Preface
When I went to the Dr.'s for my 39 week appointment they told me I was dilated to a 3, 90% effaced, and could go anytime. My Dr. asked me if I wanted to try and start labor or if I wanted to just let "nature take its course for now." I told him I didn't want to do anything to start the labor (breaking membranes, etc.) So he sent me on my way, but told me that if I did not go into labor on my own that the week after my due date he was going to induce me. So regardless of when this baby wanted to come I knew that within a week of that appointment I would have a baby in my arms, and it was mind boggling. That's when the reality of what was about to happen started to really hit me. I began to wrap things up at work and told everyone my last day was going to be Friday (it was Tuesday), as long as I didn't go into labor before then. By the end of the day I was really starting to get nervous about being induced, and I was hoping this baby would decide to come on his own before next Tuesday. By the next day I decided I was going to try a few of the "old wive's tales" to put myself into labor. That night Ian and I ate Mexican food and I got the spiciest thing on the menu, we went on a long walk, and the next day I walked all around the warehouse at work as well as climbed up and down the stairs over and over! Nothing happened. By Friday I gave up on the whole thing and just figured this baby was not coming until I was induced. Well, I am happy to say that was NOT the case! :]
How it happened...
Saturday morning I woke up at 3:00AM to go to the bathroom (like I did EVERY morning being pregnant) and on my way back to bed is when my first contraction hit. I thought "oh wow that was a contraction! I just had a contraction!" I wasn't sure what to think but decided I should go back to bed and see what happens. After climbing into bed I realized I was hungry so I went downstairs for a bowl of cereal, that's when it hit me again, another contraction. I checked the time. It was exactly 20 min from the first one. I thought "no way, could I be going into labor?" I couldn't go back to sleep at this point and after 2 more contractions (still exactly 20 min apart) I decided to wake up Ian to tell him and see if he would go on a walk with me. So somewhere around 4:00AM he and I walked to our local Blockbuster to drop off a movie we had rented the night before. By the time we got home my contractions were almost 10 min apart. We decided to get ready for the day and make sure we had everything in our bags for the hospital. I showered, did my hair and make-up, and then we went to breakfast at our favorite restaurant, The Black Bear Diner. It was quite interesting eating breakfast during contractions. I'm pretty sure people probably knew what was going on or that maybe we were going through a break up. ha ha. I didn't want to seem like I was in pain so I would just close my eyes and squeeze Ian's hand, but I'm sure it was obvious anyways. Our waiter sure kept quiet and gave us our space! lol.
After breakfast we went to Walmart to look at magazines. When we were checking out a lady behind us looked at me and said, "She looks like she is about to have that baby!" Apparently she could tell I was in a lot of pain. Regardless, my contractions were still not close enough together to go to the hospital yet, so we decided to walk the mall to help keep my mind off them. At the mall they began to get really irregular and I started to worry that maybe this was a sign I was having "false labor" pains instead. It was a really depressing thought and I didn't know what to do, so Ian suggested I call the doctor. The doctor told me it was up to me if I wanted to go into the hospital and get checked and then asked if I had been drinking lots of water. I hadn't been. So he told me to drink some water because if you are dehydrated then it can throw things out of wack and cause the contractions to be irregular. We bought a huge water bottle at the mall and continued to walk around until finally I couldn't take anymore. I decided we should just go home. By the time we got home apparently the water had started to work its magic because now my contractions were about 4 min apart! It didn't take long for me to decide that it was time to head to the hospital. I was hating life driving there, but as soon as we got to labor and delivery they brought us right into our room and had me checked. I was already dilated to a 5-6 and fully effaced. I was planning to get an epidural so they had to get the anesthesiologist asap. I was given an IV and some other pain meds until the epidural came. After the epidural the doctor broke my water. By 4:15 I was fully dilated, but the Dr. wasn't there yet so they decided to have me wait 45 min to "rest and decend." Those 45 min felt like the longest part of my whole labor. It was terrible. A little after 5:00PM they started to have me push. I was hungry and really tired so they had to pump sugar water through my IV and give me oxygen during the last part of labor to keep me going, but an hour after I started pushing he was born!
He was welcomed into the world at 6:03PM weighing in at 7lbs. 5oz.
Here are some pictures from the hospital.
This was the morning after he was born. His blood sugar was low and they had to set him up for an IV, so the bandage you see on his hand is from that :(
Right after having him. He is wide awake!
Lots of dark hair and beautiful chubby cheeks!
My little baby burrito :)
We are so happy he is finally here, and I was glad the labor went well. Now it's onto the recovery! Hopefully it won't be much longer :) I just can't wait to get out with my little one when I'm completely better and he is bigger! Oh the fun we will have ;)
