::: Benjamin Eero Nurmi :::
Our day began at 6:45am as we prepared to make our way to the hospital for our scheduled induction.
We arrived right on schedule, 8am, and the hospital staff didn't waste any time getting things rolling! Within the first 30 minutes I was given Oxytocin and they broke my water. I didn't feel nervous yet, because everything felt so surreal. Thad and I couldn't get over the fact that by the end of the day, we would be holding our baby boy!
Contractions were bearable, but getting stronger by the hour. I came in at 2 cm and around 1pm was 4-5cm. Now the contractions were very strong and about 3 minutes apart, so I wasn't getting much of a break in between. Time for the epidural!
Around 1:45pm the anesthesiologist came in and administered what I think was Heaven into my back... shucks! It was only working on my left side. It took about 45 minutes to get both sides numb and once it kicked in, it was wonderful! I was able to move my toes the whole time, but anywhere between my belly button and the top of my knees were numb!
To help pass some time, my mom, dad and sister stuck around for while. Then my brother Michael popped in and we played Yahtzee! and Scategories. I think I even took a couple cat naps! Then the nurse came in around 5pm and I was 7cm, but the baby's heart rate would drop after each contraction. She gave me an oxygen mask and changed my position, hoping that would help. She kept saying, "Now, don't worry. Either way we'll have a baby today. Whether it's C-Section or not, just don't worry and stay calm." I was thinking to myself, "Um, okay lady - I wasn't worried until you told me NOT to worry!" As soon as she left the room Thad and I shot a look at each other that said, "SHOULD we be worried?!" I think this is when I asked Thad to text a prayer request...
Wellllll.... when the nurse came back in about a half hour later, she brought her nurse friend and they had me in all these crazy positions. I was having back labor and she thought it might be because the baby was facing the wrong way so she was trying to get me to turn him. The epidural came with a "button" that I was supposed to press in case I felt it wearing off and it would send more meds through the line. I was really starting to feel the contractions again and my back hurt sooooo bad all I wanted to do was to press it but the nurse convinced me "that would ruin everything when it came time to push." I SHOULD HAVE PRESSED THE DANG BUTTON!!! One position they had me on my knees and grabbing the head of the bed... this is when I couldn't take the pain any longer - I buried my face in the mattress and started to cry. :*(
At 6:30pm the doctor came in for another check. She said I was 9+, but had a little lip of cervix left to efface but she would be back at 7pm when I should be ready to push!
I was thinking, "Perfect! I will watch Wheel of Fortune and by the time it's over I'll be ready to have this baby!!" I was also thinking, "Okay Sarah, you can last another 30 minutes without pushing 'the button' and baby Ben will be here before you know it!"
*Sigh* Doc came back at 7pm and the lip was still there.... the "C-Section" option started to look more and more like a reality. She was saying that sometimes there is a reason the body doesn't fully respond to the labor and that it could be because the baby was too big. She checked again another half hour later.... still there. Another half hour goes by and it's 8pm. By now the pain was so strong and I just wanted this all to be over. The doctor said there was an option we could try. She was going to have me start pushing and see if she could reach in and get the cervix around the baby's head. After 10 minutes of pushing, it worked!! The doctor was shocked we got it so quickly and said I was a "good pusher." :)
So it was game time!! After 50 minutes of pushing, I was so completely exhausted and all I kept saying was "I am so discouraged! I am so discouraged!" We could see the head, it just didn't seem to want to come out!! At this point I truly felt like he was never going to make it out and I had no energy left.
The doctor then mentioned the vacuum.... I asked her if it would hurt the baby and she said no and would only let it "pop off" 2-3 times - if it didn't work, emergency c-section here we come. So I said, let's go for it! As I pushed the head down further, she placed this suction cup on his head and as I pushed, she pulled! 5 consecutive pushes later at 9:14pm..... WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! WAAAAAHHHHHH!! I just put my hand on my forehead and cried! I was so relieved, but still in so much pain. They asked Thad if he wanted to cut the cord.... he took a look at and was like, "Umm, no that's okay." haha
My body was shaking so much for 45 minutes from the pain and the shock my body went through I couldn't hold my little baby :( But then, I got to see my little man up close and in my arms :)
Daddy was there through all 13 hours of labor and everything that came with it, so he was so excited to finally meet "little dude!"
And Ben had lots of visitors at the hospital!
Sunday rolled around and we were ready to go home! Here is a final shot of Ben in his "going home outfit" waving good-bye to the hospital room from his car seat!
Until our next post, Thad and I will continue to lose sleep, change diapers, and do all that other stuff that comes with a baby! =P
