Birthing Story

I have been meaning to write this for days now, but people keep coming and homework never gets finished.

So bright and early Sunday morning we got up and headed to the hospital.  We didn't sleep much.  When we got there they hooked up the IV (the nurses were AMAZING, every time I had to get something stabbed into me they were able to get it done the first time! That never happens for me) and started the Pitocin .  They started out giving me 9 then by the end it was up to 39! EESSH!! So anyways they started the Pitocin and it wasn't too bad.  I wanted to do it naturally originally, but knew that getting induced was probably gonna be a bit too painful, but I was going to try.  So after laying in bed for a bit and it getting worse I got up to walk around.  In between the contractions it wasn't so bad, but then they started to hurt pretty bad and I started throwing up so I figured it was time to get an epidural.  They were pretty quick to get it all together especially since I had originally told them I wasn't going to use one.  The nurse went to find the other people who give it and they came very quickly.  I don't know if this happens to everyone else, but I started shaking really bad before I had the epidural.  It just happened, I couldn't control it but it was freaking Matt out pretty bad, he thought I was having seizures.  But it was funny because I could feel all the fat on my whole body shake, even places like my neck where there isn't much fat.  I imagine it was pretty funny looking.  I got a bit loopy when the contractions were really bad, I couldn't see anyone, I don't know if my eyes were closed or what, but I could hear a guy was in the room and I was confused because all the nurses I had seen were girls and so was my doctor.  Then I got the epidural and was laying in bed and I saw the guy and he didn't seem like he was doing anything.  Just kind of standing there watching and talking to everyone.  It was weird.  When he left I asked who he was and he was just a head guy who was making sure the girl who gave me the epidural was doing it right.  But I was confused.  So then the epidural was in and they checked me and I was at 8 cm already! I was sooooo happy!! When we got to the hospital I was still only 3 cm and 90% effaced so actually hearing that there was progress and it was so huge was awesome!  So the epidural hit and it was great.  No pain.  We waited for just a bit and my nurse came to check again and I was at 10 cm at about 1:00 PM.  Super exciting!  But she said we were going to wait a little bit to let the baby slide down lower so I wouldn't have to push for too long.  We sat there and watched tv for a few hours and my dr. finally showed up.  She told me it was time to start pushing and have the baby.  So after the first push something totally random happened and my contractions randomly stopped,  they had been consistent the whole time and after one push they got all messed up.  The dr.  thought our nurse was an idiot and that we were having consistent contractions, but she showed her the sheet to prove that they were. So the dr. sat there and after what felt like forever I had another contraction and I could push.  Then we waited and waited and it got awkward and someone said something funny like "how about those Broncos?" haha to make conversation and we all just laughed and sat there in silence until the next contraction came.  After almost an hour of long stretches of time in between the pushes I finally got back to being consistent and I probably only pushed a total of ten times over an hour and a half.  It was hard pushing in the beginning because I couldn't feel anything, I didn't know if I was really pushing or just making my face turn red.  Toward the end of pushing the epidural was wearing off and I could actually feel myself pushing so that was much easier and went quicker.  Then Owen came out and he was HUGE!!! 9 lbs and 3 oz and 21.5 inches. The dr. said, "here is gigantor" as she handed him to me.  It was pretty funny.  But he was super good, he cried for just a second then started making grunting noises.  We got to hold him for a long time then they took him for just a minute to weight and measure then they gave him back to try to feed.  He got it right away.  He is brilliant.  It was great.

After the epidural wore off some nurses came in to show me how to clean myself when I use the bathroom and that's when I found out how bad I tore.  I had a 3rd degree tear and the worst you can get is 4th degree.  They said it will take 2 weeks for me to heal, I still walk like I have been riding a horse, but it has been getting less painful.  I also have to take stool softeners, which I learned don't work.  I was in the bathroom for almost an hour practically crying because it was hurting so bad to poop.  But I did it :)  Another bathroom problem (you can skip this part if it is too much information) is peeing.  I randomly wet my pants without knowing it.  I can't feel when I need to go and I start going before I am on the toilet.  I have soaked lots of pants because of it :(  Did that happen to anyone else?  I haven't heard of it before and am going to call the dr. tomorrow to see what's going on.  I also got engorged breasts.  OUCH.  Yesterday was really bad.  They were burning and so hard and so full that I could barely move.  I didn't know what to do to make it better and finally called my friend Danae who works at the WIC office and she came to show me how to help with the pain and I went to WIC this morning to get a breast pump to borrow so I can get rid of the extra milk.  It is horribly painful.  But today went much better than yesterday.

Owen has been so unbelievably great.  Matt said that if all my pregnancies were as easy as this one and all our children are as easy as Owen then we should have 20 children haha.  Now I know he is only 4 days old, but he is so great!  He eats great and has since the beginning.  He also sleeps great!  The first night home he slept 6 hours straight!  The next night my milk had come in and I ate things I shouldn't have and he had a hard night full of massive vomiting and constant eating.  But last night he went back to letting us sleep for 6 hours.  He rocks.  During the day he is either eating or sleeping or staring at everything.  He almost never cries and when he does it is because we put him on a cold surface.  Then when we pick him up again he is fine.  He makes the CUTEST little noises!! One time while we were in the car and the radio was playing he was humming!! So cute!  He also makes super cute faces!! I will take pictures and post them up possibly tomorrow.

Matt is great.  When I was having Owen Matt was very helpful and didn't do or say anything stupid or annoying :) I read some pretty funny stories of what stupid husbands said during labor.  But Matt was great and he cried when Owen came out.  He also is very helpful during the day.  He does everything.  He will get up to get me anything I want and hasn't complained at all.  During the night he tries to help, but he is a super hard sleeper and it takes a while for him to wake up.  This morning after I fed Owen I woke up Matt to burp  him and he sat up and put Owen on his chest and was burping for a minute then sort of fell half way back to sleep and was barely patting Owen's arm thinking he was burping him.  It was pretty funny.  I will write more later on this, its time to eat.