Ya Wanna Know What I Realized?

I published Levi's birth story 2 weeks after he was born.

Only one person commented.

I realized it's because I published it for the day that I started writing it, November 11, one day after he was born. So, it went to that spot instead of the top where other people would see it!

Funny me. Hey, I had some things going on!

Here it is again. For those of you who haven't read or heard it already.

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You read the doctors office story from the morning of November 10th.

So, I knew I was having a different doctor deliver me and I was fine with that. This would be my first ob-gyn experience. With Sage and Kolby, I had a midwife. Very hands on. In the room most of the time. Nothing monitoring me. No iv. Not the case his time.

I had to wear two monitors, one for the baby's heartbeat and one for the contractions. I understand the baby's heart beat, they want to monitor it to make sure it doesn't dip or anything. Except that the baby kept getting lower and lower and hard to keep the monitor in the right place. Many times the nurse had to come back in and rearrange the monitor.

The contraction monitor just allowed Drew to see how painful the contractions were or weren't and when they were coming. Except that it was a little behind my pain level. He figured it out pretty quickly. And, I don't understand why my contractions needed monitoring but what ever, I could handle it.

My first iv. I had to get my first iv. I understood why they wanted me to have it in, "just in case" I needed an emergency c-section. I get it and I was okay with having it. BUT. I didn't realize that after the baby was born, it would most definitely be used. They put some saline mixed with petocin. So, all night long, my uterus was contracting. And it was painful. Keep me awake painful. I would not have agreed to that, but it was already done and started. I hated the whole iv experience. I even thought to myself "I can't wait for my labor to pick up so that I don't think about the iv anymore." And then I found out I had to keep it in.

So, those were the things that I didn't like about my experience.

And now from the beginning. We took the boys to our friends house and got them settled for the evening/night. As an aside, they did so great.

We got to the hospital a little bit after 4 pm. We did paperwork and waited for the doctor to come and break my water. She got there and broke my water about 5:25. I was at 4 cm. And, we waited. Drew and I thought that immediately contractions would come fast and furious. That was what happened with Kolby, so of course it would happen this time too, right?! Not so much. The first hour, contractions picked up but nothing too horrible and they were like 8 minutes apart.

Pitocin was suggested at 6:15. I declined and said lets see what's happening at 7. By quarter to 7, I was at 7 cm.

Contractions got harder. I mentioned not doing a natural delivery next time and that this would be our last child. Drew told the doctor that historically we're really close when I say those two things.

I told myself many times to pull it together, get myself under control. Also, this was the best labor and delivery that Drew and I have done together. He was so encouraging and loving. The other two labors, the midwives or nurse really "took control" of me and keeping me focused. Drew and I really connected this time and when I opened my eyes, his face was the one I was looking for and his voice was the one that I listened for. He said the right things at the right times and I know I fell more in love with him during the labor and then watching him with our new son, amazing.

I remember one really bad contraction. And then, a lull. I even said "What's this, the calm before the storm?" And it turned out to be just that.

The next contraction, I was pushing. He was coming and there was no stopping him. Except for the nurse telling me not to push. I screamed instead and asked why. The doctor didn't have her gloves on yet. Then she told me to push, Drew told me how great I was doing. And two pushes later and he was out.

They set him on me, told me to kiss him and whisked him away. All the while, saying how big he was. We got him for an hour, he nursed and we both cuddled him and then they took him to the nursery for observation for 4 hours and took me to my room to settle in for the night. I didn't sleep until the nurse brought him back to me.

I can't believe it has been two weeks already. The pain of his delivery is still so fresh in my mind but my body is healing so quickly. Women's bodies really are amazing.