We're happy to welcome Michael Sembo Noren to the family. At almost 41 weeks, I was scheduled for an induction on Friday. We prayed we wouldn't have to do that - that I could go into labor 'normally'. Thankfully, I woke up Friday morning with hard, regular contractions. At 7 a.m., I went walking despite the mist, hoping to make sure I was far enough into labor to not be induced at the morning appointment. We'd already planned for Ruth to head to Stoker's to stay. So Karl walked her over, then got us a depot taxi to the hospital. At this point I was definitely counting through each contraction - it seemed SO much harder than with Ruth. We got to Bethesda Hospital around 9:30 - and were admitted to maternity. When they checked me at 10:00, I was only dilated to 4. How discouraging! Ruth was a 21 hr labor, and this one was so much harder, I was discouraged to think that I still had so much farther to go when it was so painful already.Fortunately, the midwives there went ahead and started laying out all the supplies and getting things ready (at this place you bring your own gauze pads, alcohol, antiseptic, gloves, etc). The contractions got worse and worse, - I definitely wasn't interested in any of the snacks we'd brought, despite Karl's encouragement that it would be good to eat while I could. So at about 11 a.m. my water broke and I had to push and made it to the delivery room - by 11:10 the baby was delivered! We were shocked and pleased and happy and overwhelmed. This time I got to hold the baby right away, and oh, he was such a comfort after all that pain! Everything was much harder and much more painful, but really, it was less than 6 hrs of labor - and I'd probably choose it that way again if I could.
So his stats: 4.1 kilos, 21 inches, blond
Michael: Who is like God?
Sembo: truth/constancy/righteousness (we've changed his middle name to this after advice from others from Congo)
We stayed overnight there, and Stokers helpfully brought us dinner, a cell-phone that could make int'l calls, my Rhogam shot that we'd left in the fridge, and then picked us up the next day.
Ruth is adjusting, as are we all. She keeps announcing, "Baby!"
YEAH! I'm so glad this time around wasn't as long--I have hopes of the same one day. Happy adjusting to being a family of 4!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I love the picture and I love the name you chose.
ReplyDeleteGREAT STORY! I am amazed that you can call something so much harder, and I'm sure it was, because I have never been able to imagine any labor any MORE painful! So proud of you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting your story. If I had a blog I could basically copy & paste this for Zander's birth story. I felt the same way...it was so painful so "early" and I was discouraged to know I would be dealing with that for so long and then suddenly he was here! And we were planning to induce Friday morning as well! Enjoy this wonderful time with your folks. Sending lots of love to your little family.
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