Labor...before and after!

WARNING: This post contains details about labor and delivery, do not read if you don't want to read about dilation or anything.

We arrived at Las Colinas Medical Center at 7:30 am early! We went upstairs and had to wait around 45 minutes for our room to get cleaned. We finally made it to our room and got settled and attached to the monitors. The hospital was pretty busy with like 5 ladies in labor, so we had a multitude of nurses at the beginning. First this great lady came in and took my blood...like 10 thingies of it and then another nurse came in and tried to get my IV started. This became quite a process...she tried the first time and it didn't work...tried the second time and again...it didn't work. She gave up and went to get another nurse, who on the third attempt had success. May I say that I was thinking about asking for paid medicine for the IV because it was VERY painful! Who knew...and why hasn't someone created something to make that process less painful! Finally we were all set and hooked up to all the different things...and around 11:00 am the pitocin started. I had been having contractions already, but the pitocin was helping them to be more consistent and more intense.

About 1 hour on the pitocin they came in to "check" me and I was at a 4 and 50% afaced. They continued to increase the pitocin and my contractions got more intense. My doctor showed up around 1 or 2 pm and she broke my water...which was quite an experience. I had worried at the end of my pregnancy that I wouldn't know if my water had broke, but let me tell you...if it breaks...you will definitely know. It was like a warm river rushing out for quite awhile! My contractions were getting more intense and my wise council from my "Mommy Expert" Betsy told me that when they start hurting to go ahead and get the epidural...so, I went ahead and requested it and boy am I glad that I did. The anaesthesiologist came in and started the epidural...initially it felt like it was working well, but very quickly I realized that the epidural was only working on one side. She gave me a couple of doses to see if it would help and then adjusted it a little and told me to lay on my side to see if that would help. She said that she felt some resistance when she put it in initially, which could be fibers that aren't allowing the medicine to get past. After 30 minutes it was still not working...so she came back to re-try. She tried again and felt resistance and so she tried for a third time and it went in smoothly...and pretty instantly I could feel the difference.

I was pretty set then, just going through contractions and trying to get rest. Although, about 30 minutes after the epidural was working, I started to feel really funny and kind of like I was going to pass out. The nurse came in and she sat me up a little bit, got me on some oxygen and made sure to monitor Jude's heartbeat because he was affected by the way that I was feeling too! After I sat up for awhile and they gave me some kind of drug, I felt better. It scared me a little, but everything was okay!

Dr. Hassan came in and checked me about 1 hour after my water broke and I was at a 6. She said that she would be back in an hour...when she came back I was the same, so they increase the pitocin and made me move from side to side to see if we could help Jude figure out his way out. After another hour they came in and checked me and I still was at a 6 and Jude had not made his way any further down. Dr. Hassan said that there was only one way for him to come out and we were going to have to do a c-section. I said "really"? She said yes...and I said very hesitantly...ok. The nurse explained what was going to happen and said that we would probably be headed to the OR in the next 30 minutes. As soon as she left, all the emotions hit me and I was very disappointed that I was going to have to have a c-section. I knew how much harder and longer the recovery time was and in addition I had never had surgery before...so that was a little scary as well. My sweet husband and my mom were great comforters during this initial time while I was trying to prepare myself for the c-section.

Sure enough, pretty quickly they came in and took me to the OR. They moved me to the table and started cleaning me up. It was very cold and very bright in the operating room. Everyone was so nice, but it was a very intimidating environment. Soon the anaesthesiologist (ana) gave me a lot more drugs and my legs were totally numb...it was the worse feeling. Kevin finally got to come in and sit next to me. I was overwhelmed with emotions of being excited, scared and just overwhelmed all at one time. Soon the "ana" asked me if I was okay and then she told me that they had pinched me as hard as they could to make sure that I was totally numb...then she told me that they had already started. It was a little while and then I started feeling them tug on my body...the ana had asked Kevin if he wanted to see Jude come out and Kevin didn't know if he wanted too...but, then he decided he wanted to see...so she told him when to stand up and look and he did. He gave me a play by play of Jude coming out...and as soon as he officially came out he let out this big cry. It was the most surreal moment! I heard them take him to the table and work on him. Then after a few minutes they let Kevin go over there and take pictures and see him. Everyone commented on how cute he was and how he was so big...although he ended up not being that big. After they got him all set they brought him over for me to see him. Here are some of the pictures of when he was first born.

Kevin went to the nursery with him and I had to be finished up. That was the hardest part because I knew that I was missing out on his first moments of life, but I made sure that my family and Kevin took as many pictures as possible! It seemed like forever and finally they got done with me...moved me to another table and took me to recovery. I had to stay in recover for an hour and pretty quickly Kevin got to come back and sit with me which made me feel SO MUCH BETTER! Recovery wasn't that much fun, but it didn't last too long. After an hour we got to go to our room and wait for the arrival of Jude. It seemed like forever that I had to wait to get to see him, but finally around 10:30 I got to hold him for the first time and WHEW labor was finished!!

I have to say, it was very different then I ever expected and definitely not easy, but it is true that it is all worth it for such a blessing...Jude Kevin Simons!