James' Birth Story part 2

Recap so far:

• Saturday at 5pm - water breaks (well, leaks)
• 8:30 - arrive at the hospital
• 12am - start pitocin
• Sunday 4am - contractions really start hurting
• 9am - get some loopy meds
• 4pm - finally get that epidural (12 hours of painful contractions)
• 11pm? - get a fever
• Monday 1am - dilated to an 8

So I'm finally at an 8!  Things are going pretty good.  I'm starting to feel relieved that I won't need a C-section (although half of me wanted one because then this would have been over with already).  They then informed me that another girl just came in at a 6.  The race was on!  Btw, when I arrived on Saturday night, I was the ONLY one in labor, by now, there were many in labor and a few already had theirs!  Anyways, about an hour later I was at 9 and then slowly I reached 10 cm!!!!!  

One of my favorite nurses came in and said let's start pushing.  It was strange because it was just me and her and Glen and my mom in the room.  It was quiet and simple.  I imagined the pushing part to be different.  I even said to her "Ummm, shouldn't we call the doctor first?"  To which I was informed that the pushing takes a while, and we call him once he's about to come out.  But the doctor was at his house.  Remember, it's 3 am.  So we started pushing.  I was surprised that pushing is so hard!  I guess, I thought that pushing would be easier than sitting around feeling my contractions getting worse.  But at least it meant it was the end!  So I was happy about that.  My legs were weak so I needed help holding them up.  And my mom counted to 10, while I pushed.  With all the pressure I was feeling it was hard to tell when a contraction came.  And they were 3 minutes apart, which is kind of a long time.  

We needed to get baby under the pelvic bone, I guess.  We were making progress, Glen could see his head, but we couldn't get himpast the bone.  (Also, they told me the girl next door had her baby already.  Seriously!?  At least I was close)  So I was pushing like my life depended on it.  I wanted that baby out!  But I was a little scared about how that would feel....  It felt like my eyes were going to burst!  So we started pushing at 3am, and by 6am they told me they would bring the doctor in.  I was actually a little nervous that they would have to do a C-section afterall.  That would be so disappointing after all that work!  But I didn't know what else could be done if I couldn't push him out.  I was seriously trying so hard!

The doctor came in, and told me he would like to use a vacuum to help him out.  Whatever it takes now!  He also said that he was going to bring in the NICU nurses just in case, since my water broke so long ago.  That was a little scary.  So in about 5 minutes the whole team was in my room.  I think there were 5 nurses and the doctor, plus Glen and my mom.  Suddenly I felt the urge to push, I actually don't know if the doctor was ready or not, but I started pushing.  And he worked his magic down there and after 1 push he told me to slow down and just do little pushes.  "Smaller push, smaller push" he kept saying.  He was very busy looking, like he was carving a sculpture.  One small push later and his head was out!  Another small push and the rest came out!  They immediately put him on my chest and I couldn't believe it!  

Here he was!  Out in basically one push!  Totally perfect and adorable!  He didn't look creepy or scary or anything.  And he was so warm, wet, and snuggly.  They did a few things with him and I don't even want to know what the doctor was doing, and then he was back in my arms.  At this point I knew the doctor was sewing me up, and it hurt a little, but I was holding my baby so it was ok.    The whole time, btw, Glen was down at my lower half watching the whole thing.  I guess he thought it was really cool.  But hearing about it later sounds disgusting!!  A few minutes later everyone that was on my room was gone, and it was just me, Glen, my mom and sweet new baby James.  They gave us 1 hour alone with no interruptions.  

In total, I was in labor for 37 hours, and had to push for over 3 hours.  My body was not ready for this, but baby James sure was I guess. He was born Monday, August 11th at 6:20am.  8 pounds 3 oz.  20.5 in long.  He was 9 days early.  The funny thing was that I had a doctor appt the day before my water broke and nothing was happening down there so we both assumed it would be a while.  I would have never expected this.  Because I had a fever and it was a tramatic birth, they wanted to keep me at the hospital for at least 36 more hours.  But I have to say that the nurses there were GREAT!  We stayed until 6pm on Tuesday.  

The birth and this recovery have been harder than I thought.  Being responsible for a little one has been harder than I thought.  But he is so precious, and sweet and I cannot believe we made this little being.  I would do it again for him.  He was a trouper through the whole process.  And so were my mom and Glen.  We did it!  

James Preston Chase