My Birth Story:
My due date was Saturday September 17 2011. Around 2:00pm on that day I started having small, irregular contractions. I went about my day as usual not thinking anything of it. That evening while a movie they started getting closer together so I started timing them. They were about 5 minutes apart but not very strong. I timed them for an hour and then decided to call the nurse on call to see what she thought. She said I could come into the hospital for a labor check if I wanted, but she suggested staying at home to labor. We decided to stay home and as soon as I started moving around they went away. We had gotten so excited to finally meet our little man and were disappointed that it was a false alarm.
Sunday morning when I woke up I had a bloody show. I got excited because I knew that was one sign of impending labor. We went about or day Saturday with my contractions being a little stronger but still irregular.
Monday morning September 19 I woke up to another bloody show with my contractions even stronger but still irregular. I knew my time was close and was starting to get impatient. The contractions were starting to be uncomfortable and annoying. I had been having contractions for 2 days now and was over it. Around 2pm they really picked up in intensity. I was having to stop and breath through them so I began to time them. They now had a pattern to them but were still far apart. I called Scott and told him that we were going to be going to the hospital that evening. He was at the grocery store picking up ingredients to make dinner. He rushed home in excitement and quickly made us dinner. My contractions were painful at that point so I wasnt able to eat a lot of dinner.
After cleaning up the kitchen I called the nurse again and told her my contractions were 5 minutes apart and had been for a few hours. She told us to come to the hospital. This was it! We were ecstatic!
On the way to the hospital we were happily calling all our family to tell them to meet us there because we were going to have a baby!
Upon arrival we learned that they were not going to automatically admit us but were going to observe me for a few hours to make sure I was actually in labor. They hooked me up to a contraction and fetal heart rate monitor and did an internal exam to see if I had dilated more since my last office visit. Much to my dismay I had made no progress in the last week and was still at 3cm. My contractions were pretty intense at that point and I was certain I had dilated more than that. They kept me for a hour and a half and then checked me again at which point I was 4cm. They called Dr. Greenhauld at home and he said I was not progressing fast enough and to send me home. I was devastated! Not only had all of our family arrived at the hospital by that point, but I now had to labor through the night at home with intense contractions and no medication. The nurse gave me Ambien to help me sleep and sent us on our way.
By the time we arrived home the Ambien was starting to take effect, and not in a good way. Instead of making me sleepy it made me hallucinate. I felt like I was tripping. I only remember bits and pieces of the next few hours but Scott said it was scary. I was saying and doing very weird things. He put me in the tub and realized I was completely helpless so he moved me to the bed. I slept for about 30 minutes until my contractions got so bad that I was waking up every few minutes moaning and crying in pain. A few hours later the pain was so bad I was on my hands and knees in the bathroom crying. Scott was completely helpless and had no idea what to do. He was worried for me so he called the hospital again to tell them what was going on. They tried to talk him into keeping me at home till the morning but he told them that wasn’t going to happen and we were on our way.
We arrived back at the hospital around 1:30am on September 20 for another labor check. I was now at 5cm and they were finally convinced I was in active labor since I wasn’t able to sleep through the contractions on the Ambien.
Around 2:30am they admitted me and wheeled me to my room. Finally! I immediately asked for an epidural and within 30 minutes I had it. What sweet relief! I could finally relax and get a little sleep. By that time our families had reassembled in the waiting room with the exception of mom, Ginny, and Brittany who hung out in the room with us.
At some point they gave me poticin to get me moving along faster. Around 8 or 9cm my epidural started wearing off on my left side. They tried everything but nothing worked. I could feel the contractions on my left side and was having to breath through them. They finally told me they were going to have to take the epidural out and put it back in in a different position. I braced myself for round 2 and quickly realized it wasn’t as bad as the first one. It didn’t hurt and within minutes it was working on both sides.
At 11am the nurse came in to casually check me and then started freaking out. She said I was 10cm and that his head was right there. It was finally time to push! The moment we had all been waiting for had arrived. We were going to get to meet our little man!
After pushing for 48 minutes Lucas King arrived in the world. They immediately put him on my chest and I started crying. Words cannot describe what I felt. The whole world went silent and it was just he and I. It went from chaotic and loud to calm and peaceful the moment I touched him. I was relieved that he was healthy, but more than that I was in love. I felt an overwhelming sense of unconditional love for this human that belonged to me. I wanted to protect and nurture him and never put him down. He was absolutely beautiful and perfect. To finally hold what you have been growing for 9 months is so rewarding.
Lucas King Magdalein was born on September 20 2011 at 11:48. He weighed 6lb 14oz and was 19 inches long.
