:44am, 5 September 1992
10 lbs 2 oz (gulp!)
22 inches

Apgars 8 and 9


I went into labour on my due date (4th September) at 5 or 6-ish in the 
evening. Contractions started about 10 minutes apart and were quite
manageable - I could easily talk through them without anyone knowing
I was having one. My doctor said to go to the hospital when they were
7 minutes apart, so we had dinner and watched a video and comtractions
were about 7 - 8 minutes apart. Then I stood up and walked around and
they were 3 - 4 minutes apart, so at about midnight we left for the
hospital.

I checked in and was monitored for about half an hour (everything was
fine, as expected) and then started walking the halls. By about 2am, it
was no longer such fun, and I decided on an epidural. By the time I
was prepped and the anesthesiologist had arrived, I was quite unhappy.
The epidural, much to my surprise (and contrary to my prior experience)
hurt like HELL going in. It must have been near a nerve or something, as
I got shooting pains down my legs, a brief headache, and some backache.
Then ... bliss! I was (I think) about 4 or 5 cm by this time. Then things
slowed down quite a bit (also different from last time, when they really
speeded up after the epidural). I don't remember what I did or how
effaced/dilated I was, but I do know that I slept through all but the last
.5cm of transition, which took me to about 5am or so. I turned on my side,
and through the epidural, I felt the baby moving down the birth canal! It
was truly amazing, as I never thought I'd feel anything through the 
epidural (like last time, when all I felt was the body being born).
Although I didn't feel the urge, I knew it was time to push.

When the doctor came, I told her about my last delivery with its 4th-degree
episiotomy and almost demanded that this not be repeated (she was taking
call for my usual doctor) and I suppose (I don't remember) that she
offerred some reassurances.

Well, I pushed and pushed ad nauseum, and it seemed like nothing was
happening, until the epidural wore off ... whoever said contractions
don't hurt during pushing was lying! They hurt PLENTY! After more
epidural (and no more squatting - I had sufficient control of my legs
to squat until the refill) I pushed some more ad nauseum, and eventually,
after almost 2 hours, at 7:44am, Stuart was born. This birth was
INCREDIBLE (for a medicated one, please no scoffing all you drug-free
deliveries), as I could feel everything: movemnt down the birth canal,
crowning, delivery of the head and body - it was really wonderful.

In spite of his size, I had only a second degree episiotomy, which was
painful for a few days and uncomfortable for maybe a week, for which I
am eternally grateful. The doctor remarked at the time that my previous
4th degree episiotomy wasn't all that surprising, as my perineum is
apparently very short, so even a slight tear beyond the usual 2nd degree
cut would do it - and did!

Stuart is a moderately easy baby - he sometimes has evening crying jags
which last about 2 hours, sometimes more, but after these he sleeps really
well (small mercies for which I remain grateful), but otherwise wakes
twice a night, and often doesn't settle easily after nigt feedings, which
is as little fun as you'd imagine. He sleeps marvellously when in his
stroller or in the car (so busy days for me are good for him), but days
at home are busy days for me too quite often. Yesterday he was alone
(i.e. asleep in bed) for a total of about an hour during the day ... the
rest of the time he was in someone's arms, but this isn't usual.

His big sister Jennica (25 months) just adores him, and hasn't been
too much affected by his arrival, though of course that could easily 
change, especially as my parents leave on Saturday, and she hasn't been
deprived of attention while they've been here. She's been slightly more
aggressive than usual (hitting and scratching and kicking a bit), which
is a bit of a regression for her, but otherwise is doing great. She's
mostly very gentle with him, but occasionally, as with any toddler, will
shower him with somewhat too strenuous affection, like lying on his
tummy, or somesuch.

At last count, when Stuart was 3 1/2 weeks old, he weighed in at 12 lb
13 oz, a gain of almost 3 lbs since he was born, so I guess I have enough
(and good enough) milk for him! Actually he was born looking 3 weeks old,
so now, at just over a month, he looks about 3 months old or so ...

Unlike last time, when I mysteriously lost my appetite for the first few
postpartum weeks, I've been eating everything in sight, and so except
for the
baby+placenta+amniotic fluid loss, I don't think much has happened to
my body (for the better, that is). I still have a sizeable belly (which
was pretty much gone by this time last time) which won't flatten even
while very strenously pulling at what's left of my stomach muscles. Oh
well, I suppose it'll go eventually, but I wish it would hurry up. Maybe
I'll start the Jane Fonda workout next week when I have the house to myself
... yeah right!
Newsgroups: misc.kids