Tuesday, June 2, 2015

the birth story, part 2.

if you missed part one, read this first.

by the time i was checked in, had answered all my questions and had every hospital ID bracelet known to man on my arm, it was after midnight. we messaged a few close friends to let them know we were at the hospital. it was going to be a long labor ... i was only 2 cm dilated.

my nurse that night was AMAZING. katie. saint katie, the best nurse in all of labor and delivery nurseland. she was the absolute best for me, and she was there until 7 am. we talked about my goals for my delivery. goal 1 is the same for everyone: healthy mom, healthy baby. i decided on my next goal: stable blood sugars. this was VERY important to me. i had worked myself up with worry that some horrible blood sugar crash would happen at a key point during delivery. spoil alert: that didn't happen.


before i was ever in labor, i asked my OB and my endocrinologist about what would happen during labor and delivery. would i wear my pump? would they give me insulin as needed through an IV? there are many options, depending on the patient and doctors. katie and i talked it out, she conferred with the on-call doctor and we decided i'd get insulin through an IV so i didn't have to worry about fooling with my pump in addition to focusing on delivery. they checked my blood sugar every few hours (so ya know, that whole sleeping thing doesn't really happen when you go into labor at night) and it was pretty stable... actually, they let me check it. i got to prick my own finger and use my own meter. and when they had to use their meter, i still got to prick my own finger. :)

it turned out to be a great decision. and when he was born, i put my pump back on and cut all my basal rates in half immediately - my insulin needs dropped dramatically right after delivery.

the doctor came in and we chatted about pain control options. she said she recommended and preferred i go ahead and get an epidural, because if she gave me pain-controlling medicine by IV, it would make the baby sleepy and prolong labor. i was not a fan of a labor any longer than necessary (hahaha, oh the irony. keep reading.). i was suddenly very nervous, because getting the epidural was the part that scared me the most. ya know, all fears come to the surface. what if it doesn't work, what if i end up paralyzed, what if...  all those. i wasn't having much pain with my contractions so i didn't think i needed it yet, but i didn't want to wait until i was in a lot of pain, then have to sit around and wait for them to show up.

it took a while for the anesthesiologist to come administer the epidural, at about 2 am she showed up. she stuck me once. it didn't go in right. she took it out. stuck me again. she didn't like how it went in, it wasn't making both sides of my body react how it should. she took it out again. stuck me again. it drew blood, she didn't like that. she took it out again. THREE TIMES. katie and devon had been really good at chatting about nothing and distracting me, and they were just quiet. it was just a coincidence, but silence at that second was NOT GREAT. i started to internally panic that it wasn't going to work and i was going to deliver him naturally. i mean, i'm aware that women have been doing that literally forever, and still do it today, but that's just not me. sorry not sorry. i wanted the epidural. finally, she had me lay on my side and hug my knees as close as i could (not very close, haha). fourth time's a charm! shew.

i laid back in bed and there i was. for the next day. 7 am came and went. shift change, katie left. i tried to nap.

9:30 am on 12/13/14

the hours crawled by, the UK game came on and went off (you all didn't think devon would miss a game, did you?). everyone said he'd be born during the game. nope. not even close. the game was at noon. i tried to nap more. the doctor came in and told me i really needed to try to sleep so i'd have the energy to push. so i napped.

smallest TV he's ever watched a UK basketball game on

family and friends came to visit and check on us. nurses came in and out. i napped. my sister and brother-in-law, who thought they wouldn't make it in town before he was born, arrived WELL ahead of him!

1:00 pm. my mom stopped by before she went to her holiday season job

i was rolled from side to side, sat up, laid back. i had some more short naps. 7 pm came again. awesome nurse katie was back! i was so happy. the other nurses during the day were lovely, but they weren't katie. katie was honest with us. he wasn't going to be born on 12/13/14. they gave me some more epidural drugs.

then, i got sick. i remembered what one of my nurse friends told me. if you start to get nauseous, it's close. it's a part of labor for many women. active labor is starting when you get sick. i couldn't properly sit my body up, but i woke up, kept trying to sit up, said i was going to be sick and was.

...11 pm came and went. i'd been in labor for 25 hours. i was exhausted. but i felt like i hadn't done anything but lay there! i felt so tired, but the action hadn't even started. i remember saying that this is nothing like what i thought it would be. (i also remember asking why woment would ever want to do this without an epidural for that many hours, but that's just me.)

finally, at 1 am, it was go time. time to push, everyone out of the room. katie said i could have the baby out in an hour. i remember looking at the clock between every push and contraction. a little progress, then nothing. THAT was the hard work. not painful work, just tiring. so tiring. but i was determined. that damn hour went by. i was so pissed that i didn't do it in an hour, i was so set on it not taking two hours. thank goodness, having c-section was NEVER mentioned. ...an hour and 30 minutes had passed.

finally. at 2:34 she told me to stop pushing, popped her head out the door and said 'get in here girls!' to the other nurses and doctor. of course, my thought was, 'STOP PUSHING NOW?! NO!'

then, after 28 hours of labor, at 2:35 am on december 14, we heard the most precious sound i have ever heard in my life. our son came into this world with a little cry, and our lives were forever changed in the best way possible.




it's been almost six months. the best six months ever. there are of course challenging times, but i wouldn't change a bit of it. 

we've been given a happy, friendly, outgoing and curious boy who adores just about everything and everyone he's encountered. i can't wait to see what his life has in store for him. 





i turn to mush thinking about it and every time i see him. there's nothing in the world like being a mom, and i love every second of it.

#cuemomtears

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