My milk came in today, and I might be more sensitive than others, I don't know, but I am hurting pretty bad. I remember this phase after I had Monkey too, but oh man that doesn't make it feel any better. I don't recall how long it took before it started feeling better, but I know it took time. I'm just really hoping to get established and for my skin to grow an extra (tougher) layer. But with every time I feed her, I know we're getting closer and gaining something. So I persist. I tell myself it won't last forever, which it won't. I just hope that it resolves sooner rather than later.
So I thought I'd put an abbreviated version of Munchkin's birth story on here. Again, with the pain came the gain. If you've been reading, you know most of it since I posted that night. Anyhow, after I posted and the kiddos were in bed, the contractions continued to get stronger, and I was doing controlled breathing during each one, letting the hubs or my mom rub my back kneeling on the floor leaning on something. Around 9:20 I decided we needed to gear up to go and if they sent me home, so be it. It was 10 before we left and my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and pretty intense. I was so freaked out that I was going to have contractions in the car and knew it would hurt being in that sitting position. But as fortune would have it, I didn't have a single one. I had one right before I got in, and right as the hubs parked the car another one started. I was able to get out and endure it standing. At the end of that contraction, my water broke. Just a trickle, but nonetheless. We got in and a nurse checked me. She said I was dilated to 8. I was so excited!! Never thought I'd hear that! I asked for my intrathecal and they moved me into a delivery room asap. (None were available when we first walked in.) So they got me set up asap and I got my intrathecal. After that, my doc came in and checked me. She decided I was more of a 6-7. That was a slight bummer, but I honestly didn't care since I was medicated. My mom and mother-in-law came and we hung out for a while. After about an hour and a half my back pain started to come back. Just not as strong. (This would be about 12:30 am.) They checked me and I was about a 9. So I rolled over and kept breathing through the contractions with the hubs rubbing my back. They came in at 1:00 and I was ready to start pushing. I pushed once and her head slid all the way down. (It was such a weird feeling.) Then I waited and relaxed until the next contraction. Once it hit, I started pushing and it was the most intense and painful experience I've ever had. We're pretty sure my intrathecal wore off, so I was doing it natural at this point. (At least mostly worn off. No way to know for sure.) I was not prepared for that sensation, since my intrathecal with Monkey was completely in effect when I was pushing for her delivery. There was no way I was going to stop pushing. The doctor told me to do whatever was natural, and stopping was not natural. So I basically kept pushing non-stop until she came out. I also ended up screaming (which I had not done during labor before), getting a pretty nice dry, scratchy throat. Munchkin was born at 1:08. So from the first push, long pause, to the second long push was only 8 minutes. Her head was pretty darn round since she came out so fast. I remember when she came out completely having this immense feeling of relief, literally feeling a weight being lifted from me. (Which I suppose happened, quite literally.) The doctor asked me if I wanted to push to get the placenta and whatnot out faster, and I couldn't even do it. I was so spent. It was such a crazy and unexpectedly painful experience, but it was still remarkable and I'm happy with how it turned out. She wasn't born on April Fool's day and I didn't have to have a c-section.
Munchkin is doing awesome. The kiddos adore her. Everytime Monkey sees her, she says, "Hello baby!" as though she's surprised she's here each time. It's so cute. I'm hoping she sleeps better tonight now that my milk is in. She's certainly been napping well and falling asleep really easily and peacefully all afternoon. So glad Munchkin joined our family. It's only been a few days, but what a joy she is!
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