Our world has changed again! Last week, our second little boy entered the world. Here's the short version of his birth.
Saturday morning, around 3:45am, I woke up with my first contraction...nothing painful, but enough to wake me up. I went back to sleep and about 13 or 14 minutes later, woke up with another one. I started timing them, but going back to sleep between each one. This went on until 5:15, and they ranged from 10-14 minutes apart. I decided to wake Daniel up. Since I was still not in too much pain, we laid there and planned out the rest of our day. The doctor had told me a month before that I should go to the hospital when contractions were 5 minutes apart or less for an hour to an hour and a half! Since we live about 25 minutes from the hospital, we decided we would go when the contractions were less than 10 minutes apart for 30 minutes. Well, before we even had time to think about it much longer, I was having painful contractions that were now less than 10 minutes apart. We both showered, called Mimi to come watch Ryder, and packed the last minute stuff for the hospital. We waited on Mimi to get to the house (I was already in the car, had kissed Ryder good-bye, and was ready to go when she pulled up). Daniel turned on the hazard lights, and raced as if he was in a race-car video game. We made it to the hospital in 15 minutes! I was in a ton of pain.
It was shift change, and they kept telling me they would have to check me in triage (although I was begging them to just put me in a room, and give me an epidural). When they got a nurse in triage, they checked me. I warned them I had already been a 3 at the doctor's appointment that week, and not to panic if I was a 5 or 6. Well, they weren't the ones who panicked.....I did---when they told me I was a 10 already!
I immediately started crying (more than I already was), and they asked me, "Did you have a natural birth with your first child?" I said, "No! And I don't want to have one now either!" More tears! I asked them for the epidural, and they gave me a look and said, "Baby....you probably won't get one. The only way you might be able to get one is if your water doesn't break between now and then. But, don't count on it." More tears and more panic!
After that, things went so fast it is hard to recall. I do remember they had to give me fluids and 2 other things before they could even get the doctor in there to give the epidural. I just remember praying that my water wouldn't break. Finally, (I think it had been another 20 minutes or so), the doctor came in for the epidural and told me it would be a race between my contractions and the medicine, and I would know who wins shortly. Five minutes later, my water broke. Five minutes after my water broke, I couldn't tell my contractions were getting any stronger. This was the best news yet!
My nurse came in and told me that if I could hold off on pushing and just let the medicine kick in more, I'd be good! That's what happened. Ten more minutes went by, and the nurse came in and said it was time to push! I pushed twice, and Schuylar Grey was here!
