Jack's Birth Story (part 1)

This is Part 1 of Jack's birth story. He is such an amazing baby! Calm and relaxed. He completes our family. We adore him!

Jack William Trinder
Born: 1/23/10
Time: 12:46pm
Weight: 9 lbs, 1 oz
Length: 21.75 inches







Here we go...
I work right up until my induction date. I am scheduled for an induction at 2am on Saturday the 23rd. I am able to sleep a few hours before, but I am so excited it's hard to close my eyes! Elayna spends the night at my parents' house after we eat our "last supper" at Olive Garden. Elayna knows Mommy is going to the "hop-it-all" and is so nervous for me. I am nervous for me too, but didn't want her to know...
So, we check in at Banner Thunderbird at 2am. We get settled in our room and at 2:30am and start the induction process (cervical gels to soften and efface the cervix). I came in at 2 cm dilated, pretty much 0% effaced. So I have a ways to go, but my body started some of the process on it's own.
With the gels in, I am to stay on bed rest an hour and then walk. But at 3:30am, Jack's heart rate decides to "decel" (decelerations) with the gels, so I lay on my left side, put on 100% oxygen, and can not walk (only to go to the bathroom). Then the physician on call prefers to proceed right to the Pitocin. Pitcoin is a pretty rough drug, and the anesthesiologist has three other laboring Moms ahead of me for epidurals. So we decide to start the Pitocin at a low dose at 5:30am, just to get the process going until I can get the epidural. I start having tolerable contractions and breathe through them.
At 7am, my OB nurse, Tara, arrives. She is my friend and my nurse for Elayna four years ago. Dr. Koon (my OB for Elayna's birth and now Jack's) comes in, and I am 3cm dilated and starting to efface. Anesthesia is still behind, and I don't get my epidural until around 9am. Once I get the epidural, it starts to go up my back instead of down to my uterus and legs. My chest becomes completely numb as well as my back. The anesthesiologist proceeds to make adjustments to the epidural catheter, and I receive some relief in the uterus and right leg (no pain relief in left leg). The left leg also did not completely go numb for Elayna's birth. Jack's heart rate "decels" again (back to the left side, oxygen, etc.) and my blood pressure goes down. I feel dizzy, and Tara gives me medications to increase my blood pressure and fluid boluses. I start to have a headache, but think it's pregnancy related and take Tylenol... (more in Part 2 about this tomorrow).
Dr. Koon breaks my water at 11am, I am 4cm and 90% effaced. Tara increases the Pitocin and goes to lunch at 11:15am. I start to feel intense pressure at 11:45. Tara comes and assesses me at noon. I have progressed from 4cm to 10cm in one hour. Baby is going to come soon! I am blessed to have my friends Margaret (OB surgical tech) and Megan (OB nurse) also present to assist Tara in Jack's birth. They all set up the room and call Dr. Koon. I feel the pressure more and more. Baby is almost here!
I am prepped and Nick and my Mom each take a leg to help me push. I push with all my might, and we see dark black hair. Dr. Koon "makes more room" with an episiotomy. I push a few more times and out comes Jack. He is a big boy, bigger than expected. They place him on my chest, and he does not look like Elayna, but like my father and Nick's brother, Jeff. He is crying and so beautiful. Nick and I cry tears of joy. Our son is here!! After I look at him and he lets out those beautiful cries, he is taken the warmer to be assessed by the nurse practitioner (due to his decels in labor). He is just fine and weighs a surprising 9 lbs, 1 oz! His blood sugar is low normal at 43. I breast feed him right away, he latches on like a champ! His blood sugar increases in 54 and then 63 with the colostrum. He is amazingly beautiful, and I can't stop staring at him.
I give him his first bath and am walking around the room. Everyone is shocked that I am up and about soon after giving birth to a 9 pound baby. I actually walk to my post partum room, again, shocked faces. I am feeling pretty good! I am the happiest Mom in the world! Jack William is here!