We had to have been back there for 30-60 minutes. I don't remember. I just remember apologizing to Joel if I wasn't really in labor, and therefore wasting his time, and then I remember declaring that I wasn't going to stress and be sorry any more because when I was having the contractions it really seemed like I was in labor, but then in between them it didn't and although my pride didn't want to be wrong, it was impossible to make decisions in that state!
After a few nurses showed confusion over my lack of contractions, a third nurse came in and decided to check me for dilation ect... She suddenly became quite bewildered and said that things weren't adding up. She shared that she thought I was a 7 but then started talking about how she just got back from Vacation and she might have forgot a thing or two. She went to get another nurse for confirmation. Well, that nurse said I was a 7 or 8 and they both looked at me confused. They said I was right about thinking I was having a baby today, and they needed to go talk to the doctor to see what he wanted me to do. My body seemed confused on the natural order of events.
The doctor encouraged me to get an epidural, and then they would break my water and hope that my contractions would follow. So we went ahead with the epidural, had to get a quick shot after about 15 minutes when my blood pressure dropped (it was the worst heavy chest/need to puke feeling), and then Joel and I asked if we could just close our eyes for a few minutes before they broke my water. They said no problem, and we would have gotten great rest had it not been for a chatty student who showed up. Dr Bell soon came in to break my water and then things got exciting.
Pause a second. I need to give a moment credit to my amazing head nurse, and anesthesiologist. My nurse could have delivered me, and almost did, and I would have been fully confident. And my epidural was great. It wasn't completely numbing and although the pain surprised me, I preferred it greatly over the experience of feeling fully numb with Benjamin.
Ok, back to the water breaking. They thought things were going to move crazy fast after they broke it, but it didn't. My contractions didn't speed up that quickly but finally I was a 9, and after she had me tilt to the left while I was laying down, I jumped to a 10 and baby started to come ready or not.
The doctor arrived in minutes, and after a minute and a half of pushing they put this beautiful baby boy on my chest.
Silas David Barrett Lewicki was 7 lbs 7 oz and 19 inches long. He had no interest in nuzzling to nurse like all the skin to skin/Kangaroo Care literature says will happen. He amazed mommy and daddy with how perfect he looked. Completely his own handsome self, but yet exactly like his brother and sister had looked. We were instantly overwhelmed with the priveledge of holding him in our arms and completely and utterly in love.
He could not fit more perfectly in our family. It took him a little bit to be sure about this world and an excess of mucus in his system made him cry and cough for about 3 hour, and not really nurse for over 24 hours. Benjamin and Violet got to meet their little brother around 6:30 that night and although my memory is fuzzy, the pictures show they too were overwhelmed with love and excitement.
To say were were/are thankful is such an understatement. That thankfulness almost disabled me from being able to write this love story. Fear that I wouldn't convey my gratitude for his life. Sadness for ours and others stories who didn't have this ending. Responsibility to express Joy amongst so many hard and stressful realities in life right now. But a love story it is, and one I need to remember. We hope it is a love story we never take for granted.
No comments:
Post a Comment