Callum's Arrival (birth story - Long!)

Hi Ladies! First of all, I just want to give a shout out to my LB Jess for updating everyone on Callum's early arrival! Thanks darling! I can't wait to return the favour for you! Anywho, just thought I would share my birth story, since I like reading everyone else's! My story starts last Monday morning at 1:45 am. I woke up around 1:30 because I had to pee (not unusual), when I laid back down in bed, I was almost back to sleep when I felt like I peed a little. Considering I had JUST peed, I thought it a little odd, but chalked it up to the joys of third tri and went to sleep. A few minutes later, I woke up to peeing a little again! So I couldn't ignore it this time and had to at least change my pants! As I was getting up, I woke up DH and said to him that either I kept pi$$ing myself, or my water had broke. Both of us were still banking on pee since I was only 38 weeks and our DD had to be forced out at 42 weeks, so we thought we had lots of time to wait still! BUT, as I walked to the laundry room and back to the bathroom...I was definitely NOT peeing myself! I called DH who proceeded to make me laugh and then it really went everywhere! There was quite the puddle on the floor! Haha We called my midwife since water breaking was on the list for when to page. She told me to get some sleep and then check in with her around 8ish. We were hoping labour would kick in on its own. BUT, no such luck. I had some mild, timeable contractions throughout the morning, but nothing productive. DH headed into town around 9am, got some breakfast and tried to find somewhere to walk around (everything was closed for Family Day and it was too cold and snowy for outside walking). My midwife called me back around 10:30 and since there were still no contractions (and it had taken 2 full days of induction to get DD to come out) she told me to come in, she would check things out and we would get things rolling. While I was not keen on the induction thing again, I knew I was on a clock since I had already ruptured. Since I was ruptured, they also did not check me often...there was a lot more risk of infection. So they started the induction....round #1? Epic fail. I had some contractions, but nothing really. Round #2 (double strength)? Epic Fail! Had a few more contractions and managed to dilate to 4cm and 75% effaced, but that was it. At 2am they decided to shut it down and give my body a break. I was able to sleep for about 4 hours and then was wide awake and ready to go again. They started over with a regular induction at 9am and pretty much right away started to have some contractions. They hooked me up to a wireless fetal monitor, so I was able to walk around. This helped a lot I think because soon I was having contractions that I had to stop for! Yay! By 3pm I had progressed to 7cm but needed an EPI. In the meantime they gave me laughing gas...what a joke haha. TOTALLY did nothing for the contractions...it numbed my face and made me laugh as I declared it did not work! Haha. I was never so excited to see a doctor walk through the door as I was when the anestiesiologist came in! LOVE that guy! I got the epi at 4:30 and they checked me at 5:30 and I had only progressed to 8cm and was still only 75% effaced. The OB was concerned as it had been more than 36 hours since I had ruptured. She decided to give me another hour, but if there wasn't good progress, she said we would have to look into other options (ie section). Apparently LO just needed to be threatened because at 6:15, I noticed his heartrate dropped way down during a contraction. I told DH that if it did it again, he needed to go get the dr because it worried us. No need though...the doc just happened to be walking by and decided to pop in and see how things were going. We told her about the HR and she decided to check me right then....fully dilated and baby was on his way out!! The next few minutes were a bit of a blur...they called my midwife to come back, broke down the bed and had me do a test push...apparently I am a great pusher...my midwife walked through the door as his shoulders were being delivered! 5 pushes total and he was out! Callum Duncan Kyle arrived at 6:27 (just 3 minutes before his deadline) and had the cord around his neck 3 times!!! Thankfully he was little and it wasn't tight, so there was no harm done. However, we both were running fevers and Cal was not screaming and pinking up the way he should so we were both put on antibiotics and Cal was wisked off to the nursery. My placenta ended up being really small, so they sent it for testing. Cal ended up having to stay in the nursery on IV until Friday morning. Thursday and Friday, we were able to nurse him and take him from the nursery for short periods, and then once his antibiotics finished up on Friday morning, we were able to come home! Considering his rough start and delayed start to nursing, we haven't skipped a beat! At 5 days old yesterday, he has already surpassed his birth weight!! He is up 3 oz and had only been nursing for 3 days!! My midwife told me yesterday that the pathology report had come back from my placenta and it turns out that I had been brewing one he!! Of an infection that had killed off a part of the placenta and that is likely what caused my water to break! Yikes! So, he arrived early and caught us a bit off guard and there were a bunch of things that didn't get done beforehand, but we are so happy to have him here, healthy and home finally! He has been a good eater and sleeper thus far, so hopefully he keeps it up! Our biggest challenge has been with DD...she loves the baby and calls him her baby and loves to hold him, but her world has been turned upside down, and she has been a bit of a handful. I think she'll be ok, but it has definitely been challenging for her so far. It has also been really hard emotionally for me...because we were anticipating a few more weeks with DD, I sort of feel like I somehow cheated her out of some time with us by herself. Silly I know, but I am sometimes a little sad for DD and how her life has changed so drastically so quickly! Poor kid! Anyways, sorry it's so long, but a nearly 48 hour labour makes for a long story I guess!! I want to post some pics, but haven't had the motivation to actually fire up the computer...my BB is way easier! I will post some soon though...he is one SUPER handsome little dude! Thanks for reading and good luck to the rest of the March mamas-to-be!!!