I can't believe I am writing this almost two years later. I figured better late than never.
(I am writing this on 7/29/15 and backdating it.)
Without any further a due, Winslow's Birth Story:
I reached my due date (Sept 1) and knew there wasn't a baby coming that day.
It was a Sunday & Garrett decided we would go on a long walk. by long walk, I mean 3 hours through a few neighborhoods. by the end of it I was in pain, feeling like my belly was gonna split open and she was gonna fall right out on the asphalt. (graphic, I know.. pregnancy does this to you.)
for the next couple days I could barely walk. our 3 hr adventure had left me extremely sore and I felt it for days.
I had a doctors appointment on that Tuesday. My midwife that I had been using and LOVED had been extremely sick and in the ICU with Septic Pneumonia. I had been seeing the other midwife which was fine because she was very nice. But she wasn't as ok with me going as long as I wanted to wait for natural labor. My original midwife was fine with me waiting as long as I wanted. so at this appointment, she told me that she thought I was carrying about an 8.5-9lb baby & thought we should induce.
I did NOT want to induce even one tiny bit but after talking it over with Garrett, he felt we should trust her and we decided to go ahead with induction. I went in on Wednesday night, September 4. the hope was that by sometime the next afternoon, Winslow would be in our arms. They started me on a dose of Cytotec at midnight & told me it doesn't usually do anything so they would give me the other dose at 3am then Pitocin at 6am. I was nervous about all of this especially Cytotec because it has a high rate of maternal deaths but after talking to the midwife for a long time on the phone previous to being admitted, she was confident in it and so we went ahead.
this wasn't the plan, not what I'd been envisioning for 9.5 months. there was a good bit of anxiety as we began the whole process. I can remember the drive to the hospital in our little car just Garrett and I. I'll probably never forget it. It was dark out. Traffic was pretty slow. We were silent. We were anxious. We were holding hands. We were ready to meet our sweet girl but also cherishing the final moments as "just us" knowing that when we got back in the car, the empty car seat in the back wouldn't be so empty anymore.
After they started me on the Cytotec, they left me to [try to] sleep. I knew in 3 hrs they would be back to give me more so I just tried my hardest with all the cords and monitors on me to sleep as much as I could. which was none. Garrett was down at the end of the room sawing logs so when labor kicked in at 2:30am, I started trying to groan and make noise to get him to wake up. he would not, which if you know him and his sleep habits at all, you aren't surprised. so I finally resorted to shouting his name which he finally roused and came over to me to rub my back and do some counter pressure. my goal in labor was never to go all natural but to go as long as I could before getting an epidural since I had heard that it slows down your labor. I kept thinking, "Just make it to a 6, make it to a 6..."
When I went into labor, my whole body kind of "popped" and I thought my water had broken so we called the nurse and she checked but she said it hadn't so I'm still not sure what that was. All I know is the pain started. I was dilated to a 5 at that point, (walked in at a 4). I had been dilated to a 1 early (33wks) so they put me on pelvic rest but had been a 3 for a few weeks. The pain started coming and so they gave me something called Stadol in my IV and it was AWFUL. Didn't help with the pain at all and made me extremely loopy. They decided against a second dose of Cytotec since I was already in labor but gave me a second dose of Stadol and the second I got it, I went to sleep. I remember Garrett saying, "Wow. I could ask you anything right now. Would you ever kiss a goat?" I told him, "Yes but only on the cheek."
I told him it felt like someone was taking my abdomen out and smacking it into the outfield with a bat.
Stadol did a number on me and it took me DAYS (no exaggeration) to sleep it off.
At 4am I didn't care where I was anymore, dilation wise, I wanted the epidural.
They gave it to me but I was already a 7 so I felt good about that. Then we slept for 1hr. At 5am they came in to check on me and I was fully dilated. so we called in the crew. Grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles began arriving. But we didn't start pushing for HOURS.
Seriously, I started pushing at 8am. That's what is frustrating about epidurals.. they don't get in a hurry to come start the pushing. I kept thinking, "If I'm fully dilated, is she just gonna fall out? They better get here soon!"
I didn't expect for pushing to be as hard as it was. It was like a workout! I guess I thought since I had an epidural, it would be easy to push but no... you're pushing a BABY out of your body. it's hard work.
Winslow Raegan arrived at 9:13am weighing 7lbs 13oz and was 21in long. She came out with the thickest head of hair I'd ever seen on a baby and I was just sure she wasn't mine. but she was. and is.
I remember they laid her on my chest and told us the rub her and clean her off. I was so loopy from the Stadol that my limbs moved so slow but I remember every moment of it. It was crazy. The anticipation of her arrival was over but there was even more starting for her whole life, for what she would be, look like, what motherhood would be like.
She was perfect! TONS of "storkbites" that were all supposed to go away. All of them did... save one. He told us they would all fade tho, so when I took her newborn photos and was editing them, I edited the one that stayed out. Her Strawberry Hemangioma stayed, but has faded SOOOOO much. I'm kinda sad it's going away even tho our pediatrician told us it would.
She has her daddy's toes, smile and crazy spirit.
I'll never forget the day we were blessed with a safe and easy delivery but most importantly, a sweet baby girl.
