One centimeter dilated and 50% effaced with a cervix that was considered not favorable for induction.
Pretty sweet right?
That was the morning of Monday May 4th.
They had me on the books to be induced the following week on Monday the 11th.
Needless to say I was feeling anxious, impatient and a little disappointed.
I was ready to meet my son.
The following day my mom and my sister set out on their journey to TN to stay with me and to be with me for the delivery and help me around the house when I get home from the hospital.
A 13 hour drive later, I'd say its approximately 3 in the morning on May 6th when they finally arrive.
My husband and I greet them, get them settled in and head back to bed.
Little did my sleepy, massively-pregnant self know that not but four hours later I was well on my way to giving birth.
I woke up, feeling crampy and I wasn't sure what I was feeling. My husband, my mom and my sister were all still sleeping so I continued with my morning routine as per usual. I made my tea and walked my dogs, brushed my teeth and noticed slowly but surely these cramps were getting stronger and more regular.
I decided to wake up James and let him know how I was feeling and I think he was in disbelief, he was sleepy and cute and wasn't sure if what I was telling him was real.
As we walked back into the living room, I passed my stirring mother and said "I think I might have my baby today"
her first reaction was to say "Are you lying"
I laughed into my mug of tea and told her it was real.
By the time 10 am rolled around I was ready to go to the hospital and have them check me out.
We packed up the car and set out on our way.
I was only 3 cm dilated and they sent me home.
I had a plan. I wanted a natural birth. I wanted as little interference as possible. I had been researching birthing positions and natural pain relief techniques for months so going home was okay with me.
By the time we got home my contractions were a hell of a lot stronger than when we left the hospital.
I bounced on my birthing ball and rocked my pelvis through each contraction until it got to the point that it hurt too bad to stand.
I drew a bath and I sat in the water for nearly two hours contracting and chanting my mantra (This is good, this is what your body is supposed to do) .
I was alone in the bath, by request. But my very sweet Hub came to check on me periodically.
When I got out of the bath, I was bleeding. Lots and lots of that lovely bloody show.
My husband helped me get dressed because putting pants on in-between contractions was nearly impossible and we set back to the hospital.
We got back to the hospital and I couldn't walk or talk through my contractions anymore. This pain was something I had never experienced. My breathing techniques and my mantra had gotten me all the way up to 7 cm!
I was officially checked in.
They were moving me from triage to a private room and I could barely manage to get a full sentence out.
I said one thing I know now to be untrue. "I never want to do this again"
The whole experience of giving birth is something I will never forget, including the pain.
Everyone told me, once you hold your baby you'll forget all about the pain.
Not true.
But what is true is that it is so worth it, after 11 hours and 45 minutes of labor I got a beautiful, healthy baby boy that I love more and more with each passing day.
I begged for an epidural, and getting it was so hard to do!
They needed me to sit still through my contractions and in order to keep my body from contorting all over the place I squeezed the shit out of my RN.
Her name was Erin and she was a saint.
Once the epidural kicked in, I was a much more pleasant person.
I couldn't feel anything below the bellybutton.
I remember my anesthesiologist telling me she may not be able to make the pain go away completely but she could make it manageable and she did just that.
She took it all away.
I didn't feel my legs for the next 6 hours.
My husband was so incredibly supportive throughout this whole process.
He held my hand through the pain
and supported me when I changed my mind about medication.
After about two and half hours of epidural in my system they told me I was a full 10cm but they wanted to wait for baby to get lower before I could push.
So we waited another half hour, then it was madness.
My room went from quiet and empty to full of people in just minutes.
My doctor, her student, my RN, my husband, my mother, my sister, my baby nurse and then the baby nurse from the next shift because he was born 15 minutes before they switched shifts.
The hub and Erin held my legs up for me because I couldn't feel them and they coached me through pushing with each contraction.
After only 25 minutes of pushing, my son was born.
I wasn't the first one to hold him, there was meconium in my amniotic fluid so they had to take him away before I got him.
My husband was first after the baby nurse was finished making sure he didnt swallow or breath in too much ick.
The nurse asked if he wanted to do skin to skin and he said sure
and he though he was joking when she told him to take his shirt off.
Ha
he wasn't ready for that.
He thought I was gonna be the one to do that.
I didn't pay much attention to time because I was crying a lot.
But I didn't get to hold my baby until at least 20 minutes after he was born.
My heart was broken for those 20 minutes, they were stitching me up and I couldn't see my son and I just want to hold him.
I had spent the last 9 months literally attached to him then suddenly we were completely separated.
When I finally got to hold him, I cried even harder. I couldn't believe my eyes, this perfect little boy in my arms was my son and I was his mom and I made him.
It was euphoric. I have never felt so many emotions at one time, it was incredible.
9 lbs 8 oz
21.75 in
6:45 pm
May 6 2015
Silas James
