The Labor Story

Feeling slightly more human right now, so I figured I'd try to update the blog finally. I'm still pretty out of it, so please forgive me if this post doesn't make a lot of sense. 

On Friday night, we went to bed like any normal night. I was having some minor, painless contractions, but since I had these type of contractions every night, I ignored them. Once in a while, they woke me up because when I have contractions, my lungs seize up a little and make it difficult to breathe. Still, I didn't think anything of it, because they were painless. Then a little after 3:30am, my water broke. I will never forget that experience. My water broke before real labor began with both my girls, but it was never, ever like this time. I swear, the explosion lifted me three inches off the mattress. I was terrified for a second, because of how violent it was! But everything was normal - no meconium like with Gwen - and contractions, painful ones, started coming regularly. So I excitedly woke up Logan and we prepared to leave for the hospital. 

We arrived at the hospital an hour after my water broke. I told the nurse I was in labor and that my water had broken. She seemed annoyed at first. She gave me an incredulous look at asked me, "Are you sure?" My pants were soaking wet and I was holding a towel. "Yes," I told her. "Or else I need a new bladder." Then she mumbled something about possibly finding me a room. Apparently, that night they had four scheduled inductions and three to four walk-ins. And this was the night AFTER Friday the 13th. I guess everyone was holding it in until a safer date. 

Labor was labor. I don't think any labor is fun in the least. They checked me when I got situated in bed, and I was already a 5. Throughout the entire laboring ordeal, the baby's heartbeat dropped with the contractions and didn't always recover fast enough. I was dilating fast, but the baby wasn't dropping. Before I was even fully dilated, my doctor asked me if I wanted a c-section. I love my doctor, but I was pretty upset with her for that. The baby wasn't in any distress, I was only in labor for a few hours, and the baby was moving down, just very slowly. I told her we should wait a couple hours, and see where we were by then. In a couple hours, I was pushing (six-ish hours after being admitted.) I pushed for 2 hours. This baby was just too big for me to get the job done. For a very scary couple of minutes, the doctor was preparing for a c-section. I pushed my hardest at every contractions to make that baby come down. Finally, FINALLY, the baby dropped low enough for the doctor to use forceps. She said if they didn't work, I would have no choice - cesarean would be the only option. Well. She used the forceps for 10 seconds, then didn't need them any more. I was able to push my big baby out on my own! He was perfect! I pushed for 2 hours and he wasn't even bruised! Not even a cone head! I got to hold him right away, and he cried for the first time on my chest. That was the first time I got to experience that. My other two babies were whisked away too fast. He cried and I got to soothe him. And of course, I cried right along with him. To me, he was perfect. His breathing wasn't quite adequate enough and he had a lot of mucous that he couldn't cough up on his own. I was allowed bonding time with my guy before they took him to the nursery. He was 9lbs, 4 oz! Smaller than Phoebe by 6oz. He is my longest baby though - 22in! Big and perfect!

Despite the ordeal, I loved my laboring experience. I had great doctors and nurses surrounding me, who shared my same faith. Everyone, including the anesthesiologist, was praying for me (in fact, he helped my husband give me a blessing. My nurse suggested it.) After my baby was safely delivered without a c-section, my nurse hugged me and said the blessing worked. I love her! 

We came home a couple days later. The baby and I are doing very well, but recovery for me has been it's own ordeal. Because of how long and hard I had to push, something in my neck went haywire. For a few days, I couldn't stand because the pain was so great, it shot up into my head. Tonight, however, I can finally sit and move around some without the horrible pain. Thankfully, Logan's mother has been with us since the baby was born, and she's been a major help. I feel like a total bum, but she doesn't complain. I'm surrounded by great people. I feel so blessed. 

Today is Logan's birthday. 28! Today also concluded his first week at the hospital. He started the Monday after Isaac was born, while the baby and I were still there. He got to visit us on his lunch break and then take us home after he got off. Pretty cool. He's really liking his new job so far. He's catching on quickly and we are loving the new benefits. God's been so good to us. 

I'm feeling a bit light headed. I'm thinking I need some more peppermint patties. I'll post some pictures of the week (there aren't that many because I've been down for most of it) on the next post. Tomorrow, Logan and I are planning on a date to celebrate his birthday, so we should get some more pictures. Hopefully, this neck pain doesn't come back, and I'll feel normal again! I can't really complain, because my beautiful chubby baby boy makes everything worth it. :)