(I wavered about posting my labor & delivery story but then decided that I'd really like to have it written down and since this blog is my only "diary," this is where it will be recorded. Feel free not to read if you don't want to. If you do decide to read, settle in - this is a long one.)
I decided on Wednesday the 21st that Friday the 23rd would be my last day at the office before going on maternity leave - even if Mack wasn't born over the weekend. My little brain was so fried from 1. cooking my well-done baby and 2. having to make sure all loose ends were tied up every day just in case he decided to come overnight. So on Friday, I left the office with my personal effects as well as my laptop and a few work notebooks with the plan to work some from home the next week. I was convinced I would just be home & pregnant until my inducement date of February 1st. I was also worried about my mental state over the next week just being home and watching a pot boil - I was getting so impatient and uncomfortable that a week at home with nothing to do would have become torture.
Saturday came around (still pregnant) and Lauren & I headed to Avalon Day Spa to have pedicures. That was a fabulously relaxing afternoon. Even though I couldn't reach or really see my toes, it was nice to know they were at their best!
Sunday was business as usual. Richard and I got up and went to church - New Hope. The church is building a new facility and held service in a tent on the new property and then gave tours. The UNC Gospel choir was there providing the worship music, it was really awesome. Maybe the combination of relaxation the day before and the tent-lifting worship music helped move things along for me?
Sunday night I started feeling like things might be moving in the labor department! I got crampy and started spotting a little late that night. I couldn't immediately tell Richard because Lawrence had come over to swap cars back with him. So I sat freaking out in my mind for a while until we were alone. I was really excited but we decided to just head to bed as usual and see what was to come. I also really wanted to try and get some rest in case the big event really was on its way. We got in bed about 11:30, said a prayer, and zonked out.
Around 1:30 am I woke up having contractions. Excited, nervous, and sleepy I laid in bed timing the contractions, trying to get comfortable & get rest in between. They really did feel like bad menstrual cramps at first. I was amazed at how regular they were. At first about 6 minutes apart, lasting only about 30 seconds. I had a watch that I was using to time them and always knew what time it would be on the watch when a new contraction would start. Craziness.
About 4:30 am I decided to get out of the bed because I was tired of just laying there. I had told Richard already that I was having contractions and woke him up to tell him I was getting in the bath. He very sweetly and sleepily told me to let him know if there was anything he could do...and then he was out again. So I got in the tub with my book (Emma) for about an hour. The contractions were more like 5 minutes apart during that hour. Still really regular and a little more intense.
5:30 rolled around and I got out of the tub and woke Richard up. We went downstairs and had a little breakfast (I couldn't really eat much due to nerves - I think I had a little bowl of yogurt and a granola bar). The contractions started getting a lot more intense after breakfast. Richard took over the timing, which was very nice. He also massaged my back and used counter-pressure on my lower back to help me get through them. Pretty soon I couldn't really sit down comfortably during the contractions so I started marching around during the contractions - weird I know, but the pain was going down my upper thighs, and moving helped...call me Soldier.
At 6:30 we decided to go ahead and call the midwife's pager. I didn't want to rush anything because I wasn't crazy about the idea of being in the hospital for hours upon hours, but the contractions were 3-4 minutes apart, lasting about a minute and had been that way for an hour - that was the criteria they had given for calling them. When I called, Cathy Higgins was the midwife on call and after talking with her she said for me to come on in to be evaluated. She said that based on our conversation she couldn't really tell if I was in active labor but since we live so close to the hospital, I should come in and if things weren't moving along, I could always just come back home. But she also said that there was going to be a shift change at 7:00 so if we could wait just a little longer, the shift change would be over and things would be less chaotic at the hospital when we arrived. She told us as well that Deb O'Connell was the midwife coming on, which we were really excited about (we really liked all the UNC midwives but Deb was our favorite).
So we decided to take our time. I called my mom to tell her that she'd probably be a grandmother by the end of the day, took a shower and got dressed in some comfy clothes. Richard also showered and helped get a few last minute items together. We finally left the house around 9:00 to head to the hospital.
(Funny side-note: As I was walking out to the car, Cam (my boss) calls to ask if I know the key for the wireless router in the company conference room. Good thing I was between contractions - I can't believe I actually answered the phone.)
The drive to the hospital was NOT fun. Having contractions while driving down the horrid Durham roads in rush-hour traffic wasn't a fun time. Once we arrived at the hospital, I was really hoping we would not have to turn around and go back home. We pulled up to the valet parking (very nice) and the guy who took the car asked me if I was in labor & if I needed a wheelchair. He also told us he was in the car parking business, not baby birthing business. I thought that was pretty funny even though I'm sure he says that to all laboring moms...pain does funny things to your brain.
We made our way up to the fourth floor to the labor and delivery wing where they checked us in and set me up in a triage room. They hooked up a fetal heart rate monitor and a contraction monitor, which was good info to have but meant I was stuck in the bed for half an hour until the midwife came to evaluate me. That wasn't fun since standing up made me feel better, but oh well. Richard kept timing the contractions and it was nice to have him able to read the monitor and tell me when they were at their peak and going back down. That was pretty nice. It was a little wild though because the peaks of my contractions looked like they were reaching about the max that the thing would read - oi!
Around 10:00 am the midwife, Deb, came in to check me. I was almost 6 cm dilated and was definitely in active labor. She told me I had earned myself a room at the hospital. I was so excited! I had been really worried I'd get sent home especially after the past two appointments where my cervix hadn't "ripened" at all. So yay! Things were going really well.
We were "checked-in" to a room with a bathtub, which I was also excited about. The nurse who was assigned to us at first was Margaux and she was really great. We had a consult with an anesthesiologist but I opted to forgo an epidural at that point to see how laboring in the tub would help.
I have really no idea how long I was in the tub - but it seemed like a long time. Richard was timing the contractions, coordinating with family on the phone, pouring water over my belly during contractions and reminding me to breathe and keep my face and shoulders relaxed. He was so loving, supportive and attentive.
We asked my sister (the day of) to serve as point of contact for our friends and gave her the names and numbers of people to call (little did I know that Elizabeth really had no idea what labor is all about - she needs to watch more Discovery Health instead of E! I think. At one point I think she told Meredith that I was about 12 or 13 cm dilated - ha ha! Funny sister.). I was very happy to have Richard and Elizabeth making phones calls, I was in no way able to chat.
At some point, my labor turned into back labor. Things got a little crazy for me at that point. I had been able to manage the contractions and get relief during the breaks in-between up until then. Once the back labor started, there wasn't anything I could do (or wanted to try to do) to get through them. I tried getting out of the tub to walk and march like had helped earlier in the day, but that was a no-go. Standing up only made things worse I think. So I called for an epidural.
The anesthesiologist came very quickly and was a different doctor than we had had the consult earlier with. The process of actually administering the epidural took a lot longer than I thought it would. I just remember having a lot of contractions while sitting on the side of that bed. Margaux and Richard were really great during that time keeping me focused and reminding me that I'd get through these contractions just like I had all the ones before. I couldn't see anything that was going on behind me with the epidural but Richard said that having watched it, he wouldn't let anyone do that to him. I remember one really bad needle stick but other than that, I was OK except for the contractions.
(Another funny side-note: the nurse MADE Richard sit down in a chair while they were giving me the epidural. Apparently a lot of dads-to-be bite it when they see the huge needles.)
After the epidural was in place and I was laying down in the bed, the anesthesiologist and Richard started talking and figured out that they had met before while helping a mutual friend, Paul McCall, with a move. What a small world! Paul and the doctor were in a small group at their church together. He was such a good guy and it was also nice to know I was in the care of a fellow Christian.
The epidural took effect more on my right side than the left but provided enough relief to help me through the contractions and put me back in a can-do kind of mindset. He offered to adjust the epidural to make it more even but I told the doc that I was OK for the time-being. The midwife came in to check me and found that I was 9+ cm dilated and that Mack had turned from being face-down like he should have been to face-up (but still head-down) hence the back labor. So she suggested I get on my hands & knees with the birthing ball to see if I could rock my hips around and get the little guy flipped back over. She also went ahead and broke my water to see if that would get me to the final 10 cm and be ready for pushing.
The contractions were much stronger after my water was broken but the position I was in with the birthing ball really helped. And since you have to have the monitors when you have an epidural Richard was able to tell me when the contractions where peaking and going back down again, which I think really helped me through. He also was able to rub my back for me again, which was really nice. What a good hubby.
After a while, my left side that wasn't as "numb" really started to hurt as the contractions kept getting stronger, so I asked if the anesthesiologist could come back to do an adjustment. He came back pretty quickly and helped me out. I think that him pulling the tape off my back to get to the epidural was about the most painful part of the whole affair! But once he was done, I was back in a happy place. I could still feel the contractions and a lot of pressure, but was able to relax through them again. I was also really happy that I could still feel & move my legs. I didn't know that much about epidurals but had been concerned I wouldn't be able to move at all.
I also could tell that Mack had turned himself back over again because pressure moved away from my back finally! I was very happy about that. The midwife came back to check me and confirmed that he had turned but I still wasn't quite ready to push since I wasn't completely at 10 cm yet. So I decided to hang out in the bed on my side.
I can't remember exactly when but Elizabeth came to the hospital at some point shortly after I first got my epidural and hung out in the room with us for a while. My mom and dad got in to town right before the main event, so I got to see them briefly and get a hug & kiss from my mom.
Finally, I really felt like I was ready to start pushing. Margaux's shift was over so I told my new nurse, Wanda, how I was feeling. She was excited for me and went to let Deb know. Since UNC is a teaching hospital, they had asked if a nursing student could follow my nurse. I had said sure thing (I really didn't care at that point actually). So one nursing student had been with me for a little while. When I was getting ready to start pushing, another nursing student joined us. Those lucky girls got the honor of taking turns holding up my left leg during my pushing - poor things. Richard sat/stood on my right side holding my hand. I decided to stay on my side to push since I had been comfortable that way during my contractions.
(Another side-note: It was the very first day of clinicals for those nursing students, Carrie and Lindsay - what a first day! I hope I provided them a good learning experience. They were on the maternity floor the next day and got to see Mack again. I think they both felt like Mack was their special little guy, too.)
Pushing is no joke! It took me a few pushes to really get the hang of it as far as timing them with my contractions and being able to push for a whole 30 seconds. It was also frustrating because I could tell that he was moving forward during the pushing and then back again in-between. But Richard kept telling me that each time, he came farther and easily went back to where he had been before he went back. It didn't feel like he was easily moving forward but that's just my opinion. Deb asked if I wanted a mirror - I said no thank you - but since his head was crowning and Richard could see him I did reach down to feel him. His head didn't feel like a head - it actually kind of freaked me out so I decided to just keep my hands to myself from then on. I was excited though when Richard told me he had brown hair :-)
I was starting to get really exhausted but right when I began to wonder how much longer I'd be able to keep it up, I finally got his "little" head out. That was an interesting sensation and I'll just leave it at that. The cord was wrapped once around Mack's neck, but it was no big deal and Deb just unwrapped him. Once the head was out, Deb went to work getting his shoulders out. I had been used to having a break between contractions but apparently once the head is out, there are no more breaks. So I was trying to help push and Deb was pulling - it was pretty crazy. I think it kind of freaked Richard out because apparently the shoulder-removal-process was pretty violent. I think I had my eyes closed and was just trying to concentrate on pushing so I missed the visual. But then I felt his shoulders move out and Deb told me to reach down and get him. I opened my eyes and there he was! I reached out and pulled my little baby up towards me onto my chest. Richard was right there to meet him, too.
And man was he loud! Mack had a good set of lungs on him. He was also a fun shade of purplely-blue at first but he quickly cried himself pink. Richard cut the cord shortly after that and at some point the nurses took him from me to a little bed in the room to measure and weigh him. Richard hung out with Mack and the nurses while Deb took care of fun things like my placenta and giving me one tiny stitch. That part wasn't really fun but I didn't care so much.
Mack was born at 6:26 pm, weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces and was 21 inches long.
I had labored for over 16 hours and then pushed for just under 1 hour, go me.
Soon Mack was back with me and we asked that he stay with us instead of being whisked away for tests and bathing at that point. Mack was ready to meet the rest of the family! My mom and dad and Elizabeth came in first. Then Richard's mom and brother Ben. Lawrence arrived shortly after as well. It was a really special time but is all a blurry whirlwind now. Good thing we have pictures!
A few hours later, we moved up to the maternity floor. Mack got to meet Richard's dad and Ellice there.
We then settled in for our first night as a little family. Mack was such a sweet, cute little baby - he wasn't at all mushed up and his little head was nice and round. His eyes were so big and sweet when he was awake. And he made the greatest faces - especially his old-man-grump faces and his little alien face when he was looking around with his great big eyes.
The whole experience was really wonderful. Our "birth plan" was to have a healthy baby and a healthy me. I went into it with an open mind and took everything one step at a time as things unrolled. I was so blessed with Richard as a wonderful husband who was with me every second - supporting me, helping me make decisions, and just making me feel loved & safe. All of the staff at the hospital were wonderful and listened to us and respected our decisions. We were healthy and strong through the whole day and I wouldn't change a single thing.
I have been blessed beyond imagination and am so thankful for our son.
We were pretty proud of ourselves that we were only about 15 minutes late...that's an on-time record I think since Mack was born. But as we tried to enter the sanctuary, Richard was blocked and told there's a "no babies in the sanctuary" policy...period. That really sucked. So we stood out in the lobby area for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do. We didn't really want to leave our 3-wks&6-days-old baby in the nursery but in the end, that's what we did. Since we know the head-nursery-girl pretty well (we are nursery volunteers ourselves) & there was only one other baby there on Sunday & another volunteer, we decided that leaving our sleeping Mack there was better than heading home. 
And this was my first attempt to have Mack take a nap in his crib. He sleeps in a cradle in our room at night right now but I thought maybe he'd like to nap in his nursery. As soon as I finished snapping a few cute pictures, Mack woke up screaming to let me know he didn't like my idea. Here he is looking sweet and peaceful in his crib. 
