The Birth Story

Saturday night May 3rd I started having some contractions around 9:45pm. They were different than what I remembered with my first pregnancis. These were low in my stomach. I told Joe they were kind of painful, but wasn't sure if they were any different than the occasional contraction/cramp I had been having several days previous. Nothing consistent at least.

I was aware the cramping felt different, but was also paranoid about going to the hospital and then getting sent home...again. 

A little after 10pm Joe went to the basement to watch a boxing match and I stayed upstairs and watched the news.

Around 11:00pm I headed to bed and thought I'd try to sleep. I know I could definitely talk through these contractions, but wondered if I could sleep though them. 

I started timing them at 11:15. 

They were 8 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes. Then I dozed off for about 20 minutes. 

11:43pm I texted Joe from bed saying, "Ouchie, one more and I'm calling the midwife." 

He came racing upstairs.

I called the midwife and explained the pain and frequencies of the contractions and also explained that I did not want to get sent home (again!).  She suggested I take a bath and see if things pick up or slow down and then to call back if/when I decide to come in so they could get a room ready.

I sat on the toilet to pee and could barely sit still though a contraction.

Joe knew it was 'time',  but I insisted on a bath to make sure.

I sat in the tub with about two inches of water in it and my water broke. I could feel a gush. I got out and called the midwife back saying that we will be making our way to the hospital and would be there in about 45 minutes.

We called my parents to come over to be with the kids.

As we waited for my parents to arrive my pants continued to get drenched. And I continued to be in quite a lot of pain. Joe was rushing around the kitchen trying to pack some food in a lunch box to bring to the hospital. And as he was checking in with me I noticed that he must have been watching the boxing match outside through the sliding glass door because he for sure was smoking a cigar. Dealing with contractions and cigar breath was just too much. I told him he needed to get some gum and pointed to the drawer where the gum was.

Mom and Dad got to our house about 12:35am. Joe and I were already in his truck waiting for them to pull up.

We rushed to the hospital, running red lights and all.

Joe pulled up to the ER, parked at the door and ran inside to get me a wheel chair. Once I was inside the guy/guard/cop (he was decked out in uniform) behind the front desk wheeled me up to maternity while Joe parked the car. It was a little awkward having some random guy bring me up the elevator as I was having contractions, but I got over it. He did ask me how close my contractions were. Not sure if he was just trying to start conversation or if he was making sure he wouldn't have to catch a baby. I think I told him they were two or three minutes apart. Which was a total guess on my part since I was no longer timing them!

I had to sign some papers when I got to the maternity ward and remember writing down that it was 12:47am

I got to my room and they immediately hooked me up to the monitors and gave me an IV for fluids and antibiotics (remember, Group B positive). The midwife checked me and I was 4cm. 

I was breathing rhytmically though each contraction. The midwife encouraged me to 'blow away the pain' and it totally helped. And to 'let my body do the work'. That helped too as I was less inclined to fight each contraction and instead imagine the baby getting lower with each pain. 

I was kind of laying on my right side/back and had my eyes closed so I don't know the exact time frame of things but I do know that every contraction that would crash in I'd reach for Joe's hand and the midwife's hand and squeeze with all my strength. Joe had to switch his wedding ring to the other hand because I was crushing it. Of course he made a big deal about the pain. Honestly!

A big difference this time was that I clearly had a break between contractions. So nice. The other two times I was in labor I don't remember getting that break.

I asked to get an epidural as soon as i could and the midwife said she'd get that ordered, but I had to wait to get a full bag of fluids in me first. In the mean time I asked for something to take the edge off. They put Fentanyl in my IV. I remember the first contraction following the injection was less intense, but then after that it seemed like the drug didn't help at all. 

I got checked again shortly after the Fetanyl and I was already at 8cm. That is when the midwife told me I would not have time for an epidural. 

WHAT?!

My first reaction was fear. I was scared to push the baby out, but then I quickly realized that I didn't have a choice. This baby was going to come so I can either be scared or be strong. 

I asked Joe to pray for me. He started praying out loud and I quickly told him to "Just pray in your head!" Because hearing someone talk in my ear was so annoying. 

I feel like it was just a few minutes later I felt pressure to push. And then my body pushed and I could hear a lot of fluids gush out of me. When I mean my body pushed, I mean if felt like the unconrtrollable urge your body does when you vomit. It was so bizzar!

I then got the OK to push during each contraction. They encourated me to rotate so I would be either m completly on my back or my side. I chose back. And as each contraction came I pushed and screamed and swore and had no idea how, if any, progress I was making. It was kind of scary and without the verbal encouragement of "you're doing great" , "I see his head" and "you are doing it" I would have been so lost.

I remember the nurse telling me not to push against the bed, but to hold my leg back.

I tried to hold my own leg back, but it was too much to concentrate on so I told her she needed to do it.

I remember thinking that it was taking too long and I was feeling so weak so I asked them if they could "get him out!" because "I can't do it!" The midwife reminded me that I was doing it. And seriously those words gave me confidence. And I was just imagining seeing baby and that have me extra determination to push him out as fast as possible!

I just asked Joe and he said it was three or four sets of contractions that I pushed until baby came. 

When he came out and they put him on my chest (at 1:54am) I was in shock, total shock. I don't remember saying this, but Joe tells me that I kept on saying (to the nurses) "You guys, oh my gosh, I just did that!!! Can you  believe I just did that?!!" 

I asked if the Fentanyl worked because WOAH! The midwife told me that I handled the birth pretty well and so the drug probably did take some of the edge off. Can't imagine doing it without anything. Double WOAH!! 

I was at the hospital a little over an hour before baby Rocco made his appearance. It was nuts and amazing and scary and exciting. I would do it all over again if I had to knowing what's on the other side!

He came out so fast that he didn't cry (the goop didn't get pushed out of his lungs) so they had to snatch him off my chest and work with him for a few seconds. We heard a big cry, the nurses informed me if his delicious dimple and put him back on my chest. Loved him the second I laid eyes on his swollen face :-)

Thank you Lord for this gift.

 eight weeks