A Long Day

As promised, here is my birth story, non-graphic version!

From check-in until Rowan's birth, we totaled in at about 12 hours in the hospital. I first noticed my contractions being regular at about midnight. I decided to try and sleep until they got closer together but I didn't get very far. At 4 am the doctor told me to wait one more hour and if they stayed so close together and regular then I should hurry down to the hospital. So I showered, packed, and called the Adrianne-watch over then we headed out.

My waters were broken almost as son as we got there and then the contractions got more intense. Then the scary part started. We noticed Rowan's heart rate dropped significantly with each contraction. I was told that his umbilical cord must be wrapped around something and that if I didn't progress more quickly I'd end up in the OR getting a c-section. My contractions were spreading apart, the baby's heart rate wasn't improving, and he hadn't moved down into position either.

But I was determined to do this thing on my own! Despite the nurse's efforts to keep me laying on my side to "help the baby move into position" I sat up in bed doing a butterfly stretch because it just felt right. It was the position that had helped me dilate into active labor with Adrianne. When the doctor finally checked up on me she confirmed that the baby's variables looked much better now. She told me that whatever I was doing was working and "Wasn't that how you labored last time?" Yep. Mommy knows best!

By this time I had also been given an oxygen mask, which I used during my contractions to help get oxygen to the baby. It seemed to help a lot to do my long, deep breathing with the oxygen during each contraction. The breathing also kept me calm and focused on relaxing myself despite the pain.

As much as I would have liked to deliver completely naturally, I gave in to the epidural again because as the pain increased, the baby's heart began to drop again, probably because I couldn't relax as fully or easily. Just as with Adrianne though, the pain again became ridiculously intense as I hit about 8 cm dilated. Even the increase in anesthesia didn't phase the pain.

Once I was about 9 cm dilated, the doctor told me I was allowed to try pushing if I wanted because it seemed to effectively move the baby down. So it began. I was blown away by how difficult it was. Adrianne was out in 3 or 4 pushes but Rowan just wasn't coming out. This part is sort of hazy in my memory as all I can recall was the need to push or else the pain of the contraction would be too much to bear. Push, breathe deeply into the oxygen mask thrown over my face, push, suck in oxygen, push....relax, the contraction is over, get the baby's heart to come back up....

At a certain point the doctor had to use the vacuum extractor ever so slightly to help me out a little because the baby's heart rate was getting so dangerously low. And then it happened. Rowan was placed on my belly, crying, screaming, beautiful, and covered in blood and guts. We did it!

7 pounds and 8 ounces. A little bit lighter than Adrianne was. 20 and 1/2 inches long. Whoa! Way longer than Adrianne was! Yeah, he wouldn't have fit had he waited a couple more weeks!

But he is perfect the way he is. Everything is perfect just the way it is.