Joel's birth story

[Tiina Kartovaara]

And since DH originally posted on the wrong ng, and I *love* the William
Blake poem, I'm including it here too.

"My mother groaned, my father wept;
into the the dangerous world I leapt;
Helpless, naked, piping loud,
Like a fiend hid in a cloud.

Struggling in my father's hands,
Striving against my swaddling-bands,
Bound and weary, I thought best
To sulk upon my mother's breast."


It is very apt - I did groan a lot, and DH did cry when his son was born.

It all started around 10.45 pm on Friday night, when my water broke. I
was reading in bed, and DH had just come home from the dry dock where
he'd moved our boat for the winter. He was quite tired and had just come
to bed, when I felt a trickle and then a gush. When I got up, there was
a big wet spot on the bed and, soon after, a couple of puddles on the floor.

I called the hospital and asked whether I should come in, even though I
had no contractions. They said yes, just in case the head wasn't
completely engaged, to monitor the baby's heartbeat, etc. So I hastily
packed a bag (I hadn't even done that!!) and called Cindy, our
babysitter. She's an American living in Finland and speaks little
Finnish; while she's a good friend of ours and DD knows her well, we
wondered how Emilia would react on waking up not with us but Cindy,
trying think of Finnish words for "baby" and "hospital".. :-)

We did the 35-minute drive to the hospital, where I was checked and
monitored for a while. The baby's head was engaged, my cervix was 2 cm
dilated and 100% effaced, and the baby's heartbeat was fine and
reactive. Since I wasn't having any contractions, the midwife gave us a
birthing room with a double bed and told us to sleep while we still could.

DH slept, I dozed a little, and started having irregular contractions
around 4 am at 15-20 minute intervals. They weren't bad yet, but like
pretty hard period pain with extra backache. That would soon change.

Around 7 am, the contractions got more intense and came at 10-minute
intervals or less; that's when my active labor started. After that, it
escalated pretty fast. I was grabbing tablelegs and other pieces of
furniture, trying to breathe and relax, but this was going much faster
than my first labor. Music? I couldn't have cared less. I couldn't bear
the thought of listening to anything. Between 8 and 9, I was monitored
for about an hour.

By 9.30 am, I was on the floor, leaning on a birthing ball, groaning and
cursing. Relaxation was a joke. Muscles working? Riiight! This time, my
mantra was the Finnish equivalent of "F***! S***! This hurts!!" It was
*so* much more intense than with #1. DH said I made these "Total Recall
expressions", meaning the horrible, bug-eyed grimaces Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Rachel Ticotin made in that movie when they were
running out of oxygen! At least DH was gracious enough not to tell me
that while it was happening - when he mentioned it the day after, I
found it hilarious. The day before, I don't think so..

The contractions between 10 and 10.45 were HARD. Almost continuous, with
no time to relax in between. I was still crouching on the birthing ball,
vocalizing a lot and thinking I was going to die. When the midwife
examined me at 10.45 and told me I was fully dilated, it was such a
relief! At least those hellish contractions had been effective!

BTW, the midwife, called Leena, was great. The Finnish system is that
you go to the nearest municipal prenatal clinic for prenatal care, see
an NP and occasionally a doctor, and give birth in the nearest
hospital, where you're taken care of whoever happens to be working at
the time - primarily midwives, with a doctor in attendance. These are
people you haven't necessarily even met,and I hadn't met my midwife. But
she was wonderful! She was very supportive and warm, and a marathon
runner like me - even our times on Helsinki City Marathon were just four
minutes apart! :-)

I started "warm-up pushes" around 11 am, tried different positions and
was monitored for a while - the baby's heartbeat was still fine. At this
time, I took a couple of whiffs of nitrous oxide during contractions,
but didn't like it and stopped. I also threw up a few times. :-P

The serious pushing started at 11.45. I found I had no interest in
pushing on all fours, on the stool, etc; I preferred to have something
against my back. Most of the time, I pushed on my side, leg raised, or
even on my back, with my butt slightly raised and my legs propped
against Leena and DH. I really felt I could push most effectively in
those positions.

Even so, the pushing stage was pretty long and hard work. The baby
wasn't totally posterior this time, but not in an ideal position either;
he kept turning around and was finally born facing up. But before that,
another midwife, Milla, joined Leena, and they both cheered me on. They
told me that natural childbirth was "a rare treat" for them and that
most women asked for an epidural right away! I loved hearing how spunky
I was! I pushed, grunted and made more horrible faces, I'm sure.

Anyway, slowly but surely I made progress. By 11.30, DH could see baby's
hair, and rang the midwives who were with another laboring woman at the
time. We were getting close! Leena and Milla were great, and DH was a
rock. I pushed and I pushed, the baby was crowning, and after trying to
stretch me for a while, Leena cut a small episiotomy to speed things up.
Before that, the doctor popped in and offered to assist with a vacuum if
necessary, but I thought I could do it without help.

And I could! Well, Milla pressed on my belly while I pushed, and I felt
like a giant tube of mustard being squeezed. But it worked - the head
came out, face up, and with another push, the body. The baby was all
slimy and bloody and kind of gray and floppy at first, and lost a couple
of APGAR points for that. The color improved soon, so the points were 8/9.

Leena lifted the umbilical cord, and I exclaimed: "A boy!" DH kissed me
and actually cried. He cut the cord, and the baby was placed on my
belly in all his slimy glory. Gosh, what a relief! He looked healthy, if
incredibly beaten up, and his head looked like he had one of those huge
cartoon bumps.

He was weighed (3520g or 7 lbs 12 oz) and measured (52,5 cm or 21,5
inches). His head circumference was 35 cm. DH gave him a bath while
Leena gently pulled out the placenta and then stitched me; while I was
still on the table, we called Emilia at home and told her she had a baby
brother. Her initial response was a none too gracious "Why? I wanted a
baby sister!" but I'm happy to say she got over it.

Within an hour of giving birth, I was sitting in a rocking chair in the
birthing room, showered and elated, eating lunch and talking to my MIL
on the phone. It was such a giddy feeling! It had been very hard but
also incredibly rewarding, and I knew I *never had to do it again*. Yay!
No more! We're done!

Joel also nursed for the first time in the birthing room, not very
energetically, but it was a game attempt. He has since gotten much more
proficient. My milk came in the evening of the first day after the
birth, instead of the morning of the third, like with Emilia.

I have to go now, but I'm looking forward to checking out all the
developments with other September moms!


Tiina
Happy mom to Emilia,4
and Joel, b. 09/06/03

[Coccinella]

You are very brave. Congratulations Tiina and welcome to baby Joel.

Nicky

P.S. I love the poem.

What a great story and Congrats!!
Mark

"Laurie" > wrote in message
t...
>
> Tiina Kartovaara wrote in message >...
> >And since DH originally posted on the wrong ng, and I *love* the William
> >Blake poem, I'm including it here too.
> >
> >"My mother groaned, my father wept;
> >into the the dangerous world I leapt;
> >Helpless, naked, piping loud,
> >Like a fiend hid in a cloud.
> >
> >Struggling in my father's hands,
> >Striving against my swaddling-bands,
> >Bound and weary, I thought best
> >To sulk upon my mother's breast."
>
> Beautiful poem, and great birth story! Congrats and welcome to baby Joel!
>
> laurie
> mommy to Jessica, 29 months
> and Christopher, 4 months
>
> *This email address is now valid*
> >
> >
> >It is very apt - I did groan a lot, and DH did cry when his son was born.
> >
> >It all started around 10.45 pm on Friday night, when my water broke. I
> >was reading in bed, and DH had just come home from the dry dock where
> >he'd moved our boat for the winter. He was quite tired and had just come
> >to bed, when I felt a trickle and then a gush. When I got up, there was
> >a big wet spot on the bed and, soon after, a couple of puddles on the
> floor.
> >
> >I called the hospital and asked whether I should come in, even though I
> >had no contractions. They said yes, just in case the head wasn't
> >completely engaged, to monitor the baby's heartbeat, etc. So I hastily
> >packed a bag (I hadn't even done that!!) and called Cindy, our
> >babysitter. She's an American living in Finland and speaks little
> >Finnish; while she's a good friend of ours and DD knows her well, we
> >wondered how Emilia would react on waking up not with us but Cindy,
> >trying think of Finnish words for "baby" and "hospital".. :-)
> >
> >We did the 35-minute drive to the hospital, where I was checked and
> >monitored for a while. The baby's head was engaged, my cervix was 2 cm
> >dilated and 100% effaced, and the baby's heartbeat was fine and
> >reactive. Since I wasn't having any contractions, the midwife gave us a
> >birthing room with a double bed and told us to sleep while we still
could.
> >
> >DH slept, I dozed a little, and started having irregular contractions
> >around 4 am at 15-20 minute intervals. They weren't bad yet, but like
> >pretty hard period pain with extra backache. That would soon change.
> >
> >Around 7 am, the contractions got more intense and came at 10-minute
> >intervals or less; that's when my active labor started. After that, it
> >escalated pretty fast. I was grabbing tablelegs and other pieces of
> >furniture, trying to breathe and relax, but this was going much faster
> >than my first labor. Music? I couldn't have cared less. I couldn't bear
> >the thought of listening to anything. Between 8 and 9, I was monitored
> >for about an hour.
> >
> >By 9.30 am, I was on the floor, leaning on a birthing ball, groaning and
> >cursing. Relaxation was a joke. Muscles working? Riiight! This time, my
> >mantra was the Finnish equivalent of "F***! S***! This hurts!!" It was
> >*so* much more intense than with #1. DH said I made these "Total Recall
> >expressions", meaning the horrible, bug-eyed grimaces Arnold
> >Schwarzenegger and Rachel Ticotin made in that movie when they were
> >running out of oxygen! At least DH was gracious enough not to tell me
> >that while it was happening - when he mentioned it the day after, I
> >found it hilarious. The day before, I don't think so..
> >
> >The contractions between 10 and 10.45 were HARD. Almost continuous, with
> >no time to relax in between. I was still crouching on the birthing ball,
> >vocalizing a lot and thinking I was going to die. When the midwife
> >examined me at 10.45 and told me I was fully dilated, it was such a
> >relief! At least those hellish contractions had been effective!
> >
> >BTW, the midwife, called Leena, was great. The Finnish system is that
> >you go to the nearest municipal prenatal clinic for prenatal care, see
> >an NP and occasionally a doctor, and give birth in the nearest
> >hospital, where you're taken care of whoever happens to be working at
> >the time - primarily midwives, with a doctor in attendance. These are
> >people you haven't necessarily even met,and I hadn't met my midwife. But
> >she was wonderful! She was very supportive and warm, and a marathon
> >runner like me - even our times on Helsinki City Marathon were just four
> >minutes apart! :-)
> >
> >I started "warm-up pushes" around 11 am, tried different positions and
> >was monitored for a while - the baby's heartbeat was still fine. At this
> >time, I took a couple of whiffs of nitrous oxide during contractions,
> >but didn't like it and stopped. I also threw up a few times. :-P
> >
> >The serious pushing started at 11.45. I found I had no interest in
> >pushing on all fours, on the stool, etc; I preferred to have something
> >against my back. Most of the time, I pushed on my side, leg raised, or
> >even on my back, with my butt slightly raised and my legs propped
> >against Leena and DH. I really felt I could push most effectively in
> >those positions.
> >
> >Even so, the pushing stage was pretty long and hard work. The baby
> >wasn't totally posterior this time, but not in an ideal position either;
> >he kept turning around and was finally born facing up. But before that,
> >another midwife, Milla, joined Leena, and they both cheered me on. They
> >told me that natural childbirth was "a rare treat" for them and that
> >most women asked for an epidural right away! I loved hearing how spunky
> >I was! I pushed, grunted and made more horrible faces, I'm sure.
> >
> >Anyway, slowly but surely I made progress. By 11.30, DH could see baby's
> >hair, and rang the midwives who were with another laboring woman at the
> >time. We were getting close! Leena and Milla were great, and DH was a
> >rock. I pushed and I pushed, the baby was crowning, and after trying to
> >stretch me for a while, Leena cut a small episiotomy to speed things up.
> >Before that, the doctor popped in and offered to assist with a vacuum if
> >necessary, but I thought I could do it without help.
> >
> >And I could! Well, Milla pressed on my belly while I pushed, and I felt
> >like a giant tube of mustard being squeezed. But it worked - the head
> >came out, face up, and with another push, the body. The baby was all
> >slimy and bloody and kind of gray and floppy at first, and lost a couple
> >of APGAR points for that. The color improved soon, so the points were
8/9.
> >
> >Leena lifted the umbilical cord, and I exclaimed: "A boy!" DH kissed me
> > and actually cried. He cut the cord, and the baby was placed on my
> >belly in all his slimy glory. Gosh, what a relief! He looked healthy, if
> >incredibly beaten up, and his head looked like he had one of those huge
> >cartoon bumps.
> >
> >He was weighed (3520g or 7 lbs 12 oz) and measured (52,5 cm or 21,5
> >inches). His head circumference was 35 cm. DH gave him a bath while
> >Leena gently pulled out the placenta and then stitched me; while I was
> >still on the table, we called Emilia at home and told her she had a baby
> >brother. Her initial response was a none too gracious "Why? I wanted a
> >baby sister!" but I'm happy to say she got over it.
> >
> >Within an hour of giving birth, I was sitting in a rocking chair in the
> >birthing room, showered and elated, eating lunch and talking to my MIL
> >on the phone. It was such a giddy feeling! It had been very hard but
> >also incredibly rewarding, and I knew I *never had to do it again*. Yay!
> >No more! We're done!
> >
> >Joel also nursed for the first time in the birthing room, not very
> >energetically, but it was a game attempt. He has since gotten much more
> >proficient. My milk came in the evening of the first day after the
> >birth, instead of the morning of the third, like with Emilia.
> >
> >I have to go now, but I'm looking forward to checking out all the
> >developments with other September moms!
> >
> >
> >Tiina
> >Happy mom to Emilia,4
> >and Joel, b. 09/06/03
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>

[sher]

Congrats Tiina! I loved the comment about the tube of mustard.

~ Sher, due with boy #3 9/27/03

[Daye]

On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:02:29 GMT, Tiina Kartovaara
> wrote:

>It is very apt - I did groan a lot, and DH did cry when his son was born.

Beautiful story... thank you for sharing!

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan
"Boy" EDD 11 Jan 2004
See Jayan: http://jayan.topcities.com/

[Em]

"Tiina Kartovaara" > wrote in message
<snip>
> Within an hour of giving birth, I was sitting in a rocking chair in the
> birthing room, showered and elated, eating lunch and talking to my MIL
> on the phone. It was such a giddy feeling! It had been very hard but
> also incredibly rewarding, and I knew I *never had to do it again*. Yay!
> No more! We're done!
>
> Joel also nursed for the first time in the birthing room, not very
> energetically, but it was a game attempt. He has since gotten much more
> proficient. My milk came in the evening of the first day after the
> birth, instead of the morning of the third, like with Emilia.
>
> I have to go now, but I'm looking forward to checking out all the
> developments with other September moms!

Yay, Tiina!! Congratulations again on your new baby son! I'm sorry to hear
that the "muscles working" failed you this time--I had high hopes for it for
myself. I hope it served zeldabee well! (if not, I may have to get to work
quickly on something different to think about!). I also had to ROFL about
your Total Recall faces (your DH was a smart man not to comment at the
moment ;-)

Thanks for sharing the birth story!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(37w6d)

[Fer]

Tiina Kartovaara wrote:
|| And since DH originally posted on the wrong ng, and I *love* the
|| William Blake poem, I'm including it here too.
||
|| "My mother groaned, my father wept;
|| into the the dangerous world I leapt;
|| Helpless, naked, piping loud,
|| Like a fiend hid in a cloud.
||
|| Struggling in my father's hands,
|| Striving against my swaddling-bands,
|| Bound and weary, I thought best
|| To sulk upon my mother's breast."
||

Great poem!

<wonderful birth story snipped>
|| And I could! Well, Milla pressed on my belly while I pushed, and I
|| felt like a giant tube of mustard being squeezed.

LMAO That's a hoot!!


Congrats!
Jenn
WAHM
DS11
DD6
TTC#3
1st 2ww

[Tiina Kartovaara]

sher wrote:

> Congrats Tiina! I loved the comment about the tube of mustard.
>
> ~ Sher, due with boy #3 9/27/03



Thanks, Sher! Yeah, it seems funny *now*. ;-) BTW, I hope your baby
stays in the right position!


Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
and Joel, b. 09/06/03

[Tiina Kartovaara]

Daye wrote:

> On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 19:02:29 GMT, Tiina Kartovaara
> > wrote:
>
>
>>It is very apt - I did groan a lot, and DH did cry when his son was born.
>
>
> Beautiful story... thank you for sharing!



Thank you, Daye! :-)


Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
and Joel, b. 09/06/03



>
> --
> Daye
> Momma to Jayan
> "Boy" EDD 11 Jan 2004
> See Jayan: http://jayan.topcities.com/

[Tiina Kartovaara]

Fer wrote:
> Tiina Kartovaara wrote:
> || And since DH originally posted on the wrong ng, and I *love* the
> || William Blake poem, I'm including it here too.
> ||
> || "My mother groaned, my father wept;
> || into the the dangerous world I leapt;
> || Helpless, naked, piping loud,
> || Like a fiend hid in a cloud.
> ||
> || Struggling in my father's hands,
> || Striving against my swaddling-bands,
> || Bound and weary, I thought best
> || To sulk upon my mother's breast."
> ||
>
> Great poem!
>
> <wonderful birth story snipped>
> || And I could! Well, Milla pressed on my belly while I pushed, and I
> || felt like a giant tube of mustard being squeezed.
>
> LMAO That's a hoot!!



Like I told sher, it seems funny NOW. Then, I wasn't so sure! ;-)


> Congrats!


Thanks, Jenn! :-)



Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
and Joel, b. 09/06/03




> Jenn
> WAHM
> DS11
> DD6
> TTC#3
> 1st 2ww
>
>

[Cheryl S.]

Tiina Kartovaara > wrote in message
...
> Leena lifted the umbilical cord, and I exclaimed: "A boy!"

Congratulations! Great job, Tiina, and thanks for sharing. I can
identify very well with several parts of it!

Guess it's about time I got working on Jaden's birth story, you've got
me beat by three days already... ;-)
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 5 mo.
And new arrival, Jaden

Cleaning the house while your children are small is like
shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing.

[Em]

"Tiina Kartovaara" > wrote in message
> Em wrote:
> > Yay, Tiina!! Congratulations again on your new baby son! I'm sorry to
hear
> > that the "muscles working" failed you this time--I had high hopes for it
for
> > myself. I hope it served zeldabee well! (if not, I may have to get to
work
> > quickly on something different to think about!). I also had to ROFL
about
> > your Total Recall faces (your DH was a smart man not to comment at the
> > moment ;-)
> >
> > Thanks for sharing the birth story!
>
>
> Thank you, Em! And I hasten to add that the "muscles working" still
> might work for you - it did for me, and first labors are generally
> slower and less intense. It was a real surprise to me how rough
> transition was this time! So, don't give up on it yet.. :-)

I'll definitely still keep "muscle working" in my repetoire, but I'm afraid
that it will now be accompanied by bulging eye Schwartzenegger images! ;-) I
have heard that quicker labors can be incredibly intense and difficult to
cope with, so it isn't surprising that you had a bit more difficulty
relaxing into this birth--Martha Sears says in The Birth Book that she has
very quick labors and would much rather have a longer, slower one than the
quick, intense kind that knock you flat and make you feel like you're being
run over by a truck!

> Joel is nursing like a champ now, and a good thing too, since I look
> like Dolly Parton right now! Whew. I feel good, more tired from lack of
> sleep than anything else. We actually went for a walk today with Joel in
> the sling - the temperature is around 70, so he can be taken out for a
> little while every day.

How great that you're out strolling around with him already! I hope for the
same for me :-)

> He nursed every two hours last night, and I was glad I didn't have to
> get up! DH changed him and Emilia woke up just once. Geez, I still can't
> believe we have a son! He takes after DH's family with his wide-set eyes
> with a slightly exotic cast, and looks just like Emilia did as a newborn.

Sounds like a cutie (and like someone who is getting all stocked up for good
weight gain!). I still feel like I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact
that we are going to have an actual *baby* soon--I have a certain sense of
unreality about the whole thing, like I will just keep being pregnant
forever.

> OK, now I want to catch up a little. I noticed you had another appt. and
> zeldabee's water broke. I probably won't have time for many replies, but
> I do want to know what's happening!
>
> Wondering when we'll be reading your son's birth story, and looking
> forward to it,

I hope it is soon! (well, I guess it is guaranteed to be sooner than later.
Even if I go overdue, it is still a month or less away from being a
reality!).

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(38 weeks today!)

[Em]

"sher" > wrote in message
> "Em" > wrote in message
> > have heard that quicker labors can be incredibly intense and difficult
to
> > cope with, so it isn't surprising that you had a bit more difficulty
> > relaxing into this birth--Martha Sears says in The Birth Book that she
has
> > very quick labors and would much rather have a longer, slower one than
the
> > quick, intense kind that knock you flat and make you feel like you're
being
> > run over by a truck!
>
> My experience was the opposite. My first birth was 6 hours, which I
> suppose is short compared to most, but it included an epidural, over
> an hour of ineffective pushing, and finally vacuum extraction. I felt
> like I'd been run over by several trucks and didn't want to do
> anything but sleep for the next 2 days.

I guess the real truth probably isn't so much of quick vs. slow, but just
that birth in all of its manisfestations is an intense experience!

> My second birth was a *very* intense two hours. I didn't think I
> would make it through, but the minute he was born, I felt fabulous and
> energized. I even said I wanted to do it all over again.

That sounds a lot like how it seems like Tiina felt--up sitting in a chair
and eating lunch shortly after Joel's birth! I think the "truck" feelings
that I have heard mothers reference during fast births, were *during* the
actual birth, not so much after.

> I'll take a short, intense birth anyday. In fact, tomorrow would be
> good. :-)

Sounds like a plan ;-) I know babies come when they're ready and I feel
mentally prepared (somewhat) for the possibility that I may still be
pregnant in October, but I did have a little discussion with my baby today
that we are ready for him to be born, so if he is ready too, let's get the
show on the road! (if he really is on the slightly small side, like my
doctor thinks, I guess I should be prepared for him to cook as long as
possible!).

Best wishes to you!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(38w1d)

[Em]

"Tiina Kartovaara" > wrote in message
> > "Em" > wrote in message
> >>have heard that quicker labors can be incredibly intense and difficult
to
> >>cope with, so it isn't surprising that you had a bit more difficulty
> >>relaxing into this birth--Martha Sears says in The Birth Book that she
has
> >>very quick labors and would much rather have a longer, slower one than
the
> >>quick, intense kind that knock you flat and make you feel like you're
being
> >>run over by a truck!
>
>
> Em, I can't find the original post of yours - it just hasn't shown up on
> my newsreader. Annoying!

I've been having some troubles with my newsreader too--it seemed to be
dropping a lot of posts. I had to go poke around on google groups to make
sure I wasn't missing anything! Finally, last night I unsubbed and re-subbed
to see if that would help. It has seemed to, thus far.

Anyway, I went ahead and copied and pasted my original message below :-) You
didn't miss very much!

--
Em
edd 9/23/03
(38w1d)

Em" > wrote in message
> "Tiina Kartovaara" > wrote in message
> > Thank you, Em! And I hasten to add that the "muscles working" still
> > might work for you - it did for me, and first labors are generally
> > slower and less intense. It was a real surprise to me how rough
> > transition was this time! So, don't give up on it yet.. :-)
>
> I'll definitely still keep "muscle working" in my repertoire, but I'm
afraid
> that it will now be accompanied by bulging eye Schwarzenegger images! ;-)
I
> have heard that quicker labors can be incredibly intense and difficult to
> cope with, so it isn't surprising that you had a bit more difficulty
> relaxing into this birth--Martha Sears says in The Birth Book that she has
> very quick labors and would much rather have a longer, slower one than the
> quick, intense kind that knock you flat and make you feel like you're
being
> run over by a truck!
>
> > Joel is nursing like a champ now, and a good thing too, since I look
> > like Dolly Parton right now! Whew. I feel good, more tired from lack of
> > sleep than anything else. We actually went for a walk today with Joel in
> > the sling - the temperature is around 70, so he can be taken out for a
> > little while every day.
>
> How great that you're out strolling around with him already! I hope for
the
> same for me :-)
>
> > He nursed every two hours last night, and I was glad I didn't have to
> > get up! DH changed him and Emilia woke up just once. Geez, I still can't
> > believe we have a son! He takes after DH's family with his wide-set eyes
> > with a slightly exotic cast, and looks just like Emilia did as a
newborn.
>
> Sounds like a cutie (and like someone who is getting all stocked up for
good
> weight gain!). I still feel like I can't quite wrap my mind around the
fact
> that we are going to have an actual *baby* soon--I have a certain sense of
> unreality about the whole thing, like I will just keep being pregnant
> forever.
>
> > OK, now I want to catch up a little. I noticed you had another appt. and
> > zeldabee's water broke. I probably won't have time for many replies, but
> > I do want to know what's happening!
> >
> > Wondering when we'll be reading your son's birth story, and looking
> > forward to it,
>
> I hope it is soon! (well, I guess it is guaranteed to be sooner than
later.
> Even if I go overdue, it is still a month or less away from being a
> reality!).
>
> --
> Em
> edd 9/23/03
> (38 weeks today!)
>
>

[Elly]

Tiina - what a wonderful birth story! Very inspiring!!
Thank you for sharing it with us,

Elly
36 weeks + 3 days
(24 days to go!)
EDD October 6th



"Tiina Kartovaara" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
> And since DH originally posted on the wrong ng, and I *love* the William
> Blake poem, I'm including it here too.
>
> "My mother groaned, my father wept;
> into the the dangerous world I leapt;
> Helpless, naked, piping loud,
> Like a fiend hid in a cloud.
>
> Struggling in my father's hands,
> Striving against my swaddling-bands,
> Bound and weary, I thought best
> To sulk upon my mother's breast."
>
>
> It is very apt - I did groan a lot, and DH did cry when his son was born.
>
> It all started around 10.45 pm on Friday night, when my water broke. I
> was reading in bed, and DH had just come home from the dry dock where
> he'd moved our boat for the winter. He was quite tired and had just come
> to bed, when I felt a trickle and then a gush. When I got up, there was
> a big wet spot on the bed and, soon after, a couple of puddles on the
floor.
>
> I called the hospital and asked whether I should come in, even though I
> had no contractions. They said yes, just in case the head wasn't
> completely engaged, to monitor the baby's heartbeat, etc. So I hastily
> packed a bag (I hadn't even done that!!) and called Cindy, our
> babysitter. She's an American living in Finland and speaks little
> Finnish; while she's a good friend of ours and DD knows her well, we
> wondered how Emilia would react on waking up not with us but Cindy,
> trying think of Finnish words for "baby" and "hospital".. :-)
>
> We did the 35-minute drive to the hospital, where I was checked and
> monitored for a while. The baby's head was engaged, my cervix was 2 cm
> dilated and 100% effaced, and the baby's heartbeat was fine and
> reactive. Since I wasn't having any contractions, the midwife gave us a
> birthing room with a double bed and told us to sleep while we still could.
>
> DH slept, I dozed a little, and started having irregular contractions
> around 4 am at 15-20 minute intervals. They weren't bad yet, but like
> pretty hard period pain with extra backache. That would soon change.
>
> Around 7 am, the contractions got more intense and came at 10-minute
> intervals or less; that's when my active labor started. After that, it
> escalated pretty fast. I was grabbing tablelegs and other pieces of
> furniture, trying to breathe and relax, but this was going much faster
> than my first labor. Music? I couldn't have cared less. I couldn't bear
> the thought of listening to anything. Between 8 and 9, I was monitored
> for about an hour.
>
> By 9.30 am, I was on the floor, leaning on a birthing ball, groaning and
> cursing. Relaxation was a joke. Muscles working? Riiight! This time, my
> mantra was the Finnish equivalent of "F***! S***! This hurts!!" It was
> *so* much more intense than with #1. DH said I made these "Total Recall
> expressions", meaning the horrible, bug-eyed grimaces Arnold
> Schwarzenegger and Rachel Ticotin made in that movie when they were
> running out of oxygen! At least DH was gracious enough not to tell me
> that while it was happening - when he mentioned it the day after, I
> found it hilarious. The day before, I don't think so..
>
> The contractions between 10 and 10.45 were HARD. Almost continuous, with
> no time to relax in between. I was still crouching on the birthing ball,
> vocalizing a lot and thinking I was going to die. When the midwife
> examined me at 10.45 and told me I was fully dilated, it was such a
> relief! At least those hellish contractions had been effective!
>
> BTW, the midwife, called Leena, was great. The Finnish system is that
> you go to the nearest municipal prenatal clinic for prenatal care, see
> an NP and occasionally a doctor, and give birth in the nearest
> hospital, where you're taken care of whoever happens to be working at
> the time - primarily midwives, with a doctor in attendance. These are
> people you haven't necessarily even met,and I hadn't met my midwife. But
> she was wonderful! She was very supportive and warm, and a marathon
> runner like me - even our times on Helsinki City Marathon were just four
> minutes apart! :-)
>
> I started "warm-up pushes" around 11 am, tried different positions and
> was monitored for a while - the baby's heartbeat was still fine. At this
> time, I took a couple of whiffs of nitrous oxide during contractions,
> but didn't like it and stopped. I also threw up a few times. :-P
>
> The serious pushing started at 11.45. I found I had no interest in
> pushing on all fours, on the stool, etc; I preferred to have something
> against my back. Most of the time, I pushed on my side, leg raised, or
> even on my back, with my butt slightly raised and my legs propped
> against Leena and DH. I really felt I could push most effectively in
> those positions.
>
> Even so, the pushing stage was pretty long and hard work. The baby
> wasn't totally posterior this time, but not in an ideal position either;
> he kept turning around and was finally born facing up. But before that,
> another midwife, Milla, joined Leena, and they both cheered me on. They
> told me that natural childbirth was "a rare treat" for them and that
> most women asked for an epidural right away! I loved hearing how spunky
> I was! I pushed, grunted and made more horrible faces, I'm sure.
>
> Anyway, slowly but surely I made progress. By 11.30, DH could see baby's
> hair, and rang the midwives who were with another laboring woman at the
> time. We were getting close! Leena and Milla were great, and DH was a
> rock. I pushed and I pushed, the baby was crowning, and after trying to
> stretch me for a while, Leena cut a small episiotomy to speed things up.
> Before that, the doctor popped in and offered to assist with a vacuum if
> necessary, but I thought I could do it without help.
>
> And I could! Well, Milla pressed on my belly while I pushed, and I felt
> like a giant tube of mustard being squeezed. But it worked - the head
> came out, face up, and with another push, the body. The baby was all
> slimy and bloody and kind of gray and floppy at first, and lost a couple
> of APGAR points for that. The color improved soon, so the points were 8/9.
>
> Leena lifted the umbilical cord, and I exclaimed: "A boy!" DH kissed me
> and actually cried. He cut the cord, and the baby was placed on my
> belly in all his slimy glory. Gosh, what a relief! He looked healthy, if
> incredibly beaten up, and his head looked like he had one of those huge
> cartoon bumps.
>
> He was weighed (3520g or 7 lbs 12 oz) and measured (52,5 cm or 21,5
> inches). His head circumference was 35 cm. DH gave him a bath while
> Leena gently pulled out the placenta and then stitched me; while I was
> still on the table, we called Emilia at home and told her she had a baby
> brother. Her initial response was a none too gracious "Why? I wanted a
> baby sister!" but I'm happy to say she got over it.
>
> Within an hour of giving birth, I was sitting in a rocking chair in the
> birthing room, showered and elated, eating lunch and talking to my MIL
> on the phone. It was such a giddy feeling! It had been very hard but
> also incredibly rewarding, and I knew I *never had to do it again*. Yay!
> No more! We're done!
>
> Joel also nursed for the first time in the birthing room, not very
> energetically, but it was a game attempt. He has since gotten much more
> proficient. My milk came in the evening of the first day after the
> birth, instead of the morning of the third, like with Emilia.
>
> I have to go now, but I'm looking forward to checking out all the
> developments with other September moms!
>
>
> Tiina
> Happy mom to Emilia,4
> and Joel, b. 09/06/03
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

[Tiina Kartovaara]

Em wrote:

>
>
> I've been having some troubles with my newsreader too--it seemed to be
> dropping a lot of posts. I had to go poke around on google groups to make
> sure I wasn't missing anything! Finally, last night I unsubbed and re-subbed
> to see if that would help. It has seemed to, thus far.
>
> Anyway, I went ahead and copied and pasted my original message below :-) You
> didn't miss very much!


C'mon now, don't sell yourself short! ;-)


>
> Em" > wrote in message
>
>
>>
>>I'll definitely still keep "muscle working" in my repertoire, but I'm
>
> afraid
>
>>that it will now be accompanied by bulging eye Schwarzenegger images! ;-)


OMG! :-) Well, at least DH more than made up for it last night. We
exhanged a few kisses in the kitchen, and he gazed at my face and
remarked: "Wow, you look so young!" Which was very nice to hear five
days after giving birth and with several semi-sleepless nights under my
belt. Must be the glow of new motherhood! Maybe the loose hair and the
white dress helped, too. ;-)



>>>He nursed every two hours last night, and I was glad I didn't have to
>>>get up! DH changed him and Emilia woke up just once. Geez, I still can't
>>>believe we have a son! He takes after DH's family with his wide-set eyes
>>>with a slightly exotic cast, and looks just like Emilia did as a
>
> newborn.
>
>>Sounds like a cutie (and like someone who is getting all stocked up for
>
> good
>
>>weight gain!).


Tell me about it! We had our first well-baby appointment today, actually
with the same NP who gave me my prenatal care (from now on, we'll be
seeing another NP at the pediatric dept. of the clinic). Joel had
already regained his birthweight *and* added another 30g (1 ounce).
Considering you're only "required" to do that at two weeks, I'm so proud
he did it by 6 days.




I still feel like I can't quite wrap my mind around the
>
> fact
>
>>that we are going to have an actual *baby* soon--I have a certain sense of
>>unreality about the whole thing, like I will just keep being pregnant
>>forever.


I felt like that - and now this seems the most natural thing in the
world. It's funny how quickly things change! I can't wait to hear all
about your big upheaval, when it happens. :-)


Tiina
SAHM to Emilia,4
and Joel, b. 09/06/03


>>>
>>
>
>
>