Happy Labor Day Mom's

Although I realize it is a holiday, I went searching my favorite blogs anyhow. To my surprise Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer had posted a meme she found in honor of Labor Day, no not the holiday, the Mama kind. I thought it would be fun to join in, even though the birth of my 3 beautiful children were all C-sections.

How long were your labors?

Cameron = 38 hours...yes, I said 38!!!

Dylan = repeat C-section

Peyton = repeat C-section

How did you know you were in labor?

Cameron = I was induced and it didn't take long to realize I was in labor. My labor, all 38 1/2 hours was chemical labor, meaning when they shut off the pitocin and IV, my contractions STOPPED! Can you say bitter? Uh, yea...little bit, even though it's been almost 9 years.

Dylan = I didn't labor, but experienced a few Braxton Hicks with him.

Peyton = I thought I would go into labor with her. I started contracting in October and it was continual. I never expected to make it to my scheduled surgery.

Interesting fact: all 3 of my children were born on a Thursday.

Where did you deliver?

Cameron = delivered at a "not so nice" hospital, where the "not so nice" nursery staff was verbally mad at me for keeping baby in nursery. Grandma yelled at one of them and asked them, "What exactly is your job description?" I had spinal migraines that they were shooting Demerol in my thighs for. I couldn't care for my newborn son, but hubby was there 95% of the ENTIRE time. That other 5% they were mad because we actually utilized the nursery.

Dylan = delivered at the same hospital I was delivered at, even though they don't have a nursery and I had to keep baby with me the entire time, which is extremely hard when recovering from a C-section. I didn't have the spinal migraines this time, so all was well.

Peyton = because I wasn't going back to the "not so nice" hospital, we went back to the hospital without the nursery, and she was born at the same hospital as Dylan and I. However, I was checking myself out come hell or high water. My second night nurse was ATROCIOUS and I filed a complaint on her. Not pain killers, for her WHOLE shift. Unfortunately the morning nurse got the brunt of it, but I later apologized.

Drugs?

Cameron = OH YEA! Thanks to the wonderful drugs of horror, my contractions were right on top of each other. They then gave me a wonderful gem called Stadol. Mama liked. The problem with Stadol is it only last MINUTES people and they can only give it to you a couple of times. How many hours was I in labor? About 10 hours after surgery I developed spinal migraines, which if anyone has had these knows they are atrocious. They started shooting me up with Demerol (and wrapping my head in ice). I never took a pain pill for the C-section though.

Dylan = I was given Darvocet after my C-section and took it this time. I was doing a lot more and needed to take that "edge" off.

Peyton = I had THE most drugs with Peyton. I was given Demerol, Darvocet, Vicodin, and a new little pack (the name escapes me) that had the tiniest of tubes running right in my incision to keep it numb. There was another drug too, given to me in the "buttocks" with a nice size needle, but that name escapes me too.

C-section?

Apparently God intended me to be a Mama, just not the old fashion way. After having 3 c-sections, you would NEVER be able to convince me to have a child vaginally. C-sections are the only way to go!

Cameron = He wasn't coming out for nothing. Apparently I was a great oven. After failure to progress and being dilated to a 2 for 38 hours, we opted for a C-section. Interesting fact, he's still the one who takes the longest to get ready and our most stubborn. I was released 2 days after.

Dylan & Peyton = so as to NEVER experience the labor I had with Cameron we chose to have scheduled repeat C-sections. I was released 2 days after. After Peyton, when the nursed called the doctor on day 2 to say I was checking myself out if he didn't do it, he told the nurse, "Tiffany wanted to go home before she even had the surgery." I HATE hospitals. My hubby took better care of me than they ever could!

Who delivered?

Cameron = "not so nice" doctor to go with the "not so nice" hospital. I look back at my first pregnancy as my happiest, however I wish I had the doctor and hospital I did with the next 2.


Dylan = an awesome doctor, couldn't have been in better hands. I was nervous searching for a new OB, as I wasn't using the last one again. I knew my baby and my life would be in their hands on an operating room table. I found my doctor, went for my first visit, got on the dreaded scale, and above the scale is a picture of my doctor and team in the OR, photoshopped in is Jesus, with one arm around my doctor and the other guiding this hand as he's making the incision. Yep, this is EXACTLY where I was meant to be!


Peyton = we liked this awesome doctor so much, we had him deliver our darling daughter too.


(And a bonus question) Weight of babies at birth?

Cameron = 7 lbs 4 oz
Dylan = 7 lbs 10 oz
Peyton = 8 lbs 12 oz