Eli's Birth

This is the detailed story of Eli's birth.

If you aren't into details then just know that I was in labor for 10 1/2 hours and Eli was 8 lbs 8 Oz

and just wait for my next post with all the pictures...

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 Friday, the 12th, I had my last prenatal check-up.

I was dilated 2.5 cm already and feeling really excited.

They stripped my membranes.

For the rest of Friday and all of Saturday I was sore, bleeding and had cramps.

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I felt okay on Sunday.

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Monday, the 15th, my due date, I was so uncomfortable.

The thought of being pregnant any longer made me want to cry.

I seriously felt like I was going to explode!

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Tuesday morning, the girls both woke up at 7 am. I was not ready to get up.

So I let them watch Sleeping Beauty for an hour while I laid in bed and slept.

I finally got up at 8 am and was feeling miserable!

I was having some cramps. So I worked on getting some cleaning done to distract myself.

At 8:30, I sent Sean a text and told me that I couldn't do this any longer and that I hoped he was 

being super productive at work because I was praying I'd have Eli the next day.

Around 10 am I started timing my "cramps."

They were coming every 5 1/2 minutes and lasting for about 45 seconds.

So Sean left work at 11 am.

We dropped the girls off at Michelle's at noon and headed to the hospital.

First, I went up to see the midwives.

I got checked  at 1 pm and found out I was dilated 4 1/2 cm, 90% effaced and he was at stage 0.

So, we quickly went to the cafeteria and got some lunch (a turkey and cheese sandwich).

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I checked into Labor and Delivery at 2 pm and found out that I was already at 6 cm.

Sean and I were both amazed by how quickly I was progressing.

I'll admit it, I was a little freaked out.

I thought I'd have more time and had planned on laboring in the tub (I had packed our swimsuits).

But I decided that I wanted my IV and epidural ASAP!

Those are the two things that I dread the most.

I cried when I got the epidural. It hurt and is stressful for me.

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At 3 pm I had digressed and was only 5 cm. I was heartbroken when my nurse told me that.

So they gave me a catheter because we realized that

we might be there a little longer than we originally thought.

Eli's heart rate keep decelerating so by 4 pm I was put on oxygen for the remainder of my labor.

(The same thing happen when I was in labor with Avery.)

At 4:40 pm they broke my water. 

I also got checked at that time.

Teresa my midwife checked me during a contraction and told me that

Eli's head was really low at that I was dilated 8 cm.

But as soon as my contraction ended, Eli wasn't as low anymore therefor 

not putting as much pressure on my cervix and I was only dilated to 6 cm again. 

I was so frustrated! Things had been progressing so fast before and now progression seemed to stop!

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Since things were going slow, I told Sean to go get some dinner.

At 5:00 my nurse, Claudia told me to do some nipple stimulation.

I massaged one nipple for 2 minutes then stopped for 5 then the other nipple for 2 minutes. And so on.

By 5:30 I had made it to 10 cm!!! 

I was still just at stage 0 (that's referring to how low the baby's head is, I think stage +3 is the lowest, I can't remember, the point is I wasn't there yet.)

But I was feeling tons of pressure.

At this point Sean made it back.

At 5:40 I had decided that my epidural was wearing off so I asked to get a little extra dosage.

By this point my nurse had pushed the little button on my epidural tube twice 

so the anesthesiologist came and gave me another dosage.

I later regretted this.

I was so numb! And lot just my lower half but my entire right side. 

I kept raising and shaking my right arm like you do 

when your arm falls asleep and you want to get the feeling back.

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Around 6:10 it was time to start pushing.

I asked for the mirror and watched the entire time. It was so surreal.

Eli was born at 6:24 pm.

Immediately he was laid on my chest and I just couldn't believe that there was my baby.

Sean cut the cord and we wiped him off a little and I just held him.

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Eventually the nurses checked him out.

His birth stats: 8 lbs 8 Oz and 20.5 inches

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I asked Teresa to show me my placenta.

It was so cool. Seriously, our bodies are amazing! 

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Then I nursed Eli.

He didn't want to stop.

Eventually I made him stop so we could go to our new room.

And once we got there, I nursed him again.

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I just have to say that I had amazing nurses both in Labor & Delivery and in the Mother & Baby Unit.

Also, I'm so grateful that I decided to see the midwives.

My midwife was AMAZING!!!

She was with me way more than my MD's ever were and she took time to talk with me.

I have to say that is was my best birthing experience by far 

and Sean and I are already to see how the next birth goes.