Labor stories for Labor Day

When I found out I was pregnant for the very first time it was a week after Brad and my 1 yr anniversary (Dec 2003). We had decided in July that I would stop taking my birth control pills and then I honestly never even thought about being pregnant until I missed my period some 5 months later and I just knew I was pregnant. I waited a week to take the first test, just hoping I'd start my period. Well, of course, I didn't! We were 20 yrs old. I always knew I wanted kids and soon but then when it happened I kinda freaked out alittle. Asking myself questions like 'Am I really ready to do this'? It was obviously too late for questions like that.
The next 9 months went by very smoothly. My biggest problems were leg cramps at night and swollen feet. I only gained 20lb. I was never sick and I worked up until the day they decided to induce me. Which brings me to the point of the story:
I went to work on Monday, Aug 16, (the day before my due date) like normal. I had my weekly appt later that morning. I chose a dr that was close to where I worked for convience but he has turned out to be a great dr and I've stuck with him even thur the inconviences. When my dr checked me he thought he could feel soft, squishy body parts and not the head. Thinking she was breached he sent me for an ultrasound right away. He said that if she was breech, I would be having a c section within hours, if not, he'd put me on the induction list. When I heard 'c section' I specifically remember my mouth dropping open and feeling like I could pass out. I did not want to go that route. Turns out the soft he felt was cheek and not rear. =) So I was put on the list and he told me the hospital would call me later that day to tell me when there was a room open so I could come in. I don't necessarily love the way they do that part but oh well.
I called Brad and he left work, I went back to work and told them I was being induced later so we went home. I got everything packed and tried to lay down and get some rest since I knew I would be needing it later. I never could go to sleep. Finally the hospital called and said I had to be there at 10pm.
The first half hour to hour was spent getting 'suited up' in my birthing gear (gown, monitors, IV's) and answering a million questions. After that we waited what seemed like forever. I was getting pitocin and feeling fine thru the contractions. Until they broke my water. That's when the real pair started! I got my epidural shortly after that. I was just barely 3 cm but I didn't care. I couldn't handle the pain. I was really nervous about getting the epidural cuz all the horror stories you hear about it but the worst part was that when they sat me up lots of amniotic fluid started running down my legs. It was warm and gross and felt like I had peed all over myself. I have a pic of Brad changing my socks after they laid me back down. They had to call the clean up crew to mop under me! It was funny. I had been told during my pregnancy that I had twice as much fluid as normal pregnancies. After that I felt great and was ready for anything. I couldn't feel a thing and then it was time to push. I think 5 pushes later I heard my baby girl scream for the first time. It was 12:53pm, almost 15 hours after I had been admitted. Hannah weighted 8lb 5 oz. I remember them putting her on me but I didn't want to touch her because she was all nasty.
I was only in the hosp for alittle over 24 hours and then I begged to go home. They wanted me to stay longer but let me go.
That was 6 years ago. I've never been the same since then. That girl has changed my life. She is such a joy, and a pain at times, but what child isn't?!


When Hannah was about a year old I started really wanting another baby. It took me awhile to convince Brad that we needed another baby. He would have been perfectly happy with one child. Finally when Hannah was just over 18 months old he finally agreed to another baby. In late April 2006 I found out I was pregnant with baby number two. I can't remember anything about when we told Hannah. SHe was still pretty young and didn't understand any of it.
I worked thru the second pregnancy also. After Hannah I only went back part time and to a different animal hosp closer to home. This pregnancy also was very easy. Thanks mom! My biggest problems were crazy bad heartburn and swollen feet. We found out we were having a boy, which made daddy very happy. He was due the day after Christmas. I wouldn't have planned it that way.
When I started going to my weekly appts for the last month I was dilating a cm every week. And every week my dr would say he didn't think I'd make it another week. But I always did! By this time I was so done being pregnant and was begging to be induced early. Finally, at 39 wks and 3 cm he decided I could be induced. That was a week before Chirstmas. Once again, the hosp had to call me when they had a bed open. This time the call came at 4:30 in the morning that they wanted me there at 6am! With the hosp about 40 min away, we had to hurry. I think we sent Hannah next door to Brad's grandma.
They didn't ask me quite as many questions the second time around. I got in my 'gear' and they got the meds started. I was at an advantage since I had already started dilating on my own. Everything happened rather quickly with Ryan. I started really needing my epidural around 8:30am. The nurse had to go find the anesthesiologist. He was with someone else so Ihad to wait what seemed like hours! Finally I got that precious medicine. It was painful to get this time around and didn't kick in very fast. Then within minutes I had the overwhelming urge to push. I hadn't felt anything with hannah so I didn't really know what to expect. The pain was more than words can discribe. Of course, I've forgotten all the bad stuff by now. The nurse checked me and said I was ready to push so she called for my dr. I kept telling the nurse I coudln't push yet because the meds hadn't kicked in yet and I was in too much pain. So when my dr came into the room she told him that and his exact words were "well then lets get that baby out." I was thinking that's exactly what I said I couldn't do right now! But I had to. a couple pushes later I heard the dr say "wow, he has a big head!" Not exactly the words you want to hear your dr say. Lets just say I finally started getting numb and not feeling anything in time for him to stitch me up. Ryan was born at 9:18 am, just over 3 hours after been admitted. He weighted in at a hefty 9lb 6oz.
That's when the real problems started. Because he was so big, the nurses checked his blood glucose right away. It was too low to even register a number on the glucometer. They checked it again just to be sure it wasn't a fluke and it registered 37 which is way low. They wanted me to nurse him right away. Then they took him away to clean him up and check it again and watch his breathing. I don't remember what his BG ended up being after that. The ped dr came in after 4 hours, mind you I hadn't seen Ryan since I nursed him right after he was born, and said his breathing still hadn't become regular or whatever. So they wanted to do x rays and bloodwork. Come to find out his white blood cell count was higher than normal so they had to keep him in the hosp for a week to give him IV antibiotics. That was the hardest thing I've ever been thru. To see that big IV taped to his forehead and know that I had to leave him in that cold plastic bed for a week was killer on me. For the next week Brad and I went to the hosp twice a day to see Ryan. He ended up coming home the day after Christmas. Then we had to keep him inside and away from people for a few weeks after that.
He has been such a joy to us. He is so full of life and mischief. He is funny and kind, most of the time. He is all boy and I love him most because he is just like his dad. Hopefully one day he'll make some young lady as happy as his dad has made me.

Now, Ryan is 3 1/2 and I'm starting on baby 3's story. April couldn't come soon enough! I know for sure that this is our last child. I am lucky that God worked on Brad and I was even able to convince him that we need a third child! So I am journalling and trying to remember every single aspect of this pregnancy. I don't ever want to forget this part of my life. It will be over very soon! On the other hand, I'm ready for the next chapter to begin.