Labor and Delivery

It started Friday night, late. I just assumed I was having braxton-hicks contractions and just tried to ignore them. About 2:30 am I couldn't take it anymore, I wasn't sleeping anyway so I decided to watch some Andy Griffith and decided to keep track of how often the contractions were coming. I still wasn't sure they were real. I guess I expected them to hurt more. They were coming 10 min apart so I would sleep for 10 min until the next contraction came. This went on all night.  Dallen woke up around 10:00am and made us breakfast, the contractions were now about 5 min apart and getting more intense but like I said I just wasn't sure, I mean they hurt but they still weren't as bad as I thought they would be. So I called my mom and told her I thought we would be having a baby today and asked her some questions. We finished our breakfast and I decided I would take a shower. When I was done the contractions were about 2-3 min apart and I told Dallen "Lets just go!" Still thinking when we got there they were going to send us home. It was about 11:00am!

It was a holiday weekend and a Saturday so the parking lot was practically empty which I was grateful for because we got a close parking space. When we got out of the car I started having another contraction and told Dallen to walk slower. There were some people in the parking lot and they were smiling at us...made me feel a little weird but it was kinda funny. Anyway once we got in the hospital we walked down to where I was told to go and ring a bell...well someone had just rang it so the doors were open so we just went through them only to discover we were in the surgery wing and the Labor and Delivery was across the hall. So we went across the hall only there wasn't a bell for us to ring so we just kinda stood there like idiots and tried to get in but the doors don't open from the outside. Then we discovered a phone on the wall so I picked it up and told the lady on the other side that I thought I was having a baby and I didn't know what to do...she let us in! They were all so calm, they asked me how far along I was, (39 weeks) and had me sign a few things. They took me to a room and had me put a gown on. I was surprised they didn't check to see how dilated I was first thing. We were there for probably 10 more min answering questions before the nurse finally checked me. I was dilated to a 7.  Her exact words were "Holy cow you're dilated to a 7 and I can feel your water sack, I'm gonna go call the doctor!" And she did. I tested positive for Strep B so I was supposed to be on antibiotics for 4 hours before having the baby but we didn't really have that kinda time so the nurse was told to "dump it in." The doctor showed up shortly there after and broke my water...it was weird, warm and kinda gross feeling and a ton of water...(at least that's what my doctor said.) He said breaking my water would help move things along...and it did. Not long after that I was dilated to a 10 and told it was time to push. So they went and got my doctor and started getting everything set up. Pulled the stirrups out and placed my legs in them. They worked really quick!  I asked one of the nurses earlier if I would feel like I needed to push when the time came and she assured me that I would feel the "Ring of Fire" and I would want to push. I gotta tell ya I never felt this "ring of fire" and I never wanted to push...especially after they made me push the first time and it hurt like hades! This was the first time I actually felt serious pain and thats when I wanted something... for the pain...but it was too late for that apparently. I didn't understand how the whole pain killing thing worked and didn't work. It just doesn't seem right that when you are in the worst pain its too late to help you. Lol. So I just did what I was told...well mostly. They tried to get me to push for 10 sec three times during each contraction...I never made it 3 times. At this point I was pretty much begging for my life and for anyone to help me and feeling like a total idiot! I was screaming and crying through every contraction like a mad lady. I felt like my eyes were going to pop out! At one point I told everyone I knew I was a psycho, which they all assured me I wasn't but I sure felt like one. The baby had finally moved down into the birth canal (or whatever) and then there was no relief even after the contractions. I asked if I could have an epidural now!  (I know, pathetic.) Of course I was told no because they could see the baby's head! A couple pushes later and out came the babies head. My Doc tried to get me to look because I think he wanted me to watch my baby being born to which I may have yelled, "I don't want to watch just GET. IT. OUT!" (Embarrassing. I apologized later. lol) So 10-15 min of pushing and he was here! 1:04pm! Only 2 hours since the time we had arrived! Apparently thats a fast labor and thank the heavens! My parents told me it was pretty amazing how fast it happened and I told them Heavenly Father knew I wouldn't be able to handle it any longer! Bless you women who do it for hours on end, I would have died! 

They set my sweet baby on my chest and he was perfect! Dallen cut the umbilical cord! He was a little blue and purple so I asked if he was ok ha ha! They took my baby and did whatever it is that they do with new babies and then gave him back! He was 7lbs and 15oz of perfection! 19 inches long (Although I don't think that was super accurate since I took him back to the doc 4 days later and he was 21 inches then...) I was shaking so bad I asked Dallen to take him because I was afraid I would drop him! My Doc told me I had just experienced a major adrenaline rush and that the shaking was normal and would wear off, although I felt like a real goof. Ive never shaken that bad and it was uncontrollable!  

So...I did it...and I did it all natural and yes, I am proud to be able to say that! I am glad that I was able to experience what it feels like to have a baby! Will I do it that way again..? I don't know but I sure am glad to have this little angel as part of our family! 

Congratz if you made it all the way to the end!