Now my pregnancy was pretty easy... I had the nausea in the beginning and the typical back pain and was just uncomfortable most of the day. However, it wasn't a bad pregnancy by any means. I was healthy and so was Corbin, which was the most important thing. I really enjoyed my 2nd trimester and I was super tired during my third.... although in the back of my mind each day I was thinking of the inevitable... the birth.
As I have said in an earlier post, during the end of my pregnancy we were in a whirl wind. Chris had moved to Nevada, started his new job as store manager and was house hunting. I moved back to my parents house, found a new doctor for myself, got registered at a new hospital, found a doctor for Corbin and oh ya, got ready to have a baby. A week before I moved to my parents house I went to my original doctor in San Jose for a check up. Unfortunately, my doctor was on vacation so a different doctor at the practice did my check up. I wasn't familiar with this doctor so after she did my exam she seemed a little alarmed, she let me know that I was 4cm dilated.... and that she didn't think I would make it full term. This freaked me out a lot because I was living a lone in our apt at the time and finishing my last week of work before my maternity leave. Luckily I have amazing friends and family. My friends in San Jose stayed on call in case I needed to go to the hospital, nothing happened and I was able to finish out my last week of work. That Friday Chris drove down from Reno, helped me pack my car up and followed me half way to Exeter. Then my amazing dad took the train up and drove me the rest of the way home to Exeter. Since I was so dilated we just didn't know when the baby was going to arrive and I didn't want to be in labor alone on the side of the road... It all worked out though and I was able to get moved to my parents house and found a new doctor right away. At my first appointment with this new doctor I informed him that I was previously told that I was already at 4cm. He didn't seem to believe me, he even said I don't do exams until 2 weeks before your due date. He decided to check me anyways and confirmed that I was in fact already dilated that far. This confirmation began the longest month of my pregnancy.....
I woke up each morning ready to go into labor, I walked into each doctors appointment with my nurse asking "still walking around at 4cm huh?" and I went to bed each night making sure Chris had his phone right by his ear just in case. Then a whole month passed and nothing had happened, I did in fact walk around for a whole month almost dilated half way and never went into labor. As my due date approached the doctor asked me if I wanted to be induced or just keep waiting. Since Chris was so far away and I felt like I had been so prepared for the baby to come any day and he still hadn't, I decided to be induced.
My dad flew into Reno on Friday January 31st, then Chris and my dad drove down to Exeter the next day. We had a fun Sunday (we had spent a month and a half apart) together... our last one just the two of us. My mother in law and brother in law drove down that night as well so they could be there for the birth. Then with sooooo much anxiety and excitement I headed to bed.
Monday morning we got up at 5am, (even though I don't think I really slept all night) gathered the hospital bag, nursing pillow and everything else I would need for this birth then Chris, my mom and I headed to the hospital. We got all checked in and it all began. The nurse came in to start the Pitocin... I immediately asked if my water could be broken first and then if I don't progress we could start Pitocin. Our nurse explained that she had to ask the doctor if she could do this. She stepped out then returned shortly after and said that we could hold off on the Pitocin. My doctor came in right away and broke my water, things immediately began progressing. My mom then noticed the nurse doing something, she asked her if she was starting the Pitocin and the nurse said yes.... yes, after we had specifically said we did not want that started. It was too late now so we had to continue. I now envy those who go into labor naturally and are allowed to have the progression of pain because going from none to a ton of contractions was rough. I felt like I was handling the contractions even though they were excruciating. When my mom asked how the pain was I told her it was really awful.... Then our oh so wonderful nurse let me know that they weren't even bad contractions and they weren't doing anything yet. How helpful and motivational... right? This was just the beginning of the awful relationship we were about to endure with this nurse.
An hour into the labor my epidural had finally arrived. Thank God for epidurals! That's all I have to say. It was so amazing to have that pain relief but still feeling the labor progress. So I was just progressing and enjoying my epidural when the nurse came to check me. She let me know that I was at 10 cm and it was time to push. As they were preparing for pushing the worst thing EVER happened. My epidural ran out! Yes, I said RAN OUT! So I was having no pain at all to all of the sudden feeling the most intense and worse contractions and they were less than a min apart. I seriously thought I was going to die. It was awful. I don't even know how to explain how bad it felt... then on top of it they proceeded to let me know that since I was at 10cm I couldn't have any more epidural because it would slow down my labor. At this point I curled up in a ball and cried.. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak and I didn't know what I was going to do. God must have seen that I wasn't going to make it and he sent in a person who has been really special in my life. My former volleyball coach and long time friend of the family is actually a dula at the hospital. She wasn't working that day but she knew I was being induced. She came in to see me and saw the pain I was in. She asked me if I wanted to get more epidural even though I knew it was going to delay the labor a bit. I said absolutely yes I want more. Then she told my nurse to give me more... just told her to do it! Low and behold... She actually gave me more! It was a miracle!!!
Then well into 2 hrs of my pushing my doctor finally arrived. He told me that he doesn't let women push for more than 2 1/2 hrs so I only was very close to going into surgery. He told me that it was my choice and if I thought I could get him out we would do it otherwise he was going to prep me for a C section. I sucked it up and with my very last ounce of energy I pushed my little bundle of joy out. It was amazing, he was amazing and perfect so so perfect. He had a cone shaped head full of hair haha. (from being stuck in the birth canal for 2 1/2 hrs so who can blame him.)
It was a very special moment that I was able to share with my amazing husband, momma and sister. They all immediately bonded with Corbin. We couldn't believe we had been given this amazing little gift. I don't know how soon I will sign up to go through this again but I had my baby now... my sweet little baby boy. I don't even know how to possibly describe the love I have for that little man.
Here he is, Corbin James Hart!
