Sorry bloggy friends for being absent. I have been a little preoccupied with an amazing early birthday present! Graysen Harold was born when I was 38 weeks exactly. He weighed 6lbs 6oz and was 17.5in. The labor and delivery went very well...it was after that that things took a turn for the worse! We are all home and doing very well now! He grew an inch and a half in the 6 days he's been alive and he continues to be a content and happy baby!
Graysen's Birth Story
Part 1
Part 1
CAUTION
If you are pregnant for the first time or have never been pregnant, read with caution and know that this is NOT how a normal labor and delivery goes. I had a very rare and serious thing happen after he was born and almost lost my life. Thankfully, the doctors at the birth center are AMAZING and I'm here today to tell you my story!
It all started on Monday, May 14th at 4:30pm in the doctor's office for my 38th week appointment. Actually...I should probably back up a couple weeks and explain what was happening in our life. We were doing a ton of landscaping, getting ready for a graduation that we were hosting on May 18th, school at this time of the year is very hectic and everyday life was going on. Basically, I was VERY ACTIVE.
Ok...back to the doctor. He told me that I was dilated to 5cm, 50% effaced and baby was at 0 station. He said it wouldn't be long...
I looked at him and said, "REALLY??? I'll make it through Friday though right? I am having a graduation at my house!" He said...I don't think so! I didn't really think anything too much of it...I didn't imagine that things would go as fast as they did after that!
I went home after running to Hancock Fabrics to get some foam to make a mattress for the cradle that I had when I was baby that is in our living room. I called Tim, who was coaching softball 30 minutes away in an area with no reception. He didn't answer and so I waited and waited for him to finally call me back. I told him what the doctor had said and he came home right away. To be safe...he put towels and garbage bags under the sheet on my side of the bed just in case my water broke in the middle of the night. He did not want our new mattress ruined! :/
I had contractions that evening that were a little closer than normal. I had been having them for months though and they weren't anything that I couldn't continue to do my normal activities. The birth center nurse said to try and get some sleep and see what progresses. I continued to have contractions all night but evidently fell asleep in the middle of timing them because I woke up at 6 to get ready for school with the cell phone underneath me...timer still going!
I took a shower, got dressed and continued to get ready for the day. My kindergartners were going on a field trip and taking a train ride, but I was going to be teaching 1st grade. The doctor said awhile ago that she didn't think I should ride the train so close to my due date and so far away from the hospital so the 1st grade teacher and I were going to switch classes for the day. Everything seemed normal. My back hurt slightly but that was about it. Then...as I was just about to walk out the door, I decided that I should probably use the bathroom. That's when it happened! There was the bloody show!
I called the birth center and they said to come in right away to get checked. The birth center is 45 minutes away, but I knew I didn't have to hurry. It was the first baby and they never come very fast! I called school and told them that Tim and I would not be there. Tim called my mom to come in and sub for him and then he went to drop off his lesson plans and books to her while I called our Doula. Finally...Tim and I were on the road on our way to the hospital. Of course...there was construction, but we got through without having to stop and all of the big equipment moved for us because Tim yelled out the window that I was in labor. The contractions were now coming more frequently, but still it was virtually painless. I had had menstrual cramps that were worse.
We arrived at the hospital around 9am. They checked me and the doctor said that I was dilated to 6cm and 65% effaced. I was going to be admitted. Our Doula, Juanita met us at the hospital shortly after that. I did a lot of walking the halls and positions to try to move baby downward. (He was at 0 Station on Monday and the stubborn little thing decided to go backwards and was -3 Station on Tuesday morning.) I was still feeling really good at this point...I even ordered lunch from Room Service! A turkey sandwich was LONG overdue!! I was so excited to eat lunch meat!
Still feeling pretty good.Contractions are coming, but nothing very painful. Mmmm Goldfish Crackers to go with my sandwich for lunch!
Monitoring Contractions...nothing too extreme yet.
Still feeling good for the most part. Excited to get this show on the road. They had to monitor his heart rate and my contractions for 15 minutes every hour.
Contractions are getting stronger and closer together, but my water still hadn't broken yet.
At around 1pm, the doctor came in to check me. I was at 7cm and 75% effaced. He said that he wanted to break my water. I really didn't want to do that. He said he would give me until 3:30 to see if things started progressing more. He also said that if we lived in Rochester, he would send me home and wait for my water to break or things to really pick up, but since we live 45 minutes away from the hospital and things were moving very fast in the beginning, he didn't want to risk me not being able to get back to the hospital. We agreed that at 3:30pm, if things didn't pick up, he could break my water.
Needless to say...3:30 came and my water hadn't broke on its own yet.
The doctor decided to then and there break my water...
Part 2 coming soon...
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