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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Welcome to the world, Audrey!

Audrey Sophia Magtanong

Born March 11, 2012 at 11:40am

6.7 lbs 19 inches long

She's here!!  After 39 weeks of waiting our baby girl has finally arrived.  And the labor story goes like this...

I was originally scheduled to be induced on March 13, even though my due date wasn't until the 16th.  My OB thought it would be a good idea since I had Gestational Diabetes, but based on my ultrasounds there was really no need to do it.  Audrey was healthy, my placenta was fine, amniotic fluid levels were perfect etc. -- So, I told her that I would prefer to cancel my inducement and give Audrey a chance to come on her own since I really wanted a non medicated birth.  I had pitocin (drug that starts contractions) with Jacob and I hated it.  I actually hated both the pitocin and epidural.  I didn't like how different my contractions felt after being given the pitocin, and I didn't like being strapped to a bed with a catheter attached to me because of the epidural.  My recovery afterwards was rough, as well, so this time around I decided that I would try to deliver without any of it.  I didn't know what to expect and I was scared, but hey...who isn't??

I had been having frequent braxton hicks contractions on Friday and Saturday, but I didn't think anything of it.  My water broke first, without having any contractions, when I was pregnant with Jacob, so I was convinced that it would happen the same way.  Early morning on March 11 around 6:30am I started having contractions that felt different.  They felt "crampy" and would go away as soon as my contractions were done.  I timed them....10 minutes apart.  This went on for a while till 7:30am.  Cramps became a little more intense....8 minutes apart.  I woke up Sam and told him that I thought I was in labor and to start getting ready.  At 8:30am contractions were 7 minutes apart.  I took a shower, got dressed (while bracing myself with each contraction), and left the house by 9:15am.  They said that you shouldn't leave for the hospital till your contractions are 5 minutes apart, but my OB told me not to wait too long since I was already 5 cm dilated at my last appointment.  She was afraid I wouldn't make it to the hospital in time with us living about 20 minutes away.  We arrived at the hospital by 9:30am and were checked into a room by 10am.  They did some fetal monitoring for a few minutes and then checked to see my progression....I was already 7cm.  Holy moly!!  I really was in labor!  This gave me a boost of energy and confidence to keep on laboring.  Sam and I hired a doula this time around to help me achieve a natural birth.  She was AMAZING and I highly suggest having one.  We were lucky because our insurance actually covered a doula, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to have one.  I walked around, used a birthing ball (my favorite) etc.  By 11am the contractions were incredibly intense.  They were coming so quickly, only leaving me with 30 seconds or so in between each one to breathe and get ready for the next one.  The doctor wanted to break my water, but I knew that breaking the water before it happens naturally could really change my contraction patterns.  I told the doctor I would rather wait.  At one point the only way I could get through my contractions was by breathing deeply and pushing.  I told the nurse that this was happening and she told me that I was probably fully dilated.  She checked me and I was definitely 10cm and my water had just broke.  Thank God!  The doctor came in, I pushed 4 times (holy crap that part hurt!!!) and she was out!!  Talk about the greatest relief in life.  I don't even remember delivering the placenta.  Haha.  

Minutes after Audrey was born.  My family! 
 Big brother!

As soon as she was born they put her on my chest and I was able to hold her for a good hour or so before they took her and weighed her.  The whole experience was amazing, and I couldn't have asked for a smoother delivery.  My last delivery with Jacob was a little stressful.  We were new parents in Colorado with no family around, and we pretty much went along with whatever the doctors and nurses told us we should do.  This time I felt in complete control of my labor.  I knew what my choices were and I wasn't afraid to fight for things I wanted - from laboring in my own clothes instead of a gown to how much fetal monitoring I wanted to what medications I wanted my baby to receive once she was born.  It was an incredibly empowering experience and I wouldn't mind having more babies if all my labors were like the one I just had.  After they took Audrey to weigh and measure her I was up walking and had so much energy!!  I really couldn't believe it.  My recovery has been very easy.

It has been almost 2 weeks since we've been home and everyone is doing well.  Tired...but well =)  Audrey is a much calmer baby than Jacob was.  She only cries when she is hungry and she is a great sleeper!  Jacob always needed to be held, which makes sense because he is an extremely affectionate love bug!  Audrey, on the other hand, doesn't mind sleeping in a bassinet by herself.  Haha!  Big brother is great.  He loves his baby sister and always wants to help.  Every time we go out to run errands he wants his baby sister to come with us.  Sam and I just make sure that whoever is not with the baby pays attention to Jacob.  

Thank you to everyone for the well wishes!  We feel so blessed and are thrilled for our new family of 4!




1 comment:

  1. I know I already verbally heard the story but reading about it again is awesome too!! =) So happy for you guys!

    ReplyDelete