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| 24 hours exactly before meeting my baby |
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| 1.5 week-old Briggs and mommy |
I feel as though Briggs's birth story starts out a little earlier than when I thought it would have (although I didn't know it at the time.) As I mentioned in the 37 week post, I had been having contractions frequently and was dilated to 1 cm at that week's appointment. Leading up to my 38 week appointment on a Friday, the story was still the same. I was so convinced that at that appointment I was going to be dilated to at least 3 cm because I was so uncomfortable and had been having contractions all week long. Well, sure enough my OB was delivering a baby that morning so I was checked by the Physician's Assistant. Unfortunately, I had not progressed at all! I might have been a little more effaced, but that was it. Needless to say, my spirits were pretty down. It wasn't because I wasn't going into labor yet, it was because I was feeling so much activity but nothing was happening. I was beginning to worry I was going to go way passed due being a first time mom. I really did not want to be induced either.
That next Monday the 16th, was Ryan's birthday. Our families all met at Bazbeaux's for his birthday celebration. The whole night, I was miserable. I definitely felt the contractions about 5 minutes a part for at least one minute. However, it was more uncomfortable than painful, so I just figured it was more of those pesky Braxton Hicks that I had been dealing with for the last two weeks. That night, we had cake and ice cream. We took the following picture because my parents have a picture just like this one 2 days before I was born on my dad's 27th birthday. Guess what birthday this was for Ryan?
My contractions continued throughout the next day. So on Tuesday, I finally convinced myself maybe this really is something. So I called the doctor. They had me come in. I was checked. I was now "a little" over 1 cm. I cried. (How do OB's deal with all these hormonal women, by the way?) She gave me some meds to relax my body. She said my body was kind of in spaz mode. They hooked me up for a non-stress test just to make sure the baby was ok. He was perfect. However, they did detect my contractions. They thought the new meds would help my body relax and help me sleep so if I really was in early labor, perhaps my body could be a little more productive. They did help me sleep. However, at that point I was mentally preparing myself to not be able to meet my baby until around 41 weeks.
Wednesday was a pretty non-active day as far as contractions. I was physically feeling better but still pretty down in the dumps. Then on Thursday my mom and sister were sick of me moping around so they took me to Broad Ripple so we could walk around and shop at some of the local baby and bridal boutiques. It was so nice to get out of the house despite being the size of a jumbo jet. I felt really good for the first time in a month. When Ryan came home that night, I had convinced myself that I was going to just relax and enjoy the rest of the time of just being us two. So we had a quiet night. We even tried starting a puzzle. I suck at puzzles. So Ryan worked on the puzzle and I drank pineapple juice- I think I had read somewhere that it helps induce labor. So it was a crazy night at the Robinson household- fo sho. I had fallen asleep on the couch and I barely remember Ryan helping me to bed.
Then at about 1:00am Friday morning at 39.2 weeks pregnant, I woke up from the contractions again. Ryan was still awake. I was joking around saying this was it. But I really thought my body was just playing tricks on me again. These contractions were different though. They completely wrapped around my back and I definitely couldn't talk through them. However, I was so hesitant to call the doctor on-call because I didn't want to wake her in the middle of the night and I didn't want to drive 35 minutes to the hospital, only to be disappointed again. However, the contractions intensified. I continued to labor at home for about 2 hours. I finally convinced myself to call the doctor when I felt something move...like the baby's head. The doctor sent us up to the hospital. The contractions continued all the way up to Carmel. Ryan was awesome. He helped coach me through each one despite the fact that he was driving. When we got there, a nurse greeted us at labor and delivery. She said, "So you think this is the real thing?" and I said, "I hope so...otherwise this really sucks." So I get all gowned up, she checks me, and...........I was dilated to 4 almost 5! The nurse told us we were there to stay. Hallelujah!! I then smiled at Ryan and said "We get to meet our baby today!"
Things moved pretty quickly after that. They sent me to a labor and delivery room. Gave me my IV's and the glorious epidural. I didn't even feel it because I was having a contraction through the sticking. I was a little worried that the epi would slow down my progress, but it definitely did not. The only scary thing that happened, was that at one point it had lowered my blood pressure so much that I felt as though I was either going throw up or pass out or both. The baby was distressed from the drop as well. The whole medical crew came in and helped me through it both emotionally and physically. After that we kept a very close eye on both my BP and the baby's heart rate and both were at a healthy place for the remainder of labor.
At 7:00am, the doctor on call (Dr. Raney) came in to check me and break my water. I was now at 7cm on my own and 100% effaced. She broke my water and then headed back to the office in Zionsville. My nurse then asked if I would mind if two Purdue student nurses could sit in during my delivery. I told her I didn't mind as long as they weren't my former students-ha. So I met the student nurses...and despite being form Purdue, were precious and ended up being my saving grace.
At around 10:00 am, I was feeling a TON of pressure. I didn't have the strongest epi as it was at my request, but the pressure definitely was getting way intense. My nurse and the student nurses came in and I asked her when I was going to get checked again. She said Dr. Raney told her not to check me again until 11:00am because I was a first time mom. I told her she should check me soon because I was feeling so much pressure AND every woman in my family has had super fast deliveries. She told me that was good to know, but didn't want to check me too much. The student nurses looked concerned as they left the room. At around 10:30, the nurse and the student nurses came back in. The student nurse had convinced her to come in and check me...thank goodness she did! I was dilated to 10cm and the baby was at a +2 station. I was ready to push-and my doctor was at the office in Zionsville. The nurse calls my doctor then (Dr. Johnson) and she leaves the office and rushes over the hospital. It took her way longer than usual because roads were blocked off. So I had to wait until 11:00 until she got there to start pushing. I was so ready to push and felt helpless because I had to wait.
As soon as she got to the room at 11:00, I began to push right away. Ryan was on my right, coaching me through the whole thing. He was awesome...but I think the doctor was getting frustrated when he would let go of my foot to go cool himself down between contractions-ha. My mom and sister were behind my head recording the whole thing on video and taking pictures. I really wanted to have his first breath recorded. I remember the doctor and the nurse kind of giving each other a look after pushing through the 3rd contraction. In my head, I was kind of freaking out thinking the baby's head was stuck and I went through all this only to have an emergency C-section. So I put myself in a very determined and focused mental zone. I had the eye of the tiger and was not about to give up. So I pushed through about two more contractions and then-on the first push of my final contraction, he literally flew out like a jet. It scared me so much I screamed! I was not expecting him to fly out so fast that the doctor literally had to catch him.
So then we met. He was such a "perfect pink" the nurse told me that they let him stay on my chest for about a half hour without even taking him away to measure him or take his vitals. It was the most spiritual and breathtaking moment I have ever experienced in my life. My son had arrived. He was beautiful and healthy...my prayers had been answered. At that moment I had finally understood the magnitude of God's love for me. Praise God for our miracle!!
The first text I read once in postpartum, was from John Noel, the preacher who married us but who is also one of our best friends in the entire world. His text was a simple prayer for Briggs. I can't think of a more appropriate way to wrap up this post and start a new life with these words:
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