After two trips to Labor and Delivery within two hours, I was finally admitted and dilated to seven cm. I simply could not have imagined them sending me home in the kind of pain I was experiencing. The first time they sent me home, I was dilated to a 3-4 and having contractions every 5-8 minutes, but that wasn't often enough! They said to go home and walk around the block or wander around Wal-Mart!! After leaviing, we recorded about 15 more contractions ranging from nine to two minutes apart. It hurt everywhere, but mostly back labor. The second time we arrived at L&D, which was a little after 7pm, a shift change had occured, so I had to fill out paperwork again, even though I was crying and had been there about an hour and a half ago! They didn't waste any time at this visit. I received my epidural within an hour of arriving and it worked like a charm. I say that because I couldn't feel the contractions. Things moved rather quicly at first, then stalled out. My water wouldn't break, so he had to break it himself. After that, I could feel the pressure and pain of her head moving into the birth canal. Once I was at ten centimeters, it was 34 minutes of hard labor. It was WAAAAY worse than delivering Tanner. I truly hope I didn't scare anyone in the L&D room next to me.
Brahm's Lullaby played throughout the hospital at 11:34pm on August 9th, 2009. Kinsey was considered full term since she was born at 37 weeks, 4 days. She was 21 inches long (3' longer than Tanner) and weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. (Tanner was 5 lbs, 2 oz). She looks an awful lot like Tanner did at that age...dark brown hair and skinny little legs. Her eyebrows are blonde, no telling what her hair will end up looking like. She was able to be in the hospital room with us whenever we wanted and nursed for 30 minutes before we ever left Labor and Delivery. She lost six ounces before we left the hospital and then continued to lose a little more. At her weight check appointment, she was down to 6 lbs. 15 oz and the doctor felt like she was jaundiced. We had to immediately go for a blood draw. Long story made shorter, she had to sun-bathe for ten minutes on each side for two days and the problem was solved. She was just barely over the mark on the bilirubin count. She has been sleeping for 3-4 hours at a time and gets hiccups just as often outside as she did inside!! Strange thing is it is generally around the same time of day as well!!As far as my condition goes, I have had a more difficult time healing with this one. I had some serious pains as my uterus moved back into place, pain throughout the pelvis area, some back pain, and lots of stinging pain around the episiotomy area.
One stitch came out and I have since found out that it is too late to correct that, so it has to grow back together on it's own. Quite painful to say the least. Luckily, Tobin was able to take off fourteen days!
Tanner did not enjoy meeting his new sibling, but has since warmed up more and more each day. He cried and wouldn't look at her while at the hospital. For the first couple of days, he ran away from me if I was holding the enemy once at home. Now, he will peer into her crib or peek into the bassinet to catch a glimpse of her.
I caught him trying to touch her little foot once too. I even peeled back some of her bedding so he could see up into her crib. He often sees me holding her on the Boppy, so whenever he thinks of it, he will carry the Boppy over to me and put it on my lap! Hopefully, he never decides to drop it into her Bassinet while she is sleeping. If I am nursing her on the couch, he chooses that time to romp around on the pillows behind me. I think he will develop into a wonderful big brother and protector eventually, but for now, he may very well unintentionally, and with a kind heart, end up being her worse enemy!
