(In the hospital trying to keep a naked Logan warm against mommy after he finished one of his first feedings.)Well, after being told that I was 6cm dilated and wouldn't be sent home I couldn't have been happier. I started laboring in Woodwinds HUGE bath tub (I kept telling Dustin that I wanted that tub, and I still do). It was nice to be able to sit in the tub cross legged and still have room to move around. The water really did help me out and eased some of the pain. (My advice to mommies to be, be open to laboring in a bath tub, it was great!) Afterwards I went to the birthing ball...still my number one favorite item for labor! And then back into bed to try and rest between contractions.
After a bit of time my contractions started growing stronger and longer, and I was just so tired. Something in my body just started saying "DRUGS DAMN IT! GIVE ME DRUGS!" Well, apparently it wasn't just my body but I was actually saying it too. They checked my cervix again and I was 7-8cm Dilated. So we started talking about pain meds and epidurals. I decided not to do it and just keep going as is. Then sometime later, after checking my cervix yet again and finding out that there was NO PROGRESS, I was still 7-8cm dilated and 100% effaced, they ordered up the pitocin to try and get things moving again.
Once the Pitocin was in the room and just about to be given to me my contractions grew even stronger and I was needing Dustin to push on my back even harder (apparently harder then what he could he said later), I said "No not that, not yet, I need the epidural. I want it, don't give me that yet." If I remember correctly I was nearly in tears at this point. The pain plus the overwhelming tiredness that I was facing was just too much, I was in need of the epidural. So they ordered it for me.
As the anesthesiologist was starting the epidural process and inserting the needle I had a contraction, a BIG ONE, but I was told before hand that I needed to stay perfectly still and not move while this was being done. So I just held Dustin's hands and STARED at something, who knows what, and I didn't move one bit. This apparently impressed everyone, as most women move and it needs to be started all over again. I just kept thinking about my back and how I wanted it to not be injured, of how this would relieve some of my pain, of how much I wanted my little boy in my arms and this would help me to achieve that goal.
(Logan 1 day old in the hospital wrapped up nice and snug in his swaddler.)After laying down for about 45minutes or so with the epidural and being able to sleep between contractions, the next time I was checked for progress I was then FULLY dilated. So that's all that I needed was to be able to rest and relax for just a little bit to let my body do what it needed to do. I will say this about the epidural, my right side went completely numb, I didn't even feel the pressure of my contractions. My left side though I could still feel a bit of the contraction and all of the pressure, but it was still wonderful. Lost feeling in my right leg, but still had it and could move my left.
After being told that I was fully dilated midwife Jessica said to push if I felt like I needed to, which might not be right away, and just rest otherwise. Well, the next contraction I felt, I felt like I needed to push...or more so I felt like I needed to have a BM, which they said meant I needed to push. I normally had 3 pushes in me. The first seemed like a practice push, and the next two were active pushes that actually helped my little guy along. Everyone kept saying just one more push and he would be out, but i just didn't have it in me, it felt like I hadn't breathed in an hour at times and also like my body didn't have it in it anymore. Then my hot and cold flashes were just horrible. Everyone could tell when a contraction was starting because I needed everything taken off of me and a cold cloth put on me neck and face. Then when the contractions were over I needed more and more warmth.
After some time Midwife Jessica gave me Pitocin to increase my contractions, but they wouldn't let me hit the button to give me more of the epidural medicine...I was mad, but obviously it worked. Soon I had my little boy being put on my chest and then being put to breast. He is my the absolute best Valentines gift anyone could ever ask for.
Logan, plus know that Dustin is such a great husband and daddy is the best present anyone could ask for, is what I should say. I don't know how I could have made it with out Dustin helping, supporting, and just loving me the whole time. Giving birth isn't just a job for the mommy, but for the daddy too! Please everyone remember that one little thing, they are working just as hard as we are. They are trying to keep their emotions together, trying to make sure that your needs are met, trying to prepare for the arrival of their bundle of joy, and so much more.
(Logan Loving Daddy's finger)Looking back now, I really do believe that I could have gone through Logan's delivery without the epidural if I weren't so tired. I hadn't really slept since the night of February 13th, and it was the afternoon of the 15th. So I was pretty exhausted by that time. But no matter what I now have my precious little boy in my arms...or right now in his bassinet next to me.
Logan weighed 7lbs 4ozs and was 20 and 3/4inches long. The only issue that he had after delivery was not being able to hold his temperature on his birthday. They put him under the heating lamp a few times and, VIOLA, he was just fine...actually perfect is more like it.
Logan is a very well behaved little boy. I was afraid that he was going to be like the baby in the room next to us and scream and cry continually. Instead, he hardly ever cries and hardly even fusses. The only real time he fusses is when he's trying to have a BM or if he just can't latch on right, and that's normally due to the fact that he's a messy eater and he has milk and saliva all over both him and me. Otherwise, he is seriously one of the happiest babies I have ever seen, and I'm so glad that happy baby is all mine...well, mine and Dustin's.
(My always smiling boy after a good feeding)Well, time for something to eat...I still haven't eaten yet today. I'll try to be better and get online sooner rather then later.
Yay! Congrats! He's a cutie! I ended up having my baby girl on the 8th of Feb. She's almost three weeks old!
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