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March 29, 2005
Matthew's Birth
My dr. decided to induce me at 39 weeks. There really wasn't a *good* reason, other than the hypertension I'd had at the end with Katie (but hadn't really had yet this time), and the fact that they were thinking Matthew was going to be a big baby. I didn't complain - my induction with K went so well, and we liked the idea of not rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night without having arrangements made for Katie. So, off we trotted to the hospital Friday morning, and got checked in. I was dilated to about 4 and 50% effaced when I got checked, but my cervix was still posterior. And, low and behold, my blood pressure was up to hypertension level, so I guess the whole hypertension concern was valid after all.
At about 7:30, the pitocin drip was started. I didn't realize they'd even hooked it up until I started feeling cramping (what can I say? I was enthralled with cable TV since we don't have it at home anymore - lol). At about 10:30 or 11:00, my dr. came in and broke my water, and they got the epidural going. When I had the epidural with Katie, it only worked on the left side of my body leaving me to feel it all on my right, so I was a little skeptical about this one. However, it worked, and for about an hour I watched the contractions register higher and higher on the monitor with feeling a thing.
I had joked with the nurses that I was going to have a lunchtime baby, and at about 12:05 I looked at the clock and said I must have been wrong on that one. I sent Chris to the cafeteria with my cell phone to eat lunch and my mom and I were watching decorating shows and chit-chatting with the dr. and nurses. About 10 minutes later I was starting to feel pressure in my lower pelvic area, and when they checked me sometime around then, I was at 6. The dr. ordered a Foley catheter and left the room. Let me make it clear right here how much I HATE having a catheter (okay, so I don’t know anyone who would say they liked it, but still), so I protested and begged the nurse not to do it, but they said that my bladder was so full it was in the way of his head. So, in went the cath (yuck) and within 5 min. (around 12:25, maybe?) I was REALLY feeling the contractions - apparently the bladder being out of the way did the trick (I later apologized to the nurse and told her she was right)! I knew from my labor with Katie that I was going into transition. I didn't send for Chris yet because they weren't super close together, but then they got closer and we called him back. He came in about 3 closely-spaced contractions before I felt the pressure to push. The nurse checked me and I was at 8 already! My dr. hurried back, and I was ready to push within a couple of contractions of her coming in.
It's strange - with Katie, I felt all the contractions and transition and everything, but when it came to pushing it didn't bother me that much. This time was MUCH different. I think because he came so fast, I maybe wasn't mentally ready? Anyway, on the first push I found myself screaming like one of those people on television shows that I swore I'd never be like. My dr. very nicely but firmly told me to calm down, and I found myself saying between pants, "Okay, I'm sorry, I know, I know!" I pushed only about 5 times total, and boy did it hurt when he was crowning! Again, I was surprised at how much more aware I was of the pain than when I pushed Katie out. But, before I knew it, there he was, out in 10 minutes.
I was surprised when they placed Matthew on me that he was not as big as we thought he'd be (pleasantly surprised)! Matthew came into the world at 1:04 p.m. on March 18th, weighing in at 7lbs, 10oz, and measuring 20 inches long. He has a head full of dark, dark hair, even darker than Katie's. We all decided that he looked a whole lot like she did as a newborn - although since then his look has changed a lot and he is already looking different from his sister. He definitely has a ‘boy’ face about him, too. I remember Katie looked a little more gender-neutral, but to me he definitely looks like a boy!
Recovery is going great - even easier than it was with Katie. I felt so much better immediately after giving birth. I had forgotten what it was like to walk around without the big belly in front of me.
Mr. Matthew is fitting in well with the family. He is a ravenous nurser (ouch!) and sleeps a lot still. Katie doesn’t seem jealous of him. She goes between ambivalence and curiosity, and will give him kisses if we ask.
So far we are enjoying life as a family of four. It’s a little bittersweet when I think that this is my last baby, but I’m looking forward to watching Matthew go through all the stages that Katie went through as a baby, and then moving on to all the fun kid stuff we’ll be able to do with them as they get older. I’m going to try and savor it all.
Laura, Katie & Matthew
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