Jacqueline's Birth Story

Well you know Jai has written a few posts about the labor & contractions, but I haven't yet (it's July now). I don't know why - busy probably constantly feeding a baby. I know I wrote Julia's story much sooner, but I also have 2 children now so everything is slightly harder to complete sometimes. I kind of wish I had because  it's harder to remember, but really you don't need all the gritty details.

From Jai's posts you see that the process was a bit longer, but some of that is ignorance. I didn't realize I was in labor, having contractions as early as I did with Julia; this time I knew what was happening. I also felt like it happened really quickly with Julia & I was at work for many of those hours & I didn't want to be at a school if I progressed super quick. That however was not the case & I wonder if being more aware made me less relaxed & prolonged the labor/contractions process. Who knows & with everything related to having another child, you realize they are different so therefore labor & delivery was also. Thank goodness delivery was different! I had a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesearan).

Finally on day 2 (Wednesday afternoon) without getting much sleep for 2 previous nights, 2 nights my mom spent the night in our guest room, 2 trips to midwife to be informed I was 2 cm (Tues, Claire) & 5cm (Wed, Linda) & soon I would have a baby, not sure about who would be watching Julia as it depended on day & time, I was done. I decided that this baby was getting out of my body somehow that day/night. Like I was going to get more rest with a newborn! However, at least I wouldn't be having contractions.

Here's the timeline:
4pm I called midwife, said we're headed to hospital
We put Johnders in back yard, called Kris to ask/tell her to pick him up after school
4:30pm We dropped off Julia at Anne Marie & Kevin's house for her "slumber party"
5:00pm We arrived at Vanderbilt Hospital, admitted to L&D floor (contractions are more intense)
5:30pm Midwife (Lauren) checked me & I'm 6.5 cm (contractions are intense)
6:00pm Called my mom & asked when she's getting here, soon she arrived
7:30pm Midwife (Claire) checked me & I'm 7.5 cm (contractions are really intense)
I tell her to break my water, I'm done with this slow progress & I know it will bring me completely to 10.
7:45pm Break water
8:00pm I say "I need to push!"
8:43pm Jacqueline Suzanne arrives!! 
HALLELUJAH!


Details
Oxygen was involved - I couldn't regulate my breathing with pushing & baby's heart rate was fluctuating.
They kept saying "I see hair" but I couldn't understand why no baby was out!
Vacuum was involved - again concerned about baby's heart rate.
Some major tearing so some repair work that seemed to take forever.
Recovery nothing like with C-section thankfully.
Oh, also had to have "nitrous oxate" as the adrenaline kicked in & I was shaking majorly.
Good stuff, really helped calm me down.

Jai got to hold Jacqueline almost immediately & he cut the umbilical cord.
Bonnie got to hold her after Jai.
So much better than the surgery route!

I joke that if Julia had been born vaginally, I doubt Jacqueline would exist.
It is amazing to push your baby out of your body, but it is majorly intense.
You cannot understand until you do it & I'm glad I did.
Definitely no more Jai & Tara babies coming out of Tara's body.

: )