Thread: *~*~* Sarah's (Shummel) Birth Lodge *~*~*

ELVs! Can't wait to hear more.

All natural - it was horrible! *Haha! *Transition was 6 to a 10 in about 15 min!! *It was incredibly intense! *She weighs 7lb 6oz - 20 in long. I tore pretty bad - her shoulders turned last min. I'm so in love she is just gorgeous!! Nursing like a champ and she is so sweet! I'll post the whole birth story and pix when I can - just updating on my phone right now. Sooo tired - she didn't get here until 10:27a yesterday morning - it was a loooong night of stalling at 4cm for about 10 hours with no intervention! Thanks for the easy labor vibes and well wishes - we are on cloud 9!

Congratulations!!! Sorry to hear about the stall out, but at least transition was fast! Glad to hear everyone is happy and healthy, can't wait for details and pics!

Congrats Sarah!

Congratulations! Can't wait for the full story!

Congratulations! Can't wait to hear all about it

Congrats! Sorry you stalled at a 4 for so long but I'm glad transition was super fast. Can't wait to hear more about it.

Teresa Joy "Rese" born February 11, 2011 at 10:27am. 39w 2d. 7lb 6oz 20in.

I had been having regular contractions on and off since about 36 weeks - so was never sure if I was going to know when it was "the real thing". Thursday night, Feb 10, I went to my sister's for dinner. While I was there, her DH brought me a decaf chocolate coconut latte - yumm! I'm wondering if that's what did it?? I left my sister's house around 7:30p and was having some pretty strong contrax. I was feeling like maybe I shouldn't be driving! DH was at church and I was contemplating calling him to come home - I had one really strong contraction and decided to go ahead and call.

I got home around 8p and DH met me there. I ran DS a bath and started bouncing on my birth ball while DH and I watched American Idol. We watched the whole show and at 9p I started feeling "better" and figured I'd better try to sleep. I put DS to bed and I laid down on the couch next to DH to get some rest while we watched another show - not sure what it was. A little after 9:30p I felt a small gush of fluid. I jumped up off the couch and said "I think my water just broke!" I ran to the bathroom and didn't have any more fluid coming out but my underwear was soaked.

I called the afterhours number at the midwifery center and left a message and texted my sister and mom to let them know something was up. Because of my GBS + status the mw had me come right in.

We dropped DS off at a friend's house and headed into the midwifery center. On the way there my contrax started getting a lot stronger and my water fully broke the rest of the way! I was SOAKED!! My sister was there when we arrived. She grabbed a wheelchair and got me up to our room while DH parked the car and grabbed all of our stuff.

The mw checked me and I was 2 - 3cm and 80% - 90% effaced. She said to do whatever I could to rest because it looked like I would be laboring over night and would need my strength. I tried to lay down on the queen bed in the room but I couldn't get comfortable. I sat in the rocking chair and closed my eyes. I had my "Beautiful Exchange" Hillsong CD playing in the room and they had the jacuzzi tub filled and rippling. It was really peaceful. My DH, mom, and sister all decided to sleep in the bed instead



At about 3a I was having a harder time relaxing. I went into the lobby (right outside my door) where my SIL and her friend were hanging out. We sat there for a couple of hours talking with my mw and my nurse. SIL timed contrax through that time. They stayed about exactly 3 min apart. More water gushed out at every contraction and they were getting more painful. Around 6a I decided I wanted to walk a bit but I couldn't walk through the contrax - I went back in my room and leaned on DH rocking my hips and moaning through contrax.

An hour later DH wanted me to be checked. I was nervous to be checked because I knew the contrax just weren't close enough together to have done much - but DH was anxious for me to be able to get in the tub - he was hoping that would relieve some of the pain. I declined the check - Mw suggested I get in the shower. I sat on the birthing ball leaning over a shelf with the water pouring down my back. Contrax were much more manageable but also slowing down.

My nurse Megan came in and said she was leaving and Erica would be taking over. I cried! I begged her to take me with her! Haha! She said she would come back to check on me that night and meet my baby girl (she did - she was so awesome!) DH asked mw to check my cervix hoping the crying was a good sign. At 8a I was only 4cm.

Mw got me out of the shower since water seemed to be slowing down contrax. I leaned on DH some more and then decided to try the shower again. Even if it slowed things down again, I could at least get some relief - I actually dozed off a couple of times in there.

I got out and was crying sitting on the toilet when mw asked me what I wanted to do. I kept saying I was so tired and I just wanted to sleep. She asked what she could do for me. She asked if I was saying I wanted an epi (I think she was trying to gauge where I was at mentally) - I said of course not. She asked if I wanted some benedryl to help get the edge off and maybe I could sleep - she also offered getting out the breastpump. I didn't want anything - I just wanted the baby to come. I was nervous any type of intervention could slow things down more. I stood some more leaning on DH.

At about 10a DH asked for another check which I agreed to. I was 6 cm. Mw said baby and I were both "flat" and asked the nurse to get me a fluid bag - she thought that might help me progress. I had been drinking but really just small sips here and there. I already had the heplock in for the antibiotics so the fluids came quickly and I decided to focus on that mentally - pretending the bag of saline was actually medication Mw was happy with the 6cm tho and said things should move more quickly now that I had gotten past the 5 cm mark - boy was she right!

Mw had me lean over the birthing ball in the bed on my hands and knees - suddenly the pain was getting really intense really fast! I was letting out small screams while everyone was rubbing me in different areas trying to get me to relax. I couldn't hold still I had to move! Nurse quickly moved me to sitting on the ball leaning over the bed. That was no good either. I felt myself pushing! I was freaked out because I had literally just been checked and I was only a 6! I was saying that I couldn't relax that I needed help - I was so scared because my body literally took over and I couldn't control anything. When I said that I couldn't stop pushing and it was burning my SIL quickly ran out to grab the mw.

She ran in and ordered me onto the bed for a check - I told her I didn't want to be checked! I assumed I was still a 6 and just didn't want to hear that again. I kept saying I couldn't do it anymore... She insisted that she check me immediately! I laid down and she said - of course you can't do it anymore - her head is almost out! Just push out your baby! I begged to get in the tub (they had been waiting for me to be 7cm to allow it - bummer!) and she said there wasn't time I just needed to push!

Pushing was the most incredibly intense, amazing feeling in the whole world! As soon as I knew it was ok to be pushing I felt completely back in control. Everytime I had a contraction, my body pushed little Rese down a little more. No one told me how to push or when - I just did what felt natural. Everyone was giving me the play by play of what was going on, telling me when they saw her head and saying that she had hair! It was so exciting to hear the "news" from that end and kept me excited and focused on meeting my little girl.

Once her head was all the way out her shoulders got stuck. My family later said that the mw had been pulling gently on her head but she just wasn't coming. Not sure how long it was exactly but mw looked me in the eye and said, "I need you to stop whining and push your baby the rest of the way out". I was freaked out by the look in her eyes - I said "But I'm not having a contraction right now." and she said "I don't care". I was like - yikes! I pushed with all my might and she popped the rest of the way out! With a nice little tear Oh well!

Rese was immediately put on my chest while mw asked for some novocain to get me stitched up. Rese just wanted to sleep but she was turning purple and then blue - she was literally the color of the girl violet on Willy Wonka when she eats the blueberry pie gum! I said something about how blue she was - mw picked her up and rubbed her vigorously until she started full on screaming. She was pink pink pink after that! At some point the placenta came out, I got stitched up (that was crazy painful!), and the cord was cut.

Rese started nursing at 11:15am - only 45 minutes old. I started trying within 15 min of birth and it took her about 30 to get what was going on - but when she finally latched right and started sucking it was like heaven for me! I got the full bonding experience that I never got with DS. I felt so complete - so in love - so happy! I wasn't tired anymore for sure!

At around noon a nursery nurse came in and asked if we wanted to have her weighed yet. I told her I wasn't ready to give her up just yet - I asked if she could just hang out for a few min. She was cool with that - Rese had pooped on my stomach and it was getting all over the blankets - so she just helped clean up around and changed out the blankets and stuck a diaper on her while I was holding her.

Finally I was ready to let them check her out. They took her right beside my bed and weighed and measured her. They asked if it was ok to give her the vitamin K shot and eye ointment now - I had already agreed to both. I said yes - they did that and then gave her right back to me.

Later I let them come back and help DH give her a bath in the room. They put her in a little footie pj outfit I brought for her - all fresh and clean and pink

Here are some pix:









She is an absolute angel! She loves to snuggle and only cries when she's cold. We are co-sleeping right now which is amazing. Saw the dr. for her 4 day check up yesterday and has already gained back her birthweight! yahoo! My milk came in two nights ago - I'm still a little engorged but it's not been as painful this time as with DS - thank God!!

Big brother is so good. The first time he held her he had tears streaming down his face. I asked him why he was crying and he said it was because he just loved her so much! He told me this morning that she is our baby, we are going to keep her forever, and no bad guys will ever get her.

Awww I love the pics. Thank you sooo much for sharing. It sounds intense, but over all a really great birth. I hate to do this, but at some point someone will. (I am the mod over on signature help) The pic you have in your signature is adorable, but slightly too big. It is 600X400. If you could shrink it down to less than 500X500 that would be great. I love it though you guys looks so happy.

What a great story. What your DS said had me tearing up - silly hormones of mine. Give that kid a squeeze for me. He made my day!