I was thinking about the fact that I still needed to share the story of Jonathan's birth on my blog when I realized that I never shared the story of Peter's birth because I started this blog when he was four months old.
So, I'm going to share both of their birth stories.
Peter's Birth Story
It's hard to believe that Peter was born over two years ago! It's strange because in many ways, it seems like yesterday and in other ways, it seems like Peter has been with me forever.
Jeremiah and I had been married just over a year when Peter entered our lives. I had been working as an executive secretary for a very wealthy and prominent fellow in the heart of Salt Lake City. The hours were crazy and I was always exhausted! Plus, I never knew if or when I was going to get a lunch break. So, I usually just stuffed my face whenever an eating opportunity arose. As a result, I was as big as a house (seriously, I gained nearly 20 pounds more with Peter than I did with Jonathan). I also didn't exercise as well that pregnancy as I did with Jonathan. As a result, I had all sorts of aches and pains and I was miserable. My boss kept telling me that if I needed to quit my job early, he would understand because he didn't want me going into labor at work! Seriously, I was so huge that everyone was quite fearful that such a thing would happen.
I worked right up until January 16th (my due date was January 26th). At my final doctor's appointment, my doctor informed me that I was dilated enough to be induced at 39 weeks. I was so miserable and sick of being fat and pregnant that I jumped at the chance. So, we scheduled an appointment to come in and be induced on the morning of Sunday, January 18th.
We arrived at the hospital dark and early and checked in. I got into the hospital gown and got hooked up to everything and then they gave me the pitocin. They also gave me some antibiotic because I tested positive for Strep B (which also meant that I had to stay in the hospital for two days after Peter was born so they could make sure that my baby was healthy and hadn't been infected with Strep B). It was at that point that the nurse informed me that I was already having some very weak contractions (Braxton Hicks contractions). I kept trying to describe to everyone what they felt like for at least a month before and a lot of people kept telling me that what I was feeling wasn't actually contractions. I blindly trusted them and just figured that Peter was pushing extra hard against me with his bum. Let that be a lesson to me to trust your gut response! Contractions feel different for everyone and I should have known my body better!
After receiving the pitocin, I dilated to a 4 and then they broke my water and gave me an epidural. The cute part about that was that Jeremiah watched them put the needle in my back and he took a step back...and immediately passed out. He passed out quite prudently though...as he passed out, it looked like he was simply sitting down on the floor. It happened so peacefully that I didn't realize what had happened until after it had happened! In his words, he said that he could watch horrible things happen to himself, but seeing that happen to me was harder for him than he thought it would be! I thought that was adorable. What a cutey!
Once I received the epidural, all progress completely stopped. I dilated to a 5 and stayed there for the next 6 or 7 hours. It made for a long, boring, and stressful day! The nurses kept mentioning the possibility of a C-Section if I didn't progress. Because we were there so long, the nurse we started out with (who was helpful and charming) left because her shift was over and we got another nurse. Now, don't get me wrong, the second nurse was very nice, but she wasn't quite as gentle as the first nurse. She kept moving me into all sorts of positions trying to get the labor to progress...but all that did was make me almost black out at one point! Also, whether it was due to constantly changing positions or something the anesthesiologist did wrong, my epidural needle somehow got pinched off and I stopped receiving painkillers. So, once I finally started to progress again, I could FEEL it.
Oh, and as a side-note about our nurse, she really got on Jeremiah's nerves. I thought she was fine...though I didn't click with her quite as well as I had with our first nurse. Jeremiah got increasingly frustrated that she kept putting me into different positions and I think we were maybe a little snippy with her a few times. We didn't mean to be, but it was a stressful situation. As a result, she wasn't quite as warm and friendly to us as she might have been.
I kept telling the nurses and doctors that I could feel the contractions and they kept telling me that I should be able to feel them a little. But I was seriously having to breathe through my contractions to bear it. I remember thinking to myself "I've heard stories of women falling asleep after receiving their epidural and being woken up just in time to start pushing...how in the world did those women sleep through this? This is so painful!" Finally, Jeremiah insisted that the anesthesiologist take a look at my epidural and they finally realized that I wasn't getting any medication (though we paid for it anyway, later on when the bills came! Lovely!). By that point, I was dilated to an 8 (so, in my opinion, I experienced a natural labor up to being dilated to an 8). They gave me another epidural and I immediately felt better. Ahhhh. But again, I slowed down and they started dropping the C-Section word again. I didn't want a C-Section and I was really stressed out about it. I asked Jeremiah to give me a blessing. He did. Once the blessing was finished, I started progressing again and before I knew it, it was time to start pushing.
I started pushing at about 11:00 p.m. It was tough work. I couldn't feel anything because of the epidural and I couldn't even tell if I was pushing correctly. Plus, I hadn't eaten since the night before and I was starving and exhausted. I pushed for over an hour. The doctor and nurses kept telling me I was doing a great job, but when I finally asked if there was any progress, my doctor truthfully and apologetically told me that no, there was no progress. My doctor went out into the hall to grab a drink and Jeremiah followed him and convinced him to just use the forceps because I was so tuckered out. So, that's what my doctor did...bless his heart! Two more pushes with the forceps and Peter was out! Hooray!
I was so relieved to be done with the labor and done with being pregnant...and then they laid that sweet little guy on my chest and I instantly fell in love. He was so precious and tiny. I'd waited so long for him. I don't mean just the labor that day, but the fact that he came only a few months before I turned 30. If I'd had my way, I would have gotten married long before the age of 28 and I wouldn't be having babies at all in my thirties! But it's not always about what you think is best, is it?
My sweet rascally Peter was born during the wee hours of the morning (12:35 a.m.) on Monday, January 19th, 2009 weighing in at 7 lbs. 5 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. I should have realized that his timing was a sign of things to come. That little guy is stubborn! I think he wanted to come on Monday all along and did whatever it took to make that happen! Sunday was just never in the cards for me!
Jonathan's Birth Story
When I was 36 weeks along with Jonathan, I was already dilated to a 3 and 50% effaced. My doctor told me that I could go into labor at any time. I made the mistake of telling this information to my sweet, impatient husband who was then asking me about every 5 minutes if I had had a baby yet or if I was going into labor.
I felt great. I had gained a lot less weight this pregnancy and I had exercised 4-5 times a week the entire time. I didn't have the aches and pains that I had last time. When my doctor said that I could go into labor at any time and that the baby was healthy and ready at any point, I thought "Great! I feel good about this. I am happy to just let this happen and let the baby come whenever he is ready."
Then, a week before my due date, it was a gorgeous, uncharacteristically warm day. I decided to take Peter outside to play because he was feeling really cooped up. We played outside for a total of 15 minutes and then Peter stepped in some mud and got both of us muddy as a result. I was so bugged and I stormed inside and changed our clothes. I was ready to call it a day (and you have no idea how many times I wish I had just stayed inside after that), but Peter wanted to go outside again. So, I took Peter back outside. We played outside blissfully and happily for over an hour. Then, Peter asked to go on the swings. As you can read in my previous post, he let go of the swing and broke his leg. Worst day ever.
After Peter broke his leg, I prayed that I wouldn't go into labor until a week after my due date! I just didn't want to deal with having a newborn and a two year old in a cast! I wanted to put off that reality as long as I could! At that point, I had no idea how long Peter would have to wear a cast.
Peter couldn't get the cast put on his leg until the following Wednesday (Primary Children's Hospital only puts casts on once a week--on Wednesday). That particular Wednesday was also my due date.
So, on Wednesday, February 23rd, I woke up bright and early at 6 a.m. to hop into the shower and prepare dinner (slow cooker split pea soup) prior to leaving for Peter's doctor's appointment. However, a little before 7 a.m., I felt my first contraction. At first, I wasn't sure if that's what it really was. I wondered if I was stressing myself out and imagining it because this was literally the only day that I DIDN'T want to go into labor because of all that was going on (in addition to Peter's appointment that morning, Jeremiah had a final presentation in one of his classes that evening). But after a few contractions, I knew that I was going into labor. I just prayed that I wouldn't have the baby before I was able to take Peter to the doctor to get his cast put on him!
I vaguely told Jeremiah that I had a tummy ache and I gave him his lunch and sent him off to work. I then got Peter up, got him breakfast and got him dressed. My mom was meeting me at the doctor's to help me with the appointment (I'm so, so glad she did!). My mom called me while I was heading out the door to see if I was at Primary Children's yet. I told her that I was on my way and also said "Oh, and just a head's up...I'm pretty sure I'm in labor." Well, that freaked her out pretty good!
So, while I was on my way to Primary Children's, I thought it would be a good idea to call Jeremiah and let him know that I thought I was in labor. That stressed him out too!
By the time we checked in for Peter's appointment, my contractions were about 10 minutes apart. With much subtlety (I'm being sarcastic), my Mom said to the receptionist "Is there any way we could hurry this up? Because my daughter is in labor." She said it loud enough for both receptionists and a number of people in the waiting room to hear as well. The receptionist looked pretty stressed out too (and a number of people in the waiting room gave me sympathetic and/or dumbfounded expressions)! I'm grateful that my Mom was there to help with Peter because I kind of zoned out during a few of my contractions while we were in the waiting room!
While Peter was getting his cast put on him, I had to help hold him down to comfort and calm him and I had a particularly strong contraction at that point in time! Luckily, they were very fast in getting us in and out. his appointment was at 9:30 a.m. and I was on the road again, and headed home by 10:30 a.m.
My Mom had to rush back to work to finish up a few things before driving back to take over babysitting duties for Peter so that we could go to the hospital. I called Jeremiah to tell him that I was headed home and promptly got lost in the U of U hospital parking lots and didn't find my way out onto the main roads again for another 20 minutes! By that time, my contractions were 8 minutes apart.
I finally got home around 11 a.m. and fixed Peter some lunch and put on some Sesame Street for him to watch. It was pretty awkward fixing lunch while having some pretty strong and painful contractions! I called Jeremiah a little before noon and told him that my contractions were between 5 and 7 minutes apart and that he needed to head home. I called my mom and told her the same.
Jeremiah got home and we packed up the car with my luggage and I gave Jeremiah some final dinner instructions to pass on to his parents since I wouldn't be home to finish making dinner for them! Jeremiah's parents were surprised and amused that I had made dinner for them while I was in labor! My Mom arrived at that time and took Peter into his room to play and we rushed off to the hospital.
We checked in at the hospital and they put us into a delivery room. We actually got the same nurse (nurse #2) that we had when Peter was born. Ha ha! What are the chances? But it turned out to be a good thing. We all had a chance to redeem ourselves. We got along with her much better and she was nothing but sweet and attentive to us. I thought she was very nice and helpful. We had a chance to be nicer and more grateful to her too. We must have just caught her on a bad day last time (or she caught us on a bad day!).
I was already dilated to a 6 and completely effaced. Our nurse was worried that I wouldn't even have time for an epidural and that I would be having a baby within the hour. By that time, it was 1 p.m. I was just worried that I wouldn't have time to get the antibiotic for the Strep B administered (yup, I tested positive again). As it turned out, if my water HAD broken at that point in time, I wouldn't have had time for an epidural or antibiotic. I literally would have had a baby 30 minutes after I arrived. But they rushed both the epidural and antibiotic and my water didn't break at all. Whew! As a result, I was able to receive enough antibiotic for Jonathan and my doctor was able to finish all of his appointments for the day without needing to reschedule any (if I were in the place of his patients, I would have been grateful)! I was grateful to buy a little more time so that Jonathan could get the medicine he needed.
My doctor came to see me at 5 p.m. (Jeremiah had briefly stepped out to get some food for himself). He said "Well, why don't we break your water and have a baby?" I said that sounded great to me! Jeremiah got back about 5 minutes after they broke my water. He ate his dinner ASAP and I pushed for only about 15 minutes and by 5:30 p.m. on the dot, we welcomed Jonathan into the world!
Labor #2 was SOOOOOO much easier than labor #1! Hooray!
Jonathan weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz and measured 19 inches long. It was so wonderful to hold that sweet little guy in my arms...though I couldn't hold him for long because I immediately started shivering and shaking from the adrenaline of it all. But once I stopped shivering, I was able to hold and adore my newest sweet little guy.
