Baby Time- The Birth Story

This is going to be one of those posts that more serve for my records and memory than for anyone's reading enjoyment so feel free to close the window now.

On Sunday night, August 4th, I went into labor. I hadn't felt well on Saturday or Sunday and we had gone to my parent's for dinner that night. I went outside to sit on the swing and my mom came out with me. She felt my belly and we finally decided that I was having contractions and they seemed to be pretty close together. I was excited but didn't want to get my hopes up. We went on a short walk and me and Travis went home.

By this time, it was 10 at night. I tried to get comfortable and started timing the contractions. They were coming pretty quick so after about an hour, we decided we better go to the hospital. I was dilated to a 3 and definitely in labor. I was glad that it was real. I didn't want to be one of those people who go in and just get sent home for a false alarm.

They monitored me for an hour. They determined I was definitely in labor and gave me the option to go home and be in labor or stay at the hospital as things progressed. We opted to go home so that I could eat, sleep, and just be comfortable as things progressed. They gave me a morphine and phenergan shot in the butt and sent us home.

We went to my parent's house first and got a blessing from Travis and my dad. By the time we got home it was about 1:00 am. I didn't sleep AT ALL. I had contraction after contraction. I walked around during them because somehow that made it better, although that makes no sense. I also sat in front  of our AC unit after the contraction because that seemed to help as well. I sat in the bath tub probably 5 times. Walked around a lot. Went crazy. I did this for 4 and a half hours.

Then at 5:30, I had had it. I woke Travis up and said it was time to go back because I was completely exhausted and miserable. We got to the hospital and they checked me. A 6!! Thank heaven! The nurse couldn't believe I had waited so long to come back to the hospital but I didn't know haha also, I was having contractions every minute and a half.

They got an IV in me and got the anesthesiologist in to give me an epidural. I think getting the IV was worse than the epidural! The epidural gave me some much needed relief. My parents came to the hospital at 8:00 am. We all just waited for things to progress.

At 12 I was dilated to a 10 and ready to go. At 1:00, I started pushing. And pushing. And pushing. Things didn't seem to be progressing. Little Chance was face up so the doctor came in and tried to turn him. It worked for a while but he went back. Also he was chin up and presenting at a funny angle. I kept trying and pushing but not much was happening.

After 3 hours of pushing, the doctor gave us the option to try forceps or a C-section. I didn't feel good about forceps. I don't know much about delivering babies but I didn't think he was low enough to even attempt that. The doctor came in and agreed so we decided to do a C-section.

It all happened very fast after that. At about 4:15 we decided on a C-section and by 4:40 I was in the operating room. I was scared. I knew it's what had to be done but it was all happening so fast. They gave me some medication called reglan and  warned me that it makes some people behave kind of crazy. Well, I am one of those people. I sort of embarrassed myself in the operating room but Travis was there to comfort me and all of the doctors, nurses, and anesthesiologist were awesome and helped me through it.

Chance was born at 4:59 and I was so excited to hear him cry! I didn't get to see him but Travis went with him.  I missed Travis but I was glad that he went to be with Chance. The nurse came and showed me my baby and told me that they were taking him to the NICU because he was having a hard time breathing. I was scared but I trusted the doctors and nurses and Travis went with him.

After they were done, they moved me to a different bed and took me back to my room. The nurse gave me my phone and I texted Travis and my parents, who had been there waiting through all of this. They all came into my room to be with me. It was so hard because we didn't know anything about Chance. How big he was, or how he was doing. We waiting anxiously for news.

They finally gave us the OK to go to the NICU and see him. They had taken him off the CPAP and they were monitoring him. Thankfully, he was doing awesome and we just had to wait til he got cleared to go to mother baby. It was hard because I still couldn't hold him but at least I got to see him. He was perfect. Better than I could have even hoped for. I touched his feet (the only thing I could reach) and learned quickly that he has ticklish feet haha

We went down to mother baby and got settled in. Chance finally came down and Travis got to help bathe him and get him all cleaned up. I was anxious to see him but he had to have antibiotics ran which took another hour, so we waited some more. At 10:30, I finally got to hold my baby!!! What an awesome moment. A moment I have been waiting my whole life for.

Well there it is, the birth story. It was nothing like I had anticipated but I am so thankful that everything worked out and we have a happy, healthy baby boy with us! He is wonderful in every way and I could not ask for more.