D Day

As you can see I wasn't able to post my 37 weeks post.  I typically posted the update for the week on Sundays but that was actually one day before I entered the next week.  Therefore I didn't get a chance to post that post because I went into labor prior to the end of that week.  Here is how is all went down.

On Saturday I woke up at about 2 AM with some contractions in my back- some that actually took my breath away at certain points but I ended up getting back to sleep.  Once I woke up for the day on Saturday I had a couple of more contractions but only mild.  Then AS SOON AS Tice left for some early morning meetings I went into the bathroom and realized that my mucus plug seemed to have become unplugged and had a bit of bloody streaks.  I decided to call my doctor's office to see what they thought I should do.  I spoke with the doctor on call and they said that it sounded like I should come in to the hospital and at least get checked.  I then immediately called Tice and told him what the doctor had said- he said he would only conduct the first meeting he had planned and then would head straight home so that we could head to the hospital together.  I then went upstairs to shower and get ready while I waited for Tice to come home.

Once Tice got home we headed into the hospital and got admitted to be checked.  This entire time I was having mild contractions but nothing that was so painful that I couldn't talk or walk.  They immediately checked me and said I was 2 cm dialated and 60% effaced!  I was so excited that the pain hadn't been for not up to that point .  Then they said it- I was going to need to walk around for about an hour to see if I continued to make progress and then be admitted or if I was going to be asked to continue laboring at home.  Needless to say after an hour of walking around the strip mall near the hospital- which was extremely uncomfortable- we went back to the hospital to be checked again.  After getting checked again they told me I was almost 3 cm dialated and about 80% effaced.  These numbers weren't enough for me to be admitted because my water hadn't yet broken so they sent us home... needless to say I was pretty sad.

Upon being sent home Tice dropped me off at the house before he went to the grocery store to pick up a couple of things we needed.  While he was gone I continued to labor on the couch but things didn't ready get a ton more intense.  Tice made dinner for us which was great and then we continued to hang out downstairs laboring.  At around 9 PM I told Tice that we should go to bed to try to get some rest just in case we got awoken in the middle of the night and had to go to the hospital.  After trying to go to sleep for almost 2 hours I finally said I was feeling bad enough that I thought we should go to the hospital again and get checked.  We arrived at around 11 PM and got admitted to the same room again to be checked yet again.  At this point the contractions were officially hurting and I wasn't going to be getting any sleep if I didn't have some assistance.  They admitted us again and checked me again and said I was only at 3 cm.  I was so sad!  They decided to put me in the whirlpool tub and have me labor in their with the jets for a while.  After about an hour in the tub they decided to check me again.  I had made NO progress!  I was so upset but they said they could give me an Ambian and send me home.  So at 2 AM we collected our things and started home.  I popped the pill and was actually able to sleep for about 5 hours.

When we woke up the next morning the contractions had slowed down a bit and were a bit less intense so I continued laboring as they became more and more intense.  After several more hours I started to feel defeated.  Tice called the hospital again and asked for some suggestions on some pain management.  They suggested that I get in the tub and soak in the warm water.  I lasted about 30 minutes before I decided that I needed to get checked again at the hospital.  So we collected our things again and headed to the hospital for the third time that week at 6 PM.

I remember having contractions on the road that were so intense that I couldn't wait to get the heck out of the vehicle.  They sent us back to the room we had been in the other two times and we waiting to be checked again.  They checked me and they gave me some of the best news I have ever heard- I was 4 cm and completely effaced and they were going to emit me to the hospital- I WASN'T going to have to go home!  We were going to have this baby and he was going to come sooner then later!

As soon as it was determined that I was going to get to stay they asked if I was going to have an epidural to which I said "yep- when is the soonest I can have it!?"  Then they called for the anesthesiologist.   The doctor came in and introduced himself, his name was Dr. Lovitz and he is actually related to the SNL comedian and had quite the sense of humor!  He started to apply the epidural but it only took to my right side so he tried again and then again when it finally worked!  Relief pure relief!  It was so nice to finally feel decent while knowing I was making progress.  One of my sacks of fluid broke on its own but the doctor on call decided to go ahead and break the second one so that things could continue progressing from the 7 cm I was at.  My normal doctor came in that morning around 8 AM and checked me and decided that since I was making slow yet steady progress she wanted to go ahead and put me on pitocin.  They went ahead and administered it and I continued being turned from side to side so that they baby's head would turn the appropriate direction.   I keep working along until I got to 9cm- that was when the progress I was making slowed down considerably.  The hardest thing was going from 9 to 10- I think it took almost 3 hours.  I decided that because we were getting close to pushing I asked that the epidural be turned down so that I could actually feel my legs while I was pushing.  Finally after enduring some of the most painful contractions even with the epidural it was time to push.  It was Noon and I pushed for a whole 40 minutes before he entered the world!  Once they placed him on my chest it was a surreal feeling that after all that time he was finally here!  

Now for some pictures!

Sawyer with Grandpa Wes

Sawyer with Grandma Tammy

Our first family photo

Heading home on Fourth of July!