A Baby Story...

I wanted to write about my labor and delivery...
For those of you not interested in reading this, no problem...
you can skip down to the photos if you'd like.

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It's hard to believe that two weeks ago I went into labor. It was Sunday, February 6th...Rob and I went to church and then went over to my brother & sister-in-law's house. I remember talking to Mindi, my sister-in-law about some pains that I felt. I proceeded to describe them to her and she said that they were contractions. They continued to happen throughout the afternoon, but I didn't think a whole lot about it.

When Rob and I left Tim & Mindi's house around 3:30pm we decided to skip going out to lunch and our planned errands. Time had slipped away and we hadn't eaten lunch. We were both tired, so we just decided to go home. I made us some croissants with smoked chicken, cheese, avocados and mushrooms. Since we were both quite hungry, we each gobbled down 2 sandwiches with a side of chips and milk. (Yes...I had quite the appetite being pregnant)...That day was also Super Bowl Sunday, so we turned on the tube and started to watch it; however, I was a bit distracted by the continued pains that I was having.

These "pains" continued to come more frequently, so I thought it was time to keep track of them. Rob had an app on his phone to time the contractions. All we had to do was press a button on his screen when the contraction started and then press another one when it stopped. It did all of the calculations for us. It was about an hour later that they were coming every 3-5 minutes and lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute plus.

At this point, I remember from our childbirth classes the, 5-1-1 rule. If you're having contractions that happen every 5 minutes, lasting 1 minute for 1 hour, then you should call the Doctor/Hospital. Since it was the weekend, I called the hospital and spoke with a nurse. She confirmed that it sounded like I was in labor. She basically said that I could wait it out for as long as I wanted to at home, or I could come in and be checked out.

My biggest concern at this point was that I didn't want to rush to the hospital, only to be told that it was false labor. So, I waited it out for a bit more. In the meantime, I was gathering the bags that we had packed and checking things off the list that I wanted to bring in case we were going to the hospital. I had already scarfed down my meal...Rob was still eating and looking a little worried...so I thought I should remain calm. It really felt like I was having bad cramps that would come on pretty strong and would start to go away after 30 seconds. In the back of my mind though, I pretty much knew that this was it.

It wasn't too much longer that I decided it was time to go to the hospital. Thanks to my friend Shirley that encouraged me that I needed to go...So, we packed up the gear and Rob drove us there. First we had to stop at the store...he wanted to get some cash and I wanted some hard candies...(which, by the way, I ended up not eating until after the baby was born).

We arrived close to 7pm at the hospital and they saw me in triage first to check me out. I was at 4cm dilated and 90% effaced. I asked if I would be staying and they said, yes...Yay...I got my wish...I wasn't going to be sent home.

It wasn't too long until I walked with Rob and the nurse down to my labor and delivery room. Now that I think about it...why did I have to walk? They should have wheeled me down there...I guess they must figure that the walking is good for you and can promote labor. But, the pain was getting more and more intense and I had to stop along the way to catch my breath.

When we got into the room, we had to fill out paperwork. It seems so strange to have to answer these questions and sign documents when you're in so much pain. I was glad that Rob was there to help me out.

My plan with the delivery was to do it naturally, without an epidural or any medication...but I always said prior to giving birth, that if it got to the point that I had a crazy amount of pain, then I would get an epidural. That time was quickly arriving...as the contractions increased in intensity. It was probably the worst pain pain I had ever experienced, and I consider myself to be a person with a high tolerance to pain.

It was now around 8:30-9:00pm. This was a BIG contraction...I had been feeling queasy almost as soon as I checked into the hospital that night...but I couldn't hold it down any longer. I threw up standing near my bed with Rob on one side of me, and the nurse on the other...with me holding a bag, heaving into it. The next thing I knew, I was peeing on the floor. Only, we all thought it was my bag of water that broke. It wasn't though...I was losing it from both ends. SORRY...I know...disgusting...

They checked me again and I was now 6cm dilated, so I decided it was time to hook me up with an epidural. I got to the point where I said out loud..."I don't need to suffer...why am I doing this? I don't need to be a martyr!" I couldn't stand the pain any more and without knowing how much longer my labor was going to last, I said, "Forget this!" It was the BEST decision I made during the whole labor process. I tried for as long as I could, but I wasn't going to go any longer. It was probably another 1/2 hour or so, before the anesthesiologist was called, the drugs finally kicked in before I  felt relief.

The next several hours I was told to just rest as much as I could. Rob went to the car to get our bags and camera since we were staying for sure. It wasn't too long after he left the room that my bag of water broke. I had a weird "jerk" type reaction and thought I heard a pop, but since I was pretty numb from the waste down, I mentioned it to the nurse and she confirmed that's what had happened.

They continued to monitor me and the baby...as the time was probably close to midnight by now. My parents came up to the hospital and saw Rob and me for a short bit of time and then they proceeded to the "waiting room." Unfortunately, they didn't have a very comfortable sleep in those chairs...

It was about 2:30am that the baby's heartbeat had dropped some and the hospital staff became concerned. Honestly, that was a scary feeling. I felt so out of control. But they were able to stabilize his heartbeat. They checked me again, and I was now 10cm dilated and 100% effaced, so I was encouraged to push.

The Doctor arrived just in time and it took about ½ hour of pushing before little Maximus came out. The cord was wrapped around his neck, so they quickly got him untangled. It caused me to tear, so the Dr. sewed me up afterwards. All in all, Rob and I were so thankful and relieved that he was healthy. He arrived at 3:19am, on Monday, February 7th, weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 19½ inches long. Rob's parents were thrilled that Maximus now shares a birthday with Bernie, Rob's Father.

I was both elated and exhausted after giving birth...for the next few days, Rob and I got barely any sleep in the hospital between all of the nurses, the Doctor and other specialists that came in to check on me and the baby. Not to mention, feeding the baby & changing diapers (which Rob did all of them except for a few that the nurses came in and did)...What an awesome husband I have. :)

When I was in the hospital, I was told that my blood count was down and that I may need to have a blood transfusion. Thank goodness I didn't have to go that route, but I'm taking massive doses of iron. The first week I felt a little light headed, like I was going to pass out. Again, Rob has been so amazing with taking care of me and the baby...you name it, he does it...I couldn't ask for a better husband and Maximus has one awesome Dad!!!

We all stayed in the hospital from Sunday evening until we came home Wednesday afternoon. It was so fun to look forward to walking into our place with our little family.

And that's pretty much the story...
I kind of want to have another one. :)

Happy day!

hi-d