Brighton's Birth

Jon and I went to the hospital on Tuesday night. Because I had progressed on my own somewhat, the doctor did not start me on Pitocin until 5 AM the next morning. My contractions started coming faster and harder. I declined the epidural for a while because I was able to breathe through them. By 10:00, I was 6 cm and in too much pain to try and be a hero. I received the epidural an hour later and had progressed to 7 cm. After the pain went away, I was able to visit with Will before his nap. After he went back home with Nana, I started feeling my contractions again. I was almost completely dialated, but the baby had not dropped. My doctor started asking Jon and me questions about Will's birth, and in the course of the conversation, Jon mentioned that there was a moment when Will's shoulder got caught after his head was out. I never mentioned this to my new doctor before because it seemed like the problem was corrected instantly, and the incident did not count as a "birth complication." It is actually a condition during birth called shoulder distotia. I mention this now because my doctor began to think that I could have too narrow of a pelvic bone or an unusually shaped pelvis. If the baby was too large then Brighton could suffer possible nerve damage if born vaginally. (I apologize to the men reading this--feel free to tune out). The doctor ordered an ultrasound to determine the baby's size. In the meantime, Brighton started dropping quickly. The ultrasound didn't really determine an exact size. The doctor gave us the choice to go ahead with the delivery or do a c-section. We were so afraid of making the wrong choice. I could feel that she was ready to be born, but I was nervous to risk any nerve damage. We talked and prayed and decided to go ahead with the vaginal delivery. We then found out that she was coming out with her head facing the wrong way. The doctor was able to turn her head before she started coming out (this was quite painful for me). The delivery room was full of people just in case there was a possible shoulder distotia. I pushed for ten minutes at the most and Brighton was in my arms. I was so so grateful that she was not hurt. I thank God that we made the right decision, and that we had such a knowledgeable doctor.
Brighton Rae was born at 3:00PM on November 5. She weighs 7 lbs., 14 oz. She is 20 1/2 inches long. She has a full head of dark hair (like her mommy) and what looks like brown eyes. She is nursing well already, and we are hoping to leave the hospital possibly tonight. I am anxious to get home and have my ducklings together. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Love, Jon, Becky, Will and Brighton