Aaron’s Birth Story

Finally, finally, I get the pleasure of sharing my birth story with the world!    It’s been a little more than hectic here, and I am slowly catching up on email and life.  Things are going quite well for us.  Solomon and I are really enjoying our new role as parents, and Aaron is a pleasure.  He’s beautiful and wonderful, sleeps well and feeds like a champ.  Rufio is completely in love with him, and follows him all over the place.

So anyway, just like anything, people have personal opinions about different things related to pregnancy and giving birth, and I made choices about what was best for me both mentally and physically, and for my family.  I’m sorry if you’re uncomfortable with it, or a birth story in general, but several people have asked and I really do want to share.

The little guy was due October 7.  On the 7th my doctor offered to induce me if I wanted, since my pregnancy had progressed nicely,  he was doing just fine in there, and luckily there were no problems.  I declined though, adamant that I wanted him to come out on his own time when he was ready.

However, by Sunday the 10th, I was done and my whole mindset had changed.  I was ready to have my little boy and start sharing him with everyone.  It didn’t help matters that 2 of my friends were due the same week as I was, and one went a week early, one went 2 weeks early.  That combined with the fact that my legs and hips hurt so much that I didn’t even want to walk Rufio, and I was so miserable that everyone (2 and 4 legged) around me was affected by it, convinced me that I needed to get this guy out sooner rather than later.

I called the doctor first thing Monday morning, and she told me to come in at 3 in the afternoon to start the whole process!  I was super excited, and decided to treat myself to a mani/pedi that morning (the fridge was stocked, the house was spotless and my bag was packed after all)!   Solomon and I went in and I was given a suppository to help ripen my cervix.  They monitored me for an hour, then sent me home for 3 hours!  While I was being monitored, we kept ourselves busy watching Glee on Hulu, and taking and posting my final belly pic!

Once I went back to the hospital, I learned I was only dilated 1/2 cm and 80% effaced, so they gave me another suppository and sent me home.  Worst night of sleep ever! I couldn’t get comfortable, and Rufio knew something was up so he was super clingy.  Like, he spent the night basically standing on me!  Not super fun.

We then went back to the hospital at 8:30 the next morning, and discussed a Foley Bulb, which is essentially a balloon that helps to dilate the cervix.  The doctor tried and tried, but my guy’s head was down so low (turns out he was ready, my body wasn’t!), that they couldn’t get it in!  They gave me something to eat, knowing that I wasn’t going to be able to eat for the rest of the day soon.  I was so happy to find muffins, fruit salad and plain yogurt in my little snack pack.

Eventually I was hooked up to an IV, and given Pitocin.  Then things got kind of boring.  There wasn’t much to do, and going to the bathroom became even more of a production than it had been before since I was hooked up to the IV and 2 monitors (to monitor his heartbeat and my contractions)!  Solomon and I walked the hallways a lot, and no one could believe how happy I still was!  Eventually I sent him out to lunch since I certainly couldn’t eat, and later for coffee and fresh air.  I was just chilling.

After sending Solomon to Starbucks and trying to doze for a bit,  I got up to go to the bathroom, and as I was coming back to bed…BAM…the contractions started.  I had to stop in my tracks and hold onto the IV cart.  Eventually I realized that sitting down would feel best, so I sat in the doctor’s chair and tried to breathe through it all.  Solomon came back and was so upset to find me a total wreck!  I rode out the contractions for a bit, then it was time to check me again.

By around 5, I was only at a small 3 cm, and the doctor did an internal exam.  Let me tell you, this was the most painful experience of my whole life.  I was so crampy and uncomfortable and it just HURT.  I screamed bloody murder and was crying and howling and squeezing Solomon’s and the nurse’s hands so hard.  I even screamed out that I wanted a c-section!  It was absolutely brutal.  After the internal, they decided to break my water, since my body just wasn’t getting there.  That’s when things began to happen!

Things get a little blurry here, but I know it was around now that I was offered my epidural, and even though it was early I gladly accepted!  I was given a block-combination spinal tap and epidural.  My legs shook the whole time they were putting it in, but all of a sudden it was just sweet relief!  My legs felt like lead, and I couldn’t feel any of the ice or little sharp things they were putting on me to test out the epidural.  During this time, my mom also showed up from New Jersey!  Since I had the epidural, I wasn’t going anywhere, and since nothing much was happening Solomon and my mom went out and brought back dinner, while I took a little nap.

Now we all just relaxed.  The only bad thing was that I began to vomit a good amount.  It was actually kind of funny…I would announce I was going to be sick and Solomon and mom would mobilize into action.  They would each grab one of my hands to pull me up, and one would grab a cold washcloth and the other a bucket and I would be sick.  Inevitably, every time my nurse would come in because my monitors would slip off, and they were worried!  After this happened for a third time, I was finally given something into my IV to make the nausea stop.  More relaxing and another internal…this one was total painless.  I was only 3 cm still!!!  Eventually, around 11 we all went to sleep, figuring we would have another long day the following day!

I woke up a little bit later, to sharp pains shooting down my left side.  I decided that instead of telling the nurse, I would deal with it since I didn’t want to wake Solomon or mom up, since they needed to have some sleep too.  I dozed quite a bit, and felt really calm.  At around 2:15 the morning of the 13th, the alarm started going off in my room, and the nurse came in.  I informed her that I had to go to the bathroom, and she informed me that I did not, because I was probably 10 cm.

I began to fight with her, arguing that I absolutely had to be unhooked from everything and go to the bathroom, and she argued right back that she had to examine me.  I really couldn’t go anywhere, so I had no choice but to let myself be examined.  Turns out the nurse was right and I was 10cm and the sensation of having to go to the bathroom was my body getting ready to push.  When she told me this I looked at her like she was crazy and asked if she was lying to me!  She promised she would never lie about something like this, and asked me if I was ready to start pushing.  Of course I was, this the end and I was so excited.  I only learned later, that sleeping from 3 to 10 cm is really rare!  So many people were jealous to hear that, and I just thought it was normal.  Talk about an easy labor!

My mom and Solomon got up and ready really fast and were at my bedside, ready to go.  I began pushing at about 2:30, and let me tell you…I am so happy that I practice yoga, and was a swimmer in college.  I learned some incredible breathing techniques and feel comfortable holding my breath for a long time!  So we were pushing for quite some time (it felt like mere seconds) and then I was told to reach down and feel his little head.  Everyone said that at this point, my whole demeanor changed, and I pushed even harder.

His head came out, and I was told to stop for a second.  I pushed one more time and his whole little body came out, he was put to my chest and I had my own baby boy!  The emotions were all over the place for everyone in the room, and I hated it as soon as they took him away to clean him up and get me cleaned up.  I just wanted my baby back!  I was crying and laughing all at once, and so were my mom and Solomon.  It was surreal!

 

 

I have to say, this was the fastest hour of my whole life, and I feel so blessed to have had an easy, uncomplicated delivery, and pregnancy.  It was amazing, and I just can’t believe that I was able to do that.  They got him cleaned up and handed back to me, and I really don’t feel the need to share any of the gross details after this (he was fine, but some of the after stuff for me was not so sexy).  He is here now, and it’s all in the past, and blows my mind that I carried this precious little guy for 9+ months, and now he’s here.  I already can’t imagine him not being here, and I’m so in love.  This is the most fun I’ve had in awhile!  Solomon ran around like a tourist taking a ton of pictures, and we even caught Aaron in a GTL moment!

He gets cuter and cuter everyday and more fun!  He’s more alert and awake much more, plus Solomon and I are really getting to know him.  We know his cries, and that he needs to be cuddled after he’s fed.  We’ve learned what certain faces mean, and that a meltdown is sure to occur if he’s swaddled too tight and doesn’t have access to his hands to suck on.  He found them within 5 minutes of being born, and has been a self soother ever since!

So there you have it,  my birth story.  It was easy, amazing and wonderful, and the end product is the best gift I’ve ever received!  We’re all enjoying our new roles, and though it’s been exhausting and intense, it’s in the best way possible.

I hope to get some more pictures up soon.  Now that he’s not freshly born, he’s the most adorable little guy ever!