Welcome Nolan!

**** This story will talk about my going into labor and birth.  If you don't want to know that, don't read this.


October 9, 2015 was the day my 3rd baby boy entered the world.  Believe me when I say every pregnancy and every birth is a different experience.  I was slightly nervous as the time was approaching for Nolan to be born.  With Avery my water broke at 7:30 a.m. and he was born at 7:58 p.m.; 8 days before he was due.  With Miles I was induced because of high blood pressure 4 or 5 days before his due date.  I went in to the hospital and started induction at 8:00 p.m. and he arrived at 8:56 a.m. the next day.

My pregnancy with Nolan was my easiest.  I was in the best shape and more active than in my other two pregnancies.  My blood pressure was good, I didn't get super swollen (like I did with Avery) and I had only gained a total of 23lbs.  I felt pretty good most the time until I got to my 39th week.  To tell the rest of the story I have decided to make it more of a time line so that I can keep it straight.

Friday October 2, 2015:  I was 39 weeks pregnant.  I was for sure thinking I would not really make it this far.  I was one day past the time Avery was born.  I decided at my appointment that day to have the midwife check me to see how dilated my cervix was; if it was at all.   She reported that I was already 4cm dilated and 75% effaced.  She also mentioned that his head was also in the -1 position, meaning that his head was close to my cervix. That was further dilated than I was when I started inducing labor with Miles and almost as dilated when I got to the hospital after my water broke with Avery.  The midwife guessed that I would probably give birth that weekend or early the next week.

Friday October 9, 2015:  I had made it to 40 weeks and the actual due date.  As I mentioned earlier I started feeling horrible.  Everyday I kept thinking it had to be the day.  I was having contractions, but nothing regular.  If they started to seem regular for a certain amount of time then they would just stop and I would not have any more for hours or even until the next day.  Every night I would go to bed thinking I would be woken up by labor... but nothing.
                1:30 p.m. :  I had my appointment.  I asked the midwife to check and see how much I had progressed in dilatation.  She reported that I was now at a 4 1/2 - 5 cm and 80% effaced.  The baby's head was now at position 0, basically meaning in birthing position.  I was a little disappointed.  She offered to "strip my membranes" because sometimes that can help bring on labor.  Basically it just thins the cervix more.  She told me there could be some mild cramping for a few hours after she did this and maybe a little blood. We went home.
                9:00 p.m. :  We had continued our Friday night like any other night.   We ordered dinner and did our thing and had our normal routines.  Andrew was helping Avery brush his teeth and I grabbed my big maternity pillow to lay down with Miles in his bed.  I placed the pillow on his bed and Miles decided it was the perfect place to lay in the groove of the pillow.  He looked pretty sleepy, like he was just going to go to sleep.  At that moment I felt a little cramping and decided I needed to go use the bathroom.  I told Miles I would be right back and I started down the hall to the master bathroom.  I started to feel very uncomfortable but made it to the bathroom.  I continued to feel some cramping and saw blood.  Even though it was hours after my appointment I kind of thought this was what Lindsey (my midwife) had been talking about.
               9:30 p.m. :  I still had not returned to the boys' bedroom.   I didn't hear Miles so I figured he actually went to sleep (he did) and I could hear Andrew reading to Avery.  I sent a text to him telling him I was having bad cramping and bleeding.  There was no way I could walk back down the hall and I didn't want to scare Avery.  The cramping had me crying at this point.  Just like I had first thought, Andrew text me back saying 'Lindsey said this might happen'.  I was a little annoyed but couldn't think straight enough to try to explain that I didn't think that was what was going on.   I decided to get into the shower to try to help the pain.  At first it made me feel better and relaxed.  However after awhile the shower was not helping and I realized that I was in fact in very active labor.  I stopped the shower and tried to lay down on my bed.  At this point the contractions/ cramping would not stop.  I was like one giant contraction with maybe a few tiny breaks.  I started to panic and forgot how to do relaxing breathing and ended up vomiting dinner. 
              10:00 p.m. :  Once I remembered how to do relaxing breathing I grab my phone I texted ' I need you to call the hospital right now!' Andrew comes in to ask me questions and is calling the hospital.  Because it was after hours, an answering service answered the phone.  The person on the phone asks Andrew how far apart my contractions are.  He tells them he just walked into the room and does not know.  I am screaming and crying and I hope the 'idiot' on the phone can hear me.  He tells them that I just need to get to the hospital.   There were a few things that needed to be repacked into hospital bags and Andrew went to get my mom from downstairs.  She helped me get dressed since I could not do it myself and then helped me to the car.
              10:30 p.m. : The contractions were pretty bad at this point and I don't really remember the drive to the hospital.  I did of course notice the left hand turn at the red arrow Andrew made, but I don't care.  After 9:00 pm you need to go to the ER to get into the hospital.  Andrew pulled into the loading zone, turned on the flashers, and got me a wheelchair.
             11:00 p.m.: It was around 11:00 when we arrived at the hospital.  The security guards were trying to make jokes with us and the front desk was calling to have someone come wheel me to the 5th floor.  At this point I was having a little bit of relief with contractions... or maybe I was just trying to ignore the guards.  I seemed to take forever for someone to come get me.  Andrew tells me it was at least 15 to 20 mins before we got upstairs.
            (We will say it was) 11:20 p.m.:  The put me into a triage room.  The lady who wheels me in tells me to leave a urine sample and put on a gown.  I think that is stupid but head to the bathroom as the lady leaves.  No cup or gown in the bathroom... Lindsey (midwife) comes in to the room with a nurse and Andrew tells her about the cup and the gown; also he needs to move the van from the loading zone and leaves to do so.  I go into the bathroom and a big contraction comes that makes me scream.  I can't even sit down.  The nurse comes running in followed by Lindsey and they help me undress from the waist down, throw a gown on me and as fast as they can get me on to a bed.  Lindsey checks to see how much I am dilated.  "Oh my gosh! You are 9 1/2 cm!" she exclaims.  "We need to get her to a room." she tells the other people in the room "9 1/2 cm and bulging bag of water." she tells them.  They wheel the bed out of the room, no time to try to get me up and move me.  They swap out the triage bed I am on with the birthing bed.  Lindsey tells me she hopes Andrew gets back upstairs in time.  They barley have time to put an iv in me and ask some questions that are standard to be admitted. 
             11:40 p.m.:  Andrew walks into the room around them time Lindsey tells me to push a little.  With one push my water breaks.  Then the news that there is meconium in the fluid meaning that Nolan had his first bowl movement in utero and that there would be protocol when he was born.
              11:55 p.m.: Nolan makes his way into the world.  The put him on top of me and then he started to cry.  Since he started to cry they needed to suction his lungs right away so that the meconium would not be in his lungs.  Lindsey cut the umbilical cord  and they took him over to be suctioned.  This was the hardest part.  I didn't get to hold him at first.  I could see him though.  He had a very thick umbilical cord and a very large placenta.  I got to hold him and then feed him.  They took him back to weigh him.  He was 10lbs 1.6oz and 22.5 inches long. 

When I had Miles they told me my next one could be a 10lb baby, so I guess even though I thought he would not be that big I was not truly shocked.  The 22.5 inches though... I don't think I will ever get over that!