We did it! We made a human. George Dallin Seely was born at 1:51 am Friday Sept 16. We couldn’t be happier…sometimes sadder (I blame the hormones)... excited, scared, worried, relieved, obsessed, and in love. We are definitely feeling all the feelings.
Before having George, however….we were mostly just terrified. I, especially, had been told terrible stories about the whole “having a baby” thing. Absolutely I had a lot of time to research my impending labor, and I can say quite confidently that there were no parts of it that I was excited for. Countless articles listed the “10 things I didn’t know about having a baby.” The wording was bleak, and the general spirit of these articles was fairly pessimistic…and I ate it all up. So, I ended up trucking to the hospital expecting to be completely traumatized. Miracle of Miracles, after hours of pushing ended in a C-section, my only scar is about 6 inches long and fading fast. So, in the spirit of truth, Dallin and I wanted to throw some positivity out into the baby delivery world. Enjoy the pictures of our sweet George…and, if you’re expecting, hopefully our “8 things we didn’t know about having a baby” help you to have a bit more courage than me (we were going to do ten...but ran out of things to say :)
1. They let me in at 3 cm! I had read all over that you had to be at least 5 centimeters before you could be admitted. Once contractions started, I could not stop thinking about all the people, Michelle Duggar especially, bless their hearts and strong wills, who do this naturally. We arrived at the hospital and I was sure I would be close to a 5. Oh how my heart fell when I was told I was only 1 cm dilated. Luckily, I was told I could stay and get those precious drugs if I progressed. So, Dallin and I took to the halls for the next two hours. When I wasn't leaning against the wall dreaming about various forms of narcotics, I was jumping....AND IT worked. I was in! Pre-epidural drugs were administered, and so began my labor vacation!
2. And I thought getting to 10 cm would be hard and painful. It wasn't. Yes I had an epidural, but I still thought there would be some sort of discomfort...Nope. I happily, for the next day and a half, sipped sprite after sprite and watched Gilmore Girls. So, if you get an epidural, just be ready to chill in a bed and have wonderful nurses serve you chilled drinks.
Not super flattering, but, definitely not in pain :)
3. Fun fact, EPIDURALS DO NOT HURT. I guess I had watched TLC's "A Baby Story" way too much as a 12 year old, but it always seemed, during the show, that epidurals were about a negative fifty on the "fun scale." Oh how my opinion has changed. Getting my I.V. was a thousand times worse than the epidural. Basically, a medical demigod, often referred to as an anesthesiologist, comes in and pierces your spine or something. But here's the catch, all you feel is a few taps. I was hyperventilating, expecting a Braveheart-esque experience, and was oh-so-pleasantly surprised. All I can say is, "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys..." push for anesthesiologist.
4. "Pushing" was a breeze!
At this point, all you "going it natural gals" are very likely rolling your eyes at me. But, let's get real, this article is geared more toward those out there not intending to experience the mysteries of birth. However, I was shocked that there was no pain...AGAIN! Yes, I was pumping my epidural button faster than someone taking down a gym on Pokemon Go, but, no lie, I was so far down the "no pain" road that I was falling asleep mid push. The nurse would start counting to ten and they would have to wake me up around 6. True, I hadn't slept for the last two nights, and the drugs might have been knocking me out, but I never expected to be falling asleep while pushing a baby out of my body.
5. C-Sections are not the worst...I fell asleep during that too. After about two hours of pushing, waiting, then pushing again, Dallin and I were told that the babies heart rate was dropping, I had a fever that wasn't going away, and that pushing was not working. A C-section was our only safe alternative at this point. So away we went. It was definitely a little scary, but, at this point, I was too sleepy to comprehend a ton of what was happening.
6. Everything I read online cited the post-birth experience as a bit horrific. Yes, it was a little shocking, but all the things that are happening to your body kinda make sense after everything is said and done. I felt like I would for sure be embarrassed or even ashamed of being exposed, but I just wasn't. I remember, after having George, the nurses wanted me to try to use the bathroom. Two nurses then helped me stand, and walked me into the bathroom, and sat with me while I tried to "relieve" myself. It was a bit surreal, and I even laughed and said to them, "Normally this would bother me, but for some reason, I just don't care." By day two in the hospital, I even started introducing myself to all the people coming in to check on me by saying, "Hi, I'm Ashley...normally I wear pants."
7. Hospitals are the best! I honestly cried a little when we got home...not because I was overwhelmed, but because I missed the hospital. It was so fun for me to just be with Dallin day in and day out. My nurses were all so nice, I still miss them. And the food...maybe I just lucked out, but the restaurant in our hospital offered choices and quantities akin to a cruise ship.
Everyone loved George and his hair...brown with golden tips :)
8. Babies are the best!
