our birth story

Okay so the contractions began around 8am, they were pretty mild and going every 5 min. We hung out around the house, called Eric to come home, and ate breakfast (bad idea, vomited 4 times that day) around 12 we went on base to be closer to the hospital. The contractions got to be about every 3 min aparts and pretty strong so we went to the hospital at 4pm. I was in terrible pain by this point and dialated to 5, we found out later that he was wedged in on my tailbone and that was causing terrible back labor. My contractions never let up. When I got to be dialated to 6-7 they said the dreaded words "do you want the epidural? cause your going so fast, this is your last chance" My mom and Eric tried to talk me out of it, but I caved. I needed some relief in my back. The negetive side is it didn't totally work until I was dialated to 10 but the positive side of it is what I didn't have to feel in the pushing stage.

Okay so now its 8pm and I am fully dialated and totally numb and feeling much better, they said we could wait an hour til I felt the need to start pushing. Around 9pm with Eric on one leg and my mom on the other I started pushing with each contration. I pushed a few times for the nurse, they could see the head but it just wouldn't move down. Then a big team of people came in and they started yelling out his heartrate- 90! 80! 70! I pushed and pushed and pushed and thanks to the tailbone he just couldn't get out. The docter got out the vacume and called to have the OR ready for a C-section. Again wouldn't have wanted a vacume used but wanted my baby out more! That doctor pried me open and pulled and pulled on the baby- all while they are yelling "is the OR ready?" "Call the pediatrician!" How far away are they?" I pushed with everything I had cause I figured if I pass out I am in the hospital, right!? So after only pushing for about 45 min he came out. He was pretty lifeless looking and they rushed him over to the table to help him out. His apgar score at birth was a 3, which is pretty bad. Then he started getting better, crying and moving and his score went up to a 8. They took him to the special care nursury right away and Eric went with him. They did all the test and had the pediatricians take care of him for awile. He was 8 lbs 6 oz, he is great other than a bruised suction mark on his head :)















So now I am left with a 3rd degree tear and broken tailbone. I am in so much pain and cannot sit down- at all- not even on one of those donut things. We eat dinner- I stand, when I nurse I lay down. It is pretty miserable, and one of those things they can't do anything about. My mom says I am recovering worse than if I had had a c-section. But enough complaining. He is bright eyed and looks around alot, sleeps great and is nursing pretty good. We are all very very glad to have him here happy and healthy.