I was planning on writing a journal about my labor experience, but it seems like I've been lucky if I can just respond to a few emails in the last week and a half, so I figured this would be far more succinct (and entertaining).
I read a lot during my pregnancy about women feeling cheated out of their "ideal birth" if they had to have a cesarean or feeling like they weren't strong enough if they decided to get an epidural. I have not felt either of these things. I had hoped to go as unmedicated as I could, and I did that. Sometimes being strong enough means actually giving in to what you're trying to avoid (wish someone had told me that when I was trying to summit Dean Skyline back in '08). After twelve hours of labor with little Lucy not descending and me not dilating any more, it started to get silly to continue the way I was-- because I had to be induced, I was already confined to my IV, so I couldn't walk around like I had wanted to to try to make labor progress. And once I got the epidural, I was exclusively in bed. We could have continued as we were all night and still not have progressed any further. The cesarean itself was wildly surreal and scary amidst all the lights and drugs, but Lucy was born healthy and robust, and that's what matters.
When they started me on Pitocin, Will remarked, "Can you imagine what this would have been like 100 years ago?" Having had contractions just start ramping up, I replied "Um, yes" quite vehemently. But he was right-- they induced me because my water had already broken but my contractions had stalled out. I got the epidural because I could barely relax enough in between contractions for them to check my dilation. And I had the cesarean because Lucy couldn't descend past my tailbone. These things wouldn't have been possible just a few decades ago (or at least would have been riskier or more painful), and both Lucy and I could have been in trouble. While I am no more of a fan of heavy drugs or surgery than I was before, I am grateful to the nurses and doctors who helped guide us to make informed and logical decisions.
So, what becomes of this blog? I started it because I had no shortage of comic material centered around this new life-changing thing. I daresay I will continue to be blessed with comic material, though I may be a little short on time (I drew this post's comic while nursing Lucy in my lap). I'll still be posting as life allows.
Thanks for following us through to the birth of our beautiful healthy daughter Lucy!
