Nash's Birth Story

All: I know no one is holding a gun to your head making you read this here blog. You probably come for the pictures of Nash and every now and then, my ridiculousness. Personally, I write this blog because I like to write. Now that our baby has arrived it will also serve the purpose of chronicling our life to share with our family and friends. It will also serve as an online scrapbook for our little clan: KP, Nash, and me.

Below is my labor and Nash's birth story. Please know that I am writing this on the blog because I want to remember it. It is already fading from my memory. It's more than you want to know to know; I guarantee that. Skip over this post or read if you like, but consider yourself warned with some of the details. Oh, don't sue me if this story has already changed. It's strange how quickly you can forget such a huge event. Here we go...

What I didn't share on the blog the Friday before I went into labor is that my OB asked me if I wanted her to "strip my membranes." After declining the week before out of sheer terror, I decided to let her do it. It hurt. In fact, the nurse who came to draw my blood afterward said she could hear me in the hall. I think I expressed my pain with "Holy Mackrel!" several times.

After that appointment, I was crampy, but had been with every check, so I really didn't think anything about it until about 8pm when I realized that I was crampy about every 10 minutes. I called my doc and she sounded skeptical, but encouraged me to get some rest and said that those were signs of early, early labor. After eating very spicy Thai food, I took a bath and shaved my legs, just in case. I tried to sleep in bed, but at about 1 am the cramping became even more obvious to me and I moved to the living room, encouraging KP to get some rest.

I watched some episodes of Weeds on DVD, timed contractions every now and then, and slept. At about 4:30 the contractions were strong enough that I could no longer sleep. I went in to take another bath, just to relax and change the scenery. I called Rachel, my friend and a nurse and mama who I knew was working the night shift. At this point the contractions were about 7 minutes apart and lasting 30 or so seconds, but sometimes a second contraction would piggyback on the first and that kinda scared me. Rachel said 7 minutes apart is pretty far but to call my doc if I was unsure. So, I woke the doc up and she encouraged me to wait until they were 5 mins apart, lasted at least 1 minute each, with the pattern holding for at least 1 hr, if not getting closer together.

At 5:30ish, I woke KP up and asked him to start timing me. We were good students and did just like we were trained in Lamaze. I lay on the floor with all of my pillow props. The pugs curled up with me under a blanket to show their support and concern. They were so sweet and loving. KP had his stop watch and pen and paper. While he watched some car show on Discovery, I waited and slept between contractions. At this point they were severe enough that I had to breathe through them. They felt like my tummy was crunching up and that my back had a sporadic cramp. KP helped with some of the back labor by applying counter pressure. After an hour of this, I was in a dream-like state. ( BTW, My cold had still not gone away, so I was on Benedryl, Afrin, and cough meds.) That may have encouraged my dream state. I felt so focused and in tune with my body that it was difficult to make the decision to get up, pull some final things together at the house and head to the hospital. We called the doc again at 7:45 and told her we were heading to the hospital.

We arrived at our sleepy little hospital at about 8 am. We had to go through the ER to get some service. I had a couple of contractions on the drive over and a few more in the waiting room while getting checked in. We called our families and put them on notice. I told them not to spring into action just yet as I had not been checked and had no idea if this was the real deal.

We were greeted my dueling nurses. They each wanted us. It really is a sleepy little hospital, with great service. It was settled that we'd have Nurse Julia, who was 6 months pregnant herself. After getting settled, they checked my bp, which was high, but not shocking to anyone. They then checked me and I was STILL only dilated at 2 cm. When I expressed that I was having back labor, they felt around on my stomach and discovered that Nash was face down, not face up which is much preferred for delivery. We were give the opportunity to try to turn him over before I took pain meds and was confined to my bed. For an hour, I danced bed-side and with each contraction, leaned over while KP pushed on my back. We were hoping that gravity would help turn him over, but it did not. I tired of this and wanted to get some rest.

I was told that I'd be given something to help me sleep and take the edge off of the contractions while we waited to see if I would progress. The doctor made rounds and said that if I did not progress that she would send me home, either to wait for real labor or for my induction on Tuesday. I was so certain that I was in real labor. It just felt so REAL. The contractions hurt like hell and I felt ready to have my baby. But, being a newcomer, I said nothing. I was given a shot of morphine and phenergan and told to relax. I liked this, as I hadn't really slept in a while. KP decided to go get something to eat and check on the dogs at home.

Just as I settled into a sleep, still mildly breathing through contractions, I felt a kick and then a gush. My water broke! I pushed the call button to tell them and the nurse said, “What leads you to believe that your water broke?” When I told her of the gush, she checked and said, "You're right!" Unfortunately, Nash pooped in the amniotic fluid, so our entire time line sped up. Pooping in the womb is a sign of stress on the baby. I called KP, who by then was in the parking lot and told him to hurry back. I also called the families and told them that we were a go. My doctor checked me again and I was at a 5, I was told that if I did not dilate faster, we'd move to the Pitocin and then c-section if necessary.

Just then my contractions got REALLY strong. I immediately asked for an epidural and relayed that in my family, we go from a 3 to a 10 in an hour. No one believed me, but because of the meconium (first poop) in the amniotic fluid, they obliged my request. I was told I would have to take down a bag of fluid while we waited for the anesthesiologist. Here's where things got a little harry.

The nurse inserted the IV into my left hand and as she did it, I almost passed out. I was given oxygen and told to relax. It occurred to me that I was a little anxious and the combo of pain medication, sleeping medication, cold medication, and nerves was a little overwhelming. KP and I then breathed through contractions for the next hour or so until the epidural man arrived. The epidural was no problem at all. The only part that hurt was the local anesthesia, which stung some. As the large needle was inserted, I was breathing through a contraction and had no time to think of anything else. Sneaky nurse if mine. Then I felt the meds flowing and legs becoming dead weight. It was time to relax.

At some point my entire family came in and we chatted for a while, but I don't really remember it. I felt some anxiety again and had Nurse Julia kick them out. For the next period of time, I was rolled from side to side to keep the epidural equal. This was quite a process as I could not help at all. I seriously could not feel ANYTHING from about my chest down. Mostly my legs felt like mountains, which is what every girl wants. And, the amniotic fluid was still gushing each time I was moved, which meant that I had to be cleaned up. All modesty was out the window, and frankly, had been since I arrived at the hospital.

After the epidural set in, I rested and waited to dilate. My nurse came in and told me she was going to check me but not to be surprised if I was still at a 5 as epidurals tend to slow progress. I again reminded her that I was from a long line of quick dialters. She told me that the next progressive step would be to feel some pressure in my nether region. I told her I had that. She said it would come and go, but I told her it was staying. She left the room and came back with my doctor. My doc checked me, and then asked KP if he’d like to see his son’s head! In a short period of time, I had dilated fully, Nash turned face up, and he descended to be delivered. I have those good Marz genes that go from 3 to 10 in an hour, thank God!

Things started moving very quickly at this point. I started shaking vigorously, which my doc said was very normal and to let loose and go with it. The respiratory therapist was called because of the meconium issue, the stirrups were pulled up, lights on, nurses called in, and it was show time. My doc told me that pushing is generally very uncomfortable as it’s like taking a BM in public and to try a test push with the next contraction. I guess I could poop in public if I had to (I have not), because I was told that I am a good pusher and to please stop. My doc suited up and we got ready for the next contraction.

All I could feel was some pressure and was told to push. It’s just like the movies: “push, push, push, push, push. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, again. You’re doing so great.” With all of the praise, I thought that the baby should have been out in 2 pushes, but he wasn’t. With the first two contractions, I pushed 3 times each and with the third contraction, I pushed 4 times, and pushed him out! In fact, I was pushing so hard that amniotic fluid shot out all over the room and all over everyone. Laughter and joy erupted in the room.

Nash was quickly swept away to get all of the poop out of his lungs and I went into a coughing fit, exactly what every person wants to do in the seconds following labor. Nash was declared perfect and his stats were called out around the room. My doc worked on sewing me up (side tear, not down, which I hear I am lucky for) while the nurses vigorously pushed on my uterus and I delivered the beautiful placenta (I had no idea this was happening). Really, it wasn’t that gross. In fact, nothing was as gross or scary as I thought it would be. Plus, the prize IS amazing.

So, that’s it. Nash is here. We’re doing great and I am sure the stories will keep on coming. There are so many and he’s only 10 days old!

Oh, and if you are looking for a time line, I think it went something like this:
8pm on 2/5: noticed cramping
4am on 2/6: cramping much stronger
7am on 2/6: timing contractions. 3-5 mins apart, lasting 1 min, duration 1 hr
8am on 2/6: at the hospital
12pm on 2/6: water breaks
2-3pm on 2/6: epidural
5:27pm on 2/6: Nash arrived!