adventures of birth

Having now been a mom for about 2 months (exactly as of Wednesday), I HAVE to write down his birth story. It's been on my list for a couple of weeks now so here it is.

This was the greatest thing I have ever done. I can't get over the incredible miracle of bringing a life into the world. There are days when I have to remind myself that we did it. We made a human being and he is ours forever.

On Wednesday December 11th Troy and I were scheduled to go to the hospital at 5:30pm to begin the induction process. I won't go into how chaotic but unchaotic the day was. We had an appointment with the specialist at 10am that morning. the last one. We saw our baby boy for the last time on the monitor and he was doing well. We went home and Troy went back to work as I set about the last preparations to bring our baby home. It was very surreal. It hadn't sunk in yet that this is what we were doing. I don't know what it feels like to have labor come on and I never will because I will always have to have my deliveries scheduled but I can tell you I knew in my mind what was about to happen and I began to get nervous. When this happens I normally get quiet and don't do anything. I don't know why I just can't focus on anything but this time was different I felt peaceful and I took a shower and loaded the car and waited for Troy to get home.
When Troy got home we were already late (luckily the hospital is ten minutes from us) but I was trying not to panic.

We got to the hospital at around 5:45 and it was like we were the only people there. Hardly anyone was on the L&D floor. We checked in and immediately got set up with the whole process of changing into a gown the 45000 question game and IVs being placed. At around 6:30 my doctor came in to place the catheter. Now I was already dilated to a 3 and about 60% effaced and while his head was down it wasn't as far as the doctor wanted. So he put the foley catheter in (probably one of the more uncomfortable things Ive ever had done). Before he left he told us that the nurse would give me the first dose of cytotec at 10pm and the second dose at 2am and then I would start pitocin at 9:30am. Basically we were in for an incredibly long 48 hours.

But this is not what happened. I started having contractions about an hour after the catheter was in (not intense but enough that I was beginning to get uncomfortable). At 10 I got the cytotec and then I was definitely uncomfortable. I was told that they could give me some pain medication for management but the medication they wanted to give me I didn't want (having had a bad reaction previously). I would like to tell you that I stuck to this but my contractions increased and were pretty intense and I wanted to sleep at some point so I asked for the pain medication and the sleeping pill the doctor prescribed that lasted until about 2am when my water broke.
What a strange feeling that was. It was difficult for me to grasp what had happened. Did I wet the bed? No, ok thats definitely my water. I called the nurse and said I think my water broke. And she goes um yep guess you don't need that second dose. At this point my contractions were so strong that I was having to focus on my breathing through them. They felt like literally the worst menstrual cramps I've ever had! I wanted the epidural but was told initially I couldn't get it until 10 the next morning! I had been on lovenox throughout my pregnancy and heparin the last 2 weeks before I delivered and my last dose was yes at 10 am Wednesday morning. This was a problem because they are pretty hesitant about giving you an epidural if any blood thinners are left in the body, but the anesthesiologist was ok with it and at about 2:30am I got an epidural. What an incredible relief I was able to sleep for about an hour when the nurse came in and told me there were fetal heart dips (i forget the correct term) but basically his heart rate would get very low and so she had me on my side switching every 15-30 minutes. I would have been more worried had I not been half asleep. Then at 5am the nurse came in and checked me again and she told me she could see his hair we were ready to start pushing!

I woke Troy up and told him he was coming! They called the doctor and got everything ready and at 5:30am I started pushing and at 6:21am Harvey James Richey was born at 6 pounds 1.7oz (11oz off of what the specialist thought he would weigh) 19.75 inches long and beautiful beautiful beautiful!

I want to mention at this point that Troy and I had been praying for MONTHS that my body would be ready to give birth that everything would go smoothly with the labor and delivery and that our baby would be healthy and strong. Every prayer was answered ten fold! We are so incredibly grateful that everything went so smoothly and that there were no problems or issues!

I know this isn't edited or proofread but incredibly raw. As I type this I am at the computer with the ergo baby carrier looking down at my sleeping boy, and my heart is so incredibly full! I have so much love in my heart for my boys! I feel incredibly blessed to have this sweet baby boy and a supportive loving husband by my side.