Yesterday, Meg and I brought home our first child - Ellinor Lillian Dupuis! We had a longer path than we would have hoped for, but in the end, she's healthy and at home to stay. She was 7lbs 11oz and 20.5" at birth. She has the cry of a raptor, and she keeps her hands up to protect her chin (which she got from me) at all times. Meg had a ton of heartburn during the pregnancy, so she was hoping it meant a full head of hair. She did not disappoint!
I'll resume my Magic related duties as soon as possible. I know a lot of people have been looking to sell cards, and several people have contacted me about getting back into the game. I'll be working with everyone as soon as I'm able to leave home for more than a couple hours at a time.
Birth Story - No Magic ContentThe birth went exactly as we had hoped. We decided to go Med-free, and our midwives were behind it 100%. Luckily, at the hospital, we ended up with a nurse who was also very supportive of our values. Meg went into labor during Monday Night Vintage. She started having stronger contractions at 9 pm, and waited until 1am to call me. I was finishing up a draft, and she said there was no hurry, but it was the real deal. I won the draft (my deck was stupid 1st pack Elspeth - 3x Bant Charm, tons of fliers, Sigil of Distinction and Tar Fiend) and went home. We labored for a few hours, and then went into the hospital.
When we got there, our midwife did an internal, and we were at 1 cm & 85% effaced. Active labor begins at 4 cm, and the early stages can show 1/2 cm per hour, so we went home to labor some more. It was 8:30 am once we got home, so we slept as best we could to get ready for a long day. Meg's contractions stepped it up and we called in again. The midwife told us to labor at home for as long as possible, and Meg was overwhelmed. After a period of adjusting and calming down, we got to the point where she was breathing through the contractions. We put on a DVD, and two hours later, the contractions were strong enough to warrant another trip. By this point, Meg's really had nailed down the techniques to deal with the contractions. She was relaxing, breathing and aware of when the contractions were coming and going. It was really amazing to watch her do so well, especially for a first birth.
When we arrived for the second time, Meg was at 5 cm and 95% effaced, so were were good to go. We checked into the birthing room, and we managed to get one with a hot tub. Meg labored in the tub successfully for at least an hour. As the contractions came on, I would poor hot water over her belly, and as they got stronger, I would also rub her lower back. When it started to cool down, the contractions were too strong for the water to help. Once she got out, she moved back and forth between a variety of positions, each time moving us closer to meeting our new family member. All she needed for support was breathing, and me rubbing her lower back during contractions.
A bit after 9 pm, Meg began to get the urge to push. They checked her one last time, and she had a slight anterior lip, but not enough to warrant holding back. It took a few contractions for Meg to get the right idea, but once she got a rhythm, she was amazingly good. After 30 minutes of pushing, Ellinor Lillian Dupuis was born at 10 PM. The whole process was amazing. Going Med-Free was so empowering, so real, so involved and personal. In America, the culture is so anti-birth - it's unfortunate how many people miss out due to fear. We feel blessed to have such an unforgettable experience without drugs numbing it up.
Post Birth was a different story all together. Ellie was having slight sporadic trouble breathing. After 4 hours, of off and on observation, they decided to put her in the special care nursery. I spoke with the doctor, and he said she needed oxygen, antibiotics, and a dextrose drip. Her oxygen levels were at 91%, and the acceptable range is 92%+. This prevents the baby from breastfeeding, so they use the drip to keep the blood sugar up. The antibiotics are just in case the difficulty breathing is from an infection. I believe the whole thing could have been solved with a couple pats on the back, and ultimately, that's what ended up doing it. A nurse picked her up, patted her on the back, and she coughed up what was hindering her breathing. Unfortunately, by that time, we were well into the machine, so we had no recourse. 4 days later, we were still struggling to take her home. Every intervention leads to another, but ultimately, we're finally out of the hospital and working it all out. The last issue we're up against is the increased difficulty in breast feeding due to the delay in starting.
