Baby Dash Arrives...

Dashel Brooks Martin
10/11/07
7:52 pm
7lbs 9oz
19 in long

and DRUG FREE!!!

So apparently, whatever the Dr. did on Wednesday to "stir things up" worked! I started having a lot of "show" immediately and had a few good contractions Wednesday night. By Thursday morning they had regulated - just in time for Brooks to have to take my mom to the airport! I had him take Fin with them and I stayed at home to monitor things.

My contractions picked up a bit so I called Yvonne, our doula, and put her on notice. Then I called Jenny to come sit for Fin - and she had the FLU!! A quick call to Monika and Fin was taken care of for the evening. I finished packing my bag, packed a bag for Fin and had Brooks bring some lunch home. After we ate, things really felt like they were taking off so I had Brooks take Fin to Monikas and Yvonne came over. We all chatted while I worked through things at home from about 12- 3:30. At that point I wasn't sure about handling contractions in the car, so we headed up to the hospital.

Once we were through admitting etc., I got a room and was checked - I was at a 6! Great to hear since I felt like that was where I would be. Our nurse was amazing - super supportive of my drug free plans and full of nothing but encouraging words. She didn't make me have an IV or a heplock which was fantastic! The Dr. stopped in briefly, ok'ed all my birth wishes and said he'd see me later. By about 5:30 I was in some serious pain. I'll have to put more details in here later when our doula gives us her version of the birth, since it's all a blur to me. One nurse said I was at 10 around 6pm with just a small lip, then another nurse came on and she said I was only at 9. My bag of waters was bulging and they knew that all I needed was to have it broken and baby would follow, but the Dr. was in with a difficult delivery and unavailable. Finally, the nurse checked me again and "Oops, I broke her water" :) What an angel! Unfortunately there was meconium, although it was "thin" I was still freaked out. The next few contractions were unbearable and all of a sudden I was totally out of control. It was like my body was totally not my own and I almost laughed when told not to push yet! By the time the Dr. came in, he was looking into Dash's eyes as I had half his head out already! He caught the babe just in time and all was well! He put Dash right on my chest, which they didn't really do with Fin, and that was pretty amazing.

Dash nursed right away, pooped, and passed out :) We went right into a recovery room and were able to get some sleep before they brought me an early morning roomate (the hospital was SUPER busy!). Brooks spent most of Friday with Fin - they had an early morning visit and then came back to get Dash and I at 3pm. It was SO GREAT to get home! The girl sharing a room with me was electing to stay until Sunday. That would have been such a nightmare for me!! Dash wasn't so into the whole "sleeping" thing last night, so here's hoping that gets better, but he's so cute I can't complain. I'm recovering pretty well, no stitches or tears which is great, but the "afterpains" the second time around are NO JOKE! I'm seriously regretting telling my Dr. I didn't need pain meds before leaving the hospital. Other than that all is well! I posted pics over on Fin's blog - check out the new brothers!