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Jesse Michael Lopez Sex: boy Born: 14 April, 2008 Age: 1 years & 222 days Birthday in: 143 days Starsign: Aries Development: See the 19 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -Im in size one diapers now! 4-29-08 -I weigh 9lbs 8oz- 2lbs in three weeks at One month old! 5-14-08 -My umbilical stump fell off! 5-16-08

Birth details

Type of delivery: Vaginal (without pain relief)
Duration of labor: 10 hrs
Weight @ birth: 7lbs 9oz
Length @ birth: 20.25\

Jesse-Michael-Lopez`s birthstory

The evening of Friday, April 12th we had a lot of company over. My husband`s best cousin was down from San Francisco and we always make a point to spend time with him while he is down. During the night, at around 11:00 pm, I started to notice some funny feelings in my stomach that were not pleasant, but not uncomfortable. They were spaced apart and infrequent- so I paid note but tried not to worry.
I tried my best to sleep, but stayed up late in the Chatroom here talking it up with the ladies in all my excitement. The contractions continued increasing in their intensity and strength, but they`re frequency was not regular or getting closer together- I again noted that but tried my best to go about my day.
When I woke up on Saturday morning, I drank a couple cups of Red raspberry leaf tea, ate breakfast, and helped my husband out with some yardwork in the front yard. I might have burned myself out a little bit but it sure felt good to pull some weeds. (plus I had heard that It might send me into labor if I did so.) Then later, I went for a walk down to the local shopping district where there was a nice Classic car show going on. It was the hottest day of the year so far, getting up to 94 degrees, and here I was walking a couple miles, in jeans, a longsleeve shirt and in latent labor!
From that point I just tried to rest and eat and stay at home because my contractions were intensifying. They started to feel crampy and a bit painful and I knew that it wouldn`t be much longer from that point. Everyone started to tell me that It was getting close and I was getting anxious but happy and excited. As the afternoon progressed, I knew that they were right.
I tried my best to sleep through the night but It was getting difficult. My good friend Angela came by and gave me some cute nail art on my toes to have something to look at during labor. We stayed up watching YouTube birth videos and timing contractions. It was a nice way to spend the evening.
When I woke up on Sunday Morning, I was in some serious pain. I had a hell of a time trying to sleep. Jesse (my husband) would hear me breathing and moaning through contractions and rub my lower back during them. When they started getting intense, we grabbed our bags, called Nana (his mom) and had her drive us to the hospital, my mom Lynn meeting us there at about 7 am.
When we got to the hospital and went into the Triage, the nurse checked me and I was not even at 3cms and only 70% effaced. Thats only 1cm more than the Previous Tuesday and only 20% more effaced. I was frustrated that the contractions weren`t doing much, so she told me to go home, walk, then rest and hopefully I would be back in by that evening.
I went home and tried to sleep. I couldn`t believe I was back home without my baby. I was bummed. I tried to eat, and drink water- but I just wanted to sleep between contractions. The water was making me nauseous, so daddy grinded me up some ice chips. I still felt like crap. The contractions got worse and worse. Finally around 8 pm I told him we better go back to the hospital or my water might break here. I was not having a good time at this point but I was more focused on just getting into active labor.
Back in Triage, the nurse checked my dilation and I had opened up to almost 4cms with 80% effacement, I felt nice and soft, and my water bag was so low she didn`t want to feel for baby`s head because she didn`t want to break it. I also had about the highest level of proteins you can and was extremely dehydrated- which explains my extreme uterine crampiness and ineffectiveness of the contractions from it`s irritated state. She put me on IV fluids and could barely get a vain to stand up because I had so little water in my body. The contractions slowed down a bit and I was getting kind of bummed but happy that there was a good possibility I was going to stay. She came and checked me again- I was at a 4cms, and they took me to a labor and delivery suite.
The nurses name was Shelly and she was a Godsend. She helped me to breathe through the last contractions before transition and made me feel at ease. The dehydration I had experienced had caused me to work harder than I would have needed to if I had been adequately hydrated so I was tired and progressing slowly, but starting to pick up. Shelly came in after I had been laboring for about three hours and checked my cervix. I was about 4.5 cms, and really well thinned out and soft but still kind of closed. She reached up farther to see where the baby`s head was at- just as she started to say `minus two`... my amniotic fluid ruptured from bulging so low during the cervical exam. The fluid was clear- and I was happy that things were moving along!
Shelly came back in the room after letting me labor for about another 90 minutes. After my water broke, Jesse had been counting my contractions go from 6,to 5, to 3 minutes apart very rapidly. They always had noticeable breaks- and I was able to talk and adjust myself between contractions but during them I was breathing hard to control the pain and I wanted to kill anyone who even brushed by stomach. I was in a noticeable amount of discomfort but seemed to be handling it well. Shelly did another exam during a contraction to gauge their effectiveness. It was pretty intense and she accidentally poked me hard in the clitoris with her thumb during the exam which I can still remember how it stung! She felt around again for baby`s head... he was very low and I had dilated from not quite 5cms to 8.5 cms in less than two hours! Exciting!
I stayed at the same level of contractions and pain for about 20 minutes. My cervix was changing and soon I was at almost 10cms but I had a cervical `lip` that was remaining on the right side that she did not want me to push against and tear. I was starting to get to the point where when I took a breath my body made me hold it and push. I remembered what Shelly said and what I read, and I started blowing and panting through it, which was incredibly difficult to fight! During this time I was working on my 3rd bag of IV fluids and I still had not been able to get up and pee. I tried, I wanted to sort of push it out but I was scared to push against my not-entirely-dilated cervix I tried a good three times on the toilet and once with a bed pan and nothing.
Shelly decided it was time for us to take action and had me get up and labor on my knees, first, bent over holding my husband by the shoulders. I was having the most difficult time just holding myself up on him, I was completely exhausted by the labor and the pain. She then had me turn around and hold the top of the inclined bed and rock my hips back and forth, while she gave me a forceful but great feeling counterpressure massage on my lower back. Then she had me lay back down so she could check my progress. Baby`s head was fully engaged in the pelvis, and I was at 10cms at last! Shelly made one last attempt to evacuate me (my bladder) using a catheter. She tried for about 10mins, but still no urine. It was time to get this baby out.
It felt like forever from the point where I wanted to push to the point where I could push, but in reality it was only a matter of about a half hour. The first urge to push I had, my mom was holding my right leg, my husband my left leg, and my mother in law my head. I counted down till my contraction hit, took a big whiff of oxygen, held it in and PUSHED!!!!.... out all the pee! Shelly quickly changed the sheets and waited for another contraction. They were coming hard and fast and right on top of each other now, but it was such a relief to be able to do something effective with the contraction I was very glad, despite the pain.
I had been pushing for about 30 minutes when things started getting really intense. I was so exhausted and sweaty and just ready to see my baby that nothing mattered but that. Shelly reached up inside me and started helping me to stretch out my perineum as baby began to descend to the point of crowning. She would hold her fingers around his head and tell me `Push my fingers out!` It really helped me to find a place to push to- instead of just wanting to push. My focus became directed- soon I could reach down and feel my baby`s head. The doctor was paged and the dressings and supplies to bring baby into the world were being brought into the room. Doctor Dickinson the OBGYN on call arrived into the room and gloved up. It was all so real and so close! Two, three more pushes and his head was out!
Baby was being suctioned and I was having a bit of a time getting past his shoulders. Shelly had me lift my legs up a bit higher, grab hold of a towel knotted and pull on it as she held it down. My son turned, and half of his torso slid out. One less intense contraction later and the rest of my beautiful baby boy was delivered into the world. The doctor handed my husband the scissors and he cut the cord, completing the journey we had stepped into together with me. I had done it! No epidural! No stadol! No pitocin! All me- I was so impressed with myself and my body. I couldn`t begin to explain my joy and gratitude.

I remember saying- `Oh God, Oh thank you Jehovah! My beautiful baby`

My baby was placed on my chest and was whimpering non stop like a kitten. I couldn`t stop staring at him- he was so beautiful. The nurses let me know that during the labor he had passed a stool, and had breathed some in. The noise he was making was `grunting`, him trying to get the rest of the meconium out of his lungs. I got to hold him a bit longer till he was taken out to the nursery to be further suctioned and monitored. My husband and I were taken to a recovery room and got to just hold each other and rest for a bit. It was the hardest, and the most wonderful thing I`ve ever had the blessing to do in my entire life. It went so wonderfully and so smoothly and I am so grateful and thrilled with the outcome. The nursing staff, doctors and everyone there was so gracious and helpful. Especially Shelly. I couldn`t have done it without her. She helped me keep my cool and my faith in the power of my body to birth my baby.
We got to bring him home yesterday, April 15th at about 12 noon, after I and the baby had been assessed. He has a slight bit of jaundice and sometimes breathes a little fast than the doctors would like but he`s doing quite well. I`m breastfeeding exclusively and that is going pretty good when I can get him to latch right, but he eventually does and feeds for at least a good half hour. : ) I`m probably dead tired but can`t tell because Im flying high on adrenaline. My face is spotted with broken capillaries from pushing and I have a broken blood vessel in my eye. Ive never been so leaky before in my entire life. I could not possibly be any happier, or any prouder at this moment. I love my son and my husband so much. I can`t wait to see what the future brings for us!

Thank you I-am-pregnant VIP`s who have been there for me! I love you all and can`t wait to hear how your births go!

Love,

Mrs Pooh





just being dried off First diaper



Getting Weighed up Me: 8.5 cms dilated (between contractions)



Two Weeks and Beyond


Me and my proud mama and just chillin back on the bed




Daddys wedding ring and cracking a little smile


after my first bath and hanging out with gramma Lynn



daddys hand and daddys little man

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