And Now We are Four
Ember Isabelle Stradinger has arrived! This is the whole story:
I had been having mild contractions and other signs off and on since Saturday. We almost thought that I was in labor on Saturday, but nothing came of it. On Tuesday, which was my official due date, I had what they call a "high leak," which means that my water didn't break as much as it just started to trickle around 10pm. I continued having mild irregular contractions through Wednesday and Thursday morning. On Thursday morning I had three doses of Castor Oil, and let me tell you that that was totally disgusting, but there weren't any immediate effects from that. That part was really challenging because I felt like I should be in labor, but there wasn't really anything happening. Alice, our midwife, was amazing and supportive, and she encouraged us to just relax and have a nice day on Thursday. At her suggestion we drove up to the river at Paradise Road, and just relaxed (she later said that if she had known how quick it would be maybe she wouldn't have told us to go so far, but it all worked out). Sylvan went to play with her friend Keiran, and we are very grateful to my mom, Shalon and Ryan, Shalon's sister Taura, Chad and Lillian, and my brother Todd for taking care of Sylvan all day, and making it a good day for her. We got home around 3:30 and Peter took a 2 hour nap while I watched a movie. It was nice to have a minute to myself. :) Peter woke up and Mom, Todd, and Sylvan got back from the zoo at around 5. Mom and Peter made a delicious pasta dinner while I chatted with Todd. Some time between 5:30 and 6 I started having mild contractions which I pretty much ignored since I had been having them off and on for so long. We all sat down to dinner around 6 and I ate a little bit, but then had three or four increasingly strong contractions. After the second or third one, Peter called Alice (she had told us to call as soon as anything changed). By the time I had the fourth one I totally freaked my brother out by laying on the floor and moaning. :) I made it into the bathroom, and had another powerful contraction while my mom called the midwife. Alice wanted to talk to me, so between contractions she asked if I wanted her to come, and I said that I did. Alice arrived about 15 mins. later. By this time I was totally out of it since I was having really intense contractions one on top of the other. Alice wanted to check me, so Peter got me over to the bed, and Alice checked me and I was only 3-4 cm with a large bag of water in front of the baby's head. My thought was "I might die if I have to do this for the next 10 hours!" At which point the Castor oil kicked in and I made a bee line for the bathroom. I had about three really intense contractions, and then my water broke and it was so much that part of the membrane came with it, and it felt like delivering the placenta. Then I really started going, and the contractions didn't really seem to have more than a minute in between, and Alice said that I was pushing, so it was back to the bed. Alice checked me again and I was pretty much complete. Alice frantically called her assistant, Ronda, and told her to get right over. I had a few more crazy intense contractions, and then started to push. They had me roll onto my side in an effort to slow things down, and prevent me from tearing. Peter said that I could probably have done it in one push, but Alice slowed me down, and I panted through three pushing contractions and she was out! At 8:23pm, a whole 2 hours after active labor started. If I look a little like I got hit by a train, that was kind of what it felt like! Alice said that it was "wild," and I would have to agree. The whole thing was so fast that Ember didn't really have time to adjust, so she had a little trouble breathing at first. That was scary for everyone. Although I was in such a hormone fog, and in shock, that I wasn't too worried. Fortunately, Alice was amazing, and my mom really stepped up and helped too, and Ember was fine. She has just continued to thrive. She was 8lbs 6oz. just like her sister, and 20.5 in. long. We are so grateful to all be together now, and her big sister has been so sweet and loving! Life is good!
posted by Marin at 11:11 AM
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