Easy labor and delivery!

Hi, I don't post much here, but wanted to share my birth story with you since I felt they were fun to read.  On the morning of November 13th, 3 1/3 weeks before my due date, I woke up at my regular time and got up to go to the bathroom.  I has just walked into the bathroom when my water broke.  This was a HUGE! surprise since everyone told my not to expect this.  It was about 5:30am and we were not prepared.  We called the hospital and they told us to come right in.  We were not packed so we are running around the house packing and calling family.  I was happy that I had insisted to my husband that we install the car seat that previous weekend!  My contractions started about 30min after my water broke and at first they were like menstrual cramps, not too bad.

Once we got to the hospital they checked us in and wanted to make sure that my water really had broken.  They took one look and it was pretty obvious, so we were staying!  It is not a fun feeling to be leaking, drove me crazy!  It was about 7:00am when we got there and once we were in our room they started my on IV fluids and the penicillin since they did not know my group B strep  results yet.  I had just gone in for my 36 week appointment the Tuesday before.  It was good that they did the penicillin since I was positive. 

Little by little my contractions got stronger and stronger and at about 11:30am I asked for my epidural.  It was not bad, by far the hardest part is sitting still through the contractions.  My husband was allowed to stay in the room and hold me and I really appreciated that.  Once the epidural took I felt wonderful!  Oh, I should say that when I got to the hospital I was at 2 centimeters and by the time I got my epidural I was at 6.  They checked me an hour after my epi and I had not progressed any so they started me in pitocin.  An hour after they started pitocin I could feel my contractions again but they were very mild so I did not say anything.  By about 3:00pm or so I was in pain and told the nurse.  She checked me and I was at 8 centimeters so they called for more drugs.  Once I got the second dose I could not feel a thing and was able to rest for about an hour.  My doctor came in about 5:30pm checked me and I was complete.  They had me do a few practice pushes and got the room ready.  They did use a vacuumm to get Jake out since his heart rate dropped and did not go back up, but it was no big deal.  I pushed for 13 min. and he was out.  It is the most surreal experience to have this human in you and then they are out.  He weighed 6lbs 13 oz (not bad for being 3 weeks early) and was 19 1/2 inches.  I had a second degree tear from such a fast delivery, but by 6 weeks felt fine. 

 He did have jaundice and we had to deal with a bili blanket for 2 weeks, but he is now 12 weeks and doing fine.   Hope you all have as easy of a time as I did.