This story was written a month after I had our oldest kiddo in 2014. Birth stories are one of my favorite things to hear. I read somewhere once that if someone wants to tell you their birth story then listen. It’s such an overwhelming, exciting, scary, unpredictable time in our lives and it’s worth sharing and listening to over and over.
Enjoy the story of this sweet and spunky boy and how he entered our lives
This is the story of a birth. Not just any birth but the birth of our oldest son T and the birth of us becoming parents!
The night before I went into labor I attended an art opening at Rob’s University where a lot of my friends attended. It was wonderful to see everyone and chat about what was to come with little T and life and of course to check out the art work. I was telling everyone it would be at least another week before this little man decided to enter this world. I really have no idea why I thought that because clearly I am no doctor. I guess I just assumed that he would be late since many people’s first babies are late. I even went as far as to invite everyone over to our place that Sunday for a Labor Day cook out. I was THAT sure this baby was not coming on time. I should’ve known that labor day would be quite foreshadowing!
That night, after the show, Rob and I hung out with our good friends Bech and Marley who live 3 doors down and have recently had their own tiny tot (as well as already having an adorable little wild man), until midnight just chattin it up. Well little did I know that at 2:30 in the morning I started having contractions. At first I just thought it was back pain but soon realized that they were coming every 5 minutes at 1 minute apiece. After an hour of this I called the on call doctor and she confirmed that I am indeed in labor but I had to wait until it sucked a lot more (she said it better than this but I kind of like imagining a doctor telling me this). So I woke up my sweet, sweet husband and I took a hot bath and shower like the class I took earlier that year told me to do to help with pain and also you never know when you will be able to shower next. So after that we did a little tidying of the house and then I told Rob to go ahead and get some more sleep. I napped a bit (as much as I could considering the circumstances) and then when 8:30am hit we went to our already scheduled doctors appointment. Since the day I went into labor was my actual due date I had already had a routine check up scheduled. The doc checked me, said I was 5 cm, and said head on over to the hospital it looks like you’re ready to have a baby (these were not her exact words but you get the idea)
Rob and I headed over to the hospital, which was right next door, and we checked in to labor and delivery. At this point the contractions hurt but they didn’t hurt to the point where I wanted an epidural so I just assumed they were going to send me home saying that I was not far enough along to be admitted, but I was indeed wrong.
They checked me in, explained they wanted to break my water to move along the process, and said that I could get an epidural now if I wanted. I said no to the epidural at that time because I wasn’t in enough pain to want one yet and declined the breaking of the water at that time. Well from 9am to 2pm I labored, it got increasingly worse and I opted for an epidural before it got to the point where I believe I wouldn’t have been able to handle it.
Receiving the epidural was no fun at all but
afterwards it was magic. I couldn’t feel the contractions at all and I could
get a bit of rest. At this point I told Rob to grab some food so he would be
well nourished for the remainder of the labor (and have the energy to hold up
my wobbly leg when I was ready to push). At this point they broke my water to
see if I would progress. I did not progress so they started me on Pitocin,
which is a drug that induces contractions and helps one dilate. Well after a
little while on that medicine I started feeling the contractions on my right
side. They were close together and they hurt like whoa! So I called a nurse to
call the anesthesiologist to pump me up again with some of the magic juice and
man oh man did he. As soon as he gave me another dose the doctor came in and
told me I was ready to push. Fantastic and SO terrifying. I was overwhelmed at
the fact that I was about to see my child that I’ve been harboring for 9
months, that I was about to transition from pregnancy to motherhood. CRAZY! But
there was no turning back! Apparently, I pushed like a champ, I’m not too sure
because I couldn’t feel anything thanks to my good friend the epidural. I
pushed for 30 minutes and then there he was in all his glory, born at 5:45pm
kicking and screaming and he was all ours. All 7lb 9oz and 21 inches of him.
There were tears and hugs and kisses and the sweet nurse took a picture of the
3 of us!
I can see you're frustrated 