lucas reed - our birth story

Well, I was fully expecting to be sitting here writing a 40 week pregnancy update. Instead, my punctual little man came into the world 13 minutes into his due date and I get to share our beautiful birth story! Without further delay, here goes.

Back up to week 39. I updated that I had my membranes stripped at my appointment. I lost the plug on Saturday morning and started having bloody show, along with some contractions. They were not very painful or frequent. During the day, they were about 8-10 minutes apart, but would disappear at night. Sunday through Tuesday I still had the bloody mucous and contractions were 6-8 minutes apart during the day, but would still go away at night. On Wednesday, nothing. A random contraction here or there, but a whole lot of nothing. I literally spent all day on the phone, texting, or chatting with people about how I feel like I was going to go all the way until 42 weeks and have to be induced and how I was getting discouraged. I was thankful that I hadn't gone into labor Monday or Tuesday, as we spent those nights in the ER with Conner running an insanely high fever. Had I gone into labor on one of those nights, Chris would have had to stay home to take care of him. 

Wednesday afternoon I met up with someone to buy some Flip covers and inserts. On the way home, Chris asked that I pick up Taco Bell. Ate that greasy mess for lunch and then decided to have a frozen pizza for dinner. I had just finished picking up the kitchen and Chris was finishing up some counseling statements for work, since he had to sign back in from pre-deployment leave the next day. Sirius was being the weird dog he is and doing the doggy head tilt whenever I would talk to him. It had my laughing so hard. That's when I laughed a little too hard and felt and heard a pop in my pelvic area. Then I yelled at him for making me laugh so hard that I peed myself. Literally minutes after the pop, I had a pretty intense contraction. This was different from the ones I had been having the previous week,  because it went into my back and sent waves of pain down my legs. This was around 7:30 pm. A few minutes later, same thing. I told Chris that I just had 4 contractions 3-4 minutes apart and that they hurt. Now keep in mind, I had been in early labor and dealing with contractions since Saturday. So he knew I was serious when I said it hurt. 

At 8pm I sent my doula, Angela, a text saying "I don't want to get too excited, but I just had a few contractions 4 minutes apart and they were pretty intense. I'll keep you updated." A few minutes later, I called her and was like "So, I know I just sent that text, but they are almost back to back now and hurt pretty bad. I think this is real." She said she was on her way to my house, since I had planned to labor at home for as long as possible. We started getting a bag ready for Conner to take to the Maranto's, who so kindly offered to watch him even with him being slightly sick still. I got the remainder of our stuff together and was having a hard time breathing through some of the contractions. I went back into the living room and told Chris that I was kind of afraid at how quickly these contractions came on and about the popping feeling earlier and I thought we needed to skip laboring at home and head in. I had tested GBS+ and knew I needed 2 doses of antibiotics during labor to help prevent passing it to Lucas during delivery. I text Angela back and asked her to just meet us up at the hospital.

We got Conner dropped off and made our way to Winn. The contractions were terrible in the car and I had felt a few small gushes. At this point, I was unsure if it was my peeing on myself or my water. I have terrible bladder control during pregnancy. No shame lol. Once we met Angela, we headed up to 4th floor L&D. I told them I was pretty sure I was in labor, but not so sure if my water had broken or not. They got me hooked up to the monitors in the triage area and sure enough my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. The doctor checked my cervix and said I was almost completely effaced and at a 3, almost 4 dilation. It was my water that I felt, and my body made sure to tell me so right before he checked my cervix. Poor guy got a gush on him haha. Around 9:30pm I was admitted to L&D and moved to the delivery room. Unfortunately, I got a nurse right away who we had once already had the displeasure of dealing with. She instantly put up a fight with Angela and sent her out of the room. Mind you, this is all while I am having back to back contractions and she's trying to get an IV in my arm. She blew 3 of my veins. I was crying so hard because she kept being rude to Angela when she was only doing what she was there for, making sure I got the birth experience I wanted. She told me that if Angela kept challenging her, they would send her home. The thing was that she wasn't challenging her, she was just pointing out that my birth plan said this and that nurse was completely ignoring a majority of what was in it. I think she got fed up, because she didn't come back in my room again.

New nurse was MUCH nicer. She got the IV in and started my first round of antibiotics.I was in so much pain being on my back, so Chris and Angela got me onto my hands and knees and tried counter pressure. It helped a little, but it was still bad in my back. Lucas was sunny side up and we were trying to get him to flip over. We tried with me in a side-lying position, but that hurt just as bad as being on my back. The new nurse, Katie, asked if I'd like to use the birthing ball or the shower. Chris, Angela and I all were kind of shocked, because mean nurse told us they had none of it available for me (even though when I brought my birth plan in 3 weeks prior, I was told it was available in all rooms). She was just a bitch, pardon my french. She also said I did not have to be continuously monitored since he was showing no signs of distress. I could go off the monitors for 40 minutes, back on for 20. Awesome! She left the block in, but released me from the IV, blood pressure cuff and monitors. So birthing ball it was. It helped a lot! Angela showed Chris how to do counter pressure and sacral massage. Such a relief, but I was hardly getting a break in between contractions. I started getting upset that I might cave from my birth plan. Around 11:30ish, it was so intense that I said I was going to get the epidural. Angela and Chris both reminded me that I didn't want it, but I was in such pain I asked again. Angela had Chris take me to the bathroom to empty my bladder. The catheter was one of the reasons I wanted to avoid the epidural. While trying to pee, I had back to back super intense contractions. I looked at Chris and said I was so upset with myself for asking, but I didn't think I could do it. My active labor with Conner was 17 hours long. I had only been there for 2 hours and contracting for 4 hours. How was I going to get through another possible 13 hours of back labor?! When we came out, I told the nurse that I wanted it. She asked if I was sure and I just started crying and said yes. She had to check me before she ordered it though. At 11:50ish I was at 5cm dilation. 

The nurse was hooking me back up to the monitors and before we could even get them back on I felt super intense pain in my pelvic area. I asked out loud, to no one in particular, "Why does it hurt so much now?!" She asked if I wanted to be checked again, even though she had just checked me 20 minutes ago, since they would have to check once more before the epidural could be put in. I said yes. She got ready to check, barely inserted her finger and said "He's right there. It's time to have your baby." WHAT?! Twenty minutes ago I was at a 5! Chris said "Amber, you did it! You don't need the epidural, you did it all on your own!" One of the other nurses went to see if the doctor could come in, but he was delivering another patient. He was the only doctor on the floor, so she came back in and told nurse Katie that she might have to do it. She asked me if I wanted to try to hold out for the doctor, but I didn't get time to answer. He was already on his way out and they could see him. She got on gloves, I pushed twice in 3 minutes and he was here at 12:13 am, delivered by my awesome nurse. All of us were kind of shocked. My labor started at 7:30 pm and ended at 12:13 am. Not even a full 5 hours. From 5 to complete in 20 minutes. My little guy was born sunny side up. That back labor was the most excruciating thing I have ever experienced. It was the most awful, yet the most wonderful pain I have ever felt in my life. I didn't feel a 'ring of fire' when he came out. To be honest, the worst part for me was the transition. Now that I know how fast it went, I know that I must have started the transition while I was on the toilet and had those bad contractions. 

Anyway, back to the birth. He came out and they instantly put him up on me, skin to skin. We did delayed cord clamping and waited until it stopped pulsating before it was clamped and cut. During that period, we got him to latch and breastfeed for a little while. He was allowed to stay skin to skin for an hour before they had to take him off to do vitals. I delivered the placenta and it was instantly handed over to Angela. She is not only super doula, but also super encapsulator and photographer. She captured so much of my birth experience. As soon as they took him off me, I asked to go to the bathroom. I got up and walked into the bathroom and peed. I was super shocked at how little pain I was in. I just had a super fast, intense and unexpected birth and yet I was up walking around in zero pain. The only pain I had was where I had to get a few stitches. He came out so quickly that I tore a little. No swelling at all. When all was said and done, I'm so glad things went the way they did. I really did NOT want that epidural and I fully believe that my little guy played a huge part in his timing. Think about it, the one day Conner starts to not have a fever, I go into labor. As soon as I ask for something outside of my birth plan, he makes his entrance. He knew mommy wanted to have a very natural labor with no interventions, but only after I was allowed to get his big brother back up to par so Chris could be at the birth and Conner could come see us after. 

We got moved over to recovery around 1:30 am. Because I had not gotten my second dose of antibiotics for the GBS+, Lucas had to have his blood drawn and a mandatory stay in recovery for 48 hours to be sure it wasn't passed to him during delivery. We fully boarded in with him in our room and requested that they only come in for mandatory checks and not every hour. I was unable to sleep, being that I was on a baby high. Chris went to get Conner a few hours later to come meet his baby brother. That night, they went home and it was just me and Lucas. This is my first time breastfeeding, so we had some ups and downs that first day and night. He's a super feeder once he is latched, though! I've already discovered some of the more.. un-fun.. things about breastfeeding, like cracked nipples and blisters, but I love the bond. Night number two was a bit rough, too. Chris and Conner stayed the second night. Lucas would latch but then get frustrated and unlatch. He did this for over 6 hours. My boobs were so sore and I was in tears, but we had to give him a few mL of formula to raise his sugar level back up. The next feeding we went back to the breast and he latched very well. The hospital also gave my a hand pump so that if this happened at home, I could pump and give it to him in a bottle, since I refused the formula. The nurse I had overnights was very compassionate and could see how much it hurt me to have to give in and let him have even a few mL. Not because I am super against formula, just because I felt like a failure. I'm so happy we haven't had any issues since. Well, my boobs DO still hurt lol. 

We are home now and I couldn't be more happy. Our family is so complete. I might be outnumbered by males, but everything just feels so right. Let me just say, I don't think I would have had the birthing experience I did without the help of Angela and Chris. They were so awesome. From making me laugh, to countering the contractions with massage, to just letting me be when they knew I needed to be. I could not have had better support people bringing positive vibes in that room with me. And nurse Katie. She's a rock star for delivering him. Here's one of my favorite pictures of the night, courtesy of Angela Roper, super doula/encapsulator/photographer!

Happy Birthday, Lucas Reed.
September 20, 2012
12:13AM

7lbs 11.5oz

19" long

Conner certainly loves his little brother.