Since our little guy is almost 11 weeks old now (how did that happen?!) I figured it was probably time to share his birth story.
Overdue and SO Ready for You
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I was not so happy at the end of my pregnancy. But really, who is? You’re bigger than you’ve ever been, you have very low energy, and everything is extremely uncomfortable. I think it’s God’s way of distracting you from being nervous about labor and delivery. If you’ve ever talked to a 38+ week pregnant woman, you know she is ready to GET. THAT. BABY. OUT!
I was convinced that Luke was going to come early, but as my due date crept closer and closer, and then came and went, that idea totally went out the window. In my defense, I had false labor for about three weeks, so I really thought he was coming any day…which, as you can imagine, is mentally exhausting.
At my 40 week appointment, three days past my due date, it was determined I’d be induced that Friday. Having a deadline (or as I jokingly called it, an eviction date) was really helpful and gave me something to focus on. At MOST, I’d only be pregnant for four more days and we’d be meeting our son very soon. Although I was nervous about potentially being induced, I realized it was a means to an end. I had anxiety about determining whether or not I was in labor, and getting induced would take care of that.
Are These Contractions??
On Thursday morning, I woke up at 6:30am to the sound of David’s alarm. I noticed I was having some pain, but it was the same pain the doctors had told me was round ligament pain earlier in my pregnancy. David is king of the snooze button, and from 6:30-7:30 he snoozed. With every snooze I realized I was still uncomfortable. Finally at 7:30, I figured I’d take some Tylenol to help with this “round ligament pain”. As I was climbing back into bed it hit me: why would I be having round ligament pain at 41 weeks pregnant? There’s literally nothing left to stretch!
I started timing the pain, and realized it was coming and going every three minutes consistently. At that point, I realized this was the real deal. I was actually grateful for David’s snoozing. It meant he didn’t leave for work on time and was home to go to the hospital with me. His schedule is so unpredictable, and when he’s flying there’s no way to get in touch with him. So this was a huge blessing!
We got to the hospital at about 10am (after stopping for Dunkin’ Donuts on the way…a girl’s gotta eat!) and got admitted at 1pm. During those three hours, I was in a labor and delivery room being monitored. My contractions were coming every three minutes, and with each contraction, Luke’s heart rate dropped. It’s normal for that to happen, but most babies’ heart rates stabilize pretty quickly, and his was taking longer to recover.
Because of this, the nurses had me lay in bed, constantly changing positions to see what Luke would respond best to. The whole idea I had of walking the halls with David and bouncing on my yoga ball went out the window. Once I was admitted, the doctor told me it was likely I’d need a c-section if Luke’s heart rate continued to act up.
When My “Plan” Went Out the Window
I had decided ahead of time that I wanted an epidural, but I wanted to wait until I was farther along so I’d be able to stay mobile. Since I wasn’t able to be mobile anyway, I went ahead and asked for the epidural when I was about 4cm dilated, at about 2pm. The anesthesiologist got to our room pretty quickly and got everything into position. I’ll spare you the details…but, it did not go well and he ended up hitting nerves twice before getting the epidural placed. For about an hour, I thought the epidural was the best thing ever. I could still completely feel and move everything from the waist down, but the contractions weren’t nearly as uncomfortable. But after that hour, it wore off and the contractions were more intense than before.
Long story short – the nurses paged the anesthesiologist for over three hours before he finally responded (they had to call his cell phone) and came to see what was going on with my epidural. He tried increasing the dose (didn’t work), and at about 11pm, after my water had broken and I was at about 7cm, he placed a second epidural (which also didn’t work). I’m still not sure what happened, but having an unmedicated birth was not in my realm of possibilities. And in the midst of all of this, they were still telling me that I was probably going to get taken for a c-section. I even had to remove all of my jewelry because we were that close to going. Talk about stressful!
The Worst Pain Created the Best Day of My Life
Thankfully, David was a great coach and support throughout all of this. When I realized I was going to have to endure the rest of labor and delivery without any meds, I started to freak out. He was able to talk me through it and keep me calm so I didn’t totally lose it. And he made a great point – I didn’t have a choice. Our baby boy was coming and I had to be the vessel to make that happen. That may seem harsh, but it was the reality and it was what I needed to hear.
When we realized I was out of options for meds at about 1am, I was at 8cm, and things started to get really intense. My contractions came on top of each other with no real break in between. At 2:15am, I told the nurses I was ready to push and they didn’t believe me. I was at 9cm and they told me I needed to just hang on. Well, if you’ve ever had a baby, you know there’s very little you can do to “hang on” when your body decides it’s ready to have that baby!
At 2:30am, I told them to check me again because this baby was coming. Luckily, they agreed, and got the room set up for delivery. The rest is a blur, but three pushes, and 12 minutes later, our beautiful Luke was born at 2:42am. A perfect, 9lb 22in long baby boy.
Life with Luke
We only spent one night in the hospital before bringing our little guy home. Lilly was super excited to meet her human brother, and we had family coming and going for the first few weeks. David was able to take about three weeks off work and we spent that priceless time learning how to be parents together.
Having a newborn as a first-time parent is something I don’t think anyone can fully grasp or be prepared for. No matter how many books and blogs you read, there’s nothing like it. You’re more tired than you’ve ever been, you constantly second guess yourself and your partner, but you’re happier than you’ve ever been. It’s such a mind boggling experience, and one I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
Luke is a great eater and sleeper, which we are so grateful for. At about three weeks old, he became colicky and we’re finally starting to see the light at the end of that tunnel. What sometimes seems like endless crying is tough – but as a mom friend reminded me, everything comes in phases, and it will get better.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Working as a team with David makes everything immensely better, and I don’t take his support for granted. He is an incredible dad and husband, and seeing him in this new role has been such a blessing to our marriage. (Not that things are all rainbows and butterflies. A new baby takes a toll on your marriage like nothing has before. We just try to remember we’re on the same team and have the same goals. Appreciation and words of affirmation go a long way!).
My days are a blur of feedings, diaper changes, and coming up with magic formulas that lead to sleeping through the night (sometimes!). It’s hard to not get lost in it all, and I’m doing my best to get out of the house as much as I can. It’s amazing what a quick trip to Target, coffee with a friend, or a walk at the park can do for your sanity.
Having a baby is hard work – but the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. We have so much love for this tiny human and can’t wait to see who he will become.
