David's birth story #2

Feb. 17- 7:30 We were in our room. We met our nurse, and were getting comfortable and getting all my stuff set up. Throughout the next hour or so, she kept checking my blood pressure and got me in my gown and all that stuff.

8:15 My doctor came in. Pretty sure he was glad to be done with me soon:) He broke my water, which took 4 tries with a very savage skewer-looking object, (ow), gave the nurse the ok to start pitocin, and said he'd see me later. He looked exactly like Dean Cain, by the way. It was odd, but during my pregnancy, every time Ripley's Believe it or not would come on tv, i'd feel this strange sense of closeness to Dean Cain. Weird. Anyway, the nurse started me on Pitocin, and i had mild contractions for about 1/2 hour, then she upped the dose.

9:30 i asked for my epidural. i had always known i'd want an epidural. i'm just that sort of person. i have no pain tolerance, and i really wanted to have a nice relaxing last day with just Kris and myself. People say that the epidural makes the baby sluggish, and you not remember stuff, and you not be able to feel the baby come out, and the baby not to be able to nurse right away, but i just believed in God that things would work out with the epidural. (And they did.) Anyway, there were three other women in the hospital in labor all asking for the epidural at the same time, with only one anesthesiologist. As the epidural is not necessarily a quick procedure, the nurse asked me if i wanted an hour of narcotic in my IV. It would be safe for the baby, and as my contractions were kind of a female dog as a result of the pitocin, i was more than ready to take the narcotic. First they put in a catheter, though, which was yucky, but with the epidural i'd have to stay in bed and not go to the bathroom. It was painful and i felt REALLY uncomfortable for a while. But then she gave me the narcotic.

Best hour of my life. It felt like when i woke up from having my wisdom teeth pulled, and i was warm and comfortable and loved everyone in the room. The room was spinning in a divine, dreamy sort of way, and everything was beautiful. That's how that hour went for me. Sometime while i was still all doped up, the anesthesiologist came in and gave me my epidural, which was great, too. He said because i was so relaxed, he was able to do a really good job giving it to me. It was one poke, and then i got to lie back down.

When the narcotic wore off, i had no more pain from contractions, and Kris and i tried to play Scrabble. It didn't work. i was too excited and starting to get really hungry. Plus it's hard to play that game without sitting at a table. Anyway, we watched Father of the Bride II (the one where the mom and the daughter have babies) and then watched the end of the 8th season of Friends, where Rachel has her baby and Joey accidentally proposes...and had a wonderful time. i was STARVING though. i was wishing i had eaten more than my rice cake for breakfast. i'm not sure why you can't eat while you're in labor, but i wasn't about to disobey. Kris, however, was starting to get faint, so i told him to go get some food. He was going to get McDonald's or something, but i asked him not to because if i smelled a cheeseburger without being able to eat, i'd probably kill him. So he got a PB+J from the cafeteria for the waiting daddies. Did you know that PB+J has a smell? It does. It smells incredible. i remember sitting there watching him eat all of that beautiful double-decker sandwich on wheat bread, with apple slices on the side. He offered to leave, but i didn't want him away from me! So i suffered not-so-silently while he ate, with my styrofoam cup of chicken broth looking feeble and gross. Occasionally, Kris would watch my contraction monitor and tell me when i was having a huge contraction, and i'd smile and say "Great!" It was a wonderful day. i tried napping, because i was getting a bit sleepy, but i couldn't get comfortable with my blood pressure cuff going every 5 minutes and needles poked in me from all different places.

3:45 The nurse came in and checked me, and i was at 10 cm! It was time to have a baby! God bless that epidural, i had no clue i was so far along. So the nurse went to go get other nurses and page my doctor. i realized that i'd read 10+ pregnancy books, and no baby books. i'd learned everything there was to know about pregnancy, but i suddenly realized i had no clue about what age babies should walk, or that i had never changed a poo diaper. After that initial fear, i got all excited again.

4:00 My delivery nurse, Judy, came in. She was this no-nonsense, friendly older lady who was a very take-charge type of person. She started to explain how to push and all that. i was glad she explained how to do it, as i wasn't able to take the birthing classes. But she caught me right up, and i was excited. Then i got nauseous and threw up. She said it had to do with my transitioning into labor and them changing the amount of pitocin. i felt way better after that and was ready to begin.

My belly never got gigantic during the pregnancy. It was big, yes, but then the nurse said "I think this is going to be a bigger baby than we expected. I'd say at least 7 lbs. 7 oz." Evidently, nurses and doctors like to bet on this stuff. 7 lbs 7 oz. seemed really big to me. It actually scared me a bit when she said that, but at that point, there's no going back. My doctor, (who had come in and was getting his stuff ready) said "No, I think it'll be more like 6 1/2 lbs. She's so tiny!"

Then Judy had me start doing "practice pushes." (They were real pushes.) She said i was a pro at them! The doctor was vague, as is his specialty, and so the nurse had me pushing, and i was going at it. i didn't pay attention to when they told me to push. i just pushed and would breath a couple seconds and push again. i had the doctor in the corner of my eye. He kept using his scissors, which was mildly concerning, but i couldn't feel it, so i just kept going.

In the middle of pushing, the room phone rang. The nurse answered it. It was Kris' mom. i got a little upset. Back story: i didn't want people knowing when i was giving birth. i wanted it to be a private nice day with Kris, and i wanted to be able to hold David as long as possible after he was born, and when i was ready, we'd call people, so i wouldn't have to feel guilty that others were outside waiting while i was holding him. So she called, and she was in the waiting room. The thing was, we were so overdue that we had told people that we were going in to be induced, instead of surprise! calling them after David was born. So she waited as long as she could that day and just...showed up. i understand why she was there. But it really stressed me out. So i had Kris call my mom and tell her to get there ASAP, because if Kris' mom was going to be there and not my mom, that would not be fair. This was just a really big deal to me. i just remember having the day i was giving birth feel like a really significant day in Kris' and my relationship. The last day of our being just two people, and then the first day with our brand-new son. i didn't want to share it with anyone else until i was ready. That kind of went out the window, but at least we got privacy during the day and the delivery. i really do understand that the family was excited. i'm not mad about it, but i was a bit disappointed that it didn't turn out quite how i'd hoped. Anyway, the next thing was wonderful!

i kept pushing, and the nurse said "Here's the head!" and told Kris to get down there and look. He and i had discussed this. Neither one of us wanted him to look. He's an EMT, so he doesn't get grossed out with stuff, but we didn't feel like he needed to see that...area while it was going through a profound change. But it was all for naught, as Judy grabbed him, pushed him up by my leg and said "Come on Dad, you gotta see this!" Kris has not said that seeing it bothered him, but he's never expressed gratitude for seeing it, either.

4:23 Then, in a last push, David came out! i just remember feeling this gush of relief, and seeing him emerge into the doctor's arms was incredible! i kept saying to him "i know you! i know you!" and crying and having this huge feeling of gratitude. They put him in my arms right away, and suctioned out his mouth and stuff while i was holding him. Then they took him to the little scale while we watched. David was 9 lbs, 9 oz. !?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Judy and my doctor were very surprised. They decided it was because he was so overdue, and i carried low which is why they couldn't tell. My doctor said "If I had known he would be that big, I'd have done a C-Section!" Thanks, doctor. It's a little late for that. He was 22" long, 15" head. i had a fifteen inch head come out of me. Trust me, it's not something you can just bounce back from.

The doctor, by the way, delivered my placenta and was glad we induced when we did, as the placenta was in pretty rough shape. i thought this was important to tell you, because my mom and i have always been convinced the dating on the ultrasounds were wrong and i delivered at 42 weeks and not 41. And i didn't get an ultrasound after my 20-week, so they had no clue how big he would be. Next time, i'm asking for a 36-week ultrasound. i'm not delivering a watermelon again!

My nurse brought Kris over and they washed David in the tub. He was so beautiful! He cried and cried, but she turned on the big beam light, which warmed him up. She taught Kris and i how to wash him.

Then she wrapped him up and had Kris hold him a while. (Have you noticed how Judy was the boss during this whole thing? i loved her.) It was incredible watching Kris hold our son. Our son.

Judy unwrapped David and put him in my gown so we could have skin contact while he nursed for the first time. His latch was immediately perfect. God bless him, he's always been an expert eater. After a few minutes, Judy said he was probably done and not to let him nurse for more than 15 minutes/side. She said he seemed like a greedy baby. This is so true! He's never stopped eating. i've always had to control the amount he eats, because he has never stopped on his own.

After that, i brushed my hair a little bit, got cleaned up, and we let people into the room. By that time, the whole family was there! And they came in and took pictures and were talking on their phones and were holding David, who basically screamed for 3 hours that evening. i had called my brother just a bit after he was born and asked him to bring me a specific sandwich, and it was the best thing ever. White bread, iceberg lettuce, deli turkey (not Cub brand), thick-sliced cheddar cheese, miracle whip, and a cherry coke. Have you ever gone through a huge life experience without food, and then gotten your exact craving afterwards? If you haven't, you should try it. It's wonderful!

This is a long post. i'll finish it up later, maybe after David's dinner. i was hoping to do this in one post, but it's too long. (i'm rambly.)

P.S. Did you notice how David was born very quickly after the nurse told me it was time? i pushed for under 10 minutes! People get mad at me, those who pushed for hours. And i really do feel sorry for them. But seriously, just remember, 15" head.