southerngirl Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 I hope you are okay!!! Update us when you can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImThatGirl Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Dilly, Dilly ------------ Please check in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerngirl Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 The suspense is killing me here. I keep coming back to see if you have updated this thread. I sure hope your okay!!!! Gah!!!! I hope this means that you and LiL Dil are cuddling somewhere in a hospital room =-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarew Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 It does mean that southerngirl! Or maybe they're cuddling at home and Dilly is just so in love with her new little one that she hasn't gotten a chance to get back to us. That's okay though, we are just so full of suspense!!!!! We love you Dilly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToResist Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I'm dying here too!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 HELLO!!!! I HAD MY BABY GIRL AND AM SO TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH HER SHE IS PERFECT AND I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL TERRIBLY !!!! First post... since last Wednesday... I'll post my story now. Thank you all so much for your warm wishes .... I'm pure goosebumps over my baby... she is such a gift, a glorious and divine gift.... I just got done singing her "Burn" by Jo Dee Messina and filming it on camera. I'm so much in love with her. I havent had access to the computer since I'm home and I like to be on it when nobody else is home... so .... the story comes next. AGAIN THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR WARM WARM HEARTFELT WISHES. I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellaDonna Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Congrats!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie274 Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 CONGRATULATIONS !!! Details, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocio Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 congratulations!!! can't wait to hear more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToResist Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Congratulations!!! I'm So So So So Sooooooooo Happy For You!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 YOU ASKED FOR IT!!! Here goes some long detailed story... SORRY, but I couldn't resist... once I start providing any details, I gotta give them ALL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 TIMELINE OF LABOR FRIDAY 31MARCH Medical appointment revealed my cervix to be 50% effaced, undilated, with openning positioned towards my spine. SUNDAY 8APRIL Cleaned like crazy for my boyfriend's family to have last-minute Easter celebration at my house. They had written him an email at 12:30 AM Sunday announcing a desire to do that considering the temperatures were unseasonably cold. After they left at 7PM, I started having a bloody show, followed by menstrual cramps. MONDAY 9APRIL Cramps turned into mild, irregular contractions that I could easily talk through in the wee hours of the morning Monday, but that nonetheless awoke me and had me sort of wanting to reposition myself to stretch out. Feeling anticipation of the looming labor, I got up early and packed my bags for the hospital. Couldn't go back to sleep so did some random last minute chores to prepare for being away from work for a few days. Called my parents and announced my symptoms had begun. Medical appointment revealed my cervix was 75% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated, yet openning still positioned towards my spine. Contractions went away and became very sparse while at work, but returned and gained strength on returning home, but remained irregular. TUESDAY 10APRIL Another early morning due to stronger contractions and another full day at work since they were not regular and disappeared when I sat down at my desk. On returning home, the contractions returned and gained more strength, but certainly did not seem strong enough to pause me in my speech. WEDNESDAY 11APRIL At 2:30AM, paged the doctor and told her my contractions were 8-20 minutes apart, but that I was not in great enough pain to huff and puff through them, but that they awoke me. She told me to stay home until I was sucking air through the contractions. I did, but could not go back to sleep. Went to work at 9AM and left at 10:45AM for a checkup. Checkup revealed my cervix was 90% effaced, but that the dilations measured only 1cm. Gains had been made in position of the cervical openning from back to front, however. Returned to work and reported that I was in "false labor". Called my parents and told them I was NOT in labor, don't bother coming. Returned to work, embarrassed that I was an apparent hypochondriac in "false labor". Contractions came every now and then and were quite strong during the day, such that I had to concentrate to resist the urge to grunt or pause in my speech. Had this desire to pack my stuff and get things wrapped up at work and did so by staying 30 minutes late. On leaving, learned my parents were coming, in spite of me asking them not to since I was in "false labor". They had left me a voicemail saying they were coming and when I got it, my contractions immediately returned. I started having them regularly every 10 minutes from that point on. I went shopping for the next three hours (grociery, pet store, post office) and tried to get the place ready for them to stay. By the time they arrived at 10:30 PM, my contractions were still coming, then about every 8 minutes and they were strong enough that I couldn't really sit through them. I had to get up and walk into the other room (embarrassed to be in pain with them) and just kind of let them hang with my B/F watching TV (Dancing with the Stars rerun and American Idol Voteoff Results Show). I would lean over my furniture to get through the contraction, now 40 seconds long. Then, my mom started timing them over the next three hours. THURSDAY 12APRIL The contractions were never regular, but by 1AM, they were every 3.5-6.5 minutes and not real painful. Called my doctor at 1:30AM and explained where I was. He told me to stay home until they were regular, to take a warm bath and hydrate. I took a warm bath, my parents went to bed, as did my B/F. After my bath, they became really uncomfortable. I just felt really anxious about them more than anything and not wanting to wake anyone up, I sort of just dealt with it and kind of whimpered to myself, more over the odd possibility that it might be psychosomatic. It really frustrated me to think that I might be fabricating symptoms in my own head, but after pacing back and forth between the bed and my bathroom, I told my B/F who was snoring loudly (he was really, really, really exhausted) that we needed to go now. He said Ok and fell back to sleep. I let him through 2-3 more contractions and then, asserted again, we need to go. Mind you, for the last two to three days, I was losing my mucous plug (it never stopped coming out). It would come gradually and appear as a clear mucousy membrane and tended to follow long periods of contractions. I lost quite a bit of that mucous during the early hours of the 12th. At about 3AM, I told my B/F we had to go NOW. He snored a bit through my warning and I asserted myself again twice and then, got irritated and said, COME ON LET'S GO!!! I was so nervous and frustrated that I didn't think I could drive and frankly the pain was a bit too much to predict. I just this desire to bend my back backwards when they first came on and then, to stretch a bit over my knees. I had packed all my bags and placed them in the trunk of the car. But by the time we got to the hospital (five minutes away), I was on the verge of tears, and only wanted my insurance card. I just wanted to get in there into a realm of safety and assurance. On walking in, I stopped in the parking lot, hugged my boyfriend and started to sort of half-cry. Then, my water broke (not a lot, just a few tablespoons) and I thought, OH MY GOD, now I'm urinating on myself. They wanted to put me in a wheelchair, but I begged them to let me walk - I couldn't sit down - it didn't feel right (physically). Got up to the room and took off my clothes, sat down to pee, and told my B/F that there was blood coming out, that it was bright red. I was alarmed, but was told that was normal, my water had broken. Then, was hooked up to the monitor and every 2-3 minutes, I had a contraction. It was apparent on the screen --- I felt so much relief knowing I wasn't IMAGINING them. I felt really self-conscious, like I was wigging, but the nurses told me I was doing really well and hardly bad at all. They asked me to sit/lie on the bed, and I just couldn't - I tried but I couldn't. I needed to stand through them. BUT they needed to do the pelvic exam to check my cervical status ---- 4 cm dilated, 100% effaced. I was told to expect an hour for each cm --- in other words, we might not have the baby until like 10:30AM (6 MORE HOURS)!!!! They offered me pain meds - I THOUGHT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, but then, I thought, oh, it would be sooo much better than this. I asked open-ended questions like 1) what type of pain management 2) would it hurt the baby. They offered Stadol (a narcotic that would wear off in two hours) and an epidural. I looked at my B/F. I knew I was betraying my wishes when I asked what he thought, because I was asking him for permission (I had told him not to let me have it - to encourage me not to take pain meds, especially the epidural). He was reluctant to respond. But, in the end I went with the Stadol. It took the edge off, allowing me to relax between contractions and let me tell you, I was so sleep deprived and nervous, that it really helped. I told them I'd decide on the epidural later, but that I really didn't want it if I could avoid it. My B/F took off to the vending machine, only to come back from a twenty minute trek to McDonald's. I was slightly amused, but slightly miffed by his absense. He also had brought a book, not that he read it much, but I was thinking, BOY, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RUBBING MY BACK OR SOMEHOW PHYSICALLY COMFORTING ME - I PAID FOR THE BIRTHING CLASS AFTERALL! I wasn't mad, but I was taking it all in. I didn't say anything about that and still haven't. I asked him to call my mom and dad who I wanted to allow to rest for as long as possible. He called and they came at about 5:30 AM. Fortunately, they brought a camara and a lot of love and physical carressing. They were both SO INCREDIBLY WONDERFUL!!! The doctor finally came in at 6:15 AM to check me out. I was 6 cm. He offered the epidural. I said yes, believe it or not. I was sort of not in the room, like I was there, but my mind was elsewhere. My parents kept engaging me in conversation and I just asked that they talk to each other, that I loved hearing them, but could not respond. My dad kept complimenting me on the baby's heartrate, saying how healthy it looked and bragging how I'd done a marathon during the pregnancy. He is a proud father and will be a proud grandfather!!! When I accepted the offer for the epidural, my boyfriend and my mother took off for breakfast, thinking that would prolong the time between contractions. BUT guess what!!! they were only gone for like five minutes, when I started really having a tough go at the contractions. I told my dad, please go tell the nurses that I CANNOT RESIST THE URGE TO PUSH - I HAVE TO PUSH!!! That was about 7-7:15AM, still hadn't gotten the epidrual. The nurses were in transition between shifts and a WONDERFUL NEW NURSE came in, moved everything in the room around, checked me out, told me I was 9CM!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAY. I said, CANCEL THE EPIDURAL - I DON'T WANT IT. She told me it would feel better when I could push, but that I really should resist the urge. My dad was there for all the bad contractions and told me to squeeze his hand as hard as I could. It was so hard not to push, so hard. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to try not to do. My boyfriend and mother returned and I was there between 9 and 10 cm, trying to urinate because the nurse told me my bladder should be empty and that I could push in the next half-hour, but that I needed to do everything to avoid it now to avoid ripping my cervix. My boyfriend couldn't believe I was already 9+CM and I kept thinking, man, I knew it would go relatively fast, with all that prelabor I had experienced earlier in the week. The nurse kept telling me how great I was doing and it really made me feel wonderful!!! I finally sat down and had a few more contractions, the nurse called the doctor in again, and I was ready to go. She was there through the important parts, telling me how great my push was and how I was the best pusher she'd seen in a long time and how the baby would be out in no time flat. I pushed and pushed and pushed for about twenty minutes. The nurse and the doctor were both in the room for the last five minutes and my mom was swabbing my face with a cold compress because it was bright, bright red. They kept telling me pushpushpushpush, breathe fast, pushpushpushpushpush and repeat through the contraction, such that by the end of the contraction, I was totally wiped out, HARDEST THING I'VE EVER TRIED TO DO TO GET THAT BABY OUT - I was so worried she'd be in distress the longer she stayed in the canal, but the doctor told me she was just fine. I pushed so hard, vessels popped in my face in about four places (no big deal) and I did feel like I was going to pass out if I pushed any harder at one point, but like I said, it did feel so much better to be able to push, I thought of it as an athletic feet to get her out in twenty minutes and the doctor and the nurse played my ego by stroking it and telling me what a pro I was at it. My mom and dad were so cute... my boyfriend was also really hilarious. He was like, wow, I can see it, just keep pushing. I was using a mirror to see the progress and he was watching closely - it was so amazing!!! I had her at 8:16 AM (THE SAME FREAKIN' TIME OF THE MORNING I WAS BORN DOWN TO THE MINUTE). I didn't think I'd want to hold her from pushing so hard, but I couldn't resist. She was soooo beautiful and gorgeous and perfect. Her eyes were wide open and she was taking it all in, and didn't really cry immediately. Her lungs were "wet" - guess she wasn't squeezed long enough to clear them. But now they're fine. My dad told me I was his hero and my mom started crying - when I looked at her, apparently I said, "hey sweetie pie, come here..." I was just so ecstatic to see this beautiful, healthy colorful (not blue, not coneheaded, not tiny or too big) baby. OHHHHHHHHHHHH, I will never have a moment that matches the joy of her birth. It was so worth it! Looking back, the pain associated with pregnancy for me was the pressure on my rectum during the contractions and supposedly the epidural does nothing to counter that. Sooooo, I am VERY VERY happy I did it vaginally. Funny thing was that when we asked about the drawbacks of the epidural, we were told no real side effects, BUT after we did it somewhat naturally (STADOL ONLY), we were told that it was really good we didn't get the epidural because the pushing process might have been three hours long (normally 2 hours) - for me it was 20 freakin minutes - THANK GOD. I enjoyed pushing her out, but it was tough!!! OK, so that's my labor story, I bled like crazy thereafter, and thought the placenta looked like a total alien of a thing... OH YAH, I didn't rip! YAYYYY again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 BABY NAME So we called her Chloe!!! We were thinking about Chloe Noelle, but I woke up on the discharge date and thought, I really don't like the fact that there is nothing remotely sentimental about Noelle other than it has to do with Christmas and we consider her to be a gift. Soooo, after a lot of thought, we decided on Chloe Crysanthemum. Long story short, it's a flower and has my dad's name, the first part of my mom's name, and the mum (his mom or mine depending on how you look at it). Plus, it's a gorgeous flower and I think of her as a wonderful, beautiful thing. Also, its symbolic for truth. Chloe means blooming and so her name means blooming flower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophie274 Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Don't want to sound like a stalker, but I've been following your threads. I enjoyed reading that so much! So interesting and full of suspense - thanks for sharing. Once again, congrats!!!!! Pictures? PS. Love the name Chloe! One of my faves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 ABOUT CHLOE CRYSANTHEMUM She was 7 pounds and 7 ounces. I gained 48 pounds, and thought she'd be 8 pounds and 6 ounces, but I was wrong. I was 7 pounds and 9 ounces on being born, so she could still be a very tall girl, like me (6'0"). Her 5 minute APGAR I think was 8 (she was a bit wet in her lungs so they had to suction her). She was 20.25 inches long. Her fingers are just like mine, including double jointed thumbs. The last joint in our thumbs is double jointed such that the thumb bends back 90 degrees. She rarely cries, is a pro at breastfeeding, and has smiled at least 40 times already. It's not a full-blown smile, but no more than a frown is a full-blown frown. It's amazing how beautiful she is, amazing!!! I am so thrilled with her!!! Over the last days, we have formed a wonderful bond and everyone remarks how calm her demeanor is, how sweet and alert she is, how beautiful. I feel like my life will be forevermore centered around her and I am so ecstatic about that. I love her to pieces and am humbled by a sense of wisdom I deem her to possess that I lack. She is amazing!!! And if ours turns out to be a relationship like I have with my father, I will discover her to be my hero in many ways and forever be greatful for her!!! I want to be her friend, her teacher, her fan, her guide. I don't want her to grow up too fast. This is truly a precious time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 Thank you Sophie!!! I really appreciate your interest!!! HUGS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToResist Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 YAYYYYYYYY You are so unbelievably strong!!! No pain meds and a joyous birth! I'm so so so happy for you!!! My words of wisdom...sleep when she sleeps. It's so great being a mother, but rest rest rest when you can, it will help you heal. I'm so proud of you Dills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 not sure how to insert images... but will no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 THANKS SO MUCH BTR!!! You and Hazey were both in my thoughts - I knew I could get through it and looked so forward to getting back and telling you all about it!!! Gotta run, but more later. XXX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerngirl Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 WOOOOHOOOOO!!! Congratulations! image removed Yay! Yay! Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarew Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 CONGRATS DILLY!!!!!!!!!!!! Chloee is a beautiful name (it is on our list haha)! It's so nice to hear a GOOD birth story for once! Encouraging for me at this point I'll tell ya! Dilly I am so proud of you for doing so well! You have encouraged me not to get the epidural (I am sitting on the fence). This to me is the second sign from the universe that I shouldn't get it (the first was my cousins horrible experience with it). I know you will have a wonderful time with your new little angel and recover soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 Scarew, I don't want to discourage you from it. I didn't want it - my mind was set against it prior to my admission, but when I got in there, I kept the option open for the decision to go either way at 6 cm. At 6 cm, I wanted it, BADLY. But, fortunately, for me... they were a bit slow in getting it to me (like I dilated 3 cm in 45 minutes THANK GOD)... but, since you are sort of set against it, I'll tell you other cons... 1) I've been told it does NOTHING for sensation of pressure. I felt pressure on my rectum --- that was the worst and hardest thing to deal with...and the epidural would likely do nothing for that!!!! 2) I've been told it makes pushing a little less productive ... so the nurse said an average pusher will take two hours naturally, but three if on the epidural. 3) I've been told it makes breastfeeding a bit more difficult... not sure why, but due to some type of hormonal process that gets hindered by the epidural. ANYWAY, if you can go naturally, I would. I was VERY HAPPY with the Stadol (you can't have it later in the labor process (beyond 6 cm), but it took the edge off. I didn't have any feelings of elation or euphoria, just felt like I could honestly relax between contractions, which I could not prior to getting it. I was standing and rocking and feeling very agitated. Anyway, to each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 Congrats to you and your family, Dilly! Chloe sounds lovely Thank you so much!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 WOOOOHOOOOO!!! Congratulations! image removed Yay! Yay! Yay! YAYAYAYAYAYA, love the cheerful blobby dancer dude, Southern Girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caro33 Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 That's wonderful news Dilly, congratulations to you and your boyfriend, and well done to Chloe for picking such a loving mother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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