Thread: Baby came before lodge could even get posted!

Well, I wonder if I jinxed myself. Yesterday I was out taking photos of the lunar eclipse, up wayyyy late, and after uploading my pics to my website and sewing some, my water broke!

I called the midwife, we did some tests over the phone and determined it was infact my water. We were able to find a way to keep me in the birth center... if you go by my LMP, i was 37 weeks, but I was fairly certain of my O date, which would put me at 35 weeks. But, if we went by 35 weeks, I would have had to go to the hospital, so we are going by my LMP

I went into the birth center and she gave me some caster oil and some black cohosh to induce the contractions since I was not having any. That sucked! I was sent back home to nap for a few hours (this was at 8am or so). By 11am i had started to have contractions. By 1 or so, they were 1 min long, 3 mins apart. We went into the birth center and was checked at 2pm or so, i was only 1cm dilated and just starting to be effaced. At 5:00-5:30 (time is a bit hazy, i didnt have a watch), i was checked and was 5-6 cm 90% effaced. They started the water at that point. By 6:00 i was in the water, and only a few contractions later, i felt the urge to push. Midwife checked, and sure enough, i was fully dilated and ready to go. At 6:20 i started pushing. Reading sure does not prepare you for what the birth experience is like.

My husband surprisingly watched the whole time and held the flashlight for the midwife. He said he'd be the "up at the head" kinda husband's, but he was too enthralled to look away. The midwife did have to remind him to breathe a couple times though. Within about 10 pushes, the baby was crowning. Once the baby was crowned, shoulders and body all came out in one fell push. He cried immediately and was staring at me, it was absolutely beautiful.

They let him stay with me for 5-10 mins, but then had to take him to check his lungs incase they werent fully matured. Luckily, they were. Unfortunately, his birth weight was too low and he had to be admitted to the hospital. He was born at 7:03pm, at 5 lbs 5 oz. The birth center rule (or law, not sure) is that babies have to be admitted if they are under 5 lbs 8 oz, so just barely under that limit He is absolutely fine otherwise, he is breathing fantastically, his color is great, really responsive, absolutely perfect for a preterm baby!

We hope to take him home tomorrow morning, we went home for the night tonight to try to get some rest since he might come home

He is not nursing very well though. My nipples are too large for his mouth according to the LC at the hospital. THey have me pumping for now, so if anyone has any suggestions/help, that would be great. I can get most of the nipple in his mouth, but he wont suck. He'll take one or two sucks, and then stop. Is it because i just dont have any milk yet and he doesnt want the colostrum?

Anyway, here is a link to the pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...1&l=c8f09fd7a9

Stats: Born at 12/21/2010 at 7:03pm
18.5 inches long
5 lbs 5 oz

edit to add: also, no tears! Yay!

AWESOME BIRTH! You sound like me last year....I delivered right as they started the lodge and the previous child, I delivered before the lodge haha. What a pain you had to admit him to the hospital because of weight! Hope you have him home with you today! I don't have a whole lot of experience with nursing problems....but would something like a nursing shield help until he's a bit bigger? My first was born at 35w 5d and I had a painful 6 weeks when we started nursing....in time it gets better and you'll enjoy it Enjoy your new bundle of joy!!!! CONGRATS!

Congratulations!!

As for the nursing issue, there's a LC in my town that I've spoken to, and she told me that babes between 35-37 weeks have an AWFUL time with the sucking reflex. In her experience, it takes them for.ever. to get nursing down. So, I doubt that it's you or him. Just keep trying to get him to nurse, and if possible, instead of bottle feeding him whatever you pump, try to use a supplementer (you can find instructions online for a REALLY cheap homemade version, which is essentially hospital-grade feeding tube and a bottle with the hole in the nipple enlarged to fit the feeding tube through, place the feeding tube on your nipple inside babe's mouth, so that when he sucks on your nipple, he gets the expressed milk as well).

Unfortunately, babes during this age just have a harder time (on average, not always) with nursing, so just persevere. You can do it momma!! congrats again!

Congratulations! He is adorable!

Oh wow, congrautlations! What a cute little peanut!

Congrats!!! sounds like it couldn't have gone better!! As for the nursing you will make it work it just make take some time since he is a premie. You need to be pumping at LEAST every 2 hours, and I would either use a dropper, cup feed, or use a SNS system. Get tons of skin to skin contact. You and him should cuddle up in bed for the next week and be skin to skin most of the time. This will all help with your supply. You can do it!! He will get the hang of it just be patient!

Congrats! He is a cute little guy! 5Ibs 5oz isn't bad for being early. My 39 week baby was 5Ibs 12oz and my 41 week baby was only 6Ibs 7oz. I have small baby's.

Awww congrats I am sorry baby had to be admitted, but I am glad all is well.

Sounds like it went really smoothly, and what a fast labor! That's interesting what mandora said about earlier babies having trouble nursing. My sister's baby was born at 36 1/2 weeks, he was 5 lbs 15 oz and had a hard time with nursing at first. He wouldn't latch right, was jaundiced and sleepy, they wanted her to supplement formula etc. She had to use a nipple shield for a while, but stuck with it and he's 5 months old now and still nursing. I don't have any personal experience but I know it is very possible to get through those early weeks when nursing can be hard!

Congratulations! What a great birth!

What the previous poster said about premies and having a hard time bfing is totally true! I've seen it a ton (work in a mat ward). Keep at it, lots of skin to skin, use a nipple shield if you start to get sore, supplement a little if you must (otherwise he'll get too exhausted to suck well), but know it will work out! It just takes time for a lot of the little guys