Sat. June 21st
9:30PM - 2:00AM Contractions started and ranged from 10-15 min apart. At 2:00AM Brian and I got showered and dressed and started timing bc contractions hadn't gone away for 5 hrs and I couldn't take the pain.
Sun. June 22nd
2:00AM - 6:00AM Contractions ranged from 4 min to 12 min apart. Spent time together and watched a movie as we kept track of the pain. Contractions went back up to 15 min. apart and we were exhausted from being up all night. So we decided to take a nap and wait for them to be closer apart.
6:00AM-8:30AM Contractions 10-15 min apart. Brian slept, I kept waking up screaming every 10 minutes.
8:30AM-5:00PM Contractions 5 -7, 7-8, 10-12 min apart. I stayed at home hoping this would be the day. Brian, my mom and I took a walk to help along the labor.
At 5:00PM I called the hospital and asked if I could pleeeease come in since I had been in consistent pain for 19.5 hrs. They said ok, but if I wasn't dilated they would send me back home.
5:00PM-5:30PM We got ready, Brian, my mom and I drove to hospital. Pains got stronger and closer. YEY!
5:30PM-6:00PM Checked into hospital, contractions 5 min apart, 1 cm dilated, 70% effaced. YEY!!! I can stay! I thought for sure I would progress! (btw no more fluids or food at this point and my last meal had been at 1pm. Many of you know I get really cranky when I don't eat or sleep...)
6:00PM-1:00AM Finally 3 cm, 80% effaced. Can you believe it??? It took 27 hrs to get 3cm. Every time Brian gave me positive words or guided me with the breathing I thought I was going to loose it and tell him off or something. At 1:00AM got the epidural. This gave me some relief for a few hrs but at this point I was miserable, hungry, thirsty, discouraged, angry, thinking it's never going to be over. I'll spare you some more details, this story is long enough.
Mon. June 23
1:00AM - 11:00AM Contractions 2-4 min apart, but I wouldn't dilate more than 5-6cm. There were talks of a C-section if I didn't progress. Baby's heart rate going down on and off. (mommy was dying of hunger and thirst). The epidural refill had taken a crazy effect, as my legs were completely numb but my belly wasn't, so I could feel cramps and pains with each contraction but couldn't move my body. I thought there was no light at the end of the tunnel. and yeah, I was pretty CRANKY at this point.
11:00AM ish Fully dilated, ready to push! YEY!!!!!!
11:00AM-12:45PM ish - Pushed but wasn't really doing much as far as moving baby. Talks of C-section came up again. I was falling asleep in between pushing and ready to give up.
12:45PM My Dr. came in the room and I got a tough love, pep talk from her. She said I wasn't doing anything and made fun of my pushing, saying that wasn't real pushing. She turned off the epidural so that I could feel the pain and pressure to know when to push and said it would be such a shame for me to work so hard for this long and end up with a C-section. I managed to get some strength/anger in me and pushed like I had no idea I could, I thought my face was going to explode. Then my Dr. said "You got it!!! Now you're pushing! Now I can see the baby's head rocking back and forth, this baby will be here soon!!"
Baby came out at 1:14PM. (Total time of arrival: 39 hrs 44 min.)
It was an amazing, surreal moment when Oliver Lee arrived.
The next words out of my mouth were "Can I please have some water?"
Just when I thought I was prepared to trust God with whatever scenarios I made up, I got a few curve balls thrown at me, which forced me to really trust. He gave me an AWESOME coach/husband and a GREAT mom to help during the delivery and AMAZING friends and family who prayed for so long for me and our little bundle of joy!
Glenda
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