A Baby Story...

So, here's my baby experience for all those curious.

On Friday night, I was invited to dinner with a couple friends. Hubby and I went and had dinner and played Cranium til 11:30 at night then headed home. I think we were in bed by 12:30. Sometime around 9:00 that night, I was having contractions, but nothing regular and I just kinda felt crampy and uncomfortable the entire time.

5:30 am on Saturday morning, my water broke. After spending the last week wondering if I'd know if my water broke or if I was having contractions, I was very pleased that the water breaking WAS obvious =p Told Paul to get up and it was time to go!

I got to the hospital at 6:30 and still no contractions at all.

8:00 am, still no contractions and the nurse put me on pitocin.

9:00 am, still no contractions, so she upped the pitocin level.

10:00 am, still no contractions, so she upped the pitocin level. And at this point she checked me and saw I hadn't progressed any since I had come in. 2cm dilated, fully effaced.

11:00 am, the doctor comes in to examine me and sees me at 3cm. Oh gosh, this is going to take forever. I still was having no contractions.

Wait...I should probably clarify. I WAS having contractions, but nothing with a pattern or that I could really tell.

Then the doctor noticed I still had some membranes intact and decided to break my water completely...

Then the contractions started. All that pitocin from the get go had me in so much pain that I actually stomached the needle and got that epidural. That drug seriously was amazing. I went for about 90 minutes before I got it and I thought I still had to worry about the transition phase (the most painful labor phase). Turns out I was in transition that entire time...

At 2:00, I was 10cm dilated and ready to go.

2:30, I started pushing.

3:27, I stared in aww at how easy it was for the doctor to just pull out my baby after all that pushing. One second there was nothing and then suddenly there was a whole lotta baby.

So, 4 hours of "labor" ... Not too shabby compared to all the horror stories I've heard.

As for my condition? The anesthesiologist was impressed with how I handled my contractions (though I was starting to hyper-ventilate through them). The doctor was impressed with my pushing. Delivery wasn't so bad.

It was after when things got a little...weird. After Ethan was born and I had him in my arms, it kinda felt like there was another baby trying to get out. It was that dull pressure that you instinctually push for (for the guys, think something like a bowel movement). The nurses came in and felt my tummy and everyone got really worried. Paul told the nurses I was looking really pale. They took the baby to the other side of the room where the new dad watched him (and discovered later was taking great joy in distracting himself by poking his new son...)

I was apparently having clotting issues - and passed way more blood clots than any of you guys would really like to know. It was kinda gross looking and I could describe what it looked like, but I think I'll spare you unless you ask. I think they pushed out clots 3 times before I finally felt any relief.

I've been a bit uncomfortable all the way up until today, though the first 3 days were kinda rough (I hated sitting but walking/standing made me really light-headed). Wednesday, Ethan had his first pediatrics appointment and the doctor was impressed with how I was recovering...so I'm doing great.

Baby blues have slightly kicked in, though not to the degree that I was thinking they would (and so grateful they aren't that bad). I feel good, I'm ready to start walking regularly, and after 5 days of struggling to feed my baby (he wouldn't wake up long enough to eat and he was lazy at sucking), we are finally in the swing of things.

I'm enjoying being a mother :)