Sorry I have been MIA...but we have our baby boy!! (long birth story)

Hard to say when "labor" started, or if it actually started at all.  I had been having contractions for as long as I can remember.  Towards the end, they would be super regular at night, just to die off in the morning as I would be getting ready to go to the hospital.  However, on Sunday, 2/20, the contractions started to be quite frequent and significantly more painful.  I didn't want my DH to go to work on Monday, the 21st because I thought the contractions would get more regular.  

They were really irregular but were sometimes lasting longer than 5 mins per contraction.  Most of them were lasting around 2-3 minutes.  

I had a feeling something wasn't right. I had always read that contractions were supposed to be 60-90 mins in length...and that was later in active labor.  I was breathing through them and DH and I were timing them together.  I was trying to prepare myself for a difficult labor because I had planned on going natural since we found out we were pregnant.  Eventually DH convinced me to go to the hospital, just to monitor our LO.  Plus, I had texted my midwife and she said that my contractions sounded like they were lasting too long...and that if I get more uncomfortable, to head in.  I had known that when your uterus contracts, your blood flow is decreased to the LO, so we just wanted to make sure he was ok.

I figured that we would get to L&D, they would hook me up for a bit and then send me home...telling me to come back when the contractions became more regular.  However, once we were on the monitor around 11pm...with every contraction, my room would fill with nurses...telling me to switch sides, putting O2 on me...  Unfortunately, our LO was not tolerating the contractions well.  And because they were so long, his heart rate would stay down around the 80's or 90's for way too long.  Needless to say, they didn't let me go home.  I "labored" for awhile...although irregular, the contractions would come closer for awhile and seemed to be getting more intense.  They checked me and I was still 1cm dilated, but 90% effaced now.  I was using the bed pan because they wouldn't let me get up...and I lost my mucus plug in the bed pan and it was a little encouraging even though I knew it could mean nothing.

Around 2am, my contractions were coming every 5 minutes, still varying in length from 2-5 mins long.  I started vomiting with every contraction.  Our LO continued to do poorly and they were trying to figure out what they were going to do.  Again the contractions slowed down when the morning came, but even though they were spaced out, they were still lasting a long time, had to breath through them, and were causing his heart rate to go down and stay down.  

The nurses told me that we were waiting on the midwife, but more than likely, we were having the baby today.  I called my Bradley instructor, who was going to be present at the delivery and told her that my LO was going to be born today, ON HIS DUE DATE  She came right up, and was just in time for my midwife to come in and recommend a c-section.  I was floored.  I had switched OB's mid-pregnancy to someone who supported my wishes for a natural birth.  I trusted this midwife completely and knew that if she was recommending a c-section, that it had to be done.  She told us that it would be done within the next hour because our LO was looking so bad and not tolerating any contractions.  She said we could try pitocin to get the contractions to be more regular but felt it would be dangerous.  Of course we didn't hesitate to get the c-section.  

At 11:45a, they started the spinal and the c-section started.  From the other side of the drape, I could hear worried voices.  "There is no fluid.  We have meconium.  We have a short cord.  A very short cord with meconium...this baby doesn't want to come out"  They repeated things a few times and seemed to be "warning" the pediatrician to be ready.  I just had to close my eyes...tears already streaming...and take deep breaths.  Everything felt like it was buzzing and I felt like passing out.  I knew that if I passed out or panicked, they would give me more medication, and I just kept thinking that I want to hold him and breast feed him in recovery so I was doing everything I could to relax.  My DH's face looked panicked...so I couldn't even look at him.

They finally pulled him out and I heard him cry.  I was so excited that he was crying.  They didn't let my DH cut the cord and they didn't show him to me, but hurried him over to the warmer with the pediatrician.  I strained to see him, but he was surrounded.  I heard the Dr. tell my DH that his APGAR was 9 and I knew that was promising.  They took out the placenta and my midwife and the dr started talking again about how the placenta looked "crappy."  The midwife said "Shanin, your placenta looks so old.  It is looks like you are past 42 weeks..."  I just couldn't stop crying and trying to see his face.

Rudy Michael was born...at 12:06p on his due date, weighing 6lbs 5oz, and 18 1/2 inches long.    My DH brought him over to me all bundled, before they took him to the nursery.  I couldn't really see his face because of the angle, but I was able to kiss his cheek and nothing has ever impacted me like that soft cheek.  And while I wasn't able to hold him right then, I tried to focus on how soft he was.

The whole time they were closing me up, they were talking to me about how we made the right decision to go ahead with the c-section.  They repeatedly told me that he had no fluid and that his cord was so short...less than 20cm.  He wouldn't have been able to come out vaginally.  She said it was good that we did it when we did...that if we would have waited any longer, he would probably have neurological problems.  

Finally in recovery, they put him in my arms...and he was perfect.  He is beautiful.  I had them delay the eye ointment so we could make good eye contact and bond.  He latched on the first time and has had no problems breast-feeding since.  I feel so lucky.  

While everything in the hospital was a blur...I maintained my composure and wasn't emotional.  However, everything hit me the night after we came home and I was writing down his birth story in his baby book.  I lost it.  I told my husband that it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life.  We could've lost him...but he is here and perfect...I just have to wrap my mind around it.

Pictures!!  Sorry, I don't know how to make it clicky on my mac...

1)  www.bellababyphotography.com    password:  0222rudymichael

2)  https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37205&id=129526957093213