Labor begins...

May 5, 2010

Cody and I went to our Dr.’s appointment with Dr. R. and we got to see Baby W right away. The past few appointments he has been looking straight at us and moving all over the place! It has been fun to see him moving so much, especially when I could only feel him every once in a while.

When Dr. R. came in they measured my amniotic fluid, and it was at a 33…I guess normal is 20-25. This concerned him so they hooked me up to the contraction monitor and I was having contractions. I had been having a few more aches and pains but nothing that I would have equated to contractions. Two nights before my appointment I was up for about 3 hours every 15 minutes with back pain, which I decided were contractions later on; but that was the only experience I had with actually feeling contractions. Due to my fluid levels being that of someone about to go into labor and my consistent contractions, Dr. R. decided to check my cervix and I was not dialated. I already had an appointment with Dr. W. (my ob) for the next day, so Dr. R. decided that she could check my cervix as well and then I would see him 3 days later, just to keep a close eye on me.

Also at this appointment nurses from the ‘comfort care’ program talked to us a little about our wishes for a birth plan. This was pretty surreal, talking about if we would like at home care for baby, if we would want to be the only ones to spend time with him if he lived for a short time, etc.

May 6, 2010

I worked until 11 on Thursday the 6^th, and Cody was scheduled to play golf with a couple of friends at noon. I had a feeling that maybe Cody should come to my appointment at 12 with Dr. W., but it wasn’t too overwhelming and I knew that he would only be 30 minutes away if I needed him.

Dr. W. was ready to listen to Baby W’s heartbeat and when she felt my tummy she was totally shocked at how hard it was. I have been feeling like it has been tighter, but Erika, Cody’s sister, has been commenting that my belly has been tight since the very beginning so I haven’t thought much of it. She listed to Baby W’s heartbeat…strong as always, 168. Then she checked my cervix…uh oh…dialated to a 1. I wasn’t dialated the day before so she hooked me up to the contraction monitor once again. My contractions were happening every 45 sec-1 minute! I still could not feel anything, woo-hoo for pain free! Dr. W. called Dr. R. and after talking for a while about my fluid levels, my dialation and my contractions, they decided that Baby W was going to try and be born in the upcoming days. Since we knew that Baby W probably wouldn’t be able to make it through a vaginal delivery and survive, we scheduled a c-section for 26 hours later. I know this sounds crazy, but a huge weight was lifted when she told me we were going to deliver Baby W. It has been MONTHS of not knowing how our Baby would be born; alive? Healthy? Somewhat healthy? Breathing? There have been so many questions in the past months and it felt good to know that in one day, all of our questions would be answered. I was relieved and overwhelmed to know that we would meet our baby, if only for a minute, the very next day. That gave our parents just 26 hours to get to Nebraska.

Dr. W. let me go home and gather my things, as well as gather my husband from the golf course! We called our parents and got them on their way. My parents decided to drive the 13 hours. Cody’s dad would fly out immediately and be there by midnight on the 6^th. Cody’s mom and Will decided to leave on a 11 am flight, which put them into Omaha at 3:30, just a mere 30 minutes before the c-section was scheduled.

I was admitted and they started giving me fluids like none other! Holy cow I never knew that I could pee as much as I did that day! The fluids along with a couple other drugs helped to slow down my contractions, the last thing we wanted was for me to go into labor, especially before our parents were able to get to Omaha. They also gave me steroid shots to help Baby W’s lungs, HOLY MOLY! Those were PAINFUL! Seriously, the worst shot I have ever had, and that is including the spinal block they gave me the next day. I hope I never need steroid shots ever again. We just sat at the hospital preparing ourselves for the next day. There weren’t many tears, we honestly weren’t scared, just ready to see our family and meet our little boy. So much comfort was felt, I wish I could explain it.