Eryk 9/30/08

he's soooo cute (no bias of course )... and we're totally with him.

My due date was sunday 9/28. For a couple weeks, I was only 1cm dilated with no real symptoms. At around 6pm, I started feeling cramping. they were not rhythmic or predictable. they ran between 7 and 15 min apart. At 11pm, I FINALLY lost my mucous plug.

By midnight, I had contractions 5 min apart. I was officially in labor. I called my OB after 90 min of contractions 5-7 min apart, and they said to call back and go to the hospital once I was in labor with contractions 3-4 min apart for over an hour... I called at 430am and we went in...

and after all of those contractions (labor for 4.5 hours!) I was..... 1.5cm dilated . I was sent home.

I couldn't sleep all night becuase of the contractions every 3 min or so.... I showered and tried to rest. I went to the OB's office at 10 AM. I literally showed up exhausted and crying. They checked me and I was somewhere between 3cm-4cm, and was sent to the hospital.

If you recall, I was trying to do a natural childbirth. It wasn't for the experience, it was more becuase I was scared that an epidural may stall labor progression, and would require the administration of pictocin. Pictocin produces very strong artificial contractions, which can stress out a baby and cause a cessarian....
At base minimum, my goal was to wait until 6cm before getting an epi, since it's more likely to stall labor if given early.

Well, those ideas were tossed. Mainly becuase I had prolonged labor. I entered labor at around midnight, was about 4cm at 10:30am, and was about 4, maybe 4.5cm at 6:30 pm (18.5 hours into labor). (frankly, I asked Dr. Davenport to check me at 6:30, and promised myself to give myself an epi if I was 6-8 cm... I couldn't believe I there was progress in 8 hours, and I was still 4!) At this 18+ hour time point, the regular strong contractions 2-3 min apart were making me... well, despondent. If I got good news (like I was almost fully dilated), I would have felt encouraged. But you reach a deep dark place if you're enduring so much pain for seemingly no reason......

well, after that, I KNEW I was headed into the land of pictocin, becuase my labor may be stalling on its own... so I requested an epi and agreed to get the drip. (I do NOT want to know what pictocin contractions feel like.)

Oh, during my 6:30 check, my water broke. I was bleeding a good deal, so they couldn't tell if the fluid was clear or not. they thought they may have seen myconium .

Here comes my only negative part of the labor experience... the anesthesiologists were 'short-staffed'. there's a hospital guideline that a patient receives an epi within 30 min of the request... well, I waited 2 F@#$@#$ hours I felt like a victim of the spanish inquisition at that point... especially since I wasn't going to get the pictocin until the epi was in... so this was time added to an already prolonged labor.

Once in (8:30pm on monday), I felt much better... and they kept ramping up the pictocin... they ramped it even a bit too high becuase my contraction peaks began to merge a bit .. but they caught it in time and reduced the drip and they seperated again. (if they didn't seperate... it would have become a cessarian!).

At midnight (now TUESDAY!), I felt nauseous. I asked to be checked... I was FINALLY 10cm!!!!! BUT, I couldn't push, becuase the darned epi made me too numb. I had to wait for it to partially wear off. It took another 2 hours... Also, my sugar levels were SUPER low... about 68 or so... so they started a sugar drip....

At about 1:45AM I began pushing. I
was delirious at this point, becuase I hadn't slept or eaten in well over 24 hours. But, after much coaching and encouragement from Dr. Davenport, I managed to finally pop Little Loaf's big head out at 2:50AM.

during pushing, she saw more fluid and it DID have myconium. so, a NICU swat team was assembled to check Little Loaf out from head to toe to make sure he was ok after he was born.

(Must say, it was VERY reassuring that there is such a huge team with a level III nicu in the same building.... if you ever end up even MAYBE needing it, it's very reassuring that absolutely everything is RIGHT THERE. no hospital transfers...)

So, Eryk was born at 2:53AM on Tuesday 9/30. He was not placed on my belly... DH couldn't cut the cord.. he was automatically whisked over to the swat team for a NICU go-over. I was TOTALLY fine with that...

Well, he was FINE. and we were relieved. I managed to BF him for the first time within the first 45 min of life... so he's now a BF champ . It felt so surreal. We're so in love!

Post labor, I'm feeling very good. I had minimal tearing, no episiotomy, and have been feeling pretty good...

So, life is great! Below are pictures in our hospital room, when we left the hospital, and during the carride home....

Thanks so much to all the wonderful TTc'ers, moms, and moms-to-be on this site for all of their support an valuable help. you guys rock.......

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Message edited 10/3/2008 8:07:13 PM.

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congratulations - enjoy your little love

Message edited 10/3/2008 8:35:50 PM.

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

great story! what a happy ending to a rough experience

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

congratulations! he is beautiful!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congrats!!! He is SO cute!!!!!!!!!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Oh my God!! What a crazy labor experience! I am so happy that you're home resting with your beautiful son! Enjoy every minute!!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Thank goodness all ended up ok and that the Loaf is just fine!! You are a trooper!! Congratulations mama!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congrats!!! So glad that baby and mommy are doing well! Enjoy every minute with him!!!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

great story congrats he is so cute

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congratulations!!! He is so cute!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Many congrats to you, DH and baby eryk!!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congratulations! He's adorable!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congratulations again! Did you get my text

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congratulations! He is adorable

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

he is too cute!!!!!!!!! congrats mommy!!!!!!!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congrats, such a cute baby!

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congratulations to the both of you!!! Best Wishes to the whole family!!! He is so adorable!!!



~dancer and chef~
charlotte and michael

Re: Eryk 9/30/08

Congrats!!! Hes adorable!