Isaac's birth story, take 1
I started this blog when Isaac was four months old. Thus, unlike the blogs of certain other, smarter blog-mommies, I never got a chance to tell Isaac's birth story as it happened. Given my recent obsession with hospitals and the impending birth of U.B., I find myself reminiscing about Isaac's coming into the world. I am further inspired as Isaac and I look through his baby pictures, which I've heard is supposed to help him understand (as much as can be done) that he used to be a baby and to acquaint him with what babies look like and what babies do. Goodness, it feels like forever ago that I was staring at his squid-like skull being held aloft by the attending O.B. from the other end of a hospital bed. So, given that I will be able to blog about U.B.'s birth story for posterity in a few short weeks, it seems appropriate to me to do the same for his older brother. I will likely make this, also, into a serial novel, since I can only sit upright for so long now before U.B.'s feet begin again in their attempts to reshape my ribs into unholy shapes.
Isaac's Birth Story, Chapter 1: Mall-Walking and the Famous Latte Trip
Isaac's due date was Wednesday, April 7, 2004. Naturally, this meant I was clamoring for an April 4th baby so he could be born on 4/4/04. Doesn't get easier to remember than that, does it? I went in for what would be my last O.B. appointment on Friday (4/2/04), with my adorable and wonderful obstetrician Dr. Julie Lamb. We initially chose her entirely because of her name, because what could possibly go wrong when your doctor is someone with such a gentle and unoffensive name as Dr. Lamb? At this fateful appointment, Dr. Julie informed me that I was already 4 cm dilated, and she would have me admitted to the hospital except for the fact that I wasn't having any contractions. We agreed that she should strip my membranes (what fun!) to try to get things going, and she suggested that if I hadn't had a baby by my next appointment the following Friday she would schedule an induction.
Mike and I did our part to help Isaac along his way by mall-walking. All afternoon Saturday (4/3) we walked the length of one mall. Nothing happened. All afternoon Sunday (4/4) we walked the length of another mall. This time, at the end of one circuit, my back was in such searing pain that I was crying and needing help from Mike to get back to the car. I called the hospital when we got home, and they told me my pains and symptoms sounded like the beginning of back labor, where Isaac's gigantic cranium was pushing in an unfavorable way against by lower back- and pelvic bones. The nurses suggested I spend the rest of the day with my head on the floor and my butt in the air to try to tilt Isaac around. I did, and it helped. Still no obvious contractions.
At 5:00 the next morning (Monday, 4/5) I couldn't sleep and lay in bed tossing and thinking. Suddenly I felt something, like maybe my water had burst. I went in the bathroom to check, and it did seem like there had been an awful lot of fluid. But had I ever had a baby before? No. Was I sure my water had broken? No. After thinking about it for way too long, I called the hospital at 5:30 and told them I thought my water had broken. They told me to pack my bag, hurry up, and come on in. I woke up Mike, who wisely suggested instead that we take it easy and enjoy what would possibly be our last childless morning. We took showers. We packed leisurely. We even stopped at Tully's on the way to the hospital. We got there at about 7:30, lattes in hand.
Before they were going to admit me, the doctors had to be sure my water had broken because I still wasn't having any remotely regular contractions. The doctors at hand (not my O.B.) checked me and said I was 4 cm dilated. They were very impressed with this until I opened my big mouth and told them I had been that way since Friday. A senior resident and a brand-spankin' new family practice resident then whipped out several ultrasound machines in an attempt to measure the amount of water around the baby, with the logic being that if my water had actually broken there wouldn't be much. After a loooooong time of looking and several discussions among different residents, the senior resident decided that there really wasn't that much water around Isaac, that my water HAD broken, and that therefore I was staying in the hospital and they were hooking me up to some IV pitocin immediately to get the party started. They also guestimated for me, from the ultrasound, that Isaac would be pretty small, like 6 or 6 1/2 lbs. I called my coworkers and told them I wouldn't be coming in that day (or for the next 3 months). Mike and I got shown to my fancy L&D suite and turned on the Headline News, preparing ourselves for the wait.
Isaac's Birth Story, Chapter 1: Mall-Walking and the Famous Latte Trip
Isaac's due date was Wednesday, April 7, 2004. Naturally, this meant I was clamoring for an April 4th baby so he could be born on 4/4/04. Doesn't get easier to remember than that, does it? I went in for what would be my last O.B. appointment on Friday (4/2/04), with my adorable and wonderful obstetrician Dr. Julie Lamb. We initially chose her entirely because of her name, because what could possibly go wrong when your doctor is someone with such a gentle and unoffensive name as Dr. Lamb? At this fateful appointment, Dr. Julie informed me that I was already 4 cm dilated, and she would have me admitted to the hospital except for the fact that I wasn't having any contractions. We agreed that she should strip my membranes (what fun!) to try to get things going, and she suggested that if I hadn't had a baby by my next appointment the following Friday she would schedule an induction.
Mike and I did our part to help Isaac along his way by mall-walking. All afternoon Saturday (4/3) we walked the length of one mall. Nothing happened. All afternoon Sunday (4/4) we walked the length of another mall. This time, at the end of one circuit, my back was in such searing pain that I was crying and needing help from Mike to get back to the car. I called the hospital when we got home, and they told me my pains and symptoms sounded like the beginning of back labor, where Isaac's gigantic cranium was pushing in an unfavorable way against by lower back- and pelvic bones. The nurses suggested I spend the rest of the day with my head on the floor and my butt in the air to try to tilt Isaac around. I did, and it helped. Still no obvious contractions.
At 5:00 the next morning (Monday, 4/5) I couldn't sleep and lay in bed tossing and thinking. Suddenly I felt something, like maybe my water had burst. I went in the bathroom to check, and it did seem like there had been an awful lot of fluid. But had I ever had a baby before? No. Was I sure my water had broken? No. After thinking about it for way too long, I called the hospital at 5:30 and told them I thought my water had broken. They told me to pack my bag, hurry up, and come on in. I woke up Mike, who wisely suggested instead that we take it easy and enjoy what would possibly be our last childless morning. We took showers. We packed leisurely. We even stopped at Tully's on the way to the hospital. We got there at about 7:30, lattes in hand.
Before they were going to admit me, the doctors had to be sure my water had broken because I still wasn't having any remotely regular contractions. The doctors at hand (not my O.B.) checked me and said I was 4 cm dilated. They were very impressed with this until I opened my big mouth and told them I had been that way since Friday. A senior resident and a brand-spankin' new family practice resident then whipped out several ultrasound machines in an attempt to measure the amount of water around the baby, with the logic being that if my water had actually broken there wouldn't be much. After a loooooong time of looking and several discussions among different residents, the senior resident decided that there really wasn't that much water around Isaac, that my water HAD broken, and that therefore I was staying in the hospital and they were hooking me up to some IV pitocin immediately to get the party started. They also guestimated for me, from the ultrasound, that Isaac would be pretty small, like 6 or 6 1/2 lbs. I called my coworkers and told them I wouldn't be coming in that day (or for the next 3 months). Mike and I got shown to my fancy L&D suite and turned on the Headline News, preparing ourselves for the wait.
posted by Claire at 7:37 PM
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