Having Babies (1 Viewer)

[KardiacKat]

My sister had a boy tonight. 7 pounds, 15 ounces. 20 inches long. And very angry to have been disturbed. Long day. They started inducing at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, and at quarter of eight p.m. she finally pushed him out. My BIL, my mom and me were in the room with her, along with what seemed like a dozen nurses and the doctor. Everybody seems fine. It's odd...my sister took 19 hours to get hers. Mine took a whopping 36 hours. But our mother had both of us in about 2 hours each time. Seems like that would have been a good gene to inherit. Not that it was bad. The only thing I can remember in terms of discomfort was being totally wiped out. My sister seems to be the same. She's easily agitated normally, but her spirits were good and pleasant all day. Long time, but not bad. Anyhow, my brother-in-law, who never shows any kind of tender emotion, was moved to tears. He choked it back pretty quickly, but it was nice to glimpse it. I had about a 30 second episode of "baby fever," but I'm very much over it. Birth affects people so differently. Some people turn into cheerleaders over it. Other people are frightened to death of the prospect of it. Some dads' heads swell so big when their child is born, while others are utterly humbled. Anyone care to share their memories or thoughts on having babies?

 

[feoinfunroe]

I remember when my sister had her first child. I was a teenager, and it was the first time I'd been close enough to witness anything like it. My sister insisted on a "natural" birth (no drugs), and her labor was long and intense. She had one of those births where the baby scraped along her spine as it came out...anyway, I remember how the pain was driving her crazy, and then when I was sitting in the waiting room, I could hear her screaming (damn near shaking the walls) as the baby was coming out...I thought that the pain had driven her insane. I kept thinking, "Poor baby, coming into the World, and his mother has lost her mind, and will never be the same."

Anyway, her husband came out and told us that the baby was healthy, and we could go and see my sister in a few minutes...

Much to my surprise, when about 20 minutes later we went in and saw my sister, she was happy, and talking, and as normal as she had ever been. It blew my mind.

 

[Hercule]

Saw my cousin being born about 13 years ago. Really loud. And messy. Looking back, I wish they hadn't let me watch.

 

[KardiacKat]

Saw my cousin being born about 13 years ago. Really loud. And messy. Looking back, I wish they hadn't let me watch.

Yep, it's messy. But don't regret it. That experience may come back to serve you very well.

 

[Hercule]

Yep, it's messy. But don't regret it. That experience may come back to serve you very well.

My (crazy) aunt actually brought the tape of the birthing to our last family reunion and played it on the big screen. I was 18 at the time and it still messed me up.

 

[purvis_guy]

I cried like a little sissy watching both of my boys born. I was very humbled watching the miracle of birth. With my firstborn, I remember the overwhelming sense of responsibilty after we took him home, knowing that he was ours and if we didn't do everything right, he might die. I've mentioned this before how I thought I knew what love was, but until my boys were born, I had no idea how much you could love another human being.
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Congrats to your sister and to Aunt Dawn!

 

[feoinfunroe]

I was in Biloxi visiting my brother when his wife gave birth to their first child. I had just graduated high school. So anyway, one day they came home at their usual times (he got off about 30 minutes before she did), and when she got home (5pm), she said that she had gone into labor about noon, so they headed back to the hospital (they both worked at Keesler). So off they went. Me and one of my brother's friends were frying soft-shell crabs that we had caught the night before. Anyway, about 7pm my brother called us and said that she had had a healthy baby boy. This woman hardly broke stride.

After that, I never doubted the stamina of that Pennsylvania Yankee that is my sister-in-law.

 

[KardiacKat]

Thanks, Guy. I have nieces and nephews by marriage, but this is my first "blood" nephew. Both of us were told we'd have to have fertility treatments to have a baby, but both of us eventually got a surprise. And the only boys in my family. My dad's sister had all girls and all granddaughters. My dad had two girls. So when I had a boy everyone was astonished. And now we have two.

I was in Biloxi visiting my brother when his wife gave birth to their first child. I had just graduated high school. So anyway, one day they came home at their usual times (he got off about 30 minutes before she did), and when she got home (5pm), she said that she had gone into labor about noon, so they headed back to the hospital (they both worked at Keesler). So off they went. Me and one of my brother's friends were frying soft-shell crabs that we had caught the night before. Anyway, about 7pm my brother called us and said that she had had a healthy baby boy. This woman hardly broke stride.

After that, I never doubted the stamina of that Pennsylvania Yankee that is my sister-in-law.

That sounds like my mother. When she got ready to have one, out we came. I feel bad for women who have serious difficulties. Even as long as my and my sister's labors were, I don't think either of us would ever classify it as an ordeal. You know, just a long time. And I'm extra glad that she did so well because of her back. She blew out her lower back several years ago, and she's had two surgeries on it. Didn't seem to be a factor in this at all.

 

[feoinfunroe]

My oldest daughter was a "package deal", so I wasn't there when she was born...

...but when my wife went into labor with my second daughter, I came home from work and took her to the hospital. I sat up there with her awhile until I was told to "go home and get some rest." So I did. I worked nights, so it was about 10am when my mother called me and said, "You better get up here." So I showered, and drove the 20 minutes it took to get to the hospital. When I got there, I was headed into the door of her room when the nurse opened the door, coming out. "Here's your daughter!" the nurse exclaimed. I looked down at the bundle in her arms, and there was my daughter. Her eyes met mine, and she told me her name...

 

[abnrgr]

Kardiac Kat, glad to hear your sister and her son are well. I remember being very calm during both of my wife's deliveries (duh what did I have to do). I was mostly worried about my wife at the time because of complications. Everything turned out well but we stopped at two because of the health concerns. I seem to remember becoming very serious and starting to act like my Dad more even though I was really young (21).

 

[KardiacKat]

I wonder how dads feel during the whole thing. Do you feel completely powerless and out of control? There are times when having a baby that you feel like it's happening to you and not something you're doing. People are running around, somebody is yelling for you to push, and so on. It's kinda crazy. I remember laying there at about 8 p.m. after nearly two days of contractions and my CNM checked me and said, "We're not going to have a baby tonight." Then at 8:30 I felt different. I can't explain what it was I felt, just different. So I called her back and she checked, and said, "Wow! It's time to rock and roll, Ladybug." And suddenly, the ceiling opened and a big light came down, and they hit some button on my bed and it transformed into some kind of birthing chair, and the room filled up with people running around like I don't know what, and my mother and husband were suiting up in blue suits, and I was just thinking, "damn, what's going on in here??"

 

[Hercule]

I wonder how dads feel during the whole thing. Do you feel completely powerless and out of control? There are times when having a baby that you feel like it's happening to you and not something you're doing. People are running around, somebody is yelling for you to push, and so on. It's kinda crazy. I remember laying there at about 8 p.m. after nearly two days of contractions and my CNM checked me and said, "We're not going to have a baby tonight." Then at 8:30 I felt different. I can't explain what it was I felt, just different. So I called her back and she checked, and said, "Wow! It's time to rock and roll, Ladybug." And suddenly, the ceiling opened and a big light came down, and they hit some button on my bed and it transformed into some kind of birthing chair, and the room filled up with people running around like I don't know what, and my mother and husband were suiting up in blue suits, and I was just thinking, "damn, what's going on in here??"

I can't speak from experience, but my dad says he went across the street and ate a burger. He said it was the best burger he ever had and he was depressed when he had to go back in the hospital. Personally, I think that I'd like to at least be in the room.

 

[feoinfunroe]

When my oldest son was born, we knew there might be a "problem" (details skipped for brevity), and the NICU hands were setting up in the room as the OBGYN was getting ready to deliver him. When the OBGYN broke her water, the water flowed out a pukish-green. So anyway, I got behind her, and held her up as they "pushed" my son out. My son's head came out, and then my wife had a contraction that sucked him back in. The OBGYN "dove" in there after him, and grabbed his arm, and yanked him free. Then the NICU hands took over.

I sat back down in a chair, and waited for what seemed like an eternity as about five of them worked on my son in a corner of the room, and I watched that OBGYN as he was sewing my wife back up...he was white as a ghost, and could barely work the needle he was shaking so badly. Finally, after what were the most eternally-lasting five minutes of my life, I heard my son cry.

My son wound up with a broken clavicle from the violent way he had been yanked from the birth canal, and he spent a week in NICU because he had almost drowned in his own poop.

 

[abnrgr]

Both of our children were C-sections. I remember just being greatful they let me stay in the room to take care of my wife (holding her hand and talking to her). I am very good at compartmentalizing so I am pretty good in stressful situations. I tend to sit back later (like now) and think why wasn't I freaking out?

 

[mikaloyd]

Kourtney Kardashian just reached down and pulled her baby out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vesh4SlPkI