The Berrylicious Life: Drew's Birth Story

I want to write all 3 of my kids birth's story's down but let's start with the freshest shall we??

*warning! If you become squeamish over dilation, amniotic fluid, or bloody show- then this post is not for you*

9:00am

I leave work headed to my checkup telling my coworkers I'll be back in an hour.

9:20am

Waiting on nurse to call me back while playing on phone and updating my Facebook status

"In the waiting room thinking how nice it would be if my water broke here.... sweet relief yes it would be"

9:30am

Weight check (absurd number!), Blood pressure check (normal as usual), urine specimen (oh joy!)

9:50am

Abby (nurse) calls me, as we are walking back I pass by Dr G and say .... "I am totally done being pregnant!!" He says "but you have 3 weeks left Melissa" , I said "I don't care.. I am hurting today"

10:20am

As I am waiting all I could think is, he is either going to say you are still 1cm or maybe just maybe he will surprise me and say oh Melissa you are dilated to 4cm lets send you on over to Labor and Delivery...... yea right .... in my dreams haha

Dr G finally comes in

I tell him about my patterned contraction filled weekend ... he brushes them off as Braxton Hicks.

He then proceeds to check me......

Dr G :"Uh Melissa how fast did you give birth to Brett?"...

Me: "Well about a couple hours after my water broke, why??"

Dr G : " Yea we are going ahead and sending you on over to L&D, your dilated to 4cm, your bag is bulging and I had some bloody show come out when I checked you"

Me: " Your joking...."

Dr G : "Nope , I am scared if I send you home your water will break and you wont make it back"

Me: "Seriously?!!"

Dr G: "Do you have to go home and get your bag?"

Me: "No I have it in my car"

Dr G: "Go down and get your bag and then come back up here and Abby will walk you over to L&D. Also call Jordan and tell him it's not a rush but to be here in like an hour"

10:45am

I am in my car stuffing my face with 2 Cliff bars, 1 Banana, and some sweet potato chips. I call Jordan and tell him what we need from the house. I then call to make sure my other kids are taken care of. I then head back on up to the clinic.

11:00am

Abby walks me over to L&D and I could have skipped there I was so happy

11:20am

I get into my room and tell the nurses my birth plan-

Natural Birth << have I lost my mind? ... maybe

(but I want an epidural on the back burner)

11:45am

Oh I guess I should call my work.... oops!

I then get hooked up to monitors and get my IV

Jordan walks in with our other bags, pillows, diaper bag and The Boppy

Found out Dr G wants to start me on Pictocin ... I immediately asked the nurse if he can break my water instead.... Pictocin was something I did NOT want especially since I am trying to do a natural child birth.

Our friend Aaron from Church arrives to come pray over me

My friend Kirsten arrives (she is there to help me through this planned natural child birth)

Now we are just waiting on the doctor

12:45pm

Dr G came in and checked me again and now he said I am 4 - 4 1/2 cm dilated!

He then broke my water and told the nurse "If she isn't contracting by 1:00pm to start her on Pictocin"

As soon as Dr G left, my awesome nurse (Kim) said if I wanted to walk around she would put a pad on me.

Sweetness!!

So I was literally walking in circles in the room, faking some jumping jacks, faking a bumpy car ride.. anything really just get some contractions going. During those 15 minutes I had 3 pretty decent contractions = yay!

1:00pm

When the nurse returned she had to hook me back up (back on the bed) and see if anything happened. .... tick tock .... tick tock... I had a good contraction as soon as she hooked me up .... then they died out. Ugh!!

1:15pm

So I was like let me stand at least while hooked up and see if that helps?? So she gave me another 15 min of standing (I was bouncing, doing ballet... attempting anything at this time) I got a few contractions but nothing major.

1:30pm

When she came back in she said let me let you walk around for another 15 min and then we will have to start you on a mild dosage of Pictocin. Ahhhh! this was my last chance! Come on body!

This is me smiling.... yes smiling... in between contractions... soo ready for this labor thing!!

2:00pm

Apparently it worked.. I was contracting hard every 2 1/2 min

2:15pm

She checked me and I was 6cm dilated!

My first thought was Oh Lord how am I going to make it 4 more cm!??! The epidural was looking really good right about now. But then I was like... 7-10 is the fastest... I can do it.... I can do it.

2:30-3:40pm

I was able to walk still but my legs slowly gave out on me, so my hubby would come up behind me and support me through each contraction. I then ended up sitting on side of the bed (so I could still be hooked up and also because my legs could no longer support me). I also knew if I sat back in the bed it could mean a longer time of these hard contractions. So I opted to stay sitting on the edge grasping Jordan through each contraction knowing it would make it go faster. I know at one point she checked me and I was 7cm dilated, I think I wanted to cry when I heard that. In a way it was like only 3 more to go (which are the fastest) but I didn't think I physically could stand anymore! I know after one bad contraction I told Jordan I wanted an epidural. But both him and Kirsten said "your almost there!!" So Jordan would talk to me through each contraction while looking at the screen to help me endure.

Kirsten tried putting counter pressure on my lower back but that didn't feel good at all. Jordan would sometimes put his arms around my back and I would immediately throw them off because it made it worse.

I was having ugly contractions about 1 min apart and I noticed I started shaking at one point.

(I remembered this is a part of the transition phase)

Dr G came in at one point and said I'll be in the hall when she is ready to push

then all of the sudden after 1 contraction there was a longer break in between

(I immediately knew I had to be at the end)

3:43pm

The next contraction felt different down there.... "I HAVE TO PUSH!! EVERYBODY GET OUT!!!"

Kirsten and my mom ran into the hallway to grab the Doctor and nurse

Nurse Kim (my amazing nurse) helped swing my legs around and checked me.... sure enough it was time!!

*during these mere minutes I was trying to not push with the contractions only because I was scared no one would catch him while they were getting everything set up*

Then Kim said "You can push if you need too honey!"

So I was pushing while Dr G started trying to give me some local down there to help.

(which I requested in the beginning)

Apparently I pushed 4 or 5 times then he was out!

3:50pm

A healthy baby boy was born

Apparently right after birth I was asking for a Sprite and shouting for some Demerol
*Nurse Kim thought this was hilarious... didn't I just give birth naturally and now I want pain meds!?*

Me after Demerol holding baby Drew