Monday, August 25, 2008

a story of seth

labor was intense, twelve hours long and induced. induction, by the way was awful. remind me never to do that again.
pushing was amazing. i felt calm and ready and in control. also, i pushed for ten minutes (that may have helped).
it's interesting how things worked out this time around. especially when you compare them to last time. with ava, everything was fast and intense and hurried. pushing was hectic and intimidating. but it was a hundred percent natural, something that i had set a goal for a reached. so even though i nearly lost my mind in the pushing process, i felt really good about how things went.
with seth, everything was medical intervention. i was induced, i had pitocin and i eventually got the epidural which was a much needed eye in the storm. the family joke is how next time i can have a c-section and the time after that i can shoot for a vbac. then i'll have experienced all four major birthing techniques!
the best part was meeting him for the first time. with ava i was so busy pushing her out i didn't realize i had pushed her out, so when they handed her to me i looked at her for a moment thinking, "what is this?". when seth was being pushed out, i could feel him and knew where he was and what he was doing. i wanted him to come out, i wanted to hold him and as i pushed, that's what i thought about. and when they laid him on my chest, i loved him. he was all smushy-looking and purple and covered in a thick, thick layer of vernix but he was the most beautiful little boy. i knew who he was and i felt so connected to him. and all of that miserable pitocin-y labor flew out of my mind. i would do it all again in a heartbeat.

so i'm home now (the blogging should have clued you in to that), but seth is not. after hanging out with us for a little while the nurse noticed that he seemed to have a lot of extra fluid in his lungs and recommended that we get him suctioned out. turns out, she was right. but it wasn't just fluid, there was a little tear and he was retaining carbon dioxide. they were pretty worried and hooked him up with to all sorts of wires and told me i couldn't hold him and wouldn't be coming home for about four or five days. but the next morning, he was already doing much better. his x-rays were clearing up ("he moves around a lot" the nurse informed me. this made me laugh because, yeah, i knew that. i was pregnant with him, remember? the child literally shared my space with me for nine months), he was breathing on his own and normally and that night he was allowed food. which he eats like a champ. yesterday morning's x-ray confirmed his tear was gone and he'll be coming home on wednesday, if all goes well.
i can't wait to have him home! and i can't wait to introduce him to ava (who probably thinks that whole mommy's-got-a-baby-in-her-tummy story is rubbish. because i am now home with no extra-large tummy and no baby. i expect it'll extra confusing when we go to the hospital, pick out one of the many babies through the window and take him home with us).

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm also into those things. care to give some advice?

Anonymous said...

Oh I should have warned you ... I also hat an induction - never again. Poor you!
I´m soo sorry for you. It must have been very hard for you to leave your little boy at the hospital.
I realy hope he gets better soon and you can bring him home tomorrow.
I`m also sorry for not replaying your last mail, but we are very busy right now - everything is going to change right now.
All the best for you and your growing family!!
Birgit & family

redstarmama said...

Um, yeah, my first (and only) induction led to my first (but not last) c-section. I am not a fan of induction! Epidurals, however, I could write love poetry to.

I'm glad you get to pick up your baby on Wednesday. I'm glad he is progressing so rapidly, to speak in hospital parlance. I am also completely in awe of the fact that you were able to leave him in the hospital. You are awesome.

He is beautiful, and the fact that you only had to push for ten minutes explains why he is not cone-headed in the slightest.

Congratulations again! ;)

Lauren said...

Thanks for sharing your experience with us! Seth is just beautiful and so tiny. I'm sorry to hear about his ailment and hope he really can come home tomorrow. I agree that is an interesting situation for Ava to understand... good luck!

Freckles said...

You should go for all 4 I bet that would be real fun! haha. Oh, I hope Seth can come home soon too, it's miserable with them in the NICU! Been there done that twice. Kai didn't believe he actually had a sister either! And since he didn't get to see her for a few days either he was thoroughly confused!!
I will call soon I promise, it's just been slightly busy getting used to Kai going to school, I can't believe he's big enough.
Anyway, hang in there and congratulations to you and your beautiful little family!

Amber Marie said...

yes, I was wondering why you had mentioned 12 hours. my goodness, what a story. of course your 4 hour labor was a good one too!! well i am glad you are well now. I hope Seth continues to improve and you are able to bring him home soon. Wasn't Ava in the hospital for a few days after too? Thankgoodness for that nurse for noticing something.

Much love from the Wilsons.

Kari said...

my induction with KC was also miserable, never again. It's so tempting at the end becasue its so miserable to be so pregnant and feel like it will never end, but things always go so much more smoothly when you let nature take its course and come on its own. So sorry to hear the little guy had to stay at the hospital but I'm glad that he gets to come home soon.

Liz said...

Oh my gosh!! That's my book I'm going to write. Only you and I are doing it in reverse order. You see, I've already had a c-section and a VBAC and I plan to have my next in a birthing center and the one after that at home. Tack onto that my miscarriage and my ectopic pregnancy and there's my book!! :) Every possible way a woman could experience pregnancy and childbirth all in one woman (okay, maybe not every way). Just gotta get pregnant again. :)

I'm sorry that labor was rough with the Pitocin. I was given that when I had my first. That's also when I had to have a c-section and I swore I'd never be induced again. It was rough.

Anyway, I'm glad the little guy is doing well and hopefully he's already home or coming home soon. Congrats again!!

Crystal said...

Hooray for Miriam! I'm glad Seth is doing better. Here I thought the second labor was supposed to go faster than the first . . . . Oh well!

I'm interested to hear how Ava reacts. How strange it must be for little kids: hospital=baby store!

Steve and Janelle said...

Not everyone's inductions suck. I loved being induced. Two hours and I'm done. Kinda helps to be dialated to a 5 when you get to the hospital though. Sorry yours sucked. Congrats on the baby boy Seth. He is beautiful.

{Erica} said...

beautiful picture...seriously beautiful!! congratulations to you and yours.

Annieofbluegables said...

beautiful pictures, beautiful baby, beautiful mom. congrats!
~a

Mandy said...

Wow, that is so amazing, so happy for you and baby Seth is so handsome. Can't wait to read about how your "mouse" does with her new friend!