My Birth Story

So I wanted to post this while it was fresh in my mind.  On June 18th at 9:20 am  19 and 1/4 inch long 7 pounds 3 oz we welcomed Ezekiel into the world.  This was not an easy journey and did not go at all like I had planned.  But in the end it turned out beautifully though very hard.  It also worked out perfect that my Mom was already due to fly in at 10pm that night so she ended up making the birth!  Something I am so grateful for!

But first meet my little angel:

So here is my birth story:

It started at 4:45 am on Wednesday June 17th when I rolled over in bed to go to the bathroom I felt a big bob.  At first I though Ezekiel just punched me but when I stood up I had a huge gush of fluid.  I ran to the bathroom and as I ran my water continued to gush out in little spurts.  I yelled out to Isaac to wake up that my water just broke.  He immediately woke up and said I just had a dream your water broke!  It was like it was meant to be.  So we got up called the midwives who said for us to be there within 2 hours because of the fact that I had tested positive for strep B they would want to put me on penicilin as soon as possible to make sure he got enough doses.

So We got up had breakfast and then headed to the hospital.  Upon arrival they did a test that confirmed my water had indeed broken. I was measuring 3 cm dilated -1 station and about 70-75% effaced already.  This was all at 7 am.  So we got checked in got to a room and began walking the room, jumped in the shower and began getting contractions, though nothing that was super strong.  Though they were regular.  At 3:30 pm they checked me again and I was 7 cm dilated, 90% effaced 0 station.  So it looked like things were progressing really nicely.  I was able to use my hypnobabies to zone out and still smile after each contraction.  But then beginning around 9/10 pm things came to a terrifying stall.  I began having super hard regular contractions lasting about 2 minutes each and then coming in 1-2 minute intervals.  But instead of being able to rest in between the contractions I began vomiting profusely.  I would vomit until I couldn't breathe then another contraction would hit.  It would not stop.  Even though there was nothing in my stomach.  I also began to experience extreme back pain, pressure and back contractions.  but because I was not getting any relief I could not focus or zone out on the hypnobabies.  I began to shake uncontrollable so everyone believed I was in transition and that the baby was near.  So they called the midwife in to look and very disappointingly I was exactly the same.  From 3:30 pm till 11:30 pm I had not changed one single bit.  She was a little confused by this but after feeling around she felt the Ezekiel was sunny side up(face up) instead of having his back on the side or in position.  His spine was on my spine which was causing the extreme pain and she believed making it so I couldn't progress.  During this entire process I was having insane contractions, vomiting and was exhausted.  I had already been in active labor for 18 hours.  But we decided to continue on.  We would wait until 12 am and check again and see if there was any progress that had been made.  Well nothing changed.  During those two hours I continued to vomit extremely hard without a break in between my 1-2 minute intervals.  It got to a point I felt I couldn't even stand I was so weak.  So we called the midwife in to see where we were at because I knew that if things didn't or hadn't changed there was no way I could continue.  I couldn't breathe, I was getting dizzy and tingly all over and just felt so weak.  So she came in to check me and again I was exactly the same!  From 3:30 pm till 12 am  I had not progressed one single bit.  She asked what I would like to do and through the vomiting, shaking and contractions I told her I needed an epidural that there was no way I could continue.  I couldn't breathe I couldn't rest I was shaking uncontrollably and in so much pain.  So within 30 min they had the anesthesiologist in there to administer the epidural.  I felt immediate relief and was able to sleep off and on for a few hours while they had me laying on my side with a peanut ball in order to try and get Ezekiel to turn.  At 6am on June 18th the hospital shifts changes took place and I was introduced to my new midwife...by this time I had gone through 2 different teams/shifts and was about to be joined by the 3rd which ironically enough was the one who took my call the day before when I told her my labor had broken, but we got there after her shift.   I had now already been in active labor for 25 hours.  Though since getting the epidural I had been able to rest for at least  a few of them.  The new midwife came in and checked me and low and behold I was fully dilated, 100% effaced and Ezekiel's head was right there.  During all of this the epidural was amazing I did not feel almost 100% of the contractions.  I would feel some pressure but not the severe back pain I was having before.  So she said as soon as she got the nurse who was on with her for the day we would go ahead and start pushing.  So at around 7:30 am we began that journey of pushing.  But Ezekiel was still sunny side up and I began to tear straight up in a line towards my clitoris.  She made me stop and said Devin I don't believe in episotamy.  I only have ever done one because I think natural tearing is so much better.  But you are about to tear all the way up straight through your clitoris and he is still sunny side up so if I don't do one this will get really bad and messy.  So I told her to do it.  So she cut me on both sides(which I did not feel at all from the epidural) and in just a few more pushes He was out in my arms!  Only about 2 hours of pushing and I was holding my baby boy.  So then came the time to deliver the placenta which as she was adding pressure to my stomach and trying to get things to move along there was a pop she said "Shoot your going to hate me!"  I said it broke in half didn't it.  She said yes it did.  I am going to have to call Dr ___ to come in who had to stick his arm up inside my uterus and use his hand to scrape out the rest of the placenta.  That was pretty painful.  He went around twice and said he's pretty sure he got it all.  I said could you please go back through one more time to make sure you got it all.  So he did and he said we are all clear.  Then after that they put me on a final dose of penicillin  but my iv had pulled out of the vein and my entire arm swelled up and turned a deep purple.  It's been over 24 hours and the slight swelling is still there.  But all in all I would say as hard as everything was it was worth every second.

Breast feeding has been going really well.  Little man is peeing and pooping like a champ.  It's amazing how much love you can have for something so quickly.  He is absolutely perfect.  please forgive any typos or anything that just in general doesn't make sense.  Here at the hospital they not only check my vitals/bleeding and stomach, since I had the retained placenta every couple hours they also come in to check him separately, of course we can't do it on the same schedule so lack of sleep already is a very real thing.