McCarthy 6.0
Our only baby with dark hair! Born at about 9:30pm on 4/21/22.
7 lbs, 5 oz
20 inches
If you like birth stories:
Because for this pregnancy I am of “advanced maternal age” (35+) the doctors had all kinds of extra tests they wanted me to do- including weekly non-stress tests at the hospital (which I didn't do). At my last regular checkup, the doctor told me they like to induce at 39 weeks for "old people" because of placental failure being more common in older women. This was really stressful information for me because I like to have natural childbirth and I’ve read a lot of horror stories about how inductions often spiral into C-sections. I also have put a lot of trust in my body to give birth properly to be able to do natural childbirth (it’s as much a mental game as a physical challenge), and this challenges my views. Jay and I decided to do all we could to induce labor naturally- 2 mile walk, spicy food, sex, and it must have worked because I was in labor for about 3 hours the following 2-5am. However, my labor stopped and I went back to sleep. That morning, I was called in for my induction and I told them about my labor and that I’d like to wait another day, to see if I might go into labor naturally. They said ok, but come in for a non-stress test at 10am. Jay was concerned it was a ploy to get me to stay for an induction and so he came with me as my advocate (since I’m such a pushover). The test was fine, but the doctor still came in suggesting an induction. Jay asked many good questions and he sounded convinced that we should just do it. I, honestly, didn’t want to, but I was worried about accidentally having a baby at home, being my 6th, and I did have some more contractions during my test. Because of this weird, spread out, slow labor, I was more afraid of becoming dilated without noticing and let this fear convince me to stay and be induced- but not with pitocin, just with stripping my membranes. I had the doctor check me and I was at 2 cm already. I think if I wasn’t dilated I would have gone home. Since I was strep B positive, I had to have 2 rounds of antibiotics, 4 hours apart, before they would strip my membranes. So, we decided, Jay should go home and situate the kids and get his laptop and come back. I had my first round of antibiotics and sat and read, uneventfully, feeling guilty for not being with the kids instead. I also agreed to take a mild pill that sometimes gets labor going, but it seemed to have no effect. Once Jay came back, we tried walking around to induce labor, but nothing much happened. After my second round of antibiotics, they finally stripped my membranes and the midwife was really surprised by the amount of fluid I had (which is so ironic because one of their worries about advanced maternal age is not having enough fluid). She suspected that all the water and my super stretched out tummy was making Wendell float and not engage well, which is why my labor stopped. Once my labor kicked in, she kept smashing my belly in on every contraction- very uncomfortable, to say the least. It was nice having a midwife guide my labor and help out. I had never had that before. She wasn’t even part of my practice- I think she was just on-call at the hospital.
I think labor felt like it took a long time, to me, because my contractions were not as close together as with the others. On the one hand, it allowed me to recover in between and be ready for the next one, but on the other hand, it drew things out more. I usually have about two hours between water breakage and baby time. This pushing is the only one that I feel like I was really present in the moment and aware of my body and that I remember now. It was the hardest one, I thought, which seems strange. Perhaps because I didn’t really bother with kegels? Or much exercise at all? But I kind of felt like he was stuck and it felt like I had to push more than once in a row to get him out, once he crowned. I felt like with the others it was fast- just one big push. Anyway, I for sure remember yelling and straining, but he made it out! I think the aftershock was the worst with Rose and so I was expecting it to be bad, but it wasn’t too bad. I forgot to mention that one of Jay’s professor friends’ wives was the nurse on call- Emily Cimini. That was nice for me to have someone familiar involved, though I know some people might think it was weird to have an acquaintance help out with such an intimate thing.
A part of me wanted to be induced the next day because 4/22/22 would be cooler 😛.
