After all the time at the gym I was hungry and didn't want to go to the hospital hungry so we stopped at In N Out Burgers for lunch. On the way home I called my mom and Jami and put them on standby, then went home to finish laundry and some last minute details in the nursery. Tim kept saying the we should head to the hospital but I didn't want to go and be sent home, or spend hours laying n a hospital bed waiting for some progress. He finally came in from the garage and said that he could hear me making pain noises when I had a contraction and that he thought it was time to go. By that time I was pretty uncomfortable and getting cranky when a contraction would hit so we got in the car and headed to the hospital.
We parked in the front of the hospital, didn't realize there was a back entrance for the women's center. It was a very long walk, made longer by several stops for contractions. We finally made it and were put into a room. Apparently we arrived at a very busy time - three births right before we got there. My dad was sure that the baby would be born on Saturday because of the storms and changes in barometric pressure, he was right. The nurse checked me and said I was at a 5, she said that if I wanted an epidural I could have it then. At that point I was uncomfortable and said sure but the anesthesiologist was busy and it was awhile before he could get to me. In the mean time my water broke while they were checking me and from there the contractions became a whole different monster. When the anesthesiologist finally got there, I was in so much pain that it was hard to get the epidural in. Tim was watching and thought the pain I was experiencing was from him placing the needle. Honestly, I didn't even care what the anesthesiologist was doing, I just wanted him to jab the needle in and get me some pain relief. He finally got it in and within a few minutes of the epidural being placed, I had great relief and from there it was kind of a party. I kind of wanted to marry the anesthesiologist at that point
My mom, dad, Jami and Cory all showed up and settled in for the duration. Everyone loved watching the contractions on the monitor and I loved that I could see how strong they were without feeling the pain. The nurse was a little concerned because the baby's heart rate would often drop when I would have a contraction. They were also worried because the baby had meconium and they were worried about aspiration. Overall though, everything seemed to be progressing well, my contractions didn't get much closer but I continued to dilate.
At some point my doctor, Dr. Rees came by to check on me and before I knew it, they said I was at a 10 and ready to push. The nurse had warned me that with a first baby, I should expect to push for 2-3 hours. After about 20 minutes I told the doctor that I didn't want to jinx myself, but that the labor process was much easier than I had expected. With the support of Tim, my mom and Jami, I kept pushing and 50 minutes later I got the first glimpse of my boy. It was short, just long enough for Tim to cut the cord, then they took him for a respiratory therapist and NICU team to evaluate. Luckily, he didn't have any complications and within a few minutes they brought him to me. I really couldn't do anything but cry and hold him. The entire process had seemed so surreal and I could hardly believe that I was lying there holding my own baby. The feeling in the room was one of such overwhelming love and gratitude. The next few hours passed quickly as they tested and took care of him, and before we knew it, it was 3:00 a.m. and we were finally going to sleep, me in a hospital bed, Tim on a roll away in my room, and our baby in the nursery. What an amazing day. I couldn't have scripted it any better myself.
 |
| About 4:00 p.m. No contractions at the moment, As long as the shot was between contractions I could smile. |
 |
| About 4:30 p.m. I still wasn't positive they weren't going to send me home... Funny because I was at a 5 and definitely progressing |
 |
| About 10:30 p.m. This is post epidural and right before I started pushing, I wasn't kidding when I said that I felt great for most of the labor. |
 |
| 11:32 p.m. Welcome to the world Baby Boy Whitesides No chance to meet the boy, Respiratory and NICU got the first chance to check him out. |
 |
| 7 lb 2 oz, 20.5 inches |
 |
| Finally meeting my boy. |
 |
| Grandpa was just a little proud. |
 |
| Thanks to the Rockstar, Jami was especially excited, |
 |
| About 2:00 a.m. First bath |
 |
| He loved getting his hair washed, He cried more getting his temperature taken. |
 |
| About 3:00 a.m. Everyone clean and in our new room. A tired but happy daddy. |
2 comments:
First of all you look amazing!! Must be all that crazy exercise you were doing - right up until you had the baby- crazy girl!!
If I have another I'll follow your exercisin' example.
Second of all what a cute baby!
I love that you wrote the birth story! I love his name. I'm so happy for you! Savor every second- they change so quickly! oxoxo sharla
I cannot believe you ran 5 miles and gave birth on the same day! I guess I see how staying in shape could give you the stamina you'd need. I have always been too paranoid to run much after my first trimester, but even doing that much has kept the morning sickness, etc. at bay. Good for you crazy woman!
Post a Comment