Ooo, a BABY!!

Alas, the VBAC was not to be. I did get a fair trial of labor, however, which was what I wanted. Maeve was born on May 7th at 9:48 pm, weighing 7 pounds and 12 oz and measuring 19 inches long :)

I got to about 6 cm and started having intense pain around my prior C/S incision - after talking with my doctors, we decided to go on to a repeat c-section. When they got in, my uterus was paper-thin near the scar. There's no guarantee that it would have ruptured, and I don't think my experience should in any way dissuade anyone else from attempting VBAC. I feel fine about the section - this hospital's post-op protocols are FAR superior to the hospital where I delivered Freyja.

Instead of getting her out and whisking her away to the nursery to be brought back sterile and clean 2 hours later, they just rubbed her dry, let her hang out under the warmer, let Kerwin bring her over for me to give kisses to, and then when they were done suturing me up gave her to me and we went to recovery together. I was able to breastfeed her within 45 min after birth and before she had her first bath. Things are going remarkably well in that department, much better than they did with Freyja.

Here's some pictures - hubby took them. I'll update with new ones once I unload the camera again, since all the rest of them are either screaming naked goo covered child or something equally odd.

Labor Update

My water broke on it's own after getting here to the hospital this morning :)

I'm currently 4 cm, which is as far as I got with Freyja in 12 hours of pitocin labor.

I have a VERY slow pitocin drip right now that is doing the trick, it's been in since about 10:30 this morning.

So things are going very well, hopefully we'll have a baby this afternoon or evening :D

Whaa :(

I just packed my baby girl off to Grandma's to stay until we have her sister.

I feel like I haven't made enough of our time with just her. She's not going to be our only baby anymore. The dynamic is going to be totally different, and I don't think I'm all right with that yet.

It seems like I haven't given her enough kisses, and cuddles, and affection. She's been really independent since she learned to sit up and we've taken advantage of that instead of loving on her more, and playing with her more. Now I don't have any more time with her as my only baby.

Now she has to share us. I didn't expect this to hit me so hard.

And at the risk of sounding cliche, how can I possibly love another one as much as I love her? And how can I give her the attention and love she deserves while taking care of the new one? I'm sure it will all work out and I'll look back a while from now and feel silly about this - but right now I just don't know how I'll do it.

All Systems Go

My doctor was back today, and I was happy to see her.

She's concerned about my blood pressure and about the GD. She still wants to give me an honest shot at a vaginal delivery, however. She gave me the choice of an induction or scheduling the repeat c-section.

My cervix is 90% effaced and 2 cm dialated, so I'm favorable for induction. They won't use drugs on a VBAC mama, so at 3 am Wednesday morning, I'm going in to have my water broken. She swept my membranes today and she thinks I have a good chance of going into labor before then anyway.

I know a lot of hardcore VBAC people aren't going to agree with this. They'd be telling me to push for biophysical profile ultrasounds, etc. However, I trust my doctor. She has been completely upfront with me from the beginning about my chances, the risks, the benefits of VBAC. If it wasn't for the GD, she said she'd be happy letting me go to 42 weeks and probably a little longer. I can accept that. She could refuse to induce me at all, but she left the descision up to me (and said she'd prefer I do the induction b/c she'd much rather attend a vaginal delivery than a c-section).

So that's the news here - I get 36-48 hours to go into active labor from the time they rupture me. I have no idea if I get to stay in the hospital that entire time or not. I'll keep the blog updated, since I'll have the laptop.

Never mind, then.

My mom came to get Freyja and I decided to take a little nap while I still could.

Yep, the second I laid down everything stopped except the pelvic pressure. I don't get it, b/c I was up and moving around, cooking, doing laundry, getting a few last things together and they didn't stop then, did they?

I am really frustrated right now, going on two weeks of prodromal labor with nothing to show for it. I hope that my cervix is at least changing.

Hospital-Bound

This is it, folks. Over the past two hours I've gone from general crampy feelings to regular contractions 4.5 min apart. My mom will be coming to pick up Freyja in a little over an hour and if things are still progressing then, we'll wait a little longer and then head to the hospital.

Wish me luck! Yay, VBAC!