Replies to 'Birth Stories'

so i'll share mine! 

I have two little boys, a three year and 1/2 year old and a nine month old.  both births we so different. 

with my first i had a great pregnancy.  I worked the entire time as a gas meter reader and was walking 8-10 miles five days a week.  I gained 29 lbs and felt great the entire time.  The day before i was due i went to the doctors and found that my blood pressure was high so the doctor decided to strip my membranes and hope i went into labor on my own.  I was sent home on bed rest. 

the next morning i realized that i was leaking amnio fluid and went to the hospital (where my water broke in the bathroom)...because they didn't know how long i had been leaking fluid they put me on pitocin right away...HATE! that stuff. 

everything went great until i was 8 cm dialated (about 6 hours later)...then i spiked a fever and started throwing up (so they couldn't keep any tylenol in me).  When my fever got to 104 they decided to do the emergency c-section. 

My son was born with a temp of 103 so he went right to the NICU and was there for three days getting antibiotics in case there was an infection (they never found any and figured that he was so hot because i was so hot). 

we went home together and everything was rosey :) 

with my second i was determined to have a VBAC...my pregnancy wasn't quite so smooth.  I had morning sickness (for the first five months) and then problems with my blood sugar.  I didn't have diabetes (blood sugar levels always fine after many tests) but i continually spilled sugar in my urine for unknown reasons.  Plus, i wasn't working anymore so i wasn't in as good of shape.  I gained 25 lbs (but was bigger than with my first). 

since i had my first on his due date i had hopes with my second that he would be early or at least on time ;) but he was 6 days late.  I finally went into labor in the middle of the night and started with contractions 2 minutes apart but not very strong-this went on for 12 hours before i went in to the hospital. 

the birth went perfectly and after 40 minutes of pushing, had another great little boy.  We both had a fever, though it was low grade, that they couldn't find a reason for...i think i'm allergic to childbirth! :) 

The transition with him was not as smooth because i tore horribly during the birth (the doctor said he had never seen skin that was less elastic-no wonder all the stretch marks!)...plus both my hubby and i got the flu the night we took him home and it was christmas eve (which is a little stressful anyway). 

all in all-i loved each of my birth experiences though neither were perfect.  It truly is an amazing thing and i've never done anything more empowering!