After a rough week of recovery, I am finally able to sit down and write this out.
I had been having contractions on and off for weeks. They were always uncomfortable but they never amounted to anything. They mostly happened when I was sitting or laying and always stopped when I started walking around. At my 39 week appoinment (5/3) I was only 1.5cm dilated and 40% effaced. So dissapointing as I expected more dilation.
Fast forward to Friday (5/6). I started losing my mucus plug that morning but I didn't really think anything of it because I had also lost it with Bryan and he waited two more days before he came. All day long I was having contractions but they were the same as always and went away every time I walked around.
I timed the contractions a few times that night as they started getting a little more intense and more regular. I would time them for an hour at a shot and they were 5-7 minutes apart. My husband had to take his truck to a friend's garage to get some work done so I was home alone with the kids when the contractions started to become more regular, even when walking around.
Around 10:30pm, I finally called him and told him he might want to come home. I wasn't totally convinced it was time but I couldn't ignore the contractions. I called my mom so she could come over and stay with the kids and got ready to go.
We got to the hospital around midnight. I walked from the parking garage to the hospital with the hope that it would help get labor really going. I only had to stop a few times so, once again, I didn't think this was it.
We got to the OB trioge and got checked in where they checked my dilation. I was only at 3cm. They left me for about an hour and a half and came back and checked again. Still only 3cm. She told me to go walk around for an hour and then she would check me again. So my husband and I walked around the hospital for an hour.
By the time we got back to the room, the contractions were coming every 1 1/2-2 minutes but they weren't really intense yet. She checked me again. Still only 3cm. I was sure she had no idea what she was doing because I just couldn't understand how the contactions were coming so quickly but I was only at 3cm.
She went to talk to the on-call OB who just happend to be my OB (Yay!). She told me that I could go home or that I could stay the night, get a shot to help me sleep and get checked again in the morning. I chose to stay. I knew there was no way I would be able to sleep so we waited for a labor and delivery room.
It took them about 15 minutes to get us a room and in that time, the contractions started to pick up and started to get way more intense. I was pacing the room as my husband closed his eyes for a few minutes but it was hard to walk at all at this point.
Finally, around 3:30am, we were taken to our L&D room. By the time we got there, the contractions were pretty constant and were extremely painful. They were trying to admit me, asking all of their questions, but I could barely answer. They were still planning to let me get some rest when the nurse decided to check me one more time.
5cm dilated!
I knew the first nurse was wrong! Or maybe she wasn't. Maybe it only took that short amount of time to dilate.
As soon as she told me I was 5cm, the first thing out of my mouth was, 'does that mean I can get an epidural?' No shame in my epidural game. I honestly hype myself up and tell myself I'm going med free but I never do. Epidural was in place by 4:30am and I was good to go.
In reality, if I could have just hung on for a little while longer, I wouldn't have needed the epidural. He was born only 45 minutes after it was placed but oh well. There was one point durning a contraction when I looked at my husband and said, 'I don't know how women do this without meds. I'm such a wimp!' There was also one point when I said I didn't know if I could ever do this again. Now we all know that's not true!
My water broke on it's own around 5am. I felt it break and it was exactly what I had expected it to feel like. Shortly after that, they started watching the monitors just as they did with Bryan. The oxygen mask went on and it was determined that he wasn't tolerating the labor well.
I was checked for dilation as I felt a lot of pressure and I was a 9cm. My OB asked me if I felt the need to push and I said yes. She said that was good because we really needed to get the baby out as quickly as possible. Same exact scenario as Bryan.
I pushed for 9 minutes and there he was. On his due date!
My little rainbow baby is finally here! I can't tell you how relieved I am now that he is here. The cord was wrapped around his neck but my OB said it wasn't tight so it wasn't a problem. They whisked him away, cleaned him up and he spent the next hour on my chest. My husband was a little surprised because he didn't get to hold him for at least that hour when he held our other children much sooner.
We spent the next day and a half somewhat resting in the hospital. Davis nursed like a champ but made me so sore! I kept asking the nurses if he was latched on properly and they all agreed his latch was good so I'm not sure why it was hurting so much. I just spent most of the time there cuddling my rainbow boy. And taking lots of pictures, of course!
We had the choice to go home Sunday already or stay another day and I just wanted to go home. So after what seemed like forever, we finally got discharged and headed home Sunday afternoon, Mother's Day!
I had been having contractions on and off for weeks. They were always uncomfortable but they never amounted to anything. They mostly happened when I was sitting or laying and always stopped when I started walking around. At my 39 week appoinment (5/3) I was only 1.5cm dilated and 40% effaced. So dissapointing as I expected more dilation.
Fast forward to Friday (5/6). I started losing my mucus plug that morning but I didn't really think anything of it because I had also lost it with Bryan and he waited two more days before he came. All day long I was having contractions but they were the same as always and went away every time I walked around.
I timed the contractions a few times that night as they started getting a little more intense and more regular. I would time them for an hour at a shot and they were 5-7 minutes apart. My husband had to take his truck to a friend's garage to get some work done so I was home alone with the kids when the contractions started to become more regular, even when walking around.
Around 10:30pm, I finally called him and told him he might want to come home. I wasn't totally convinced it was time but I couldn't ignore the contractions. I called my mom so she could come over and stay with the kids and got ready to go.
We got to the hospital around midnight. I walked from the parking garage to the hospital with the hope that it would help get labor really going. I only had to stop a few times so, once again, I didn't think this was it.
We got to the OB trioge and got checked in where they checked my dilation. I was only at 3cm. They left me for about an hour and a half and came back and checked again. Still only 3cm. She told me to go walk around for an hour and then she would check me again. So my husband and I walked around the hospital for an hour.
By the time we got back to the room, the contractions were coming every 1 1/2-2 minutes but they weren't really intense yet. She checked me again. Still only 3cm. I was sure she had no idea what she was doing because I just couldn't understand how the contactions were coming so quickly but I was only at 3cm.
She went to talk to the on-call OB who just happend to be my OB (Yay!). She told me that I could go home or that I could stay the night, get a shot to help me sleep and get checked again in the morning. I chose to stay. I knew there was no way I would be able to sleep so we waited for a labor and delivery room.
It took them about 15 minutes to get us a room and in that time, the contractions started to pick up and started to get way more intense. I was pacing the room as my husband closed his eyes for a few minutes but it was hard to walk at all at this point.
 |
| My last bump photo taken just before labor really kicked in |
5cm dilated!
I knew the first nurse was wrong! Or maybe she wasn't. Maybe it only took that short amount of time to dilate.
As soon as she told me I was 5cm, the first thing out of my mouth was, 'does that mean I can get an epidural?' No shame in my epidural game. I honestly hype myself up and tell myself I'm going med free but I never do. Epidural was in place by 4:30am and I was good to go.
In reality, if I could have just hung on for a little while longer, I wouldn't have needed the epidural. He was born only 45 minutes after it was placed but oh well. There was one point durning a contraction when I looked at my husband and said, 'I don't know how women do this without meds. I'm such a wimp!' There was also one point when I said I didn't know if I could ever do this again. Now we all know that's not true!
My water broke on it's own around 5am. I felt it break and it was exactly what I had expected it to feel like. Shortly after that, they started watching the monitors just as they did with Bryan. The oxygen mask went on and it was determined that he wasn't tolerating the labor well.
I was checked for dilation as I felt a lot of pressure and I was a 9cm. My OB asked me if I felt the need to push and I said yes. She said that was good because we really needed to get the baby out as quickly as possible. Same exact scenario as Bryan.
I pushed for 9 minutes and there he was. On his due date!
Davis Benjamin Miller ~ Born May 7, 2016 at 5:45am ~ 8lb 8.3oz 20 inches
My little rainbow baby is finally here! I can't tell you how relieved I am now that he is here. The cord was wrapped around his neck but my OB said it wasn't tight so it wasn't a problem. They whisked him away, cleaned him up and he spent the next hour on my chest. My husband was a little surprised because he didn't get to hold him for at least that hour when he held our other children much sooner.
I don't even know what time it was when we got settled into our next room. My husband laid down on the couch in the room and fell asleep for a few hours. We all know I didn't get to sleep with getting settled and nursing and all the information they bombard you with right away. I let him sleep awhile since I knew he wanted to go get the kids.
Ashlyn was so happy to meet her little brother. She has been all about the baby since we told her he was in my belly and now she is glad that he's finally out! Bryan wasn't quite as interested. He was happy to tell people about the baby but he didn't want to hold him or get close to him right away.
 |
| These are the tshirts I ordered for them. |
 |
| I won this rainbow garland in an IG auction and it couldn't be more perfect for my rainbow baby. |
We had the choice to go home Sunday already or stay another day and I just wanted to go home. So after what seemed like forever, we finally got discharged and headed home Sunday afternoon, Mother's Day!
That's when Bryan finally decided he wanted to hold the baby. He didn't hold him for very long but it was still so cute.
Recovery has been long and hard this time around. Not at all what I expected but I'll save that for another post. I'll also show some comparison photos in another post. It's amazing how much Davis looks like Ashlyn is some photos but Bryan in others.
For now, I'm just cuddling my rainbow boy hard and taking in all of the tiny moments I have with him because I know that he will be running around with his sister and brother before I know it.
I could not have asked for a better Mother's Day gift this year!
Precious !!! 💙❤️💛💚💜
ReplyDelete