Welcome Landon Thomas!

WARNING: This post will contain the FULL birth story with all the gory details. Just a heads up!

Sooo our story begins with a lovely lunch of portabello mushroom burritos, collard greens, mashed potatoes and frozen yogurt. This would be my last meal before momdom. I ate lunch with Kevin and his co workers at SAS before our appointment on the 11th. We went in at 1:30 and got started on a non-stress test. This was protocol since I was officially on my due date. I stayed in there for 20 minutes or so and got the same sort of readings I had a week before. Nothing too exciting. We then met with Dr. Sheshadri and he started asking about when we would induce. They had previously told me that they wouldn’t let me go past the 18th and he was good and cooked. He then said that he and Dr. Seidel were going on vacation that coming weekend, so they wanted to get me in before then. He checked me and said I was around 3cm and 70% effaced. He called the nurse on speaker to start calling out dates but then he looked at my scan and said nevermind. He said there was a small blip on there that may mean low fluid. He doubted it but figured we might as well just go on to the hospital now. I think he already had a patient at the hospital and figured he would kill 2 birds. Also Jen’s thought is that they were fighting over who got to deliver me :). The head nurse Lisa had said the nurses were talking about me at lunch that day to comment on how I was one of the best patients there :).

Anyway, we headed off to the hospital with a few calls to the parents to let my mom come on her way and Kevin’s parents go get Jack from the house. We had most all the stuff we needed in the car, so we were all ready..albeit in a little shock. It was weird just walking into the hospital and strollin around thinking “I am going to have a baby soon”. No hollywood drama. I checked in with the triage nurses, who had just pulled my chart from Lisa calling them. I then headed back to my room(#1 because we are so awesome) and got changed into the killer gown. They started my IV for fluids and started asking me questions to fill out my chart. My nurse was Cathy at this point and she was super nice but her shift ended at 7 :(. We chatted and she explained all the ins and outs of what was going to go on in my induction. I stayed on the fluids for awhile and then they started the Pitocin at around 4:20. I guess it took about 30 minutes or so before I really noticed a contraction. It just felt like a mild menstrual cramp….though I knew it would get worse. She upped my pitocin about every 15 minutes. The longer it went on, they got a little stronger and I could feel them in my back but was never super painful…I have had worse pains. At about 5:30, Dr. S came in to break my water and check me. I was still about 3-4 cm.

At about 7:30, I went ahead and asked for the epidural. I wasn’t in horrible pain but the monitoring system wasn’t working for me to walk around so I was stuck in the room and I figured I should go ahead since it would be another hour until I could get the epidural. I was at 6cm, and I hear the last 5 go faster. Also my mental goal was to get to at least 5 before I got it. So the new nurse(Bert) came in and hooked me up to my super fluids. I had to have a complete bag before the epidural could be done. I got the epi around 8:30. It was pretty painless. Just that initial sting of the lydicane in my back. The only other sucky thing was the 1 contraction I had when I was bent over my belly…but I knew it was only going to get better! After the epirdural was placed and aligned with crap loads of tape on my back, they had me lay on my left side for a bit. I needed to flip side to side to get the epidural to work correctly on both sides. I watched TV and then Bert came to flip me. When I flipped to my right, Landon’s heartbeat dropped. We tried to move me a little but still it would drop with a contraction. She figured he was just laying up against his cord on that side. After we got me back to my left, she said they would need to call Dr. S back to come “refill my water”. I had NEVER heard of this…and most people I have talked to haven’t either. Anyway, they needed to refill it to help float him so he wouldn’t be on the cord. Because of this wait for the doc, we had to cut back my pitocin until he could get there. Once he was there, they ran that line to fill me and then another internal fetal monitor to monitor the contractions better(the belly one isn’t as accurate). Soon there after, they also ran my catheter. At this point I have 6 cords/tubes coming out of me. Fun. Then we were once again on our merry way. Bert made sure they could turn me and then we hunkered down for an attempt at a nap(Ha). The epi was more in my left than my right but working fine. I guess I was expected numbness all down my legs but it wasn’t. I could feel my legs for the most part. My left upper thigh was pretty numb but the important parts were very numb. I could feel each contraction slightly in my right side abdomen. It was like a stitch from running. It was actually nice because I could at least tell when I was having one. Later on, I could feel him pushing down with each contraction but it never hurt.

The next few ours just flew by while watching TV and a couple of episodes of Dexter Season 1. At around 1 (maybe), Bert checked and I was at 9.5 cm. She then tried to get me to turn back on my left and once again, the heartbeat went down but not as bad. They put me on some oxygen and that seemed to help out. I also did some yoga belly breathing and this seemed to help him even more. At 1:30 I guess, she said I was 10 cm and they were going to call the Dr. She said the night shift likes to let you labor as long as possible to get the baby down and then try to make pushing relatively short.

At around 2, she said we could start pushing…this was more like practice. They didn’t set up all the stuff like he would be born soon, but we just were going to help LT move on down. Kevin and Bert held my legs and Bert coached me to push while applying warm towels and mineral oil to help “loosen” me up. She also had to lower my pitocin because my body had kicked in and was making it’s own contractions too. I felt I was warming up for a sporting event. I think I even got those same little butterflies like when starting a race. I wish I would have seen the chart 🙂 During this pushing, he was low enough for them to see his head momentarily when I would push. I heard a sweet “wow” from Kevin and comments on all his hair. I was also offered a mirror, and I said no thanks…I would wait for the whole thing. This went on until Dr. S got there. We then set up for the real deal. The nursery nurse and assistant came in with the table of supplies and set up all the tables for the baby and took off the lower part of the bed. Dr. S watched me push and he seconded the nurse’s statement that I was a good pusher. He then saddled up and was coaching me to push harder. This definitely felt like a sporting event now :). I was in the zone and not really looking at anyone. I could hear the excitement in Kevin’s voice but I wouldn’t look at him for fear of being all emotional and junk. He then told me that they were going to prep the suction in case we needed it. I didn’t think twice about it. From the sounds of everyone, I was really close and it wouldn’t take long. He obviously fit through the canal…it was just getting him out. He had me do more pushing now per contraction. I would like to point out here that this didn’t hurt. I could feel the pressure but nothing more than a nice poop :). I think if anything, I was mentally holding back because of tearing. I knew the slower you go, the better it goes. Well Dr. S was pushing me on and I finally mentally just said “fuck it” and pushed with everything. I felt the doc stretching me and tugging around the sides but once again, no pain. A few pushes later and they said his head was out…one more push and my little boy came right on out. 2:47 on the dot.

Kevin was teary eyed and I just wanted to see him. They were suctioning his mouth and nose out and such and I couldn’t wait for the little munchkin to be on my chest. There he was, all kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs. Kevin cut the cord(even though he had said he didn’t want to) and I snuggled my little one…goop and all. The nurses were wipeing him down and Kevin and I just stared at him. The nursery nurse then asked if she could take him for a weight check. I said certainly and he went over to the warming table. In this time, I delivered the placenta…though I barely remember the sensation of it coming out. I then turned to the Dr. and asked what the status was down there. He was stitching me for a 2nd degree tear but that it wasn’t too bad. Honestly the stitching felt odd. Like I knew what he was doing so it was like my mind could imagine what that would feel like. Not sure how to explain that.

My little wiggle worm then got weighed in at 7 lbs 9oz, 19 inches long. He had a 14.5 inch head circumference and apgar scores of 8/9. His head had a little bit of a cone to it but not bad. They swaddled him up and put a little hat on him and we snuggled. His eyes were open and just curious. We then set me up to feed him. He took some persuading but soon was on and lightly going. Kevin went out and told the grandparents and they came in to meet him. I was starting to feel sleepy…but not tired like I thought. This was more from just being up almost 24 hours straight. They then left and LT and Kevin went onto the post-partum room. I stayed back with Bert and we had to get me to pee on my own. My epidural was pretty much worn off and I passed the peeing test with flying colors. She then explained to me that LT’s heartbeat was dropping in my pushing. Dr. S had to speed things up to get him out quickly and that is why I tore and I had a good bit of bruising. Looking back, the signs were there..the suctioning, his hurried rhythm but that is how awesome he is. I never felt paniced because I didn’t know. Bert said they were worried his cord was around his neck or foot but it wasn’t. He just likes drama. She then showed me how to doctor myself. WARNING THIS IS GRAPHIC AND DOWN RIGHT GROSS. I had to use a squirt bottle of warm water to rinse everything because you can’t really wipe. I then pat dry and spray a topical pain reliever on myself. Then I put on the sweet disposable panties and insert a gigantic back AND then a cold pack pad(this was a giant pad but you cracked it like an ice pack). This was the ritual…and it freaking sucked. But right then, I still had enough epidural left that I didn’t feel much. I will go into this more in the next post on the “aftermath”. I was wheeled over to my post partum room and had a snack….I was in for a few days of fading modesty, sore nipples, and waddling like no duck on earth….