A Baby Story

Even though it has been 5 months since I gave birth to Nolan, I never got to write/blog about my birth story.  One of my favorite things to hear while I was pregnant, other mother’s birth stories. As a first time mom all you have to go on about labor and delivery are the experiences of others.  Before you continue to read, I guess I should throw out a TMI disclaimer, just in case.

Tuesday, March 5th,  was my last doctor’s appointment before my due date, which was the next day.  I went in bright and early to get checked out and to get my induction date, just in case baby Nolan didn’t want to make his appearance on his estimated birthday.  The doctor asked me how I was feeling and of course by 40 weeks, I was DONE being pregnant! Especially since that night before I got no sleep because I swear it felt like Nolan was having a party. Dancing around having a good old fashion all-nighter!  My doctor was checking my cervix, which had made no changes since that last time I was check two weeks before, 2 cm dilated almost 3 cm, 70% effaced; from my story Doc didn’t think I was going to make it to my induction day, which was set for the next Monday. It was Nolan’s going away party, is what Doc said.

I was very discouraged and on the inside I was hoping he was right, because I did not want to be induced!  Normally they induce you the day after your due date, but since March is a busy baby month, I couldn’t get a bed until 5 days after mine. I left my appointment hoping that the doctor was right and I wouldn’t be induced.

I went home because I was expecting a package from Kenny’s sister, that we had been chasing around for the last few weeks and I was not missing it again, so while I was waiting I was cleaning our house top to bottom again (I hadn’t done it since the day before).  When I got the package, I decided it was time to reorganize Nolan’s room for the 100th time.  Soon Kenny was home and I started to cook dinner, which is around the time I started to feel some contractions.  I was only kind of keeping a track on them, because they were not strong or constant, not anything different then what I was already use too.  So Kenny went off to bed, because he had work in the morning.  I was texting my friend around then and she confirmed my belief, that you will know when you are in labor and have to go in, so I waited for the moment to be stopped in my steps.  I was told by a midwife, also, that if I wanted to have a natural birth, to labor at home for as long as you could, before heading into the hospital.  Plus I was advised by a nurse at the hospital I was delivering at to wait until contractions were closer to 3 minutes apart to lower the chance of being sent home.  That was my plan, I was going to stay at home for as long as I could stay it!  I was also keeping my mom closely updated, because I wanted her in the delivery room and she would have a little bit of travel before getting to my house.

Around 9:00pm I headed to bed, but my contractions were starting to get very uncomfortable.  Just as soon as I got into bed I had a contraction, I was lucky if I was able to start to doze off before another one would occur, it was about every 8 minutes and if that wasn’t enough, Kenny picked up the habit of snoring that night.  11:00pm, I couldn’t stand just laying in bed, so I had to get up. I called my mom to tell her to head up, but to bring a pillow just in case, it was nothing.

Now you have to keep in mind I am a girl from the age of the movie “Father of the Bride 2”.  You know the movie, the one where the daughter and mother are pregnant at the same time, that stars Steve Martin.  I remember the scenes where the daughter went into the hospital, but it was false alarm, a few times. I did not want to be that mom-to-be! Then on top of that you are always told that your first baby takes forever to be born anyways.  My mom came over as fast as the weather allowed, it had been a very warm day for March and a cold front was on its way in, thus there was a bad rain storm. When my mom got to our place, we sat out in the living room and talked for a while, waiting for the moment when I knew I had to go in. I let Kenny stay asleep, because he had to go to work in the morning and I didn’t want him awake unless I knew it was time.  Now I am waiting for this jolt of pain that equaled to the amount of pain I experienced when I had kidney stones and I was no where near it yet.  I was just uncomfortable with what felt like cramps on steroids.  I ended up taking a shower and I only add this into the story, because it was the most amazing shower I had ever experienced!

Around 3:20am I decided that I wanted to go in because I notice Nolan’s movements would change when I was relaxing in different positions (I’ve seen way to many “A Baby Story” episodes) and if the 5-1-1 rule was right, then I should be heading in anyways.  So I woke up very confused Kenny, who went to get gas and pack up the car and I made a pot of coffee for him and my mom.  We finally started our journey to the hospital, which was in a different city.

After a small pit stop for Kenny to get an energy drink, we arrived to the hospital.  I walked myself up to the Labor & Delivery ward at 5:30am, told them my story, and they put me in a room to wait to get checked.  Only Kenny was allowed in there with me and I was worried that my mom was going to have to stay in the waiting room for a long time by herself.  If this was the real deal, I was not going to have Nolan until later that afternoon, is what I kept thinking.  I slipped into the lovely gown and a nurse came in to get me hooked up to the monitors and ask me a list of questions. “Anastasia, what is you level of pain, on a scale of 1-10, during your contractions?” She circled the number 6 on the board in the room.  “How do you want to manage the pain?” I wanted to go natural, but I was told that if I changed my mine, I had until I was 8 cm dilated to decide.  While she is telling me the nurse practitioner will be in, in a few to check me, Nolan’s heart rate drops down to 90 when I started to have a contraction and came racing back as soon as it was over.  The nurse repositions me onto my left side and Nolan’s heart rate is steady again.  The nurse practitioner comes in to see how far along I am.  “Some thing just isn’t right.”  That just is not a phrase that you want to hear while you are in labor.  I give her a look of confusion.  “I know that I am tired, but you are just way to comfortable,” she continued.  “All I feel is head, I am going to have you doubled checked.”  The first nurse returned back in and confirmed that I was 9.5 cm dilated! I guess, I have no choice now, I will get to have my natural birth!

This is where everything started to move in a blur, because of how quickly everything was happening.

The last photo of us before becoming parents 

I was unhooked and wheeled down into a delivery room, where we met back up with my mom.  I sneaked a looked at the clock, it was a little after 6:00am. I had Kenny quickly call his parents and my dad and step-mom.  My doctor walked in and laughed when he saw me, meanwhile, the amazing nurses were quickly getting the room and myself ready to have a baby, right before a shift change!  It seems that as soon as I got all the new questioned answered, my IV in and the room was ready, Nolan was finally ready for me the start pushing.  Actually I am sure he was just waiting for the doctor to break my water, which had to be done.  I want to say, it was close to 6:30am when I started to push.

Next came some pushing, and more pushing, oh can you believe it, I had to do some pushing on top of all of that! Then, after what seemed longer then it actually was, at 6:50am, we introduced to the world a healthy, 7lbs 8oz; 20 inched, baby boy with all his fingers and toes!