Colton's birth story...

Colton arrived last Thursday 11/10/11 at 9:07pm.

He was born at 37 weeks exactly. I had been on Procardia since 33.5 weeks due to preterm labor. They had me in the hospital for 3 days to try and stop it, and it was successful. I stopped my Procardia Monday at 1PM, and I believe I was in early labor starting Tuesday morning. I started having painful contractions, but nothing really regular. Tuesday evening I started having painful contractions ever 5 minutes, lasting 90 seconds, and this went on for 4 hours. I took a bath b/c I thought "this is it", but then they abruptly stopped. Wednesday, I had some contractions that were very painful, but nothing regular. Then, Thursday morning at about 8am, I started having really painful contractions. I thought I needed to use the bathroom, and when I wiped I had tons of blood (not sure if it was bloody show, it was just blood, and lots! It scared me). So, I called DH, who had just left for work, and he came home. 

We left for the hospital, got there around 10:30am.  They checked me and I was 3-4cm, and contractions every 3-5min.  They admitted me, but they had no beds available, apparently they were really busy.  I had planned on getting an epidural at some point "just in case", and I let them know that, but they couldn't give me one until I got to an actual room.  I did get 2 doses of Nubain though, because the contractions were getting so close together that I wasn't getting much of a break inbetween. 

My OB happened to be on call that day (yay!) and she came in and saw me.  She said when I got to my room she would break my water.  I got to my room at 2:00pm, but she had gone into an emergency c-section so I waited some more. They asked me if I wanted my epidural now, since the anesthesia team was up on the floor and had time, so I said yes.  As I was getting my epidural, my OB walked in! What timing. She said she'd come back.  Got my epidural at 3:15.  Then...my OB was in another delivery! I guess they were busy!

At 5:00, my OB finally got into my room and broke my water. Everything was fine with baby and my water was clear.  They checked me and I was 5-6cm. 

They came in at 6:00 and checked me and I was 6-7cm they said. Well, 20min later I told DH, I think you need to get a nurse, I feel like I have to push. They came in and checked me and I was 10cm, 100%, with a "tiny lip" on one side. They said probably in 15min I would be ready.  They came back in 15min and checked and I was ready to go.  I started pushing at 7pm.  Colton came at 9:07pm.

Had a few setbacks after delivery, had a 3rd degree tear that took almost an hour to sew up, Colton had to be looked at by NICU because he was grunting and not crying loud, but everything was fine, and I was bleeding a lot so they had to give me medication to help that.  Then when I got back to my room I was still bleeding alot and having lots of clots. They gave me more medication to help, did an ultrasound to make sure there wasn't anything in my uterus, and got more clots out of my vagina (wow that hurt). 

So, Colton didn't get to attempt bf'ing until almost the next morning. That, and with him being 3 weeks early and having a traumatic birth, is why they think he's having a hard time bf'ing.  So, I've been pumping and bottle feeding him, and supplimenting with formula when I don't have enough breastmilk for him. Not what I had hoped for, but the docs seem to think that he will eventually get it.

We're home and doing well! Here's some pics.

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