On Monday, I went on a crazy clean streak, but it didn't feel like nesting to me. I've always heard about a rush of energy to get things done. I was actually really tired on Monday, but I felt like there were a lot of things I needed to do. I'm so glad I did them too.
(last belly shot - bittersweet)
I was a little crampy Tuesday morning, but nothing bad or worrisome. I got up at my usual 5:20am, got ready for the day, and went to work. I was excited about this week because it was a short work week, and because it was my last week. My maternity leave was to start February 22nd - ha.
Around 11:30, I felt a gush of fluid-like discharge. I'd been having a lot of UTI symptoms, so I really had the thought, "Maybe I just peed on myself a little."
I went to check it out and I was pretty soaked. I was worried, of course, but still talked myself into the peeing on myself thing. When I had that taken care of, I went ahead and called Cory just to give him a heads up.
I think that conversation started with, "I don't mean to alarm you, but my water might be breaking."
He honored my wish to wait it out and I got back to my classroom.
Cory doesn't put a lot of stock in signs and such, but in my moment of terror I was mumbling to the Lord about needing comfort and peace and blurted out something about confirmation. I have no idea why this was my request, but I'd asked the Lord to send me confirmation if this was the real deal… and I said to myself, "If I am in labor, then my mom will check on me." This was particulalry strange, because my mother never checked on me when I was at work - because she knew I was at work.
About 15 minutes after that I received a text from my mother that read, "How are you today?"
My freak out bumped it up a notch.
At about 12:15, I felt some more gushing. Again, just a small amount. I was actually conversing with a parent so I tried to play it off cool. When the parent finally left, there was more.
I told my assistant, "I think I'm leaking amniotic fluid." She told me to go call Cory. I went to check it out and my clothes were soaked again. I had already changed into my spare ones earlier. I called my OB office and they told me to get up to Labor and Delivery and that they'd be expecting me when I got there. So then I called Cory and told him we needed to go up and have them do a swab to see if it was amniotic fluid - because I was naively still holding out hope that my water wasn't breaking, after all only about 6% of women have their water break spontaneously like that as the onset of labor.
When I was walking back to my classroom, the gushes just kept coming and I really started to panic, I frantically told my assistant, "My water is breaking!"
When the real possibility of that hit me, I got scared and teary-eyed. A co-worker and my boss sat with me until Cory arrived.
When we made it to the hospital Cory insisted he drop me off at the door. But, I was being a big baby and didn't want to go in by myself. So I let Cory park and walked up with him.
From that first gush at 11:30, I'd been having a few stronger contractions that were right at 20 minutes apart.
We arrived in our room at the hospital at 1:50pm. By about 2:10 they'd done the swab on me and was just waiting. Right after the swab had been done a really, really big gush came out. It was crazy how much water was coming out of me. If it'd really all came out at the same time… it'd been very dramatic just like portrayed in the movies. There was a lot of water.
When the swab came back positive, my OB ordered me to be started on Pitocin.
You should've seen the baby I became when I heard that. I did not want to be on a Pit-drip. I did not want any kind of forced labor. But they were pretty adamant about it because my water had already broke, they'll only let you go about 12 hours post rupture because of the risk of infection to baby and uterus after that timeframe. Of course I didn't want to risk infection, so I did eventually cave on this order.
We'd called the family at that point and they were all on their way up.
The Pitocin was started at 2:30. Within a half hour I was definitely feeling regular contractions along with lower abdominal cramping. But, it was manageable.
I was still just at a 1-2cm when I'd come in.
By 3:30 things were getting so much more intense. The contractions were steadily coming about 2 minutes apart and I was getting very uncomfortable.
I was also getting extremely irritable. I was so mad they wouldn't let me get up and move around. They kept saying, "With your water already broke…" but that sounded stupid to me. I feel like being up and moving around would have made me feel slightly better and would have helped more naturally progress things.
I knew shortly after being started on Pitocin that I would be getting an epidural. I was trying to wait to get to 6cm before receiving the epidural. But by 4:30 I was miserable. The relentless contractions were so intense and painful. It was a tightening grip all through my upper abdomen and from about my belly button down through the pelvis and even down my legs. It was an extreme cramping sensation. I had reached the point of not being able to do anything but focus on the labor (and pain). I had also reached the point of using breathing techniques with each contractions. And since they were coming so hard and so fast, I felt like that was all I had time for.
My nurses felt bad for me and kept gently offering medicine through the IV, but I was more against that than the epidural.
My mother - God bless her heart - was frazzled. I get it, seeing your kid in pain isn't something parents can deal with easily. She kept asking "Do you want a cool wash cloth" and "Do you want me to fan you" and "Just consider getting the epidural now" and "I can call the nurses."
Cory was solidly by my side, holding my hand, rubbing my hair, and helping me breathe through the contractions. Though, that got him snipped at once. I think his breath was hitting my face and I remember throwing my hands up and waving him off while snapping, "Do not breathe anywhere near me."
That was followed by me telling him, "I know when Nolan's here it really isn't going to matter, but you're getting snipped after this. Write it down." (I was making him journal all of this)
Poor guy.
He didn't make as many offers as other people, I think he picked up on my irritability with it and knew better. He did ask if I wanted Sombra (some massage cream from our chiro) rubbed on my back when the back labor started. I did agree to that and it really did help a lot with the back labor.
At 6:45pm I was about to get checked and I was hoping to be at 6cm. Not quite. She said I was between 5-6cm. I wanted to cry. I wanted to be further along. I caved and requested my epidural.
They had to run a whole bag of fluids through me first. That felt like it took forever. My contractions were so intense. It was terrible. The pain was consuming. I didn't want to talk to anyone, look at anyone, if I'm being honest I didn't want any of my visitors there. It was also a little awkward, because I did have this huge support system of people sitting in the room with me, but no one was talking. So they all sat there in a strange silence (though it was appreciated), speaking in whispers when they did talk. The only steady noise in the room was me breathing with the contractions.
At 7:30 the anesthesiologist was on the way up and everyone but Cory was cleared out my room. I was terrified. I was scared of getting the epidural, but with the pain I was already in I was scared of not getting it.
The contractions were hard and coming at about every minute to minute and a half. So, I'm having these crazy painful contractions and they're all getting me up on the edge of the bed, bent over in a very uncomfortable manner, talking me through what's about to happen.
I was so hot too. I was sweating and clammy, I felt exhausted, whether from pain or nerves I was also shaking. Cory and the nurse were standing in front of me each holding my hands. The anesthesiologist rubs my back down real good and is coaching me through breathing. He tells me to tell him when I have my next contraction and when I did a burning sting went in my back. It took me by surprise, I've always heard they do all these things when you aren't contracting, but giving the lidocaine shot with the contraction was actually awesome. Because, though it did hurt, it was masked by the pain I was already in so at least it didn't seem like additional.
He started running the needle for the epidural and I felt a very sudden, sharp, pinched nerve sensation in the right side of my lower back. I jerked - just slightly - and was then told many, many times to not move (ha).
But, that was just it. I got to lay back down and he ran a test dose for me and kept asking me questions about headaches and nausea. He also asked Cory about three times, "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"
I was actually worried that Cory would never make it through our delivery without passing out or throwing up.
After the test dose, I was still feeling the contractions and briefly wondered how long it'd take to kick in.
I didn't seem to be aware of any other changes. He asked how my legs and feet felt and it occurred to me that they felt a little tingly and heavy, but not numb. It was a pretty odd sensation. I could feel my legs and move my feet and everything, but I couldn't control them enough to lift them off the bed.
That's when Cory pointed out I'd just had three really big contractions and asked if I'd felt them. When it occurred to me that they were just mild pulling sensations, it immediately relaxed me.
I still felt pressure and ever so often I could still feel some lower pelvic cramping with the real big ones, but the relief was amazing.
I know everyone has opinions on these things, but… it was totally worth it for me. Also, so true that the pain from the rest of your labor makes the discomforts of getting the epidural so insignificant.
After about 15 minutes family started coming back in and I could actually converse with them and have some time to enjoy and appreciate their presence. I was told I had some color back in my face and found a nice change in being able to re-live the events of the day and tell about my water breaking at work.
At 8:45 I was checked again and was at 7cm. I think the on-call doctor was worried she'd be there delivering a baby at 3 or 4 in the morning at that point - and later she said as much.
You know what they say about first time moms in labor - it takes forever.
At 9:15 I started feeling more pressure. Pressure in the lower abdomen and the tightening of the contractions. It was definitely more mild that pre-epidural, but enough to warrant my attention considering I did have an epidural.
I'd just been checked 30 minutes before though so they seemed to be taking their time.
That's when I started feeling a lot of pelvic and vaginal pressure. So much pressure. And my contractions were huge and less than a minute a part.
At 9:25 was when my nurse checked me and I was at a 10 and completely effaced. It was time to push!
They cleared everyone out of my room and called the doctor in. I was so so sad it wasn't my OB, but I have no personal complaints with the on-call doctors. She was good to me.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I remember it all happening so fast and yet it feeling so slow. I was about to meet my baby. Finally.
I looked at my husband who was gripping my hand and looking a little pale and I remember shooting my eyebrows up at him and he mouthed, "Oh my goodness" to me.
My heart was racing and it seemed extremely surreal that I was about to push out a baby.
Once I was ready to start pushing, the doctor walked me through my first pushing experience at exactly 9:30pm.
My epidural had wore off some by then, and while I could've hit my button for more, they seemed very excited that I was feeling all the pressure. They said it'd help me push.
Pushing was maybe what I expected. I guess it's hard for me to say. It was hard and unpleasant, but it's true what they say about the pressure giving you something to work against and in turn some sort of satisfaction.
The doctor took me through three pushes with one contraction. The doctor and the nurses were so wonderful. They were positive and encouraging, and their coaching was very helpful. I absolutely loved my main nurse who was with me through it all. She was awesome.
So with those first pushes, once in position, they had me hold my breath and push in 10 second increments. We did three back-to-back-to-back with one contraction. Even with the edge taken off from the epidural I could still make sense of my muscles and was able to get a handle of the ones needed for this.
Those very first pushes gave me a very good idea of what I needed to do, and I felt like I would be able to do it well. (thanks prenatal workouts for helping me work all of those pelvic floor muscles!)
The doctor apparently didn't think so. She left the room at about 9:40. Another nurse came in to work with my main nurse - which put three nurses fixing to work with me on pushing. I went through two more sets of pushes like the first (3 per contraction, pushing for 10 seconds) and one of the nurses left while the other called for the doctor to come back.
We found out later that when the nurse went to go get the doctor (all of 10 minutes later) the doctor was like, "Yeah, okay, I'm going to get a snack and then I'll be back down."
(It probably makes her sound hateful, but she retold the story in a teasing manner - and she didn't really go get a snack first.)
When the doctor came back in, we went through one more pushing set and he was just almost out. I could see his head! Do you know how weird and amazing that is?!
Cory was super amazing through it all. He stood by my side giving me so much verbal encouragement and support. I had wondered if he'd get on my nerves during this part of labor, but he was the sweetest, best coach ever
That's when I heard the doctor ask for scissors. I was so hoping against an episiotomy. I gave Cory the look, but that's about all the attention I could give it. I'm so glad I only felt a little slip of pressure for that too.
One more long, slow, controlled push later and I heard the most precious cry I've ever heard in my life.
Nolan Tobias Chamblin was born at 10:00pm.
(Pretty good, I had active labor for about 12 hours and pushed for 30 minutes)
The grayish, goo-covered little boy was placed on my chest; with dark matted hair, eyes opened wide, and screaming breath after breath. I stared at him in amazement and rubbed his little face and kissed his little nose. Of course I cried.
When I spared a glance toward my husband he was staring at the face of our son too. He rubbed my arm and kissed my head and still seemed to be in a state of complete disbelief.
Suddenly, his attention was occupied on only our son as they lifted him off of my chest to go start doing their doctor stuff. The new daddy followed, snapping pictures frequently and staring at our little boy with awe. It was adorable.
He finally looked back at me and gave me the sweetest smile and asked if I was okay.
While I got sewed up I was also informed that I had tore too. Great.
Not soon enough; my 5 pound, 11 ounce, 18 inch long son was swaddled up tight in some blankets and handed off to Dad.
I didn't know I could be any more attracted to my husband, but then he held our son for the first time and kissed the top of his tiny head.
He slowly walked over to me. When he reached me he bent lower so I could stroke the face of the still unhappy Nolan.
A nurse offered to take a picture of the three of us. Our first family picture.
Cory handed me our baby and it all felt so overwhelming. I couldn't take my eyes away from the dark grayish-blue ones staring back at me.
Just a few moments later and we had our first attempt at breast feeding. He wasn't too into it, but they said he did well with it. He didn't ever get a good latch with that one, so it wasn't unpleasant for me or anything.
Family started coming back in after that. They gathered around the room making adoring comments about the baby in my arms. Finally, I forfeited him and told them they could all have like 5 seconds ;)
I watched as Nolan was passed around the room to all these people that had traveled to be here and waited all day to meet him. It was a sweet time.
People started clearing out soon after their turn of holding. It wasn't long before it was just me, dad, and Nolan again. We tried feeding again and it went much better that time. The rest of the night was spent balancing cat naps with baby adoring and breast feeding. It was hard to sleep when all I really wanted to do was keep looking at the sweet little face that I had just birthed.
What an adventure the past 8 months have been. I've had the most precious time being pregnant with my son. I truly enjoyed every part of it. Now, a whole new adventure is starting and I'm more blessed than I deserve to be starting it with the man that is my husband and this tiny new soul that is my son.
Enjoy some pictures:
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