So, here's the birth story of my sweet, little tyke. Hopefully, nothing will be considered "over sharing" because there's nothing really graphic to share. And because this is a public journal for me, I don't know if there is such a thing as over sharing anyway. Read at your own risk.
Monday night September 24, my water broke just after 11pm. It was the epitome of what all women describe it as, a great gush. For me, I had just fallen asleep, and it startled me awake, and I actually thought I wet the bed. No lie. I yelled for Kevin, and he knew right away. We called the doctor on call that night, and he said to head over to labor and delivery. Because I am vain, I showered, and shaved my legs, because heaven forbid I have hairy legs in the hospital. Thankfully, I had given myself a pedicure a week earlier.
I will tell you, I was and wasn't shocked to have this happen on its own. I kept telling Kevin I didn't think I was going to make it to 40 weeks (we had planned an induction for October 18th because all the kids would have the 18th for a birthday), but I definitely didn't think I'd go into labor a little more than 3 weeks early. This pregnancy was hard. Physically I was miserable. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I've had 3 babies in TWO AND A HALF YEARS. My body was done.
We got to the hospital and they have to do a test to make sure it was amniotic fluid, and of course it was so they started me on penecilin. I was supposed to have my strep test the next day, but Micah had other plans, so they treat everyone who hasn't had the test as strep positive. At 4:30am they started the petocin. To make a long story short, my body wasn't ready to go into labor so I was stuck at 6 cm dilated almost all day long. They had to stop the petocin to give me a break, and re-start it. I was told 15% of women have their water break WITHOUT contractions and I'm in that number. Usually, contractions make your water break, or you have contractions very shortly after your water breaks. Not me.
My epidural didn't work half the time. It was threaded down rather than up, so I was numb from hips down but could feel everything in my abdomen. Finally, they had me lay flat on my back with my feet slightly higher than my head and that got the medication up. HALLELUJAH. A few hours later it wore off again. BOO!! Got another dosage, and it worked for a little while.
Around 8pm on Tuesday, my doctor came in, and I still hadn't made any progress from earlier in the day, and he brought up doing a c-section. I was exhausted, starving, and terrified. The waterworks had been going on and off all day, and that sent me over the edge. He decided as a last option to have me lay on my right side and see if that would help force the baby down. My epidural was not working because I was on my side, and the petocin they had me on was at the highest dosage. A half hour later, they checked me, NO PROGRESS. The doctor came in said, they'd take me back at 10:30 for the c-section, but he wanted me to try my left side.
People, I have never felt this kind of pain in my life. I cried like a baby for the half hour they had me on my left side, and poor Kevin just stood there trying to comfort me. I admire women who opt to go for drug-free deliveries, but I can't wrap my mind around why anyone would WANT to put themselves through that kind of pain. To each their own. So, a half hour of the worst pain I have ever known, the nurse came in and checked me again, and JACKPOT! The pain was worth it because Micah moved down and we were ready to start pushing.
Micah Jay White was born at 9:25 pm, after 10 minutes of pushing. All 20 in, 7lb 8 oz was pure perfection. I did have another dosage of the epidural given so I didn't feel it when the doctor turned him because he was sunny side up, and then had to turn him again because he flipped back over. Thankfully, that wasn't felt. He was bruised on his head because of that, but he was so perfect. Long fingers, long nail beds, and beautiful, perfect skin.
All of my kids were jaundiced and he was no exception so he was on the lights in the hospital for about 12 hours before we took him home, and got to sun bathe in the windows for a couple days and it cleared up.
So, my miracle baby (see earlier post) had a mind of his own, and decided to give me a run for my money. We weren't prepared for him at all--I hadn't even done his laundry yet, gotten the car carrier out, so for my OCD mind, I was panicked and felt bad that I was so disorganized. But, these sweet babies, they come when they're ready, and if I had been induced yesterday with him, he would've been over 9lbs, and I'm okay without knowing how hard that would've been.
I'm so grateful he's here safe and sound, I'm grateful for the sweet spirit that has entered my home because of his presence, and I look forward to getting to know who he is, and how he'll add to the dynamic of my family. I'm so lucky to have a Heavenly Father who has entrusted my husband and I to raise these sweet babies. What an honor it is to be their mother.
No comments:
Post a Comment