At 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant TODAY WAS THE DAY! We would get to meet our baby and we couldn’t be more excited! It’s 7am and you’d better believe I was going to stop for a Starbucks before heading to the hospital. I was excited and nervous and so ready. 8am was our check-in time. I was taken to Labor and Delivery and this time I wouldn’t be leaving without a sweet baby in my arms. I got into my labor dress and the nurses hooked me up to the monitors. After my IV was inserted, the nurses started the Pitocin drip to get my labor started…and then the waiting began.
And waiting…and waiting..and waiting….. 16 hours of waiting to be exact. Really I’d though with it being baby #5, he’d just kind of come on out as soon as I was given Pitocin but, Nope! This lil guy got himself quite cozy. I finally started having some stronger and more consistent contractions but still waiting for my cervix to dilate. It was time for my epidural. I was a little nervous about the epidural since such a big deal has been made about me having one with Transverse Myelitis but I felt very confident in the capable hands of the anesthesiologist. We started with a “walking epidural”. This is an epidural where a narcotic is placed into the spine to take the edge off but I was still able to feel my legs and even walk around. It was really very helpful. I liked that I could still feel my legs and move around. Apparently “walking epidurals” aren’t terribly common anymore because the whole nursing staff was freaked out by the fact I could have an epidural and still be walking. They wouldn’t let me walk the halls so I paced in circles around the labor room.
After several hours with no dilation, I was finally dosed with the highest amount of Pitocin I could be given in hopes of getting things moving along. My contractions became stronger but I still wasn’t dilating. We did, however, go ahead and inject the numbing medication into the epidural. My legs became heavy, an all-too familiar feeling. This time I knew it was because they were suppose to be getting heavy and not because my body was going into relapse mode so I felt more comfortable about it than I thought I might.
Two hours later and half-past midnight, I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever have this baby. I even sent my best friend home because she was also pregnant and had been sitting with me for 16 very long and uneventful hours. Contractions were strong but I was still only about 3cm dilated when the nurse came in and decided that she would try moving my leg into a “firefighter position”, which was essentially turning me onto my side and hoisting my left leg into the right legged stirrup. Almost immediately after she did this I said, “I have to push!!! The baby is coming!”.
It all happened so fast. I went from 3cm dilated to 10cm dilated in about five minutes. The nurses and doctors rushed in the delivery cart and we had the green light to bring Baby Jax into this world.
Everything went beautifully. I pushed and breathed and pushed some more. I could feel the weight of him leaving my body and I was being lovingly encouraged from my wonderful sweetheart and all of the nursing staff and doctors. He was coming. My miracle baby was almost here.
With one final push, my sweet baby made his way into this world. The doctors took him immediately to the warming crib and helped get him stimulated and breathing well. Moments later, they placed him in my arms and I think the photo above speaks volumes to my emotions. I was happy, relieved, excited, overwhelmed, and so in love. I just wanted to hold on to him forever and never let him go. In the coming weeks we would both be met with some difficulties but for right now, in this very moment, we had all that we needed. We were tremendously Blessed to have made it so far in this journey.
But you don't look sick... 