My labor story

After having my membranes stripped at my doctors appointment on Thursday (April 9th)I instantly started to have back pain and cramping. I was sure this had to work to get me started into labor. If not I was going to be really mad because I was so uncomfortable.
Through out the night my back ached and things started to happen. (I won't gross you with details) I was just waiting for the contractions to really hit me. They never did. I just had a lot of back pain. I started to get worried that nothing was going to happen and now I'm really uncomfortable with cramps and back pain.
In the morning I started to have some things happen again. (I won't gross you with details again) I really thought something was happening but I was not having regular contractions. Because of the other stuff happening and this really uncomfortable back pain I called my mom. She and Shaun both said I should call the doctor.
I called the doctor and told them what was happening and they said I should go right to the hospital and have them check me out in labor and delivery triage. So we jump in the car and the whole way to the hospital I'm telling Shaun how embarrassing it's going to be when they just end up sending me home. I thought because I was not having regular contractions they would just tell me to go home and wait. Shaun was really optimistic and said that he thought this was it.
We get to the hospital and tell them my doctor told us to come in and be checked. I was so embarrassed because I felt like they thought I was ridiculous walking in and telling them, "Could you check and see if I'm in labor?"
We checked in at about 12:00pm. They give me a room and have me undress. She checks me and we find out that I'm dilated to a five! She wraps the belts around my belly to monitor the contractions and tells me I'm having contractions every 2 to 5 minutes!! What! I can't tell I'm having these contractions because all my labor was in my back! This baby is coming down sunny side up! Which means he is coming down with his face up instead of face down. Which means the hard part of his skull was pushing on my back. The nurse tells me I'm the calmest person she has seen that was dilated to a five. I start to feel good and get really excited that this is really going to happen and I should be having Max that day! On good Friday before Easter. This was turning out to be a very good Friday indeed.
I could have my epidural at any time but because my contractions seemed to be irregular when I was resting and I seemed to be handling my contractions I would just hold off so I could still walk around and try to rotate my hips to see if we could get Max to rotate face down.
My mother-in-law Marge and my sister-in-law Kelley come for a visit at 1:30pm and we go for a walk. My contractions start to get more regular as we walk around. I start to finally notice when they are coming by the pressure down low in my pelvis and I feel more pain in my back. I then feel my stomach and it's really hard and feels like braxten hicks. I was having all my pain in my back.
Dr. Damore comes in at about 4:00pm to check on me. She was not going to be on-call for the night but she came to check on me and to see about breaking my water. We find that I'm now dilated to a 6-7. She breaks my water at 4:20pm. I now need an epidural!! My contractions instantly start to be more painful. Next time I will be sure to get the epidural BEFORE I have my water break. I get the epidural at 5:oopm. What a weird sensation that is. I loved not being able to feel any pain but it was really annoying at the same time. I could not move my legs and they felt like they were asleep. When they first gave me the epidural I still could feel pain on my right side so they came back and fixed me up to feel nothing.
At 5:25pm I was now dilated to a 7-8. I love not being able to feel anything! It was so weird. I keep trying to move my legs because they felt like they were going to fall off the table. It would be so funny to try and move them. They would just flinch or jump but I could not feel them at all.
At 7:36pm I am now dilated to a 10! I was ready for pushing! Because they don't let you eat anything and I had not had lunch earlier that day we decided to get some juice in me to help me get ready for pushing. I start to push at 7:55pm.
Shaun and I thought that this labor was going so well. I was progressing every time they checked me. I didn't need any drugs to help me dilate. Everything was going great until..........I started pushing! At first it was not so bad. We all thought I would have Max out in no time. Then I start to push and push and push. I start to get exhausted and keep asking the nurse, "How much longer do you think?" In the end I ended up pushing for 3 and 1/2 hours!!! Which felt like forever and was so unbelievably exhausting. I keep looking at the clock thinking, Just a 1/2 hour more, then that would pass and we all thought it would be soon and then another 1/2 hour would go by! It was awful by the end! I even started to feel the contractions in my hips. Terrible!! I had to stop a couple times to throw-up over and over.
The doctor on call was Dr. Hartzfeld. She came in to see me earlier and when she came back in to see me after I was pushing for what felt like forever. She said she was wondering if we had the baby without her because we had not called her in yet.
Dr. Hartzfeld said I could do this and we could have this baby out in 1/2 hour. I start to push again with the doctor cheering me on. I keep pushing and finally she tells me that the baby is right there but we need to talk about a C-section or because the baby was almost there we could try and do the vacuum and help suction him out while I push.
At this point I'm in tears and so exhausted. I did not want to have a C-section. Especially after all that pushing! We would have to push the baby back up!!
We decide to give a couple more really good pushes and then one last push and she would vacuum him out.
They had 2 more nurse's come in and help with this. They all start cheering me on and I'm sure they needed the extra help just in case something went wrong.
My doctor and all the labor nurses where so awesome! They really helped me to get through that final push.
Shaun was helping the whole time and he was feeling so terrible for me. He wanted to just go ahead and do the C-section. He wanted it to be over for me. I on the other hand did not. I made that VERY clear to him. ;)
Poor Shaun was helping lift my left leg the whole time I was pushing he was at my left side. For the final push with the vacuum the other nurses had to take over and he had to stand back. When we finally had that last push with everyone cheering me on and the doctor pulling Max out with the vacuum, Shaun almost lost it. He had to turn away and walk to the back of the room. He was so worried. It was quite a graphic scene. Finally Max was here at 11:38pm. Just in time to still be Good Friday!
I did end up with a 4 degree tear. That's right, a tear all the way to the rectum! Yikes!
When we found out that Max weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces!! Everyone was shocked. My doctor said if she knew he was that big she would have scheduled a C-section! She thought I carried him really well. 8 pounds 13 ounces and 21 and 1/2 inches long! He was a big boy and I love every bit of him. They cleaned Max up and I wanted to do skin to skin. They placed him naked on my naked chest and I instantly fell in love. He had big hands and big feet and I thought he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I could not stop smiling and staring at him. Even when shortly after they placed him on me, He peed on me! I had a good laugh which was much needed after a long day. Max has sense then peed on me several times plus his dad, himself, the changing table, the floor next to the changing table, and the wall next to the changing table. BOYS!!! You've got to love them!!
Shaun told me later that it was the best thing to see how I was so distressed before but the minute I saw Max I was completely changed and I was so happy. It was all worth it!!!
They kept us in labor in delivery until I felt better. The first time they got me up to go to the bathroom I passed out! They had to put the smelly stuff to my nose. I wanted them to just let me sleep! I was really nauseous.
At 5:00am they moved us to our room we would stay at for the remaining time at the hospital. The best feeling I remember is having Max lying on my chest as we both slept. I really couldn't sleep that well because I was on such an adrenaline rush I wanted to savor that moment with Max asleep on my chest. So precious.
When we found Max had Jaundice. They told us he would have to stay in the hospital an extra day under the lights. I cried. Then I cried even more when they said I would be released to go home.
They then did something so wonderful! They let me do something called "nesting" I got to stay in my room but really I was discharged. Which means I no longer had my meals brought to me and the nurses no longer could help me. I was on my own but I still got to stay. It was so wonderful!! I got to stay in the room free of charge!! It was so amazing what they did for me!!

Here I am Being checked in

Kelley comes for a visit

Shaun wanting to take a picture of us together and I get a contraction. I think this picture is so funny with Shaun smiling and me trying to get through a contraction.

Here I am after my epidural. Notice the way my legs are spread completely numb and unmovable.

This was Erin. She was my nurse with me through out my labor. She was helping me push the whole time. Her shift ended at 10:00pm but she stayed until 10:30 to be with us. She wanted to see Max come out. She was not aloud to stay any longer because of overtime. I felt so bad. She was with me helping me the whole time. I wish she could have seen him come out.

The first picture of Max right after he was born. He looks good for being stuck in the birth canal for so long.

Max's stats

Born April 10th 2009

Time 11:38PM

8 pounds 13 ounces

Length 21 & 1/2 inches long

Head 14 & 1/4 inches

Chest 13 & 1/2 inches

Angie, Tara, and Kelley waited in the waiting room through the never ending pushing to see Max. Thanks girls! I love you!

Thanks to the Porters and the Brunsons for decorating our house for our return with Max. We love you!