How he got here...

Sunday, August 18, 2013:

I was pretty much done being pregnant at this point.  I had been for a couple weeks and just wanted to hold my baby boy in my arms.  My doctor had manually dilated me at my last two appointments so I was ready to make progress on my own!  So Ricky, my mom and I went for a 3 hour tour of the Inner Harbor in hopes to make some progress.  It was gorgeous that day and Ricky was able to get some last minute (literally) photos of me and my pregnant self before Eric's arrival.

See, I was huge and fully cooked!!

Monday, August 19, 2013:

My last appointment before my due date...I was hoping to have made some progress since the 3 hour tour.  And sure enough I was 3 cm and 75% effaced!  We talked and she said she could induce the next day (my due date) or schedule an induction for the 24th.  So we scheduled for the 24th at 5:45 in the morning.  I finally had an end in sight and was ecstatic! Unfortunately, I was hoping to go into labor on my own since I didn't want the pitocin and other junk.  But there was a light at the end of the tunnel if he didn't come on his own.  That night I went to bed hoping to go into labor sometime very soon!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013, 2:30 a.m.:

I woke up a little crampy and feeling iffy.  I played it off as just Braxton Hicks and tried to go back to sleep but I was up every half hour with these cramps.  At 4:30 a.m. I got out of bed to go to the bathroom and sure enough, bloody show! I woke up Ricky and said "I think we need to call the doctor!"

So I called the on-call doctor and she said to come in to get checked just in case.  It was time! I just knew it!

6:00 a.m.

We arrived at the OB lobby, contractions about every 10 minutes lasting only about 30 seconds.  They were still kind of irregular but I was feeling it.  We registered and I was taken to triage to get checked.  Still only 3 cm and about 90% effaced.  We were in triage for about an hour and when the doctor came in, she told me to go for a walk around the hospital for a couple hours to see if I could make progress on my own (we were going for as natural as possible until I couldn't take it anymore).  By now, my mom had arrived and Ricky's parents were on their way to B'more.  

7:00 a.m.

So we strolled (slowly) around the hospital and to the cafe where Ricky and my mom ate delicious food that I wasn't allowed to have (thanks guys!) even though I did sneak a tiny piece of bacon.  I drank my apple juice and walked around the cafe and the contractions were starting to get stronger.  Not more frequent but definitely stronger.  So 8:30 rolled around and we started walking again, heading towards OB.  I'm just guessing, but the walk back put me into full on labor!  The contractions were super strong and coming quicker and longer.  I had to stop along the halls and people looked at me (jerks, I'm in labor!).  We were closer to OB and I had one huge contraction that was really bad and I started crying.  Thank god we were close to OB because another one hit and I was done.  I wanted some kind of drug to make this pain stop and pronto!

9:00 a.m. (ish)

Back in triage, the nurse and a PA came to discuss my pain management options.  I could do some drug that started with an S or get the epidural.  The S drug wouldn't take away all the pain and wouldn't last long so I opted for the epidural.  I was still only about 4 or 5 cm dilated and 90% effaced but I was admitted and it was go time!

Morning into afternoon:

I really don't remember much of the afternoon except Game Show Network and nurses and doctors checking on me for pain management and progress.  I do know that the epidural was glorious (getting it wasn't) and I couldn't feel a thing.  My right leg was completely numb and I was shivering uncontrollably (even tho I wasn't cold at all), but I wasn't in pain and that's all that mattered at that point.  Ricky's parents arrived around 12:30 and people went to eat lunch, I ate a popsicle, watched some game shows and waited to be told to push.

Around 6 p.m.:

The doctor came in to check me and I was at 9 cm and 10 cm with contractions.  So they put me in the indian position to get Eric to drop down into the birth canal a little better since he was still at 0 station.  Then at 6:20, I started pushing.  I pushed for a while and not much was happening since I apparently wasn't pushing like I had to poop.  So I tried again and this time I had it.  I was pushing right and waiting for the team to come in to deliver him.  But they never did.

About 2 hours into pushing:

I was pushing for about 2 hours and Dr. Hunter came in and said I wasn't making push progress.  Eric's head was pretty big and his shoulders weren't coming through my small pelvis.  My pushing was basically for nothing because with every push, he would just go back up the birth canal.  So she gave me options: forceps with some risks to him and me, or C-section.  I wasn't about to give up and I told her neither.  I wanted to keep trying and so I did.  I pushed for a total of just over 3 hours.  The whole time, my acid reflux was horrible and I was downing water with every break.  Well, the doctor and nurses were great cheerleaders and my mom and Ricky were great!  I tried so hard and used the mirror to see Eric's head, but he just wasn't coming out.  But I was determined!  Until all that water turned against me.  I vomited all over the nurses (just water and my orange popsicle) and gave up.  I wanted so badly to do it on my own, but I just couldn't anymore.  So we decided on the C-section.  It was safe for me and Eric and I was okay with the decision.  Dr. Hunter was super proud of me for trying so hard and so long, but was glad I made the decision to do the C-section.

Around 9:15 p.m.: (not 100% on the time; I was being prepped for the OR and kind of delirious)

Ricky and my mom were given scrubs and I was prepped for the OR for the C-section.  In the OR, I remember being laid on the table with my arms stretched out and my shivering was the worst yet.  It sounded like I was punching the table, I was shaking so hard.  The anesthesiologist explained everything to me as it was happening and Ricky and my mom were right there with me.  Ricky was so nervous for me and watched the whole procedure (he's brave, I would've fainted).  I felt mostly tugging and pressure and at 10:01 p.m., he was here!  I heard Dr. Hunter yell out, "we have a cone head!" and laughed.  They took him to his clean-up spot and I told Ricky to go see him.  Ricky didn't want to leave me, but I told him to go anyway and he got to cut the cord and watch him get weighed and cleaned up. I watched through a mirror that the anesthesiologist put behind my head and I was crying the whole time.  He was so beautiful and perfectly pink.  Ricky brought him over briefly so I could see him and then I was whisked away to recovery (the part I don't remember at all).

Recovery:

I woke up and Ricky and my mom were with me and a nurse had laid Eric on my chest for his first feeding.  It was so surreal.  I don't remember too much except him on my chest, but he was there for about 2 hours before we were moved to our room and he got his first bath with Ricky.

Overall, my labor and delivery was flawless.  The pushing for 3 hours could've been a little condensed, but I'm glad I tried.  I have no regrets and am so happy with how everything went.  All my nurses were so amazing our entire stay and the hospital was amazing.  

Now, we're home with our sweet baby and happier than ever.  So begins the journey of parenthood and our sweet little family...