I figured since I have some extra time on my hands now that Tanner is recovering from surgery, I would tell the tale of his birth before I forget the details....
On Wednesday, February 2nd, I had my weekly doctor appointment. I was dilated to a 2, and 80% effaced. I had my doctor strip my membranes to hopefully get labor started.
A few hours later, around 8:30pm, I was bleeding more than I thought my doctor had implied I should, so his on call nurse suggested we go to the hospital to get it checked out to be on the safe side.
They said everything was ok and sent me home. Dang.
Then, at about 1:30 in the morning of February 3rd, I thought I felt my first contraction. I wasn't sure though, because it was all in my back, and I didn't feel any pain in my belly. I felt my belly and it was getting all hard, but no pain. Very strange since that is not what I was told it would feel like.
I felt a couple more and decided that they have to be contractions, and went and woke up Kollin.
He tried to help me through them, but since most of the exercises you learn is to rub the back, or put pressure on the back, nothing was helping!
I finally decided to lie down in bed and let Kollin try to sleep as I timed the contractions.
They were getting soooo painful, I was crying and getting pretty close to screaming... but I didn't.
They were not being very steady either. Some would be 5 or 6 minutes apart, and then all the sudden I wouldn't get one for 10 or so.
My doctor had told me to wait at home until they are 5 minutes apart, and stay 5 minutes apart for an hour. This obviously wasn't happening. I just could not deal with the pain anymore, so Kollin and I headed back to the hospital around 5:30am to get checked out again.
They got me into a room and shortly came in and checked how dilated I was. I was already to a 5! Woo hoo! Bring on the epidural!
They got an IV in me and finally gave me the epidural. It really didn't take that long. Probably only about 30 minutes after I got to the hospital. Good for you Jordan Valley!
After the epidural kicked in, I couldn't feel pain anymore. But I did NOT like how the epidural was making me feel. I was shaking like crazy, crying and on the verge of screaming again because the feeling in my legs was just unbearable. Kollin's mom Kathy had shown up by this time and both of them were trying to get my mind off it and talk about other things.
Nothing worked. I wasn't even really listening to them. All I could think about was my lower body being heavy, completely dead, and not being able to move or control my own body. The only thing I could move were my toes, and that was hardly at all.
Everyone kept asking me if I would prefer that feeling, or the pain of the contractions. It was SO bad, I was actually debating what was worse....
We finally got the anesthesiologist back into my room and he gave me some suggestions. Apparently I am really sensitive to pain meds. He could either turn it off, and turn it back on when I started to feel pain again. Or he could just lower the dose. I opted to lower the dose and see what that would do. After some of it wore off, I still didn't like the feeling, but at least I could zone it out, calm down and stop freaking out.
I was actually able to get some sleep as well. Every now an then, I don't know how often since I was in and out of sleep, they would come in and check me. Each time they checked me I went from a 5 to a 6, 7, 8 and then 9! It was around noon when I was a 9, and they broke my water.
They came and checked me again a little while after that expecting me to be at a 10 and be able to start pushing, but I had stalled out and made no progress. So they decided to give me some pitosin to get me over the last hump.
It sure worked.
They next time I was checked, the nurse informed me that we were going to start pushing. Wow! This was at about 2:30...2:45 ish pm.
So we started pushing... I kept thinking this was going to take FOREVER! I wasn't really seeing him move, but my nurse was saying I was doing a great job and she could see him coming down. I thought she was just saying that to be nice....
It actually wasn't has difficult as I thought it would be. I was pushing as hard as I could, but I kept feeling that I wasn't doing it right since I couldn't feel ANYTHING in my lower body. I had a mirror so I could see the progress I was making, and it was seriously the coolest thing to see as his head got closer and closer to crowning!
I pushed for a while, and they finally called my doctor to get to the hospital to complete the delivery. When he got there, I only had to push a couple more times when he told me to STOP! I guess I'm a rock star at pushing, and he was able to just do the rest with how much I had already done. I just pushed a tiny bit more and out he came at 3:32pm!
I had pushed for just under an hour. My total labor and deliver was almost exactly 14 hours. Everyone kept commenting that it was really fast especially for my first baby. Let's hope I make that a habit!
It was the most wonderful feeling to see him coming the rest of the way out and having him placed on my chest to touch and hold. When anyone says that it is a feeling that cannot be explained, and you will understand it when it actually happens... its TOTALLY true.
It was so sweet to look over at Kollin and see that he also had tears in his eyes and cried a little bit.
They then took him away to get him all washed off. Kollin went with him to watch and get to spend time with his brand new baby boy. It was so cute, as they were rubbing his head off, his hair poofed into a perfect little mohawk. Kollin and I were pretty excited about that!
Afterwards, they gave him back to me and Kollin and I were able to hold him and just be with each other for a little while as a new family.
Then they came back and took him to go get an official bath, some shots and tests. Kollin went with them and was able to help out with the bath and everything. So sweet!
In the mean time, the nurses helped me get all cleaned up and moved to the postpartum unit to start to recover. The cleaning up part and getting moved was not much fun since I still had no control over my legs. But we got it done and got me settled back in bed. It was sooo nice when I was finally able to use my legs again! Took a few hours, but it eventually happened. Whew!
They brought my babies (Kollin and the new little guy who was still nameless) back to me and I was able to hold him again.
We got some visitors. Britta came with her kids and camera. She snapped some beautiful pictures of him when he was just about an hour old. So precious!
Uncle Stanford also came, and we told him that we had been planning to name his middle name after him. And we also asked him if he would do us the honor of blessing him. Of course he said yes, and was very happy and flattered.
Mama also came. Long story on how I know her and our relationship, but she is my Bosnian mother.
Other people that came that I didn't get pictures of were Gabby and Dan, Alicia, Amanda and I think some others, but my mind is such mush, I can't remember at the moment. Sowwy.
Welcome to the world my gummybear! It's about time you made it!
1 comment:
He is so sweet, congratulations guys!
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