Happy Birthday, Baby Boy

Hudson's due date was around Sept. 24th. I went to the doctor on Aug. 20, and she was greatly surprised that I was between a 3 & a 4. Jenna had come two weeks early, but this startled Dr. Stevenson a bit until I told her that as I sat in a rolling chair, it rolled out from under me and I hit the ground. Since then, my pubic bone had really been hurting. The next day I lost my plug. Again, you compare everything with #2 to #1. I had lost my plug with Jenna about a week before she came, so I figured we were close. The next week I was a full 4 and 50% and the doctor predicted she would see me that weekend. The next week I was hanging at 4 and 50%. The next week I was 5, 70%, -1. I was not in labor. I was strep B positive, so I need a bag of antibiotics before I delivered. Dr. S was confused and a bit concerned about me making it to the hospital. I was miserable. I had been teaching school every day since Aug. 16, and with a baby that low, well, I hurt. Dr. S decided that at the rate I was progressing, it would be good to induce.

Well, hospital maternity wards are busy places in September, and there were no open appointments for induction since I wasn't past due. There was, however, an open appointment for a "ripening." So, in we came at 2:00 in Sept. 14. The nurse checked me, looked shocked, and pronounced I was in labor. I told her was not in labor. She told me I was a 7, so I had to be in labor. She got her colleague to come check, who looked shocked and declared a 6.5. They discussed having another person check, and I asked if that was really necessary, I mean, hello, I'm a person, can we quit reaching up in there? So, they made me wear a monitor for 30 minutes to see how my contractions were progressing, as I continued to tell them that I was not in labor. After the monitor recordings, they told me I was not in labor. Really?!

At a 7, you're too far to "ripen," so they decided to call my doctor about breaking my water. I think that's what Dr. S had in mind all along. They moved me in my room (same room in which I delivered Jenna), and in came the resident with a snorkel mask and the device to break my water at 4:15. She was pretty funny. Within 20 minutes I was having really good contractions. Lisa attended this birth to be our photo/video woman and assist as she was completing doula training. While waiting for the second anesthesiologist (the first one numbed my left side, but my right side was feeling everything), my contractions became quite powerful, as in, "I'm going to push on the next one," I told the room. The Dr. hadn't arrived, so the room full of nurses and residents told me not to, to which I replied I had to. Lisa, thank you, Lisa, told me to blow and bear down a little. About this time the next epidural kicked in, but I was still ready to push. Dr. S arrived just in time.

I'd like to say that I pushed and he came. The epidural was too strong, and I could feel nothing, so it took us 2 hours, until 6:28 to get the little guy out. But, look at him, isn't he perfect! Thank you, God, for my little baby boy!