The Story You are Longing to Hear

That's right - I am posting Luke's birth story right here....stop now if you wish to know no further - don't worry, I am not going to be super detailed :)

Tuesday, December 9, 2009
I had a doctor's appointment. Of course at this point in my pregnancy I was really hoping to hear that there was some progress...none really per my OB. She said she would see me next week and that we would talk induction then. I was really upset...I didn't mind being pregnant another week, but I didn't want to be induced. I felt like I was going to be induced just to make sure this baby was out before the holidays so that I wouldn't be a burden to my OB (I really was a little crazy). I wanted our little Peanut to come when he/she wanted to come. As long as induction wasn't medically necessary, I wanted to wait, but then again, I didn't want a Christmas baby either....it seemed like a lose-lose situation (of course not true at all since I would be bringing a life into this world, but again, I was 9-months pregnant and a little nuts!). I cried on the way back to work from the appointment. I cried when I got home and talked to Wally about it. I cried when I was posting in the journal I was keeping on another website. I cried. I just wanted Peanut to come on his/her own, but not on Christmas.....sounds so ridiculous when I look back at my thoughts.

Birthday Eve
I headed (waddled) into work as usual that morning. I had some lunch and started to not feel very good. It felt like an upset stomach and wouldn't go away. I ended up heading home around 1:30. I just laid on the couch not really feeling much of anything. I actually think I started to feel better and was feeling like I should have just stayed at work to save some sick time. Wally came home, we had dinner, and went on with our night as usual (at this time that consisted of me just being a couch potato - I had everything ready for this baby to come). We went up to bed around 9:30 and at 10:36 I felt a gush of water. I popped up wondering what the heck just happened. Then I realized that my water broke...I immediately woke Wally up and told him my water broke. He shot out of bed like I have never seen him do before. He quickly began putting a bag together for himself (mine was ready to go). I called the doctor's hotline and they connected me with Dr. Cansler. I told her my water broke, but I wasn't really having any contractions. She said to get showered and head to the hospital in a couple of hours. Wally and I both called our parents. I can remember my hands trembling when I was dialing my mom and dad. My dad answered, I told him my water broke and that we would be heading to the hospital in a couple of hours and we would call them in the early morning. Wally told his parents the same. After those phone calls, a sort of calm seemed to come over both Wally and I. I showered and shaved (hey, why not feel good going into this), sent an email to work letting them know that "this was it", and I would be back in a few months, put the water-proof mattress pad (which my mom laughed at when I bought - no one's water breaks in bed in a gush she said, I must have known something though...weird!) and sheets in the washer and then I just waited. Wally jumped on the laptop and started sending emails to work. He had his sub plans ready to go so he got those sent off and then we just waited. I still really wasn't having any contractions or at least any that I really could feel. Finally around 12:40, we headed off to the hospital. We arrived at the ER and I told them I was in labor. We had pre-registered so there wasn't really much to do. Wally parked the car while I waited for Labor & Delivery to come down. I was still feeling pretty good. The nurse came and we were walking over to the elevator when she asked if I was having contractions, I said nothing horrible, and then I told her my water broke......ssscccrrreeeccchhh......she was like hold that elevator, we need to get you in a wheelchair. I have never been in a wheelchair in my life and certainly did not feel like I needed to be in one then, but apparently it is protocol when someone's water has broken...whatever. So we got up to our room, they got me hooked up to all kinds of machines to check the baby's heart rate, track my contractions, etc. I was 1.5 cm dialated and 80% effaced at that point. Everything was going good. They called Dr. Cansler to let her know how I was doing and she told the nurse to tell me to walk until the sun came up.....so they disconnected me from the machines and we walked. Back and forth, up and down the hallways. There isn't too much to look at or to many different directions to go. We walked by the nursery, maybe there was one baby in there. The contractions were getting a bit stronger, and then stronger yet.

Birthday
Eventually, a little after 4 AM, I was at the point where I needed to stop walking and hold on to the wall in order to work through them. I was feeling them in my back so Wally was trying to help me there. We walked as long as we could until I couldn't take the pain any longer. We went back to the room where I laid trying to get comfortable between contractions. They hooked me up to the machines again and everything was still good. I was 3.5 cm and still 80% effaced. Finally, I caved in and asked for some pain meds. They started an IV of stadol, but honestly it was doing nothing for me. I tried to get some sleep, but it wasn't happening. Wally was doing everything he could to make me feel better, but really at this point, I was becoming a beast and nothing he did helped! I finally told Wally to go tell the nurse that I want an epidural. It was about 6:30 AM at this point and I was at about 5 cm. They said they called the anesthesiologist (was there really only one in the hospital????) and he was going in on a c-section and would be here after. I was getting more and more uncomfortable. At this time, both of our parents were on their way. My parents were heading to our house to let Nala outside and Wally's parents were hanging out downstairs in the lobby waiting for more info. Finally, the anesthesiologist arrived at 7:22 - just in time! I was dialated far enough that pretty soon an epidural wasn't going to be an option. Wally had to leave the room during this and I was sitting over the side of the bed, curled in a ball, trying not to move through the most painful contractions, and having a huge needle stuck in my spine (sounds fun, huh?). The doctor kept saying "Oops, sorry, oops, sorry"...he kept hitting my bone (even more fun, huh?)...luckily for him I was in such a state that I didn't really feel that and just wanted this to be over with. Finally at 7:50, he got it and I am not kidding, within a matter of minutes, I felt 1,000 times better. Wally came back in the room and there I am sitting up in the bed happy as can be, he couldn't believe it! I called my parents and told them to leave our house and head over to the hospital. My dad couldn't believe how "good" I sounded considering I was in labor...he should have heard me about a 1/2 hour before! Dr. Cansler stopped by to check on me a little after 8 AM. I was 8 cm and 100% effaced at that point. She was excited! My mom and Nancy came upstairs to visit me for a bit. They were both over the moon excited to meet their grandbaby! They left and stayed in the visiting room in L&D (we can only have 3 visitors up there at a time) so my dad and Walt stayed in the downstairs lobby waiting for updates. I tried to get some rest after our mom's left, but I started to feel the need to push. I was thankful that I could still feel that with the epidural because I knew it would help when it really came time to push. I eventually got to the point, where I felt I had no choice but to push, I told Wally to get the nurse. She came in and said to just hang in there a little longer, it wasn't quite time. Dr. Cansler was on her way back and they started prepping the room for delivery. I was fighting that urge to push more and more and was becoming more and more uncomfortable once again. Finally it was time!!! I started pushing at about 10:15. I have never, ever, ever, ever in my life done something so hard....Wally was right there cheering me on and all the nurses were wonderful. I am thankful that the epidural worked just enough to get me through those last couple of hours, but allowed me to feel the contractions so that I knew exactly when to push. So Dr. Anesthesiologist that poked my bone so many times that I could have cried the next day from the pain, thank you for getting me through labor! I got the last little bit of energy I needed when they told me that the baby had a full head of hair...it was just what I needed to hear to push this baby out. Little Peanut was getting close, everyone was encouraging me to try to push so that he would be born at 11:12 on 12/11, but I was a little late. Peanut was born at 11:19 AM. I pushed for about an hour. The nurse said "It's a boy!". Our little Lucas Walter showed us his all powerful lungs and we knew everything was perfect! I was exhausted, excited, and in a state of shock. Wally was awesome.....his eyes immediately welled up with tears...what an amazing experience. And to be honest, it really wasn't that bad. Yes, the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but looking back on this past year, it was ALL worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat to have my baby boy!