Welcome Wesley!
It's hard to believe that yesterday would have been the start of my 38th week of pregnancy and another picture would soon be added to my Pregnancy Round 2 page and on Facebook...but NOPE! Wesley John would have none of that!
THE STORY:Charlie had cried at 12:30am Friday morning. I got up to check on him, he was cold and lost his blankets. So I covered him up and went back to my room. Upon lying down I started having some uncomfortable pains and just brushed them off as Braxton Hicks; however, a half hour later, tossing and turning to relieve the pain to no avail, I stood up and thought, "What if this is labor? They're not going away when I change positions...well, I'll just time them for an hour."
At 2:o0am, still having contractions every 2-3 minutes apart, I thought, "Ok, well it still might be just Braxton Hicks so maybe I should wait for another half hour and see..." Meanwhile, Jeff is working night shift and I am trying to rationalize what is going on while also not wanting to alarm him and praying for wisdom as to what to do! So I timed the contractions for another half hour: still 2-3 minutes apart. I grab the phone to call the Dr...I need someone to tell me what to do, what's going on...
So I dial then number and wait. No call back. So I dial the number again thinking, "they probably don't answer because if it's a big enough deal I'll just call back, if not then I won't call back and the problem solved itself. So what if this isn't a big deal and I'm making it one? Oh well, just call again and see what the Doc has to say...
So immediately the Dr calls me back and asks what's going on. I tell him I'm a little confused because I'm only 37 1/2 weeks pregnant but the contractions are consistent...but they're also not very bad and some times it seems like they might even be subsiding... So he says to wait for 2 hours and if they are still 2-3 minutes apart, lasting for a minute each then just go to the hospital. Ok, so now at least I have an idea of what to do...but feel like a dummy for not knowing what's going on with my own body!
So after about 20 minutes I finally call Jeff at work. His first thought is, "what's wrong with Charlie?!" But no, it's me. "I keep having contractions and I didn't know what to do so I called the Dr and he said to wait 2 more hours...." I filled him in. So he starts asking me questions and I'm saying "I don't know! I'm not sure!" and he replies, "That doesn't help me with anything. You've got to know!"
So we decide to wait another 1/2 hour and talk again at 3am and see if I'm still having contractions. Yep, I was. So we talk again and decide again to talk in another 1/2 hour. 3:30am, still 2-3 minutes a part. Shouldn't they be getting closer together by now? Or at least a little more painful? "Call me back at 4." says Jeff.
I know all this seems like, "What are you thinking?! It's been almost 4 hours of contractions and you're still not sure?!" But I'm not an over exaggerator and didn't want to hop in the car to the hospital after waking up family members to come watch Charlie and get everything ready for a false alarm...it wasn't that easy being tired and confused to just decide it wasn't false labor...
We chatted again at 4am and I decided that I should go eat in case this was labor. By 4:30 the pains are getting stronger and I decide on my own to get a shower because this is NOT going away...and we should at least go to the hospital to find out if I'm dilated anymore and what exactly is going on.
Jeff calls me back at 4:45 and checks on me. I tell him I'm getting a shower and this is not going away so just leave work and come home. He's home by 5:15 and I called my mom who works night shift to come stay with Charlie but couldn't get a hold of her. I called back for an hour! No answer!! So we called Jeff's sister- no answer. His dad has just had surgery on his shoulder and his mom has been trying to take care of him, the house, and herself with a hurt foot, so we didn't want to bother them, but had no choice.
THE HOSPITAL:
They came to our rescue at around 6:50am and we left on a sprint to Christ Hospital and checked in at 7:20am. I'm still not in that much pain and am begging God that they let me stay. The nurse take us to triage and after an hour of paper work and contractions still 2 minutes a part, we're staying. I only dilated to 3cm at this point! Thought FOR SURE it was like 7! :)
So- LONG story very short- there was only one complication of bleeding which was "placenta abruptio" in which case they had to break my water. I went from 3cm to 6 in minutes. Then they called the Dr. Up until this point I had no idea who was delivering the baby. The normal Friday Dr, Dr. Sutler, whom I love, was running in the marathon and so who was going to pinch hit for her? Dr. Singh of course, the Doc who delivered Charlie.
THE LABOR AND DELIVERY:
Well, they called Dr. Singh several times telling him I was going natural, 6cm and was feeling pushy and he needed to hurry. 8cm- "Dr. Singh- you need to get here it will be a matter of time..." I had one contraction that my body just could not take, I felt the baby descend and yelled, "Hey Guys! Guys!" YELL! Jeff says, "oh look there!" and the nurse turns to me, put her hand under Wesley's head- I say, "I can't help it!!!" YELL again and out the nurse grabs his body so he doesn't fall onto the floor. NO DOCTOR!
Dad cuts the cord, I hold Wesley and it was all over. FAST and FURIOUS! :)
It was very painful but there is something to be said of just getting it over with.
Like I said earlier, we checked in to the hospital at 7:20 and Wesley was born at 11:38am. Just over 3 hours later!
Now for the big question: Would I do it again?
Answer: YES!
After having an epidural and delivering a baby whose forearms feet were cyanotic and whose face was also blue and swollen from being in the birth canal for so long with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, I would absolutely!
The labor was intense but I was focused.
The contractions were painful but I rested in between them.
The accomplishment made could only have been made by me.
I can say I had a baby naturally and the adrenaline and endorphins that I had afterward made me feel like I could go for days- and I literally did! It's amazing what our bodies can get through if you keep your mind on breathing and the contraction at hand...
(this was just after delivery)
I LOVE YOU WESLEY!!!
So we decide to wait another 1/2 hour and talk again at 3am and see if I'm still having contractions. Yep, I was. So we talk again and decide again to talk in another 1/2 hour. 3:30am, still 2-3 minutes a part. Shouldn't they be getting closer together by now? Or at least a little more painful? "Call me back at 4." says Jeff.
I know all this seems like, "What are you thinking?! It's been almost 4 hours of contractions and you're still not sure?!" But I'm not an over exaggerator and didn't want to hop in the car to the hospital after waking up family members to come watch Charlie and get everything ready for a false alarm...it wasn't that easy being tired and confused to just decide it wasn't false labor...
We chatted again at 4am and I decided that I should go eat in case this was labor. By 4:30 the pains are getting stronger and I decide on my own to get a shower because this is NOT going away...and we should at least go to the hospital to find out if I'm dilated anymore and what exactly is going on.
Jeff calls me back at 4:45 and checks on me. I tell him I'm getting a shower and this is not going away so just leave work and come home. He's home by 5:15 and I called my mom who works night shift to come stay with Charlie but couldn't get a hold of her. I called back for an hour! No answer!! So we called Jeff's sister- no answer. His dad has just had surgery on his shoulder and his mom has been trying to take care of him, the house, and herself with a hurt foot, so we didn't want to bother them, but had no choice.
THE HOSPITAL:
They came to our rescue at around 6:50am and we left on a sprint to Christ Hospital and checked in at 7:20am. I'm still not in that much pain and am begging God that they let me stay. The nurse take us to triage and after an hour of paper work and contractions still 2 minutes a part, we're staying. I only dilated to 3cm at this point! Thought FOR SURE it was like 7! :)
So- LONG story very short- there was only one complication of bleeding which was "placenta abruptio" in which case they had to break my water. I went from 3cm to 6 in minutes. Then they called the Dr. Up until this point I had no idea who was delivering the baby. The normal Friday Dr, Dr. Sutler, whom I love, was running in the marathon and so who was going to pinch hit for her? Dr. Singh of course, the Doc who delivered Charlie.
THE LABOR AND DELIVERY:
Well, they called Dr. Singh several times telling him I was going natural, 6cm and was feeling pushy and he needed to hurry. 8cm- "Dr. Singh- you need to get here it will be a matter of time..." I had one contraction that my body just could not take, I felt the baby descend and yelled, "Hey Guys! Guys!" YELL! Jeff says, "oh look there!" and the nurse turns to me, put her hand under Wesley's head- I say, "I can't help it!!!" YELL again and out the nurse grabs his body so he doesn't fall onto the floor. NO DOCTOR!
Dad cuts the cord, I hold Wesley and it was all over. FAST and FURIOUS! :)
It was very painful but there is something to be said of just getting it over with.
Like I said earlier, we checked in to the hospital at 7:20 and Wesley was born at 11:38am. Just over 3 hours later!
My whole labor from start to finish was 9 hours and I didn't even have to push!
That's my kind of labor!!! :)
Now for the big question: Would I do it again?
Answer: YES!
After having an epidural and delivering a baby whose forearms feet were cyanotic and whose face was also blue and swollen from being in the birth canal for so long with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, I would absolutely!
From the time the nurse put her hand on Wesley's head until the rest of him was delivered was 5 seconds! He would have hit the floor if she had not turned when she did!
The labor was intense but I was focused.
The contractions were painful but I rested in between them.
The accomplishment made could only have been made by me.
I can say I had a baby naturally and the adrenaline and endorphins that I had afterward made me feel like I could go for days- and I literally did! It's amazing what our bodies can get through if you keep your mind on breathing and the contraction at hand...
I LOVE YOU WESLEY!!!
