Photo Credit: Copperlight Art
I had a number of changing goals while Gideon was growing in me. First, I just wanted for him to bake a little longer than Evelyn, who we met at 37 weeksand 4 days. Once we passed that goal, I hoped to make it to February. And narrowly avoiding his dad's birthday the day before, we made it! Gideon Oliver was born at 11:31 AM on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012.
The day began really early. At 2 AM, Jonathan was up vomiting. I woke up too, and due to the curse of the sometimes light sleeper combined with a good dose of anticipation about the upcoming day, I was up for good. I tried for an hour or so to go back to sleep, but it wasn't happening. So up it was. I took a long shower, read, made sure everything was packed, and then woke up Evelyn at 6 AM. As I changed her, I kept telling Jonathan to get up. He had been sick afew more times overnight and was dragging. I had a 6:15 goal for leaving the house so I was trying to motivate everyone to move it! I think we pulled out of the driveway at 6:35.
We headed to Panera so we could get some bagels for the nurses and I could get a baked egg souffle. I had the ham and cheese one. So delicious. Then we headed to RTP to meet my friend Brandi who was watching Evelyn. We got all of Evelyn's stuff in her car and then I put her in the carseat, which was heart-wrenching because she was just screaming once she realized that mommy and daddy were leaving. I knew she would be upset, but still - I didn't want that to be my last image of my Mouse before we left to meet her sibling!
Anyhow, we then drove to UNC mostly in silence as Jonathan was trying to keep his apple juice down and feeling generally terrible, and I was pretty nervous about how the day was going to go. As we parked, we got a call from our Doula, Karissa, and we talked about possibly asking to postpone the induction due to Jonathan's illness. We decided to go ahead and check into the hospital, and just talk to the nurses about it to see what they thought.
So we headed up to Labor and Delivery and got checked in. When we were registering, I remembered what Abby told me about asking for a nurse who is excited about natural or low-intervention birth. I wasn't sure the check-in lady even heard me or had any say in the matter because she just kind of grinned. But she did give us what she said was the best L&D room - #6. It had a pretty awesome view, especially compared to the others which mostly look out at the wall of the adjacent buildings.
We had a huge view of a gorgeous morning on what would be a 70 degree day on the UNC Campus.
A nurse took us to our room and told us that our main nurse would be... can't remember her name. A couple of minutes later, in came Kim to announce that she would be our nurse, and that she had an undergrad UNC Nursing student working with her, Nathaly (pronounced like Natalie). They introduced themselves and then said they'd be back to do their stuff after my Family Medicine doctor came and we had a plan for the day. Minutes later, the nurse with the name we were told earlier came in to say that she would be our nurse and I was like wait wait wait, Kim is our nurse right? So she left to check on that and we hung out and got settled. The verdict in the end was that indeed we got Kim and Nathaly. Kim let us know that she was scheduled to leave at noon, which I was not a huge fan of because usually they work 7 AM to 7 PM shifts and it meant we'd be switching before 7 PM. But I wasn't too upset or anything. It was good to know up-front. I gave Kim a copy of my birth plan and she took it with her to read.
A little bit later, in came another nurse whose name I completely can't remember. She said that she was helping Kim and she came bearing IV bags and the IV kit and all kinds of stuff, and started to get going on setting the IV. She said that we didn't have to wait for the doc to arrive to do that, since it was certain that I'd be getting an IV as I was there for induction after all. I let her know that I had a bad experience with the IV insertion with Evelyn and it ended up right on my wrist, so she looked for a good vein higher up on my arm. Just when she was going to poke me, Dr. McClester arrived!
At this point, I think Jonathan was sleeping. Poor guy was exhausted and still queasy, and I figured I'd let him sleep as much as possible until I really needed him!
I was excited to see Dr. McClester. She was the main doctor I've seen throughout my pregnancy. She told me that she didn't even know that I was being induced, because she was at the hospital during the big meeting where they made that decision or something, so she was surprised when she found out. She apologized about the induction and was just really kind. I showed her my birth preferences sheet (edited and revised with the knowledge that I was being induced) and she sat next to me on the bed and read it and then said, "That is beautiful." Then she checked me. She said I was dilated 3-4 cm, 75% effaced, and at -1 or -2 station. That's pretty much the same as my stats from last Wednesday when we got evaluated in L&D, except for the effacement which had really jumped up.
We made a plan for the day. The nurses would start me on the lowest dose of Pitocin, which I would have in conjunction with saline fluids. They would bump up the Pit every 30 minutes until I had good labor pattern established, and then we'd go from there. No Magnesium Sulfate, because my blood pressure was staying pretty consistent. Higher than the optimal range, but pretty much where it had been for a while at the end of the pregnancy. I talked to the doctor and the nurse about the Pitocin and how I wanted to move slowly with it and they said that was totally fine and we could talk about backing off as needed too. Dr. McClester had to leave to go to her Wednesday morning resident meeting, which I knew about in advance, and she told me that her attending Dr. Neutz (I have no idea of the proper spelling) would be in to meet me in a couple of hours.
I'm not sure exactly what time the pit was started. I think it was around 9:30 or so, because before they started it they had to get the IV set and take a ton of vials of blood. Then they took a few more because I said I'd donate the cord blood, so they have to run another set of tests for that. It was nice to have Kim and Nathaly around because Kim was wonderful with putting the IV in a good spot (not on my hands or wrists so I could easily flex and bend them throughout labor) and she explained everything in great detail both for my sake and Nathaly's. I like to know the details on every procedure, even just IV insertion, so I was happy. Kim had also clearly read my birth preferences because she originally hooked me up to a regular continuous fetal monitor (to monitor baby's heart rate and my contractions), but she immediately let me know that as soon as they started the Pit they would switch me to a telemetry unit so I could be monitored but not tethered to the bed.
So, 9:30 AM and the Pit drip started at a dosage of 2 somethings per hour. The lowest dose. I had already been having some contractions, some of them strong, but nothing regular, for the past week or so. I didn't expect things to change too much, too fast with the pit so I just kinda hung out in bed for a while. I read the really long consent form for donating cord blood and filled out the health history and then decided that I should probably walk around some.
Our Doula hadn't arrived yet because I figured nothing exciting would be happening until after lunch probably, so I asked her to just call on her way and see what I wanted for lunch and then we'd see her around 11:30 or 12. Same with our photographer, who was coming to photograph some of the labor and birth. I messaged her saying they just started the pit so it would be a while.
Jonathan snoozed on the uncomfortable couch and I decided to do some laps around the halls of L&D. I had to pull my IV pole around with me, but I had my cute hospital gown and my comfy slippers on, and I just did a few laps and looked at the pictures of babies all over the walls. I had a few contractions, but nothing too terrible. The nurses and docs at the work stations wouldn't have been able to tell I was in the middle of a contraction or anything, because I kept walking. When I got back to the room, I had a couple of strong contractions while I was walking around the room getting the iPod set up to play my labor playlist and just putzing around. I moved my hips in figure 8s because I read that that was good to do, and I kept walking.
Around 10, they bumped the pit up to 4 somethings per hour, and at 10:30 they went to 6. I went to the bathroom, walked around the room, and just kinda hung out. The contractions started to hurt once they went up to 6. Then they started to hurt more. I got in the bed and put the back straight up so I could face the back of the bed and move my hips back and forth during contractions. I remembered this pose from laboring with Evelyn and I remember it providing some relief. This time, not so much. I had a couple of contractions in that position and then put the bed straight down and was on hands and knees for a few contractions. Jonathan was up. I was saying my long vowel sounds during contractions. They came fast and peaked fast. Jonathan counted to 30 every time for me, to let me know that the worst part was over and I could ride the wave down. He rubbed my back and encouraged me. I could rest for what felt like only 30 seconds or so more between contractions, but I'm not sure how long it really was.
At 11, the nurse whose name I can't remember came in and upped the pit to 8. I remember thinking about asking her to just leave it at 6, but then I was between contractions when she upped it and I thought no, I can handle 8.
Oooooh the pain. The contractions started to hurt so badly that I feel like I was just writhing on the bed. I remember being on hands and knees, Jonathan rubbing my back, and I was kicking my feet against the bed like a certain toddler I know, like I was so mad at the pain and I was just kicking in anger. Jonathan helped me to calm down and told me I was doing great. I think I was upset about it because I just had it in my head that the baby wasn't going to come until late afternoon/evening at the earliest and I didn't know how I could handle that intense of a labor for that much longer.
Between contractions, I decided to try to get out of bed again and go to the bathroom. I was in there for a while, because any switching of positions was getting difficult. While I was in the bathroom, I asked Jonathan to go tell them to turn my pit back down to 6. Because 8 was going to kill me. One contraction later (Jonathan didn't even have time to ask about the pit), I told him I thought I needed to push and he should let them know.
Jonathan said that the attending doctor was just coming in to introduce herself and check me, and he said I was in the bathroom so she stepped back out. Then he went out again after I mentioned pushing, to let them know that I'd said that, and in came Dr. Neutz and Kim and Nathaly (and maybe the other nurse... I can't remember). As they were coming in, I was moving back to the bed and I remember thinking that I was probably wrong about the pushing and it was probably just the contraction talking. I thought to myself that they'll tell me I'm at like 7 cm or something (which would still be a pretty high number given that I was 4 at the most only a couple hours earlier).
Right when I got to the bed, as Dr. Neutz was saying hello, I had an evil contraction and I was lying on my side thinking that the world was probably going to end then and there. It passed and I was like check me! Quick! She said something like "I can feel a tiny lip there" and I knew what that meant. I was fully dilated except for a small part of the cervix which wasn't quite there yet. She didn't leave, which I thought was encouraging. She said the bag of waters was bulging and they could break it if I wanted. I asked if that would make it hurt more and Kim said yes. I said, "Don't make it hurt!"
Everyone started to move around and put on gowns and they said I was going to meet the baby. I was not sure I believed it. Dr. Neutz announced our preferences to everyone in the room: "Do not announce the sex of the baby - they will do that themselves. Place baby skin-to-skin on mom immediately. Do not cut the cord until there is no pulse and it is limp. Does everyone understand?" She was loud and I was thinking, "Okay people, let's go!"
I had two more contractions, lying on my right side on the bed, as everyone bustled around getting ready. With the first one, I felt a pop and they said "That's good, bag of waters is broken!" I had Jonathan push down on my hip for counter-pressure during contractions, and I started to really push at the end of each contraction. I thought I was really about to have the baby, and I remember looking around the room in a daze and thinking that everyone had better put on some speed because I was about to have this baby just lying on my side in the bed!
Jonathan later told me that he was very close to vomiting on me, because as he was standing up and rubbing my back he started to feel hot and queasy again. We're both glad things moved quickly because he was soon able to sit down and rest again, and he did not puke on me. Yay! I also had a moment somewhere in there, maybe when the pit was still at 6, where I thought I was going to throw up and Nathaly brought two different sizes of tubs for spewing. She was so sweet every time she came in, and so excited to do nurse stuff like hold my hand or feel the fundus of the uterus.
Okay so back to it - there I was about to have a baby! They put the bed up so I was sort of reclined, and they put the bottom part of the bed down so my feet were low as if the bed were a chair or something. It's hard to describe. But I was on my back but not flat at all, so I wasn't fighting gravity or anything and I was fine with the position. Much better than delivering baby on my side. When the next contraction hit, I pushed and Jonathan told me that the head was out. With Evelyn, once her head was out that was it. This time, though, I was fighting against the pain a little (and still trying to breathe through contractions rather than switching to the hold your breath and push mode). They had to do some convincing me to get his shoulders out, which I think took two more pushes maybe. But then he was out.
Jonathan said, "Chelsea, you have a Gideon!" and I for a second before he said Gideon I had this thought that he was going to say "girl" and I was really going to be shocked. I didn't have a good reason to think it was a boy this time, but I still did. Jonathan told me later that he had a feeling it was a boy too but he always said he was on team girl just to keep the balance.
Our Gideon was here! He was born at 11:31 AM.
The Doula and the photographer were still en route. The doctor was still at her resident supervision meeting. The nursing student got to see a full labor, start to finish, during her 8-12 nursing class in one day. And I didn't even have to worry about Kim getting off work at 12 (she ended up staying with us until 2 or so when we moved down to Maternity, because she is the best nurse ever).
I think the first thing I asked was, "Does this mean I can have lunch?!" I was so excited to eat.
We hung out with Gideon in L&D for a while. Our Doula came and did helpful things so Jonathan could rest a little, like get me the most delicious burger and fries I've ever had in my entire life and help me try to get the little guy to nurse. The hospital recently became an official "Baby Friendly" hospital, so they have been so good about promoting skin-to-skin contact, not rushing any testing or measuring or treatments for Gideon, etc. in order to promote successful nursing. Still, Gideon has been a bit like his sister. He latched and tried to get a little colostrum a couple of times, but definitely isn't just latching right on and going for it yet. I know it can take some time and work so we will just stick with it.
I think that about covers Gideon's birth, so I'll sign off and rest for a bit. It was an incredibly quick labor. I'll probably give you a gory details post like I did with Evelyn with some notes on the physical recovery, but I'll just say for now that it's been really good so far!
The day began really early. At 2 AM, Jonathan was up vomiting. I woke up too, and due to the curse of the sometimes light sleeper combined with a good dose of anticipation about the upcoming day, I was up for good. I tried for an hour or so to go back to sleep, but it wasn't happening. So up it was. I took a long shower, read, made sure everything was packed, and then woke up Evelyn at 6 AM. As I changed her, I kept telling Jonathan to get up. He had been sick afew more times overnight and was dragging. I had a 6:15 goal for leaving the house so I was trying to motivate everyone to move it! I think we pulled out of the driveway at 6:35.
We headed to Panera so we could get some bagels for the nurses and I could get a baked egg souffle. I had the ham and cheese one. So delicious. Then we headed to RTP to meet my friend Brandi who was watching Evelyn. We got all of Evelyn's stuff in her car and then I put her in the carseat, which was heart-wrenching because she was just screaming once she realized that mommy and daddy were leaving. I knew she would be upset, but still - I didn't want that to be my last image of my Mouse before we left to meet her sibling!
Anyhow, we then drove to UNC mostly in silence as Jonathan was trying to keep his apple juice down and feeling generally terrible, and I was pretty nervous about how the day was going to go. As we parked, we got a call from our Doula, Karissa, and we talked about possibly asking to postpone the induction due to Jonathan's illness. We decided to go ahead and check into the hospital, and just talk to the nurses about it to see what they thought.
So we headed up to Labor and Delivery and got checked in. When we were registering, I remembered what Abby told me about asking for a nurse who is excited about natural or low-intervention birth. I wasn't sure the check-in lady even heard me or had any say in the matter because she just kind of grinned. But she did give us what she said was the best L&D room - #6. It had a pretty awesome view, especially compared to the others which mostly look out at the wall of the adjacent buildings.
We had a huge view of a gorgeous morning on what would be a 70 degree day on the UNC Campus.
A nurse took us to our room and told us that our main nurse would be... can't remember her name. A couple of minutes later, in came Kim to announce that she would be our nurse, and that she had an undergrad UNC Nursing student working with her, Nathaly (pronounced like Natalie). They introduced themselves and then said they'd be back to do their stuff after my Family Medicine doctor came and we had a plan for the day. Minutes later, the nurse with the name we were told earlier came in to say that she would be our nurse and I was like wait wait wait, Kim is our nurse right? So she left to check on that and we hung out and got settled. The verdict in the end was that indeed we got Kim and Nathaly. Kim let us know that she was scheduled to leave at noon, which I was not a huge fan of because usually they work 7 AM to 7 PM shifts and it meant we'd be switching before 7 PM. But I wasn't too upset or anything. It was good to know up-front. I gave Kim a copy of my birth plan and she took it with her to read.
A little bit later, in came another nurse whose name I completely can't remember. She said that she was helping Kim and she came bearing IV bags and the IV kit and all kinds of stuff, and started to get going on setting the IV. She said that we didn't have to wait for the doc to arrive to do that, since it was certain that I'd be getting an IV as I was there for induction after all. I let her know that I had a bad experience with the IV insertion with Evelyn and it ended up right on my wrist, so she looked for a good vein higher up on my arm. Just when she was going to poke me, Dr. McClester arrived!
At this point, I think Jonathan was sleeping. Poor guy was exhausted and still queasy, and I figured I'd let him sleep as much as possible until I really needed him!
I was excited to see Dr. McClester. She was the main doctor I've seen throughout my pregnancy. She told me that she didn't even know that I was being induced, because she was at the hospital during the big meeting where they made that decision or something, so she was surprised when she found out. She apologized about the induction and was just really kind. I showed her my birth preferences sheet (edited and revised with the knowledge that I was being induced) and she sat next to me on the bed and read it and then said, "That is beautiful." Then she checked me. She said I was dilated 3-4 cm, 75% effaced, and at -1 or -2 station. That's pretty much the same as my stats from last Wednesday when we got evaluated in L&D, except for the effacement which had really jumped up.
We made a plan for the day. The nurses would start me on the lowest dose of Pitocin, which I would have in conjunction with saline fluids. They would bump up the Pit every 30 minutes until I had good labor pattern established, and then we'd go from there. No Magnesium Sulfate, because my blood pressure was staying pretty consistent. Higher than the optimal range, but pretty much where it had been for a while at the end of the pregnancy. I talked to the doctor and the nurse about the Pitocin and how I wanted to move slowly with it and they said that was totally fine and we could talk about backing off as needed too. Dr. McClester had to leave to go to her Wednesday morning resident meeting, which I knew about in advance, and she told me that her attending Dr. Neutz (I have no idea of the proper spelling) would be in to meet me in a couple of hours.
I'm not sure exactly what time the pit was started. I think it was around 9:30 or so, because before they started it they had to get the IV set and take a ton of vials of blood. Then they took a few more because I said I'd donate the cord blood, so they have to run another set of tests for that. It was nice to have Kim and Nathaly around because Kim was wonderful with putting the IV in a good spot (not on my hands or wrists so I could easily flex and bend them throughout labor) and she explained everything in great detail both for my sake and Nathaly's. I like to know the details on every procedure, even just IV insertion, so I was happy. Kim had also clearly read my birth preferences because she originally hooked me up to a regular continuous fetal monitor (to monitor baby's heart rate and my contractions), but she immediately let me know that as soon as they started the Pit they would switch me to a telemetry unit so I could be monitored but not tethered to the bed.
So, 9:30 AM and the Pit drip started at a dosage of 2 somethings per hour. The lowest dose. I had already been having some contractions, some of them strong, but nothing regular, for the past week or so. I didn't expect things to change too much, too fast with the pit so I just kinda hung out in bed for a while. I read the really long consent form for donating cord blood and filled out the health history and then decided that I should probably walk around some.
Our Doula hadn't arrived yet because I figured nothing exciting would be happening until after lunch probably, so I asked her to just call on her way and see what I wanted for lunch and then we'd see her around 11:30 or 12. Same with our photographer, who was coming to photograph some of the labor and birth. I messaged her saying they just started the pit so it would be a while.
Jonathan snoozed on the uncomfortable couch and I decided to do some laps around the halls of L&D. I had to pull my IV pole around with me, but I had my cute hospital gown and my comfy slippers on, and I just did a few laps and looked at the pictures of babies all over the walls. I had a few contractions, but nothing too terrible. The nurses and docs at the work stations wouldn't have been able to tell I was in the middle of a contraction or anything, because I kept walking. When I got back to the room, I had a couple of strong contractions while I was walking around the room getting the iPod set up to play my labor playlist and just putzing around. I moved my hips in figure 8s because I read that that was good to do, and I kept walking.
Around 10, they bumped the pit up to 4 somethings per hour, and at 10:30 they went to 6. I went to the bathroom, walked around the room, and just kinda hung out. The contractions started to hurt once they went up to 6. Then they started to hurt more. I got in the bed and put the back straight up so I could face the back of the bed and move my hips back and forth during contractions. I remembered this pose from laboring with Evelyn and I remember it providing some relief. This time, not so much. I had a couple of contractions in that position and then put the bed straight down and was on hands and knees for a few contractions. Jonathan was up. I was saying my long vowel sounds during contractions. They came fast and peaked fast. Jonathan counted to 30 every time for me, to let me know that the worst part was over and I could ride the wave down. He rubbed my back and encouraged me. I could rest for what felt like only 30 seconds or so more between contractions, but I'm not sure how long it really was.
At 11, the nurse whose name I can't remember came in and upped the pit to 8. I remember thinking about asking her to just leave it at 6, but then I was between contractions when she upped it and I thought no, I can handle 8.
Oooooh the pain. The contractions started to hurt so badly that I feel like I was just writhing on the bed. I remember being on hands and knees, Jonathan rubbing my back, and I was kicking my feet against the bed like a certain toddler I know, like I was so mad at the pain and I was just kicking in anger. Jonathan helped me to calm down and told me I was doing great. I think I was upset about it because I just had it in my head that the baby wasn't going to come until late afternoon/evening at the earliest and I didn't know how I could handle that intense of a labor for that much longer.
Between contractions, I decided to try to get out of bed again and go to the bathroom. I was in there for a while, because any switching of positions was getting difficult. While I was in the bathroom, I asked Jonathan to go tell them to turn my pit back down to 6. Because 8 was going to kill me. One contraction later (Jonathan didn't even have time to ask about the pit), I told him I thought I needed to push and he should let them know.
Jonathan said that the attending doctor was just coming in to introduce herself and check me, and he said I was in the bathroom so she stepped back out. Then he went out again after I mentioned pushing, to let them know that I'd said that, and in came Dr. Neutz and Kim and Nathaly (and maybe the other nurse... I can't remember). As they were coming in, I was moving back to the bed and I remember thinking that I was probably wrong about the pushing and it was probably just the contraction talking. I thought to myself that they'll tell me I'm at like 7 cm or something (which would still be a pretty high number given that I was 4 at the most only a couple hours earlier).
Right when I got to the bed, as Dr. Neutz was saying hello, I had an evil contraction and I was lying on my side thinking that the world was probably going to end then and there. It passed and I was like check me! Quick! She said something like "I can feel a tiny lip there" and I knew what that meant. I was fully dilated except for a small part of the cervix which wasn't quite there yet. She didn't leave, which I thought was encouraging. She said the bag of waters was bulging and they could break it if I wanted. I asked if that would make it hurt more and Kim said yes. I said, "Don't make it hurt!"
Everyone started to move around and put on gowns and they said I was going to meet the baby. I was not sure I believed it. Dr. Neutz announced our preferences to everyone in the room: "Do not announce the sex of the baby - they will do that themselves. Place baby skin-to-skin on mom immediately. Do not cut the cord until there is no pulse and it is limp. Does everyone understand?" She was loud and I was thinking, "Okay people, let's go!"
I had two more contractions, lying on my right side on the bed, as everyone bustled around getting ready. With the first one, I felt a pop and they said "That's good, bag of waters is broken!" I had Jonathan push down on my hip for counter-pressure during contractions, and I started to really push at the end of each contraction. I thought I was really about to have the baby, and I remember looking around the room in a daze and thinking that everyone had better put on some speed because I was about to have this baby just lying on my side in the bed!
Jonathan later told me that he was very close to vomiting on me, because as he was standing up and rubbing my back he started to feel hot and queasy again. We're both glad things moved quickly because he was soon able to sit down and rest again, and he did not puke on me. Yay! I also had a moment somewhere in there, maybe when the pit was still at 6, where I thought I was going to throw up and Nathaly brought two different sizes of tubs for spewing. She was so sweet every time she came in, and so excited to do nurse stuff like hold my hand or feel the fundus of the uterus.
Okay so back to it - there I was about to have a baby! They put the bed up so I was sort of reclined, and they put the bottom part of the bed down so my feet were low as if the bed were a chair or something. It's hard to describe. But I was on my back but not flat at all, so I wasn't fighting gravity or anything and I was fine with the position. Much better than delivering baby on my side. When the next contraction hit, I pushed and Jonathan told me that the head was out. With Evelyn, once her head was out that was it. This time, though, I was fighting against the pain a little (and still trying to breathe through contractions rather than switching to the hold your breath and push mode). They had to do some convincing me to get his shoulders out, which I think took two more pushes maybe. But then he was out.
Jonathan said, "Chelsea, you have a Gideon!" and I for a second before he said Gideon I had this thought that he was going to say "girl" and I was really going to be shocked. I didn't have a good reason to think it was a boy this time, but I still did. Jonathan told me later that he had a feeling it was a boy too but he always said he was on team girl just to keep the balance.
Our Gideon was here! He was born at 11:31 AM.
The Doula and the photographer were still en route. The doctor was still at her resident supervision meeting. The nursing student got to see a full labor, start to finish, during her 8-12 nursing class in one day. And I didn't even have to worry about Kim getting off work at 12 (she ended up staying with us until 2 or so when we moved down to Maternity, because she is the best nurse ever).
I think the first thing I asked was, "Does this mean I can have lunch?!" I was so excited to eat.
We hung out with Gideon in L&D for a while. Our Doula came and did helpful things so Jonathan could rest a little, like get me the most delicious burger and fries I've ever had in my entire life and help me try to get the little guy to nurse. The hospital recently became an official "Baby Friendly" hospital, so they have been so good about promoting skin-to-skin contact, not rushing any testing or measuring or treatments for Gideon, etc. in order to promote successful nursing. Still, Gideon has been a bit like his sister. He latched and tried to get a little colostrum a couple of times, but definitely isn't just latching right on and going for it yet. I know it can take some time and work so we will just stick with it.
I think that about covers Gideon's birth, so I'll sign off and rest for a bit. It was an incredibly quick labor. I'll probably give you a gory details post like I did with Evelyn with some notes on the physical recovery, but I'll just say for now that it's been really good so far!
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