Thursday was when it all began. My friend Andrea invited me over for coffee, which was just a great and relaxing way to start my day. My brother, Wes, and his fiancé Katy flew in from DC that afternoon around lunchtime. My mom and I went to pick them up and we met Trevor and my dad at McNellies. We had a late lunch with them and then I headed home to prepare/finish packing for the hospital. Once I got to the hospital I wasn't going to be allowed to eat, so Trevor and I went to Charleston's that evening for our "last meal."
We got to the hospital right around 7 and got checked in. By 8, they had started me on something which was given 3 times in 4 hour increments. Then they usually start the pitocin after this. From 8-10:30 we just talked and watched tv. Contractions were definitely there, but they were minor. Before we started this, I was dilated to a little more than 1. We love the show Impractical Jokers, so luckily we found that channel and they were playing new episodes. So we enjoyed a few laughs. Around 10:30 Trevor fell asleep and I was, of course, a little nervous/anxious so I finally fell asleep around 11:30. At 12 the nurse was back in our room to give me the second dose. So, there I was, awake again.
I want to stop there for a second and give a shoutout to our nurses! I have never felt so cared for! Our first nurse knew when I was feeling nervous and was so kind. She kept an eye on Baby M like a hawk, so I was extremely grateful. Each and every nurse after that was no different, seriously SO KIND!!! I know that God hand chose each and every person that was assigned to us. The first of many ANSWERED PRAYERS!
Before the second dose I was dilated to basically a 2, so we were making small/minor progress. Our doctor had warned us that baby is taking his sweet time and in no hurry (is this foreshadowing into his personality??), so I may not actually deliver until Saturday. So, we were kind of thinking with that little progress, this could very well be the case. At this point, contractions were getting a little stronger, but nothing painful. I think my adrenaline was pumping and I definitely was nervous, so I could not fall asleep. It was around 1:40 that I finally dozed off. Then, at 2 on the dot I was woken up so quickly by shooting pains and my water broke. Initially I wasn't sure if I had just peed myself (ha!) but I wasn't really on any medications where my body wouldn't know, so I called the nurse in. Since my water broke on its own, that was a sign that I did not need the 3rd dose of whatever it was they gave me. Literally, the moment my water broke, I started having some pretty intense contractions. Little did I know they would get worse and worse, but in the moment, they seemed pretty bad.
I honestly don't remember much from 12-2. I think Trevor was sleeping and I was attempting to sleep between contractions. Around 2 they had become pretty painful, but I wasn't quite ready for an epidural, so I just asked for some pain meds. I can't say what the pain would have been like without the pain meds, but even with the pain meds, they were uncomfortable. At this point my contractions were intense and pretty close together, they weren't sure if I would even need the pitocin. They were going to go ahead and start it, but at a very small dose. I decided to go ahead and get the epidural at this point and then they were going to start the pitocin. I was nervous about the epidural! I guess my blood pressure shot way up right before I got it and I must have looked very serious because the anesthesiologist and the nurse kept asking if I was okay. To be completely honest, it wasn't bad at all. Plus, after I got it, I basically didn't feel anything, which was nice for a change.
From this point on, my nurse was a rockstar! Well, she was the whole time, but for real at this point! We decided to not start the pitocin because after the epidural, my contractions got even worse and were really close together. Baby's heart rate also kept dropping about a minute after each contraction, which is something they don't want to see. At this point a couple things started happening. My awesome nurse didn't leave my side because she was watching the monitor so closely; she had me move to all different positions in attempt to make baby happy, I started losing a lot of fluid and they were concerned baby wasn't getting enough oxygen and I had to start wearing an oxygen mask from then until he was born.
This went on until 6 am. At 6 they were pretty concerned for baby, so they gave me a shot (can't remember the name) to slow down the contractions. The only thing I remember about this was they still continued to have me lay in certain positions to make baby happy. Really, only one position was working for him, which was laying on my right side or else his heart rate would drop significantly every time I moved. I was also able to get some sleep at this time! PTL! But, I think body shakes are a side effect of the shot they gave me because I could not stop shaking when I was trying to sleep. I wasn't exactly cold, but I was shaking really bad from the waist, up.
This is probably when we both got the most sleep. I was laying in weird positions, but I was able to get some shut eye and Trevor too. At 7am our nurses were switched out. I was a little nervous for my original nurse to leave just because she was amazing and things were looking a little scary at times, but the next nurse that came in was equally as great.
With my contractions slowing down and not being as intense (not that I would know with that fantastic epidural), baby was much happier. Around 8 my doctor came to check on me and she mentioned that we would probably have the baby before noon! What!!! After looking at my contractions and how far apart they were- they were staying between 4 and 5 minutes and in order to deliver they need to be closer to 3, they decided to start the smallest dosage of pitocin hoping it would speed up the contractions. Just a little without stressing baby out. They started that at 8:45am. Again, I was able to sleep on and off again, only in the positions that baby would allow. I had to be on my right side for him to be content. And the nurse was constantly in our room watching the monitor. There were definitely a couple moments when I got really scared when I would see how low his heart rate was on the screen or when the nurses would be scrambling around me. Trevor held it together really well and even offered to read our devotionals during the times when I would get a little overwhelmed.
At 10:45am my doctor called to see how things were going - she was at a different hospital. At the time the nurse hadn't checked me yet because it made baby unhappy every time we did that. But, around that same time I started to be able to feel when the contractions were happening and was feeling a lot of pressure like I should push. By 11 everything went a little haywire. My doctor wasn't at the hospital yet, baby's heart rate was dropping, they had to give me another shot to slow the contractions because baby was not happy, the doctor that was on call was getting nervous and asked if we could go ahead and start. I obviously was thinking "whatever is healthy for the baby, let's do!" I started pushing at 11:11, my doctor made it by about 11:20 and Brooks Gabriel Morris was born at 11:27! He was 7 lbs 4 oz, 20 1/4 in long with a head circumference of 13.5 in. Simply put: he is PERFECT! A true miracle from God!
We are sooooo in love!!!
I prayed for this child and the LORD has granted me what I asked for. -1 Samuel 1:27
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