Birth Story

Short version: Induced at 5:30 AM on 4/20, and ended up with a c-section after 22 hours of labor at 3:47 AM on 4/21.


Grab a drink and get comfy, friends - this is a long one!


I got to the hospital at 4:30 AM for my scheduled induction on 4/20, filled out all my paperwork, and got settled into bed to begin the process.

Last baby bump picture!! 38 weeks 6 days.

 

 

Ready to rock and roll!

They offered me pain meds right off of the bat, but I wanted to wait and see what it all felt like before I decided what I wanted to have.  They started pitocin at 5:30.  For the first few hours I barely felt the pitocin contractions.  It sort of felt like mild period cramps, but they weren't even that bad.  The nurse checked me a few times, and I was still hanging out at about 2cm, and I was effacing quickly and my cervix was moving into the anterior position.  She said that my doc would come in and break my water around 10.  At about 9, I got up to use the bathroom and my water broke all over my bare feet.  I kind of stood there like, "What the hell??" and the nurse just laughed at me.  My doctor came in a bit later and said, "I knew you were going to go today!"


SP and I played a few card games, watched the House marathon on TV, and they kept cranking up my dosage of pitocin every 30 minutes.  By 3:00, I was maxed out on pitocin and still not on pain meds.  My contractions were about 45 seconds apart and a minute long.  I started feeling a lot of pressure in my right hip, and got off of the birth ball and back in bed to see if I could find a good position to relieve it.  The nurse checked me again and I was around 3cm, 100% effaced and totally anterior.  We couldn't figure out why the heck I was dilating so slowly, since she could feel the baby's head and my contractions were very, very strong.  She suggested I get the epi so that I could sleep, because it was going to be a long night.  I agreed, and they shotgunned 2 bags of fluids into me in 5 minutes to prep me.  My anesthesiologist was hilarious, and soon I was feeling absolutely nothing below the waist except some pressure in my right hip.


I slept for a few hours, and by 10pm they decided to drop the pitocin back down to zero and ramp it up every 15 minutes.  They said most of the time this will stimulate contractions and bring on labor quickly.  I was still at a 3 and 100%, so I went back to sleep.  I started feeling really intense pressure in my right hip but nowhere else.  When I woke up, I mentioned it to the nurse, and she said it was probably because of the way the baby was facing.  I'd been having problems with this hip for awhile, so I wasn't totally shocked.  So, I went back to sleep.

My doc came in at 3:15 and checked me again.  I was almost a 4, they could feel baby's hair, and she wasn't really happy with my progress.  She was really confused as to why I wasn't going faster - she was so sure I was going to go on my own anyway, so she assumed I'd have had the baby hours ago!  She said she'd like to do a c-section, since she couldn't figure out what exactly was going on, and didn't want it to end up being an emergency situation later just in case.  At this point, what the hell - I said OK.

I was in the OR, prepped, and drugged from the shoulders down in less than 20 minutes.  SP joined me and my body was trembling horribly from the drugs when they started to cut.  About 2 minutes later I heard some mumbling from the doc and nurses, SP made a face at this strange popping/cracking sound, and I heard a teeny tiny little baby cry.  The whisked David over to the warmer and started to clean him up, and I was crying my eyes out on the table

Hello my sweetheart!

 

7 lbs, 3 oz

 

They finally brought him around to see me, but he was grunting and breathing bubbles so they rushed him to the nursery to get him fixed up and dried out.

Love at first sight

His APGARs were 8 and 9, and the nurse told me he was acting great!  SP went with him and took pictures and let his parents see the little guy while I got stitched (well, glued up).  They wheeled me back into my room to let the anesthesia wear off before moving us to our postpartum room.


I was told when we did our nursery tour that I'd have the baby within an hour for breastfeeding (sooner if it was a vaginal birth), and an hour came and went.  SP told me they still had the baby under a light and warmer.  A nurse came in and I asked here where my baby was and when I could have him.  She didn't know, and went to check.
Another hour passes.  Another nurse comes in.  I ask again, "WHERE THE HELL IS MY BABY?!"  She doesn't know.  She'll go check.


Finally, one of the nurses comes in and explains to me that sometimes c-section babies end up with fluid in their lungs that they have to allow to absorb.  A baby born vaginally will have these fluids "squeezed" out when they are born, but that doesn't work with a section.  If you handle or agitate the baby during this time, they can aspirate the fluids further, so the best thing to do is to put them under a warmer and leave them be.  I was stuck in bed, unable to walk because of the anesthesia, and couldn't even see my baby at all.  SP would go periodically to the nursery and check on him, but couldn't go in and see him so he just reported what he saw through the glass.

SIX HOURS LATER, they finally brought David to me and I started crying all over again.

As it turns out, the c-section was absolutely necessary.  David's head was jammed into my hip socket, which is why I'd been having so much pain in my right hip for the last 2 weeks and especially during labor when my contractions got stronger.  The right side of his face was smashed up at delivery, he has a huge bruise on the side of his head, and his right ear is clubbed at the top.  The doctors think that it will become normal over time, however.  His cord was also wrapped around his neck.  I'm so glad that I listened to my doctor!

David Arthur Delany II was born on April 21, 2011 at 3:47 AM, weighing 7lbs, 3oz and at 19 inches long.  We can't get enough of him and can't wait to continue to show him off as he grows up!

Lady, quit talking and let me feed my baby.

We think he has Daddy's nose!

38 weeks - the final countdown!

I've always said since the beginning of this pregnancy that I wanted to make it to at least 38 weeks, and here we are!  I had my "last" appointment this morning with my OB, and it was pretty uneventful.  I haven't made any significant progress since last week, which is neither good or bad (plenty of women don't have progress until labor starts!).  I follow up with her on Tuesday to see if I'm either a bit more dilated or a bit more effaced, and if I am we are a GO for induction on Wednesday morning (starting at 4AM... yikes!).  If I haven't made progress, I'll have the option of starting Cervadil on Tuesday, or holding off the induction for another week.  Baby at this point isn't going to change much if any between now and then size/weight wise, so it'll essentially be my call.

While I'm all for getting him out of there at 39 weeks, I want to be a very favorable candidate for induction (right now I'm a "good" candidate), so I can avoid a c-section as much as possible.  I know, it's not the end of the world if it happens, but major surgery isn't high on my list of "things to do in life".

I'll be doing lots of walking and other "labor-stimulating activities" this weekend to help the process along, I'm so ready for this to all be over and have the little guy here with us on the outside! (no teas, no herbs, no supplements, no castor oil... just the, um, physical stuff that I can do to get it moving along!)

This week I found out two of my other girlfriends (due in September) are on Team Blue - congrats to Brandi and Darla!!  Went to the doctor with Darla on Tuesday, and when she asked about her weight gain, he said "Oh you're doing just fine, you just might not be having a 9lb baby like your friend here!".  I will hunt that man down and stab him in the eye if that is the case.  For the record, my OB says David should be between 6.5 and 7.5lbs at birth based on his and my growth patterns over the last few weeks (read: minimal).  And I'm more than OK with that!!

The weather here is great so I'm hoping to enjoy what will probably be my last weekend without baby with SP, doing something fun outside.  His parents arrive Tuesday, and hopefully Baby D will arrive Wednesday!  So much to look forward to!

The long waiting game

After our big announcement at the end of October, the only thing we could really do was wait.  And the wait has been excruciating.  First thing we were waiting for - boy or girl?
Most of our friends and family were thinking (hoping?) baby D was going to be a girl.  The old wives tales were split 50/50 as far as what the gender should be, but everyone with kids kept telling me "Oh, since you have morning sickness and gag when you brush your teeth, it's sooo a girl!"

Our 16 week checkup/ultrasound came along, and lo and behold:

Not shy at all.

Ladies and gents, we have a penis (and other accompaniments)!  More importantly, we have a healthy, happy baby.  He was moving like crazy (the kid never sits still) and had all the right parts in all the right places.  And now we have a baby boy to carry on SP's family name (his brother has 3 daughters - SP is the last hope for the family!)

Now that we know the gender of this little one, it's time to start picking stuff out.  And by stuff, I mean tons of teeny, tiny baby shit.  That's the only way I can describe all of the things you need for baby.  Besides the obvious diapers, wipes, and clothes, there are choices to make about cribs, changing tables, dressers, toys, bottles, pacifiers, mittens, baby monitors, and a slew of other things that I've probably forgotten and won't remember to get until it's too late.  Not to mention the theme for the room, colors for the walls, curtains, rugs... at least that's my list of things we need.  SP on the other hand doesn't understand why we can't use a dresser drawer or laundry basket and just keep him at the foot of the bed, let him pee off the porch like he does, and use paper towels instead of baby wipes.  We went to Babies R Us and used their registry tool too pick out all the recommended items that we "need".  We'll see about all that!  Now that the registry is complete, it's onto the next thing we're waiting for: the baby shower!

So, fast forward to January, and the fabulous baby shower that my mom, sister, and bff Ashley threw for me.  Baby D got showered with so much love and so much stuff, that it made this mommy's shopping list quite a bit easier!

Look at that awesome diaper cake I made!

Mom and Jess giving their approval

A week later, back in Louisiana, I began struggling with where to put all of baby D's fabulous new things (it took two 50-lb suitcases to get it all back home, we barely squeaked by the airline limits without having to pay!) .  My in-laws bought us a great dresser/changer combo for the room, and it took me a whole 5 minutes to fill it up with newborn clothes and changing table tools.  Now what? (This is becoming a common theme with this pregnancy).  The room we chose for the nursery is the smallest room in the house, so more furniture to store clothes is out of the question.  I've had a hell of a time finding baby hangers, and even though baby D has the biggest closet (how did I let that happen?), I'm not having any luck keeping the clothes organized in there.  Buying shelves for the walls is stupid expensive, and we're definitely on a budget.  Luckily, I have a husband who loves any excuse to use his power tools and make a mess, and we came up with this:

It looks like a real nursery! Crib courtesy of my wonderful sister-in-law, Julie.

 SP built all of those shelves into the walls, which gave me tons of space to put baby D's toys, books, and stuffed animals!  All for a grand total of... ::drumroll please::: ... about $80!! 

See the butterfly?

Blanket and shoe storage

Wonderful!  The nursery is done (except for a rug), the clothes are washed, folded, and ready to go, his toys are all on display...

Now what?

First comes love, then comes marriage...

I don't know if anyone uses the term "baby carriage" anymore, but Baby D is certainly well on his way.

His story begins back in August 2010.  Somehow, I came down with the flu in the middle of the month.  Typical luck for me, getting the flu during the hottest part of the summer in Houston TX.  I know now that pregnancy weakens the immune system, making you catch just about everything... that could have been a hint.  My second hint should have been realized when my mother-in-law asked SP (while I was in the throes of a high fever and sweating spell) "Are you sure she's not pregnant?"  Let me tell you about my MIL (mother-in-law).  She gets these 'feelings', and they're almost always right.  Sometimes it's super creepy.  "NO she's not pregnant, she's got the flu Mom!"

Well.  I started thinking, hey... I think I am a little 'late', but the doctors told me it might be awhile before things returned to normal (I had a miscarriage back in April).  Well hell, just for kicks I went out and bought a two-pack of EPT's.

Well how about them apples?

First thought:  Oh shit.
Second thought: HOW does she DO that?!?
Third thought:  OK, now what?

SP didn't believe it (I think I actually too 3 tests to prove it!) until we had our first ultrasound at 8 weeks.  We were, of course, nervous as hell because of our previous experience, and I wouldn't even look at the screen until I heard SP say, "Oh, well that's different than last time!"

Hello, little one!

Our little guy, at 8 weeks and some days.  He was dancing away on the monitor, and I was crying like a baby.

OH MY GOD, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!

Even after that wonderful experience, we were a bit cautious.  My miscarriage didn't happen until after 12 weeks, so we opted to *try* and keep it a secret until we were into the 2nd trimester.  Which worked out perfectly:  my brother and step-dad's birthday's were on the Friday after I turned 13 weeks, and I was going to send them presents anyway, so why not make them announcement gifts?  They were all shocked.  I think my mom even cried!  And SP and I got these gems for ourselves:

Again... OMG, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!

...now what?