And Davis Came

Here's the long story of Davis' birth mixed in with a few pictures of him.

Here we go. Adelyn and Hadley were 4 and 5 days early, so when I still hadn't had any good signs of labor by 2 days before the due date I was anxious and annoyed. I went in for my last OB visit that afternoon - the one I didn't think I'd be needing, and was told I was still only dilated to a 1, maybe a little more, and I wasn't done effacing yet either. Grr! So I left, wondering if Davis was going to wait until after my due date to come.

Davis, after getting his lungs suctioned

 As I was leaving, I had a strong contraction. I chalked it up to having just had a physical cervix check. The next day was a Thursday and the YM and YW were going to have a big Thanksgiving dinner/party, so I went home to prepare for that. (when we planned it I had thought for sure that I'd be able to go, with a new baby in tow) As I started making pies and gravy for the party I noticed that the contractions weren't getting better so I started timing them. I also started to rushing to get the food and games ready.

When Curtis came home he helped me get ready for the party. He then drove everything out to my counselors along with some assignments he and I were no longer going to be able to fulfill. I also called my mom to come watch the kids. By the time she arrived it was about 10pm and the contractions were 2 minutes apart - time to go to the hospital.

Elise's second time holding him, but the first doesn't really count

 Early in the pregnancy we found out that technology had improved so much that heart conditions like mine could be understood better and some people's risk categories had been adjusted in light of the new findings, mine included. I had been bumped from the "high risk" one to the "moderate to low risk" one. That meant that I would no longer need continuous monitoring or the massive penicillin injections for my heart, "just in case," while I was in labor. It also meant that "going natural" was a choice for me, which it never was before. They still had to be watchful with me, especially after, but not near as bad as before.

When I was 6 or 7 months along we started teasing/toying with the idea of me going natural "to save money." By now I had decided that I'd "try" it, but no promises. I had made it to an 8 1/2 with Adelyn okay (but I didn't know that the contractions hurt worse with each kid), so I thought I could handle it. The epidural I'd had with Hadley only went down one side, so it ended up giving me a very dead leg and a lot more pain than I had anticipated, and since I was tied to so many machines and couldn't feel my leg, I couldn't move through any of it - which would have really helped. So when we got there, I told them I was going to try going naturally, but I'd let them know if/when I wanted an epidural.

I tested positive for strep B this time. Lame. Penicillin again anyway. So the first thing I had to do was get an IV with penicillin, but at least they were small doses that were comparatively quick. When that was done I got to walk the floors until my next dose.

happy dad! 

Just like the last two times, when they initially checked me in (a little before 11pm) I was at a 5 1/2. Not like the last two times, I "got" to walk to halls for hours - pausing, when need be, for contractions - instead of sitting tied to a bed watching movies, not in pain. It got hard. I learned that crying makes them hurt worse. Then it got hard enough and they were close enough that walking was out, so we went to our room - about 1:30am. It was fine anyway, it was time for another dose of penicillin. Before, when we had had to pause for them to monitor the baby we sat and played card games, so we tried that. No good. So I sat in the rocking chair and MY nurse really became helpful. (that's one of the really cool things about going natural - your own nurse who can stay with you the whole time if you want)

a little jaundiced

 She coached Curtis on what more he could do to help and between the two of them, I was feeling quite a bit better. Then transition really hit. I had four contractions that lasted 1 1/2 minutes each with only 5-10 seconds in between them. I told my nurse I was done and wanted the epidural. She checked me, I was at an 8 1/2. Not too late - I know, because that's when I got it with Adelyn. So she said she needed to go check on the anesthesiologist and would be back in 5 minutes. If I still wanted an epidural then, she told me, I'd get it.

TWENTY minutes later she came back, checked me and said it was too late. Later, I found out she'd done it on purpose, because she thought I could handle it and that I'd be mad at myself later if I got the epidural.

on Thanksgiving

 I never had more than 5-10 seconds between contractions at that point (but at least I could feel that they were gone during that time - apparently not everyone does, so they let you know when they stop, and they were surprised when I already knew).

My doctor came in this time, and since I had had my last dose of penicillin, she was finally able to break my water. That's right, it hadn't broken yet. Adelyn's broke to start labor, but with both my boys, it didn't happen till the actual delivery.

Adelyn likes him

 As soon as she broke my water Davis started coming. What worried us all, though, is that the water was green and smelly, not clear/pink - Davis had pooped.

Delivery only took about three pushes... and would have been a lot shorter if I had actually pushed on the first three contractions. It hurt so much that every time I tried to push I just couldn't and ended up just "pushing" with my face instead! I also kept up an almost-unceasing string of "I don't want to"s from there to the end. I found out later it was because I was almost cracking something in my pelvis that he was lodged against. They realized he was stuck (all my kids have gotten their shoulders stuck in my pelvis), so they made me move. I say it like that because I didn't want to - it hurt too much. I thought something was wrong, but wasn't sure and definitely couldn't form an intelligible sentence, so they moved me. And I felt something crack. That was the start of never-ceasing pain, but it was also the start of the end - finally!

so does Hadley

 After that, pushing didn't hurt near so bad (but it still hurt a lot) and actually made me feel a little better, and I only barely felt him crown, but with all the pain I did feel (especially in whatever had cracked) I had a really hard time concentrating enough to even do it right. Every time they told me to push I'd say "no" or "I don't want to". I even told my doctor at one point to "just get it out", to which she calmly replied, "I can't, you have to". All the while I was saying that, I really was listening and trying to do what they said. (I don't think I was all the way "with it" at that point)

this is what Curtis does when he holds Davis

 Davis was born at 2:30am, roughly 12 hours after labor started. They put him on my stomach and that magical moment when all the pain ceases (or at least is way less noticeable), and you can adore your baby, never came. I couldn't even look at him. I couldn't pay attention to anything except the pain. I think they cut his cord while he was on me. I think Curtis got to do that. Then I'm pretty sure I saw out of the corner of my eye that they very quickly took him and started suctioning out his lungs to make sure he hadn't breathed in any of the meconium. I think I remember him crying for that. And I think that's also when my placenta came out. (I know all of that happened, I just don't have it in my own memory, someone else had to confirm it for me later) The only thing I remember for sure is that I cried. A lot. And it wasn't all "relief."

see!

Right after I had Adelyn I was able to hop off the bed and walk to my recovery room. I felt great, and had had a very light epidural. I wasn't able to "hop" right after Hadley was born, because of the botched epidural, but I still felt great, albeit very tired. This time I was glad I didn't have a separate recovery room, and I was glad that it was the middle of the night. I didn't move for hours - except for all the shaking, which must get worse each time, it was crazy!

Everything went well after that. Davis hadn't breathed anything bad in and was perfect, so we all got released the next day.

all the kids, taken by Tara

When I went in for his 2 week check-up I learned that he had a healed-up broken collar bone that likely broke during delivery. Babies heal really fast. Too bad moms don't! That was probably what was pushing on something in my pelvis when I moved and felt a crack - it had broken him too. Sad! I finally stopped hurting when he was about 2 months old. I never found out what cracked in me, but I bet it wasn't as bad of a break as Davis'.

happy boy!

 Overall I think it was a fairly good experience, but I wouldn't do it again. Luckily, that was our last kid, so I don't have to make that decision anyway. :)

On a side note, I thought labor was supposed to get shorter each time?!
Adelyn - 9 hours, water broke to start it.
Hadley - ~48 hours (why do I always say 72 hours?! probably because after 2 nights of no sleep, that's how it felt! and it was through 3 days), water broke right before delivery - and I vowed to have my water broken as soon as labor began if that ever happened to me again!
Davis - 12 hours, water was broken as soon as I'd had my drugs for strep B, delivery promptly followed.

more recent

And that is the story of how Davis got here! Next up, the fire!