A Birth Story: ALL the details!

Last picture of me pregnant -
Taken Monday at 7:45am just before we left for the hospital.

We waited all weekend in anticipation that I'd go into labor on my own...but Monday morning came, and we got ready to go to the hospital to be induced. We dropped Austin off at daycare, and continued on our way to the Birth Center. I walked up to the desk and they were expecting me.

We were shown into Labor and Delivery Room #2, where at 8:25 I was checked and was 3cm, and the doctor broke my water. Talk about a weird sensation.....but then afterward it was even stranger yet with it feeling like I was peeing in the bed but not actually pushing anything out. It was quite a gross feeling.

My body was trying to go into labor, since I was having mild contractions that were irregular in timing and duration. It needed more help, so at 9:30, I was given Pitocin to start up the contractions. Now, with Austin when I was in labor I was at home all day, doing all the work on my own, so when I was ready to go to the hospital I was at 7cm and then wanted the Epidural for pain. With this baby, since I was induced, the contractions were coming faster, and were stronger. Shortly after noon they were getting so strong and close together (every two minutes apart, lasting about 1 minute) I buckled and decided that I wasn't going to suffer and be in so much pain if I knew I didn't have to. So I asked for the Epidural and got it around 12:45. Ahhhh...relief!!

Between 1pm and 3pm I dilated from 3cm to 8cm...then I started feeling pressure and pain on the left side of my belly. At this point I was laying on my right side since I had been on my left and my left leg was going completely numb, just as it did with Austin. My parents showed up. We chatted for a bit, then the nurses and Michael helped me roll to my left side. I was still feeling the pain, still feeling mild contractions when I figured I shouldn't be feeling anything, really. I told the nurse that I was feeling lots of pressure. I started feeling funny, anxious. I had my parents go get Austin from daycare and take him back to our home. It was now 3:30.

I started feeling lots of pressure, like I wanted to push. I was checked and she couldn't feel the cervix anymore, so I was dilated to 10cm now. In 30 minutes I dilated 2cm! While laying on my left side, she said we'd try one push as we lifted up my right leg. So.....push...and she said "Ok...stop. We need to get the doctor in here. You're crowning!"

When the doctor came in at 3:45, we just all stared at each other, waiting, waiting, for the next contraction to come....they were a little farther apart - so that between 3:45 and 4:07 I had three contractions that I pushed through. before the baby came out. The first one went well; in the mirror I could see the baby's head. The next contraction went well; I could still see the baby's head and I thought: "This looks awfully familiar. An opening too small for a head trying to come out. Crap. I'm going to get cut again." The doctor finished off my thought with: "Can you feel this at all?" I blurted out: "Nope, just make the cut and let's go!"

Snip, snip.

Another contraction, #3, and I push and then feel the baby coming out...then one more push and GUSH! "Stop, stop pushing! Whoa! Stop..." I look to my left where the sweet nurse who had been with me all day is now covered in my goop...and the doctor is literally catching our baby, who without the cord partially around its neck would have landed in the waste bucket below my bottom. The baby exploded out of me like a cannon ball...

It's a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew it! I just had a feeling....and I was relieved! He is so perfect....such a handsome little man! And a good set of lungs on him! His cry made my heart sing!


His stats:

Name: ETHAN MICHAEL DREVLOW
DOB: 12/22/2008
TOB: 4:07 PM
Weight: 7lbs 3oz
Length: 20 inches

The Four of us Together for the First Time