For anyone who is interested, here is Nathaniel's birth story:
Disclaimer: this is the hardest thing I have ever gone through, and I am not looking for sympathy, nor judgement. This is just an easier way of sharing the story for me than having to re-tell it over and over.
So on Sunday January 15th, I had done quite a lot, for a women who was 38 weeks pregnant. I had gone to church. Ok, that may not seem like a lot, but after 3 hours of waddling, getting up and down, and sitting in uncomfortable chairs and pews, I was beat! After we got home, I noticed that I had a slight headache. It wasn't bad, so I paid it no mind. Eventually, however, I did end up taking something for the pain in my head, as it got worse. Vince and I had also been invited to dinner that night by the Elder's Quorum President in our old ward, and we decided to go. While we were at dinner, I noticed my headache getting worse and I had some intense pain in my lower back around 9 pm. Once we got home from dinner, I took some more tylenol, and waited to see if it would kick in. My feet and ankles were also very, very swollen. The pains in my back continued, and my belly would harden up. (The thing I thought was wierd though, was that my stomach never really hurt when I was having contractions. It was just my back that hurt). After about an hour or so of waiting for the tylenol to work, my mom suggested calling the doctor. I went and called the after hours number, and they said the nurse would call me back. A few minutes later, I got a call from the nurse and she said to go in to the hospital and get checked (as the doctor's office was closed...).
So, at 11 pm, Vince and I grabbed the bags and headed for the hospital with no idea what to expect. I was just thinking it would be a regular check-up, and they would send me home. You can imagine my surprise when they told me I would be having my baby that night, one way or another. I was in shock! My blood pressure was high enough that I had Pre-eclampsia (toximia) and they were going to induce me to help convince baby to come sooner then he already was.
By this time it was midnight and I was in a state of panic. I had been given a gown, an iv, and was hooked up to a couple of monitors. I knew that the baby was supposed to come, but I didn't think that it was going to be right then! They put me on Magnesium to keep me from having a siezure due to the high blood pressure. The Magnesium made me feel terrible! It gave me hot flashes, and made me so tired, that I was sleeping between the less painful contractions. Thank goodness for a sweet husband who put cool damp rags on my forehead and neck, and fed me ice-chips. I got an epidural very early on, and at 2 am they started me on the Patocin (Oxytocin). I tried to sleep as much as I could with the nurses coming in to check, and take my blood pressure. The magnesium helped me sleep, but it wasn't restful. I kept waking up.
I don't remember a lot of what happened next except that at one point, the edipural wasn't covering the contractions in my back anymore. I pushed the little button, but to no avail. I talked options with the nurse, and I ended up getting a booster to the epidural put into my lower back. It didn't last long, and I was in pain again. By about 5 pm on Monday January 16th, I was in immense pain and I was 9 cm dialated. At 6:15 I started pushing, with the contractions that were coming in my back. The pain in my back was as though someone had stabbed me. Repeatedly. With something long and pointy. And to top it off, I had started to feel the contractions in my lower abs also. All I can say at this point is that I was half asleep, in the worst pain of my life, and I was supposed to bring a baby into the world. Talk about intimidating! I would push with the contractions, lay down and practically sleep, wake up when the pain was coming again, push, sleep and repeat the process again and again for the next hour and fifteen minutes. Thank goodness for a smart doctor, and amazing nurses who were encouraging, and very positive. I ended up needing an episiotimy, but the good news is, I didn't tear, and at 7:32 pm on January 16th my son was finally born!
We did it! Our beautiful baby boy was here, safe and sound, healthy and strong, and we had both survived the ordeal. He was 7 lbs. 11 oz. 20.5 inches long, and just perfect! We love him very much! This was hard and scary, but very worth it! We have the sweetest little boy! :)
