Labor and delivery of Rodrik McCoy

fyi: Some of the pictures that follow might be slightly graphic.

My amazing labor went like this:

-Finally hooked up to pitocin at 11am.

-Anaesthesiologist poked his head in at noon-ish and asked if i would like my epidural then because he was going to a meeting at 1 o'clock and would be unavailable during that time. I hesitated momentarily because i wasn't really in pain and didn't think to get the epidural before then; and he looked at me and said "were you wanting to feel any pain today?" Bless him. So i got it then. I'm really glad i did. Even though they are scary. He did a really good job.

-They "checked" me about every hour. I was a 3 at the epidural and stayed a 3 for about 2 hours, then went to a 4 at like 2:00ish. I was checked right before 3:00 and was still a 4. Zach and Clarissa came at 3:00 and stayed for about an hour. 

-By the time they left i was feeling the contractions pretty bad and was getting nervous--but realized i had never pushed the "self-medicate" button they give you with the epidural, so i pushed it and was feeling TONS better after about 30min. you can push it like every 15 minutes. So that is what i did from there on out and I got REALLY numb. I really didn't need to push it as much as i did. Next time i won’t. It took like 6 hours for me to not be numb. TMI: My body couldn't figure out how to pee because it had been numb for so long---like i didn't even feel the urge even though i hadn't pee'd in forever. Wouldn't have been a big deal but my bladder was taking up my entire stomach which pushed my uterus WAY up and to the side--the nurse said that is bad. So they had to put a catheter me later that night--around midnight.  gross. And seriously--like 3 quarts of pee came out. NOT joking. The nurse was AMAZED. Anyway I can pee now.

-So I started not feeling the contractions at about 4:30 and was bored and had Justin call my mom and sister (Chanel) to come visit. We figured we were in for a fairly long haul because we had gone from a 3 to a 4 in like 4 hrs--not exactly the speed of light. We thought we had quite the wait ahead of us.

-My mom and Chanel showed up at about 5:00 just in time for me to be "checked". My mom was actually on the phone right before i was checked and was telling my Grandma "oh ya, she isn't even close--last they checked she was at a 4, so you don't have to hurry yourself." She gets off the phone and the nurse is like "You are complete; you are dilated to a 10." WHAT??!?

-So then it's like craziness, they are calling the Doc and bringing in all the stuff to do the actual delivery. My mom was frantically trying to get my other sisters there in time because I was planning on them being there for the birth. And me and Justin were in slight shock that it was now and really already time and the baby was almost here.

-There was a big stress part at this point for a little bit because the baby's heart rate dropped WAY low, like in the low 70's and they couldn't get it up. So that was REALLY freaky. I remember that. They were trying to get the doctor there asap; we were all really scared. But then, after intense silent prayers and after I had been on oxygen for a bit with my mom holding my leg up in this weird way the baby started doing a lot better. I just had to have my legs spread eagle with the left one lifted up and bent back, completely exposed. :)

-At around 5:20 my doctor, Dr. Judd, or should I say Dr AMAZING arrived. I firmly believe if he had delivered my 1st it would have been a WAY better experience...but i loved my other doctor too; Dr. Judd is just REALLY good. Amazing. He instantly knew, just by feel, before i even pushed, that Rod was coming out wrong; posterior, and so he just sticks his hands up there and moves the kid completely--thank you epidural. I didn't see what he did but i saw the faces of everyone that did. Their eyes all went huge. And then they all took a step back--at the same time. haha. That was funny.

-So then i push for a whopping 15 minutes (SO SO SO much better than 3 1/2hrs...seriously??) Rod was born at 5:45. Done and done.

-I was SO happy. That was all i could think over and over. I just kept thinking "I'm so happy". And i couldn't stop smiling. It was amazing. He was SO cute and so angry. :) It was all just amazing and wonderful. yay! 

Hazel (4 days old) and Rodrik with my mom. New little cousins!

 We love you baby Rod!

xoxo