FINALLY! Jemma's Birth Story!

I have been trying to write a post about Jemma's birth and how life is going for over a week now; however, motherhood and the internet appear to be conspiring against this. We're actually doing really well at home, but it is just adjusting to taking care of Jemma and recovering. I had the post written about 3 times and then my computer crashed and I got fed up and decided I would just start over later.

SO, Jemma's birth was an interesting experience. It was definitely not what I expected or was hoping for, but it wasn't terrible. I started having contractions around 1 in the afternoon Monday, and we headed to the hospital about 9pm that night. I was really feeling great until they broke my water at 1am, and then the contractions got really intense. I was having horrible back labor, and I was getting really tired. My doctor suggested an epidural at about 5am, and I happily agreed. I was ready to start pushing by 8am, and this is where it got interesting. I pushed for 3 hours with minimal progress - when I'd push, she'd come down, but as soon as I stopped, she went right back where she was before. This led my doctor to suspect I might have a pretty big baby (turned out she was right)...anyway, we discussed several options, but I ended up having another doctor assist to perform a forceps delivery, and Jemma came out very quickly with that assistance. I narrowly avoided a c-section, although I did end up with a 3rd degree tear thanks to my daughter's broad shoulders. It was worth it, though, and I much prefer that to a c-section scar and recovery.

Jemma turned out to be 8 lbs, 12 oz; 21 3/4 inches long; brown hair; and brownish blue eyes. She had a small abrasion on her head, but this is healing well. She also was slightly jaundiced, but again, this has cleared up. We are breastfeeding, and she had a little trouble at first, but she's a pro now. She had her first pediatrician visit today, and Dr. Weatherington was very pleased with her. She's up to 8lbs, 14 oz (already surpassed her birth weight!) and is doing all the things she should be.

I am doing well considering how difficult Jemma's birth was. I have had some complications with my tear repairing, and I have to go to the doctor every 2 days until it starts to heal on its own, which hopefully should be soon. My doctors' seem pleased with the progress, but it's just going to take some time for everything to go back together. Basically this just means I have to rest a lot and stay off my feet as much as I can. I'm not allowed to lift anything heavier than Jemma. Tom stayed home the past 2 weeks to help me out, and I have lots of friends and family who will be helping during the day once he goes back to work Monday.

Anyway, overall everything is going pretty well. Jemma is a pretty easy baby, and we are enjoying having her with us finally. We're spending lots of time cuddling and snuggling and napping together. We'll keep you updated on how life is going, but for now, we're just spending time at home adusting to life with Jemma!