Friday, April 8, 2011

Welcoming Wallace

WOW!
So, I am finally getting around to writing about Wallace entering this world. Can you blame me? ;) I promise I'm getting back on the blogging bandwagon. It's a nice break.

So, let's begin with a little side note. My last post was about the Arbouretum. On our way to the car from the Arbouretum I noticed I was having pretty bad Braxton Hicks. Nothing painful, but enough to kinda knock the wind out of me. After loading up in the car (a feat which seems laughable with simplicity now that I have TWO to load up) I realized that these contractions were coming quite regularly. For kicks, I decided to time them. Long story short, after much stalling, we decided to go to the hospital to be safe. I was still at 1cm. False labor. A total bummer and a huge relief all in one.

So I go to bed on Sunday, March 13, and wake up sometime during the night with cramps. Ouchie cramps, but just cramps. Back to bed....kind of.

Monday I have these cramps on and off all day. I start to wonder if this isn't some sign of approaching labor.  I text Daniel at some point that afternoon, "I don't think you'll be going to work tomorrow." By six o'clock that evening I had to sit down. The "cramps" were contractions and were getting stronger and closer together. I get Coen his dinner and decide to relax on the couch. I updated Daniel whenever I could.

Wait....things can't be that simple. Oh yeah! I forgot! Coen starts to vomit at the table. That's right. He gags at the sight of his broccoli fries. Pukes everywhere.

So after I clean up the mess, put away dinner, give him a bath and get him ready for bed I sit back down on the couch. By now contractions are 7-8 min apart and uncomfortable. I wanted to labor at home as much as possible. I knew I was a little more "high risk", but I figured 3 min apart was a good time to decide to go in. Now all I had to do was drink water and wait for Daniel to get home.

Updates are going out to my mom and sis, via text. Daniel gets home around 10PM. He starts cleaning and trying to remain calm. ;) His continues to try and convince me to leave for the hospital. It's not working. Contractions are 5-7 min apart and things are quite painful.

An hour later contractions are 3-5 min apart and I'm dying. Daniel is at my side letting me squeeze his hand. I'm trying all of the techniques we learned at a birthing class three years ago. I'm thinking, "Why didn't a take a refresher course?" However, I am pretty proud of myself at this point! I figure, we'll leave for the hospital and we'll check in and the nurses will tell me, "Great job!! You labored so well! Looks like you'll be able to start pushing soon!!".

I text a friend of mine around midnight. She used to work in the medical field and I knew I could count on her to be my go to person/coach. Daniel's pleas have worn me down. I text my sister a little after 1AM, Tuesday, to see if she would be willing to head to our house to watch Coen overnight so we can head to the hospital. She was. :) She wakes my parents to let them know we're ready to leave. She comes over and we leave around 2AM.

My parent's beat us to the hospital! We get checked in. I don't remember much about this part of the process. Contractions have been 1-3 min apart so I am just trying to remain calm. Here comes my nurse...this is where they tell me I'm at an 8 and I get some kind of award for awesome laboring.....WHAT!?!?!?....I'm still at a 1?!?!? .....Oh you SOOOO did not just tell me this might be false labor.....look at the monitor!! look at those contractions!!! this is the real deal!! get me a real nurse!!!.....don't you tell me to "drink some water" I've been drinking water!!!


Ahem.....where was I? K, so I end up laboring a LOT at the hospital. I lot longer than I had hoped. At 5:30 I'm at a three!! Hallelujah!! The nurse tells me she's going to get me some Demerol. ...What's Demerol? I didn't ask for Demerol! Why are you bringing me Demerol?...Turns out I couldn't have Demerol anyway because of an allergy I have. Back to laboring.

7:30AM I get an epidural. I debated whether or not I wanted to but I'm absolutely exhausted. I cry like a baby and imagine going paralyzed right there on the bed. Or worse. Spontaneously dying. It could happen... 10 minutes later Daniel is asleep on the couch. :D

8 ish My Dr. comes in and checks me. He tells the nurse they'll need to call him soon. Ohmygosh! It's happening! I'm going to meet my baby! I'm doing it! I'm doing it!!!

An hour later they are rolling in all of the gear and I'm pushing with the nurse. Three pushes. Daniel is handling everything really well. "Is that his hair?!" I hear him ask. Now I am really excited!! Dr. comes in and Wallace is born with one more push! Hooray!!!

 I think he looks like Johnny Cash right here!! Am I right?
All in all it was a wonderful experience. MUCH better than my c-section. 
Love you Wallace!!


3 comments:

japink said...

OHMYGOSH! He DID look like Johnny Cash!

Unknown said...

Beautiful, Amy. Thanks, Nanny

seasonsreadings.blogspot.com said...

Awesome birth story!! I could feel the excitement ;)! I'm so glad you got to experience a successful VBAC! And yes, he did look like Johnny Cash in that photo, lol :)