The Labor Story

Okay so I am going to get as much of this down as I can. It seems like I have no free minutes to spare, having 2 kids is a lot of work!!!

All of last week I expected that I was going to go into labor. My body was sending me all the signs and I was in so much pain that I was praying every day that I would go into labor just so that my pain would be over. Wednesday I got checked at the doctors and I was dilated to a 3 and 80 percent effaced. That night I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep, every time I turned over in bed I would have intense pain shooting through my pelvis. I got up early because of my pain and right away started having contractions about 2-3 minutes apart. I just knew that today was the day the little Brock was coming. I called my Mom that morning and then went to her house and helped her weed and water her flowers while Sydney played in the yard. By the time we were done my contractions where coming about every 1-2 minutes and where getting more painful. We dropped Sydney off at my sisters house and continued to run errands around town for about an hour hoping that by being up and walking I would dilate more. By about 2 that afternoon I was in a lot of pain and we decided to go get checked at Labor and Delivery. Once we got there they gave me a bed and hooked me up to the monitor. I could tell that they didn't want to keep me because I was only 37 weeks so I just hoped and prayed that I would have dilated enough that I could stay. The nurse checked me and I was at a 3-4. An hour later she came back in and checked me again, I was at a 6 and as she was checking me she accidentally broke my water. Yippee! That meant for sure that I was staying!

Seth and my little sister Mary arrived, and everyone did a great job helping me get through my painful contractions. My Mom and Mary would massage my legs and Seth would hold my hand. There is no way that I could have gotten through it all with out them! I was in a lot of pain, but thankfully I was able to stay focused on my breathing, and it helped that I prayed after every contraction that I could make it through the next one. It took a few hours for me to get to a 8, but after that it seemed that I dilated quickly. I went from and 8 to a 9 in about half an hour. I began giving small pushes at 9 centimeters and after about 20 minutes I knew that that Brock was coming and soon, because I couldn't stop pushing. Thankfully Dr. Lunt came just in time, right as Brock's head was crowning. At this point I was in so much pain that I just let my body take over. I couldn't breathe like the nurses where instructing me to, I was just pushing when ever I felt the urge. I began to tear upwards so Dr. Lunt quickly gave me an episiotomy......ouch!!! I felt it all but that was the best move he could make because Brock came out about 2 second later. The cord was around Brock's neck twice and wrapped under his shoulder as well. He was not breathing. They but him on my chest and started rubbing him all over trying to get him to breathe but it wasn't working so they rushed him over to the little bassinet, and gave him a c-pap mask to stimulate his lungs. At his time his saturation's where in the low 70's.

I was in to much pain to really pay attention to what was going on but finally they got him breathing on his own. He had swallowed a lot of gunk that needed to be suctioned out, but finally he was breathing good enough that I could do some skin-to-skin contact. As he snuggled on my chest his breathing became even better. He rooted around and did a very good job of nursing before he was even an hour old. It was so wonderful getting to hold his tiny body so close to me. It was a long hard pregnancy but totally worth it once his tiny little body was finally in my arms!Delivering natural was so wonderful. The last part of labor and for a few hours after, I was in an extreme amount of pain but the next day I felt so good. We left the hospital that afternoon, I was only there for about 24 hours. I feel like I have almost completely recovered. I am still pretty tired but for the most part I only have a few aches and pains left. I will defiantly deliver natural the next time I have a baby.......if I ever have another one! It was so worth it to feel so good so soon after!

6 pounds and 13 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long!

One of my Labor coaches, my sister Mary with Brock

Going home!!!

Sydney is slowly starting to acknowledge her baby brother. She still doesn't want to hold him, or share her Mommy with him, but I think that she will get to liking him in a little while!
What do babies think about? What ever it was, he was thinking pretty hard when I snapped this picture last night!

The proud Daddy and baby Brock!