Monday, October 6, 2008

|the birth story|

|click images to view full sized|

|October 1st, 2008|

7:05AM - We woke up, actually had a decent nights sleep. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. James worked the night before, and did not get home until about 3AM, so he was running on much less sleep than I was.

8:00AM - We left the house, and headed to the Coffee Bean for some coffee, and had breakfast at Patty's in Toluca Lake.

9:35AM - We checked into Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. What a strange feeling knowing that we were there to actually meet our baby boy!

10:00AM - We get to our labor and delivery room, Suite number 1308, and settle in. I was hooked up to all of the monitors, and Emerick's heartbeat was in the 140's, right where it had been throughout my entire pregnancy.

11:11AM - Cervix is still 1CM, but 80-90% effaced. The nurse inserts the Cervidil to start moving things along. The Cervidil will rarely put you into active labor, it is used to ripen your cervix and to get dilation to begin, so that the induction will be successful. I had thought they would start the Pitocin drip at around midnight, but at this time I was informed that they would start it at 6:00AM Thursday morning. I had my nurse call Dr. Newfield to ask if we could still start it sooner, so he agreed to start the Pit at 4AM.

|October 2nd, 2008|

7:30AM - James and I woke up. At this time I was not feeling any significant contractions. The monitor was picking them up, but they were not yet in a pattern.

8:00AM - Dr. Newfield came in to check me. I was 3-4 cm. To my surprise he also broke my water!

9:00AM - My Mom and best friend Megan got to the hospital, to join us for the birth. Moments after they arrive the contractions begin.

10:00AM - I am having a painful contraction every 3-5 minutes. Active labor has finally begun.

11:45AM - Epidural!

3:09PM - 8 - 9 cm dilated and 100% effaced. We're almost there!

4:26PM - 10 cm dilated, but there is still a little bit of a "lip" The nurse has me gently push through a couple of contractions to try and get rid of the lip. She has me lay on my right side, and then a while later my left. Emerick wasn't tolerating me being on my left though. His heart rate began to race. So I went back to my right and he seemed to like that much better.

4:30PM - I am shaking uncontrollably, the nurse said it was my body telling me it was ready.

5:30PM - I began pushing through every contraction. They also turned off the epidural :( The nurse said the epidural would still be effective for 1 hour after being turned off. Pushing at first was not too painful, I could only feel pressure. As the hour went on, I began to feel more. Ouch.

Emerick's head was trying to come out a little sideways, so the Dr. had to gently use the vacuum to turn him so that he would be able to come out. After I had been pushing for an hour, it became unbearably painful. It felt like I was going to tear, and the Dr. did an episiotomy. Unfortunately, I tore even further from the episiotomy, because Emerick was just too big! The nurse whispered to my Mom after He was out that He should have been a C-section! That is how difficult it was. We knew He was a big baby, but had no idea he was close to 10 pounds! I could feel everything, I knew I was tearing, I could feel it, the most intense pain I have ever felt.

7:05PM - After 1 1/2 hours of pushing, Emerick entered the world screaming at the top of his lungs. Emerick was not put on my chest, I guess because of the amount of pain I was in, but also because he had to be checked out right away since the vacuum was used. He was perfectly fine. I had to be stitched up, which felt like it took an eternity, but probably took about a half hour. While I was being repaired and after Emerick was done being checked out, James got to hold him, and then my Mom and Megan. Finally, after a shot of pain medication, I was coherant enough for Emerick to be put on my chest and I could actually see His little face for the first time. He was perfect!



|Grammy Pammy meeting her Grandson|


|He obviously LOVES his Auntie Mimi!|


8:00PM - Emerick and James head to the newborn nursery for Emerick's first bath, and weight and length measurments. James text messaged my Mom from the nursery with the stats so that I could find out, I could not even wait to find out how much He weighed. From the moment he came out, before I could even see him everyone could not stop saying how huge he is!


By 10:00 PM we were settled into our Post Pardom room, Suite number 1414.


On Saturday October 4th we were discharged and life has simply been amazing since being home with our baby boy. We are enjoying every moment of our babymoon :)

|Dressed and ready to go home|



|All snuggly in His carseat|


|Sleeping in my belly cast! 2 days old|


|Emerick's Birth-Day cake from Grammy Pammy & Auntie Sam|


|Meeting Auntie Samantha, 2 days old|


|He loves his Daddy|


|3 days old|

4 comments:

Mama Nicki said...

Awww this totally made me cry! Im so proud of you Anne. I really wish i could have been there, it is so upsetting but i am SO SO happy for yall! he is absolutly PERFECT!

Anonymous said...

Emerick is absolutely beautiful, I cannot wait to meet and hold him in my arms, I am so blessed to be an Aunt!! Anne and Jim you guys are awesome parents, Emerick is one lucky baby boy. Love, Auntie Jessie

taryn said...

Oh my gosh you were in labor for such a long time! I was in labor for like 19 hours and I felt like it was taking FOR EV ER! You did a great job though! Congratulations!

Rose said...

He is precious! Congrats!