Oops - I haven't posted since we announced that baby Max was coming to our family several months ago... Well, he's here now and we are so so happy!
At 30 weeks along, I got a nasty case of bronchitis and all of my violent coughing caused the little guy to turn breech. He stayed that way for a few weeks, while I did handstands in the lake, saw a chiropractor and did special exercises to "spin the baby". By 36 weeks, there was some question as to whether he was up or down (I blame that on a bony butt), so I was sent for an ultrasound. At 37 weeks, he was head down, and I was ready to go. Ellie was born at 38 weeks so I was secretly telling myself Max would be too.
I started having pre-labour every evening and night at around 37.5 weeks and was getting a bit desperate for the "real" thing. Sunday, September 8th, I went to church in my new-normal state of complete discomfort and mild contractions coming somewhat periodically. We came home, napped, had dinner with my parents, played some Settlers and went to bed.
My contractions were coming fairly regularly by midnight, but they were still mild. I went to sleep and woke up around 2:00am. Things were getting real. At 3:00am I woke Zach up and told him I was getting in the shower to ease the pain. He was so confused, but woke up enough to realize I was in labour. I walked, leaned, had Zach apply counter pressure and made horse noises to make it though my contractions which were coming pretty fast and hard.
At 6:00am, Zach went to inform my parents they were now babysitting, we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. We finally got settled in a delivery room and my midwife checked me. At 6:30, I was a 4 which was active labour enough to admit me. Because of placenta complications with Noelle, I opted to get an epidural this time. I laboured as best I could until 9:30 when the anesthesiologist finally arrived. Apparently I don't have much space between my vertebrae. It took him 6 needles to finally put the catheter in and it was like magic once he did (not in a good way...).
Immediately upon putting in the needle (medication was not hooked up yet), my water burst with an audible pop, I narrowly missed throwing up on my midwife, and I was ready to push. The nurse and midwife had to basically push me over because it was time. The epidural was still not in... I told the room I was NOT doing this again, but my midwife and Zach both got in my face and told me I could. The epidural was hooked up and I was told it would take 20 minutes to take effect. I pushed 35 minutes (so no epidural for me!) and finally baby Maxwell Nolan Jenkins arrived. The cord was wrapped around his neck and his foot. He was blue but crying and perfect. He weighed 7lbs 8oz, and was 19in long. We tried to nurse a bit, then daddy held his son while I tried to wrap my brain around pushing out the placenta. It took me an our, but I finally did it! I got stitched up and was feeling great.
Zach left to go to his last class of the day (that's how great I felt!) and Max and I napped until he was done. By 4:00pm, he came back and we were discharged. We stopped to get a pizza and came home the same day we went in as a family of four.
Baby Max is a sweet and sleepy baby. Ellie is a great big sister and helper to me. We are all adjusting so well, minus some nursing issues (tongue-tie), and lack of sleep.
At 30 weeks along, I got a nasty case of bronchitis and all of my violent coughing caused the little guy to turn breech. He stayed that way for a few weeks, while I did handstands in the lake, saw a chiropractor and did special exercises to "spin the baby". By 36 weeks, there was some question as to whether he was up or down (I blame that on a bony butt), so I was sent for an ultrasound. At 37 weeks, he was head down, and I was ready to go. Ellie was born at 38 weeks so I was secretly telling myself Max would be too.
I started having pre-labour every evening and night at around 37.5 weeks and was getting a bit desperate for the "real" thing. Sunday, September 8th, I went to church in my new-normal state of complete discomfort and mild contractions coming somewhat periodically. We came home, napped, had dinner with my parents, played some Settlers and went to bed.
My contractions were coming fairly regularly by midnight, but they were still mild. I went to sleep and woke up around 2:00am. Things were getting real. At 3:00am I woke Zach up and told him I was getting in the shower to ease the pain. He was so confused, but woke up enough to realize I was in labour. I walked, leaned, had Zach apply counter pressure and made horse noises to make it though my contractions which were coming pretty fast and hard.
At 6:00am, Zach went to inform my parents they were now babysitting, we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. We finally got settled in a delivery room and my midwife checked me. At 6:30, I was a 4 which was active labour enough to admit me. Because of placenta complications with Noelle, I opted to get an epidural this time. I laboured as best I could until 9:30 when the anesthesiologist finally arrived. Apparently I don't have much space between my vertebrae. It took him 6 needles to finally put the catheter in and it was like magic once he did (not in a good way...).
Immediately upon putting in the needle (medication was not hooked up yet), my water burst with an audible pop, I narrowly missed throwing up on my midwife, and I was ready to push. The nurse and midwife had to basically push me over because it was time. The epidural was still not in... I told the room I was NOT doing this again, but my midwife and Zach both got in my face and told me I could. The epidural was hooked up and I was told it would take 20 minutes to take effect. I pushed 35 minutes (so no epidural for me!) and finally baby Maxwell Nolan Jenkins arrived. The cord was wrapped around his neck and his foot. He was blue but crying and perfect. He weighed 7lbs 8oz, and was 19in long. We tried to nurse a bit, then daddy held his son while I tried to wrap my brain around pushing out the placenta. It took me an our, but I finally did it! I got stitched up and was feeling great.
Zach left to go to his last class of the day (that's how great I felt!) and Max and I napped until he was done. By 4:00pm, he came back and we were discharged. We stopped to get a pizza and came home the same day we went in as a family of four.
Baby Max is a sweet and sleepy baby. Ellie is a great big sister and helper to me. We are all adjusting so well, minus some nursing issues (tongue-tie), and lack of sleep.
2 comments:
Glad you're doing well. Missed the posts.
Well, you're officially my hero! Loved your story! Thanks for sharing, and congrats!
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