A Baby Story

This week we're celebrating my son's first birthday. One of his Grandmas arrived today, and we're glad she'll be here to celebrate with us. Since I'm waxing nostalgic this week, I thought I'd take a little walk down memory lane. A while back I posted a series on the "can't you just install a dishwasher" project, which took place just before our son's birth. If you haven't read it, well, let's just say it blossomed into a heckuva lot more than a dishwasher. When you have time and need a chuckle, you may want to read that series.

On to the nostalgia...

The baby was due March 1st last year. I remember my doctor saying, everything's good to go... baby is in position. I think you'll go til your due date and have an average size baby.

March 1st came and went, as did the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,...... and a couple more doctor appointments. "Any day now," he kept saying. This momma was very tired and huge.

At the start of my appointment on March 9th, we made plans to induce on the 11th, if I hadn't gone into labor by then. My doctor was to be on call that day, and I liked the idea of having him deliver the baby. With that all set, the doctor proceeded with the exam. Stop the presses. He told us to go to the hospital. Apparently I was 4 cm dilated and in the early stages of labor. Who knew? Obviously not me. So we went home & got the suitcase, which had been packed for a couple of weeks, sent some e-mails to our families, friends, and neighbors, and then went off to the hospital in the late afternoon.

As we had practiced in our test drive to the hospital (yes, we did a test run... my husband's idea), my hubby dropped me off at the main entrance & then zipped our car off to the parking garage. There I stood with my pillow, suitcase, and assorted camera cases. There were only 2 of us, but we had 4 cameras -- video, 35mm, digital still camera, and a disposable black & white. Yes, this birth would be well documented.

We knew right where to go, from our tour of the hospital. They sent us to a little room where they could assess where I was in my labor. The contractions weren't very intense, but I guess my other signs were pretty far along. They hooked me up to a monitor, and my husband and I joked around, excited and in disbelief that the day had actually arrived when we'd meet our little one. They confirmed that the baby was in position, and eventually moved us on to our room in the birthing center.

I was in really good spirits. The contractions weren't too strong yet, and my water hadn't yet broken. The doctor suggested breaking it, and I thought that was a good idea -- I was there to have the baby, so why not get the show on the road!

It was after the breaking of the water that I REALLY felt the contractions. Oh, so that's what you mean by a contraction? They were excruciating. I had been thinking a la naturel sounded like the way I'd go, but before long, I was ready for the epidural. The anesthesiologist came in & explained the whole procedure to me. I remember facing my husband and just being glad when they had it all set up and working. The doctor put his hand on my leg and asked if it felt like my leg. I said "yeah, whose leg should it feel like?" At that point I was still pretty good natured.

Ahh. The epidural was a beautiful thing. I could feel the contractions, but I could endure them. American Idol was on tv in my room, and I was half watching it amidst the activity. I remember the nurses coming and going... shifts changing, and new ones coming and going.

It was past midnight when I began to push. We knew then we'd be having our baby on the 10th. I pushed and pushed. No progress. I remember after an hour of pushing asking what I was doing wrong. The nurse kept saying "That's the way!"  Oh? Then why isn't the baby coming out?  I was getting frustrated. My poor husband didn't know what was normal, but I knew that the head should have been working its way down the birth canal, and it wasn't. Yet, the nurse continued "That's the way!"  Various residents came in to check that the baby was indeed in position, with head down. Yep. (Later, I told my hubby I never wanted to hear that phrase "That's the way" again ... for the rest of my life. Of course he says it every chance he gets now.)

I pushed on and on. They didn't like how the baby's heart was responding to the contractions, so they had me on oxygen and propped up slightly on one side. My left lower back was in intense pain, and the nurse offered a new treatment: sterile water injection into the painful spot. Sure. I figured I'd try anything at that point. Since I was at a teaching hospital, a crowd gathered to watch this procedure. I told them I'd never had so many people gathered around looking at my butt before.  The injection helped some for a while.

After the 2nd hour of pushing, the doctor got tough with me. She wasn't "my" doctor, but she was the one on-call. Anyway, she said she didn't see why I couldn't push this baby out. She asked, "you don't want to have a c-section, do you?"  I assume she was trying to motivate me, but instead she scared the crap out of me. I was approaching the point of tears. She told me she'd let me push for another hour, but because of the way the baby's heart was responding to the contractions, they couldn't let me keep going after then. They gave me some pitocin to try to make the contractions more productive, they turned the epidural down so I could feel the contractions better. I was in a lot of pain then.

After 3 hours of pushing, I signed a consent form for a c-section. At this point I was afraid, crying, and exhausted. I was worried about my baby and just wanted to hold him. I was in pain & wanted them to crank up my epidural once again. I asked several times! Once they wheeled me in to the operating room, they gave me plenty of pain relief before the surgery.

By the time they had my husband suited up to join me in the operating room, they had already prepped me and begun the procedure. My hubby held my hand the whole time. Thank God.

I remember hearing my baby crying for the first time. I couldn't see him though! There was a shield in the way! My husband announced "it's a boy!" and the doctors took him aside to clean him up & check him out. I cried and asked over and over to see my baby. It felt like an eternity. I asked my husband to take pictures, so he went to where they were examining the baby and took pictures.

Since I couldn't see what was going on, I listened:

crying baby... "he's big!!" ... "he has a lot of hair!"

How big is he???!!  I wanted to see my baby!!! I asked my husband if he looked like anyone. He replied "he looks just like me!"

Finally, they wrapped our son in a blanket and put his little hospital cap on. My husband brought him over to me. At last. He was so beautiful. Gorgeous little nose, a big lower lip (like his Daddy), and a dimple, like Daddy's. At long last...

My sweet little boy weighed in at 8 lbs, 13 oz, and was 22" long. He arrived at 5:38am on March 10th, 2004.

For days, weeks, maybe even months, I looked at him and couldn't believe I was his mother. How could I be so lucky? I still wonder that, a year later.

Comments

[elle]

I'm not a mother, so I can't begin to imagine the extent of the pain and the joy of childbirth, but you did an excellent job of describing it. :) This is a beautiful piece of writing!

[Jody Halsted]

Your son & Miss Brenna weighed the same at birth. I ended up delivering by c-section, too. And had planned to go through everything naturally.

"For days, weeks, maybe even months, I looked at him and couldn't believe I was his mother. How could I be so lucky? I still wonder that, a year later."

I'm right there with you on this. Such an amazing feeling and one noone can prepare you for.

Happy 1st birthday to your little guy!

[Marie]

Thanks for your kind words, Elle!

Thank you, Jody!! Your petite little one was a big'un?! She looks so delicate compared to my little guy.

[Anita]

Happy Birthday, little adorable one!!!

I'm so glad that painful story had a happy ending. What's that saying - - without the bitter life wouldn't be so sweet? I bet seeing your little one was the absolute best.

[Marie]

Thanks Anita... :-)