The Birth Story

"The Birth Story"

I've held off on writing about my labor experience because I know this experience will take time as far as blogging all of the details. One thing I've learned from working in Labor & Delivery is that every single woman has a different birth story. No two people experience the same pain, dilate the same, get induced or go natural... so many possibilities with childbirth. Let's start at the very beginning...

I worked my usual 12 hr. night shift at the hospital on Thursday May 30 & when I left work that next morning I thought wow, I really can't do this anymore. I ached all over & I felt sick & poor Tyler definitely got to hear all about it that morning when I went to his place to catch some shut eye before my doctor's appointment. At the doc appt. I explained to Dr. Meyer what I'd been feeling & he said he thought I was going to have the baby very soon. (cruel man). He decided I needed to stop working (what a relief) because he thought the baby's growing was restricted because I hadn't gained any centimeters in the last few weeks. He thought I needed to keep track of the baby's movements very carefully to make sure things were still going good. And I was soooo swollen. He said I could get induced as soon as the next Thursday but I said I wanted to wait it out until my due date (Sunday June 7). He signed me up for an induction for Sunday, but I was to go to the hospital on Saturday June 6 to get cervadil (a device that thins the cervix because I hadn't began to dilate at all). Thank goodness I had that week before my due date off of work because I had so many last minute things to do like get more bottles, newborn outfits in case he was super tiny, finished decorating the nursery, etc.

The night before the big day (Friday), Tyler's mom called & suggested me and Tyler get pictures together before we go to the hospital. Sounded like a great idea but man it put stress on me. My mom & I went to Kohls to find a cute top for pictures. BAD IDEA! Who wants to shop for a shirt that actually looks cute when they are almost full term pregnant. I bet I tried on 20 different shirts & the more I tried on, the more ridiculously enormous I felt. I was almost in tears & very unfriendly to my mother at that point. She reassured me that I probably had several shirts in my closet that would look great. I was not convinced.

I love this picture. This was us all ready to get the day started on Saturday. Notice the black shirt, that was the winner for the pregnancy pictures & I decided to curl my hair which was a nice touch. I was soooo nervous, but very eager for this wild labor rollarcoaster to begin. Mine & Tyler's pictures turn out amazing, considering I was very pregnant & swollen. I'm so glad we took them :)

Saturday June 6-4:00 pm. Me & Tyler were definitely rocking out to guitar hero to release some stress & settle my nerves. Didn't help so much, I was a wreck!

4:30- headed to the mall to get some last minute socks/robe for the hospital.

5:10- Going through Taco Bell for Tyler. He just had to have something that would make him gassy.... I was taking out all stress on him & I really let him have it when we were going through the drive-thru. Would've been great to witness.

5:11- Somehow we end up driving around the mall parking lot & Tyler can't find the way out. Yes, we were at the mall in Mattoon, how hard is it?! We ended up driving around the back part of the mall... potholes & all. I was LIVID!

5:20- We arrived at the hospital but couldn't go in yet because Tyler had to eat his tacos. So furious I wont even speak to him that this point. I couldn't believe we were going to be late for our labor experience!

5:35- I approach the Women's & Children's Unit at the hospital (where I work), & I'm walking to my room, freaking out. I didn't know what to expect. They all made fun of me because I looked all dolled up since we got pictures that day. I must've looked put together but me and Tyler were both scared out of our minds.

8:00- They finally put in the cervadil. Let the cramping begin. We watched Mall Cop.... I officially despise that movie now. They gave me an Ambien to sleep which apparently has no effect on me. I was constantly going to the bathroom & I had so many thoughts running through my head.

Sunday June 7-5:30 am. I showered & put on makeup (a lost cause). There were 3 or 4 babies born that night so we kept hearing the lullaby being played & I was envious. I just hoped I would be next.

7:30- bad news! I wasn't dilated at all so they wanted to send me home. I said absolutely not. Give me options. You are not sending me home because I won't come back! (Yeah, I was that crazy demanding patient). The doctor gave me 2 other options: 1) Cytitek- pretty much the same as cervadil which was pointless. 2) a balloon to help me dilate. The balloon sounded intriguing so after hearing all about how it worked... (best part: I would be dilated to a 4 for sure by the time it fell out)... I was on board. The doctor checked me & was all ready to put in the balloon & he was like, "Oh, actually, I think you are dilated to a 2!" Woohoo! My body was actually started to try to push this kid out!

8:00- Start of the Pitocin. I hear this is nasty stuff, but I don't think it had a huge effect on me because I felt no different. I couldn't feel the contractions & they couldn't read them on the monitor.

10ish- Still dilated to a 2. Thinking about putting an internal device in to monitor my contractions more carefully. Doctor refuses because the longest it would last was 18 hours. He thought that wouldn't be long enough?!?!

8-1- Walking the halls... walking the halls... hating the halls.

1- Time to break the water. And this was when the real fun began. I swear when the water popped, I was in instant pain. My nurse, Leslie, & the doctor left the room and I layed there in misery. Tyler helped me go to the bathroom and I sat in there for awhile thinking, 'Wow, this is awful, I think I'm going to die. I'm still only dilated to a 2! This is going to get so much worse! I'm NEVER doing this again!' haha. I thought I would never be a dramatic patient but now I understood why labor made women turn into very angry women.

1:30- Poor Tyler is freaking out. He walked me to the bathroom again & I said, "I don't care what kind of sounds you hear coming from this bathroom, don't you dare come in!" Welcome Monster Emily. Tyler was smart enough to call the nurse in for me & she was like oh, em, why didn't you tell me you were in so much pain. I was just scared I would ask for pain meds too soon & since we were going at a turtle pace with this labor I knew the pain meds wouldn't last as long as I needed them. I was all sprawled out on the bed, gown up to my face, sheet off.... Tyler was trying to cover me up to make me presentable & I was like just leave me alone. (And to think the night before I was yelling at him to not look at my butt because the gowns open in the back. Active Labor makes all modesty fly out the window!)

1:45- Nubane in the IV. I felt like I'd gained 500 lbs... so heavy. But I still felt excruiciating pain like someone was slicing me in half. Leslie said I was dilated close enough to a 4 so she called anaestesia for an epidural.

3ish- The doc finally shows up. I thought I was on my deathbead at this point. I was so heavy from the Nubane... I was laying my head on Tyler's shoulder because I couldn't hold it up. I signed a consent for the epidural without even looking up! The pain for the epidural was nothing compared to the abdominal pain I'd been feeling.

3:05ish- Oh yeah. Feeling great already. Wow, that epidural is AMAZING!... p.s. I wanted my mom :(

4:30- Mom, Kevin, & Ellie stop in. I'm feeling great now. Completely numb. I'm sure I said some silly stuff too because I was groggy.

5- Tyler leaves to get some food. When he comes back I have oxygen on and he's freaking out. Apparently the baby was very relaxed like his mom because his heartrate wasn't fluctuating much... but the O2 helped.

5:30- Dilated to a 6-7. Finally, some progress. They say after breaking the water it usually takes about 12 hours before baby will arrive (with a first baby). Mom decides I need to nap so they leave.

6ish- Tyler had to move me in bed in a better position in bed to sleep because I had no control over my lower limbs. It was quite comical because he was like, "I dont want to hurt you." There's no way he was hurting me cause I felt nothing. All of a sudden I felt intense pressure in my butt.... called in Leslie & she said it was time to push :)

6:15- Pushing begins. Very strange being the patient pushing rather than the coaches delivering. I was calling the shots because they couldn't read my contractions still. The epidural made my left leg completely numb but I still felt everything on my right side which was perfect for knowing how to get the baby out.

7:02 pm- I hear the most beautiful sound ever... Mr. Henry Mason wailing at the top of his lungs. Then Tyler yells, "It's a boy!!!" (We already had been told that but we never got 100% clear pictures on the ultrasounds.) They threw him on my chest & I thought oh my he's got the biggest features EVER! Tyler's crying & I'm smiling & feeling awesome. I couldn't believe I'd just done it! First thing Tyler does when he looks at Henry in the baby warmer was say, "Hey Emily..." then he pointed to his chin. He's got my butt chin!!! awwww.... at least I know he definitely got that from me :)

All in all, my labor experience was very very slow until they broke my water & I got an epidural to relax me. I'm so grateful I got an epidural because I really enjoyed the birthing experience because my pain was controlled. Also, I tend to freak out so that was just what I needed to help me relax enough to let my body do its thing. All of my nurses & my Doctor were incredible. We got VIP treatment the whole time & I couldn't have asked for a better birth story.

Here I am trying to post updates on facebook during labor. Yeah, that lasted a whole 5 minutes! And notice the cell phone. Tyler made so many group lists so he could send updates & pictures to peoples' cell phones. He was the best labor coach ever and I could have never made it through without him :)

All cuddled up after my epidural.

He looks HUGE here! Remember he was only a little 6 lbs. 7 oz baby

Me & my little bright eyed miracle. I'm so proud of him

He had to go in the warmer a few hours after birth because he was too cold for his bath. That's when I really got to take a good look at how long and skinny he was.

The Spray Tan Nightmare

I mentioned in a previous post that I would blog about my spray tan experience at some point so here it goes. I will try to be very descriptive with the story because it was priceless. I've used different kinds of tanning creams during my pregnancy just to add some color to my lovely huge body, but for a special occasion (my sister's graduation haha) I decided a spray tan was necessary. Of course I had just worked the night shift-12 hours, no sleep- so I was a bit out of it and tired when I went to the tanning salon. The lady at the counter kind of gave me a look like 'what is this pregnant lady thinking coming to tan?' I quickly informed her that I was interested in getting a spray tan. With relief, she looked at me and said, "Oh. Have you ever had a spray tan? If not, then you need to watch a video first." Seriously. This was going to be more complicated than I thought. I sat there yawning while I watched this video & I tried to focus on all of the instructions. After the completion of the video the tanning clerk asked, "So you think you're ready?" I laughed a little and joked about the Friends episode where Ross gets a spray tan & forgets to turn around so he gets all tan on the front.... and the girl informs me that some idiot had made that mistake the day before. She had no idea how the client had managed to not turn around because the tanning booth speaks instructions to you during the tanning process. There would be a voice that would tell me to turn around so I had nothing to worry about.

So I get in the room with the booth & look around at this bonnet & this lotion stuff they had mentioned in the video. Hmmm... now was I suppose to put the bonnet over my ears? No, that would leave a weird line on my face. Then I looked at the lotion. The girl specifically said that I needed to really apply a good amount of lotion over my heels of my feet & ankles because that's where people usually get orange. Oh, and they had a lovely full sized mirror on the wall so I got to admire my hugeness. (Remember I was almost 38 weeks pregnant during this experience).

Ok. Here goes nothing. I put my hand over the sensor by the door of the tanning booth & a husky woman's voice chimes in saying, "Welcome to Mystic Tan.... Please step inside the booth & face the wall with the sprays..." alright, obviously not exactly what was said, but I know I laughed a little by the voice. I stood in position with my arms held away from my body, fingers spread because we don't need any crazy "spray" lines. I held my breath & closed my eyes. Nothing. After maintaining the position for about a minute, I opened them and realized the door was still open. Silly me, I had forgotten to push the sensor to START the tan. So I took position again & OH MY! This extreme cold spray starts shooting at me. I'm like, do I hold my breath? I can't possibly hold it for too long or I might die.... but was it ok to inhale this fumes? Yuck. Gross... it was hard to breathe, why had I thought this was a good idea?! Then I hear this muffled sound & I'm thinking 'Oh gosh, am I suppose to turn around? Was that what the lady said???..... I turned around THANK GOODNESS. And it sprayed me again. Finally the spraying stopped & the door opened & I was free of this cloud of spray haze. I got out & wiped myself off with a towel (I know, the whole process is very strange, why wipe off your tan?) And when I left the salon the clerk said, "How'd it go?" Ha, if she only knew.

I learned a lot that day. As I was getting ready for my sister's graduation that evening, I realized my hands were a dark dirty orange color. They looked rusted. Oh my, how did this happen?! I missed a very crucial part of the spray tan training video! When I turned around I was suppose to hide my palms in front of my body so they didn't get sprayed. I was so overwhelmed by worrying about turning at the right time that I completely forgot about my palms. It was hideous. My mother just kept saying, "Oh Emily, Why did you think it was a good idea to get a spray tan? Look at those hands! I hope you don't go into labor with that stuff still on your hands... they will think you are dirty!" I clearly failed at getting a spray tan. And notice the picture above! That lady is hysterical.... I definitely did not look that calm when I was getting sprayed that's for sure.

Congratulations to Taryn & Torrey

One of my good friends, Taryn, had a baby boy on Friday July 17. His name is Beckett Lee & it sounds like everything went very well. I may have to give them a visit sometime this week. Congratulations to Taryn and Torrey & their new addition to their family.

I promise to do better...

The whole reason I started blogging was so I could put up pictures of baby Henry & give people updates about him and maybe put a little bit up about myself every once in awhile. I have FAILED miserably so far. Anyone who's ever been a mother should understand.... having a new baby puts your life in crazy mode. He will be 6 weeks old tomorrow & we have had 6 weeks full of visitors, doctor's appointments, bachelor/bachelorette parties, weddings, 4th of July, etc. Also, I don't have internet at my place so I can only blog when I visit my parents. I'm planning on getting internet hooked up at my apartment this week though since school will be starting soon.

I go back to work from maternity leave on Monday July 27. Only one more week home with my little guy! I'm soooo sad to go back, but I'm hoping it won't be as bad as I think it will be once I actually get back in the work mode. Okay, who am I kidding. I work in OB, surrounded by babies. Tons of babies, but not my baby Henry. Also, I'm so afraid I'm going to miss little moments with him like first smiles, rolling over, crawling. I'm also going back to school for Nursing this Fall. Starts in late August so at least I have a month of juggling work and mommyhood before throwing studies in the mix. Ugh. It's all becoming a bit overwhelming, but I have lots of help from family and friends which I'm very greatful for.

I love looking back at my old posts on my blog because it tells the story of my life and helps me remember everything. My goal for the next couple of days is to catch up on everything I've been wanting to blog about for the past month and half. HA! I know what you're all thinking, how will she have time for that? I have no idea, but I'm hoping Henry cooperates & I think his dad is visiting tomorrow so hopefully that will give me blog time. Sooo be warned, I'm going to be updating this blog like crazy with lots of random stories/pictures & they may not even be in any order or pattern at all. I just hate to leave anything out because my life has been full of special moments lately & I have to share them.

Introducing Mr. Henry Mason

Henry Mason was born on Sunday June 7, 2009 at 7:02 PM. He weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz. & he was 21 inches long. He has a head full of hair, huge blue eyes, and his mommy's butt chin. When it comes to length, he's definitely got everything from his dad though. I may be biased because I'm his mom, but I think he's one of the most adorable babies ever. Tyler and I are very proud of him.

I've just recently been informed that several blogstockers are anxiously awaiting my blogging all about the new baby. I apologize that it has taken so long... I can't believe he's already 11 days old! Being a new mom is absolutely wonderful, but having a new baby changes EVERYTHING. I'm no longer on a schedule. I'm on Henry's schedule which is not quite consistent each day. My new quote for life is, "Well, maybe I will get to it tomorrow....." This post is just for the purpose of putting a few pictures up of the little guy, but there will be more stories and several more pictures that I will post soon I promise!

Any new parent needs a boppy. They are wonderful for helping people hold tiny babies and they are small enough for the baby to lay in. We caught this precious picture when he was 2 days old. (He had just survived his first night home with mom and dad.)

1 Am feeding his first night at the hospital. We were both grinning from ear to ear because we had looked forward to this day for so long.

We took him to the nursery in his Henry hat so everyone would know exactly who he was. There were several other baby boys in the nursery that night... it was a full moon which means it was time for a baby boom!

Our very first family picture.

More Belly Pictures... Wishing they were Baby Pictures!

30 weeks. I know I'm going steps backwards because I already have 34 weeks posted.... but somehow I lost these pics and just found them. It amazing how much you grow once you hit 30 weeks!

35 weeks. My face is puffy! I don't look so happy either.

I took these pictures right after Ellie's grade school graduation last Thursday. 37 weeks and 4 days. That was quite a day... my mother begged me to wear something else because I was showing too much skin and she swore I would look back at these pictures and be angry. I was hot and this was the best outfit I could come up with. I also got a spray tan that morning thinking it would give me some color. I don't look much darker in these pictures.... I think my Banana Boat tanning lotion is more effective. Maybe I will blog about the spray tan experience later because it was a doozy!

For some reason, I love this picture! My facial expression is hilarious, and the position of my hands look like I'm truly "carrying" this baby.

38 weeks!! Look at the picture on the left. Whoa.... that is one big baby belly! And the picture on the right.... if I would have zoomed in we could have had a nice shot of the swollen feet. I know everyone's feet swell during pregnancy especially when its hot, but it is the strangest thing. I look down at my feet and wonder if they're someone elses! I have NEVER had fat feet so its pretty comical.

I would love for my next post to be of baby pictures rather than belly pictures. I'm not going to hold my breath though.

Taryn's Shower

I keep giving Taryn a hard time because she won't post any belly pictures of herself on facebook. She even insisted that we only take a picture from the chest up but I wasn't having that! Might as well flaunt the swollen bodies so we can really feel good about ourselves later! She thought she looked so much bigger than me, but you can't tell it with these pictures. Taryn is due on July 24. Poor thing, the summer heat will be miserable and I don't envy her a bit! She is another one of my friends I have frequently talked to throughout the entire pregnancy process. She is having a boy also.

Here's the "chest up" picture she wanted. I think this just makes us look like fat heads. *L*

All the pretty ladies. Left to right: Rachel, me, Lora, Taryn, Courtney, and Lynn. Courtney just got engaged and her ring is gorgeous! They are having a destination wedding in August. I haven't seen Lynn since her wedding a year and half ago! It was a nice little reunion :)

This little thing was so neat. Made out of blankets, a bib, shoes, socks, and a hat. How creative!

I've seen several diaper cakes, but this one ranks close to the top. Courtney and her mother made it for Taryn's shower.... I think they should consider going into business! Nice work ladies!