... where were we?
Epidural in and working like a perfect and beautiful charm. Baby {supposedly} in the correct birthing position. And still contracting ... sort of.
My contractions were just sort of eh. So I was started on a little pitocin to get things rolling once again. At this point I was at 6-7cm and after putting internal monitors in, it was determined that the baby was actually happily in the OP position.
WHY.
Another motherhating little cherub.
A wonderful nurse that had been there for both Sebastian and Phoebe's deliveries came in and asked, "can I be mean?" which had me worried she was going to suggest we turn off the epidural or something horrific but she just wanted me to flip over onto my hands and knees to try and get the baby to flip. I decided to pour out my remaining and dwindling dignity and followed orders. The epidural was light enough that I had no problem being on my hands and knees. {no photos, my most sincere apologies}
About five minutes after the great flip ... the baby's heartbeat did something that made the nurses pop back in and have me flip back over because he/she was "obviously not liking it" and as soon as I flipped I felt the baby RIGHT THERE. The nurse checked and confirmed my suspicion ... complete with a baby head. I held my knees together and tried not to breathe too hard lest the baby come rolling out.
My doctor got there and gowned up saying I probably wouldn't make it to my scheduled induction one week from that day.
Laugh laugh.
Let's hope not.
More laughter.
I started pushing when everyone immediately said, "stop stop stop .... " and out came the head complete with cord wrapped tightly around the neck ..
.. unwind unwind and then out came the rest of HIM.
I'll never forget the, "it's a boy!" (although I couldn't remember if Simon or my doctor said it ... so obviously a massive impression made there, Sentimental Patton) ...
... because (like I've mentioned no times before) I was really banking on a lady. Did I want a girl? Didn't care. At all.
But I was stunned and I felt weirdly disconnected from this new baby for several minutes (since passed! very much passed!) because he felt like such a little stranger.
He was born at 1:51 in the morning so a little under six hours after we got to the hospital (I think I even snuck a nap in at one point, luxury!) so I won't be winning any Speedy Gonzales birthing awards (ever) ... but I was so happy to have bypassed the Ironwoman of pushing. Finally.
Get on on our euphoric level, B.
I didn't need any repairs which made my recovery a breeze (I realize I'm SUPER lucky and that many don't have it easy - at ALL) and as soon as everyone left the room ... Bosco latched on for a nice hour long nursing session while we waited for the nursery to come and do their thing. He weighed seven pounds even (my doctor guessed seven pounds even, is she good or WHAT?) and was twenty inches long. I had predicted that he was our biggest baby and he was our second smallest (Theo was the smallest) so, you know.
Simon looked like the walking dead and I told him to nap ... which he did ... all through Bosco screaming through his bath.
deadbeat.
j to the k. He had to be up in a couple hours to wrangle the other four kids ... I did not.
Let the spaspital stay BEGIN.
Don't look so excited, BIP.
And that was that. Best birth ever? Perhaps! Perhaps.
More (so much more) where that came from ... right over here.
Epidural in and working like a perfect and beautiful charm. Baby {supposedly} in the correct birthing position. And still contracting ... sort of.
My contractions were just sort of eh. So I was started on a little pitocin to get things rolling once again. At this point I was at 6-7cm and after putting internal monitors in, it was determined that the baby was actually happily in the OP position.
WHY.
Another motherhating little cherub.
A wonderful nurse that had been there for both Sebastian and Phoebe's deliveries came in and asked, "can I be mean?" which had me worried she was going to suggest we turn off the epidural or something horrific but she just wanted me to flip over onto my hands and knees to try and get the baby to flip. I decided to pour out my remaining and dwindling dignity and followed orders. The epidural was light enough that I had no problem being on my hands and knees. {no photos, my most sincere apologies}
About five minutes after the great flip ... the baby's heartbeat did something that made the nurses pop back in and have me flip back over because he/she was "obviously not liking it" and as soon as I flipped I felt the baby RIGHT THERE. The nurse checked and confirmed my suspicion ... complete with a baby head. I held my knees together and tried not to breathe too hard lest the baby come rolling out.
My doctor got there and gowned up saying I probably wouldn't make it to my scheduled induction one week from that day.
Laugh laugh.
Let's hope not.
More laughter.
I started pushing when everyone immediately said, "stop stop stop .... " and out came the head complete with cord wrapped tightly around the neck ..
.. unwind unwind and then out came the rest of HIM.
I'll never forget the, "it's a boy!" (although I couldn't remember if Simon or my doctor said it ... so obviously a massive impression made there, Sentimental Patton) ...
... because (like I've mentioned no times before) I was really banking on a lady. Did I want a girl? Didn't care. At all.
But I was stunned and I felt weirdly disconnected from this new baby for several minutes (since passed! very much passed!) because he felt like such a little stranger.
He was born at 1:51 in the morning so a little under six hours after we got to the hospital (I think I even snuck a nap in at one point, luxury!) so I won't be winning any Speedy Gonzales birthing awards (ever) ... but I was so happy to have bypassed the Ironwoman of pushing. Finally.
Get on on our euphoric level, B.
I didn't need any repairs which made my recovery a breeze (I realize I'm SUPER lucky and that many don't have it easy - at ALL) and as soon as everyone left the room ... Bosco latched on for a nice hour long nursing session while we waited for the nursery to come and do their thing. He weighed seven pounds even (my doctor guessed seven pounds even, is she good or WHAT?) and was twenty inches long. I had predicted that he was our biggest baby and he was our second smallest (Theo was the smallest) so, you know.
Simon looked like the walking dead and I told him to nap ... which he did ... all through Bosco screaming through his bath.
deadbeat.
j to the k. He had to be up in a couple hours to wrangle the other four kids ... I did not.
Let the spaspital stay BEGIN.
Don't look so excited, BIP.
And that was that. Best birth ever? Perhaps! Perhaps.
More (so much more) where that came from ... right over here.
Was that up close and personal IV picture just for me?! Vom. :) Glad it was not too much of an ordeal. That picture of Simon sleeping is hilarious - residents and soldiers - sleep through everything.
ReplyDeleteLook at him looking at you!! I love it!
ReplyDeleteaaaaaand this reminds me that I have yet another birth story to finish/publish/link up... but the subject is not-politely asking to be rescued from her crib, so it has to wait a bit longer.
Love it! The pictures are great, and glad to hear that after a slow-ish start things wound up going pretty well. Congrats again.
ReplyDeleteAnd just in case you're up in the middle of the night needing a new blog to read (I know that never happens to anyone else, just me, since it's how I found your blog in the first place a year and half ago), I'm currently traveling for the summer with my 1.5 year old and blogging about all of the fun.
www.meanderingmadcaps.com
Enjoy Bosco!
At first when I saw this on Twitter attached to "the end!" I panicked because I thought it was you announcing your leave of blogging to which I may have shed a tear had it been true but! Yes! Best delivery ever. Complete with comedic affect. Babies and their cords. All three of mine. Now where is your medal?
ReplyDeleteIf bosco were a girl, what would have been her name?
ReplyDeleteSo are you dishing on what the girl name would have been??? Or is that getting filed away for Patton bebe #6?
ReplyDeleteSix hours?! Oh how I would love to have my baby the day I check into the hospital! Hopefully third times the charm ;) He is so sweet and I love, love, love his name! Congrats again!
ReplyDeleteI totally related to baby feeling like a stranger. We decided to wait and be "surprised" with baby #3...but I will only be surprised if it's a girl.
ReplyDeleteSo so glad pushing went better this time around. And your epidural sounds positively heavenly (Blythe doesn't sell it as well as you do!).
We don't find out with our bebes and I always feel like - hello, who are you- and I call the bebe 'baby' for the first few days because I still cannot wrap my mind around the name!
DeleteCongratulations, Grace!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteRockstar mamasita!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!! I love the way he is looking at you in a couple of the pics. So sweet and alert! Also, so glad to hear you didn't have to go through a marathon pushing session again! My daughter, who is a week younger than Phoebe, was also OP so I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteI almost could not read this post after seeing that 1st picture and I don't think I'll ever be able to come back to it! I mean, not cool! BUT you made up for it in the sweet baby pics and the rest of Bosco's sweet entrance into the world! Loved his birth story (minus that one picture)!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad he flipped for you pre-pushing! Congrats again!
ReplyDeleteSpaspital,, I'm dying. Glories to not pushing forever, seriously that is the pits. Go Bosco!
ReplyDeleteThis first picture of Bosco brought tears to my eyes. So precious! Congrats, again. :)
ReplyDeleteI so relate to that unfamiliar feeling. My first baby was DEFINITELY a girl per my OB and the 3-4 ultrasounds we had to confirm....99.9 percent certain....so hearing the doctor yell, "Look what you got, Dad, it's a BOY!" is burned into the deep recesses of my brain as one of the most shocking things ever. (Also, why didn't she say look what you got, Mom? Unclear.) We had all girl clothes, and only a girl name. For HOURS I just held the baby to my face and said over and over, I can't believe you're a boy! Luckily that feeling does go away fast. Congratulations on your lovely newest addition. He's a doll.
ReplyDeleteSo was he born in the OP position or did he roll over when you did your little flip? Either way, you rocked that delivery!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your birth story, Grace! I love reading your blog and following your family--you are such a great writer and an inpiration in your parenting! As a soon to be first time Mom, curious who was in the room taking these pictures? Did you have a friend or family member there? I'm envisioning our birth and would love to have pics like these captured.
ReplyDeleteThanks and congrats again, Patton family!
Congratulations Grace!!! <3
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how that getting on your hands and knees works at flipping a baby round. With my last one, I had to do the same thing, but I didn't have time to turn back over. I delivered on my hands and knees. Awkward. To the 10th degree.
ReplyDeleteGlad the birth went so well for you!
I tried hands and knees thinking it would slow things down because apparently I've never read anything about having babies? Opposite, opposite! Clearly tho the key to happiness and getting this ish over with stat is hands and knees. Forevah!
DeleteYay for flipping! Yay for no repair work needed!! Yay for a nap!! Yay for Bosco!!
ReplyDeleteThat first pic of him…I think it kinda took my breath away. He is a special one:)
ReplyDeletePeople would think that it gets old, especially for your husband being in the business…but you look as smitten as first time parents:)
I love that you can/are allowed to/get to (shut up Christy) wear your wedding rings *during labor. How special!!
God has smiled upon ye all…Boss&co.
He is such a sweetie! Such bright, wide eyes. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd go you, no pushing! I had a baby ten weeks ago and when it came time, I was most determined to get her out in one push because I was so DONE with labor. I know that, unfortunately, many mamas wish that and it doesn't work, but it did for me this time. I wasn't even contracting. The doctor said I could push and I was like, "Okay!" and then, baby. Baby girl, actually, and I was the mama who brought all the cute boy clothes. :| You'd think by #6 I'd have better intuition but, negative.
I'm going to be mean now and say, please try it once without the epidural. Yes, it hurts, but it's also very awesome.
American births sound blissful!! When I got to hospital I was definitely in the 'epidural now, please' camp; they stuck the thing in my arm (ouch) and then 40 excruciating minutes later told me there was no anaesthetist available. Ho hum (though that wasn't what I was saying at the time!). Got to love the NHS! Anyway, so many congratulations on Bosco, and thank you for blogging - you've helped me to retain my sanity many a time whilst learning this whole motherhood thing...xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!! I am so glad this was much smoother of a birth for you and I can't believe he flipped so quickly and then you were able to push! Our bodies can do amazing things 💪🏻
ReplyDeleteCongrats and I'm in love with his name!
I don't know if I've commented here before. I popped over from… somewhere, I don't even know where, OH… Mama Needs Coffee. Anyway… we had a gender surprise with #3. Thought she was a boy, definitely a girl. I totally get that disconnected feeling you described. It was totally like she was a stranger. Didn't even have a girl's name in mind so we completely had to scramble on that count and ended up coming back to the hospital the day after we left to change it on the official birth certificate before it was sent off. I had already made her baptismal gown (thinking I'd made it very gender neutral). Came home and burst into ugly, snot-filled tears because it was obviously NOT FRILLY ENOUGH for this surprise princess. That ended in a run to a store a few weeks later to by the pouffiest, laciest, beadiest gown I could buy. Then I felt better. And she's exactly who she's supposed to be 15 years later! Love your boy's name!
ReplyDeleteFinally catching up on blog reading (uh, obviously) and these newborn pics just never get old. It is a miracle that your kids don't get bigger with each birth as I have heard (and experienced! my third came in at 8.5 so I stopped, lol) So funny you added Simon's nap and with the perfect caption, as always. And I also love your spasital reference because I did ask my doctor to let me stay an extra day after I had my second and third! Okay, I could go on and on...
ReplyDeleteI had the same strange disconnect when our dude was born because I was so sure I 'knew,' it's very affirming to hear I'm not the only one!
ReplyDelete