Now on to the birthing story...
My mom came into town on Friday, August 26. There were a few things I wanted to accomplish with her help before the baby came. We stocked up on the remainder of our baby necessities, went out to eat for probably the last time in my life, and redecorated my house in our heads. After we did all that, we decided it was time for the baby to come. After a quick trip to Rite-Aid, mom coached me through taking castor oil. Yep, my mom and sister both had successful castor oil inductions, so I decided it was necessary for me to join the club. In hindsight, I think I should have taken a smaller amount (you know that castor oil is a laxative, right?). The effects made me utter the sentence, "Eric, next time I think this is a good idea, remind me not to do it." But, lo and behold, my contractions began 4 hours after consumption of the oil. At 7:30, my contractions began to be 4 minutes apart, and the intensity was definitely increasing. I waited until 9 to call my doctor. He told me to "float on over to the hospital." Still not sure what that actually means...
We left the house at 9:07. Eric was nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. (Actually, right after I swallowed the last drop of castor oil, Eric started sweating bullets. I kept reminding him that the baby was not just gonna fall out. Maybe my lunch, but not the baby...) When we got to the hospital, I settled into my larger than life hospital gown and waited for the nurse to hook me up to the monitors. We were all very entertained by the rise and fall of the contractions on the monitor. They stayed consistent at 3-4 minutes apart. But, Nurse Ratchet decided to rain on my parade and mention the words "false labor" to me. Apparently, my cervix wasn't changing. She informed me that the doctor would decide whether I should go home until true labor began or get some IV pain medication and rest through the night. Let me tell you something: Not even George W. Bush coming to town would have gotten me out of that bed. Thankfully (for her sake), the nurse came in and told us the doctor A-okayed my overnight stay.
At 1:30 am, the nurse administered my IV cocktail. About 30 seconds into the push, my vision started blurring, and I slurred, "I feel weird." Eric was thoroughly entertained. I very quickly fell asleep, only to wake to slowing contractions that came to a screeching halt at 7:30 am. I threw on my robe and walked around the hospital, hoping to evoke some type of contraction. And then, my knight in shining armor walked into my room at 10am. "You want to have a baby today?" the doc asked me. "O, please!" was my reply. He broke my water at 10:10, and my contractions began around 10:30.
I'm not sure when I started feeling the difference, somewhere around 2pm maybe. But I spent the next few hours bouncing on my birthing ball and nailing down my breathing routine during contractions. At around 5cm, the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting so long that I didn't have much time to recover in between contractions. I was experiencing major back labor due to Reese's face up position. Eric and I established a great routine. I would stand up when a contraction started, lean against the window seal, and make Eric apply some major counter pressure to my lower back. By the end, I had quarter-sized raw areas on my back.
Being able to get out of bed and stand during contractions was the only way I was going to be able to manage the pain. But, the nurse had to come in and monitor the baby every hour for about 20 minutes. When I was approaching the 7cm mark, being in bed about killed me. Every contraction made me cry in pain, and a stuffed-up, post-cry nose is not conducive to effective breathing. I was so tired, and I knew that I would not be able to push this baby out without some help. I opted for an epidural, and let's just say that this may be the best decision I have made in my entire life. The anesthesiologist was amazing, and the epidural took very well. My smile came back, and I even let my visitors back into the room. We were able to joke around for the first time that day. I kept wiggling my toes to ensure that I wasn't going to be paralyzed:)
At 6:15, my nurse told me that I was fully dilated - the best news I had received all day. My mom and best friend gave me a hug and left Eric and me to welcome our baby in private. Haha. Privacy. Now that's a funny concept. The nurse put my feet up in the stirrups and coached me through three 10-second pushes per contraction. As my nethers were bared for the viewing pleasure of all, I pushed and pushed. During the next 45 minutes, I swear that 10 nurses, a male doctor, a janitor, and some creepy guy with a screwdriver came into my room. Privacy. When will I ever get it back?
The doctor came in around 6:50, and we continued to push. It's funny how he just stares down there and says things like: "Very good. That's a way. Nice." I wanted to say, "Stop it and get this baby out of me!" But, instead, I just pushed like a good girl until the doc told me to hold on. All of a sudden, I heard the loudest cry of my life. The nurse slapped this screaming baby onto my chest, and the tears immediately flowed. I looked over at Eric, and he was crying quietly. We just stared at this little boy and immediately felt all of those maternal/paternal instincts that everyone talks about. It was an immediate connection, and I can't imagine loving something more. (I hope my future children don't read this:)
During the entire process, Eric never left my side. Granted, he may have been snoring at my side, but he never left. I am so thankful for a man who loves me so much, and who loves taking care of our baby. He would rather lie on the sofa all day with Reese on his chest than be doing anything else. My love for him has definitely reached another level in the past week.
My mother also stayed with us and coached me through my breathing techniques. We jokingly referred to her as my doula. After the birth, she quickly became my lactation consultant. When we got home, she became my personal cook and maid. Sigh. It was awesome. Thank you, mom, for spending your time and energy on us!
My best friend, and Eric's cousin, Maria, was also at my side for the majority of labor. She and her husband, Eli, are such an important part of our lives, and we are so thankful that we got to share this moment with them. They brought us food and presents for Reese, and they were in the waiting room when Reese made his screaming debut. I am so excited to be a part of their own birthing experience, and I pray every day for the children that God will bless them with. Thank you both for being such amazing friends. We are so happy you weren't in Europe! (Reese was actually born on Maria's birthday! They are excited to party together next year.)
To all of you who have prayed, emailed, called, texted, or posted on Facebook, we sincerely thank you. It is such a joy to be able to celebrate with friends and family all over the country. Thank you, God, for keeping Reese and me safe during this entire process. We thank You for our sweet baby and pray that You will give us wisdom as we raise Reese for Your glory. Thank You for our family of 3.
(Sorry for the length of this post. I just figured this will make up for my future neglect:)
