So it's now Tuesday morning and Shelley and my mom are helping me labor. The contractions are coming between 4-7 minutes apart and lasting about 30-50 seconds. The pain in my back was excruciating and the only thing that helped was deep pressure on my lower back. I would throw my forehead against the wall at each contraction, moan low and deep, and then either Shelley or Mom would press and massage my lower back muscles. The deeper the pressure the better (I ended up with some nice back bruising!).
Around 8:30am I finally woke RJ up. He was still feeling really sick and it took him awhile to rouse himself out of bed and into the coaching mode. Shelley remembered the birthing ball and she starting blowing it up for me, with little 5 week old Miles on her hip. The birthing ball felt great! I sat on it in the living room rocking between contractions and then leaning into the side of the couch with each one. However, they seemed to slow the labor down as my contractions starting being a bit further apart. Therefore, I started alternating between the ball and pacing the living room to keep things moving. I also tried a few different positions to see if I could get Landon to shift and take the pressure off of my back. At one point I was on the floor with my bum in the air. We had the front door open b/c it was warm in the house and my neighbor breezed in. A 2x mom herself she joined us for a few minutes massaging my back. I stopped having a labor coach and found myself with a labor team!
Now here's the best part....it is now about 10am. The labor has continued the same for while. Suddenly 3 people arrive at the door. They are from the Agricultural Department and they were investigating an illegal shipment of bonsai trees that were sent to our address from Japan! These three then proceed to question my husband on the porch for nearly an hour - listening to me labor a few feet away in the living room!
I finally had to walk outside between contractions, look at the head investigator, and explain that things were bad and I was ready to go to the hospital!
Praise God we only live 1 miles from the hospital b/c sitting in the car was awful. We got set up in room number 4 (the entire team - mom, Shelley, Miles, RJ and my sister who bounced in and out with my dad) and the nurse checked me. I was only 3 1/2 cm dilated, 100& effaced, and -1 station. We continued this way for the next 3-4 hours (time started blurring). The contractions were getting closer and closer together. They were about 3 minutes apart and lasting about 1-1.5 minutes when I got into the shower with the birthing ball. I lasted in there only 10 minutes before I starting moaning for drugs. It was disappointing for me to need the drugs and so RJ and I agreed that she would check me and if I was over 5 cm I would try to keep going. I was only 4. Bring on the Demerol.
Demoral felt like a tropical cocktail in the middle of the Sahara desert. Sweet, sweet relief. Unfortunately by the time it was wearing off (1 hour) I was still only 4cm and they were taking about Pitocin since my water had broken awhile back. I knew I couldn't do Pitocin and back labor, plus, at this point it had been about 14 hours and I knew I wasn't going to have the strength for transition, let alone pushing. Bring on the EPI!
Dear, wonderful epidural.
Wow. I admit that the recovery from the epidural was a bit longer then if I had gone completely natural but my goodness I'm not sure why I was so against it. It was amazing!
I had what they called a "window" meaning I didn't get 100% relief, I had a few nerve endings that wouldn't go numb so I could still feel the contractions. But it was nothing like before, I was able to rest and relax for the next 8-9 hours. We only had one upset. They put me on pitocin quickly after giving me the epidural and Landon's heart rate dropped signifigantly 10 minutes later. 3 nurses and 2 doctors came racing in the room. They threw an oxygen mask on me and starting checking Landon immediately. Thankfully, besides scaring RJ and I half to death everything was fine. They just took me off the Pitocin so progression took awhile.
Finally, on April 14th at 11:45pm I told the nurse I was ready to push. I was 10 cm and I felt the urge. Shelley had to go home to her family earlier so it was RJ, my mom and dad and sister, April, in the room. My mom and sister alternated holding my left leg, RJ held the right and my dad sat up next to my head. It took me half and hour to get Landon to crowning and then half an hour more to get him completely out. I enjoyed pushing. It was hard work but I was so excited to meet my boy.
Dr. Green helped ease him out at 12:55am April 15th. He was placed on my chest immediately and RJ cut the cord. My emotions where all over the place. Honestly there were so many feelings I was overwhelmed. Excitement and endorphins after the long labor, exhaustion, sweet relief, amazement, awe, nervousness, wonderment....
...and Love.
