For those of you that have kids may not care to read on, since it's mostly detailing my labor and delivery. This is more for those friends that want my take on the experience. My labor started Saturday after spending the day at Apple Hill with my family. Here we are at Apple Hill.
Who knew Baby J would be here two days later? I had 2 mild contractions on the way home from Apple Hill, which were my first during pregnancy. I didn't think much of it until later that night when they started coming approximately 10 minutes apart. They weren't very painful just like mild cramps, so I went to sleep and they tapered off.
Sunday I headed to deVere's Irish Pub to take some staff/restaurant photos for them. That night my contractions became closer together at 5 minutes apart and a bit stronger. They continued to get stronger but still 4-5 minutes apart. I was trying to hold out, since I'd heard that if you go to the hospital too early they will send you home. I held out until about 12:30 or 1 a.m. before I woke Johnny up to take me to the hospital. We got to triage and the Dr. checked me. He said he expected our little one in the next day or two. One of the nurses told me that you can have labor "like this" for a week or more before the baby comes. What?! How is that helpful? I was only dilated to 2, so I was given an embarrassing excuse for a sleep aid, and sent home!!! Laboring at home, for me, was by far the worst part! It was uncomfortable and difficult. I didn't know what to expect or how I was progressing. Thankfully I had an appointment Monday morning at 9 a.m. I asked Johnny to call my mom to come take me to my appointment while he went to work for 2 hours. He tried to stay home, but I told him to go, since I felt there wasn't anything he could do until I was further along.When we got to my appointment and Dr. King checked me I was dilated to 4. Yeah!!! We were sent to the hospital!!
From there my contractions progressed and I labored until late afternoon without an epidural. The comforting thing about labor is that for each contraction that I was having, I knew it would pass. Sometimes I would watch the monitor and breathe through it, while other times I would close my eyes and time my breathing with each squeeze of my stress ball. BTW_ My stress ball was the best thing I brought for laboring!!!
After my epidural and laboring down a bit, the only thing left to do was push. I pushed so hard that I thought for sure I would pop a blood vessel in my face. They say it was 6 good pushes and he was out! Hearing that first scream and feeling him on my chest was surreal. A few stitches for me and some meconium sucked from Baby Johnny and we were rejoined for an hour of skin to skin.
Bree was a rockstar and caught labor and post delivery photos.
The bottom monitor is tracking my contractions.
And then I got an epidural when I was dilated to 6. Ahhh....sweet relief!! Now what were we talking about?
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