I’ve written previous posts about the births of Isaac and Ewan, so I might as well write about Cormac’s birth while the experience is still fresh (at a little over a week ago it’s VERY fresh).
Cormac’s arrival was preceded by a good deal of drama. As with previous babies, I carried extra amniotic fluid (no idea why) and the baby seemed big as well. I was having ultrasounds every week to check on things. The week Cormac was due the ultrasound technician estimated his weight at 9 lb 8 oz. The docs were concerned and there was talk of induction or even a C-section. I was not fond of the idea of inducing — Isaac was induced after my water broke and it was a long, tough birth. I was even less fond of the idea of a C-section. I managed a couple of large-ish babies already without one so I didn’t see why I needed to have one this time.
Anyway, I was already tentatively scheduled to go in that Friday for an induction so I stuck with that (they were offering to take me on Wednesday — that’s how convinced they were I was about to have some massive baby).
So, Friday morning we loaded the car and headed over to the hospital. My mom was in town so she was home to watch the boys for us. I was to be there at 9 so naturally Brian got me there by 8:30 in his usual haste. They put us in a room and we got settled in. Finally my doctor, Beth (I’m on a first-name basis with this one because we teach church school together), came. She gave me some proglastin stuff to soften the cervix to help start labor. That was around 9:30. So then she left again and I was strapped to monitors for a bit. Then I was released and we tooled around the ward and watched Westerns on my room TV. Not much action at that point. I had another dose of proglastin at around 1 or so and I was put on the monitors for a bit again. After that I finally started having real labor contractions. We tooled around the ward again (more and more slowly) and watched some more Westerns. I also spent some time sitting on a birthing ball, bouncing a bit to knock that baby downward.
We kept plugging along for a while and then Beth said she was thinking of breaking my waters. She suggested I go ahead with an epidural since the pain would intensify after my water broke (and I knew this for a fact from Ewan’s birth). I decided to go ahead. The anesthesiologist came in and was doing his thing to prep me when there was a crisis across the hall and they called him. Another woman had a prolapsed cord and they had to do an emergency C-section. He rushed out and we put my epidural on hold. He came back a little while later (after what he said was the fastest C-section he’d ever seen). He told me it was lucky he was in the ward at that time and that my choosing to have an epidural may have ensured the safe arrival of the baby girl. I have to admit that made me feel better about wimping out and getting the pain relief (told myself my weakness may have saved a life!)
So we went ahead with the epidural and a while later Beth broke my waters (I was about 4 or 5 cm dilated then). Then we waited a while and watched some more westerns (it was an all-western day on AMC). The anesthesiologist had to up my epidural dose as my pain was no longer much relieved. Then a while later I started getting major pain that was not helped by the epidural at all. I went into my typical late labor stage of tears and mental collapse. In retrospect it was a little funny because I would suck it up when Beth and the nurse came back in — I’d be a bit teary but not out of control. Then they’d go out and I’d cling to Brian and whimper and wail. Beth commented to the nurse once that I was not a complainer so I wouldn’t tell them when I was really in pain — Brian responded that I only complained to him. In retrospect he was 100% right.
Anyway, once the breakdown happened things progressed quickly. Beth and I both started to wonder if I could go through with it. Brian made me look in his eyes and insisted I could do do it (he did that at some point in both previous births — it’s how he works his mojo). They were contemplating upping my epidural again but first Beth checked and I was fully dilated. Then a few minutes later I finally felt the urge to push. Beth had to act fast to get her full delivery gear on (shower cap thingy, gloves, booties, etc.). I was already pushing as she kept suiting up. I pushed four times (or really 8 because each pushing session involved 2 big pushing attempts) and the baby finally burst forth (it really feels like something bursting forth — or like splitting your body in half). I couldn’t believe how quickly he came after my previous births (I had 8 hours of pushing with Isaac, for Pete’s sake). Apparently at the end Beth did a quick episiotomy (I had no idea until it was all over) and did some pulling as well. Cormac had the cord around his neck but not tightly (so he was in much better shape than Ewan was when he emerged with the cord around his neck).
Then of course it was time for baby cleanup and examination and all that while I had to deliver the placenta. So Brian was already over there cooing and checking out my baby while I was being fussed with. Daddies get all the fun.
So labor started at something like 1:30 or 2 pm after a 9:30 am start to the induction. We only needed the proglastin and then breaking the water to move things along. I was thankful we never needed Pitocin. We moved pretty quickly from 5cm to 10cm and of course the pushing was the fastest I’d ever experienced. I have to admit, once Cormac was out I was kind of hoping they’d tell me he was a 10-lber — for the bragging rights, I guess, but instead we learned he was 8lb 9oz — just a little squeaker for us! I’m perfectly happy with a little guy, though, and he’s a very sweet easygoing baby (so far).
