For the past two days before Carson was born I just didn't feel good. Just restless and just not right. I even joked with Casey and my Mom that maybe we would be having a March baby. Then around 4:30 AM on the 29th, I woke up with bad cramping. I didn't think it was labor but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep so I got up and went to mess around on the computer. Plus, I figured the cramps would be away if I got up and moved around a bit. 20 minutes on the computer and I still had cramps. But they were so irregular and not horribly painful so I still didn't think it was labor. But just in case, I decided to take a shower. If I was in labor, at least I would be showered. In the shower, the cramps got harder and a lot more painful. Labor was definitely on the mind now. I kinda didn't want to be in labor because my doctor was in Hawaii until Monday. Still, I shaved my legs and took my time getting dressed in my fabulous and favorite pair of sweats and Buckeye zip up.
I finally decided to wake up Casey and ask him what he thought. He decided it was time to go the hospital. He also laughed at me since I was showered and ready and it was just before 6 in the morning. Casey decided to take a quick shower too while I called my parents to see if one of them would come over and stay with the kids. I still wasn't convinced I was in labor but thought we should go to the hospital and check. I have always doubted I was in labor with all three kids. I think the biggest thing was that I didn't want to go up to the hospital and get my hopes up and then get sent back with no baby. Every kid Casey has to talk me into going to the hospital and every time I really have been in labor. Good thing he takes care of me so we didn't ever have to deliver a baby at home or in the car!
We got to the hospital and I told the nurse that I might be in labor. She asked when I was due and I told her April 8th, and she said "Well, you are kinda early but we can check." She seemed pretty skeptical. She had me do a pH test to see if I was leaking amniotic fluid, which came back as a negative. Then she seemed really skeptical. Still, she hooked me up to all the machines to check baby's heart rate and for contractions. No contractions were showing but I was sure feeling them. I was starting to think I was a bit crazy and NOT in labor. Then she checked me... and I was at a 7. Definitely in labor. The nurse just started laughing and said "Well, you are having a baby today." She kept laughing the rest of the time and would tease me about not knowing I was in labor and being at a 7.
After talking with the nurse and the nurse anesthetist I decided to have a intrathecal instead of an epidural. Contractions were pretty horrible at this point and I was having back labor. Not fun. Carson was posterior, which means he was facing out towards my stomach instead of my back. It made it so his head pressed very painfully against my spinal cord. The worst pain I have ever felt in my life. I was really looking forward to getting the medication and not having this pain any more.
An intrathecal is given by a shot in your lower back. It is suppose to work within minutes and then be out of your system in about 3 hours. Sounded great to me, especially since it was about 8:45 and the nurse was certain I would be having my baby before lunch. The nurse anesthetist started prepping and then gave me the shot and it hurt so bad!! I don't know what she did but I had sharp pains shooting down my legs and my back was just aching. She had to inset the needle a few times, which did not help. I think I have a pretty good tolerance for pain but I was crying my eyes out as she was doing this. And she wasn't very nice either.
She was finally done and asked if I could feel anything. I couldn't feel my legs and but I could still feel the contractions. The contractions weren't as bad, still not good, but manageable. That was for about 5 minutes. Then, my water broke and back labor was back with a vengeance. The pain was horrible and what made it worse was that since I was numb from the thighs down I couldn't move myself to help alleviate the pain. Casey and the nurse tried to help but their is only so much somebody else can do and understand as you try to tell them how to move your body. Oh and that nice nurse anesthetist? She was still there and was telling my that I wasn't feeling any pain, just some pressure. If I could have walked I think I would have went over there and kicked her. The contractions were horrible. I always thought it was funny when I would hear other ladies scream during labor or see women screaming on TV because my other labors were so easy and I never had that need to scream. But oh my, I was screaming with Carson. I even told Casey the overdone movie line of "I can't do this!" He looked at me and said, "I think you're going to have to."
My nurse went out to have a break so a different nurse came in and checked me. I was between a 9 and 10. She called my nurse back before she could leave and said we were going to start pushing because I was already in too much pain. So the doctors and nurses came in and pushing started. It actually helped and felt better to push to get him off my spine. With my first push, my Mom finally made it to the hospital (she had been "on her way" for the past 2 hours). I don't think she was expecting to see her daughter screaming and sobbing her eyes out and pushing already but I was glad she made it. She was there for Olivia and Callen's birth so I really wanted her there for Carson's too. After about 5 minutes of pushing, little Carson Duane was welcomed into the world by a blubbering mommy. He was perfect and I was so happy to see him. The one awesome thing about not having the medicine work is that I could really feel him be born. I felt him come out, felt the huge relief of pain and the joy of accomplishment. It is a feeling that will always be hard to explain but one I will never forget.
And then the placenta. Never gave much thought to the placenta before but of course, with this delivery, it would not detach. The doctor had to press so hard on my stomach, and once again, I was a screamer. The doctor pushed and prodded for about 30 minutes and thought he was going to have to actually go in an remove the placenta. They gave me some sort of drug to prepare for that when it finally detached. Thank goodness. However, the drug they gave me made me pretty loopy and nauseous for the next 3 hours. Joyful. So not only could I not keep my eyes open (not from being tired but from being drugged) but I still couldn't move or feel my legs (I finally got my legs back around 2, so much for only working 3 hours) and I had to be given Zofran so I wasn't sick.
After that, recovery was great. The only issue is a bit of back pain but I guess that is pretty normal when you have back labor. I am lucky that I have a sweet beautiful healthy new baby boy that I couldn't help but love instantly. I always felt a little bad about Callen's labor because it went so smooth, I felt like I didn't have to work for him at all. I was joking with Casey that since I thought that about Callen, Heavenly Father decided to humble me a bit and make me work for Carson. I am lucky that I have never had to push more than 5 minutes with my babies and only tore enough for one stitch with Olivia. All my babies have been born healthy and never spent time in the NICU or away from me at all. I know not everyone is able to say that. I truly am blessed.
1 comment:
You are right...You are truly blessed.
I'm sorry you had back labor- I have had that with all 4 of my kids. Not too fun!
Carson is darling though!!
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