Our 2nd Birth Story

This is the (really long) story of one of the best days of my life. I am writing this for my own memory more than anything else - to document the miracle of our second son's birth! I cannot fully put into words the emotions that come along with the birth of one of your own children - there really aren't words to describe it.  I'm posting it on my blog because I know that I love reading about the miracle of birth, so I hope that you enjoy reading it. If you don't want to read details of labor and delivery, you might want to skip this one :-)                                       

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

I went to my 38 week appointment, and Dr. Conrad told me that I had not made any progress. "Miles likes his mommy," he said (referring to the fact that it didn't seem like Miles was interested in coming into the world anytime soon). He was still "floating" - like a hot air balloon. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to meet my baby boy ASAP, but I tried to concentrate on the fact that the longer he stayed in there the better as far as his lungs were concerned, and I still had 2 weeks to go. I was due on May 14, 2012. The following week, I made Kevin watch our "Laugh and Learn About Childbirth" video again as a refresher, packed bags, and finalized "the plan" for our toddler's care in every possible scenario - just in case...

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Kevin, Carter, and I spent the weekend together doing all kinds of fun things! We saw a friend at Bridgestreet, and they asked if I felt like I was progressing. I told them "My babies don't come on their own, but, we'll see on Tuesday!" Carter had come 3 days late when I was induced, and I was expecting nothing less from Miles. My 39 week appointment was scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 2pm.

Monday, May 7, 2012 - 

Early that morning (more like the middle of the night), I had terrible "digestive/stomach problems," and I threw up. No fun! In retrospect, this was my body emptying itself while preparing for labor, but it felt like a very unwelcome stomach bug. 

During the day, I was anxious. I took 2 walks around our neighborhood (probably about 2 miles total). I stopped to talk to several ladies in the neighborhood along the way. Again telling them, "I don't think my body knows how to go into labor," "He'll probably camp out until he's forced out!" etc...

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 - BIRTH DAY!!!

I had a big day planned. I was having 4 ladies and 7 children over to our house for a play date (the children could entertain Carter while I rested/chatted with the other moms)! I was also looking forward to my 2pm doctor's appointment. I wanted to see if I had made any progress - even though I was pretty sure I had not. Needless to say, the day did not go as planned... 

3:45 am - I woke up in discomfort. I was having contractions. Since I was still a week away from my due date, I just assumed they were Braxton Hicks contractions. I was pretty annoyed that they were causing me to lose sleep as I had been up sick the night before. Didn't God know that I needed my sleep?!?! No matter what, I was going to have to chase a toddler around the next day! I had been having BH contractions for over a month now, so I knew what they felt like. 

I wasn't worried about timing the contractions because I didn't think it was the real thing...I just wanted to fall back asleep, but they just kept coming. I got out of bed - they didn't stop. I walked around the bedroom - they didn't stop. I went to the bathroom - still coming. Got back in bed - they got a little worse. This went on and on for about an hour. 

4:45 am - I decided to take a warm shower to clear my head. By this time I was also thinking that this MIGHT be the real thing, and I wanted to be clean just in case. I was bound and determined not to "cry wolf" (or baby) too early and be sent away from the hospital, so I was trying to buy some more time. I got in the shower, and it felt so good. My body relaxed, and the contraction pains seemed to let up. I finished up and crawled back in bed. The contractions had let up, and I was drifting off back to sleep... Then they started up again - there was no way I was going to be able to sleep laying down, so I decided to move downstairs to the recliner.

5:45 am - I crawled into the recliner with my pillow and favorite blanket, and tried to close my eyes. No luck - the contractions wouldn't quit. Beginning to be more and more convinced that I may just be in labor, I decided to call my mom (she doesn't really sleep anyways :-) 

Dad answered the phone, and I told him that I thought I was probably in labor...he was excited, but quickly passed the phone off to mom. She told me that she thought I should time them and call her back in 15 minutes - she was going to take her shower and start packing a bag. I started timing them, and they seemed to be coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting about 30 seconds - 1 minute in length. This was very confusing to me. The lady on my video said to go to the hospital when you were having contractions every 5 minutes and when you couldn't talk through them... Mine were coming way faster than 5 minutes, but I could still comfortably talk through them. Oh no - this is not textbook labor...wonder if that means it's fake?!?!...what should I do?  I called mom again with the confusing report, and she told me to page my doctor. Doctors sure do return calls quickly when you tell them that you think you're in labor!!! I explained to Dr. Conrad that I'd been having contractions for 2 hours and they wouldn't quit. I told him that they were 2-3 minutes apart, but that I could still talk through them....he said, "It sounds like you need to head to labor and delivery to me!"

WOW! Could this really be happening? Did my body really go into labor on it's own? Is this what this feels like? Am I ready to have a baby today? I was completely flooded with emotions. I called mom again..."He said to head to the hospital." She told me that she and dad were finishing up packing and getting my grandmother settled, then they were headed our way. I told her that I would keep her posted, and I apologized in advance (just in case the hospital ended up turning me away). 

6:30 am - Kevin showered, I finished packing our bags, and we got Carter's things together. I called, Amanda, my friend who was supposed to keep Carter for us until my parents got here, and I texted all my play group ladies to let them know that my morning plans had changed - I was in labor. We woke Carter up, dressed him, and gave him some breakfast to eat in the car. He was pretty calm about the whole thing, but you could tell that he wasn't sure what was going on. 

6:45 am - We left for the hospital. My contractions hadn't stopped the whole time we were getting ready to leave, but when I sat down in that car seat - they kicked into another gear! Until we got in the car, I was not completely convinced that I was in labor. Once I rode in that car seat for about 5 minutes, I knew this was it - we were going to have a baby - today!!! In between contractions I was giddy with excitement - during them, I was leaning back (as much as possible) and hanging on and promising that if the hospital didn't admit me, I would camp out in their lobby because I was DEFINITELY in labor!

7:00 am -  We dropped Carter off at Amanda's house, and he immediately started playing with her little boy, Will. We got her to quickly snap our last "family of 3" picture...as you can see, he was not interested in having his picture made...there were new toys to be played with...

I kissed my sweet boy, told him that he was going to be a big brother next time I saw him, and let him go play.

7:15 am - We arrived at the hospital. I had forgotten to pre-register, so we had to fill out some paperwork. By 7:20 am, I was sent to Labor and Delivery Room #3 (the exact same room Carter was delivered in!!!) and dawning a hospital gown which had been designed for a 500 pound man.

7:40 am - My nurse, Charlotte, hooked me up to a monitor and checked me. I was definitely having contractions, and I was a whopping 2cm dilated / 80% effaced / -1 station....slightly disappointing. All my friends had told me that 2nd babies come so much faster than the first baby, so I was expecting better measurements than that.... After all, I had labored at home for the past 3 hours! "Oh well...maybe it'll start to pick up here soon," I thought. 

We went through all the "checking in" procedures/ questionnaires, and I told the nurse that I wanted my labor and delivery to be as natural as possible. I told her that I had gone all natural with Carter, and I would like to try that again this time. I absolutely loved my labor and delivery with Carter. I couldn't wait to experience it all again!!! She wrote the note "Natural" under the "Pain Goals" section of the white-board in my room, and left the room to see if I was going to be admitted. Kevin and I got as comfortable as possible and turned on the TV to take my mind off of the pain.

8:30 am - Charlotte and Andrea (the charge nurse) let me know that I was going to be admitted, and they began prepping the room. 

They hooked me up to my IV and gave me antibiotics because I was Strep B positive. Kevin and I called our parents to let them know that this was the real thing, and I texted some friends to tell them that this was the big day. The reality of the situation was sinking in now. I really was actually going to have a baby today. Miles was going to be born on May 8th...

10:10 am - Dr. Conrad came to my room to check on me. I was 3cm dilated / 80% effaced / -2 station. This didn't seem like it was going very quickly. He broke my water, and assured me that would speed things up. I don't generally welcome pain, but I was ready to get this show on the road. I got the nurse to bring me a birthing ball, and I got out of bed to try to speed things up. The ball was sure to make me more comfortable - I had labored on a ball for hours when I had Carter! Kevin provided some comic relief...

10:45 am - Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital. I had invited mom to be present for the birth, and dad visited for a few minutes before heading to pick-up Carter and care for him for the afternoon. 

In no time, my contractions went from "Ouch, that's not comfortable..." to "Good gracious, that hurts like a son of a gun!!!" Dad said goodbye, and I got on the birthing ball and squirmed for what seems like forever. I tried having Kevin push on my hips - that had taken away so much of the pain during Carter's labor and delivery. No good. I tried rocking and leaning back. That was no good because I was feeling every bit of the pain of this labor in my bottom. I've heard of "back labor," but this was "bottom labor..." Weird. Carter's labor pains had been primarily in my gut - thus stretching and leaning back and forth on the ball had helped. This time sitting on the ball was just putting unnecessary pressure on my hurting bottom causing me to tense up during every contraction.  I decided to try getting up and standing/walking/rocking in place. That just made me have to go to the bathroom. 

I went to the bathroom, and I got the urge to push...it felt like I needed to go #2. I told my mom this (through the bathroom door) and she told me that if I pushed, I may have my baby in the toilet, so I stopped. The nurse said that I may be complete, so she checked me. 

11:50 am - Much to my disappointment, I was 4 cm dilated / 90% effaced / and -1 station. Are you KIDDING me?!?!? This was NOT going fast at all! They let me go back to the bathroom and finish. I came back out and tried several more coping strategies to try to manage the pain. The fact was that the pain was getting astronomically worse, and I was not handling it well at all. I. COULD. NOT. GET. COMFORTABLE! 

I stood next to my bed, trying to figure out how to handle the pains - trying something different for every contraction. Stand up straight - nope. Squat - nope. Lean back - ok, but not great. Lean forward - not helpful. Walk in place - ouch. Nothing was working! Then I noticed that my vision was fading. When I raised my right arm straight up from my side, I couldn't see it!!! My peripheral vision was completely blacked-out on that side! I got back in bed thinking that it was because I was locking my knees. This didn't help - I felt like I was slowly passing out - so I told my nurse. She said that I was hyperventilating and put an oxygen mask on me. This was not going well - at all. It was certainly not the calm, cool, collected, and controlled natural labor that I had experienced 21 months ago! 

1:10 pm - My nurse checked me, and I had progressed to 5cm dilated / 90% effaced / -1 station. This was not the quicky labor I had envisioned. It was around this time that the anesthesiologist came into my room and said, "I am here to do your epidural." Everyone looked at each other, and Charlotte told him that he had the wrong room - I was going natural. He apologized and left the room... I think it was a sign from God! 

Charlotte, Kevin, and mom were all trying to help me find a way to get comfortable at this point. I needed to figure out a way to handle this pain. Charlotte decided to get a squatting bar. This worked for lots of people. Kevin and mom stayed with me while she rounded up the bar. They got it all set up, she told me what to do, I got into place, a contraction came, and I SCREAMED! OH. MY. GOODNESS. That was the most painful experience of my entire life. 

I have no idea what happened, but that's when I officially flipped out. I was confined to the bed, my bottom was in excruciating pain, and I was in a full panic... Mom and Charlotte left the room (or at least I think they did...). I started weeping. I told Kevin that I wanted to do this naturally, but I just couldn't. After all, I had done this before, and I loved it, but for some reason it was different this time. "I've already run that marathon, and I don't want to do it again! It's so different this time. I can't do it. I can't figure out how to handle this pain. I give up." He consoled me as best he could. He explained that it wasn't giving up...it's was just different this time, and I had made it as far as I needed to. He encouraged me and told me that everything was going to be ok. I asked him if I could get an epidural, and he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yes, I think that would be good." He told the nurse. 

2:15 pm - The nurse checked me and I was still at 5-6cm dilated / 100% effaced / -1 station....not much progress. 

The anesthesiologist came back into the room and asked if I had changed my mind, and I assured him that "Natural" was no longer my "Pain Goal"...now we were shooting for "Comfort!" Somebody even changed it on my whiteboard :-) 

They prepped me and talked to me about all the necessary stuff they warn you about when they are about to administer an epidural. I have to say - for some reason I was terrified of getting the epidural! It wasn't bad at all. It felt like a bee sting and pressure - just like they said it would. Then everything slowly went numb....wonderfully numb!!! The anesthesiologist finished up and said goodbye. I'm pretty sure I said "I love you!" as he was leaving the room :-) 

I was able to relax for the first time in hours, and I realized how very tired my body was. I stopped crying, but I couldn't stop shaking. They put warm blankets on me, while the mood of the room changed drastically. I slept and everyone else rejoiced. We invited my sister in, and she decided to join us. I have her to thank for the amazing pictures that she captured!

I watched the monitors as my contractions picked up in intensity, but I didn't care. I couldn't feel a thing, and it was fantastic.

2:40 pm - In just 25 short minutes, I made it from 5 to 7cm dilated / 90 to 100% effaced / -1 to 0 station. More progress than I had made in 2 hours! This came as such a relief because my worst fear of an epidural was that it would stall my labor. It didn't - it very effectively sped things up! My body had just needed to RELAX, and that's exactly what I did! 

Kevin was right by my side the whole time. 

3:25 pm - Just over 1 hour after my epidural, I was complete and ready to push. I couldn't believe it!!! It was already time?!?! I was going to be holding Miles in my arms soon - or at least I hoped it would be soon. My second worst fear of epidurals was that I wouldn't be able to feel anything to push. 

We waited for Dr. Conrad to come. Everything was so much more relaxed at this point of the labor process than it had been with Carter. With Carter, everyone was running around like crazy, and I was making my nurse check me after every contraction because I wanted to push so bad. This time, I was waiting for the doctor patiently...without a care in the world. I am not going to say that one way is better than the other - they are different - very different. The majority of the labor part of Carter's birth was calm and delivery was crazy...the labor part of Miles's birth was crazy while delivery was calm. As we sat around waiting for Dr. Conrad, we listened and laughed about some cat noises that seemed to be coming from the wall behind me...we still have no idea what on earth it was. 

Dr. Conrad came in the room, asked me to do a trial push, and suited-up in his delivery apparel. 

3:49 pm - I started pushing...my fear of not being able to push was quickly washed away because 6 minutes later.....at 

3:55 pm - 

MILES THOMAS WATTS was born!!!!!!!!

Kevin cut the cord. 

The first time I saw him, my heart almost burst. I loved him so very much! 

The first words I spoke were, "Hey, Buddy. I love you!" I can't help it. It's what I say to my boys :-) I'm their mommy, and they are my buddies.

He was just perfect! 

7 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches of perfect! 

He scored an 8/9 on his Apgar tests as Dr. Conrad attended to me. 

We rejoiced in the birth of our second precious son! 

This birth experience was very humbling. I'm not a hero. I'm not super-human. I had to get an epidural because I couldn't handle the pain, and none of that mattered. I had my baby boy in my arms, and he was safe and healthy.

We visited with Dr. Conrad - the best dr. in the whole world! 

Grandmama finally got her hands on Mr. Miles.

Me and my lil' man got to snuggle for a little while. 

Then he went to the nursery to heat up and get his first bath. 

The rest of the evening was spent with Carter and visiting with my family. Laughing, talking, and celebrating the birth of Miles! I'm saving those stories for another post.

"For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done,

I will sing for joy at the work of Your hands."

Psalm 92:4

"The joy of the Lord is my strength."
Nehemiah 8:10

""My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

2 Corinthians 12:9