Well, my water broke around 9PM on Wednesday night (10/3) and it was time to go to the hospital. It was nothing like the movies where the husband and wife are freaking out and running around! We took our time. Alex packed a bag and I called the doctor, emailed work to let them know I was leaving, called our parents and made sure we had everything we needed before we left. We arrived at the hospital around 10PM, checked in and immediately I told the nurse I wanted an epidural!!! I wasn't in any pain and didn't want to be in any pain. I got changed into the lovely hospital gown they provided and the night began.
The anesthesiologist came in around 11:30PM and started the epidural. I know many people who didn't even feel their epidural but let's just say that it was one of the worst parts of my entire birthing experience. Poor Alex had to hold my hands and watch me scream and cry when they put it in. I got shooting pains down my right leg b/c he didn't hit it quite right. Finally he got it in and I felt OK as my lower body went numb. However, come Thursday, it caused severe pains in my neck, shoulders and back.
I went in to the hospital dilated at a one and woke up on Thursday at 6:30AM dilated at a one! They decided to start the pitocin to help move things along. By 1PM it was time to start pushing. I didn't have my epidural up too high so I could feel the contractions and know when too push. But as the contractions got worse, I would up my epidural dosage and unfortunately that caused the neck, should and back pain to become much worse. If I lowered the dosage the contractions would be horrible. So, it ended up that I pushed for 2 1/2 hours with full contractions AND excrutiating pain in my neck and shoulders. Brooks just did not want to come out. After 2 1/2 hours of pushing, he was stuck in the birth canal and the doc tried to vacuum him out with no success. It was then that she decided an emergency c-section would be best.
They wheeled me into the operating room, redid my epidural and started the c-section. Alex got to watch the entire event and he said he had never seen so much blood! He called my belly the Grand Canyon. Finally, at 5:17PM my little baby boy was born. He was not able to breathe on his own so they put him on a ventilator overnight in the NICU. Alex was the first one to see him and I guess they wheeled me in there on my bed that night but I don't remember.
Brooks spent the entire hospital stay in the NICU so we were not able to keep him in our room. We went down to visit him every chance we could though. It turns out our NICU nurse lives on our street! What a small world and a good thing for us!!!
I was referred to by the nurses on my floor as 'the walking queen because I was up walking laps around the 8th floor 3-4 times a day starting the day after surgery. I just wanted to make sure I was able to heal faster and keep up my strength. It paid off because I am feeling pretty good right now.
We finally made it home on Monday night, 10/8, and it has been a whirlwind ever since. We are a bit sleep deprived as all newborn parents are but we are enjoying him so much. And the labor and delivery process was nothing like I expected but I guess it never is! We are just happy he is here, healthy and home with us.
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