5.19.2010.

birth story

tuesday, may 18, 2010.
morning:
my last doctor appointment before my due date. he checks me- dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced. he also sweeps my membranes, hoping to get things moving. i hoped he would just admit me and shoot me up with some pitocin. but he wants me to go into labor on my own. dang it.

afternoon:
the doctor suggests eating some spicy foods to get things going- brady and i head to lunch at pei wei. i get the spiciest thing on the menu...it was gross. contractions begin- they are getting stronger and closer together by the hour. brady begins to get anxious and wants to head over to the hospital.

evening:
we check in to the hospital. they hook me up to all of the monitors. concensus: contractions not strong enough or close enough together. the nurse tells us to take a walk for an hour and see how we progress. brady and i take a walk around the hospital in the rain. it was so refreshing. check back in after the walk, contractions still not strong enough. the nurse sends us home but tells us she expects us back that night. i prayed she was right. as disappointed as we were to be sent home, we were so excited to not have to miss our shows- LOST, gLee, and American Idol.

wednesday, may 19, 2010.
4 am:
i wake up to same contractions as the night before. i get out of bed determined to get things moving on my own. i walk up and down the stairs several times. it works- my contractions intensify and are much closer together.

5 am:
brady and i pack up our things and are on our way to the hospital. as we are driving to the hospital, i can see brady step on the gas more with each of my contractions. i have to remind him to slow down and calm down. haha.

6am:
brady and i are checking in to the hospital again. my contractions are so bad at this point that i am kneeling on the floor with my head on my knees in labor and delivery. meanwhile, braden quickly feeds all of my info to the lady.

630 am:
the drugs are being administered but still not strong enough. i am shaking uncontrollably from the pain and squeezing the life out of the handle bar on the hospital bed. i opted for that rather than braden's hand because plastic is stronger than bones. my method of coping with the pain was closing my eyes and putting myself somewhere else. my eyes remain close for most of the labor. finally the anesthesiologist arrives with my epidural. for the record- anyone who has ever said that the epidural is painful- they lie. once the drugs begin to work i start to feel warm and fuzzy. this feeling does not last long because my contractions get stronger. the nurse checks me and i am still dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced.

730 am:
my epidural can no longer keep up with the rate that my contractions are progressing. the anesthesiologist comes back in to up my dose. thank goodness the drugs have finally caught up.

815 am:
i begin to feel extreme pressure on my tailbone. i notify the nurse and she checks me- dilated to a 10 and 100% effaced. she heads out of the room to tell the doctor that i am ready to start pushing. brady was amazing throughout the entire labor- never had a freak out or panic attack, until this moment. as the nurse heads for the door, brady puts his hands on his head and nervously says, "well, what do i do? what do i do?" haha i had to just reach over and grab his hand. he calms down and refocuses.

930 am:
i have been pushing for a little over an hour and feeling like all this work and not much progress. my labor and delivery nurse tells us she can see the head! i am able to feel the hair on his head. my son is soon to make his debut. i think to myself, "this is it." the nurse grabs the doctor.

936 am:
a couple good pushes later, Leo Thomas Harker is born. the doctor places the tiny warm stranger on my belly. in this moment i look up at brady. his face says it all- shock, pride, and complete awe. i feel exactly the same. everything seems to be really quiet as brady and i stare at each other and at the beautiful little boy i am holding with tear-swollen eyes. we had truly just witnessed a miracle. i will never forget this moment.

total time in labor : 3 1/2 hours. not bad for my first time but too fast for my liking.
i am so grateful that braden could be there to support me and comfort me. also, my labor and delivery nurse was fantastic. her relaxing techniques were my saving grace. overall, an amazing miraculous experience.

we could not love lil Leo more. it's official we are now a family of three.