Trying to take photos with a newborn is tricky, isn't it? We are loving our new little guy, though the lack of sleep and total abundance of crying has made us more than a little loopy. Asher's birth story ended up being more dramatic than I would have liked. I wasn't quite prepared for how things ended up - I progressed quickly and they didn't quite believe I was in labor when I was. I went to the hospital after my water broke, and they sent me home, which was good since the alternative was to be in a big ward with lots of women in pain. So we walked home from the hospital at around midnight and caught a taxi back a few hours later. Then I did get stuck in the "pre-labor" ward which turned out to be the black hole of the hospital and consists of about 10 beds separated by curtains. They don't check you for progress as often as they would in the states nor do they have you hooked up to monitors to tell how serious your contractions are, so I found myself begging them to check me for meeting their criteria for being in labor. After being sucked in there for six hours and thinking that the pain was terrifying but not knowing how much further I had to go, they finally agreed to check me and found out that it was fully dilated. I thought this meant that I could finally get some pain relief, but when I arrived in the labor ward they said it was time to push, so my plans for pain relief were thrown out the window, and two hours later Asher was born. I wouldn't wish that kind of experience on anyone. I know plenty of women who choose a natural birth and think it's a beautiful or spiritual experience, but the wasn't me. I thank God so much for Ryan. I don't see how I could have come through that without him. At some point you stop even caring about the baby being born and just want it to all end, and I'm sure that it was Ryan who kept me from just giving up. I felt shell shocked and a little bitter at missing that epidural for the first week or so after the ordeal. I realize that women all over the world and throughout time have done this, but I just wasn't prepared for it. But thank God that memories like that do fade to some extent, and I'm very thankful for our little gift. We're still trying to figure him out, and I can see that we won't have that accomplished any time soon. But at least he's at the end of a three hour nap for once so that I could write this post!
3 comments:
A-DORABLE. Call me the next time he gets that 3-hour nap! I love you guys and hope you are having a wonderful holiday!
That's funny. So the pictures are either crying or sleeping? Those are the choices? :) I used to think I was going to do it without an epidural (before I went into anesthesia training), but now I am not. I agree with you, though. You have to be mentally prepared for something like that...especially for the first one! Sorry it was so traumatic. I'll put in your epidural for you next time. Just fly me over. :)
Good grief, Elisa! I'm sorry you had such a rough experience. Your story is what my nightmares consisted of while I was pregnant. I hope that Asher lets you in on all of the secrets to making him happy very soon. He sure is a cutie! I hope that you guys are finding some supportive friends to help you through all of the craziness of having a newborn far from home. I'm thinking about you guys!
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