The last blog post I published was on Thursday, June 10. That Saturday, we celebrated Rob’s birthday with friends in the park. I took one last set of maternity outfit photos, and drafted a third trimester recap post. The plan was for me to be induced on Monday, June 21…but on Monday, June 14, Seth Ellis Tananbaum entered the world! It’s been a whirlwind since then, but I wanted to officially introduce Seth and share the story of his arrival.
Seth’s Birth Story
On Sunday evening, June 13, I started having contractions. I texted my best friend Elena, who had given birth three months earlier, to ask her what the real ones felt like. She confirmed what I already knew: I was in labor!
Contractions continued for several hours, so we called my OB’s office. When we spoke to the doctor on call, she told us we should go to the hospital, but they might send us home if things didn’t speed up. Thankfully, we had already packed almost everything in our hospital bags. We called an Uber and arrived around 11 pm. But, after about an hour in triage, contractions were not close enough together or intense enough…so they did indeed sent us home.
Pretty much as soon as we walked into our building, they starting getting faster and more intense. The doctor had told us to time them for an hour and keep a record, so that’s what we did. I downloaded an app called Contractions, and in a moment of well-timed levity, a message popped up asking me if I was enjoying (the) Contractions (app). We called the doctor again, and she said to go back to the hospital. It was around 3:30 am. At this point, I was uncomfortable and in a lot of pain, so I was glad when they admitted me after a much shorter time in triage.
They put me in a delivery room, I got my epidural, and I endured contractions until it was time to start pushing. Labor was without question one of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced. The pain and pressure were so intense. There were moments when I thought there was no way I could keep going, but I knew I had to if I wanted to meet my little boy. At a certain point, I had to get a “top off” of pain medicine because I was experiencing unbearable pain in my lower back.
Eventually, after hours of pushing, the doctor realized that the baby was stuck. We had two options: have them use forceps to help him out, or do a c-section. They talked us through the risks of both and we opted for forceps. (He had a couple of marks on his face in his early days, but they quickly faded.) The moment Seth arrived is kind of a blur, but I remember being so happy and so proud of myself. A couple of hours later, we moved to a recovery room where we stayed until the next day.
Rob was an amazing cheerleader and I had a fantastic team of doctors and nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital. I was fairly anxious before we got to the hospital, especially with going and coming home. Bones was upset when we left, which was hard for me. But, once we got to the hospital, I was so focused on getting through the pain that I didn’t really have the brain space to be anxious. The feeling I had when I finally got to meet Seth after carrying him for nine months is one I can’t put into words. He was worth everything I went through, and I love him so much.
Seth’s Name
At Seth’s bris, the Jewish circumcision ceremony, we shared the story behind Seth’s name. It’s a Jewish custom to name children after loved ones who are no longer with us. We named him Seth Ellis to honor the memories of Rob’s grandpa Sol and my grandma Eleanor. They were both very important people to us and possessed many qualities we hope Seth will inherit.
Postpartum
The first couple of weeks after giving birth are a lot. You’re caring for a newborn while trying to take care of yourself. Your body needs to recover from the incredible feat it just accomplished, but it’s a challenge to prioritize yourself. We were privileged to have the help of a baby nurse for the first few weeks. She taught us a lot and allowed us to sleep when we needed it most, which made taking care of myself easier. The best advice I can give is to be patient with yourself. You will be exhausted beyond belief, in pain and uncomfortable, and so overwhelmed. Take advantage of the postpartum products out there (my favorites here), and find time for rest. Don’t worry about how you look. Try to remind yourself how amazing your body is and remember that recovery takes time.
I have a lot more that I want to write about motherhood and life with a newborn. I’ve been sharing some on Instagram, so make sure you’re following along there! Thank you for all of the support and love!
These beautiful photos were taken by my friend and photographer Lauren of Laurel Creative. She’s amazing and I’m obsessed with how she captured our little family!
