Labor and Delivery

At my doctor's appointment on Friday, I was told that I was 5 cm dialated and 90% effaced. My doctor said that she would be really surprised if I was not in labor by that night. So, Jason and I planned on having the baby that weekend. We pack our bags and got everything ready to go. Then, we went to our last dinner without a baby at Outback and walked around Target. After walking around for about a half an hour, I decided that I would like to try to get one more night sleep before the baby came, so we went on home.

On Saturday morning, I was lying in bed hoping that I would go into labor. I was thinking about all the things that I could do that day to put me into labor. I was going to go on a long walk and walk up and down the stairs. Then all of a sudden I felt like my water might have broke. It was just a little tiny bit, so I couldn't be sure. So, Jason and I decided that we should go into the hospital just to make sure if it did break or not. We hurried and ate something for breakfast and then went on our way to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 10:35 am and was taken straight to triage. Here they tested me to see if my water had broke, and it had! So, I was admitted into the hospital and was going to have the baby before I left.

We went off to the birthing room and got settled in. I still wasn't really having any contractions, or any that I was feeling that is, so, at 1:15 pm, they hooked me up to Pitosin and all the monitors. According to the monitors, I was having contractions just not feeling them. They wouldn't check my cervix until I was feeling my contractions a lot worse because there is a risk of infection with your water broken. So, I didn't know where I was at that point.

For the next couple of hours, the nurse came in uping my Pitosin and making sure that I was having contractions. My contractions were getting a lot more intense and frequent, but I still wasn't feeling them. They finally decided that they should check where I was after a while of me having contractions. I was at a 6. Then a few hours later, they checked again and I was at a 7. We started to think that I was going to have the baby that day. I, then, started to feel the contractions a little bit. I considered not getting an epidural, but then I decided why do that, in case it gets worse. So, I had them come and give me an epidural at 8:20 pm. It was fabulous. I didn't feel anything from then on...until the actual birth. I just sat and relaxed for a couple more hours being switched side to side.

I guess that there was a problem during the epidural though because all of the sudden all the nurses and doctors that had been helping me were in the room (2 nurses, a midwife, a med student, the anesthesiologist, and a doctor). They popped an oxygen mask on me and put some medicine into my IV. Then they put a internal fetal heart monitor onto the baby. I guess that my blood pressure went FAR down and was putting some stress on the baby. After a little while, they seemed to think things were fine and it calmed down. That was the only "complication" during my labor.

At about 10, I started to feel some pressure, but thought nothing of it. Then I told the doctor when she came in to ask how I was doing. So she checked and I was completely dialated and the baby's head was right there. She had me puch once to see if I was ready to and I guess I was. So, all the nurses and doctors came back into the room and at 10:20, I started to push. I pushed for a half of an hour and at 10:49, our little baby boy came into the world!!!

It was an amazing feeling having my little Emerson being laid on my chest. All I could think was that he is just perfect. He has all his parts, a good set of lungs, the cutest little face, and the sweetest cry. I just fell instantly in love with this little human being. That nine months of heartburn and all the aches and pains I went through, all became worth it. I had my son!

After a few minutes of having him on me, they took him and weighed him, measured him, and cleaned him. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz. He was 19.5 inches long. And he cleaned up so well.

We are so excited to have our little Emerson with us! He brings such great joy to our home.