AWMy Birth Story

meli_221 · May 2009

Sorry it took so long to write....life is so much busier than I had imagined:-)

Last Tuesday, I had my bloody show in the afternoon and called the doctor. He said that I will most likely go into labor within the next 24 hours and he was right because at 11:30 pm, my water broke. I never thought I'd get so excited for leaking and contractions:-)

I went to bed and woke up a few times with contractions but nothing too strong. By 6 am in the morning on Wednesday, they were 5-1-1 so I called Labor and Delivery and they said to come right in. So we drove to the hospital and checked in at 7 am.

They checked me and I was 3.5 cm dialated. They let me walk around and checked me again in a couple of hours. I was only 4 cm even though I thought I'd be further along. They started me on Pitocin and I continued to walk, however it started making me naseous. After a couple of hours on Pitocin, stronger contractions, and running to the bathroom to throw up a few times (poor DH), I was checked and only 5.5 cm.

By this time, I knew my body was fighting dialating and was too tense, so I asked for the epidural. All along, I wanted to go into it with an open mind hoping I wouldn't need the epidural, but I am glad that I gave myself the option. Lucky for me, the anesthesiologist only took 10 mins. to get there. The worst part of it was having to lean over elbows to knees with my belly and through contractions.

After I got the epi I went from 5.5 cm to 10 cm in 20 minutes!!! I pushed for 50 minutes but it didn't feel like that long. I did have a 2nd degree tear but I didn't feel it due to the epi.

At 4:53pm, my little sweetheart was born weighing 7 pounds 10 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long with a strong set of lungs. DH and I will never ever forget the emotions and feelings we felt when we first laid eyes on Ryan. After waiting 9 months of feeling a little person move inside of you and not knowing who he will look like, we ran through ever emotion in those first few minutes of his life. We are so deeply in love and although the first few nights at home were rough, we are figuring each other out and I can't imagine my life without him in it. Already a week has gone by and it makes me sad to think of how fast he'll grow up! But we are enjoying every minute with him!