XP from 3rd Tri: My awesomely normal birth with pics!

So it's been almost 6 weeks (!!) but I'm finally posting my birth story which is really long, but worth it, I promise.  It's taken awhile to get enough time to write this, as you all can imagine, time is precious.  I always liked reading these, and I hope it helps you know a little more about what to expect (there were some "surprises" along the way - for me at least).   Anyway, here it is, and good luck to all of you!

At my last appointment (37 weeks) I was 2 cm. dilated and 80% effaced. We decided that if I didn't go into labor on my own, they would induce me the next Monday (a week from my appt.). I was four days overdue by then... And I was so ready! I was tired and heavy and cranky... But also nervous. I didn't realize how nervous until later, but I'll get to that in a moment. So my aunt and uncle from California were staying at our house to wait it out with us. In my family, this event was a big deal, so you'll notice that I mention a lot of different people. On Saturday night, my aunt made her famous Eggplant Cannelloni, one of my faves. We joked about how maybe that would finally get me into labor... it didn't (nothing did!! Not walking, not eating spicy foods, not anything... I'm telling you, this kid is stubborn already).

So we ate, did the dishes, and decided to watch a movie (The Invention of Lying... worst.movie.ever... and I actually like Ricky Gervais) and then we would go to bed. The woman at my Dr.'s office who set up the induction told us that the hospital would be calling us anytime from midnight on Sunday on... because the actual induction date was for Monday. Weird, I know. Anyway, Scott was smart and decided to go to bed early in case they called. And of course, at two minutes past 12 they decided to call. I was shocked to say the least! It was really happening! So we packed the last minute items not in our bags already (my toothbrush and phone charger were the only things left... and I am glad I remembered them!), made sure we brought the diaper bag this time, and headed to the hospital. I also called my mom so she and my sister and grandmother could decide when to make the trip out (they were driving 2 hours from Tucson... see? Lots of people already).

We got to the hospital and checked in, and since we pre-registered it only took 2 seconds. They showed us our room, which was big and pretty nice actually. Then I got into the bed, got hooked up to the monitors and the BP cuff, and the nurse told us she would be starting my IV. I was GBS+ (Group B Strep) so I would be receiving 4 doses of Penicillin throughout labor. No big deal. She also explained that the first dose was the largest, and might be a little painful, like a pinch. Okay. Then she checked me, I was still the same as before, 2 cm and 80%. My goodness, no change and 4 days overdue... Oh, well.

So first she tries to find a vein on my right forearm (she said they don't like to put it in the crook of your elbow because your arms are bent during pushing... good to know!). I've never had an IV in my forearm before, but her logic is good enough for me. It didn't go well. First of all, the needle is freaking thick.as.hell. And when she is putting it in, okay, shoving it into my arm, she says, "wow, you have really thick skin!". Great. Good Lord, that was uncomfortable. Apparently she couldn't make it work, so she decided to just put it into my left hand instead. Hand IVs suck. But it couldn't be any worse than that, right? I stood corrected, or rather, lay corrected. I refused to look, and all I heard was, "Oh, geez, I'm going to have to clean that up" and "Oh, well, oops, wait... there we go". Finally! So I looked over and there was blood everywhere! On the sheet, on the floor... my goodness, had this woman never put in an IV before?!?! But it was fine, she was really nice about it, and cleaned it all up. After she left, Scott told me that as soon as she had put it in, blood spurted everywhere, which explained the mess.

Then she came back with the Penicillin, hooked it up and left. Everything was fine when OH MY GOD, THAT HURTS!! "Like a pinch," my ass!! This pain was crazy, like my arm was being bruised from the inside! I started shaking all over, it was so bad, and Scott got really worried. Inside, I was worried too, that I was having some kind of allergic reaction or something, but I kept telling him to calm down, no he did not need to get anyone, I was fine. Was I fine? I have no idea, I just wanted him to wait. I didn't want to be a wuss, I mean, I was about to give birth! (Just so you know, this actually ended up being the worst part of my entire labor and delivery process... crazy!). The nurse came back, and she could see that I was in a lot of pain, turned it down a bit, and said it should get better. Finally it was bearable and I stopped shaking. It still hurt a little, but not nearly as bad as it was. So Scott settled in on the couch/"bed" and we tried to get some nervous/anxious "sleep" in. Which is hard to do when lots of people keep coming in and out of the room, but whatever.

We ended up sleeping a couple hours on and off, until about 530 when my mom, sister, and grandmother got there. At about 6, they decided to start me on Pitocin (which I was dreading after reading lots and lots of wonderful stories about it). They gave me a low dose, and we all just waited. It wasn't bad at all, but I knew that it was a low dose, so I didn't expect much. My contractions became pretty regular at that point, but still weren't painful at all. At about 730 the sun was coming up, and we realized we weren't going to get much sleep at that point. So we all talked and basically hung out. The shift change happened then, and we got a new nurse who was awesome. She said that the doctor would be in soon to break my water and try and get contractions going stronger. At some point in here I was checked again and was at 3-4 cm., still in little to no pain.

Later, my aunt and uncle showed up, along with my cousin (also from Tucson), Scott's mom and stepdad, and Scott's cousin Lori (I told you there were a lot of people!). It was getting a little crowded (ya think?!) so people were going out to the waiting room, or the gift shop, or to eat. Meanwhile, the Dr. showed up to break my water, and since only a few people were in the room at that point, and since I was comfortable with it, he just did it then. It felt exactly like I thought it would, a small gush that lasted a few seconds. They upped my Pitocin, and the Dr. told me that I could ask for the epidural at any time, but not to wait until I was in intense pain to ask for it. This was my plan anyway, so that was fine.

After he left, I started feeling the contractions, mildly at first, and then more and more painful, but I just breathed through them. The nurse came in a while later and asked if I wanted her to order the epi, and I said sure. She said there were a few women ahead of me, so it would be about 15 minutes. Okay.

Almost as soon as she left, my contractions started getting pretty painful. I just kept breathing, and my mom helped me through them. My husband was also nice and supportive, both of them were great. Then I remember I had a few intense ones that I really had to concentrate through, but they still weren't horrible. Then I had a really, really long one that would not stop!! My sister said she was watching the monitor and instead of rising and falling like the other ones, this one just kept rising, then falling a tad, then rising and rising. My God, this one was painful!! It was all over, my back hurt (even the top!), it was everywhere! By this time a good 30-45 minutes had gone by and I was wondering where the f$#& the anesthesiologist was! Finally he came in, and they kicked everyone out for this part. I remember thinking when the nurse told me I was going to have to sit up that there was just no way. There was no way I would ever be able to sit up with this f-ing pain!! Thankfully, mercifully, it slowed down enough to where I could s l o o o w l y sit up. And when I did, the floodgates opened. I thought at first that I was peeing, because I had to go (the nurse made me wait until after the epi so that they could get me a catheter... but this was before, when she said 15 minutes). Nope, it was my water going everywhere! It was soaking the mattress, it went all over the floor, and all over poor Scott's pants. I started freaking out telling Scott I was sorry, and that he should get someone, hurry! (This is really funny to me now for some reason). He was great, stayed totally calm, and told me to calm down, it wasn't a big deal. Obviously he was right, the nurse came in, said, "Oh, that's okay, don't you worry, I'm sorry I didn't put a pad down underneath you!". And proceeded to clean the floor. I can't believe I wasted time being embarrassed about that, but oh well.

Just then the anesthesiologist walked in, apologized for being late, and started setting up. The nurse said something about how something had gone wrong with one of the other women's epis and that's what had taken so long. Whatever, just please hurry with mine, okay? I was still uncomfortable, but nothing was as bad as that last contraction had been, not even the ones I was having right after. The nurse gave me a pillow to hug and then they had me hunch over to get the first shot before the epi. It didn't hurt, but was like getting a regular shot. Then he scrubbed my back with iodine three times (the magic number, I guess) and told me to get ready for pressure. He inserted the epi needle in and it felt really, really weird, and of course like a ton of pressure on my spine, like someone pressing down hard from the inside. Not pleasant, but not painful. And then he taped the epi catheter to my back, and then up my shoulder and over to my arm for easy access. I had marks (or leftover sticky stuff, I guess) from the tape for at least a week after, that stuff is no joke! And then... the best, most gentle, warm feeling came over me and I felt my body just relax completely. I didn't realize how tense I was until that moment. The anesthesiologist said he was surprised at how easily he found the epidural space in my spine and said it was so easy that he thought it might not work. Thankfully for the both of us it worked great! My legs went numb, and felt like they were asleep. They also felt really heavy, it was difficult to turn to either side without someone helping me. But I was so comfortable after that, it was awesome. Contractions came and went, and I couldn't feel anything. Then the nurse put the catheter in me, and apparently I really did have to go, because I filled half the bag pretty quick! It was nice not having to feel that either, I've had it done before and it's not exciting. After that they let everyone back in and I took a nap, while everyone else watched Juno or did whatever.

A while later (I've given up on time, I don't know what time things happened after this, but I would say my estimate for this is about 1 or 2 pm) the nurse came in and checked me, and I was 6 cm! Alright! Finally making progress...

About an hour after that the nurses came in and started looking at the baby's monitor, and had me turn to the other side. Apparently his heart rate was jumping, and it looked like he was getting stressed. They said that the Pitocin was really speeding things along and that they needed to turn it down a little to help him out. So they did, and then they left.

My contractions slowed down at that point, and so did my progress, as I was still a 6 when they checked me a little later. The Pitocin was gradually raised again, and the nurses kept an eye on the baby's heart rate to make sure he was still doing okay. He was, and the next time they checked me (this is around 3 or so... I know that the movie had ended just before) I was 10 cm and ready to go! I was thinking, Really? Wow, I can't believe this is it. We're going to meet our baby, finally! And I looked at my husband and I knew he was thinking the same thing.

My uncle and Scott's stepdad left the room (I only wanted women and my husband... really, what man wants to see that anyway?!) so there were about 28 people left. Kidding, but it was a lot. Then the stirrups were put up, everyone got into whatever place they were going to stay, and the nurse told me that on the next contraction I needed to push like I was going to poop. And really, when you push, that's exactly what you're doing. I mean, the two areas are mere centimeters apart! Of course you're going to push the same! Anyway, I started pushing, and it was very surreal.

Scott was awesome, counting to 10 and telling me I was doing great. Let me tell you, I didn't have any idea how he would be in the delivery room, so I was pleasantly surprised by his calm and relaxing voice and his support. Actually, everyone in the room was great (much to Scott's and my relief), encouraging my efforts and praising my progress. The nurse said I was a great pusher, and had the doctor come in (which I hear is a good sign that things are going well). So she had me push again to show the doctor how I was doing. Well, at that point, I kind of, um... felt like I needed to poop. So in my twisted little mind I thought I could push hard, but just maybe not hard enough to do that, if you catch what I'm sayin'. Unfortunately, this resulted in the doctor telling me how to push, that I need to put my head to my chest and push towards the wall in front of me. Yes, dear doctor, I am aware, but don't you know I'm trying not to poop in your face?! Really, I'm doing this for the both of us! But I knew this wouldn't work, not if I wanted the baby to actually come out, which I guess is kind of why we were all there in the first place. Damn you, Eggplant Cannelloni... damn you. And so with that first push in front of the doctor, I shat. I was told that the nurse cleaned it right away, but I didn't care. Horror of horrors, I had pooped the table, the one thing I didn't want to do!! But actually, it really wasn't that bad.

Once I got that over with, it was game on. I mean, since I started with the worst thing that could happen (in my opinion anyway) it really couldn't get much worse! So I pushed, hard, during every contraction, three times per contraction. I started making a lot of progress. A note on pushing; lots of people say, "Oh, I pushed for hours" and I always thought it was like the movies, you push and push and bam! there's the baby. Um, no. You push during a contraction, stop, wait a while, have some conversation, maybe a joke or two, and then when the next contraction comes, push again. When your contractions are a couple minutes apart, you have a little time in between to relax and prepare for the next one. Unless your contractions are on top of each other I guess. But that wasn't the case with me.

After about 30-35 minutes the nurses asked if I wanted them to bring in a mirror so I could watch. Hell, it was already crazy in there, why not? So they brought it in and good Lord I have never seen my vagina look so... huge! I mean, there it was, all swollen and stretched out and THERE. In my face... with OH MY GOD a little head trying to come out! With hair! Oh my God he has hair! But holy crap I can't believe this is what everyone is looking at, how are they not covering their eyes?! Oh, God, I hope I don't poop again. I will die if I see myself poop! And it doesn't look like he's coming out at all! Why are all these people telling me I'm doing a good job when he's barely showing? What a bunch of liars!!

Yes, these were the thoughts that were going through my head. But honestly, it did help to be able to see what I was doing, and what I was working towards. I kept pushing during every contraction, and even with the epi, I could feel when I needed to push (this was a concern of mine). It felt like a lot of pressure, kind of like the baby wanted to come out, with or without my help. I also had an oxygen mask on, which I used in between contractions. I also remember that the stupid blood pressure cuff kept taking my freaking blood pressure while I was trying to push!! How annoying! I remember swearing at it after one particularly long push, where I said, panting, "Really? You're going to go off now? you!!" And my mom thought it was the funniest thing ever. The doctor put some kind of oil on me to make it nice and lubed up and he helped stretch me out to avoid tearing (this turned out to be pretty worthless, in my opinion, but who knows?). Oh, and I ended up pooping a total of three times or more. Lovely.

I could see the baby's head come out a little further with each push, and I remember thinking, Alright, I'm ready, let's do this. I was determined at this point, I was tired of pushing. I watched in the mirror and really pushed, past the count of ten, and because I could see, I kept going, took a quick breath, and kept at it (I also remember being surprised that I could feel this part, and also surprised that it hurt, and that I pushed past the pain and stretching feeling anyway because I wanted him to come out - and then, that the doctor snipped me and I could see him do it, and feel him do it, and I also saw my sister watching, fascinated, and my mom turn away, scared to look) until finally, his head made it past and was out!! Oh my God, it was a feeling of relief like no other! You should have heard the cheers in that room, everyone was so excited! I reached down and touched his head, I remember it being soft and a little wet, and the doctor let everyone else touch it too (I remember thinking, look at all these hands touching his head, I can't believe they want to!!).

Then, I gave one more not so intense push, and the rest of him just came sliding out. The doctor put him on my chest, and in that moment, it was just me and him and my husband, like there was no one else there. It felt like this moment of silence and all I could do was stare and cry. He was absolutely perfect, this little stranger on my chest that had been a part of me for longer than nine months. I knew nothing about him and yet I knew everything about him. I remember flashes going off and noises around us but it didn't matter, nothing mattered except the gaze between us and our child. And then he let out a little cry and I breathed again.

The nurse was rubbing him down and cleaning him off while I was talking to him softly in the same voice I had used to talk to my belly when he was inside. You could tell he recognized my voice, because he calmed down immediately and just stared at us. Scott cut the cord after he wiped his eyes, and they whisked him away to be cleaned and checked. But, oh, how I had cherished those few precious first minutes that I will never forget. Scott looked happier that the day we got married, and that's saying something. He looked the proudest he has ever looked, of me and of our baby. He whispered, "Thank you" and kissed me and ran his hand through my hair, which made me happy even though I was exhausted. Everyone followed where the baby went, except my cousin (God bless her) who stayed with me and held my hands while I was stitched up. First my placenta was delivered, which I didn't feel (and my uterus was not massaged, I just pushed, the doctor tugged, and out it came). But during the stitches I could feel everything (I asked who shut off the epi, but they said it was supposedly still working) and it seemed like it took FOREVER! I started shaking again, apparently that is my body's way of dealing with pain. I always thought that getting stitched up was the quick part. Not when you tear all the way, I guess. The doctor told me while he was doing his thing (by the way, this man is also a vaginal reconstructive surgeon, tell me you wouldn't want him stitching up your lady bits!) that the baby's head had torn some of my muscles on the inside, and that it is pretty rare. He said he was repairing that, and also a small laceration on my inner labia. Crazy!!

But not so much when you think about the fact that at 5:08 pm on February 1st, Parker Thomas came into this world at 8 lbs. 11 oz., 21 and 3/4 in. long, with a 15 in. head! After I was done getting sewn back up (about 35-40 minutes), Scott came back holding a little bundle with a hat on top, and handed me our boy. He was so handsome, even all swollen and red, and with a little conehead. He was finally here! I got to kiss his face and look at his hands and tiny (but long like mine!) fingers and smell his breath. And I finally got to look into his eyes, which was something I waited my whole life for. I still can't believe we created this perfect little being, and how lucky we both are to be chosen as his parents.