Warm Liquid Goo Phase Complete
Connor William
Born @ St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, MN
2:15 am
7lbs 10 oz
20 Inches long
13.25 Head Circumference
Well, only 7 weeks and 3 days later but I think I am finally going to get it all out....
It
was Sunday the 9th of September. My feet were terribly swollen and the size 9.5 shoes I had bought that week were now too small. I told Nick that I couldn't go to church because I couldn't possibly embarrass him by wearing flip-flops. They were the only shoes I had that allowed the fluid in my feet to move and even I was sick of wearing them at that point. Nick didn't want to miss church over a silly pair of shoes, so he let me wear them and off we went. It was to be the last time that we'd attend Believer's Baptist and hear John Piper speak.
I had been having Braxton Hicks all day and really for days before that too. I had a feeling it was going to be time sooner than later ( I was guessing the 11th) so I decided to have some fun with it and do the contraction timer when we got home. I really felt like we needed to go out together and eat, as if it were our last chance out but Nick wasn't in the best mood, so I just kept quiet. WE got home, I cooked lunch (Chili, BAD CHOICE!!! May I suggest eating bland foods for the last few weeks before you are due ladies!) and I begged Nick to go on a walk with me. He really didn't want to go but I got him to eventually and we took a quick 10 minute walk around the community. Yet again I was feeling like we just needed to spend some time together.
So when we got back to the house I decided to get some stuff done for the sake of it and of course, that funny feeling inside. I was still in "nesting mode" and the weather was amazingly good. I got the car seat and the Boppy and some other hospital stuff together and put it all in the truck. Nick made fun of me for "getting ready so soon" but I just told him that it needed to be done. After that we went to the furniture store to pick up our futon mattress and I pestered Nick to take me out for coffee. Again, I felt like "this is our last chance" although I didn't really pick up on the notion, it was just "there."
Now we get back home and I'm feeling pretty tired and my tail bone was hurting so Nick set me up in a little nest on the floor with the laptop to do my bidding at about 5:30pm. I think I got 2 contractions into it and Nick came and smacked me on the rear and told me "it's time for that baby to come out" then he turned around to go downstairs. Just then I felt a "pop" and told him I think my water just broke, to his reply "are you sure?" I got up and said "I think so" and shut the bathroom door on his face. Sure enough, it had and I started to get all excited. We paged the midwife and she said she'd meet us at the hospital in a couple of hours and to just rest at home but I couldn't stay too long since I was required to have antibiotics for Strep B. It's a good thing too, since I don't think I would have lasted at home much longer anyways. In hindsight it was all timed perfectly.
I don't know who called who, but Nick got Jeannette on the phone and she asked if I would like for her to come over. I said of course and she got there as soon as she could. When she did I had a couple more contractions, one at the foot of the stairs just as Nick was opening the door to leave. So I waddled my way to the truck and we hit the road. I was so glad that we had seat warmers. The one thing that I was nervous about was how the drive to the hospital would go. But it all went well, the road was smooth for the most part and Nick was a very calm driver. He actually had this sense of calm about him that really helped me out.
We got to the hospital and I had a contraction in the truck before I could get out and another (the first of the REALLY painful ones) in the emergency waiting room with every single set of eyes on me. It was amazing that I stayed as calm as I did. And then another in the elevator and another as I got out of the chair into the bed. They hooked me up to the contraction monitor right away (about 8:30 now) and did an internal. I was 4cm and "almost" 100% effaced. So they kept me on the monitor for about a half an hour and said everything was looking good, at about which time my midwife arrived. At this point I was still talking and joking between contractions but they were pretty bad regardless.
Once they unstrapped the monitor the midwife had me try the exercise ball at the end of the bed. That lasted all but a couple of contractions as I was in way too much pain to sit with all that pressure in one spot. So she had me try walking the halls, which lasted I think 1 or 2 contractions. We then moved to the big bathtub which I was really looking forward to. I got in and immediately felt too hot. Then my knees were hurting. She told me that this was as bad as the contractions get (I said "really?") and thought that MAYBE I could do it, but my knees were just in too much pain and for some stupid reason she didn't want me to just "float" which I think might have helped some. Anyhow, I got out and crawled into bed. The contractions had really picked up now so I have no idea really how long I was in the bed but they did another internal at one point and said I was a 10! (It was 10:20 pm) So from a 4 to a 10 in 2 hours and they said I could start practice pushing to see how it felt. I was SO glad at that point because the pushing was the only thing that brought any relief however I felt I could only push on my side because my tail bone hurt too much otherwise. They tried this thing where they would have me pull on the end of a twisted bed sheet and sit up (like a crunch) while someone held the other end and pulled to try to get me through but this just made my shoulders hurt terribly ( I have bursitis.)
Somewhere in all the commotion of pushing I asked my midwife if there was anything I could "take to take the edge off" although I went in not wanting any drugs ("Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." 1 Timothy 2:15). But I ended up getting a dose of Nubain which did absolutely nothing but make me a bit loopy between contractions. I wore off pretty quick too. I even remember asking if it was too late for an epidural (shows how loopy I was considering I said I didn't want one and also I would have had to get it when I had first arrived.)
I have no idea how much time passed but they told me that they needed to move me back to my original room. I couldn't walk so they wheeled me over in the bed. It was all a big literal blur. By this time I was getting so tired I was begging for the OBGYN to come in and just "take him out" and I remember asking at least a couple of times if she had arrived yet. I think my midwife was pretty reluctant to call her in. I have to give her some credit here since I know she was just trying to stick to my original birth plan but at the same time I have to say I am disappointed because she didn't recognize my need to truly be over with it. Another thing that made me upset was that she kept sticking her hand up inside to "check the baby's head" which was excruciating to say the least. I swear she did it about ever-other contraction and I literally begged her to stop each time to which she refused. Really, that really makes my very angry just thinking about it; I wasn't necessary and it made my contractions SO much worse!
After the midwife finally gave in, she told me that I was going to have to have Pitocin if I wanted the Dr. to help me. I was against using Pitocin from the beginning but didn't understand how it works differently in different stages of labor. The midwife explained to me that my contractions needed to be more evenly spaced out for the Dr. to use the ventouse correctly. At that point my contractions were not normal. They came on with almost no warning at full speed and then I'd get to rest for 30 seconds before another one came on full-force before giving me a 3-5 minute break before the next set. Very odd indeed. SO I reluctantly gave in for the sake of the Dr. doing her job and got the Pitocin, which worked wonders BTW!)
Again I had/have no what time it was when they got me into the other room but I do know that Jeannette was enduring my screaming and hand crushing (sorry Jeannette)
to my left a Nick was praying for me and enduring my horrific screams while I tried to bite down on his had, on my right. Some time shortly after they got me settled the Dr. finally arrived. At one point they had inserted an internal monitor into Connor's head (I was upset about that at the time but it was only in for 30 min) so they removed that and a catheter that I didn't even know I had and the Dr. got the ventouse in while Nick helped fold me in half during the last 4 or so contractions and out came Connor! I asked for a blanket to bring him up to my chest but the doctor said nope because he had a really short umbilical cord, hardly long enough for him to even come out! So wonder the poor little guy couldn't turn around!
They whisked him away to the warmer and then the scale which turned out to be just fine since I just slumped back in exhaustion and the Dr. stitched up a nasty tear. I'm going to guess it was a 3, I have no idea and forgot to ask. I didn't even know what Connor's APGAR score was, but I'm sure it's got to be in his record which I'll get here soon. The first time I got to see him I heard him cry and lifted my head. All I could see were his huge cheeks over the edge of the scale and I cried out how beautiful he was!
I have to say that I would do it all over again without blinking. It's amazing how the pain was gone the moment he was out and the joy filled up my heart the moment I heard him and lay eyes on him! ("A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." John 16:21) I am so thankful to God for getting me through it without fear ("For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound judgment." 2 Tim. 1:7) ! It is the most amazing (an yet gross) experience I think I and almost any woman can ever experience but a blessing beyond measure.
Born @ St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, MN
2:15 am
7lbs 10 oz
20 Inches long
13.25 Head Circumference
Well, only 7 weeks and 3 days later but I think I am finally going to get it all out....
It
was Sunday the 9th of September. My feet were terribly swollen and the size 9.5 shoes I had bought that week were now too small. I told Nick that I couldn't go to church because I couldn't possibly embarrass him by wearing flip-flops. They were the only shoes I had that allowed the fluid in my feet to move and even I was sick of wearing them at that point. Nick didn't want to miss church over a silly pair of shoes, so he let me wear them and off we went. It was to be the last time that we'd attend Believer's Baptist and hear John Piper speak.I had been having Braxton Hicks all day and really for days before that too. I had a feeling it was going to be time sooner than later ( I was guessing the 11th) so I decided to have some fun with it and do the contraction timer when we got home. I really felt like we needed to go out together and eat, as if it were our last chance out but Nick wasn't in the best mood, so I just kept quiet. WE got home, I cooked lunch (Chili, BAD CHOICE!!! May I suggest eating bland foods for the last few weeks before you are due ladies!) and I begged Nick to go on a walk with me. He really didn't want to go but I got him to eventually and we took a quick 10 minute walk around the community. Yet again I was feeling like we just needed to spend some time together.
So when we got back to the house I decided to get some stuff done for the sake of it and of course, that funny feeling inside. I was still in "nesting mode" and the weather was amazingly good. I got the car seat and the Boppy and some other hospital stuff together and put it all in the truck. Nick made fun of me for "getting ready so soon" but I just told him that it needed to be done. After that we went to the furniture store to pick up our futon mattress and I pestered Nick to take me out for coffee. Again, I felt like "this is our last chance" although I didn't really pick up on the notion, it was just "there."
Now we get back home and I'm feeling pretty tired and my tail bone was hurting so Nick set me up in a little nest on the floor with the laptop to do my bidding at about 5:30pm. I think I got 2 contractions into it and Nick came and smacked me on the rear and told me "it's time for that baby to come out" then he turned around to go downstairs. Just then I felt a "pop" and told him I think my water just broke, to his reply "are you sure?" I got up and said "I think so" and shut the bathroom door on his face. Sure enough, it had and I started to get all excited. We paged the midwife and she said she'd meet us at the hospital in a couple of hours and to just rest at home but I couldn't stay too long since I was required to have antibiotics for Strep B. It's a good thing too, since I don't think I would have lasted at home much longer anyways. In hindsight it was all timed perfectly.
I don't know who called who, but Nick got Jeannette on the phone and she asked if I would like for her to come over. I said of course and she got there as soon as she could. When she did I had a couple more contractions, one at the foot of the stairs just as Nick was opening the door to leave. So I waddled my way to the truck and we hit the road. I was so glad that we had seat warmers. The one thing that I was nervous about was how the drive to the hospital would go. But it all went well, the road was smooth for the most part and Nick was a very calm driver. He actually had this sense of calm about him that really helped me out.
We got to the hospital and I had a contraction in the truck before I could get out and another (the first of the REALLY painful ones) in the emergency waiting room with every single set of eyes on me. It was amazing that I stayed as calm as I did. And then another in the elevator and another as I got out of the chair into the bed. They hooked me up to the contraction monitor right away (about 8:30 now) and did an internal. I was 4cm and "almost" 100% effaced. So they kept me on the monitor for about a half an hour and said everything was looking good, at about which time my midwife arrived. At this point I was still talking and joking between contractions but they were pretty bad regardless.
Once they unstrapped the monitor the midwife had me try the exercise ball at the end of the bed. That lasted all but a couple of contractions as I was in way too much pain to sit with all that pressure in one spot. So she had me try walking the halls, which lasted I think 1 or 2 contractions. We then moved to the big bathtub which I was really looking forward to. I got in and immediately felt too hot. Then my knees were hurting. She told me that this was as bad as the contractions get (I said "really?") and thought that MAYBE I could do it, but my knees were just in too much pain and for some stupid reason she didn't want me to just "float" which I think might have helped some. Anyhow, I got out and crawled into bed. The contractions had really picked up now so I have no idea really how long I was in the bed but they did another internal at one point and said I was a 10! (It was 10:20 pm) So from a 4 to a 10 in 2 hours and they said I could start practice pushing to see how it felt. I was SO glad at that point because the pushing was the only thing that brought any relief however I felt I could only push on my side because my tail bone hurt too much otherwise. They tried this thing where they would have me pull on the end of a twisted bed sheet and sit up (like a crunch) while someone held the other end and pulled to try to get me through but this just made my shoulders hurt terribly ( I have bursitis.)
Somewhere in all the commotion of pushing I asked my midwife if there was anything I could "take to take the edge off" although I went in not wanting any drugs ("Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." 1 Timothy 2:15). But I ended up getting a dose of Nubain which did absolutely nothing but make me a bit loopy between contractions. I wore off pretty quick too. I even remember asking if it was too late for an epidural (shows how loopy I was considering I said I didn't want one and also I would have had to get it when I had first arrived.)
I have no idea how much time passed but they told me that they needed to move me back to my original room. I couldn't walk so they wheeled me over in the bed. It was all a big literal blur. By this time I was getting so tired I was begging for the OBGYN to come in and just "take him out" and I remember asking at least a couple of times if she had arrived yet. I think my midwife was pretty reluctant to call her in. I have to give her some credit here since I know she was just trying to stick to my original birth plan but at the same time I have to say I am disappointed because she didn't recognize my need to truly be over with it. Another thing that made me upset was that she kept sticking her hand up inside to "check the baby's head" which was excruciating to say the least. I swear she did it about ever-other contraction and I literally begged her to stop each time to which she refused. Really, that really makes my very angry just thinking about it; I wasn't necessary and it made my contractions SO much worse!
After the midwife finally gave in, she told me that I was going to have to have Pitocin if I wanted the Dr. to help me. I was against using Pitocin from the beginning but didn't understand how it works differently in different stages of labor. The midwife explained to me that my contractions needed to be more evenly spaced out for the Dr. to use the ventouse correctly. At that point my contractions were not normal. They came on with almost no warning at full speed and then I'd get to rest for 30 seconds before another one came on full-force before giving me a 3-5 minute break before the next set. Very odd indeed. SO I reluctantly gave in for the sake of the Dr. doing her job and got the Pitocin, which worked wonders BTW!)
Again I had/have no what time it was when they got me into the other room but I do know that Jeannette was enduring my screaming and hand crushing (sorry Jeannette)
to my left a Nick was praying for me and enduring my horrific screams while I tried to bite down on his had, on my right. Some time shortly after they got me settled the Dr. finally arrived. At one point they had inserted an internal monitor into Connor's head (I was upset about that at the time but it was only in for 30 min) so they removed that and a catheter that I didn't even know I had and the Dr. got the ventouse in while Nick helped fold me in half during the last 4 or so contractions and out came Connor! I asked for a blanket to bring him up to my chest but the doctor said nope because he had a really short umbilical cord, hardly long enough for him to even come out! So wonder the poor little guy couldn't turn around!They whisked him away to the warmer and then the scale which turned out to be just fine since I just slumped back in exhaustion and the Dr. stitched up a nasty tear. I'm going to guess it was a 3, I have no idea and forgot to ask. I didn't even know what Connor's APGAR score was, but I'm sure it's got to be in his record which I'll get here soon. The first time I got to see him I heard him cry and lifted my head. All I could see were his huge cheeks over the edge of the scale and I cried out how beautiful he was!
I have to say that I would do it all over again without blinking. It's amazing how the pain was gone the moment he was out and the joy filled up my heart the moment I heard him and lay eyes on him! ("A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." John 16:21) I am so thankful to God for getting me through it without fear ("For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound judgment." 2 Tim. 1:7) ! It is the most amazing (an yet gross) experience I think I and almost any woman can ever experience but a blessing beyond measure.
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