A Pea in the Pod

So, taking care of an infant is a lot of work. 

Shocking, right?!

 I really thought in between feeding and changing I would have some time to myself during the napping.

 I was wrong.

 At least for now. 

So I will do my best to keep the blog a float, but I have a feeling my posts are going to be much fewer for the rest of the summer!

 My water broke at about 11:30pm

 I was in my hospital room at 12:30am

I delivered at 5:20am

 I am glad it went fast, but it definitely wasn’t what I had expected.

I suppose I should start from the beginning.

I tried to write the short of it, but it ended up being really long.

So, here is the long of it.

Our Birth Story

It’s Thursday night, Steve and I had just gotten home from dinner and trivia at the local Pub with my family.

 I was working on a drawing that I wanted to get done for a while. ( Post on that later)

While I am cleaning up, I realize  Bentley had peed all over the basement floor .

 I got some paper towels and bent down to clean it up when I heard a pop.

 I assumed it was my hip....and you know what they say about assuming...

 It makes an ass out of you and me, or it means you are about to give birth.

 I stood back up and like a child in the kiddy pool,the flood gates released. 

Naturally, I'm thinking I peed my pants ( because that happens so often?!) 

In retrospect it really made more sense that it was my water breaking, but at the time that didn't seem as likely. 

 I head upstairs to where Steve is and tell  him what happened.

 I figured I had a weak bladder from pregnancy or something.

 As I am standing there though, I can feel more water running down my leg, and I have absolutely no control over it.

Steve pointed out that it was probably my water and not pee. 

Which made me feel better about myself, but I wasn’t sure if I believed him because I always imagined it as more of a gush, like you see in the movies. 

We call the Dr. and she tells us to head into the hospital and they will check me out.

 When we get to the hospital they don't bother checking me to see how far along I am. 

Since it's my first baby they assured me I wouldn’t likely be having it for another 12 hours or so. 

(Oh how wrong they could be.)

They confirm my water had broke and admit me.

.  We don't bother calling everyone yet, since it's late at night and the baby won't be here till the next day some time anyway.

About an hour later I am finally out of Triage and in my room when contractions start,but I don't realize that is what they are.

 I just think I am anxious and uncomfortable.

(Apparently I have a  much higher tolerance for pain than I previously thought)

Our nurse encourages us to call my friend Anna who is also our Doula and tell her to come to the hospital.

I try sitting on my Yoga Ball, it doesn't help much.

So I get in the jetted tub in my room hoping the water will give me some relief.

  My contractions continue and are happening pretty frequently, but no one seems to be alarmed. 

At this point I am thinking, "Wow, this REALLY hurts and it's only been a few hours. What are the next 10 hours going to be like?!"

So I tell the nurse I want to start my Epidural.

In order to do that though, I have to make my way back to the bed.

By now I can't really have a whole conversation with anyone to explain what is going on in my body!

 The contractions are taking my breath away and I feel like passing out.

Steve is coaching me through the contractions as I attempt to get up out of the tub, dry off and make my way back to the bed. 

Moving those 12 feet took me about 15-20 min because I have to keep stopping for contractions. 

Still, no one is alarmed... so Steve and I assume this is the normal course of labor and are glad I am about to get drugs!

Anna shows up and takes over coaching me.

I get into the bed and the next contraction makes me scream out loud and curl up into a ball.

 The nurse is all " Whoa, what was that!? That sounded like more than a contraction!" 

I'm all " It hurts! It hurts! Something is happening!!!!"

So, she checks me and Surprise, I am 9 cm and she can see Clark's head!

(Insert WTF moment right here.)

Now it is too late for me to get an epidural. 

The nurse says, if I can hold off pushing ( which is pretty much impossible, because my body seems to have a mind of its own right now) they can get me the epidural but I need to finish my IV and then it will take about 20 min for it all to kick in. 

OR 

I can just start pushing and "get it over with."

I am  in as close to what I can describe as "shock." 

  Not only am I dealing with contractions that I never planned on dealing with, now I am trying to mentally process what is about to happen and also trying to make a sane decision.

 I remember just laying there in absolute confusion looking at Steve and then at the nurse and then at Steve  in a panic, not knowing what to do or say. 

Steve and Anna kept telling me “ You can do this, just push, get him out, you will feel better.”  

I wanted to believe them but I felt so confused.

 I had a really hard time deciding what I needed to do.

 I decided to push.

I really felt like I didn’t have another option.

 Clark was coming and there was no way I could lay there and take more contractions like the ones I was having and wait for my epidural.

 I was so frustrated though, because this wasn’t my original plan. 

This wasn’t how I had imagined it going in my head.

 They told me we would have hours before I delivered. 

We brought a movie to watch, I packed snacks, my mom was supposed to be there!! 

Now, I am minutes away from having a baby? Naturally? Right now?!

Pushing started, it was the worst pain I have ever felt and I thought I was going to die. 

 I remember thinking, “ I wish they could just knock me out so I don’t have to do this and wake me up when it’s over”

 I do not consider myself a strong person, mentally or physically.

I have a low pain tolerance. 

( Although I have tattoos and piercings somehow)

I am not competitive. 

( I am totes okay with throwing in the towel)

I can be insecure.

(I doubt myself a lot)

And lastly,

I am kinda lazy when I want to be

(I don't like to do it if it's really hard)

All of those traits definitely don’t scream, “ I ‘m ready to push out this baby!”

   ( Also, I want my Mom!!)

After about 10-15 minutes

Clark is born at 5:20 am Friday morning. 

Exactly one week early.

Steve helped deliver him and cut the cord. 

Clark didn’t scream or cry, he just made a few noises and looked around. 

After they took him over to the table to get wiped off, he rolled himself over and put his hand on the side of the changing table and pushed himself up and lifted his head.

 As if he wanted to look around the room and see what was going on. 

Everyone was amazed by his strength!

I felt so relieved to be done with the hardest thing I have ever done.

Then the Dr. tells me, “ Oh yeah, it’s not over yet, you need to deliver the placenta” 

Which took probably another 20 minutes and was also pretty painful. 

No one tells you about that part.

They had to message my stomach and tug on the cord because it didn’t just detach on it’s own like it normally does I guess.

Sorry if that's all TMI.

You asked for it.

The happy grandmas