Note: I tried to keep this post PG! I hope it's not too much information. :)
We last ended where Dr. Anderson had broken my water (it was quite stubborn and never did break itself). Our families came back in to say hi for a few minutes, but then Megan ushered everyone out so that Aaron and I could get some rest.
Since I was finally able to relax due to my epidural, I could get semi-comfortable. Aaron cozied up in the stiff, leather recliner by the window, and I cozied up in my inclined hospital bed with monitors and needles. You know, the best night of sleep ever, basically.
I am pretty sure I only "slept" for about 30 minutes, when my contractions started to bother me again.
Megan did an ice test thing where I would tell her when I could feel cold. One of my legs felt no cold (that's a good thing). The other leg still felt cold near the top. She had me roll over to try to spread some medicine to that leg.
I tried to rest some more, but the contractions were not as "pleasant" feeling as right after my epidural.
Around 1:00am, Megan checked my progress. I was now dilated six centimeters (woo hoo!), but the contractions were not getting better no matter what position I was in. Megan gave me another dose of medicine to try to kick start some good feelings. She said if that didn't help, we would need to call the anesthesiologist back in to check and make sure nothing had shifted. That was not news I liked to hear. I was pretty sure I did not want to have to get my epidural "fixed" if it entailed doing it all over again!
But, at this point, I figured we were progressing about a centimeter every 1-2 hours, so we would probably not see our baby until breakfast time. 5-6 more hours with no epidural sounded just as unpleasant.
I prayed that the new medicine would work, but the contractions were getting to be almost as worse as before the epidural. Aaron had woken up from his nap at this point and was helping me breathe again.
Finally, after 20 minutes with no improvement, Megan was about to make the call for the anesthesiologist. Then she said, "You know what, just to make sure, let me check you one more time."
To our surprise she looked up and said, "Oh. You know why you're in so much pain? You're complete. It's time to have a baby!"
I just laid there for a few seconds in shock. "What? Really?"
"Yep! Ten centimeters! I need to get things ready and we can start pushing!"
She started bustling in and out of the room gathering blankets and carts and things and who knows what.
I looked at Aaron and we were both thrown off a little bit. Our baby was coming. Like now. Just 20 minutes earlier we were at six centimeters. Now, Graeme was ready to bust out of there.
Aaron hurriedly texted our parents that "It's time! We're at 10!"
Then, he started getting a little panicked again. Actually, this time, I panicked a bit too! Megan started to explain how Aaron needed to hold one of my legs but not to push it certain ways. I had rules too. Push like this, not like this, and so on. I was glad for Megan because I felt so not ready for this part yet.
She explained that another nurse would come in to help, and when Graeme was about to fall out (at least that's how I took it), that's when we would call in Dr. Anderson.
Once we were all set up and I was "comfortable," we started pushing. This was around 1:50am.
I was feeling pretty good during the pushing. It didn't actually hurt, but it was hard work! Aaron was a little squeamish at first, but eventually, he got over it. To my surprise, he actually peeked every so often!
After only a few pushes, Megan informed us that she could see a head with hair on it. (By the way, I'm sorry again if this is ever too graphic). "Yay!" I said smiling at Aaron. I have prayed this whole pregnancy that he would have hair.
I was also surprised that she could see anything yet, because I didn't feel like I was doing much. The numbness was throwing me off and it was really hard to tell if things were moving or happening.
Megan reassured me that "You're doing amazing! Most women push for hours to get this far!" (Sorry, to "most women." Don't hate me.)
We kept pushing, and besides extreme concentration which required some strange faces on my part, I never screamed or cried or made any noises.
Aaron joked, "I thought for sure the one time I would hear you scream would be while you're in labor. And here you are smiling after each set of pushes."
I laughed. I knew I was not far at all from meeting this little boy that had been growing inside me for what seemed like forever. This labor thing was easy.
After 25 minutes of pushing with Megan and Aaron, who kept updating me on "what they could see" down there (I declined a mirror. No thank you. My imagination and updates from the two of them were good enough.), Megan called for Dr. Anderson.
Now it really wouldn't be long. I glanced at the clock and remember that it was close to 2:15am.
When Dr. Anderson came in, Megan reminded Aaron that if Graeme's shoulders happened to get stuck, he would need to move and let the other nurse take over. And I would need to do exactly what she said no matter what.
This was definitely getting real.
Dr. Anderson got all ready and set up (we had pushed a few more times since he arrived in the room).
When he got down there he said, "Woah! We are almost done here!"
That was crazy, and exciting, and surreal.
Dr. Anderson took over the coaching. After one set of the normal three pushes, on the next set, he said, "Do you have one more in you?"
"Sure," I replied. So we pushed a fourth time. Aaron yelled "Woah!!" I knew that we were getting close.
We took a little break until I felt ready again. Then we started another set of pushes.
One push.
Two push.
I was on the third push, when all of a sudden, there was a warm, crying, (slimy) baby on my chest.
"Oh!"
It took me a second to realize I was even done. He was here. I glanced. He was definitely a boy. Graeme was here. My little baby boy.
I heard Megan say, "If you were aiming for 2:30 exactly, you did it!"
I stared at Graeme. And I stared at Aaron. And there were definitely smiles and happy tears.
Aaron was smiling like crazy. "You're amazing. You did it. He's here."
We held Graeme as he calmed down. He was perfect. All of the drama of the day and the waiting for nine months and the heartburn and the nausea and the waiting and the waiting and did I mention waiting...all of that was over and totally, completely worth it.
I begrudgingly gave him to the other nurse who took him to get his weight and his APGAR and all of that other stuff. Megan stayed with me while Dr. Anderson finished up with everything down there. What Dr. Anderson was doing after the fact was actually more painful than labor. What's the deal with pushing on your stomach like they want to push through to the other side?
Aaron was the lucky one and got to go help the nurse with Graeme. I could see what they were doing over there at least.
We didn't want to be the parents that posted a picture of the kid fresh out of all of the goop because they usually look more "scary alien-like" than "cute, cuddly baby." But Graeme was pretty cute despite all of the slime. Plus, this picture is hilarious and telling of what we're in for. He had already mastered the pouty face right off the start.
It was hard to believe that it had only been 22.5 hours since I woke up at 4am on Saturday. Little did I know that I would deliver our little guy in less than 24 hours!
Overall, labor and delivery was great. The whole "come to the hospital, leave the hospital, come to the hospital, maybe to leave the hospital" was the worst thing. And the mean, "Debbie Downer" nurse was a low point, of course.
I went in to the whole labor thing with no expectations. No "plan." I wasn't really nervous or scared. I wanted to go with the flow and do what was best for Graeme. I guess I might have had it "easy"...unless I have an uncanny tolerance for pain...not sure. I am glad I got an epidural towards the end. I am sure the whole pushing thing would have been a lot more painful without it. For sure, I'm not deterred from trying this whole baby thing again. But let's give it a couple years at least!
And that is the story of Graeme's arrival.
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