The last three weeks of my pregnancy the doctors were getting worried because I was getting too much amniotic fluid and my baby boy was getting too big, and also he was lying transverse. I was sent to a specialist to see what could be causing the rise in amniotic fluid, but at that appointment, my fluid levels were actually down (still high, but not "as high"), but at 37 weeks, he was already measuring 8lbs 5oz. Pretty crazy since I still had three weeks to go. After that ultrasound, the specialist took me in her office and proceeded to tell me all of the things that could potentially go wrong if I tried to deliver this baby naturally. She told me that most likely the baby wouldn't fit, he could get stuck, have shoulder distocia, the cord could become pinched off and it could result in brain damage, you name it, if it could potentially go wrong while delivering, we discussed it. This was not the easiest thing to listen to while pregnant and so close to delivering. I had a really hard time with this news, and both my doctor and the specialist were recommending that I "opt for an elective c-section". This was really not what I had wanted and I tried to wrap my head around the idea of a c-section, but I just couldn't accept that this is what was best for me and the baby.
At my next appointment, the baby was finally head down (wahoo!) and again he weighed 8 lbs 5oz at the ultrasound. So this doctors appointment made me feel a lot better when my doctor told me that he didn't think we would need a c-section after all and if I wanted to deliver naturally, that was fine with him. That was such a relief! At that appointment, I had lost my mucus plug and was 1 cm and 50% effaced. The doc said that he didn't think I would make it much longer and sent me on my way. I continued to have bloody show through out the evening, and I was pretty convinced that I was going to go into labor at any second.
Well... at my next week appointment (Friday 10/21/11)...still very pregnant... my little man again weighed 8lbs 5oz on the ultrasound and amniotic fluid was the highest it had ever been. It was at 30, but I am not sure of the units that is measured in. Doc checked me and I was 3cm and pretty much effaced. He stripped my membranes and we talked about being induced the following Monday so that my little guy didn't get too big in there and start causing the previously mentioned problems. I went home feeling relieved that I had a date that he would be here. I called Justin and told him about my appointment since he was working about an hour and a half away. We discussed how I was feeling and he decided he had better come home that night, even though he technically wasn't supposed to leave work. He got home around 8pm, we had dinner, put the kids to bed, and took a shower. He layed down and was out. Poor guy was so tired from working.
I climbed into bed shortly after him around 10:30pm and as soon as I did, I got a contraction. I had been having contractions for the last two weeks, so this wasn't unusual, but then four minutes later I got another one, and four minutes later I had yet another one. I couldn't believe that they were so close together. The contractions stayed every four minutes, and I started writing down the time of each one to see how far apart they really were. They stayed consistently no more than four minutes apart and sometimes they were only three or two minutes apart. I layed in bed watching tv wondering if this was really "it". I started getting excited, so of coarse I couldn't sleep but I didn't want to let myself get too excited because I was just sure that at any second they were going to stop all together and it would be just another round of false labor that I had been having for the last two weeks. Well they didn't stop, so around midnight, I decided, well if this is going to be it, I am not going to the hospital with wet hair. The contractions were there and mildly uncomfortable, but I was pretty much in no pain at all. So I got up, blow dried my hair and straightened it. I started texting my friend Sarah letting her know that this "might be it" so go to sleep, but don't sleep too heavy. :) Of coarse then she was too excited to sleep and was ready to come over at any second (she was going to watch the girls for us). I told her I felt silly because the contractions didn't hurt yet, and I wasn't about to head to the hospital and have them send me home. I told her I would keep her posted. I finished doing my hair and put on my make up. I think it was around 2am at this point. I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't sleep, so I just went and laid back in bed and watched a few episodes of American Restorations and timed contractions. Random show to watch, I know, but I sorta like it, and lets face it, what is really on at 2am?
I kept texting with Sarah and she kept saying, "I think you had better go to the hospital."I texted her back, "how close do contractions have to be before you 'should' go to the hospital?" She didn't know, so we decided that I should google it, so I did, lol. I think google said that you should go to the hospital when contractions are four to five minutes apart and the contractions hurt bad enough that you have a hard time talking through them. Well that was contradicting because my contractions were anywhere from 2-4 minutes apart, but I was still in no pain, slight discomfort, but seriously no pain. I decided that I had better wake Justin up and get his opinion. I woke him up and told him what was going on, and he said I should call the doctor and ask. So I called the doctor, and he called me right back. I told him my situation and asked him when I should come in. He replied, "You were at a 3 at your appointment earlier, your contractions are 4 minutes or less apart, and this is your 3rd baby, You come NOW, right now!" I didn't expect him to say that for some reason so it caught me off guard. I tried to explain "but, I am not in any pain, the contractions don't hurt yet." He gently reminded me that I did not want to be delivering my baby in route to the hospital. So, "Please come now." I told him we would get our things ready and be in. I texted Sarah and told her she could come over now :) It was super exciting! Justin and I got dressed, made our bed, and gathered up the last of the things for our hospital bag. Sarah was over to our house in just a few minutes and wished us luck as we kissed our little girls and headed out the door to the hospital.
We were driving to the hospital at 4am. Justin mentioned he was going to grab a drink from the house and forgot, so I told him just to stop at the gas station. We were chuckling to ourselves that this is what my parents must have been like. My mom has told me a million times about her birth story of my little brother where she almost didn't make it to the hospital because she had to stop and buy him a baby book on the way. I had a contraction just as we pulled into the gas station, so I waited through that one and then got out of the car to to walk in, and just as I waked into the gas station, another contraction hit. It kinda made me nervous, but it still felt silly to be in labor and stopping at the gas station. Oh well. We got him a drink and we were on our way to the hospital again.
When we got to the hospital, they put us in triage so that they could hook me up to the monitors and make sure I was really in labor. I got all hooked up and my contractions were two minutes or less apart, but I was still in no pain. The nurse said that the doctor was delivering a baby, but she would come back in a few minutes and check me to see where we were at. She left and didn't come back for over an hour. When she did come back, she had the doctor with her, and he checked me. He said I was at a 6! I couldn't believe it, mostly because we were still laughing and joking and when I had ever gotten to a six with the girls, we were having a baby very soon after that. They took us over to a regular room and we got settled in.
Around 6:30am the nurse said that she could have the doctor break my water if we wanted to, and I figured it would only speed things along, so we wanted him to do it. He came in and broke my water and just a few minutes later, I noticed that my contractions weren't as close any more, but they were starting to hurt more when they did come. I labored like that for about 2 hours. The doctor came back in and said that my contractions were starting to stall, do we want to start pitocin? I said yes, so the nurse started it, and I am pretty sure as soon as she did, my body remembered what it was supposed to be doing, because the contractions started back with a vengeance. They were right on top of each other and painful. Each contraction got worse and worse. After about another hour of that, they were getting pretty bad, so I asked the nurse what I could have for pain, other than an epidural, and she said that she could give me something in my IV. Then she was checking the monitors and doing a few things in the room, and she walked over and said, "so what do you want me to do?" and I was kinda annoyed and answered, "Go get me something for pain!" She said she would and left.
Right then, I had a really hard contraction and I felt the baby move down through my pelvis. I said to Justin "the baby is coming down". I was in tears and a lot of pain at this point. He stood up and said, "let me get the nurse", but I was holding his hand, and wouldn't let it go, I said "No! Don't leave me!" But he wasn't trying to leave, he was just trying to get to the call button, so I let go of his hand, and I remember thinking, "where is that dang nurse, and why isn't she bringing me anything for pain!?!" Just as Justin pushed the call button, the nurse came through the door. She could tell I was really in pain, and she said, lets just check you. She said I was at a 9, and I replied, "No I am not, I have to push!" And she could feel the baby moving down. She yelled for the doctor, and he was right through the door gowning up and getting ready. It is kind of a blur for me at this point, but after a few contractions of very hard painful pushing, he was here! His birth seemed to pull so much more out of me than the girls births had. I just remember being in so much pain, and hurting so bad, but it was all worth it because at 9:54am our sweet baby boy was here! All 9lbs 2oz of him delivered without so much as a Tylenol :) Makes me wish I had another appointment with that specialist just to say, "See! I knew I could do it!," lol
The nurse told me while she was helping me clean up, that when she had gone out to ask the doctor for some pain meds, that he told her, "just stall for 10 minutes. If she gives birth like she said she does, she is getting close and won't need it." I was thinking how rude that was, can't a girl get a little pain med? lol But honestly I am pretty sure that the meds wouldn't have even worked at that point. The docter that delivered him, Dr. DeCesar, was great! I am glad that he was the doctor there that day, but it is sorta funny that he was the doctor on call because he is one of my friend's husband. I am sad that my doctor, Dr. Rabin wasn't there that day though. Anyways...
Welcome to the world sweet baby Silas. We sure do love you!
I couldn't believe he was really over 9lbs! So much for the ultrasound not only 24 hours earlier that said 8lbs 5oz...
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