Friday, September 26, 2008

Fast and Furious....(Long and Drawn Out Explanation)

We are all home! Andrew was released from the hospital just a few hours after I was yesterday. We were all very happy to get home and start settling in. And no, we didn't sleep much at all last night. Today Andrew had a pediatrician appointment and she agrees with the NICU people that he seems to be perfectly healthy! His liver will process the extra red blood cells and it shouldn't be any problem. He isn't jaundiced, which they expected him to be at one point. We had to have his heel stuck again today just to confirm it. He is doing just fine!

So, if you are not into the whole "birth thing" you should just skip to the bottom, because here comes a long birth story. I'll try to keep it rated G, but I want to document everything that happened on Tuesday!

Monday night I felt crampy and was having contractions, but they weren't too much different than the false labor I'd had the week before. I told myself I wasn't going to allow any more membrane sweeping, because what was the point of sitting around in pain when it wasn't bringing on labor?

The contractions continued throughout the night, but again, they were about the same as the false labor. However, around 4 a.m. they seemed a little more intense. But I wasn't sure, since I often woke up at 4 a.m. during my pregnancy anyway. I got up and went downstairs to play around on the computer and started timing my contractions. They were about 4-5 minutes apart and lasting 50 seconds. But they weren't getting any more intense and I could totally function. But, my lower back hurt with each one, though, which really made me think it could be it!

John woke up at 6 a.m. and I told him I thought maybe he should stay home from work for the morning just to be sure I'm wasn't in labor. We both got showered and dressed and I went downstairs to make breakfast (egg, bacon and cheese english muffins). We got Becca ready for school. I was still having the contractions, but they just seemed the same intensity as all night, so I started doubting whether this was it.

Around 8:30 a.m. I had a few painful contractions. We all got in the car (Mom, John, Becca and I) to take Becca to school. The contractions were starting to get a little more intense, but I still felt like I could be driving/walking/talking/eating, etc. But John drove just in case.

We came home from the preschool at 9:30 and I called the doctor's office to tell them that my contractions were every 2 to 4 minutes and getting a bit more intense, but I was still able to walk and talk through them. They said to give it another hour and call back. We decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to see if it would do anything.

At the start of our walk, I could walk through the contractions, but had to slow down. By the end of our walk I was doubled over during each contraction. They were REALLY hurting. I could still talk through them, though. At one point I started laughing hysterically and then 2 seconds later started crying. My mom said, "I think you're definitely in labor." We walked up the final hill and I was in quite a bit of pain.

We called the doctor's office again at 10:15 a.m. and they said to come in to be checked. At that point I had two horrendous contractions that brought me down to my knees on the floor. We rushed out the door, and as I was leaving I said, "I just hope we make it to the hospital on time."

The 10-minute drive to the doctor's office was bad. I knew this was it for sure and we were a bit panicked about having to stop at the doctor's office before just going straight to the hospital. I was shaking my head side to side and trying to breathe and stay calm during each contraction.

The nurse practitioner, Jessica, checked me and said I was 5 cm. She said, "Let's go to the hospital and have a baby!" YAY! I was in MAJOR pain by this point. It was close to 11 a.m. I think. I was begging for an epidural and hoping we could get there in time to get one. Forget that natural childbirth crap! What was I thinking? The drive to the hospital was the worst...25 minutes of pure hell. The shocks on our car are terrible and we were bumping over these awful roads and I was just sure I was going to die from the pain.

John dropped me off at the front door and went to find parking (because the entire damn lot was full, which is totally bullshit). I walked in and there was a line at the reception desk and there was NO RECEPTIONIST there. I walked right to the front of the line and put my head down on the counter and was moaning. The receptionist finally sauntered in and I said, "I AM IN LABOR AND MEETING MY DOCTOR!" She said, "Have a seat at the billing desk, please."

OH. MY. GOD. There was NO way I could sit. No way. John finally came in and we got my insurance card and all that crap out but couldn't get my social security number out so we had to sit there and wait until I could say it. (BULL. SHIT.) I was moaning and crying and shaking and doing God knows what. Everyone in the waiting room looked completely horrified.

Finally someone came up with a wheel chair and Jessica arrived and pushed me straight to a labor room. Once there, and on the bed, I was asking for an epidural. Jessica looked at me and said, "Let me check you, but I think it is too late." Sure enough, 9 centimeters. No epidural, no time for an IV, even!

NINE! Holy crap! I went from 5 to 9 in about 20 minutes! I had about two more contractions and then she broke my water. Then, it was time to push! I pushed and SCREAMED MY HEAD OFF. They all told me that wouldn't work and I had to be quiet and concentrate. But, holy, holy, holy shit that HURT. I still want to cry when I remember it. With Becca that part was a relief, so I'm not sure what the difference was! I pushed about nine times (through three contractions) and then Jessica said, "Open your eyes!"

Just then, I opened my eyes and saw some.....well....ummm....blood shoot out into the Jessica's MOUTH! Seriously! It went right in her mouth. I was wondering why I opened my eyes. That was a disgusting sight. But sure enough they were pulling him out and putting him on my stomach! (Less than 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital.) Thank goodness we made it there on time!

"It's a BOY!" Andrew Wesley was born at 11:56 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.
We were so happy to meet him! Our family is now complete.


15 comments:

Erin said...

You. Are. Effing. Amazing.

So glad you are all home. Cannot wait to see more photos and hear everything those two sibs are doing.

justme said...

so cute, congrats...ehhh about the blood. ouch about the no drugs. hope you are getting some sleep

capegirlindc said...

Congratulations! He is a beautiful baby! How does Becca like being the big sister?

joanna said...

Becca looks so content tucking him in his carseat! Congratulations!

Angie said...

That's incredible that it was so fast! I am amazed by fast labors. But, ew blood in mouth, ew.

Beautiful baby! So excited for you!

Anonymous said...

Loved getting to read the story and am so sorry that you had to deal with all the hospital BS (one upside to military medicine- just flash your ID and you're in!) Can't wait to hear how things are with two!! Now.....me next me next!!!

Kristi said...

OMG.

Congratulations!

Reading that made my uterus hurt!

I'm so happy for y'all!!!

Unknown said...

So glad to hear he's healthy!

OMGosh, I'm so sorry you had such a long drive in the car! From experience, I can tell you that there is NO WAY to deal with active labor/transition pain when you are in a car. It is pure HELL and I don't know how you did it b/c during the half mile I had to do it, I thought I would die! I need to be in a warm, dark, quiet room, and in a hot birthing tub to be able to deal w/labor pain! You rock! And, most of us scream - drugs or not. I've had friends w/great epidurals still scream that baby right out of them!!!

I too delivered too soon to get an IV when Lila was born (though, I didn't want one anyway and never got one after). I hate hospital staff sometimes. Like, when you KNOW you're going to deliver and they decide they need to monitor you for 20-min before they formally admit you (Army hospitals aren't always great - IMO) - or in your case, admin crap. Some people just need to let it go and listen to the patient! What'd they think? You were going to have the baby and hit the road two seconds later? I digress.

Your family is beautiful and I wish you good sleep!

Joel and Angela said...

Loved hearing your story and glad you are all home and healthy!
A

Swistle said...

I LOVED that story. LOVED IT. Even, you know. The blood. Shooting.

Andrea and Ben said...

I really could have done without the blood detail. Hmm.

Love your full family - precious!!!!

Jen said...

WOW. Incredible! I can't believe you went natural again! And thank God you made it to the hospital!

Can't wait to hear stories about the new babe.

april said...

congratualations! you are such a tough lady! i think i wouldve died!

Tracy said...

ewwww! What did she say? Make sure you are writing everything down, you will surely forget it and this is such a special time.

The Quinn Report said...

What a story, what a story!!!!

Congrats!