Mon 2:45- Appointment with Dr. Bailey...I'm 2cm dilated, 80% effaced, & the head is way down there. He says he wouldn't doubt it if I went into labor that night.
After being checked I'm feeling continuous contractions, but I was making dinner, so didn't time them.
7:00 pm-ish- family home evening which consists of walking around walmart with our iphones in hand timing my contractions.
8:00 pm-ish- go home to see how the contractions will go with me relaxing on the couch...still consistent an hour & half later at about 4 minutes apart, call the hospital and let them know we're coming.
9:50 pm- drive the 50 minutes to the hospital while listening to Micheal Buble
10:40- arrive at the hospital. The nurse checks me thinking I'm a 4 or a 5 & calls the doctor. Dr. Bailey arrives and I'm only a 3.
Contractions increase in intensity. The nurses give me stadol in my iv to help with the pain so I can get some sleep. I feel sooo loopy and sedated, but it works like a charm & I get some sleep.
8:30 am- Dr. Bailey checks me- I'm dilated to a 4. He breaks my water. I'm told I can have an epidural when I'm dilated to a 6. Dr. Bailey tells the nurses to call him when my labor progresses more- better too early than too late.
Chad & me take to walking the halls of the hospital, squatting on contractions until the contractions get too intense for me to take standing.
9:45 am- Dilated to a 5. I beg for an epidural, they give me stadol in my iv instead. It makes me feel a little loopy again but does nothing to the pain.
10:15- I ask that the nurse check me again, sure that I'm a 6. The nurse is skeptical that I've advanced so quickly, but checks me anyways..."oh, you're a good 6", she says in surprise. One order of epidural coming up.
10:40- I feel the first urge to push. The anethisiologist finally arrives, but too late.
10:45 am- The nurses check me- I'm dilated to a 10. The doctor still hasn't arrived. The nurses tell me not to push but at this point all my stomach & pelvic muscles are almost forcing me to. The nurses scurry to prepare to deliver a baby without the doctor.
The doctor arrives a few minutes later with no time to change into scrubs.
11:20 am- Liam is born! 8 pounds 8 ounces, 22 inches.
Proud new daddy.
It makes me laugh because Chad is just beaming and I look so dead. I'm still somewhat sedated from the stadol plus exhausted from labor.
When all is said and done, I'm grateful things unfolded as they did. Silly as it may sound, one of my life's ambitions has been to give birth without an epidural. However, as my due date drew close & I watched more episodes of TLC's "A Baby Story", I chickened out and reassured myself that I would still have a natural birth, just not with this first one. Maybe Heavenly Father knew I just needed to be sort of forced into a natural birth if I were to ever do it. I Can't say I will have any other births without an epidural, but regardless I'm grateful I can now say that I did it! I am also grateful for a husband that stayed by my side holding my hand, wiping my forehead, and even cried with me at the sight of my pain. And I'm grateful for this beautiful new baby boy.
12 comments:
Wow..that birthing story sounds kinda familiar. Your baby is sooo cute! And you look great as well. Why did they want to wait until you were a 6 until they gave you the epidural?! That sounds crazy to me. Isn't the purpose of the epidural so that you feel no/little pain. By the time you are a 6 that is pretty painful. Good job for doing it natural. I sympathize with your that exhausted feeling...I remember wanting help to hold the baby-felt to weak to hold her securely. Liam is such a cute name!
Congratulations!!!
Congrats Michelle! He is beautiful! What a story.
He's soooo beautiful! I am so happy for you two!
On a side note, I just read your post while listening to the song "Life is Beautiful" by Vega4 (it was playing on Shannon's blog)and the musical timing was perfect...I just about cried once I got to the pictures of the baby, ha!
Congratulations!
Having a baby without an epidural is something that everyone should feel at least once. I'm glad you did, but yours went WAY faster than mine. I'm so glad. The best part is when the baby comes out and you have a huge gush of relief! I missed having that this go round. Stupid C-Section! Anyway, I'm so glad things went well for you and he is one handsome little man!!! Congratulations Mama!!!
How nice they kept you at the hospital!! maybe because you lived so far away? I showed up with Isaac when I was at a four and they sent me home. That was depressing :)
He is on handsome guy. Congratulations to you and Chad! Happy birthday Mr Liam.
YEAH, I finaly get to see some good pictures of him. He is so cute. I think we will be coming home Wednesday so maybe I can stop by Thursday to see him.
He is so stinkin' cute! Good job. My first delivery story is almost exactly like yours except for I did get the epidural after 3 hours of waiting since 9 other women had babies the same night. Conor weighed 8lbs. 9 1/2 oz. and my doctor didn't make it. The nurses also told me to stop pushing and I did but my contractions shoved him out anyway. With my next baby they didn't let me push until the doc got there. They literally made me cross my legs and put a pillow against my bum. funny huh?! Congrats to you!
Hey michelle!! I found your blog from Ashley's- Super congrats to you and Chad!!! how exciting!!! what a darling baby!!
Wow, these are the most precious pictures. And way to go without an epidural! Crazy story! Your little one is beautiful, congratulations.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Give Liam a big smooch from his cousins out here on the east coast! I'm with everyone else you seriously looked awesome at 39 weeks and post delivery :) Hopefully we'll see you all in Mo. this summer!
I'm a little teary. But, that is normal these days. I'm so proud of you Michelle! I'm anxious to talk to you and hear all the details. Can't wait to meet little, Liam. The newest snuggly bug of the lovey kiss!!!!
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