I woke up Friday morning feeling kinda crampy, I thought there was a chance that it could be the day. I got up and had a few contractions, but nothing to really pay attention to. I went out with the kids and got some last minute things done. Then we had an appointment at the hospital to get checked out, just normal post due appointment. The midwife checked me there and found me to be about 2 cms. She swept my membranes a little, she couldn't get in to do much. But after that I was having even more contractions.
Andre and I made plans to go to the Celtic Fest that night. He needed to pass off his Mr. Pretty Legs crown. The kids were all set to go to grandma and grandpas house. I was contracting a lot by the time Andre got home but I was afraid to cancel our plans and then have labor fizzle out. All that false labor made me paranoid! So we went to the Celtic Fest and had a pretty good time even though I was contracting like crazy. We met some friends there and it was great to see them and share the excitement. The announcer said something about me being in labor so people were stopping us to ask if that was really true. It was pretty funny.
We walked around the fest for quite awhile and then went right to the hospital. I didn't think I was ready to be admitted yet, but I wanted to make sure Isaiah was okay, he wasn't moving much, and just to check where I was. In triage she said I was 3+cm and said I could stay there and walk for two hours and get checked again before I went home. We thought that was a good idea, I knew I wasn't going to be able to rest. The first hour of walking was intense, but I could handle it with Andre's help. But then it got much harder. Andre was so great supporting me, I was crying and really having a hard time. I already felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin and escape. But he calmed me down and led me back to triage and we talked with the midwife again. She said she could admit me based on my history of long back labors. They'd get the epidural hooked up soon and maybe I could get some rest. So we got in, called the Megans(my sister and the doula), and soon I had my epidural. I was hoping my back wouldn't hurt this time, but it felt just like the other two. So after I was all hooked up, the midwife checked me and found me to be 8 cms and totally effaced! Wow!! This will go down in history as one of the best moments of my life. I'd never dilated like that before. I really can't describe how exciting this was for me!
So the midwife said to get a little rest since I had a brand new epidural going. She said to just let them know if I felt any pressure or the urge to push. We rested and I dialed the rest of the way, so by 8 the next morning we started to work on pushing. It was exciting to get to feel that urge. With Aiden they told me when to push. Pushing felt great and I was so excited to be there. My back was hurting again, and that was frustrating but pushing helped focus my mind off it. So I pushed for 2 or 2 ½ hours in all sorts of positions. But nothing would get his head to move. The midwife was trying everything she could think of. She even called in a doc with an ultrasound to see just how his head was positioned so we could brainstorm more positions. I pushed for another hour after that but he still hadn't moved even the littlest bit. And my back labor was getting more and more intense. They gave me another full dose with the epidural and it wasn't even touching the back pain.
Then things got very familiar. It felt just like when Solstice was born. The hinting around about a c-section. The worried looks. She kept telling me to rest more and not get all tired out. And with the back pain escalating, I agreed to a c-section. I was devastated. But some how I'd known this was how this baby wanted out. I tried to put on a brave face, but the tears kept coming anyway.
They got me back in the O.R. pretty quickly. They were having a hard time getting me numb enough. There was a spot by my belly button that just wouldn't go numb. So they mega-dosed my epidural and now I still have spots that are asleep. While I was laying there on the table waiting, I noticed a familiar face. I knew my old friend Shadia worked in labor and delivery, and had been keeping an eye out for her, but didn't except to find her there in the O.R. It was a fun reunion and got my mind off being so afraid. And knowing she'd be there looking over things was so calming.
Soon they were ready to go and they called Andre in. I was doing pretty good at this point. Scared, but excited to finally see this boy. It was slow going since they have to be careful about all the old scar tissue. But soon they were lowering the curtain so I could see Isaiah Jack Henry come into the world. He was good and healthy looking right from the start and making lots of clear cries so I could breathe easier. His apgars were 8 and 9. He weighed 9'4 at birth. They had him swaddled up and in Andre's arms pretty quickly. I wanted to be able to hold him, but I got the shakes really bad at this point. I couldn't control my arms. I was trying to hold onto the arm rests to keep my arms still. My jaw was shaking so hard I kept biting my tongue. I wasn't feeling well at all and started to go in and out of sleep. I could hear them as they were stitching me back together, talking about blood loss and knicks here and there. I could feel it all, but without any pain. I could feel them suctioning blood and moving organs. It's a very strange feeling. Then they were finally done and we got to go to recovery.
I slowly started to feel a bit more human in recovery and got to finally hold this sweet boy of mine. The nurse I had was so awesome. She got Isaiah and I both stripped down so we could be skin to skin as he nursed for the first time. He was such a pro! I never even had to show him what to do. He's had perfect latch every time. It was beyond love at first sight. I'd had weird periods while pregnant where I would forget that I'd really have another kid after it was all said and done. So here it all really hit me and it was so comforting to know this little man was here to stay. Andre went out to gather up the family and let them come visit. Megan came in soon and my mom and step dad. Then my dad came in. Everyone was so excited and it made me feel so good to have their support. We were in recovery for a few hours and then went up to the smallest hospital room I'd ever seen! But it was cozy and at least a single (they were really crowded).
Being in the hospital wasn't too bad. I had a very psycho nurses. Seems like the night nurses are the weirdos. But people were very nice. I was able to move around pretty well. I think better than with Solstice. One thing I hated was the medicine they put in my epidural before they took it out. It did help with pain but it made me terribly itchy! I couldn't even sleep because I couldn't stop itching! And the really bad part was that it was long lasting medicine so it was that way for like 18 hours. I got out of bed pretty soon and took a shower. That helped me feel more human again. We got visits from friends and family. That was great too. It was so fun to see Solstice and Aiden met Isaiah! They are so sweet to him. Andre and I got a pretty good system down of taking turns with sleep. So I got lots of time to rest and heal. They are so good together, Isaiah would just hang out with him and then let him know when he needed to come back to me and eat.
And now we've been home for a few days and things are going pretty smooth. I've been making myself stay in bed most of the time and rest. My ankles have been swollen to outrageous sizes! And it is still complete agony to get out of bed. I feel like I was just sliced in half, pretty close anyway. But overall I think we've done pretty well.
Isaiah is such a good baby. He is the best breastfeeder ever. He's pretty calm most of the time. He sleeps great at night. I haven't felt over-tired at all. He is very alert and likes to look at everyone. He knows all our voices and gets excited when someone walks into the room and talks. We had the typical issue with a c-section, my milk didn't come in as fast as normal so he lost a little more weight then I'd like. But the visiting nurse I had was awesome and said at that point she should suggest formula, but she's also a lactation consultant and just encouraged me to just keep up what I'd been doing and my milk would come in soon and everything would be fine. It came in later that night and Isaiah had gained a few ounces already when we saw the pediatrician the next day. He's a perfectly healthy baby.
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