During my appointment my doctor called up the hospital to find out if they had room and they did! Induction was set for Thursday, September 11th, 2014. We were to arrive at 7am in labor and delivery.
That evening Andy and I got dinner at Qdoba for a second night in a row (it's the only thing that sounded good for my last meal before baby). I then spent the rest of the evening finishing packing my bag, the baby bag, charging camera batteries, etc. I wasn't able to fall asleep until 11pm (which isn't too bad) but awoke at 3am due to tiny bladder and baby using it at a head butting pillow :)
3am to 5am I lie awake in bed just anxious and excited that today was the day to meet our little boy!
last bump photos
6:30am - pack car up and drive the short distance to the hospital (I know that Andy is forever greatful that we chose an awesome doctor like our doctor and a hospital only 10 minutes away!)
6:45am - arrive in labor and delivery. I was waiting for a big long process of being admitted and surprisingly it was nothing. I did get a phone call from the registar that verified I am who I am and filled out a couple pieces of paper (cord blood donation, epidural papers, etc)
730am - nurse shift change and in enters my nurse for the day, Rena. She normally works at a different hospital and today she was helping out my hospital because labor and delivery was busy and they needed more nurses. Rena was so sweet and really helped me out a lot during her 12 hour shift with me!
8am - doctor comes in to explain that we are starting pitocin right away and reminds me to give about an hours notice for the epidural. I said ok and he was worried I had changed my mind on the whole induction. Andy told the doctor that I was nervous and I had thought the doctor was upset that we were inducing. My doctor, as awesome as he is, reassured me that everything was going to be fine and that I am doing the right thing. He told me he would be back around noon to come break my water. I was currently 1.5 cm dilated and 75% effaced.
9am - pitocin is flowing and moved up 2 increments every 15 minutes. Andy and I call our moms to let them know that we are settled in our room and they can join us if they'd like.
selfie in the hospital
me and Andy during the induction
monitoring my contractions and the baby's heart rate
1pm - I convince my mom to go eat lunch with my brother. I know she had no desire to leave but I knew she needed to eat something. I told her that if the doctor had come I would call her and let her know how it all goes. My contractions were starting to get a little painful but I could still manage the pain. I had known in the back of my head that I should probably get the epidural before the water breaking but we had no set time on when the doctor would be in. I told my nurse I wanted to go with the epidural around 1:25pm and I swear my doctor came in not 5 minutes later.
130pm - Doctor arrives to break the water. He first checks to see how far I am at which I am 3cm. He inserts the plastic hook thing and out comes the nice clear fluid. It seriously feels like you peed yourself when it comes out....my nurse, Rena tells the doctor that I am ready for my epidural and he delivers the bad news that he has the anesthesiologist tied up at the moment for his surgery. My nurse offers me some IV medications (Stadol) but I said I could wait for the epidural
145pm - I experience the worst pain of my entire life!!!! It's like the baby dropped all at once and I am in so much pain. I was curled up in the fetal position in my bed, bawling my eyes out and squeezing the living crap out of Andy's hand. My nurse offers me the Stadol and I gave in. While I was writhing in pain, the nurse managed to find a nurse anestestist to come administer my epidural. Rena was amazing in finding someone so fast!
2pm - Epidural is administered. I was able to sit up on the table with my legs dangling off the side. I was actually brought over a chair so that I could prop my feet up. I was given a pillow to curl my body over and Andy stayed with me the entire time. I actually didn't have to really curl over the pillow as much as I had heard from other people or has seen on baby shows. The "bee sting" injection into the skin did hurt quite a bit but so did the contractions so it sucked either way. I remember the cool sensation running down my back and saying something about it. Andy then decides to get a little woozy and says something to the nurse. They immediately make him sit down. He didn't see anything that was going on in my back but he said the thought of the needed just creeped him out. The epidural took right away and I was pain free. The catheter going in was such an odd feeling that I was not a fan of. I could feel it in there for a good 10 minutes but once I got my mind off the fact that I am now peeing in a bag with no control over my body, I noticed that I didn't feel it anymore. I made a comment after the epidural that I am such whiner when it comes to pain, I only made it to 3cm....LOL
my mama and I after epidural
730pm - nurse shift change. Edie was going to be my night nurse and she was AMAZING!!!! Seriously I cannot even put the exact words as to how awesome she was.
8pm - epidural starts to wear off and I am feeling a little bit of pain. This starts to scare me because I'm not fully complete yet and I'm feeling pain. I had heard of so many horror stories of people not being able to get another boost on their epidural and they then feel everything when it comes to pushing the baby out! My nurse Edie called the nurse anestestist and she gave me another boost in my epidural and I was able to push the boost button every 10 minutes as opposed to the every 15 minutes before. What a relief it was to have the extra medicine to help me not feel the pain!
830pm - I decide I want some peace and quiet. I'm exhausted and I hadn't even have done the hardest part of this induction, PUSHING this baby out! I send everyone out of the room except Andy and my mom. The lights were turned off and I was able to get about an hour to hour and thirty minutes of sleep. My mom was impressed that I was able to get any sleep seeing as I had my blood pressure cuff going off every 15 minutes.
10pm - Edie checks and I am at 9cm. She tells me that I could start pushing him down if I wanted too but she was afraid that I would get too tired. He was also posterior (sunny side up) and she wanted him to come down more and turn so that it wouldn't be as difficult when it came to pushing. I told her I would be more than fine with waiting a little bit more to push. I also told Andy if be ok with waiting to push so that his birthday would be on 9/12 instead of 9/11. It's not like I have any issues with 9/11, but every time I'd say my due date was 9/11, I'd get the "look" of sorry.
12:15am - I start to push. I push 4 times in a contraction for 10 seconds at a time. I know normally people only push 3 times but I was asked if I wanted to push a 4th time and I thought why not make the baby come a little faster. I also made sure to tell my nurse to not lie to me about how close the baby is coming. I said she could only tell me that he is almost
1am - my doctor arrives and I am still pushing. It is pretty obvious that I am getting tired and my doctor can tell. He tells me that he could help me the following ways: use vacuum, use forceps or have a c-section. While the vacuum and forceps sounded like it would help, I was more determined than ever to push this baby out with no help! Oh and a c-section, NOT!! I could literally feel his head (pressure) so why would I give up now? (Oh an pushing is not easy at all!) it's kind of hard to push a baby but hold your breathe. Maybe it's just me but I had a hard time sometime pushing.
The baby was finally starting to come down and I was told that he has lots of hair. My doctor at one point gave Luke a Mohawk while he was still down there. I laughed and doubted that he did and then they made me touch his head, yup a Mohawk indeed! I swear after I touched his head and started pushing again he was out in 3 pushes but Andy says not. Let's go with my version, shall we? :)
2:10am - Luke was born! They immediately placed him on my belly/chest (on the gown) and started to dry him off. He was crying and I was told that he pooped as he was coming out so there was poop all over my legs and him. They then lifted my gown and placed him on my chest. All I could see was the top of his head but I was in LOVE!! I was also SO tired! I remember lying there with my eyes opening and closing with my baby lying on my chest. There's a photo of me smiling with my mouth closed (which I never do) and I absolutely LOVE that photo of Luke and I! You can just see the amount of sure joy and love I have at that moment.
He lied on my chest for about 20 minutes and then I tried to breastfeed. Luke latched on right away. Then came time for Andy to hold him and then my mom. I want to say one of my very first comment about Luke's features were, "Where are his eye lashes and eyebrows?" I couldn't believe they were blonde!
We then had the rest of the family come in and hold Luke. Andy's Dad and Mom, Tim and Lynn; my step dad JP, my brother Jeff, my Dad Randy and my step mom Debbie. They all stayed till 4am to hold and meet our newest family member. My brother Jeff even took a selfie with Luke declaring "Luke's first selfie".
Luke's first selfie with Uncle Jeff
Daddy and Luke
Grandma Carolyn and Luke
Grandma Lynn and Luke
Grandpa Tim and Luke
Grandpa JP and Luke
Uncle Jack and Luke
Aunt Jena and Luke
Uncle Joe and Luke
Grandpa Randy and Luke
Great Grandpa and Luke
After everyone went home including Andy (I was not about to let him sleep on some hard as a rock couch thing when he had just been up for 24 hours straight). My nurse Edie gave Luke his first bath and I was so tired I slept through most of it. She gave me some pain medication (an ibuprofen and 2 OxyContin) and asked if I would like the baby with me or in nursery. I asked if he could go in nursery so I could get an hour or two of sleep. Seriously that was the best 2 hours of sleep I have ever experienced!! I had no desire to eat, all I wanted to do was sleep!
Edie brought Luke in to me at 7am and Luke and I started to get to know each other. I nursed him and then we snuggled skin to skin on my chest. That moment I will never forget. We began a bond that will never be broken.
skin to skin right after nursing Luke
2 comments:
What an amazing story! He is such a loved little boy.
What a wonderful birth story and lovely pictures!
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