Delivery Q & A
Yesterday I shared with you Part 1 of my delivery story with Christopher. Today I have a little "Delivery Q &A" of the most common questions I get asked:
1. How long was your delivery?
My water broke at 7:40 am, and Christopher was born at 6:03 pm. 10 Hours and 23 minutes. I didn't feel my first contraction until 10:30, and then not again for awhile after that, so the actual "hard labor" part was waayyy shorter than that.
2. How long did you push?
I pushed for 12 minutes (as opposed to 2 1/2 hours last time!)
3. Was the pain worse than I imagined?
It was about on par with what I remembered, but what I wasn't prepared for was how close the contractions would be, which I now know is because of the pitocin. I had 3 painful hours of contractions happening every 2-5 minutes. There was literally no rest for the weary. Normally, there is a bit more of a rest period in between the contractions. I finally got an epidural around 4:00 pm - a whole hour after I requested one - and that was me putting it off as long as possible, so I was not a happy camper. I was pretty much yelling at the nurse to go into the hallway, find the anesthesiologist, and walk him to my room RIGHT NOW. I was having multiple contractions WHILE having the epidural put in and was being told by the anesthesiologist "You cannot move while I do this at ALL." And I know all too well from having too many friends in the health profession that one wrong move with an epidural and you're left brain dead or paralyzed so OMG it was intense period of time in there.
4. Did I tear?
My doctor said she didn't even consider it a tear, but more of a "scratch". She said I had the tiniest little scratch and she put a tiny little stitch into it. I felt absolutely nothing.
5. Did I poop on the table?
Nope!! Wahoo!!!
7. How was Chris during all of this?
Amazing as always. He was keeping up with a pretty intense texting chain between all of our friends and our family (which I loved reading through after it was all over - hilarious and amazing. I had something like 75 unread text messages to read through after I delivered) BUT there were a few times that I had to yell at him to put the phone down and hold my hand during a contraction. I always feel bad for him and have to laugh because he tries so hard to help me through a contraction by talking or making a joke or putting on music or something but I HATE all of that. Allllll I wanted was for him to hold my hand as I clutched the bed-railing through each contraction. Which he mostly did on his own, or would finally do after I'd yell at him to remind him ;) LOL.
Also, during one contraction, I distinctly remember yelling out "OHHH KELLY CLARKSON!" Which had Chris and me in absolute hysterics. But it hurt soooo bad to laugh so I my comedy routine ended there.
8. Do you regret getting an epidural?
No, I only regret not getting it sooner. I should have had it at least an hour or two sooner than I did!
The question I get asked the most is
9. "How is Natalie with him?"
Natalie is really great with him. Every single day, every time she sees him she says "It's Baabbbbby Christoper" (that's a hard P not the "ph" sound). She kisses the top of his head constantly and has even taken to now kissing Chris and me on the top of our heads as well. She wants to hold him and she has her whole routine down for holding him that she recites "First you sit in the chair, then you get the pillow, then you put your arms like this, and then you hold Baby Christoper!" (Why I don't have ANY of this recorded and on video is beyond me and I'm already mad at myself for it!)
She enjoys holding him anywhere from 1 minute to 2 seconds, so you have to be on guard for her to throw him off of her when she's done. Which is he actual reason why I don't have a lot of these holding sessions recorded, I have to be prepared for anything at a moments notice and can't fumble with my phone.
The most interesting thing through all of this with Natalie was that at the hospital, she really couldn't have cared less about him. We kept showing him to her, we kept asking her to kiss him. She would do as she was told but really didn't seem to look at him or have any interest in him at all EXCEPT for one time: when we took him out of his swaddle.
It was like the veil had been lifted and for the first time she saw that this was an actual baby with hands and arms, and legs and feet. Every time she has seen him prior to that he was completely swaddled with a hat on - he was just this face to her - she didn't get it.
When I unswaddled him on my hospital bed, Natalie's whole interest in him changed, and it changed from that point moving forward. Luckily, we caught that immediate realization on camera. Unfortunately this moment is a bit marred and interrupted by Christopher throwing up at the end of it, of COURSE. I still don't know what or why he threw up, and he never did that again.
So my only advice I'd give to those who are introducing a new baby to an older sibling who might not fully understand what having a little sibling means, would be to let them see the whole baby un=swaddled to fully grasp it.
1. How long was your delivery?
My water broke at 7:40 am, and Christopher was born at 6:03 pm. 10 Hours and 23 minutes. I didn't feel my first contraction until 10:30, and then not again for awhile after that, so the actual "hard labor" part was waayyy shorter than that.
2. How long did you push?
I pushed for 12 minutes (as opposed to 2 1/2 hours last time!)
3. Was the pain worse than I imagined?
It was about on par with what I remembered, but what I wasn't prepared for was how close the contractions would be, which I now know is because of the pitocin. I had 3 painful hours of contractions happening every 2-5 minutes. There was literally no rest for the weary. Normally, there is a bit more of a rest period in between the contractions. I finally got an epidural around 4:00 pm - a whole hour after I requested one - and that was me putting it off as long as possible, so I was not a happy camper. I was pretty much yelling at the nurse to go into the hallway, find the anesthesiologist, and walk him to my room RIGHT NOW. I was having multiple contractions WHILE having the epidural put in and was being told by the anesthesiologist "You cannot move while I do this at ALL." And I know all too well from having too many friends in the health profession that one wrong move with an epidural and you're left brain dead or paralyzed so OMG it was intense period of time in there.
4. Did I tear?
My doctor said she didn't even consider it a tear, but more of a "scratch". She said I had the tiniest little scratch and she put a tiny little stitch into it. I felt absolutely nothing.
5. Did I poop on the table?
Nope!! Wahoo!!!
7. How was Chris during all of this?
Amazing as always. He was keeping up with a pretty intense texting chain between all of our friends and our family (which I loved reading through after it was all over - hilarious and amazing. I had something like 75 unread text messages to read through after I delivered) BUT there were a few times that I had to yell at him to put the phone down and hold my hand during a contraction. I always feel bad for him and have to laugh because he tries so hard to help me through a contraction by talking or making a joke or putting on music or something but I HATE all of that. Allllll I wanted was for him to hold my hand as I clutched the bed-railing through each contraction. Which he mostly did on his own, or would finally do after I'd yell at him to remind him ;) LOL.
Also, during one contraction, I distinctly remember yelling out "OHHH KELLY CLARKSON!" Which had Chris and me in absolute hysterics. But it hurt soooo bad to laugh so I my comedy routine ended there.
8. Do you regret getting an epidural?
No, I only regret not getting it sooner. I should have had it at least an hour or two sooner than I did!
The question I get asked the most is
9. "How is Natalie with him?"
Natalie is really great with him. Every single day, every time she sees him she says "It's Baabbbbby Christoper" (that's a hard P not the "ph" sound). She kisses the top of his head constantly and has even taken to now kissing Chris and me on the top of our heads as well. She wants to hold him and she has her whole routine down for holding him that she recites "First you sit in the chair, then you get the pillow, then you put your arms like this, and then you hold Baby Christoper!" (Why I don't have ANY of this recorded and on video is beyond me and I'm already mad at myself for it!)
She enjoys holding him anywhere from 1 minute to 2 seconds, so you have to be on guard for her to throw him off of her when she's done. Which is he actual reason why I don't have a lot of these holding sessions recorded, I have to be prepared for anything at a moments notice and can't fumble with my phone.
The most interesting thing through all of this with Natalie was that at the hospital, she really couldn't have cared less about him. We kept showing him to her, we kept asking her to kiss him. She would do as she was told but really didn't seem to look at him or have any interest in him at all EXCEPT for one time: when we took him out of his swaddle.
When I unswaddled him on my hospital bed, Natalie's whole interest in him changed, and it changed from that point moving forward. Luckily, we caught that immediate realization on camera. Unfortunately this moment is a bit marred and interrupted by Christopher throwing up at the end of it, of COURSE. I still don't know what or why he threw up, and he never did that again.
So my only advice I'd give to those who are introducing a new baby to an older sibling who might not fully understand what having a little sibling means, would be to let them see the whole baby un=swaddled to fully grasp it.
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