Matthews Birth story part 2

You can find part 1 here.

We waited for what seemed like hours, but in all honesty was probably only 10-20mins. The triage nurse came in and explained that they were going to monitor me to see how far apart the contractions were. She asked me all the normal questions, including if my water had broken. At this moment in time it hadnt. But I swear those contractions ever couple of minutes were pretty intense. I remember squeezing Matts hand through each one. I would cringe my body up real tight and basically stop breathing. Again something they tell you not to do. But I just couldnt control it.

It had been about 30 more mins of monitoring when all of a sudden I felt a leaking sensation. (sorry for the tmi) Not a pop. Not a gush. Almost like I had just peed in my panties. I even told hubs this. "Either I just peed all over the bed, or my water broke." And truthfully, I really didnt know which it was. lol. And at that moment, the nurse had come back in. She was coming to tell me that my contractions were not coming as often as I had reported when coming in. They were now 6 mins apart. Basically meaning that I would be sent home.

To which I replied, "umm I either peed or my water broke." She looked at me kinda funny and asked if she could check. She lifted the sheet and confirmed, "Well, you just bought yourself a ticket to being admitted!" You mean this is real. This is really going to happen today? I couldnt believe it. And then another contraction hit me. Quite hard. The nurse said she would be back with clean sheets.

I turned to Matt. I think im going to vomit. Get a garbage can. Get a bag. Get something. Somehow I held it in the time it took him to find the ever so clever "barf-bags." I couldnt understand how i even had anything to throw up. I hadnt had anything to eat since the night before. And it was going on 2pm. Then I remembered those delicious fruit pops. They didnt tast so delicious coming back up thats for sure.

When the nurse returned, she noticed how pale i looked. Hubs informed her of what just happened. Then she said something that kinda amused me;
"I bet youre 4cms now."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, I dont know why, but the minute someone says theyve thrown-up, they are normally at least 4cms dilated"

Sure enough, she was right. I was now 4cms. She told me they would be moving me to a room and out of triage. As we were waiting for the room my sister was actually able to come back. When she did, she also let me know that the other doctor at the practice, Dr. Coe, was the doctor on-call that weekend. Quite a coincidence if you ask me, being he is my sisters dr and had delivered my niece and a few of my friends children. (lil back story, i actually first went to this practice to have him as my dr, but then found out he didnt take my insurance. however, one of the other partners, Dr. Fahey, did. At that time I was a little relieved because she is a woman, and Coe is a man, and i had never had a male Gyno.) I wasnt the least bit upset either. Dr Coe knew me very well, as i had been extremely involved with my sisters 2nd pregnancy, and i was at least happy i knew who would be delivering our lil boy.

The next few minutes are a little blurry to me. I remember them asking if I thought i could walk to the new room. I had said that would be fine, and then all i remember is halfway there (which wasnt very far) the contractions started to hit hard. I grabbed onto the nurses station and had to have Matt holding me up because I couldnt move. Then the next thing i remember is getting onto the bed.

Throughout my pregnancy I had always been undecided about the epidural. First, Im allergic to epinephrine, the main ingredient in most epidurals. My dr assured me that it isnt always in epidurals and just to let the anesthesiologist know, and they should be able to make a different cocktail of drugs that would work the same. And secondly, i really wanted to be able to move around and not be limited to the bed during labor. Hopefully allowing me to use the tub if possible. So i had told my hubs and sister, the two who would be in the room with me, that i would like to hold off on the epi for as long as possible and see if i could make it natural. But never being 100% against it, knowing I may demand it at some point ;)

Sure enough, as im getting on the bed, the nurse asked me if I would like an epidural. As in, if-down-the-line i would like an epidural, but first you need to sign paperwork. But before she could even explain to me the part about the paperwork I was already forcefully saying "YES! PLEASE!!" At which point my sis and hubs began hysterically laughing, as well as the nurse, who then explained she would call for the anesthesiologist and be back with the paperwork. Looking back, I am sure glad I said yes at that point, because turned out i wasnt able to get it for another 1.5hr due to the hospital being busy that day.

During those 90mins i was so uncomfortable and in pain. I would get really cold and shake. I would have a contraction and shake. I couldnt talk to anyone. I could barely rest between the contractions. I believe my sis-in-law and mother-in-law came in sometime during this time. And they say I wasnt very pleasant.... I would squeeze matts hand, hold my breath, and cringe everytime. And then the anesthesiologist finally showed up. I was really nervous at how i was going to be able to sit still during a contraction, as i was involuntarily shaking uncontrollably during each one. The nurse assured me I would be fine and asked everyone, including matt to the leave the room. Which he had absolutely no objection to. Then she had me lean over a pillow as she stood in front of me and told me i could hold on to her or the pillow. She said we would do it right after a contraction ended so I had a better chance of staying still.

Surprisingly it honestly did not hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would. Yes, its a needle, its gonna hurt. But trust me, compared to the contractions your feeling every couple of minutes, that needle is like a small pinch, followed by a small burning sensation. And then she said it was done. They put me back on the bed lying down and explained how my legs would start to go numb. Which they did.

They continued to monitor my contractions and even had to inform me when i was having one. I was so surprised at how it literally took the pain away. I mean i knew it would, but the relief to be able to relax in between was so calming. Then everyone came back in, to which they all informed me I seemed to be in a much better mood. And I was actually able to talk to them.

The next couple of hours are blurry to me. Dr Coe came in to check on me and say hi. Letting me know he would be the one to deliver. I know i was able to rest a little. I know they turned the lights down low so I could try to nap. I was exhausted, but too anxious to sleep. I remember the nurse checking me a couple times, and me progressively dilating further. I think somewhere around 11pm the nurse said i was at 9 cm and that she was going to call the dr to come in and check on me.

Around 11:30pm Dr Coe came in and said I was now 10cm, he had me do a couple of pushes. I guess to see how well I would do? i dunno. And then informed me that I would need to push for a little while. He let me know that he would be at the nurses station doing some paperwork and would come back to check on me soon. And then, get this, youll see how informal we really are and how close of a relationship we have with this doctor....With my legs spread open from him doing the internal check, he turned around and started watching and commenting on the Miami Heat game that was on the TV. Him and my husband were literally watching the basketball game as I was "laboring" on the bed. Till this day we all laugh about this. (Sidenote: the Heat did win that game! lol)

He left after a few more mins and my nurse came over to have me do a couple more pushes. I guess I wasnt doing it right. And if im being completely honest, i think it was the thought in the back of my mind that I might poop on the table. It wasnt that I was scared to or anything, i just didnt want to, and i think that thought was hindering me from pushing as hard as I could. The nurse finally came out and said it, and informed me that she could tell I was tensing up as I pushed each time. She said she could see his head coming down but then I would kinda suck him back in (Sorry if thats too visual). She said I needed to push like I was going to poop. So I tried, and she immediately exclaimed "Yes! Just like that!" After only a few more "test pushes" as I like to call them ;) she said she was going to go get Dr Coe because our lil boy would be here very soon. And explained that since I had had a fever all day that they would need the nicu nurses to be in the room during birth.

By this time it was around 12:10am. Dr Coe came back and said "I didnt even get to do any of my paper work!" Which lightened the mood a tad. He scrubbed up, the nurse got the baby table all ready, and we started doing the "real pushes." My sister was on one side holding up my leg, and hubs was on the other. I swear it felt like hours later, but with literally only about 20mins of pushing our lil boy was born at 12:38am at 8lbs 12oz. They put him on my chest, and I just held him for a couple of seconds, not realizing the weight of what just happened. I was still in shock and quite out of breath. But he was there. Our lil boy was here.

They then took him over to the table to clean him up and weigh him and such. I remember hearing him cry, but it was what they called an "extended cry." Im not sure how long it was, but i remember hubs going out to the waiting room to tell family he was finally here. While he was gone, it was only me and my sis in the room. I dont remember exactly how long it was, but I heard one of the nurses say he had a fever. And then I heard my nurse say that "he probably had a fever because the mom has had a fever all day too." Probably due to me being in the pool & sun earlier that day.

My nurse came back over to me and explained that he had a little bit of an extended cry. Probably due to a tiny bit of fluid being on his lungs from not being squeeze out at birth. And that since this was happening and he had a fever, that they would need to take him to nicu for further monitoring. They wrapped him up and asked if i wanted to hold him before they took him down. I of course said yes. At this point hubs had come back in the room. I just looked at my sis and told her to explain what was happening. As I was still a little out of it and just wanted to hold my baby.

I asked Matt if he wanted to hold him before they took him, since he hadnt held him yet. I think he was too nervous to, and said no they should just take him to make sure hes ok. They then put him in one of the transporting beds and wheeled him out. By now i tears welling up in my eyes and trickling down my face. I knew he would be ok. I knew it was just precaution, but I wanted so badly to do the skin-on-skin contact. And to try breastfeeding. And to just hold my baby boy.

Matt and his mom followed the baby down to the NICU while my sis stayed with me. My nurse came back in and let me know she would help me go to the bathroom, as I had to pee badly. The epidural had worn off by now, and I could feel my legs. She led me in the bathroom and helped explain "the cleanup." We were transferred to our room somewhere around 3am. Still no baby with us. Then around 5am they came in to check on me. They insisted I could go to see him whenever I wanted, but I could barely move, let alone get into a wheelchair to be able to go in. I was so tired and told them I would go as soon as I could get up and shower off. Around 8am hubs was awake, I showered, and we went down to see our precious boy.

He was getting oxygen through a helmet, and was on a little bed warmer. I wasnt able to hold him, but he was so precious. All i kept thinking was we dont belong here. I mean, as i walked in all i saw was tiny babies, babies that were fighting for their lives. My son was gigantic compared to them. Remember he was almost 9lbs.

Ill skip over the next few trying days. He spent a total of a week in NICU. I had to be discharge from the hospital without my baby. I never got the experience of having him in my hospital room with me. It was odd that people came to see him/me, and it was literally just me laying in my bed. Only close family and few close friends were able to actually see him in NICU. But it was literally the best day of my life when they told us he could come home with us!