This is a bit late, but better late than never right? I wanted to write a few things before I forgot the whole thing (which of course has to happen or I would never have more kids...)
Gunner Max Bolton was born on Tuesday May 18th at 2:30pm. He was 6lbs 9oz and 19" long. I'm sure most of my readers don't really want the details of my labor, but I am really writing this more for me, so if the story will bug you... skip it :)
I was induced. I REALLY didn't want to be, but there was something I was even more opposed to and that was having an experience similar to the one when Jack was born, without my doctor there and destroyed by people that all thought they knew what was best for me, but refused to call the people that actually did know what was best for me (aka my cardiologists).... but this isn't Jack's birth story, it's Gunner's (sorry about that absurd run on sentence). Since my doctor was going out of town in 2 days and I was already dilated to a 3 and almost completely effaced I decided that I better just get induced and at least have my doctor their for the delivery. After all the many horror stories I have heard from others that were induced (and a few positive stories) I am happy to report that it went much better than I had expected. We arrived at the hospital around 7am and just hung out until my doctor came around 9 to break my water... that was a bit unpleasant. Nothing happened after that. Gunner was in no hurry to leave his warm, wet abode. I had wanted to avoid pitocin but around 11am it was clear that if I wanted to have a baby that day we better start helping him along, so they started me on the lowest dose. That did the trick. My contractions came on strong and steady. They were less than a minute apart... and uncomfortable to say the least.
I had wanted to go sans-epidural because of some unpleasant side effects I had when I had Jack, but a ways into transition I decided that pain really didn't need to be part of having a baby and I was tired of it. I should mention that at this point the contractions were only about 20-30 seconds apart, thanks to the pitocin. My doctor assured me that we could do a weaker dose this time so that I might be able to feel my legs again before the end of the week, so I went for it... and now regret it, because I had no idea how close I was, and my right leg did end up numb for way longer than I wanted. Epidural was administered (sometime a little before 2pm) and I started to feel a little better, except on my left side. For some strange reason the drug only worked on my right side. The pain from contractions continued on the left, but even the decrease down to just one side made it quite a bit more bearable. As long as I focused on my breathing I managed the pain just fine. We talked about having the anesthesiologist come back in and increase the dose, but before the nurse sent for him she decided to check me. Instead of getting the anesthesiologist she sent for my OB (about 2pm)because, HOORAY, it was time to push. As I waited for my OB I worked on the breathing techniques that I had sort of "studied" in a hypnobirthing book that are supposed to help to ease the baby down. Apparently it worked because when my OB got there we got all ready, I pushed twice and Gunner arrived.
I guess they count labor time from when the water was broken to when the baby comes, so by that clock my labor was about 5 hours. I don't feel I was really in labor until my contractions started, so I really only about 3.5 hours. WAY better than the 12+ hours with Jack.
Gunner arrived with high APGAR scores, screaming with a great set of lungs and with a full head of dark hair (totally unexpected). When Jack was born the nurses just took him right away because they were a little concerned about his breathing and then when they decided to take him to the NICU for a little bit I almost didn't get to hold him before he left :( it was terrible. This time my doctor handed him straight to me and I held him as they did the initial clean up. It was so wonderful! He was perfect and healthy and It was so much better for me to get to hold him right away. The other difference was this time once he was cleaned up they gave him back to me and everyone left! That was exactly what I needed. The people there were wonderful; Davis Hospital was a happy place for me to have a baby!
