I have some time so I'll write a quick update and then go back and read everyone else.
I can't believe Silas will be 3 weeks old in two days!!
Our birth story was fairly straight forward. I went to the hospital at 6AM for the induction. The ob on was FANTASTIC! I love her so much. Around 7:30 she checked me and broke my water. She said I was almost 8cm but still just about 60% effaced. He was still kind of high, so she broke the water and then squeezed my stomach to kind of place him deeper in my pelvis to avoid prolapsed cord. She commented on how it was thick and hard to break, so I probably could have been pregnant for ages or have had him en caul, born in his sac (her words).
So, nothing happened until 10:30. Meanwhile I kind of walked around and got in the tub. When I got out and walked around things started to pick up, and then everything progressed really fast.
Contractions were consistent and close together, like I said around 10:30. Then at about noon I couldn't take the pain anymore. It was NOTHING like Ember's birth. Which I handled well. The doula commented that I was handling the pain well, with good breathing and everything. I was in transition and I just couldn't take it. So they offered me an intrathecal, which is like epidural light. Instead of a spinal catheter for constant pain management, it's a one time spinal shot that lasts about 2 hours. I asked if I would have the baby by then. They said yes, because I was 9 and waiting for a lip of cervix to stretch.
Once I got the pain meds, like at 12:30, I was in heaven. Contractions that I couldn't feel and a lovely mild pushing pressure. So then the Ob said it was time to have a baby around close to 2pm. My pain meds were starting to wear off and the pushing sensation was getting heavier. At first I didn't know how to push because of the meds but then once he started crowning I REMEMBERED QUICK!!! The ring of fire hurt soooo much worse, I was screaming my head off (like in the movies!!) Then he was born at 2:05. Super fast!! Caused a bit of bruising on him, but also he did that himself. Turns out he was born with his hand presenting first!! Like he was waving hello to everyone. Then after a push the head pushed his arm out further so I had to give birth to a head and an arm together!!
Not much tearing, nothing worse then with Ember (3 stitches, barely a 1st degree). I'm all healed up now and have been for a week or so.
He's nearly three weeks and I already see a schedule forming. He sleeps in the mornings, which is a good thing. Then he nurses and sleeps throughout the day, normal typical newborn. Dinner is hit or miss. If he's been up a while he'll sleep if not he'll want to nurse during dinner time which is awful. Then at night he usually nurses all night until 10-11pm and he falls asleep until 3am or 4am. Which is fantastic. That's like 4 uninterrupted hours of sleep. Then he nurses again sleeps for 2 hrs, nurses and sleeps again for 2 hrs. Except the last two hours are usually when Ember wakes up so I don't always get those. :\ He's a pretty good baby. We've only had 2-3 days of really awful newborn days. The first two days of life when my milk wasn't in, but then we gave him formula to supplement and he felt better. Last Thursday when he had gas and he cried for an hour or more at the top of his lungs. That was soooo awful. Michael was at the shipyard all night too, go figure!
He's a good eater and a good sleeper so there isn't much more I can ask for in a third!! Gives me SOME small time with the girls and to take care of myself a bit.
. Alex had it Fri, ed sat/ sun and now me today. Eugh. Looking after 2 boys whilst feeling dead is no fun!
