Let's cut to the chase first, then the gory details...
William James Malone Dolphin
Born: Friday, September 12, 7:57AM
Weight: 6lbs 0oz
Length: 20.25 inches
The story...
Mandy phoned me at work on Wednesday, (the 10th), at 1pm. She was having contractions. I had some work I needed to finish before the baby arrived, and was already working hard to beat the clock... now the clock had really started ticking, and I was having trouble concentrating. Very exciting!
I was very safe driving home from work.
That night we were both excited and nervous. We were timing the length of the contractions (30-40 seconds) and how far apart they were (5-6 minutes) right away. We ate dinner and went to bed early, intending to get some much needed sleep before the real hard labor started. I was able to sleep a solid 8 hours, but mandy was up most of the night with her (relatively) light contractions. We woke up, had breakfast, and started our exciting day of labor.
By mid-day, the contractions had gotten a little stronger, and the lower back pain that Mandy originally had, had gone away (baby had probably rotated around to face the correct way). We called in the Doula.
Once the doula (Lauren) arrived, the labor slowed. We didn't really notice at first, but it had. And it really didn't pick up again. A little frustrated, and already a little tired, we sent the doula home at 6pm. By 8pm, Mandy had re-entered labor in full force. Active labor. Good strong contractions about 4-5 minutes apart, lasting about 45-60 seconds. Aparently, not having an audience was the difference we needed.
We called the doula back at 11pm. This time the contractions were strong (painful) enough that Mandy had to really focus her energy and attention to get through them. We wanted to labor as much at home as possible, as it was a much more comfortable setting... just how much so we didn't yet appreciate.
By midnight, Lauren and I were looking at each other and saying 'maybe we should go soon'. We left the house at 12:30 AM on September 12.
At the hospital, we checked in, (which included having Mandy walking to the ward while the orderlies pushed their wheel chair in front of her wondering why we were not using it). The nurse nearly immediately hooked Mandy up to the Fetal Monitor... which is basically a heart rate monitor for the baby. The bad part is, it restricts your motion in the bed, and they pretty much expect you to lie on your back the whole time (which is the worst labor position). Mandy was inclined, but after 30 minutes of it, we took it off. They had gotten enough data to know the baby was fine.
A full 2 hours after checking in, a doctor came in to see us, our second medical visitation in the hospital. By this point we had progressed much, with Mandy taking a warm shower to loosen up, and really moaning well through the contractions. The doctor, after some examination proclaimed "You're in active labor!". To which Lauren and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes... really? Active labor? no way! Still, it was good to get checked out. Mandy was now 5 cm dilated, and 100% effaced! The effacement part was particularly great, and boded well. The time was 3AM.
By 5AM, mandy was 9cm dilated. Wow... very good progress. The contractions were really strong now. Mandy starting to really have to focus through each one, and nearly passing out in between. We were trying various positions, and lots of loud moaning. The moaning was particularly great.
They moved us to a delivery room, and at 6AM, Mandy was nearly fully dilated, but not quite. The nurse gave us a "9.5". This was where it got hard. It felt like there was so little progress with so much hard work. The contractions were strong, and painful. Mandy was a champ, kneeling on the bed with her arms over the verticaly tilted head of the bed, moaning loud strong and long.
At 7AM, she was checked again, and determined to be very nearly fully dilated, (9.75cm?). The midwife, who we suddenly met for the first time, told us to take a warm shower. We did that, but what I think really worked well was getting Mandy fully vertical. She semi-stood with her arms around my neck, and I used my arms to hold her up in a pseudo bear-hug. That took our combined strength, but it made the difference... at 7:30, full dilation.
This was the best part. Finally, Mandy got to push. (I guess you can't push prior to that for fear of swelling the cervix... which would be very bad). Once Mandy pushed with the first contraction, she hardly felt the rest. Her very first push was awesome. She bore down perfectly and all of the nurses and the midwife were impressed. (At this point, we suddenly had no less than 5 nurses flitting about, plus the midwife we had met for the second time).
It was not until the second set of pushes did the water break. A satisfying sploosh, not much more. Perfect.
By the third push, we could just barely start to see the head. A wet mass of goopy hair starting to show during the push, but not visible between. I got Mandy to go vertical again. This time squatting on the bed for a while. This helped the process along by helping maintain the push work with gravity. The whole pushing process is not unlike taking a huge poo (or so says Mandy). Having few inhibitions about her bodily functions in a room full of nurses, Mandy had no problem letting go and giving it all she had. It was awesome to watch.
After a few minutes, it was clear that squating was tiring her out, so we lay Mandy on her side is a semi-reclined position. Now, the head was claerly visible at all times. It was about 7:52. I was thinking that just after 8AM we'd have him out. Mandy gave it more with each push, and each time more of the head was visible. With the midwife pouring mineral oil and massaging the area to help progress, it was getting real close. I held Mandy's leg and she pushed against me one final time. The head slid and semi-rolled forward with the face emerging quickly. Suddenly, there he was, much bigger than one would expect for such a tight journey. The rest of the little guy followed as the midwife caught and pulled him out in one swift motion. Hours and hours of labor with mere centimeters of progress ended in a flurry of a full baby length of progress in less than a second. He was born.
They lifted the umbilical chord off him, and handed him up to Mandy. The army of nurses were quick at work cleaning up all over the place, and rubbing our new baby vigorously with a towel. As per our request, they did not clamp the chord right away, and when they did, they offered me to cut it. A simple snip, a few drops of chord blood. That was it. The placenta soon followed, which was an amazing thing to behold.
The whole ordeal was long. Both of the primary participants were clearly tired. Our new little guy snorted and slept on Mandy's chest. William James. I must say, unbiasedly, he is so very cute.
After some time to bond and get to know each other, they measured him and weighed him. His weight was technically 5 lbs, 15.9 ounces, but he had already had a good merconium poo, so he must have been at least 6 lbs. Although skinny, he is long. 20 inches, head to heel. His hands are huge. I'm saying he'll be at least 6'6" in 20 years.
The irony of childbirth of course... you work and plan for the big day... and when it finally comes you think, "We did it! we have a baby!". And somehow, through all the preperation, you this this is the end of something. But in so many ways, it is the beginning. The very beginning.
