So today Lucy is 2 weeks old, and we are sort of settling into a routine that allows me to update the blog..briefly! :)
It all started on the evening of June 28. Marc and I were at his parents' house watching a Phillies game. Cliff Lee was pitching, going for a record of 32 innings without being scored on and his 4th shutout game of the season. It was a great game, and somewhere around the 7th inning I started feeling some strange cramping, and noticed that it kept coming back. Hmmmm...so I started timing these sensations on my own, not wanting to say anything just in case it was a false alarm. The contractions were all over the place, ranging from 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds in duration with sometimes 4 minutes in between, sometimes 15 minutes. When the game was over, we celebrated the Phillies' win and then I announced that I thought I was in the beginning stages of labor. Marc's face was priceless!! The worst part about the timing of going into labor was that it was now 10:00 p.m. and Marc had been up since 4:30 a.m. to catch a train up to New York.
We headed home and I got into bed, in a Bradley Method side lying position for relaxation. Marc talked me through the relaxation routines and I did my best to let the contractions come and go without fighting them. We timed them and they were still as irregular as before.
After a while I got into the shower and the warm water helped. However, I had Marc call the midwife and check in. She didn't think I was in labor, but rather had a virus or was dehydrated.... She told me that the lower abdomen cramping was not contractions and that I should drink fluids. So after chugging almost a liter of coconut water, I went back into bed. I dozed off between a long contraction set of 15 minutes and awoke to a wave of nausea. I ran to the bathroom and threw up. I returned to the bedroom, and using a few choice words explained that we would be calling the midwife again and that if this weren't labor, we were going to the hospital anyway to get some drugs because I was miserable. Marc called, the midwife said come on in and I told him to grab the bags. It was now 2:40 a.m.
Once at the hospital I was hooked up to monitors that verified that I was indeed experiencing contractions. Thank God!! Had those not been contractions, I would have opted for a C-Section!! They were pretty painful!!
The midwife, Claire, checked me and reported that I was 3 cm dilated and fully effaced. Claire asked me what my pain level was on a scale of 0-10. I said it was about a 7 or 8 during the contractions. Based on the irregular schedule, she said I was not in "active labor" and that I should take my 7 and make it a 2!!!!!!!! YIKES!! I told Marc I was going to need some serious drugs!! He reminded me of all of the reasons why I wanted a natural birth. For the most part I agreed, but was keeping the drug idea in the back of my brain, just in case. :)
Claire decided to admit me and we were wheeled into a labor and delivery room. There I continued experiencing contractions that were not any more regular in duration or time in between. I labored with Marc by my side from 3:00 - 6:30 a.m. He was amazing!! Rubbing my back, talking me through pain, encouraging me to keep up the work and reminding me that at the end of the pain we would meet our little girl.
At 6:30 a.m. I felt a strong urge to start pushing. I informed the nurse of this and she got the midwife. Claire still didn't think I was ready based on the irregularity of the contractions. She then did an exam and exclaimed, "you are 9 1.2 almost 10 cm and ready to have a baby!". Suddenly nurses were rushing around the room preparing and sterilizing. I was really nervous, was I really ready to push and actually have a baby?!?! Ready or not, Lucy was coming!
My water had not yet broken, and the midwife said that she would be back in a minute to break it, when POP, it happened on its own. There was meconium found in her amniotic fluid, which mean she might have it in her lungs. They called the neonatal specialist in to examine her and vacuum out her lungs once she was born. That scared me a little bit, but in the end she was fine.
The pushing was painful, I mean really painful! And it lasted for 2 hours. The worst really only came at the end, the last 3 rounds of pushing were pretty difficult. I had heard the term "ring of fire" through friends and childbirth classes, but never really appreciated the term fire, and how much it would burn. Enough said.
Lucille Jean Legere was born on June 29, at 8:25 a.m. She weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces, was 21 1/2" long, her head was 14 1/2" around and she had a head of rather long, dark hair! Her eyes are dark slate blue and her chin and lips are my favorite features on her perfect little face.
She has a very sweet disposition and is quite a cuddle bug! She cries when she needs something - food, burped, changed - but other than that she is a pretty laid back baby.
Initially she was losing weight and wasn't eating enough. So we had to see a lactation consultant, Martha, through our pediatrician's office. Martha has helped us to boost her eating habits and get her on the right track weight wise. At one point Lucy was down to 8 lbs. 1 oz., however she has fought her way back to 8 lbs. 6 oz. and continues to gain. She is now a healthy eater, waking to feed during the day every 1 1/2 - 3 hours and during the night sometimes she goes 4 hours between feedings.
Marc and I can't believe the amazing change that has taken place in our lives. She truly is miraculous!! Everyone told us, "life will never be the same". Previously that statement scared us! We thought that meant no more sleeping and misery. Now we know that it means no more sleeping but pure joy and love for our daughter. She has made our lives so much richer in the short time she has been with us.
Miss and love you all!
xoxo
Sonya, Marc & Lucy
