Labor and Delivery!

Hey everyone. I wanted to write about the fun part before I forget it all. The past 24 hours has been CRAZY!

I think where I left off yesterday, they gave me the Cytotec and it wasn't working so they decided they were going to break my water. It is the WEIRDEST sensation ever. It feels like you're peeing yourself for a long time. It didn't hurt AT ALL so if you're scared of that happening, don't be. Nothing really started happening after Dr. Mast broke my water and that was around 10am. Still couldn't feel the contractions, they weren't getting any stronger, and now we were on the clock for infection and other things. It was looking more and more like a c-section. I really didn't want that to happen, but after being there since Monday, I was ready for it to be over.

Around 10:45am, I started to hurt in my back a lot and they said there was an emergency c-section so if I wanted an epidural, hint hint wink wink, I should get it now before they go back. I was like sign me up! I was going to have to get one anyways so might as well not have any more back pain right?

The epidural was a piece of cake. Do NOT be afraid of the needle or whether it hurts or any of that stuff. I even had the anesthesiologist show me the needle. No big deal! The hardest part of it all was having to sit there in the most awkward position while they do everything, You basically have to curl your body around the baby and pregnant women know it's not the world's easiest thing to do.

Dr. Mast had said, we'll give it until 12 and then we need to start having the c-section conversation. So at 12 she checked me and said my cervix was thinning out really well and we'd wait out the epidural and water breaking until around 4 or 5. At that point, if there was no change, we'd go to the OR for a c-section.

So we laid around, took a nap, didn't really do much of anything. Then around 4:30 or so, my back started to hurt REALLY badly. The nurse failed to tell me I should keep pushing the button controlling my epidural every 10 mins. So the epidural was wearing off and I was like get me the anesthesiologist! He put in so more meds and I started numbing up again. You bet your bottom dollar I was pushing that button every 10 mins after that! I started to begin to shiver and shake really badly. They told me that was totally normal but it felt weird to shiver like that. I was BEGGING and threatening to flip the bed over again if Dr. Mast wasn't in there by 5 cuz I felt so horrible.

5:05pm she came in there. She checked me out and said I was at 8cm! After being 4cm since 6am Tuesday morning, that was music to my ears! Who knew all it was take was breaking my water?! (In the aftermath she said in hindsight she would've just broken my water Monday night if it was only going to take a few hours). By 5:25, my mom and Coleman were back there and I was telling them I have to push. You will KNOW when it is time to push. I KNEW I had to. So the nurse got Dr. Mast back in there and she said I was at 10cm and it was time to push! I KNEW IT!

It took them til around 6pm to get everyone in there and set up ready for the birth. The pushing felt really weird and it was really hard. He was at +1 station but they said with first babies everything's gotta stretch out. They told me to hold my breath and it was really hard to do that. The worst part of it is him moving down. They have to get past the low dip of the pelvic bone and then after that, it'll be no time. I do remember after the fact, the blood pressure cuff kept going off every 10 minutes and it HURT! I was screaming to get it off of me because when you're trying to push and you have that thing going off. . . I don't know which pain was worse!!! More threatening of flipping over the bed for sure.

After pushing and pushing it seemed like it was 7:30 before he finally made it to the point of the pelvic bone. After that, it was all a blur. I couldn't control the pushing anymore, it feels like you HAVE to get it out. The doctors got in super fast and next thing I knew I was pushing and screaming and crying and saying I couldn't do it anymore! But I kept pushing and next thing I knew they said the head was completely out (lots of dark hair!) and one more good push. Then all of a sudden he was on my chest and crying and they were cleaning him off! I can't even describe how it feels. It feels like all your innards are coming out, or something like that. I remember them saying gosh he's a big baby!

So at UK hospital, they do kangaroo care, where I hold him skin-to-skin for the first hour and then they'd do his vitals. They did do his APGAR score and it was a 9, which is down right almost perfect. They sewed me up while I was holding him cuz she said I tore a little. After the first hour, they took him off my chest, and measured and weighed him. They got me up and let me use the bathroom and when I was done they came back and told me he was 9lbs and 4.8 oz, so 5oz. I was like HOLY CRAP. I KNEW he was a big baby before he was born! He is 21 inches long and his official birth time is 7:47pm. I tried breast-feeding and he latched on real quick. After that point, some relatives came in to see us before they moved us over to mother and baby. Coleman got to do the kangaroo care too.

So that's kind of where we are right now. He's pooped 3 times, breastfeed a couple of times (SUPER painful), gotten a bath, and just been snoozing with Daddy. We should be discharged tomorrow! Thank you everyone for all your love and support!!!!