Well, that evening we went to our favorite wing place for dinner. I was still contracting - but no change in intensity. Once we got home, and settled, they wimped out. They spread out to like 25 minutes apart - and at 10pm - we decided to go to bed since we didn't know what the night would bring.
I woke up a few different times, from contractions, and having to pee (of course). But then just went back to sleep. Nate got up to go the firehouse, and at 6:10 am - had a contraction, another at 6:20, and another at 6:30, when I was walking out the door to go walk. Mom and I walked for about 45 minutes - having 10 minute apart contractions the whole time. I got in the shower, and went to work.
Work got cut short that day because of the record heat that day (of course!) and I decided I should get some things done - and then go walk somewhere in air conditioning. I ran to CVS and Menards - still having consistent contractions - still about 10 minutes apart. I decided to treat myself to a pedicure - since this may be my last chance for a while! (After looking at the pictures from the hospital - I should have opted for getting my hair done instead! lol)
I went to a new salon - that had a cancellation and she said she could fit me in. She was so funny because - as a mom of 4 - she couldn't believe I was overdue - and in her chair wanting a pedicure! lol She said she didn't want to press hard while massaging my legs and feet, because she didn't want me to go into labor :) I said - press as hard as you can! I want to have this baby!!
So during the pedicure - I had a contraction at 12:15p that was a lot more intense than any others that day. I was in the middle of telling her a story, and I had to really focus on my thoughts, and what I was saying, because of the contraction. Once it was over, I thought, Hmmmm... this may actually be it! I may be in labor! When I left there - I called Sarah (my friend that just had her baby boy in a water birth, at home :) and I told her I thought I was actually in labor and was going to go walk. She said, "Ang, if you really are in labor, you need to go home and relax. You will need all the rest you can get!" So I took her advice and went home.
I called Nate, to let him know that this was probably "it", and that he should try to nap because we were probably going to have a long night! I started getting the rest of my "hospital bag" packed, and decided to cut up some fruit to take with us.
Nate called me at 2:30 and said they were going to have to run down to the shops, to switch out engines, and it would probably take and hour and a half. I told him to go ahead and go - I should be fine. But after that, he should probably come home. At 2:45 pm I was sitting on the couch, got up to go into the bedroom, and had a contraction that dropped me to my knees. I called him and cried out "Where are you??!!" and he said he was on his way home :) (He said later that something just told him that he needed to head home) Thank GOD!!
So at that point - my contractions remained 8-10 minutes apart. I definitely knew I was in labor! LOL They were definitely intense. I could "walk through" some of them, and about every 3rd one was intense enough that I knew I couldn't do it on my own, and I needed Nate to help me relax. I had a "hard" one, then jumped in the shower (cause I knew I would have a little window) and then kept getting stuff together. Mom was asleep upstairs, so Nate woke her up, so she knew I was in labor and she would be around to help out if he needed it.
By 5pm they were intense, 7-9 minutes apart, lasting over a minute, sometimes 2 minutes. We decided at this point to call our midwife to just let her know I was in labor, and she said, ok, and just call her when we were going to head to the hospital. (She lives about 20 minutes away). Nate also called hospital, to let them know we would be there at some point the evening, or early morning, and if they could "save" room 5, that would be great! (Room 5 is the only room at Comm South that has a tub to labor in). They said the room was available at the moment, and as long as no one else wants to labor in the tub, they would keep the room open! :)
Nate kept me drinking water, to stay hydrated, and I was getting hungry. So he made me a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and a bowl of fresh fruit. I ate in between contractions. It was 5:30p and contractions are now like 4-6 minutes apart, and pretty intense. Someone was with me on each contractions - either Nate or Mom. I had horrible back labor, and needed someone to just stick there fist in my back for some counter pressure.
At 6pm I was in our bed, wanted all of the lights off, and was freezing! I was shivering uncontrollably, buried under our blankets, and my contractions were very intense, coming as quick as 3 minutes apart, lasting 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. They started doubling up, and I thought to myself - "there is NO WAY I am transitioning already!??"
At around 6:20 - 6:25 - I moved out into the family room, contractions still 3-5 mins, lasting SO LONG and looked at Nate, and said - I think we need to go to the hospital. And that was it. I had one more contraction in the family room - made a bee-line for the truck, had another contraction in the truck, and left. We live 8 minutes away from the hospital, and I had 3 contractions on the way! lol
Nate called Sherry, and left her a message telling her we were on our way.
When we got to the hospital, Nate pulled into the vallet parking, and had someone get a wheelchair, and we headed in. There was a "crazy lady" (as I like to call her) that brought out a gurney and wanted me to get on it. All I knew was - I was NOT getting on that gurney. Nate looked at them, and said, "she is not getting on the cot", looked at the lady behind the wheel chair, and so "go! to the 4th floor"! (Looking back on it, it was pretty funny) So they wheeled me up there, having another, and then another contraction, and we finally got to the floor, and down to my room. I remember hearing one of the nurses saying, "we are expecting her" :)
So once in the room, I stripped down, put on a gown, and crawled into bed. They hooked me up to the monitors to check the baby. And I told the nurse I did not want to be "checked" until Sherry got there. She said that was fine. The nurses called Sherry to make sure she was on her way. (She hadn't gotten Nate's message, but was now on her way!)
She got there about 7:10-7:15 and checked me. She couldn't believe it... I was complete! At that point, I was literally "out of my mind" and said, "what do I do now??!" She said, well, just wait until you feel the urge to push, and push! :) She asked if I wanted her to break my water, and Nate asked, what it would change. Sherry said it would make it go faster, but my contractions would get more intense. I knew I was at my limit, and asked her NOT to break my water! I truly felt like I was out of my mind!
At 8 pm I felt the uncontrollable urge to push, and started pushing. I pushed, thought I was going to puke, and my water broke. It gushed out, and I can remember feeling this really warm sensation on my leg. (At the time I did not know it, but I learned after the delivery, talking to Sherry, that she thought I had meconium in my amniotic fluid. So at the time, I guess it was hard to tell, so she let the nurse know it was possible meconium, and they called in the special care nurse, to be there, just in case.)
I continued pushing with each contraction - and he wasn't in the position that she wanted him in. He was posterior, so she had me rotate positions, to try to get him to rotate. So I had been on my left side, for the most part, which was the most comfortable for me at the time. After I pushed through a contraction, I rotated to my knees (with everyone's help!), and pushed through a couple of contractions. Then I rotated (with the help of everyone again!) to my right side. I did NOT like being on my right side at all. It hurt everywhere! It is so hard to describe... and when I had the next contraction, and pushed, his heartrate dropped in the 70s. (Which they didn't tell me, until later...) So Sherry, very cooly, said, "yeah, I don't think he likes that side either, does he? Let's rotate her again. So then I was on my back, pushed through another contraction. Sherry then checked, and amazingly enough - he had completely flipped and was anterior! It was really cool! So then, that was the position I stayed in, until I pushed him out!
About the time that you could see his head, (and we were close to the end!) Sherry brought up the fact that he might have had some meconium, and the nurses may have to take him to the nursery to check him out. I said, "ok" (knowing all of the possible complications of meconium).
The last few pushes were the worst - I was completely terrified to push "through the ring of fire" but with the support of Nate, Sherry, and the nurses, I managed to do it. One final push, with the last contraction, and his head was out. I could feel his shoulders rotate (which was really weird!) and then with one last little push, the rest of his body was out. Sherry suctioned him, he began to cry, and she laid him on my chest. It was such a truly amazing experience, I didn't even know what to think at the time! It was almost like I was in shock. It was crazy. It was very surreal.
As it turned out, when he came out, another gush of amniotic fluid came out with him, and he did not have any meconium after all. They allowed him to stay on my chest for quite a while. The nurses were awesome. They dried him off, and took his vitals on my chest, and once Sherry was done checking for any repairs, I was able to start breastfeeding.
So we pushed for a total of 55 minutes, and Tyler was born at 8:55pm on Aug 11, 2010.
We were so blessed to be able to labor, and deliver the way we wanted to, naturally. I said it that night, and I've said it every day since - there is no way I would have been able to do it without Nate. If it wasn't for him, and his faith in me that day, we wouldn't have been fortunate enough to have a truly natural childbirth. He was truly my lifeline, and I owe it all to him!
I have absolutely no regrets. Except maybe next time we will go to the hospital just a little bit sooner :) And looking back on it, there are quite a few things we laugh about...
You told that beautifully Ang,you should be a writer 12/31/10 Thank you n Nate for our precious grandson
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