Beckett's birth story (#1)

A fitting subtitle for this post would be: Hey idiot, you're in labor. I'm not kidding. Maybe it was shock but I didn't quite believe that I was going into labor four weeks early.  Or maybe I like to keep it interesting.

I woke up that Tuesday morning and had a feeling that something was not quite right. I quickly realized that I was in the process of losing my mucus plug. This should have caused some panic but I knew that it could be days before I went into labor but that it was probably approaching. I also started having some cramping but I knew that some people had contractions for weeks before the big show.

I called my doctor and they didn't seem overly excited, which is odd because they usually have you come in for any and everything. They told me that I needed to stay put and put me on bed rest. Since I was a day away from being 36 weeks, they wouldn't do anything to stop me from going into labor but wanted me to take it easy.

I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon having sporadic contractions and watching Dateline on Investigation Discovery. I even got two hour-long naps in.  I talked to my mom and she decided that she would fly in the next day, just in case.  This would prove to be a wise decision.

When I continued to have contractions, I decided to call my doctor again. They moved my appointment to 11:30 the next day and told me that they would see me then.

I decided that maybe I should so some last minute preparations just in case. We labeled bins in the closet, hung artwork, and had some extra furniture moved out of the house. I also double checked my hospital bag, which I just finished getting ready a few days earlier. I also had Daniel pack his bag too.

Around this time I started thinking that maybe we should go to Amarillo but my contractions weren't very organized and I still didn't think I was progressing as quickly as I was.  I had also heard that you can't talk through real contractions and I was talking away. We decided to get some sleep which was impossible for me but seemed to make my husband happy.

At about 1 am, I had the strongest contraction yet and I decided that we needed to go. We were out of the house in 30 minutes and on our way. However, during the ride I started to doubt that I was really in labor because I could still talk through my contractions and I didn't want to go to the hospital just to be sent home.  We decided to go to Daniel's brother's house which is close to the hospital.

Daniel went to sleep when we got there and I paced. I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't sleep, so I paced and timed contractions.  They never really became organized but every once in a while I would have a contraction that made me feel like I was splitting in half.  All I wanted to do was cry.

I thought maybe I could try to lay down but at this point I realized that I was having a hard time sitting because the baby felt so low.  I had a feeling this wasn't good.  I woke Daniel up and told him that we were going to the hospital.  The problem was that we had no idea where to go.  We had tried to pre-admit two weeks earlier but the L&D floor wouldn't allow me to complete their paperwork until I was 36 weeks.  I was actually scheduled to pre-admit that day.  I called the hospital and talked to the L&D floor.  They told me to come straight to their floor.

We left immediately and then proceeded to hit every light on the way.  Then we valet parked at the hospital and it took forever.  Next, the greeter decided to walk us to the L&D floor but didn't offer me a wheelchair.  We were at the elevator before she asked if I needed one and that point I wanted to keep moving forward.  She tried to stop and talk to me several times and I have a feeling that I wasn't very nice.  I was starting to feel like it was not my day.

The admissions clerk had me fill out some paperwork and I quickly realized that I had made a huge mistake.  We got to the hospital at 7, also known as shift change.  I waited for about thirty minutes before a nurse came to triage me.  I probably had about four or more contractions during that time and I am pretty sure I scared the couple waiting to be induced.  I was pretty sure that it was not my day.

All that changed when I finally got taken back to be triaged.  The nurse informed me that my doctor was in the hospital and he would do my exam.  Then I noticed that my pediatrician was in the room next to ours because her sister was having a baby.  It was like everything was coming together.

My doctor arrived to check me and this is when I realized that I came dangerously close to having my baby in a toilet.  I was an 8.  I repeat an 8.  My actual words when he told me were, "Son of a bitch.  I'm a what?" and my next question was when could I get my epidural.

After that things started happening really fast.  I was wheeled into a room and four nurses came in to start IVs, collect blood, and admit me.  They all commended me on my high pain tolerance.  I think I started to panic at this point because my contractions started feeling much worse.  The nurses told me that there were two c-sections happening and I wouldn't be able to get my epidural until they were done.  I was not happy.  Daniel didn't help by looking at my monitor and stating that my contractions were closer together than anyone else they had hooked up.

My doctor came back to check me and break my water.  At this point, I was a 9 and my water had broken.  And I still had no epidural.  My doctor told me that I could do it without one, but I kindly informed him that this would be my first and last child if that happened.  Thankfully,  one of the anesthesiologists got done in his c-section and I got my juice.  It was the best hour of my life.

After an hour, my epidural started to wear off.  They didn't put me on a pump because they thought that   I would go fast and I did.  My mom got there right before I started pushing and after half an hour of pushing, Beckett Oliver arrived at 11:28am.  He weighed 6 pounds even and was 19.5 inches long and was perfect.
   

Swollen but still pretty cute

Dad and lad

Under the oxygen hood

I am ending this blog here but this is not where the excitement ended.  I'll post about Beckett's stint in the NICU on my next blog.  Us Browns like to keep it interesting.