So here’s how it went. I had my normal weekly prenatal appointment last Wednesday afternoon. Since I was 36+ weeks along, the doctor decided to check my cervix for any changes or dilation. I figured she would either say it was totally closed still or that I was dilated a couple centimeters, which wouldn’t mean much. But she started asking me if I was feeling anything (I wasn’t) and then said that I was currently dilated to a 5. I thought that sounded strange but didn’t see it as an indication that I was in labor. That’s not how it works, is it? So she sent me to the hospital where the monitor showed that I was having contractions 2 minutes apart. Who knew?! I wasn’t feeling a thing. So at that point I was asking the same stupid question I asked when I had Nyla: “So you think I’m in labor?”
My next concern was that, if at all possible, I really wanted an epidural this time. The speed and craziness (and pain) of the first delivery really wasn’t something I was interested in repeating if it wasn’t necessary. I wasn’t too excited to hear that our hospital's on call anesthesiologist was on vacation but, lo and behold, the one filling in happened to be in our hospital. The nurse caught him before he left for another town to see if he had any time (he did!) and so he stopped by my room and started the epidural before he left! I felt like the heavens opened up and God was smiling down on me! At that point I was dilated to a 6 and still not feeling anything, but I knew it was only a matter of time.
Tyler was there by then and we moved to the delivery room where we just hung out and waited. It was so different from the first time. (Read the last paragraph of
this posting if you want to know about that experience.) Tyler watched a movie on the couch and I was texting people and we were all having normal conversation and joking around. So pleasantly different.
Labor progressed much slower than the first time around, which could have partially been because of the epidural, but the doctor was thinking it was because the baby needed to turn. It seemed that she was more face up and had to turn throughout labor, which would have slowed the progression of things. But still, I was only at the hospital 6 hours before she was born. And when we got to the end, I pushed for 9 minutes and out she came! I know she’s small, but I was still proud of myself (pushed with Nyla for something like 14 minutes). No episiotomy and hardly a tear worth stitching. The only notable pain was during the last 30 minutes or so when the contractions got really hard. I couldn’t feel them like I could if I didn’t have an epidural, but I was still surprised how much it hurt at that point. Very doable though. :)
So now that the whole world knows that story, I’ll try not to ever tell it again. :)
Hazel’s personality is quite different than Nyla’s was as a newborn. When she’s hungry, she is very impatient and huffs and puffs and cries and squirms until she gets latched on. Then she gets so peaceful and looks as though all is right with the world. :) She also thrashes and huffs and puffs through every diaper change. She doesn’t like to be messed with too much and when she wants something she wants it now! Such a little stinker already. ;)
So finally, a few more pics…
Is that reddish hair??
Baby gang sign?
Sunning herself to help with the jaundice
So tiny
People have been asking who had the correct guess for Hazel’s birthdate and weight. No one guessed under 6 lbs. so no one was correct on the birth weight, but Dr. Shelly herself guessed the birthdate! You may think the guessing game was rigged and that the doctor getting it right is like insider training, but in Shelly’s defense, doctors can’t predict the future any better than anyone else!
