It's finally written, I apologize in advance that it is so long but there is really now way to quickly document the whole process. (For any who don't want to read all the details, this is a birth story so I'm sharing it all. Skip if you would like.)
Alythia Grace Ozburn has arrived! She arrived at 4:40am on her due date, 6/11/13. She weighed in at 6 pounds 9.2 ounces and was 20 inches long, born at Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville, IN. She's an absolute doll and is doing amazing. As you can imagine with her birth time, we did not get much sleep between Monday and Tuesday but we were able to sleep some the next night. The hospital staff really worked hard to respect your need for sleep and give you as much uninterrupted time as possible.
I began having contractions at 9am on Monday, 6/10, but they were only about 20 minutes apart and not very intense. I was certainly grateful for that because I had some work that I had to finish up on Monday. I finished up around 5pm and had started fairly serious contractions at around 4:30pm, about 5-7 minutes apart. I got home and had Rob draw a bath so I could try laboring there for a while as I wasn't convinced that I was fully in labor yet. Contractions started getting closer together and more intense though still manageable with some concentration. Around 7 we finally decided to call the midwife to see what she recommended at this stage. We had timed them and they were consistently 5 minutes apart. She agreed that we should head to the hospital and called ahead to let them know we were coming. We got checked in and were taken up to labor and delivery to be assessed before they officially admitted us. My contractions were now about 2 minutes apart and becoming more intense. They checked me and found I was 4 cm dilated and 60% effaced so we went ahead and were admitted. I still didn't believe this was really happening but I figured they must know what they were doing. I sent Rob out to the car to get all our stuff and the real work began.
The fun parts of labor that I wasn't expecting... They hooked me up to the fetal monitor to get a reading, the nurse left the room for a few minutes and I promptly threw up. I was trying so hard to get somewhere before it happened but they had me strapped to the bed and nothing around to use so on the floor it was. Not exactly how I wanted to start but it was the first of many new experiences. They quickly had housekeeping come in and clean it up. They got me all set up and gave me the birthing ball to try as well as some other tools and in we started. Rob was a fantastic coach and was there every time to massage my back or apply pressure and sat for countless hours just holding my hand and encouraging me in whatever way he could. I asked to use the labor tub as soon as we got there but they said I had to be at least 5 cm dilated before they would let me get in as it sometimes slows down labor and they would probably send me home if I slowed down that early. I worked for about an hour, laboring on the bed, trying sitting, walking, leaning on the ball, etc. About that time the midwife arrived and I was in so much pain I thought I was going to rip in two. I had thrown up a couple more times by this point just because of the intensity of the contractions, but at least they were prepared and got me a bag to use. At this point my contractions were consistently 2 minutes apart or less and I already had had it. She asked what my pain level was and I said 9 at least, she finally agreed to let me get in the tub. What a relief!! As soon as I got into that glorious hot water, contractions that I was barely able to work through with a lot of couching outside of the tub, were almost completely manageable and I was even able to relax into them and allow them to work rather than every muscle fighting it like I was out of the tub. It was about 9 or 10 by this point and this is where I stayed for the next 6 hours. At one point Rob had me get out of the tub and try to walk around a bit but immediately the pain became unbearable again and back in the tub I went. I cannot tell you how much of a lifesaver that was, I would not have been able to make it without it.
Around 1am my contractions began to intensify even more and transitioned from one contraction every 2 minutes or so to 3 contractions, back to back, with a 2 minute or less break afterward then straight into another set of 3 contractions. This lasted for about 2 hours and then they seemed to slow down. I was grateful for a little reprieve but the midwife was not as pleased. She told me that if my contractions did not pick back up in another 20 minutes I would have to get out and labor in a different position to make them get going again. Rob decided that since I had a break he would run out to grab something from the car that he had forgotten earlier. While he was out I hit a wall with my labor. It's funny how you have talked about transition so many times in class and think you know what to expect but when it happens, you are convinced it's not really transition and you are going to be doing this forever! I told the midwife that if she made me get out of the tub and continue laboring, I was going to need some drugs because I could not handle any more of this without the water. She suggested that we wait until Rob got back and then she would check me to see how far I had progressed. Around 3:30am she checked and found out that I was 10cm dilated and 100% effaced and was ready to go so she suggested breaking my water since I wasn't feeling any urge to push. On my next contraction she told me to bear down and she broke my water. She let me go through a few more contractions in the tub, working on trying to push with the contractions rather than relaxing through them as I had been most of the time. After a few of those we moved to the bed to finish out the process (you are not allowed to have a water birth at any of the hospitals here so as much as I would have liked to have one, the final stage had to be in the room).
Once I was up and on the bed we found out that baby girl was presenting face down, ideally they are face up which causes you to feel the need to push. This is why I hadn't had any urge even though I was completely ready to deliver. She informed me that I needed to work to get her over my pelvic bone and see if we could get her to turn her head so that she would go through the birth canal on her own. This was what the next 40 minutes consisted of. I had no urge still so I was trying to manufacture what I thought that might be and push, sometimes it worked well and sometimes it did nothing. Eventually the midwife pushed her fingers down hard right where she wanted me to focus my effort in an attempt to give me some guidance. That seemed to help because I could figure out what muscles to use to actually make things progress. At this point they were holding the fetal monitor on me constantly, which meant I had a nurses arm reaching across me for an hour, but it ensured that the baby was doing fine still through this part of the process. After 40 minutes of pushing with nothing really happening, I
finally was able to get her to turn her head and she began to crown. Once she got over my pelvic bone, things went rather quickly. As soon as she entered the birth canal her heart rate started to drop and got down into the 90's. I wasn't really having any contractions but we needed to get her out rather quickly to make sure she wasn't in danger so the midwife had me push as much as I could every time I had a contraction. It was quite a scene, Rob holding one leg, nurse holding the other, midwife yelling at me to push, me yelling back at her that I was trying and that I had nothing to push with... Serious drama going on at that moment. Finally it was getting critical so the midwife just starting pulling at things and stretching them in ways I did not know were possible. Let me tell you, I did not know a person could be in such pain! I let out the most blood curdling screams you have ever heard. Rob said they sounded like they were from another world! The final few pushed I had no contractions but we needed to get her out so I had to do it without anything helping me. I pushed as hard as I possibly could and finally after 3 or so pushed, she was out.
My tiny little precious baby girl was born! She had the fullest head of dark brown hair and was covered in this thick white chalky stuff but she was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. They laid her on my chest and instantly it was all worth it! Every single second of pain culminated in me holding my own baby girl in my arms. We both just laid there after all that work and then she let out the cutest little cry. You should have seen Rob's face, he was instantly in awe and head over heels in love with her. They left her umbilical cord attached until it had stopped pulsing and then Rob got to cut the cord. After the nursery nurse cleaned her up a little bit I was able to try and feed her while they waited for the placenta to detach and be delivered. Man once you have birthed a child with all their bones and pointy elbows and knees, the placenta is nothing, just one little push and everything is done. At 4:40am Alythia Grace Stoming-Ozburn was born. The whole process is so surreal to me still! I can't believe I actually grew and gave birth to a child. We were left alone after a little more clean-up to have our "kangaroo care" time. This is something very much supported and encouraged by our hospital, named for the way that kangaroos carry their young close to them. You spend an hour or so with direct skin to skin contact with the baby. This allows your body heat to help the baby learn to regulate their own body temperature and it is a wonderful bonding experience. I held her for about 30 minutes and then Rob spent some time with her resting on his chest as well. As soon as she was on my chest she started lifting her head and pushing up with her arms trying to look around, crazy girl has no idea she's not suppose to be doing that yet! We officially decided that her name was Alythia Grace and just marveled together at the wonder and blessing she was. That God would chose to allow us to be the parents, the ones responsible for raising and teaching this precious creation of his is more than I can believe but I am so blessed that He did choose us. I pray that we are able to be the parents she needs and that she grows up to know and love our Savior like we do.
After our kangaroo care the nursery nurse came in and took down her official stats, 6lbs 9.6oz and 20 inches long.
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| Being weighed |
Rob helped her give Alythia her first bath and kept close eye on everything since I was still stuck in bed.
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| My first bath |
After that was all done the had a nurse come in and help me into the bathroom. It felt amazing to be able to stand up again but they didn't want me walking around too much until I got into my room upstairs. I was able to get up almost completely on my own and was able to walk with fairly little pain. I did tear a little bit during delivery so I had one stitch that was causing some pain, other than that I really felt great! Yay for medication free! They left us alone for a little while and I was able to eat again and drink. I was so thirsty!! Around 7:30am a nurse from upstairs came in and helped transfer me to the wheelchair and took us to our room on the postpartum floor. Pilled high with bags and pillows and my precious new bundle of life, we were off to our new room for the next two day. Once there they asked me not to get up until my nurse could come in and help me, so I waited. Finally she came in and told me I could take a shower and clean up. What a wonderful feeling to stand on your own and take a shower after all of that. I felt like a new woman!
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| daddy has the magic touch to make it all better |
Alythia was tagged and security banded and we finally were able to rest. She took to eating very quickly and has been a champ at it. She also started sleeping on a schedule fairly quickly and has been pretty consistent ever since. Such an easy child, happy, good eater and sleeper and so alert! Who could ask for anything more.
We had many visitors while we were in the hospital, so many people excited to meet our little girl! Grandma was able to come down that day and was here with us for 10 days afterwards. Such sweet time with us and with her first granddaughter.
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| Luke and Sara stopped by to meet Alythia |
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| Snuggles with Grandma Mahan |
We were in the hospital Tuesday and Wednesday and though we wanted to leave Wednesday night, the pediatrician asked us to stay the night to allow her to be observed and with the promise of returning first thing the next morning, we agreed to stay. He kept his word and was there to do her 48 hr check at 7:30 am , my doctor came in to discharge me around 8:30 am and by 10:30 am we were home!
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| All ready for my first car ride! |
It was so nice to get back into our own space and feel like we could be normal again. It's amazing how stir crazy one can get when you aren't allowed to leave the hospital floor for 2 whole day. We are happy to be home and adjusted to life as a family of 3!!
~Becky
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