I finally got Ethan's birth story together. I decided to keep this all in one post, so sorry for the length, but of course I want to remember all of these details!
The last time we talked pregnancy, I left you all on Monday, June 25th with my
40 week update. Baby was five days overdue and the induction cloud was looming. I was to be induced that coming Wednesday, the 27th, which was not ideal. I really hoped to experience certain aspects of labor, like feeling my first pang of labor, timing contractions at home with my husband and allowing baby to come on his own accord. However, I had not felt one Braxton Hick and had shown no progress at my 40 week appointment...still about 1 cm dilated, so I had become pretty defeated.
Some time during Sunday night, I had a hard time falling asleep and started feeling some cramping...similar to menstrual cramps. When I woke up Monday morning, they were still there, but nothing to write home about. I had an acupuncture appointment that morning, ate lunch at my favorite lunch spot, Freshies, and then got a pedicure...stressing that I wanted a nice long foot rub! ;) Ryan got home from work around 6 and we went on our usual walk around the neighborhood. I told him about the cramping and as we were walking it seemed to get stronger and come in waves. Even though I was sure that these were not labor pains, I thought they were coming regularly enough to at least time...for fun if nothing else! So we got home and we started timing them as I bounced on the birthing ball...and low and behold, they were actually quite regular! Coming about every 5-10 minutes and getting stronger. I'm telling you...they felt like a super strong menstrual cramp...nothing like the tightening I thought they would be. I still wasn't sure if this was really it...they came on so quickly that it seemed impossible I was actually going into labor. Plus I've heard women experience "pre-labor" pains many days in advance.
However, I found that the "bloody show" had also come along, which scared me enough to give the hospital a call and see if we should head on in. They told us that it wasn't a bad idea to have me checked out, so on we went to the hospital at about 10 pm that Monday night. We got checked in and sure enough, those cramps were contractions after all! Yipee!! I was SOO excited that my body decided to go into labor on its own and that we would get to meet our son soon. But, I was shocked to learn that I was still only about 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced! So after walking the halls to no avail, we decided to go home and labor through the night as opposed to staying at the hospital.
We got home around 1am and the contractions got WAY stronger and WAY faster...I took some hot showers and tried to stay distracted, but it was pretty miserable. When those contractions hit, there was literally no mercy!! So by 5:30 am on Tuesday, June 26th, I cried Uncle and back we went. Luckily, I had progressed to about 2 cm dilated and we were told we could stay! I couldn't believe we would get to meet our son that day!
I opted for the epidural around 9:30 am and it was pure heaven on earth! I could actually relax and get some rest, which was nice since I got none the night before. However, it did slow my contractions down and once they started administrating the pitocin, the baby's heart rate would drop every time a contraction would come around. By 1pm, I was only 4 cm dilated and baby's heart rate wasn't doing any better. The nurse {who I absolutely loved, by the way!} told me that I should dilate about 1 cm an hour and would hope to push by 7pm that night, but it was all dependent on how the baby's heart rate was, and unfortunately, they couldn't hurry things along due to the fragile balance of pitocin to baby's heart rate. The nurse believed that the umbilical cord was probably wrapped around baby's neck which was causing the drop in heart rate. A c-section was mentioned a couple times, but there was no push for it yet. I prayed that his little heart beat would stabilize so that we could avoid the c-section. I think the most frustrating aspect was knowing that I couldn't do anything to help things along, since the epidural prevented me from walking. I will say, that the epidural was nice though because I could still feel my legs, wiggle my toes, and move from side to side. At some point, the doctor broke my water, but not much fluid came out. They then decided to insert the heart monitor to the baby's head to get a better read on his heart rate. An amnio infusion was also administered to help with my fluid level. I had shifted sides all day long to see if one side would help more than the other. Ironically, around 5pm, I finally laid flat on my back and that's when the magic happened.
Suddenly baby's heart rate stabilized and my contractions became regular! The nurse checked me and said I was about 6 cm dilated...progress! And this is where is gets crazy. I started really feeling the contractions again, which was actually kind of comforting because all was going well again. I asked the nurse to adjust the epidural because it was starting to hurt and another hour went by. Well, I still felt them but wasn't too worried, I mean, I had the epidural going after all. Oh man, how wrong I was.
I started feeling some strong tail bone pain and had a strong urge to bear down...like no joke, I wanted to run to the bathroom! Ryan called the nurse back in and told her what I was feeling. When she went in to check my progress I literally screamed in pain. I.felt.everything! And guess what, I was 9cm going on 10 and the nurse said it was time to push! WHAATT?! I wasn't ready and I was sure I wasn't supposed to feel pain!! She tried to up the epidural again, but told Ryan to grab a leg...it was pushing time!
I pushed for about an hour and 15 minutes...I felt every contraction, felt the head with my hand as he started to come out and literally cried in sheer terror because I was so scared. It was just Ryan on my left leg, the nurse on my right leg and the doctor. Even though it wasn't what I expected...it was truly a surreal experience feeling my body push this little being out and getting amazing encouragement and support from my husband, nurse, and doctor. My regular doctor wasn't on call that night, but the doctor who was, ended up being my hero...she was so patient and encouraging. I am so grateful that she ended up being the one to deliver me.
Little Ethan Grant finally arrived at 7:19pm on June 26th, weighing in at 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19.5" long. As suspected, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and shoulder, which was immediately cut to relieve him. The second they placed him on my chest I started bawling {I am just crying right now thinking about it}. I got to see his sweet face for the first time and I stared at my husband who was also sobbing tears of joy. We did it! We finally got to meet our son and he was the most perfect little thing that I had ever seen. My heart swelled up a million times over...I've never known love like this before.
The next moments are all a blur. Due to the umbilical cord being tied around his neck, the doctor had to cut the cord immediately upon his arrival. Because of this, he did not get the blood flow and oxygen that babies normally get as they transition from the womb to the real world. As a result, his lungs struggled and he was grunting, instead of crying. The nurses checked him out...gave me some more skin to skin time, hoping this would help him regulate, but unfortunately, he had to be whisked to the nursery for help. Ryan went with him but it was such a vulnerable moment to meet my son and then watch him leave so soon after. We didn't get the bonding time to breast feed like I had hoped and then I was so scared that something was terribly wrong with him. I've never felt more scared in my whole life.
Here he is with his little IV in his hand.
Ryan came back in, with tears in his eyes, to tell me that everything was going to be ok, but the baby would be staying then night in the nursery, which just broke both our hearts. Luckily, Ethan latched on like a champ the very next morning and his vitals improved drastically over night. It was very scary and humbled me in many ways...but I am so thankful he is happy and healthy.
It's definitely been a whirlwind these last couple of weeks, but I wouldn't change a thing. We have a healthy baby boy in our arms and we love him like nothing we've ever known before.
xo natasha
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