My sweet little boy was born was January 7, 2018. Here is his story while it’s still semi fresh in my mind
Just to review. I had really quick labors with the girls. Genevieve I showed up 9 cm and had here with 30 minutes. Eleanor I showed up 8cm and her within an hour. So based on this and the fact that you go quicker the more babies you have, I was preparing for another quick process. Boy was I wrong
This time around I also tested positive for group b strep. This doesn’t do anything to me but there are concerns of passing it along to the baby during delivery. To prevent that, they administer antibiotics through an IV during labor. They hope to give at least two rounds prior to delivery.
So based on the quick history and now the need for antibiotics, josh and I were concerned that I wouldn’t make it in time. I became very observant to any pain or twinge. I was trying to figure out when labor started so I could get to the hospital in time for antibiotics
Saturday, January 6 I started having lots of pain and pressure during the afternoon. Around dinner time I started having some contractions and we started timing them. They soon became consistently every 9ish minutes apart. We decide to call the midwife on on call. It’s determine hat based on my history and the need for antibiotics that I should go in to the hospital even though I haven’t met the 5-1-1 rule.
We grab some stuff together and put two sleeping girls in the car. We take the girls to josh’s sisters house. And head to the hospital. They get me in s room and hook me up to see how things are going. After 15 minutes of monitoring they say I’m having contractions every 3-5 minutes but I’m only displayed a 2-3. They don’t admit patients until they are a 4. They instruct me to walk the halls for 45 minutes to an hour hoping to give me the added push to be admitted. We walk the halls for 30 minutes then I pace around the hospital room for another 15.
After that they hook me back up to check progress. After monitoring me for 10 more minutes they check and I’ve made no progress. They decide to send me home with a little bit of medicine to take the edge off my pain. Both josh and I are upset by this. I know that I’ll just go home and lay awake through contractions and not be able to get done rest. Josh expresses his fear that we will go home, I will labor more at home then come back with no enough time for antibiotics. We also are confused on how we will know that anything has changed and I should come back. The nurse calls me doctor back and he gives the go ahead to keep me overnight for monitoring.
So we settle in for a night at the hospital. Between the contractions, the uncomfortable hospital bed and the machine that was monitoring the babies heart rate (which we found out later had a volume button and we could have turned it off) I didn’t sleep well. I had s read an article about visualizing breathing the baby down during contractions so that’s what I tried to do since I couldn’t sleep.
A new nurse came on duty at 7am. She checked me a few times, let me eat breakfast and finally at 9:30-10 it was determine I was far enough long to be admitted. Things were kinda crazy for a while which helped distract me. Signing paperwork, getting the IV started, drawing blood, etc. While filing out paperwork I was asked if I wanted an epidural, I immediately responded yes. The whole pregnancy I felt like this was something I was going to do. I just could wrap my head around going through the pain again. Particularly now when I’ve already been at the hospital for 12 hours and have s long way to go.
The whole time josh and I are asking lots of questions because in the past there hasn’t been time for lots and done if these experiences are new. The nurse and doctor keeping laughing it off and explain that this is typically labor that most people go through. I’ve just not even though this is my third.
Around 11:30, the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural. It was the most nerve wracking experience of my life. I had to sit on the edge of the bed with my legs hanging off. The nurse had me huge a pillow and burying my head in my chest. It was very uncomfortable. Several times I almost told him to stop and I changed my mind. I'm pretty sure Josh thought he was going to pass out. He says watching me get that was one of the most stressful moments of his life. A couple of times what he did hurt but only for a moment. Really the position was the most uncomfortable part of the whole experience. I do have a bruise on my back from it. Once he got it all hocked up and the medicine going I was much more comfortable. It was a really weird feeling. I could feel contractions for a while and the numbness in my legs was so weird.
Soon after that, my doctor showed up to break my water. That was quick and painless, thanks to the epidural. After that the nurse told me to take a little nap so I did for about 1-1.5 hour until she came back in to give me more fluids. About this time I started feeling the contractions again. Not painful, but I could tell they were happening. I could give myself an extra shot of epidural medicine every 20 minutes. I was too nervous at first because I didn't want to be so numb that I couldn't feel to push.
Fast forward 30-45 minutes, the contractions are crazy strong again. I'm pushing the epidural button. My nurse even noted that she could tell I was having to breath through them again. The contractions get much stronger. Had to have Josh come hold me hand and watch the monitor to tell me when the contractions were almost over. I ended up having to push the nurse call button and all I could manage to say was that "I can't do it any more." the nurse comes in and checks me and I'm 8 and he's much lower. She thinks I'm going to go very quickly now so she calls the doctor to come and the anesthesiologist back to give me another dose. However both are about 15 minutes away. For the next 15 minutes I'm in crazy pain, like having to squeeze Josh's hand and hold back tears. Josh is crazy worried that the doctor won't get there in time. They also get the room ready for delivery.
Doctor shows up and says that I'm really close and he'll be near by. The anesthesiologist comes and gives me another round plus I can hit my button again. I'm feeling much better now. Nurse comes in and checks me. She thinks I can get set up to do a couple practice pushes. I give two pushes and she tells me to stop until the doctor comes back. That was a little uncomfortable. I could tell that my body was ready to keep pushing. Doctor comes in and gets set up. A few more pushes later. (I think a total of 5 but they told me "just one more" at least 3 times) and baby James made his arrival into the world.
8.0 pounds
19.5 inches
The doctor worked on him on the table between my legs so I couldn't see him for what felt like hours but I'm sure was like 10 seconds. Josh said he was breathing and everything was fine. just suctioning out nose and mouth and Josh cutting cord. He did eventually started crying so I felt much better. Then they placed him on my chest and we started to wiped him off. After a while they took him over to the warming tray and did his stats. The doctor finished up monitoring me and the nurse took off a lot of monitoring devices. After that I finally got to eat. I was starving. I don't know if the mac n cheese they gave me is good but after not eating all day and surviving on ice chips, it was delicious.
Jill brought the girls later to meet baby James. They were excited and a bit overwhelmed. They both wanted to hold him.However it was past there be time and they soon became really fusing particularly when they learned that Josh, baby ansI were staying at the hospital and they were going back to Jill's house. Since the timing of his arrival was hard to predict and plan for it was hard to tell the girls the exact plan.
After the girls left the nurses made me get up and go to the bathroom. That was a very weird experiences. I told them that walking for the first time after the epidural felt like a baby deer learning to walk. I felt like at any minute my legs were going to give out. After that they moved me from my labor and delivery room down the hall to the mother baby section. (We didn't get moved down there with Eleanor because there wasn't any room.)
The pediatrician came and looked at him and discussed any question we had. After she left I set Josh to go get more food. I was starving and ate every last crumb of my burger and fries.
Due to my positive group B strep and a very strict pediatrician at the hospital, I was required to stay the full 48 hours. So I mainly just hung out in bed eating and feeding baby James. Monday night was the hardest. Josh brought the girls to visit after dinner and before bed. Then all 3 of them went home for the night. I cried and cried. I wasn't expecting to feel that way. I knew it was the best plan for everyone but I felt a lone and bit scared. I didn't sleep at all that night. I couldn't get James to settle to sleep in the little bed.
Tuesday around 6pm I was finally discharged and we went home. All 5 of us.
