I had a week of Kaplan things that needed to be done but I was so ready for baby. I made an appointment on Friday to see if I could be induced because I thought I had to do testing on Thursday. Turns out I took my test on Wednesday so I called to see if I could go in on Thursday morning. I told my midwife that I wanted to be induced and she got me down for Friday morning. Helen, my mother in law, was going to leave Thursday night but decided to stick around to see baby boy. We went home and got everything ready for the next day. I was super excited and didn't think I would be able to sleep. 10:30 rolled around and I laid down to try and get some sleep.
I woke up at 3:30 am with a really bad contraction. I knew that I had gone into labor on my own. I laid in bed for awhile. They were coming every 5-7 minutes and lasting about 30-50 seconds long but the intensity varied. Around 4:30 I called the hospital to see what they thought about my contractions. The charge nurse said if my water broke to come in otherwise just head in at 6:30. BJ woke up and I told him to go back to sleep because it was going to be a long day. I got up and played on the computer for a bit. I thought I should eat something because it was going to be a long day but the only thing I could get down was a string cheese. Around 6, I laid down and just waited for my alarm to go off. BJ and I got up and stopped at Wal-mart so he could get something fast to eat. I had a strawberry milk which was amazing.
Once we got to the hospital the nurse, Debbie, got me all set up. I only worked 1 day in Labor and Delivery and I got to work along side my nurse. She was super nice and she said I kind of looked familiar. I told her I just graduated from the nursing program and she seemed to sigh in relief. She was excited that I knew what was going on and she didn't have to go into much detail. We got me all set up on the monitors and admitted. She was surprised at how regular my contractions were. The intensity was still varied at this point. When she started my IV, she hit the release button for the needle on accident and blood just started pouring out. The catheter wasn't even in all the way. I apologized and said I bleed on everyone but that was more then normal. I was watching her do it and I saw what happened so I wasn't worried. That was the foreshadowing of being glad I knew what was going on.
It took a while for my midwife to get the orders in for the Pitocin. We started off at 1 ml/hr. My nurse then left for a bit because she had to catch a baby. From about 7:30- 8:30 I felt like my contraction's intensity was gone. I was still having them but they didn't feel like anything. Once my nurse came back she turned me up to a 3 ml/hr. My midwife Courtney came in at about 9. I had progressed from a 2 to a 3 and was still 80% effaced and baby was at -3 station. She broke my water to see if that would help things along.
We turned on the TV and realized there was a reason we don't pay to have it. Nothing was on. We finally settled on HGTV and watch some staging show the rest of the day. My contractions started getting more intense but nothing too bad. My nurse would come in every once in awhile and turn up the Pit. I was still laughing and just hanging out. It was super boring. I ate some graham crackers and drank a ton of water. I could not get enough water. I also had LR going and I hydrate really easily. I knew I was going to be up peeing all day. Around 1:30 I was at a 4 and still 80% effaced and -3 station. The contractions had picked up and around 2 I asked if I could get into the tub. My nurse wasn't sure because my water was broken so I went with the fentanyl. I knew it would wear off before baby came so no worries about baby. As soon as she gave it to me I hated it. My head felt like I was underwater. I felt like I had snorted a bunch of chlorine water. I got super nauseous. I instantly started crying. I just laid there breathing through the contractions. The pain med helped to make them feel like I was at a 4/10 instead of 6/10 so I was happy for about 8 of them. Then it wore off and it sky rocketed back to a 7/10 pain.
I was debating the epidural with my husband. I really really wanted to see what it was like to have the urge to push and to push with a contraction. I wanted to make it all natural. At this point it was 3 o'clock and I had been up for 12 hours and having regular contractions. I was so tired. I would almost fall asleep then I would have a contraction. I knew I needed to rest before pushing. I was thinking of pushing for 2 hours with Rylee and there was no way I would have enough energy to do that at this point. My nurse checked me and I was at a 5 and 70% effaced at -3 station. I told her to call for the epidural. Waiting for the anesthesiologist was the worst part of the day. I was at a 9/10 pain. My contractions would go from back labor to regular and then back to regular. BJ would have to push on my back during the contraction when I was having back labor. I could breath through the regular contractions but it was terrible with the back labor. I was trying really hard to breath through my nose and out my mouth but they were so intense. Once the epidural was placed I had to breath through 4 or 5 of them before they went to just feeling pressure to nothing at all.
This time around I still had that terrible tingly and numbness all over but I could still left my legs and move around a bit. That was a huge improvement over the one with Rylee. Before the nurse even left the room I was out cold. I slept for about an hour when my nurse came back in around 4:30. I talked to my sister for bit and the nurse was still in my room. That's when I knew something was up. She said baby was having some variables and early declarations, meaning the baby's heart rate was dropping before the contractions and at random times. She had my put on some oxygen. She hung out for a bit then left. She came back in and had me turn to my left side. She said I was having late declarations which means the baby's heart rate was dropping at the end of the contractions. She then placed a scalp monitor to get a more accurate heart rate. She hung out for a bit then went to call my midwife. I then explained what was going on to BJ and the different interventions that could happen so he wouldn't be freaked out. Courtney came in and watched the baby for a bit and checked me. I was at a 6 and 60% effaced and -3 station. She thought maybe if I pushed a bit and got baby down some then it would help things along a bit. So I did 2 pushes and the heart rate sank to the 50's. We looked at each other and she told me up on your hands and knees now! I don't know how I was able to move as fast as I did with that epidural but I was on my knees with my butt in the air in no time and the nurse pushed baby off my cervix and we waited. His heart rate came back up and I just sat there. They had me stay that way while they went to call the doctor to get the room ready for a c-section.
I instantly asked BJ for a blessing. The nurse was doing whatever she was doing and BJ gave me blessing. He said that I would be able to push the baby out and things were going to happen as we had planned and prepared for. I was shocked. I had already prepared myself for getting a c-section. I didn't think that I was going to be able to push the baby out without his heart rate bottoming out. I didn't know what was going to happen but I just tried to relax and do what my nurse told me.
My friend was scheduled for a c-section at noon but she got pushed back to 4:30. They had to push her back again because they needed the room open for me just in case and we also had the same doctor. I felt bad later that I was the reason she had to go all day without eating.
Courtney came back in and explained what was going on. It was the same thing I told BJ so we just nodded and said ok. She had my flip back over and lay down on my right side. The heart rate started to drop so she had me flip to the left side. It didn't go back up so she had me get back up on my hands and knees. This time was a lot more difficult navigating all the tubes and wires that I was connected up with and not having much feeling in my legs. The heart rate came back up so she told me to stay that way. I put some pillows under my chest and just stayed there. I was so happy I got the epidural because being in that position would have made my legs fall asleep but since I was already numb and tingling it didn't really matter. Courtney came in an placed an internal monitor to measure the contractions since I was upside down the toco wasn't reading them. I asked if we were just waiting to see if I progressed and then go from there. That was the plan. So from about 4:45 to 6:45 I was on my hands and knees. I tired to read a book but I started to get sick. I laid my head down and closed my eyes and right when I started to feel better the doctor came in. He had me flip back over and I was complete finally!
He said that we were going to push the baby out and he would use the vacuum to help. He delivered Rylee with the the vacuum so I was comfortable with that idea. I remember laying there getting ready to push and thinking oh man can I get this little guy out fast enough!?! Then I thought of BJ's blessing and knew that I could do it. I just had to have faith and do the best pushing I would ever do! Once they got all the monitors off they had me push. With Rylee I had the mirror and watched the whole thing. I didn't open my eyes once this time. I was so focused on pushing and getting the baby out fast. With each push I told myself that I could do this. BJ said I could push him out and he would be ok. I could do this! Pushing with the oxygen mask is terrible and it suffocates you which is ironic.
This time I could feel what was happening. Not so much pressure but like I was having just a regular bowel movement. I could feel his progression out. Once his head was out I didn't know what was going on so I asked if I was pushing or waiting. Everyone said "wait!!" all at the same time. The cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. I didn't even push to get the rest of him out. The weird part was I could feel the doctor through the cord. I don't remember that from Rylee. I thought it was a weird sensation. They laid him on top on me. It took what seemed like forever for him to finally cry. Later we looked too see how long I pushed. It took 8 minutes and about 5 contractions and he was out!
The greatest most spiritual experience anyone can have is a mother seeing her newborn baby for the first time. Best moment of 2013! I couldn't believe he was here!
6:54 pm on 8/2/13 Charles Xavier Balls joined our family.
I watched the nurse do his apgar but didn't ask what it was or really pay attention. I couldn't get enough of his face and his hair! It took until after Rylee's bath for me to be smitten but I was instantly enchanted with this little guy.
My nurse Debbie left while I was still butt in the air and I got a new nurse for delivery. When I was at Mountain View my last patient had a friend who was a nurse come visit her. I talked with her for a bit and found out she worked at madison in labor and delivery. When she walked into my room it took me a minute to figure out where I knew her. Once I connected the dots I told her and she remembered me. I don't know if that made the difference in her doing her job that night but she was amazing! She didn't take Charles from me at all. I held him and nursed him even before we did measuring and weighing.
8 pounds 6 ounces, same as his sister, 21 1/4 inches long, 14" head!
I think I held him for a good hour before I gave him over to get his vitamin K and bathe. She was so sweet and hilarious. Once the epidural wore off I was able to get up and pee. I am still amazed at how much my bladder held. I hadn't peed since 3:30 and I sat there for a long time. My nurse came in and I was still peeing. I couldn't believe it! I was so itchy all over from the epidural. It felt so great after showering.
Not having any stitches made such a difference in recovery. I could get in and out of bed and I wasn't sore at all. Other then the terrible after pains while nursing and back hurting from the bed I felt great. I have tons of energy after the baby comes that it was nice to not be in any pain and be able to get up and around. Taking care of Charles was a breeze in the hospital and thankfully we only had to stay 2 nights. Rylee loves Charles and hasn't had one problem with him being home. Other then her drinking a lot more milk things are normal and Charles fits right in.
His biliruben got up to 17 so we had to do the bililights again. I think he is just going to take his time doing everything because we are on day 3 and he has only come down to 16.3. We are working on getting him to poop and keeping him on the lights so we can someday leave the house again.
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