Dylan's Birth Story

Warning:  This is the long, in-depth story.  If you don't want to know all the gory details, don't read it.  :)

My 'due date' with Dylan was July 13th.  On Monday, July 14th I had an appointment with my midwife, Stacie, and when she checked me and I was at 4 to 5 centimeters dilated, and like 80% effaced.  She said the baby was still pretty high up, though.  We did a Non-Stress Test to make sure he was still doing okay, which he passed with flying colors.  I set an appointment to come back on Thursday, but Stacie said she didn't think I'd be back for it.  I wasn't so sure, but hoped she was right.

I had forgotten how hard the end of pregnancy is.  Physically, emotionally, mentally.  It's hard.  And since I did not want to be induced, I was trying so hard to be patient and let Dylan decide when he was ready to come.

Also at my appointment on Monday I had Stacie strip my membranes.  I had some contractions after that, but I had been having contractions on and off for a while and the labor had always stalled.  I had hoped that stripping my membranes would do the trick, but I knew there was no guarantee.

On Tuesday Connor went back to work (he had been scheduled off for 5 days), and I was really nervous that I was going to go into labor that day.  I had still been having irregular contractions since Monday, but they never amounted to much.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning I was pretty sure I was in active labor, and I really thought we were having a baby on Wednesday (the 16th).  I told Connor not to go to work, and Connor took Matthew over to his parents to spend the day.

I was able to take a nap on Wednesday and I woke up from my nap with KILLER contractions.  Pretty much it felt like my uterus was being ripped from my body.  So fun!  I was feeling really discouraged because the contractions killed, and since I wanted a natural labor, I didn't know if I'd be able to do it if the contractions were going to be like that.

I had a little break down and called my doula, Amy.  She came over and we chatted for a bit.  She timed my contractions and she said there did seem to be a pattern to them, and it also seemed like my body would throw an extra one in there periodically to try and help the baby turn, since he still wasn't positioned just right.  Connor, Amy, and I went on a walk and once again the contractions stopped.  Amy encouraged us to go out and do something fun so we went to Paradise and got some dinner, picked up a few things at Costco, went and got some sugar cookies from Swigs, and then picked up Matthew and came home.

We got Matty to bed, and I finally fell asleep around 1.  At 2:30 on Thursday morning (the 17th) I woke up with some more of those killer contractions.  I was pretty sure this was FINALLY it, so I called Amy but she said I still sounded too happy and to take a bath and see what happens.  So I got in the tub (which felt AMAZING) and while I was in there the contractions started coming one right after the other.  It was then that I was finally confident that I was in active labor.

While I was in the tub I started thinking that if on Monday I was at almost 5 cm, who knows how far along I was now?  And since I did not want an accidental home birth, I got out of the tub, woke up Connor, and called Amy.  At first I told her to come to the house, but then decided I would feel better if we just went to the hospital.  Connor called Lori who came over to be with Matthew (who had conveniently woken up and thought that since we were all up it was play time!).

Lori got here pretty quickly and Connor and I got in the car and met Amy at the hospital.  By this time it was about 4:45 in the morning.  We went to the ER to check in (because everything else is closed at 4:45 in the morning).  When we got to the ER, the woman checking me in asked when my due date was.  I said it was 4 days ago and laughed.  I guess I was still too happy because Amy said to Connor  that we were going to be there for a while.

They brought me a wheelchair and took us up to L&D. I changed my clothes (I didn't want to wear the hospital gown this time so I bought one of those Pretty Pushers gowns, which I really liked, although I think it looks like something the Flintstones would have worn.)  The nurse came in to check me and said that I was 100% effaced and at 8 cm.  8!  I was like, What?  And she repeated 8 cm.  I couldn't believe it.

It was about 5:15 am by this point, and I was pretty sure the baby was going to be born really soon.  Amy asked if I wanted to get in the tub, which I did and I loved.

I'm so glad that I didn't get induced because I loved being able to move around and have the option of getting in the tub or bouncing on the birth ball.

Anyway, the tub was great, but they poured some surgical soap in the tub first for whatever reason, and the bubbles were out of control.  Any time I'd turn on the jets (which helped with my back labor) the bubbles would overtake the tub.  Connor and Amy were scooping bubbles out of the tub, but they weren't able to keep up.  It was kind of funny.  Even with all the bubbles, the tub was wonderful.

I got out because they wanted to monitor me again for a bit.  Amy had a tens machine to use on my back, which basically eliminated my back labor.  When they checked me again I was at 9.5 cm and that was about 7 am.  They said there was still a little lip.  So I sat on the birth ball for a while, then I got on the bed again for a bit.  Amy suggested I get on my knees and lean over the back of the bed and see if I could push past the little lip that was still there. At this point it was probably about 9 am and I was getting so so tired.  I asked to be checked again, and I still hadn't made any progress, which was very discouraging.

I wanted to lay down so I did for a bit.  Then my contractions started getting crazy.  They were coming one right after the other, and they were intense.  Amy was great and did some counter pressure with Connor on my hips and knees.  It helped so much, but even still the labor was intense.  I think Dylan was still positioned weirdly and my body was working really hard to turn him to position him correctly for the delivery.

Around noon I had them check me again and when they said that I still hadn't made any progress, I was immensely discouraged.  I was so tired and felt like I had given everything I could give.  I jokingly asked if it was too late for the epidural, because I was confident they were going to say that it was too late.  The nurse said as long as I was able to sit still, they could do the epidural.

At this point my water still hadn't broken so Amy suggested an alternative -- that we break my water and see if that helped me progress the last .5 centimeter.  I agreed to that, but I had already decided that I wanted the epidural.  I was just too tired at that point.  So Stacie came in and broke my water, and then the anesthesiologist came in to give me the epidural.

At that point I was having such a hard time with the contractions that I was very relieved when the epidural kicked in and I understood why people love the epidural so much (I hated it the whole time with Matthew's labor).  After it kicked in, I fell asleep.  I slept for about an hour and Connor and Amy slept too.  When I woke up it was about 1 pm.  They checked me again and said I still had a little lip.  Ugh.

The hour between 1 and 2 pm was one of the longest of my life.  I still hate the epidural.  I was so uncomfortable.  I kept asking Connor and Amy to move me into different positions so that I could be more comfortable, but it didn't work.  I was so miserable.  Eventually I gave up and asked them to turn on the TV to distract me, which sort of worked because that was the day the Malaysian Airlines flight had been shot down in Ukraine.

Finally at a little after 2pm Stacie came in and asked if I was ready to have a baby.  Yes!  At about 2:10 I started pushing, and at 2:30 he was finally born!  This time I asked for the mirror so I could see him as he was delivered, and I'm so glad I did.  It was amazing and gross to watch.  Connor was able to catch the baby (with Stacie's help, of course), which he really enjoyed.  When I saw Dylan at first it felt like deja vu and I was looking at another little Matthew.  But the more I looked at him, the more differences I could see as well.

I did tear, and it was not good.  It was only a first degree tear, but not in a place where you would want a tear.  Luckily, I didn't feel the stitching because of the epidural.  Although I wonder if I would have torn like that if I had been able to feel what was going on when I was pushing.

After a few minutes of skin to skin with Dylan, one of the nurses asked if I was nursing him.  I hadn't tried yet, so I got him to latch on (with some helpful reminders from Amy on how to do it properly).  Dylan latched on so well and has been a champion nurser from the start.  I did have a few problems with Matthew, but Dylan has been so easy to nurse.  Thank goodness.

When they weighed Dylan we were all surprised when the scale said 8 lbs 9 ozs!  I had guessed that he'd be over 8 lbs, but I didn't think he'd be that far over.  He was also really long at 21.5 inches long.  Matthew was 7.13 and 20.5".

Dylan's birth certainly didn't go perfectly, but I really am thrilled with how everything worked out.  I didn't get to do it med free, but I'm proud of myself for making it as far as I did without the epidural.  And with how exhausted I was, I think it was the best choice for me.

I also want to say that Connor was amazing.  When Matthew was born, Connor didn't really know what to do to help me, and I didn't know what to tell him to do.  This time Connor was on top of everything.  He was SO supportive, SO encouraging, SO helpful.  I don't know how I didn't break his hand with how hard I would squeeze it during my contractions, but I didn't hear him complain once.  He's a keeper, that one.  There's no way I could have done it without him.

Stacie was so great, too.  I am so glad I used a midwife this time, even though a lot of people probably thought I was weird.  I am so glad that I switched to Stacie, I really can't say enough good things about her.  I would highly recommend her to anyone.

And having a doula was priceless.  Amy was so great and always had a little trick up her sleeve for whatever I complained about.  She was encouraging and supportive.  Even though she didn't necessarily agree with my decision to get the epidural, she supported me 100%.  Doula's aren't cheap, but they are totally worth the cost, in my opinion.

I'm so grateful for how well everything went.  Like I said, it didn't go perfectly.  My birth plan (which I forgot to bring to the hospital -- go me!) didn't get honored 100%.  But I'm 100% okay with that.

And Dylan.  He is totally worth every painful contraction and the misery from my epidural.  He's perfect and I'm very lucky to be his mom.