There was room in the stable

And Baby was born at 6:09pm on July 1st. Weighting 9 pounds, 1 oz, 22 inches long blue eyes and lots of hair.

Friday Morning I was ready to induce and called the midwife at 6:30. She told me "There is no room in the Inn." the hospital maternity ward was overflowed, adn told me to call tomarrow to see if there was room. So after feeling mostly depressed and helpless (and then got lost in my novel). Mom called me and told me to check the other hospital. At 9:45 I got a call saying they had room for us if we could get there by 11am. The second hospital is in the heart of the city, and seemed like quite a drive.

So after making a 1/2 dozen frantic phone calls we found someone willing to take the other kids on a minuet's notice ans headed out. (knowing they were taking my kids for an induced labor, they were quite brave, as I've heard of several very long ones).

When we got to the hospital, they fed me lunch! Yippie (as labor lasted right through dinner time) Then they inserted the certagel and left me hooked up to the fetal and contraction monitors. They keft me alone, as usually it takes several hours for the certigel to start the labor. But it didn't seem to take long. Pretty soon the contractions were strong, close and unrelenting. I called down for the nurse and asked for an epidurail, as I couldn't immagine 12 hours of this type of labor. That sent my midwife scrambling back, because she knows my normal tollerance for pain. And the certigel was removed and I was allowed in the tub, with instantly relaxed the contractions enough that they were very tollerable. That was about 3ish. I was 2cm dilated, mostly effaced and they could then brake the water. My midwife though I would like the birthing chair (that they had brought to the other hospital for me,) and she scrammbled back to get it. We agreed she'd brake me water upon return.

My parents arrived in here somewhere.

So by 5:30 I was three cm and she broke my water. I tried to take a walk, and stopped every 2 feet for another strong contraction. I asked if I could get back in the tub. But the contractions were relentless. Mom sent Mike and Dad down to the cafiteria to grab a quick meal. I couldn't believe how much it felt like I was going through transition, and just breathed my way through, trying to take it one contaction at a time. Then i started moaning and making noise. My midwife was asking me questions, trying to fiqure out where I was, but I couldn't get the breath to answer or find the words I needed. Then I pooped in the tub.

Quickly the midwife decided to check me. "The baby's right here," she said "quick call the nurse. Raya, don't push, let's get you to the bed." I got to the bed and he was crowning, but the cord was caught around his neck. I was supprised by how much control I had about when and how to push, and able to follow the midwife's instructions for getting the baby out safely. Mom was frantically trying to contact Mike and Dad via cell phone. And they walked in just as the arms were comming out.

The cameras didn't even have time to come out until after he was born. And he was a blue baby at fist, but they were able to get him to cry and get him pink. And he came out so fast his head is round, and i had no trauma to my perinium to deal with. The whole speed of labor and delivery is still blowing me away. I had about 45 min from 3cm to birth. I broke my old record of 4 hours.

But then, just as we were all thrilled over the baby, the placenta did not want to come out. The placental delivery took another hour and a half, a ansteilogist, and an OB, and 4 different meds on an IV.

The retained placenta started active blood loss, and the OB had 2 basic option 1: to reach in and try to lossen the placenta by hand or to do a full D &C. First they decided to try just coaching it out, but I needed a spinal so I wouldn't kill them by attempting it. The spinal also had the effect of relaxing all the musscles which was actaully all the was needed to get the placenta out. Of course the spinal also then had the effect of completely numbing everything south of the belly button for several hours, so even after the placenta was out, it still took 3 hours before I could stand up and go the the potty. (By wich time everyone else was home in bed). Kind of crazy when the placental delivery takes longer then all of the rest of the labor, but baby was fine, and I was fine (although, I am back on blood building diet and pills to build back up my loss, but only get midily dizzy if I am active for over 10 minutes at a time).

So besides recovering quickly and generally feeling better then I have in a month, i have a beautfil little snuggle bum. And the weeken's festivities are just beganing. Happy 4th of JULY!