tales of a young mamma

I keep meaning to write baby T's birth story, and since I'm starting to forget some of the details, it's time to write it out! Some of the moments from that day are hard to relive, but at the same time I don't want to forget any of it. I can tell this is going to be long, so probably needs to be written and broken down into several posts so it doesn't get to long winded...

Late friday night and early Saturday morning I lay I kept waking up every 15-20 minutes with back pain/low pressure. I couldn't get comfortable and had to keep switching sides often. It was around 6:40 that it hit me that the back pressure was coming and going pretty regularly. I decided to download an iphone app to time the contractions. They were coming exactly every 10 minutes and lasting about 45 seconds. And they became increasingly painful every time. After the 3rd one I woke Drew up and told him I might be in labor. But I still didn't Really believe I was, because I don't go into labor. I get shoved into labor at 42 weeks (at least with Jasper.)

It was harder to time the contractions once we all got up- so I decided to go for a little walk by myself. I walked to the park, and decided to call the on call OB just to ask if this could possibly be labor and how far apart they should be before I called again. 

Sitting on the park bench about 7:45AM waiting for the OB to call me back

The OB called me back with in ten minutes (there are I think 7 doctors in my practice and I'd been seeing the same one the whole time who was scheduled to do my c section on Monday so I hadn't met the rest of them) and after I explained what was going on he said "Yep sounds like you are in labor and I don't want you laboring all day with out food or water (I had been told if I go into labor to make sure not to eat or drink since they don't want Anything in you during a c-section) so let's have you come in and get that c- section taken care of" 

That's when it got real. I really didn't think I was going to be having her till Monday, even with the now painful back labor contractions. On the walk back I called my friend who was going to be watching Jasper to let her know, and she left right then to come get Jasper since she lives 40 minutes away.

I got home, let the boys know what was going on, still in shock I think, and jumped in the shower. By the time I got out and my friend got here the contractions were every 3-4 minutes apart- in only an hour they had gone from 10 min. apart to 3-4! And now I couldn't talk through them. I just kept walking- that helped the pain. 

Waiting for M to come get J

I was almost thankful to be in so much pain when it was time for Jasper to leave, otherwise saying good bye to him would have been even harder. 

The 12 minute ride to the hospital (yes, I timed it) were agonizing. Sitting still during contractions were nearly impossible. Since I only know back labor I can't compare it to 'regular' labor, but the way I have described it is every contraction feels like someone taking a sledge hammer and slamming into my tailbone (for about a minute) than the pain goes completely away for about 3 minutes at this point before it happens again. I already have a constantly sore tailbone from cracking it Jr. year in high school, so maybe that makes it worse, but sitting on that table bone during that pain is nearly unbearable. 

We got to the hospital by 9:45 and I was in a laboring room with in 10 minutes. The next 30 minutes or so were spent having the anesthesiologist come in and explain what he would be doing and ask a bunch of questions, the OB came in to introduce himself and check on me (I was 5cm dilated at this point!) and the resident assisting came in as well. Everyone was amazing! Especially my nurse at this point. 

The worst part about this part were the contractions, about every 2 min. at this point, and the nurses trying to get my iv in. I have really sucky veins. One one arm I don't have a functioning one (to be able to stick an iv in) and in my left arm it's not a good one so after a few attempts they called the anaesthesiologist back in to see if he could put my iv in. He told me I should be flattered since it's not something he does very often. But in between contractions he was finally able to get it in. 

Apparently gripping the side of the bed during contractions

Okay I think that's long enough for now. I'll continue soon.