Ok, so maybe the title is a tinge dramatic, but it is the honest to God truth. The day our son was born was the day our life changed and we knew nothing would ever be the same. It was the day we felt a love we had never felt before and the day we experienced the purist form of happiness. It was the day we met the most amazing little guy EVER and we got to hold and see this little miracle that Terry and I created. It really doesn’t get any better.
Henry D. was born 9/8/11 at 8:46pm. He was 20 inches long and weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was absolute PERFECTION.
The Birth: (I am writing a lot because I want to keep this for my reference. You don’t have to read it all, but I wanted to write it down!)
My due date was originally September 9th. So on Wednesday the 7th I went in for a Dr. appointment to see how things were going. At my appointment the week before the Doctor briefly talked about inducing and said that the absolute latest we would go was the 14th. Terry and I actually discussed inducing before the 14th since I was progressing slowly. So when I got to the Doctor on the 7th and she asked if we wanted to have this baby the next day (8th), Terry and I both agreed that we did. During the prior week we had talked about the pros and cons to inducing or letting it happen naturally. As it stood I was still barely one centimeter dilated and my cervix was not softening up. Basically, Henry was very happy inside my uterus! We decided that the timing was the best and we wanted OUR Doctor to deliver Henry and that this was the best option for us.
What we didn’t realize was that I had to go into the hospital just a few hours later to start the process. So I went home the 7th after my appointment, called family and my work (to tell them I wouldn’t be back to work!), got my bag packed, bills paid, and got everything ready to go to the hospital to HAVE OUR BABY!!
That night they put a medicine inside me that helped to soften the cervix which would help with induction the following day. I had to have this string thing inside me for 12 hours. They had me hooked up to different monitors as well as an IV because I was dehydrated. That night I hardly slept. Partly because I was uncomfortable, partly because when I moved the monitors would move and mainly because I was SO incredibly anxious!
The next morning at 5:30am I had breakfast and took a shower. They then started me on the Pitocin around 6:30 am. During the morning hours I was fine with little or no pain. The contractions had started and even though I could feel the pressure of the contraction there was no pain. However, by the afternoon the pain increased while dilating did not. Terry said I was very much a trooper through this whole thing and also told me that my tolerance for pain is a lot greater than what I usually say it is. (Meaning I act like a baby most of the time I feel even a little bit of pain but during this I was very strong….I am just taking it as a compliment!)
The pain started getting worse so they eventually gave me a pain medicine in my IV which was AMAZING for a little bit of time. Seriously, I felt drunk and nearly pain free for maybe 45 minutes or an hour. However, as that started to wear off the pain increased. I was only about 2 centimeters dilated so they couldn’t do an epidural yet. I tried different positions for the pain but eventually opted for a little more pain medicine. This time, the medicine did NOT work at all. Infact it almost seemed to make everything worse. The pain increased and the contractions were actually about a 1 ½ to 2 minutes apart and I was still only 2-3 centimeters dilated. I dealt with that constant pain for a number of hours. To be honest, it was horrible and I think what made it worse was how close the contractions were and knowing I wasn’t as dilated as I should be for the contractions I was having. The Doctor also broke my water to help things along and I have to say this was NOT fun. My water wouldn’t break. She was all up in there trying to break my water and membrane was just so tough that it did not break easily. She would scrape it but it just wasn’t breaking. Eventually she got it, but I must say the whole thing was very uncomfortable and a bit painful. Breaking the water didn’t rush things along either but finally around 7:30 or so I got to 4 centimeters and they could bring on the epidural! YAY!
I knew from the beginning I would get the epidural if I could so when they said I could get it, I was all like….BRING IT! I have to say the epidural was EASY. I didn’t feel it at all….the guy did an AMAZING job, and I told him that about a dozen times. And within minutes the pain (and the feeling in my legs) was all gone. Strangely, after the epidural everything sped up and before I knew it was approaching 7 centimeters.
As I was getting the epidural my Doctor came in and said that she was looking at my charts and noticed Henry was not liking the Pitocin that much. His heart rate was fine, but his movements were not where she liked them to be. She also said that his head was slightly jammed into my pelvis and during a natural labor could be an issue. (When he was born his head was slightly bruised and coned shaped and he had a bruise between his eyes from being jammed in there.) Before she even said anything else I looked at Terry and looked at her and said do the c-section. She looked surprised and said “really, I know you said you were ok with it but I didn’t know you would agree to it so quickly as most people don’t want it”. I asked if that if I continue to do this naturally that could there be a possibility that Henry’s head may be stuck and they may have to do a c-section anyways or use other means (vacuum) to get him out and she said that there is always that possibility because of how he is located. I asked what she would recommend and she said a c-section. I asked if this was best for Henry and she said yes. I then told her “I would rather do a non-emergency c-section now and make sure Henry is ok rather than waiting and trying to do this naturally and there be an issue during the birth. I trust you and if this is the best option let’s not waste time and just do it.” She then came over to me and said this is what she would do if it was her kid and she thinks the smartest option. I was happy to hear that but it didn’t make me feel any better because I was 100% OK with the decision and not second guessing anything because I knew it was the right decision and what was best for Henry. I seemed to have this adrenaline when she said he was jammed in my pelvis and not taking well to the Pitocin that all I cared about was him and I actually did not get scared about the c-section until after he was delivered. I had also said upfront that IF a c-section was necessary so be it. I also chose to not read ANYTHING about the delivery process (c-section or naturally) because I didn’t want to get freaked out because I wanted to have an open and uninfluenced mind about either of the processes. I mean the kid has to come out and there is no reason to freak myself out or talk myself out of something that NEEDS to get done.
After they prepped me for the c-section they took me to the operating room. Between the hormones they pumped into me, the coldness of being basically naked in this cold room, being anxious I couldn’t stop shivering through the whole surgery. They said this was normal. But my hands were shaking and my teeth were literally chattering! It was the weirdest feeling. Nope, scratch that. Shivering while laying nearly naked in an operating room with about 10 people and with my arms strapped down and a curtain infront of my face that had splatters of blood on it was the weirdest feeling ever! Seriously, the whole thing was a bit sci-fi.
There was a slight moment right before they cut me that I got a little nervous that the epidural wouldn’t work and I would feel everything (like in some horror movie), but luckily the anesthesiologist was AMAZING and everything was perfect. I could feel the pressure of her cutting into me and before I knew it (like 5 minutes in) I hear them say I will feel a push and telling the person helping her to push the baby out and telling Terry to stand up and watch his son being born and then I heard it….the most wonderful sound in the world. I hear our son cry. It was the most amazing sound I have ever heard in my life. The INSTANT I heard him cry I lost it and started crying. They put him over the curtain so I could see him for just a second and then took him to the pediatrician to get checked out. I could hear him in the room crying as they looked him over and it was beautiful. I hope I never ever forget that sound, that first cry. I hope I never forget that feeling, that overwhelming joy I experienced. That uncontrollable crying I had because I was just so happy and so in love with this person I had only seen for but a second. It was amazing.
I tried to calm myself down because even though the Doctor didn’t say anything I was shaking because of the crying and because I was still shivering and I didn’t want the Dr. to mess up while she put me back together! I must say the 30 minutes or so it took to put me back were the hardest. As I hear them cauterizing parts of me back together and see blood on the curtain the reality of what was going on set in. I started getting anxious. Anxious for the procedure to be over and anxious to see my son. I couldn’t move my arms and it freaked me out. I hated being strapped down, especially as I was shaking. Terry stayed by my side the entire time even when they took Henry off to check him out. He later told me seeing his wife’s guts on the table was unnerving and he wanted to be there to make sure I was ok. I love him and honestly I couldn’t have made it through without him. Not just in the surgery (where I was starting to freak out inside my head) but through everything. He was the most supportive husband and was with me every night and holding my hand through the entire labor and delivery process.
After they FINALLY got me all back together they wheeled me into the room and gave Henry to me. I got to hold my son for the first time and he was absolute perfection. Of course the water works started again as I held my son up against my body for the first time. His fragile little body all cuddled up with me. He was our son. We created this life and now this life that has been growing inside me for 9 months was here and I was just in awe of him.
And of course seeing Terry with his son was such a special and amazing moment. It just all clicked. This is OUR family and I couldn’t be happier.
I was in the hospital all day Friday and they actually released me Saturday. Friday was tough, really tough. The reality of just having a baby and that we must take care of this little one kicked in. The realization that I just had pretty major surgery also kicked in when I attempted to get a shower and just try to walk around. It was incredibly painful even to just sit up. I needed help with everything from sitting up to putting on my amazing hospital underwear to going to the bathroom. By Saturday though I was walking around with a lot less pain and felt like a whole new person, albeit a person who just got cut open and who has a new baby, but a whole new person nevertheless!
Saturday evening we got to go home and then the fun really began…..
All I will say about the first night was that it was exhausting, frustrating, painful (I could barely get into our enormous bed), awesome, scary, and about every other emotion out there. There are no words to fully explain what it feels like knowing you are responsible for this child. It has been a series of emotions the past 3 weeks (both good and bad) but I wouldn’t change ANY of it for anything. He is our son and feels like he was always meant to be ours. I just can’t stop starring at him…he literally takes my breath away so many times throughout the day.
So here are some pictures. All he really does is sleep so we have a ton of sleep pictures!! For the record, he has Terry’s chin, lips, forehead, and ears. He has my nose and feet. Not sure yet about the eyes.
**Who won the guess?
It was between Trophy Life:
1). 9/8/2011
2). 11:55 am
3). 20.5 inches long
4). 7 pounds, 8 ounces.
And Mickey D.:
1) September 8
2) 5:36 p.m.
3) 22 inches long
4) 8 lbs, 1 oz
You can watch my son if you want :)
