He's Here!
Stephen Joseph
Due Date: 7/14/09
Birth Date: 7/20/09
9:36am
9lbs 1oz, 21"
After my last OB appointment on Fri 7/17 showed still no cervical thinning or dilation, I was scheduled for induction on Mon 7/20. That Sat night, I woke up around 2am with moderately painful contractions. They were very irregular, but frequent enough that I couldn't sleep any longer. Around 4:15, I got out of bed to pee, and lost the first part of my mucous plug. I was really starting to feel uncomfortable, so I decided to try a hot bath. I really didn't want to do it ( since getting out of the tub was such a hassle) but as soon as I got in I felt MUCH better. I stayed there until I got too pruney, and decided to just give up and not try to go back to bed.
I fooled around on the computer for awhile before finally waking up my husband around 7am. He was immediately ready to jump up and run to the hospital. I assured him it was way too early, but he didn't believe me...so he jumps out of bed to call my mom. After she talked him down, he was a little better but still anxious. We spent the rest of the day at home, preparing to go to the hospital for our scheduled check in at 7pm. By the time we got there, my contractions were a little stronger, but still irregular.
I was admitted around 7:30pm and they did a cervical check. I was 1cm and about 80% effaced. They went ahead and gave me 1 dose of cervical softener and said I'd be checked again around 12am. By 11pm, I asked for something to take the edge off. I don't remember what it was she gave me but I was feeling no pain...until I had another contraction! It was like I was feeling no pain anywhere but my uterus! Once again, I tried to go back to sleep. I would about pass out, only to be woken by another painful contraction. Around 2am,I was in tears from the pain and I asked if there was anything else they could give me. The nurse checked me again and I was at 2cm. She said at this point I could have the epidural.
She called up the anesthesiologist and warned us that, while he was very good at what he does, he had the personality of a tree trunk. Man, was she right!! He was nothing but business! I was in the middle of a painful breath it out, crying contraction, and this guy's going on and on about "do you understand the possible side effects blah blahblah". Then, once he gets everything set up, I'm ask him to hold on because I've got another one coming on. NOPE!!! So I get poked in the back in the middle of a monster contraction. THANKS FELLA!! >: ( The guy was awful, but his pain relief was gooooood. The nurse and Dr. left, and we were left to sleep. A few minutes later I started feeling nauseous. It was all I could do to hit the nurse call button and say so. The next thing I knew, I tossed my cookies all over the floor. The nurse came back in, cleaned up the mess, and gave me something to calm the nausea. From them until about 5, we were finally able to sleep.
Around 5am, they came back in and check me again. I was 3cm and 100% effaced. They went ahead and started me on Pitocin as scheduled, and I went back to sleep until around 8am when the nurse checked me one more time. We were shocked to find that I was 10cm and ready to push!...that is, if we could find my Dr.! She paged him 3 times before she was able to track him down. Apparently there was some trouble with his pager, but luckily, he was already at the hospital.
I got situated, and I started pushing. They were able to see baby's head on the very first push! I pushed for some time (its hard to say exactly how long...maybe 30 min?) before they noticed that my contractions had slowed down to practically nothing. I tried a few more times to push him out without the help of a contraction, but wasnt able to do it. Finally, the Dr. decided to try the vacuum extractor. He put it on the baby and with one more big push he was out! My husband cut the cord and they laid him on my tummy. Of course, he was beautiful!!
I watched as baby was cleaned off and weighed while the Dr. sewed me up (there was an episiotomy in there somewhere!) and my husband ran around trying to take it all in (and get pictures at the same time) A few minutes later, they brought him back to me and I tried to feed him briefly, but I think he and I were both too pooped!!
We spent about 30 minutes just taking it all in before we called for the grandparents and family members that were waiting to see him.
He's about a week old now and of course, he's our perfect little boy!!
And these are today!
