Connor Dean's Birth

Alrighty, here we go! (I know it's long, I didn't know how to make it shorter. Sorry).

I've said before that Connor's birth was much easier than Eli's. Let me just give a quick recap of Eli's so you know what I'm talking about:

Eli's birth: induced 10 days after my due date, 14-hr. labor, 1.5+ hrs. pushing, full posterior plus his head was tilted back (he was coming out with his forehead first), forceps to tilt his head, 9lb. 3oz.!, 3rd degree tear, severely bruised tailbone (because the back of his head was jammed into it for hours - took weeks to be able to sit at all, months to be able to sit comfortably), very cute boy - but a rough time delivering and a really rough time recovering.

Connor was much nicer to his mommy. :) My doctor was a little worried about me having another very large and late baby (as was I), so that combined with the fact that we're flying to Pittsburgh in a week and I didn't want too young of a baby on the trip made me decide to set an inducement date for the day after my due date. I had high hopes of going into labor on my own, especially since he dropped earlier than Eli, I lost my mucus plug a week and a half before my due date, and I had all sorts of false labor.

But...I ended up getting induced anyway. I figured it would happen that way since I wasn't giving myself very much time. In a way it was really nice because my mom was here with Eli and we didn't have to get up in the middle of the night or anything (trust me - I really hope to go into labor on my own someday, I'm just thinking of the positive aspects to inducement :).

So I was due on Monday, March 21, and we went into the hospital on Tuesday, March 22nd. We got there at 7:30am and got checked in and everything.

(Below: all ready to get things going at the hospital)

The doctor came in about 8:45am and chatted with me for a bit. I asked him if maybe he could just break my water to see if that would get me started, and he agreed. However, when he went to check me and break my water, he had a really hard time reaching my cervix and oh my, it hurt like the dickens! I remember the same thing with Eli. He said something about my cervix being posterior or something. All I know is that it felt like he went in one direction, then tried to curve around or something and it just was not working out. So he tried to break my water as I writhed in pain (I was trying to be tough, I promise), but he wasn't sure if it worked. He felt really bad I could tell, and I told him it was fine, just start me on Pitocin, I don't care, I don't want anymore of that! Oh, and he also said I was dilated to a 2.5.

So at 9:00 they started me on the lowest dose of Pitocin and bam, right away my contractions started along with gushing of amniotic fluid - the water had broken after all! That was a really weird feeling. I was surprised with how fast everything started because it took awhile to get things going with Eli. So the contractions were coming hard and fast and I was breathing through them and everything and then at 10:00 I decided to get an epidural. I knew there was no way I could do the whole thing without one (being on Pitocin and all - I knew it was only going to get worse; I waited like 4 hours with Eli - trying to tough it out, not fun) so I decided I might as well get it sooner rather than later since I planned on for sure getting one.

So the anesthesiologist came in and he was very nice. He seemed to do a good job (I think I was more relaxed and less nervous than I was with Eli) and it seemed to be done in not very much time at all. I ended up having to lay on my right side for the remainder of labor because otherwise it stopped working on that side, but that was fine with me because I'm usually more comfortable on that side anyway. :) So that was nice once that took effect. I could get some rest and enjoy feeling the pressure of the contractions, but not the pain. :)

So the nurse came back to check me at 12:30 and I was dilated to a 6. They had turned up my dose of Pitocin earlier a little bit, but they still never had it very high; in fact, after that I think they turned it down. She said everything looked like it was progressing great - my cervix was easier to access (or something, I don't know) so that was a good sign I guess (I sound really dumb, I know - I don't know the correct lingo for these things).

Then things started getting crazy! At 1:10, I started feeling a lot of pressure really low and I started to feel a lot of pain with the contractions again. So I "upped" my dose of the epidural and told the nurse I was feeling a lot of pressure. She checked me at 1:15 and said I was only dilated to a 7, so I thought that was weird. Well this pressure continued to increase and I told Jeremy, I feel like his head is right between my legs! So at 1:50, the anesthesiologist came to check on me - I told you he was nice, he kept checking on me. I told him I'd given myself another dose (it had taken effect by then) and that I was feeling a lot of pressure. He asked if it felt really low and I said YES, very low, so he got the nurse to check me again.

My nurse was busy so another lady came in, barely stuck her hand up there and said "Oh boy, yeah, you're at a 10, I'll go get the doctor!" So the doctor rushes in, they ready everything, I had 3-4 contractions that I pushed during, and at 1:58 he was out! It was so fast, it was unreal. I seriously pushed for less than 5 minutes - it was amazing. After my very first push they could see his head (and full head of hair!) and if he wasn't posterior I think he would have come out in 2 pushes, no joke. The doctor actually turned him the right way while I was pushing, but on the next contraction he turned back, so I just delivered him posterior (I don't know why both boys decided to come that way - am I shaped funny?).

He came out and had a great cry and they put him right on me and I couldn't believe it was over and it was so easy! Those last 10 minutes were such a rush and it was so exciting! I loved also that I could feel all the pressure and I really felt the urge to push him out and I felt really connected to my body (sounds weird, I know). With Eli, I didn't feel the urge because his forehead was coming out and he was stuck - it wasn't until the doctor tilted his head right at the end that I felt all the pressure and pain like crazy. So out he came! I remember the first thing I said was "He's so small!" He had a gloriously small head and was only 7 lb. 8 oz. - almost 2 lb. smaller than Eli! Crazy. After they did a few things (they had to clear his lungs a bit) they gave him back to me while they did a few tests and then everyone left and we enjoyed some alone time with our precious new boy. I nursed him and we spent a good hour or so just snuggling and resting.

Everything went so smoothly and I feel so blessed. I'd been praying a lot for an easier time, especially since we're going on this trip and I was really worried about being able to sit on the plane and have the stamina for the trip in general. The Lord really answered our prayers because recovery has been SO much easier this time. I only got a 2nd degree tear, and it feels sooo much easier. The two experiences aren't even on the same scale, seriously.

So that's the story! I probably left out some things, but I'm not getting too much sleep these days, so we'll blame it on that. :) It's really fun having two boys and I'm excited for them to be good buddies. Eli has been really good and I'm also very grateful for that!

(The Sunday after Connor was born - Eli trying to share his animals with him).