Our Little Baby: Vivienne's Birth Story

I went to bed on Thursday, December 19 knowing that I would be having a baby the next morning. This was a big change from the surprise of Madeline's birth, but being induced helped simplify the logistics of what to do with our toddler during the whole process. We also successfully avoided a Christmas spent gathered around my sitz bath. I think that was in everyone's best interests.

Knowing what was about to come made me anxious. Madeline's birth had been so easy that I was sure I was in for a difficult labor this time. Eric and I both slept terribly on Thursday night despite knowing it would be our last chance for a peaceful slumber for quite some time.

We woke up very early on Friday morning and drove Madeline to daycare in the dark. Her eyes brimmed over with quiet tears when we dropped her off, and she gave us a nervous wave. I resisted the urge to sob into her red curls, and instead smiled widely at her as we left.

At first, getting ready to be induced felt very much like any ordinary appointment. I undressed, they started the fetal monitors, nurses came and went, Eric and I watched the morning news.

About twenty minutes after arriving, the doctor broke my water, and the nurse began administering the drugs to make my contractions start. My body didn't take long to take the hint. The contractions began to intensify quickly. Eric offered his hand. I squeezed it tightly, and I breathed deeply.

Our nurse joked about how quickly I was progressing, and called the anesthesiologist to administer my epidural. People squirm over the thought of needles entering one's spine. In fact, Eric took a walk so he wouldn't have to witness what they were doing to me. However, I must say that while the procedure isn't exactly pleasant, it was a lot more enjoyable than the contractions I was trying to breath through at the same time. I was eager for the relief.

I could feel the cold flowing down my back, and my legs began to tingle slightly, but ten minutes later, I could still feel my contractions. The epidural was not working as well as I remembered it with Madeline. We waited a bit longer for the drugs to take affect, and eventually they did, except for one section of my abdomen. In my lower right side I could still feel everything, and the contractions were certainly getting worse.

I continued to try to breath through each contraction, determined to not moo like a cow, but I now squeezed my bed rails until my knuckles were white. I greatly admire women who give birth without any drugs. I don't know how they do it.

The nurse turned me on my side to let gravity help the drugs flow through my body. A second anesthesiologist arrived to give me an extra boost of the good stuff. He told me that if that didn't work, they'd have to start a new epidural. The nurse told me that we wouldn't have time for a second one as I was progressing too quickly. I rolled my eyes and hoped the drugs would kick in.

They did. I could still feel the contractions, but the drugs took enough of the edge off that I could relax and start to smile and joke with Eric again.

At that point, the nurse checked my progress. "Keep your legs closed, or you're going to have the baby," she laughed as she went to find the doctor.

The doctor came in shortly after 11 am and told me to push through the next contraction. Two big pushes and several minutes later, Vivienne was born at 11:10 am. She was 7 lbs 11 oz. and 20.5 inches long.

She came into this world wailing loudly, and she didn't stop crying for the next hour. Madeline was silent and wide-eyed when she was born, but Vivienne's eyes remained squeezed shut as she voiced her displeasure.

I marvelled at how tiny she was. We cooed and talked to her gently. We checked her hair color. It was brown. Eric got his way after all.

After the initial shock of birth, she grew calm. She wiggled and squirmed on my chest and began to nurse as if she'd done it already 100 times. Eric and I laughed in surprise. It had taken us days to get Madeline to latch. Our girls may be from the same stock, but from the very beginning, they appear to be two completely different people.

Vivienne stayed with us for about an hour before they brought her to the nursery to be cleaned up and checked out. My parents came in to visit while she was gone. Eric and I ordered lunch.

By 2 pm, the drugs had worn off enough to move me to maternity. All the L&D nurses laughed about our brief stay as they wheeled me past. Our nurse told us that most inductions take a full day at least, so getting us out before her lunch break was pretty unusual.

We settled in to our new room, and they brought Vivienne back shortly thereafter. She was wearing a handmade knit cap that looked like a Christmas tree. We kissed her chubby cheeks, pet her soft hair, and giggled over her lack of a chin.

Madeline came to visit her baby sister for the first time with my parents. She wasn't at all impressed or interested in the baby. Eric's parents arrived with a present for Madeline. She was impressed and interested in that.

Vivienne continued to nurse easily. She made soft growling sounds as she slept, and although she came into the world loudly, she didn't cry the rest of the night. We watched It's a Wonderful Life and tried to squeeze in as much sleep as we could between pokings and proddings from well-meaning medical professionals.

In spite of the free desserts the hospital kept offering me, and the wonder of my perineal ice pack, by the second day, I was missing Madeline and ready to go home with our new bundle of joy.