Campbell is here!

Campbell’s Birth Story - this is long so feel free to skim it!

Friday March 5th , 2 days after Campbell’s due date, I woke up around 6 am with cramps which I assumed were early labor contractions, they felt like menstrual cramps but I used to have really bad cramps and these weren’t quite that bad. I felt them sporadically throughout the day but not really with any pattern. I figured I would mention them at my appointment later that day at 3.

Around 2 pm they were starting to be consistently about 10 minutes apart. Nick came home to go to the appointment with me. At the appointment the doctor said I was about 3 cm dialated, a change from the 1.5 I had been for about 2 or 3 weeks. She said she thought we’d have a baby by the end of the weekend.

We went home, a little on edge, wondering if we’d have a baby that night or if we’d be keeping our NST for the next day and continue waiting for the scheduled induction on Wednesday the 10th. We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some healthy snacks and my contractions continued to be a steady 10 minutes apart.

Once we got home around 4:30 p.m. we finished getting things together to go to the hospital in case that’s where we ended up that night. Around 7:30 we ordered Chinese and tried to relax with contractions still 10 minutes apart but definitely getting a little more painful. Nick put together our new glider and I was reading my pregnancy books, refreshing my memory on labor and practicing breathing techniques. At around 10 we decided to lie down and get some sleep since it was looking more and more like we were going to the hospital at some point that night. As soon as I laid down on the couch from sitting, after about 2 minutes I felt a pop and a little trickle and realized it was my water breaking and I was on the couch! I quickly rolled off the couch and tried to jump up and water came gushing out of me in a puddle on the floor. Nick jumped up out of his chair and confirmed that it was my water breaking and ran to get some towels and call the doctor. I started to cry, I couldn’t believe this was happening and I was scared about all that was to come. Were we ready? Could I do this? I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t do this. Yes, I could, I had to, I’ve been waiting for this. Wait, no, I can’t do this! OMG!

The doctor called back after about 5 minutes, Nick explained we were pretty sure my water broke and she to go to the hospital. As we packed up our things I was freaking out. Nick kept his cool the entire time and helped calm me down, reminding me that we were prepared and we were going to make it through this.

The drive to the hospital was so surreal, I couldn’t believe the time had arrived. As we got to the hospital and walked in through the emergency room, I started to cry again, I couldn’t believe I was doing this! I felt like I was in a movie waddling in, wincing in pain. Contractions were still about 8-10 minutes apart.

We checked in, and I sat in the wheelchair and cried while we waited for labor and delivery to come and get us. People wished us good luck and I felt so silly for crying. We were taken up to our room and I was put into a gown and hooked up to the machines to monitor the contractions and Campbell’s heartbeat. It was about 11:30. My contractions were monitored, still 10 minutes apart. Nick and the nurse helped me breathe through the contractions. The nurse did an exam to confirm if my water had really broken and it came up negative, although she the test can sometimes be wrong. At that point she gave us the choice of going home or continue to stay to see if the contractions got closer together. We decided to stay, we were certain my water had broke and had already mentally committed ourselves that we were doing this.
Around 2 am the contractions were still 10 minutes apart so the nurse came back and said that we could either go home and wait for them to become close together or stay and have Pitocin administered to bring them closer together. We decided to stay. Picotin was not what I wanted but we both knew that by the time we went home the contractions would probably be closer together by the time we got there. I just wanted to stay and be monitored. I felt safe having the baby’s heartbeat monitored. We called our parents to let them know we were staying. Nick was the most amazing labor coach, I knew he’d be good but he was better than I ever imagined, he told me how great I was doing, reminded me of my breathing and to not tense up during the contractions. He encouraged me when the contraction was almost past. With his help, the contractions really didn’t seem that long. They hurt, but they seemed to go fast. He never got frustrated and kept calm. I’ve never been so thankful for him.

The nurse explained that Pitocin would make the contractions harder and that I may want the epidural then. The contractions had barely been bearable up to that point so I decided I would have to have the epidural. It was not my ideal situation because sometimes the epidural can counteract the Pitocin and slow down labor sometimes leading to a C-section, something I knew I didn’t want more than anything else but I knew I just couldn’t take any more, as it was I had already said I couldn’t take it anymore so I was scared of what they would feel like with Pitocin! Around 4 am (yeah, 2 hours later, but it seemed to be faster) they administered the Pitocin through IV and the anesthesiologist came to give me the epidural. I leaned forward over the edge of the bed onto Nick as they stuck the needle in my back. I had to remain still through the two contractions I still felt so the epidural would go in the right place. It was hard but some how I made it through, Nick talked me though it, telling me when they were almost done. Once the epidural was in effect, it was so much more bearable, I didn’t even realize when contractions were happening, and I even got in a little nap for about 30 minutes.

At around 6 am Nick went to get the rest of our things out of the car. At this point, Campbell’s heartbeat got a little low so they put me on an oxygen mask to help his heart rate. I was a little scared but was glad the extra oxygen would help make sure he was safe. I kept the mask on for a few hours. At this point contractions were 4-5 minutes apart.

At 7 am we got a new nurse and she had me switching positions every so often, laying on different sides and on my stomach with my bottom in the air to help move the baby down the birth canal.

Around 8 am several nurses began bustling around the room getting things set up. The doctor said that Campbell had passed his first stool within the womb (common for babies who are past their due date) so there would be a NICU doctor at the delivery so make sure that Campbell didn’t take his first breath until they could clean out his mouth so he didn’t inhale the merconium. I was fine with this; I had been worried about the merconium and wanted it taken care of. It did mean that Nick wasn’t going to be able to cut the cord and that he wouldn’t be able to be brought to my chest right away. I really wanted these things but didn’t care anymore if it meant he would be safe.

They said I’d probably start pushing in about an hour and it could sometimes last about 2 hours. I didn’t think much of it, I didn’t know what to expect. However, at 8:30, the nurse came in said we’d be pushing now! I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. Nick held one foot, a nurse the other and I held behind my knees. The nurse was shouting for me to “push, push, push, keep pushing, keep pushing, don’t let up!” She was like a linebacker coach! I totally needed it though because I didn’t know what the heck I was supposed to do! You’re not supposed breathe, while pushing, you have to hold your breath and just push; I always thought you were supposed to breathe! Nick was really encouraging, telling me that he could see his head and kept me excited that we were almost there, even though I was bruising his ribs with my foot.

I pushed for about 15 minutes and at 8:57 a.m on March 6, 2010, Campbell was here weighing 8lbs 8 oz, 21.5 inches long.
The doctor explained that I had a very extensive tear and she’d need backup to stich me up. That’s what every woman wants to hear huh? I am thankful the epidural hadn’t worn off! While they stitched me up I watched Campbell get cleaned up, weighed and measured and waited to hear his cry and was so relieved once I heard him. I asked the NICU doctor if everything was okay and sighed with relief when he said “he’s perfect”. I watched as Nick oversaw all of this and got to hold Campbell for the first time. That was priceless; I cried just a little, so happy he was here and knowing that he was safe. They finally brought him to me and we held him to my chest to meet officially. Campbell James was here and our lives will never be the same.