Henry's Birth
I was 39 and a half weeks pregnant with a 9 pound baby in the dead heat of a Texas summer, and I was miserable. So when I showed up to what felt like my 100th OB/GYN appointment, and my doctor told me I wasn't dilated and she didn't think I could deliver without having a c section, I started bawling. I was terrified of having a major surgery and not getting to experience vaginal delivery. We sat and discussed everything and came up with a plan- she would induce me one week from the appointment, let me try to labor and deliver on my own, but we would go through with the c section if things did not progress.
The day before my due date, July 13th, Andrew took me in to the ER because I hadn't felt Henry move that day. When they hooked up the heart monitor and I heard he was fine, I cried tears of sheer relief. (a lot of crying went on my last week of pregnancy) The monitor also showed that I was having contractions, and the nurse told me I was dilated 1 cm. They decided to keep me for three hours to see if labor would progress. It didn't, so they sent us home.
Two days later, July 15th, I could not get comfortable. That evening I was pacing around, very agitated, and feeling a way I never had before. All night I was up with severe lower back pain. Later I would find out that these were contractions, but they felt nothing like what I had expected, so I didn't know what was going on. At 4am I woke Andrew up and he decided we should go to the hospital. I was worried that this was false labor again, but he was insistent that we go. Thank god we did, because once I got to the hospital everything intensified. Contractions...oh my god...I will never forget them. They gave me morphine and I still was writhing in pain! Within an hour I dilated from a 1 to a 5 and my water broke, so we headed to the delivery room. I got an epidural and pitocin, then the waiting game began.
I never progressed past 5 cms, so we went in for a c section. Honestly, all the fears I had left me, I was just ready to have this baby! They took me back to the OR to prep for surgery, and Andrew came in soon after. The whole procedure wasn't painful or scary at all! I felt so safe and cared for. The doctors walked me through every step, and even told Andrew when to stand up to see his son being born! I heard Henry cry, they told me he looked great, gave him a quick clean up, then handed him to me. Words cannot describe how I felt when I finally saw the face I had been imagining for months. It was like I had known him my whole life. They put him on my chest while they completed the surgery and that was pretty uncomfortable. The medicine started to make me shake uncontrollably and feel very nauseous. The anesthesiologist adjusted my meds but I still felt pretty weird for several more hours.
After the c section we were wheeled into a room to recover and have skin on skin for an hour before we could see our family. It was so nice and calm and peaceful in there. Andrew and I joked around and laughed and stared at our little boy. It was the best hour of my entire life. Henry even started nursing and has been an eating champ ever since!
I ended up loving my c section. I know time feels differently when you are nervous, excited, and scared, but I swear from the time they had me in the OR to the time Henry was in my arms was under 10 minutes. It really was the best birth experience. I feel like I healed so well afterwards, based on what I've heard from some friends about vaginal delivery, I think I got the better end of the deal!
The day before my due date, July 13th, Andrew took me in to the ER because I hadn't felt Henry move that day. When they hooked up the heart monitor and I heard he was fine, I cried tears of sheer relief. (a lot of crying went on my last week of pregnancy) The monitor also showed that I was having contractions, and the nurse told me I was dilated 1 cm. They decided to keep me for three hours to see if labor would progress. It didn't, so they sent us home.
Two days later, July 15th, I could not get comfortable. That evening I was pacing around, very agitated, and feeling a way I never had before. All night I was up with severe lower back pain. Later I would find out that these were contractions, but they felt nothing like what I had expected, so I didn't know what was going on. At 4am I woke Andrew up and he decided we should go to the hospital. I was worried that this was false labor again, but he was insistent that we go. Thank god we did, because once I got to the hospital everything intensified. Contractions...oh my god...I will never forget them. They gave me morphine and I still was writhing in pain! Within an hour I dilated from a 1 to a 5 and my water broke, so we headed to the delivery room. I got an epidural and pitocin, then the waiting game began.
I never progressed past 5 cms, so we went in for a c section. Honestly, all the fears I had left me, I was just ready to have this baby! They took me back to the OR to prep for surgery, and Andrew came in soon after. The whole procedure wasn't painful or scary at all! I felt so safe and cared for. The doctors walked me through every step, and even told Andrew when to stand up to see his son being born! I heard Henry cry, they told me he looked great, gave him a quick clean up, then handed him to me. Words cannot describe how I felt when I finally saw the face I had been imagining for months. It was like I had known him my whole life. They put him on my chest while they completed the surgery and that was pretty uncomfortable. The medicine started to make me shake uncontrollably and feel very nauseous. The anesthesiologist adjusted my meds but I still felt pretty weird for several more hours.
After the c section we were wheeled into a room to recover and have skin on skin for an hour before we could see our family. It was so nice and calm and peaceful in there. Andrew and I joked around and laughed and stared at our little boy. It was the best hour of my entire life. Henry even started nursing and has been an eating champ ever since!
I ended up loving my c section. I know time feels differently when you are nervous, excited, and scared, but I swear from the time they had me in the OR to the time Henry was in my arms was under 10 minutes. It really was the best birth experience. I feel like I healed so well afterwards, based on what I've heard from some friends about vaginal delivery, I think I got the better end of the deal!
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