Just REdiscovered Arie's Birth Story.....

I would probably write this soooooooooooo differently now, but here is the birth story I wrote back when I had Arie almost three years ago!! So funny to think of her as a newborn now, let alone her BIRTH!!!!

Birth details


Type of delivery: Vaginal (with pain relief)

Duration of labor: 36+ hours

Weight @ birth: 8 pounds 3 ounces

Length @ birth: 19 3/4 inches

Arrie Rikku Glass`s Birthstory

My water broke sometime before 12:30 AM on November 23 (I woke up soaked in it thinking I had wet myself!!). I wanted to labor as much as possible naturally, so I took a quick shower and stayed home in bed until my contractions picked up enough that I was feeling them every 3-5 minutes. We got ready and ate breakfast and headed out to the hospital at about 6AM. When we got to the hospital, I was confined to the bed because the baby was not in the birth canal yet and with my water being broken, there is a higher risk for the cord to wrap around her neck. After about 8 hours of irregular, but strong contractions, my doctor (and yes-we were lucky enough to have our doctor who we love deliver us!!) decided to put me on pitocin and increase it steadily to try and help me get into active labor. I had wanted to do a natural childbirth, but at the 17 hour mark, I was having contractions one on top of another at a very high strength without any progress due to the pitocin (I came into the hospital at 2 cm dilated and at the 17 hour mark, I was only a little more than 3 cm dilated!!). At 20 hours I opted for an epidural as the contractions were strong enough and close enough together to cause me to vomit continuously. I feel asleep for about two hours after the epidural kicked in and when I was checked out at the 24 hour mark I had progressed to 7cm!! It was my first real progress throughout the labor. However, to get me to the 7cm my doctor had to put me on double the maximum amount of pitocin usually administered and when I was checked at the 30 hour mark and found to be at 9 cm, my first epidural wore off. Because of the increased amount of pitocin, contractions were over double their normal strength and "coupled" which meant that there was no rest time between the contractions. I vomited again continuously while waiting 40 minutes for the doc to come in with my second round of epidural. Again, after getting the epidural administered, I fell asleep for about two hours. When my doctor next came to check on me it was about 10:30 AM on November 24. She asked me if I was ready to push, but I told her I was too tired and she convinced me to try anyway. I pushed for just over 17 minutes and gave birth to my perfect little girl!! She weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and had a full head of hair on her way out. I was torn, but only slightly and at that point, I could care less. I held and nursed my baby and then fell asleep while they made sure she was okay (it is unusual to have your water broken for over 30 hours and not get an infection but we were lucky!). Even with the difficult birth, I would do it all again after meeting Arie-not anytime soon, but man she makes it worth all the pain!!!!

 

My Sweet Garry :)

I have been a terrible blogger.....maybe a year of just little ones after work and no school will make me (slightly) better?? I doubt it, but one can dream!! :)

I wanted to report (almost a MONTH LATE!! I know....I should just throw the towel in now!!) that Caleb and Sarah had their beautiful baby boy!!!! Ryvers Calloway West.....weighing in at a healthy 8 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches long!! Nice big boy just the way we like 'em!!

Now I do have to admit that were you to have been in the room with Sarah during delivery you would not only be AMAZED by how she did for a first time mom, but also become quite convinced that natural labor is not only possible but peaceful and controlled. She was like a video advertisement for natural labor. MY "natural" labor with Idina was NOTHING like this and I cried and complained the whole time!! Were I to have made it through naturally with Keats, I can ASSURE you that I would have done the same again!! But Sarah was so quiet, so controlled. With each contraction, she moaned a little or "talked" a little, but was so peaceful and calm, you would have thought it was her eighth time around!!

I was so blessed to have been in the room with her for even the few short hours I was. It was such an amazing part of life to be involved with, I truly could not love her or her baby boy any more if I tried!! Watching everyone in the room just silently put their hands on her with each contraction honestly made my eyes water. Even in getting to edit her labor pictures later, I only felt more connection to my beautiful, strong sister and her handsome new man. I wish I could share those pictures with you, but they are forever a private reminder to our family of Ryvers's amazing birth!!

Seriously, ladies, if you are thinking about a natural birth and are having any doubts, please contact her!! She will set your minds at ease. Granted-a natural birth is not for everyone and for some of us (myself included) despite our best efforts, a natural birth is just not in the cards. However, I can say after witnessing my little Garry's entrance into the world that it can be a calm, beautiful, bonding experience that you will remember for the rest of your life!!

I am so proud of my sister in getting to deliver exactly the way she had hoped for and so very much in love with both her, her amazing husband (who could not have been more perfect throughout the birthing process) and her newest hunk!! I cannot wait for more Westies to love and watch grow in the coming years!!