So no week 38-40 updates for this pregnancy! He is HERE!!! :) It was quite a surprise and I really didn't expect him to be here this early, but all is well... he is perfect in every way and I couldn't be more in love!
Nursery tour will be a little delayed due to all this excitement, but I will get it up as soon as I can!
I don't even know where to begin.. so much has happened over the past week-ish!
On Friday February 21st, I had a scheduled appointment with my OBGYN (I was about 37 1/2 weeks). The morning started out as every morning does... I was feeling fine and headed to my appointment. I was in the waiting room waiting for the doctor to come in and all of a sudden I started to feel dizzy and clammy. I really wasn't feeling "right" at all... so when she came in I expressed how I was feeling and she seemed concerned because I also had protein in my urine for the first time. I was sent to L&D just to be checked out and got some blood work done stat. I started feeling fine and figured that everything would be fine and that this would all be good "practice" for when I actually go into labor... boy was I wrong! My doctor had set my induction date for his due date, which was March 11th, so in the back of my mind I really thought that would be the day and that being in L&D was just a precaution to check everything out!
I got all hooked up and they started to monitor his heart rate and my contractions (basically what I had been doing at my non-stress tests every week). Everything was looking great, except for one small period of time.. his heart rate had dropped pretty low for about 20 seconds. That along with the protein in the urine concerned the doctors enough to keep me there and begin an induction! WHAT?! Today? Right now?! I was really in shock. Not expecting any of this to happen today! I felt a little better knowing he was almost 38 weeks and that everything was looking good, but at the same time I was freaking out inside. I had this long to-do list still that I wanted to work on!! I was ready for him, but at the same time still wanted to do more before he arrived! Life is full of surprises! All I really cared about was to have him here and healthy... nothing else mattered.
My husband arrived as soon as he got home from work. He had to pick up our hospital bags (which I am SO glad were already packed! It paid to be organized!) at home first, but then he was right there with me! We were so excited! I was a little nervous, but overall just in shock still and very very eager to meet our lil miracle!!
The induction process was a PROCESS! It took awhiiiiiiile.. I went into the hospital @ only 1cm, so clearly my body wasn't quite ready for all of this. Ideally I would have loved to go into labor naturally on my own, but sometimes you have to go with the flow and be flexible and really trust your doctors.
They started out giving me Cytotec.. which didn't seem to do much. After hours I was a 1.5 "maybe".. so the new doctor on staff suggested a Foley bulb. I wish I had NOT had this. I was open to trying another approach since the Cytotec wasn't really working, but I didn't realize it would be SO painful. I really think it was the most painful part of the whole labor! (or at least up there!) After all the pain and discomfort, it was taken out a few hours later... and the results...... NOTHING. All that for NOTHING!! He said I may be at a 2, but it really didn't help. Awesooooooooome... so glad I had to experience that! (not bitter at all). A new doctor had come in at this point and wanted to try more Cytotec. He measured me back at 1... and I was starting to lose in emotionally. It had been almost 24 hours at this point and I was basically where I had started?! GAH! They assured me that inductions can be a process and take days, so just to hang in there.
Oh, and let me tell you... those hospital beds = SO uncomfortable. I was basically stuck to this bed. I couldn't eat or drink for the first several hours, then it was water and jello, and I was hooked up to the monitors and an IV for fluids so I couldn't walk around or labor out of bed like I had planned to. Being stuck in this bad and SO pregnant made me very uncomfortable. I was getting so sore from the stupid bed.. it was worse than the contractions (in the beginning that is!) Ok, enough complaining.. it was "fine"....
After hours and hours I finally got to a 3. This was around 6:30 PM on Saturday 2/22/14, so I had already been at the hospital now for 31 hours. My doctor decided it was time for the Pitocin, which was supposed to speed things up and make the contractions much more intense. The contractions up to this point were tolerable. They had gotten more intense as time progressed, but they were tolerable. Right before we started the Pitocin, I was really in a lot of pain... especially in my lower back. I was really exhausted and ready for my epidural. I had little to no sleep in over 31 hours and no food.. and was just drained. We started Pitocin and things got intense. I asked for my epidural right away and within an hour or so was given it.
I was a little nervous about getting the epidural, but I knew I had wanted one when I really felt I needed it. It was a scary experience for me because once given then shot my right leg spasmed and I felt this cold tingly feeling run through it. I'm not going to lie.. it really scared me at the time, but the anesthesiologist said that can happen sometimes. I am SO glad I got it though... what a relief! I could feel the tightening of the contractions, but no pain. It was amazing. I finally was able to get some sleep!
A little before midnight the nurse called the doctor in because there were some variables in his heart rate which was causing some concern. They decided it was important to monitor him internally and to do this they had to break my water. I never really knew if you could tell when your water breaks.. but in my case it was clear when they broke it!! It's crazy how much fluid there is! The doctor at this point said that I'd have my baby today! (it was just after midnight on Sunday 2/23/14)
I was able to get some more sleep, but around 1:30 I started feeling A LOT of pressure. I thought my epidural was wearing off and I told my nurse that I really needed to push. She checked things out and said I was at a 9 3/4! WOW... I had made a lot of progress since starting the Pitocin and breaking the waters. From this moment it was all a little fuzzy..
I pushed for about an hour (it felt like so much less to me). The doctor and delivery staff were then called in... I pushed a few more minutes and our sweet baby Noah was born! The cord was actually tied around his left ankle, which could have explained the variables in his monitoring. The nurse said he was jumping rope in there! He had been such an active lil guy up til the end haha. Thankfully the doctor was able to get him loose and my husband cut the cord, but he had to be cleaned up and checked before I could hold him skin to skin to make sure he was doing ok! I heard his first cry and my heart just melted. I was so relived he was ok... and finally here after this 39+ hour induction!!! He was so cute :) I loved watching my husband stand with him and take pictures... and just look at him with such love and excitement. It was such a special moment that I will never forget. Our hearts were filled with so much love... I can't even explain it. Our dream come true!
I was able to hold him skin to skin for an hour and then we had our parents and my sister visit briefly before we got cleaned up and taken to our recovery room. It was a long unexpected process... but I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I still can't believe he is here.. and that I am a mother. We created this amazing little person and he is such a blessing.
Our baby Noah is finally here! :)
Noah
February 23rd, 2014
2:34 AM
7 lbs 6 oz
20.3 inches
Apgar score -9
He is so perfect! We are so in LOVE!!!
Our new lil family!
