As was previously mentioned, I was ordered to
be on bed rest until I hit 36 weeks. My Dr. said once I hit the 36 mark she
really wasn’t concerned about the baby arriving but would prefer I make it to
37 weeks. At my Week 36 appointment I was dilated to a 3 and still 80% effaced.
I honestly anticipated going into labor the moment I got off bed rest. That was
my first mistake. September 27th I was officially released from bed
rest. Once I was up and about, I started having contractions often but not regularly.
I would have 5 or 6 an hour but they would be 5 minutes apart, then 20, then
10. It was mostly just obnoxious. And ,
after a few days, I stopped looking at the clock for my own sanity.
So-we made it to week 37. At my Dr.
appointment I was dilated to a 4+ and feeling like my pregnancy would never
end. My Dr. told me that if made it to 38 weeks and dilated any more she would
have to send me to be induced. She couldn't have me walking around at a 5 like
a ticking time bomb. We scheduled my next appointment for the 10th and I left
her office feeling like I at least had a possible end date in sight. Meanwhile,
I kicked into high gear cleaning, walking and just trying to stay busy to get
my mind off of still being very miserable and pregnant.
Days passed and still no baby came. I had
resolved that I would be going to my appointment on the 10th and was thinking
that if I was induced the night of the 10th I may have the baby on the 11th
(making his birthday 10/11/12). I remember getting in the bathtub to soak, read
and relax on Monday night (8th). It was my final attempt to
relax enough for labor to start. I went to bed that night feeling contractions
but not any different than I had for the previous week and a half.
I woke up Tuesday, October 9th, sent Scott
off to work and Bridger came into our room, climbed into bed with me and
we started to watch some kid shows on T.V. while we woke up. It was a relaxing
morning. I had a contraction a couple minutes after 8 and happened to look at
the clock. A few minutes later I had another one. Followed by another just a
few minutes after that. I sent a message to Scott saying "Just letting you
know I've had 3 contractions in the past 15 minutes". Immediately after I
sent that message, I felt as if my water had broken. I quickly sent another
message " I think my water just broke". I went to the restroom only
to determine that it was not my water breaking but a significant amount of
bleeding. I was terrified. By this time, Scott was calling me and I was crying.
Scott assured me that he was on his way and that he would call our doctor to
ask about the bleeding. Meanwhile I would try to get a hold of my brother to
come sit with Bridger until Scott's parents could come.
I continued to have very painful contractions
every 3-5 minutes and tried to finish packing my hospital bag in between them.
Gratefully, Bridger was content and mostly just excited Uncle Patrick was
coming. I was so grateful that he wasn't as scared as I was. Patrick got there
in 10 minutes. Scott made record time getting from his office downtown to our
house in 15 minutes flat. When he got there we packed up and left. The Dr’s
office had said that bleeding can occur when you transition very quickly and
that we needed to go to the hospital immediately. We pulled out of our
driveway at 8:30.
We arrived at the hospital about 9 and got
checked in. After getting changed into a gown and more painful contractions
they told me that I was dilated to a 5+and would definitely be staying to have
a baby! Based on how painful my contractions were, I knew that would be the
case but it is nice when the hospital staff determines that. (Then they start
treating you like you are actually in a lot of pain instead of some crazy
pregnant woman.)
By
this time it was about 10 o'clock and my awesome L & D nurse
asked if I wanted my epidural. (Yes, please!) The anesthesiologist came in a
few minutes later and he was actually the same Dr. who had placed my epidural
with Bridger. Super nice guy! We talked about my experience with the epidural
with Bridger and basically determined that it didn’t work. At all. I had pushed
for 2.5 hours with Bridger and felt EVERYTHING. Being my first baby, I had no
clue that it wasn't working and I remember thinking that if that is how painful
it was with an epidural, I can't imagine how people do it naturally. Ha! Little
did I know. Anyway, after talking to the
anesthesiologist he basically told me he could make me feel as much or as
little as I wanted. He placed it in a different spot than he had the first time
and started with an average dose. Ahhh!!! Within minutes the contractions were
less intense and then I wasn't feeling them at all. It was bliss! I was still a
little concerned because the same thing had initially happened with Bridger's
epidural. But since I knew I shouldn't be feeling pain, I was more confident in
asking for something stronger if it stopped working.
The epidural was placed at
10:30 and then we played the waiting game. I asked if they would
break my water and my nurse said she wanted my own Dr. to do it because I would
go super fast after that. (With B I went from a 6-10 in 45 minutes after they
broke my water.) Since my dr was going to come break my water and, since her
practice is about a 25 minute drive from the hospital, I knew she would be
coming on her lunch break. Scott and I just relaxed and talked to our
nurse for the next two hours until Dr. Cox arrived at 12:30.
Once she arrived, she spent a few minutes
talking to us, checked me (9 cm!) and told me the plan-break my water, she
would go change her clothes, and then we would have a baby. Simple enough.
She broke my water a few minutes before 1:00
and walked out to change. Almost Immediately I started feeling immense pressure
and the pain associated with that. I started crying and knew that it was baby
time! The nurse took one look at my face and said, "I'm going to go grab
your doctor. This baby is coming now!" When she walked out of the room I
was feeling so much pressure and was hurting quite a bit. Scott gave me a brief,
heartfelt blessing that everything would go smoothly and that the babywould be
healthy. I was grateful for the blessing and was able to calm my nerves a
bit.
Dr Cox came running into the room and was
throwing on her gloves. I was nervous to push but knew it was time! I was amazed that as I pushed I was making
significant progress and I wasn’t feeling it—a completely different experience
from Bridger’s delivery! After a few
pushes the doctor asked the nurse to call the NICU staff. My heart sunk and I
was terrified. I knew we needed the baby to come right then. I pushed as hard
as I could the next two pushes and out he came! Dawson struggled to take his
first breath but as soon as he did we all breathed a sigh of relief. The NICU
team was just arriving and Dr. Cox told them, "He's breathing and fine. We don’t need you." What a relief!
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| I am not one of those women who looks good during/immediately following labor but I sure was happy to have Dawson here safe and sound! |
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| My awesome doctor, Gina Cox. |
I'll never forget when I first Dawson. His hair
was dark and in tight curls against his head! His face was scrunched up like an
old man and I couldn't believe I was the mother of 2!
When I did finally let Scott have a turn to
hold him, Dawson peed all over his dress clothes! Scott was so happy to have
him here he didn't even care! :)
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| Proud Daddy |
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| 6 lb. 15 oz, 21 inches long. |
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| Shortly after I was moved to recovery Bridger came to meet his little brother! |
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