10 days late

So I've decided to share with you all the story of our labor and delivery. I also want to be able to look back and read what happened in case I start making up things or confusing the birth of my second with my first...etc. {And no, we aren't pregnant again we just plan on having more kiddos!}

So my due date was January 23rd. After my appointment on 1/19 my doctor scheduled me for another appointment one week later on 1/26 in case I didn't have him. Obviously, he didn't show up. So I went to that appointment and since he was three days late they sent me to do an ultrasound and stress test at the hospital that afternoon to ensure that all is well with baby and me. Everything came back normal so my next appointment with Dr. T was for 1/31.

I know what you're thinking, "Why in the world is Dr. T making her wait so long?!" my thoughts exactly. Dr. T is a firm believer that babies are born between 38 AND 42 weeks. And, in all honesty I wasn't miserable or in pain so it didn't bother me too much - except I was getting quite anxious.

So we went in on 1/31 and I was obviously still not in labor nor dilated so she scheduled me for gels and admittance to the hospital the next day! I automatically assumed I would be induced and get to have him on 2/1 but Dr. T {whom I just love BTW} informed me he wouldn't be arriving until Thursday afternoon so I could just relax...

So at 8am we arrived at the hospital for gels to soften my cervix. I got them and then was monitored for an hour and then we could leave. Hubby and I went to breakfast, did some shopping at Smart & Final, he got a haircut, I bought two pairs of shoes at Marshall's - all in all a fabulous outing :) next we ate lunch with my SIL Lella and then headed back to the hospital for round two of gels at 2pm.

Same thing, still not dilated. Got my gels and was monitored. This time the nurse giving them, Vanessa, stayed and chatted the whole hour with us and we talked about all kinds of things, births, raising kids, the hospital, the great nurses at Good Sam, etc. Again, after the hour and all was well with baby and me we headed out. This time we opted to drive home and eat dinner and shower before I would get admitted at 9pm.

My last pregnant photo before we left for the hospital!

We showed up to the hospital and after getting checked in and settled into our room it was time to get checked to see how far I was dilated. In a nutshell the next 1-1.5 hours was really really not fun for me. Since Good Sam is a teaching hospital the resident doctor checked me and said I was a 4! However, after conversations with Vanessa earlier in the day we know that residents can sometimes be inaccurate and need double checking. I was excited but hesitant because I knew I was not dilated at all at 2pm and hadn't felt contractions or anything all day. Since it was the difference between immediately starting pitocin or cervidil I was checked again and found out I was in fact, not dilated.

So they put me on cervidil and it was 11:30 by this point and my contractions finally began. I don't know at what point or time I got some IV drugs but when Serena my nurse gave me those it was Uh-MAZING. Literally, before she asked me about my experience with drugs and I said, "You mean like Ibprofuen?" and she said, "Oh no, like vicodin and percocet." I said, "Well, I think I had a vicodin after my wisdom teeth were removed." And she said, "Oh, then you're going to love this." And gave the typical required warning that I may hallucinate, yaddi yadda. Let me tell you, contractions were still very real but in between them I was feeling reallll good. 

{Side note, I had to google the spelling of those drugs and I would have liked to see a "k" in percocet...}

Then at 4am my water broke. Again, in discussions with friends prior to and with Vanessa the nurse I had heard that your water breaking was a real game changer. So literally I said, "My water broke, this is a game changer - I want my epidural."  My nurse was wonderful and said she would get the anesthesiologist there and in 20 minutes I would be feeling better. She helped me through my contractions in my breathing and was great. 

Mind you, I was only dilated to a 1...a ONE people. However, my wonderful doctor/hospital give the mama what she wants when she wants :) and like I said, it was a game changer and I for one was not trying to be some hero.

In comes the man with the drugs that are kept behind locks and he asks me if I know what an epidural is. I reply, "Heaven." {with eyes closed, gripping the bed handle for dear life wishing he wouldn't talk and would just get down to business} He chuckles and says, "Well, I've never heard it called that before." And I say, "That's what I've been told." Then he hooks me up, it was totally painless and I was rocking and rolling with the good stuff. Seriously, getting an IV is way more painful than getting poked in the spine.

Now, finally I get pitocin. Long story short of the next several hours I was progressing but I didn't feel like I was doing a very good job...I know all I had to do was lie there but I felt so weak since I couldn't eat and I was just groggy, I think from exhaustion of being up most of the night and probably still a little from the IV drugs I had. Anyway, I finally get to 4cm. I'm ecstatic - my whole mood changed. However, TBB's heartbeat started to go down during contractions. Then they started to drop not even during contractions so they took me off the pitocin and put fluids back inside me hoping that would help. It did and when he stabilized they put me back on pitocin.

This is where it really starts moving fast. Literally, within two hours the resident comes back in and says he doesn't want to check me right then because of some reason I can't remember. He then starts telling us to prepare for all options depending on how TBB handles this round of pitocin. Essentially saying maybe a c-section will be in order. I tell him, "I don't care if he has to come out my nose I just want a healthy baby." His pager goes off and he runs to help deliver another patient. Less than one minute later my nurse Johanna walks in and says she's going to check me. I think this is great because I'm certain I've been dilating.

And BOOM I'm a TEN! Thank goodness for nurses who just rock and roll and get to the point. So she calls Dr. T and she was in a surgery. She tells me that's okay we'll keep laboring down and then push when Dr. T gets here.

At around 12:55 Dr. T arrives and is in so much shock because she for sure thought I wouldn't deliver until after 3pm. We chit chat for a bit and then she sits on the end of my bed and says she'd like to see me push on the next contraction to see what kind of pusher I am. My wonderful nurse Johanna tells me what to do and I give it my best. Dr. T says, "Whoa, you are serious, let me get my clothes on!" {She had her scrubs on but not those disposable ones} She gets dressed and they take the bottom half of the bed off and we rock and roll. Literally, I keep saying, "Is this it?!" It was so chill and casual and it was Dr. T, the resident, hubby and the nurse Johanna and I. They said, yep it is, but it's not like this for everyone.

Anyway, we get pushing and basically in 15-20 minutes he was out at 1:21pm. I did not have any pain through it and the euphoria I felt when I saw my little guy was unlike anything I've ever felt. Complete and utter joy, I swear my tears were unstoppable and the size of Texas. They were all so congratulatory about my pushing abilities. Dr. T went out and told my family how good I did. And I kid you not, the next day the resident came and checked on me and was still complimenting me on my "great pushing." What can I say, I'm a great first time heifer :) yes, I did just refer myself to a bovine.

That I think is the end of the labor and delivery story. Next up, the first couple weeks. :)

And I hope to be getting around to all of your blogs here shortly, I can't wait to see how you all are doing!