I'm a half assed blogger

Even though it's been a bit since I've posted (Christa.... I know it's only you that is checking!) in my defense, I wrote up a post in early February that was good: longish, positive, informative... and then this stinking laptop or internet connection or whatever jacked it up, didn't post, and lost it. So, I just packed it in for a bit before I lost it.

First and foremost, our beautiful baby boy is here! Hudson David born the 27th of February at 8lbs. The specialists (aka, the gynecologists), and the midwives felt the baby was really big. They wanted him out before we ran into shoulder dystocia problems and so on. The 26th, I checked into the hospital to get a foley catheter ballon inserted. It's exactly what it sounds: a catheter with a balloon at the end. After inserted, they inflate it with saline and the idea is that the balloon puts pressure on the cervix, making you dilate. It did the job and the balloon fell out, literally fell out, at around 9pm that night. I have to say, the day was glorious. You'd think it would be boring, just laying in the hospital bed but not for this momma. I got a couple short naps, finished thank yous from my babyshower (that was in November - don't judge me. I've been busy having a pity party.) and facebooked til my heart was content. In the states, while in the hospital for births, I kind of looked forward to meal times. They give you crazy amounts of food, that I don't think tastes too bad. In the Netherlands? Nope. For lunch I got a piece of bread, with a slice of lunch meat and some butter. Please picture me convinced that my stomach was going to eat itself. Dinner was slightly better...  I got a humongous hotdog sans bread, with a couple scoops (literally scoops) of potato/broccoli concoction. Interesting.

Anyway. The midwife on duty conferred with the gynecologist and they decided to just let me sleep through the night and they'd start the induction in the morning, so that "daytime delivery" would be available: the gynecologists, anesthesiologists, etc in case I needed a csection. The next morning, at 7 I had thirty minutes of monitoring with the belt and machine, and was checked. I was a whopping 2 I believe. They opted not to break my water right then until I'd dilated a bit more. So, they just started the pitocin (side note: I don't know if it was pit... they kept referring to it as oxytocin which I know is the same thing. Just saying, maybe it was a different brand name than pit? Maybe I'm full of shit?). I had a super uncomfortable catheter put in and we waited. Contractions were uncomfortable but not awful or unbearable. What was unbearable was these Dutch women checking me... geeze louise. I started to panic everytime they came in saying they were going to check me. Not the gentleness of Dr. Brazell (Texas) or Dr. Mackay (Pennsylvania). Somewhere around noon they broke my water because I think I was like a 4 or 5 by then? I promptly just stayed a 4 or 5 and I swear they kept coming in and turning up the pit. I would be all pleasant to the nurses, then when they'd leave I'd turn to Chuck and be like 'What is that f_ _ _ ing number up to?"

Before I got here, I heard/read all these horror stories about how you CAN'T get an epidural and home births are the majority, etc. Home births are popular but I think it's only like 35% of the births here. I know that's a lot, but not the 80% I was expecting. Also, from the get go, even in my regular appointments, it was made clear to me I could get an epidural if I wanted one. I needed to speak up kind of early because to get one, you have to go up to the OR, they give it to you, then you come back down. That being said, in the same breath I heard things from the nurses like "But I gave birth with no pain management to twins 24 years ago, so you can do it."

Around 4:30, I told Chuck I was pretty sure I needed the epidural. After 15 minutes of him trying to decide if I was serious or what, the nurses and gynecologist decided that no, I should try this stuff called remykempefel which no, is not spelled right. No, I can't find it on the internet. I was kind of irritated they wanted to try this because when I had Eva, I tried Nubain which was described to take the edge off the contractions. All it made me do was pass out between contractions and basically hallucinate. I guess that's what no drug use in my past will do, haha. I didn't like the Nubain so I was hesitant to do this stuff. But, the nurses said no, it was not as strong as Nubain and would just help me relax a little between contractions. I had a button to administer it and it was lovely. No, it didn't lessen the pain (I think) but it relaxed me in between. So much so that they had to remind me to take deep breaths because my oxygen level would drop a little, haha. So, the last time they had checked me a couple hours before, I was a 6. I tell them after having this drug for like 10 minutes "I think I need to push. I'm not sure." Ok, they tell me. If I feel like I want to push, go ahead. Chuck said their faces were like "Yeah. Surrrrrrrrre you need to push. This lady is only a 6." They had even put an operating gown on me early in the day because they wanted to be prepared for a csection. Which I have to say I appreciated their pre-planning. So I start pushing and they're like "Oh yes yes! You are ready to push!" I pushed maybe for like 4 contractions and I let out this weird yell/cry when I could feel his head coming. Then the same yell/cry when his body came. Which was smooth! No shoulder dystocia, not even the slightest bit stuck, I was excited! He was born at 5:28pm.  It was amazing and I did it without the epidural! I was on an instant high (and no, not the remy-whatever... that had been stopped when I wanted to push.) They put him on my chest, wiped him off while he was on my chest, put blankets around us, and he nursed asap. I only needed one stitch and it was all very relaxed. The gynecologist was there for the birth but seriously was just chillaxen in a chair to the side. Even though I was under her care, they don't do anything with the birth unless there is a problem. So, she just observes the whole time. The midwife on duty delivers and even she just sat kind of on the side of the bed until it was clear he was coming and then she and the nurses break the bed down, encourage me to push and she just catches the baby.

After he nursed, maybe like 30 minutes after the actual birth, is when they weigh him and of course do that in the delivery room. They're adament you keep him really warm. When they finally dress him in the clothes you bring him (don't bring just a onesie.. they want sleeves and pants) they put him in the bassinett by your bed with a pretty heavy blanket and sheets as well as two hot water bottles. Crazy. They brought BOTH Chuck and I a hot meal, brought a sweet tray with his name written on it and a traditional Dutch toast with these blue candy looking topping on them. I gotta be honest... the topping was gross. Tasted like black licorice. But very cool to experience this other culture's traditions. Then the nurse says "Well, do you want to go home tonight or tomorrow morning?" I looked at Chuck, remembered my crappy lunch from the day before, noted that there is not a nursery per se that you can send the baby to in the night, and said "Home tonight please." As long as I could pee on my own (because of my cath) and as soon as Hudson's body temp was regulated, we could go home no problem. We were home by 8:30 pm! Chuck's wonderful second cousin Brenda had came that morning to stay with the girls (Eva was on crocus break for the week) so she went home and I sent Chuck to McDonald's for me and then sat there feeling surreal that I had a baby a few hours ago and was already home!

The girls were asleep when we got home so we didn't wake them. In the morning around 6:30, they both came into our room to get snuggles in our bed. We are all 4 laying there and Hudson's in the pack and play bassinett. He starts fidgeting around and snorting and Eva goes "What's that sound?" because it's dark in the room. Chuck turns on the lamp and with a wink says "I don't know... go check." They both peek in the pack and play and are instantly thrilled and excited! It was all so very perfect.

The heel prick test, hearing test, first few days of checkups, etc are all done in your own home. We didn't have a kraamzorg (Dutch nurse that comes a few hours a day for the first week to check on you and the baby and help out around the house) because our international insurance wouldn't cover it. Instead, midwives came the first two days, then every other day after that for a week. Another set of nurses came laster in the first week to do the heel prick test and hearing test. Another nurse came to explain how Holland does the baby well checks and immunizations (government program called the Consultatie Bureau). Besides my initial midwife practice scaring me kind of often with what ended up being nothing each time, I had a FANTASTIC Dutch birthing experience.