Birth Story - Short Version

I plan to write a detailed version with as much as I can remember.   Here is the short version that leaves out all of the interesting story stuff, but gives you an idea of how it went.

Sunday, 4/13, 11 pm:  Contractions every 30 min, lasting 45 sec

Monday 4/13, 12 am:  Contractions every 20 min, lasting 45 sec

1:30 am: Contractions every 15 min, lasting 45 sec

2:30 am: Contractions every 10 min, lasting 45 sec

3:30 am:  Contractions every 5 min, lasting 45 sec.  Eat a bowl of honey nut Cheerios

3:45 am:  Contractions every 3 min, lasting 45 sec

4:15 am:  Contractions every 2-3 min, lasting 45 sec.  Call the doctor, she says go to hospital

4:45 am:  Leave the house for the doctor after showering and packing car

5:00 am:  Check in at the hospital, dilated to 'stretchy 4 cm', 90% effaced

6:00 am:  Get epidural

7:00 am:  Break water, dilated to 5 cm, 100% effaced, -1 station.  Start pitocin on lowest setting since contractions slowed from every 2 min to every 4 min.

9:00 am:  Dilated to 7 cm, 0 station.  Feeling completely numb and unable to move my legs, so nurses sit me up a little and have me switch sides every 20 min

10:00 am:  Feeling has come back and I have complete control of my legs, but I don't feel any pain.  I can focus and breathe when I have a contraction.

11:00 am:  Feeling pressure.  Dilated to 9 cm, +1 station.  Feeling a little pain, so I push the magic 'epidural' button to give me a little more medicine.

12:00 pm:  Feeling a lot of pressure, but no pain.  Nurses suggest 'practice pushing' where I push every 3rd contraction or so.

12:10 pm:  They check me and I am complete (10 cm).  Doctor is called and says she is 15 min away.  Nurse predicts she won't be there until 12:45 pm.   I tell them I have to push so we start pushing when I need to, which is every or every other contraction.  Three 10-count pushes for every contraction.

12:15 pm:  Nurses notice that my pushes are very effective.  I can feel him coming down in me.

12:20-12:25 pm:  I push for the third time during a contraction and I can see the top of his head in the mirror.  I HAVE TO PUSH!!!!  The nurse says no, wait, doctor isn't here.  I cry and yell I HAVE TO PUSH!  Nurse says she will have to deliver her first baby if I push and I say okay and roll to my left toward Chris.

12:25 -12:45 pm:  Excruciating waiting and fighting the urge to push with every contraction.  He is RIGHTthere.  Chris helps me calm down and breathe.

12:45 pm: Doctor walks in and starts dressing in scrubs and gloves.  She sits down and says okay push when you need to.  I push on the very next contraction (3x per contraction for 10 counts) and then again for another 2 contractions and out comes his head!!  I start crying.  On the next contraction I push 3x again and out comes his shoulders.  Then another push and his body and legs come out!  I feel everything except the pain.

12:53 pm:  Cooper is officially born and they lay him on my stomach.  Chris cuts the cord.  I'm crying, Cooper is crying, and I look over and Chris has the video camera and is crying!

They pull my gown off me and give me skin to skin contact with Cooper for 20 min before I tell them I feel weak, shaky and thirsty.  They take him and clean him up, get me a cold juice drink.  The doctor is delivering the placenta and stitching me up.  I had three 2nd degree tears.

Chris is holding him, and then I get to hold him again in his little burrito wrap.  He's beautiful!!  After about 2 hours, and finally getting to eat lunch, we are taken to recovery.