Birth story....finally :)

bubbas mama1

Our little guy is already 3 weeks old & I just realized I never posted his arrival or birth story to you all. Crazy how time flies with a newborn

Here is my birth story:

Due to several weeks of battling pregnancy induced hypertension, it was decided I was to be induced 1 week before my due date (Feb 4th). I was admitted at 8:30pm on Sunday & by 10pm they had inserted the Cervidil to get my labor "jump-started". The nurse did an internal exam right before she inserted the medicine & I was bummed to hear that I was 0% effaced & 0 cm dilated - however she said my cervix was very soft so things were beginning to "progress somewhat" down there. I spent lots of time praying to the "cervix dilating" God's to pretty please make some sort of magic happen down there by morning because I didn't want to have to re-do the Cervidil & wait another 10 hours to get my labor started!

Monday, Jan 28th - I slept pretty good up until around 4am where I started to have a lot of cramping & contractions so I was praying that things were starting to work. The nurse checked me again & I was thrilled to hear that I was 90% effaced & 3 cm dilated - whoop whoop! If I could have gotten out of bed I would have done a happy dance! Soon after, she started the Pitocin drip & my contractions were off to a good start. I managed to spend the next 4 hours breathing & getting through them the best I could.

By 11am, the contractions were getting pretty strong & a little more difficult to manage. In 4 hours I had only gone from 3 - 5 cm & I was starting to imagine a horribly long labor & I think panic kind of set in. As tough & strong as I wanted to be through it all, I ended up caving & asked for the epidural. I just didn't think mentally or physically I could go all day without the relief.

The CRNA came up shortly after my request & inserted the epidural which to my surprise didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Until I felt this horrible "zinging" several times down my right leg as he adjusted the catheter. I started to relax after my legs went numb & was relieved to know it would be smooth-sailing from here on out. That is until an hour later when I could STILL feel my contractions - which were getting more & more intense. It was now around noon & I was at 6cm. After much discussion with my nurse & hubby, I had decided to go ahead & ask another CRNA to come up & re-do the epidural. I was hesitant to ask again because I didn't know what the "norm" was or what I should or shouldn't be feeling & I hated to be considered "one of those patients." But according to my nurse she said what I was feeling was not normal & suggested they re-do it so I took her advice & that is what we did. 

I felt no discomfort with the 2nd epidural & almost immediately I couldn't feel my contractions either. Ah - relief! SO glad they talked me into getting another one.

It was around 1:45 pm when I started feeling "pressure" in my bottom with each contraction. I wasn't supposed to be checked again until 2:15pm but called the nurse in to ask her about this "pressure" & I jokingly asked if the baby could start crowning without me knowing it. She replied more than likely no, but would check me just to relieve my fear. I remember the look on her face clearly after that last internal check. Her eyes got big & said "um - are ready to have a baby? You are 9.5cm & his head is right there!" I remember looking over at my hubby, grabbing his hand & I am sure we both looked terrified - excited, nervous, happy & yes - definitely terrified!

I think at that moment my denial of having a real "take-home" baby went out the window & I had finally accepted that we were going to be taking home this precious miracle from God after all.

9.5 cm meant that it was "GO" time & things started to move real fast! They had paged the OB & in a matter of a few minutes, my cozy little room turned into a delivery room. In wheeled the surgical table, out came the stirrups & just like that I was instructed to start pushing! 

I got a little scared as things around us moved so quickly & I couldn't comprehend that in just a short time our little boy would be here. I looked over & saw that my hubby seemed to have that same "fearful" look on his face so I reached over, grabbed his hand & asked him if he was ready for this. He responded "hells yeah" (which is such a typical answer coming from him) & at that moment I knew it was all going to be ok.

I pushed for about 30 minutes & at 2:24 pm our perfect little miracle - Mason James - arrived into this world! He weighed 7lbs 4oz & was 20.5" long.

Thank you for reading if you have gotten this far!

To all of you who have given me your support & encouraging words throughout the last couple of years on the IF, IFV & PAIF boards - I THANK YOU!! I never thought I would ever get the chance to post my own story on PAIF or have the luxury of moving on over to SAIF! For those of you still struggling, I hope & pray that you all get your own little "miracles" someday!!