Baby Must Haves: What I keep in my Baby Caddy!

What does labor feel like? 

 My labor story: 

Pressure in my butt. Yep. That's what my labor pains felt like. Like I needed to have a bowel movement, with some intense cramping, coming in waves. 

Lets go back to October 27th about 6:30 am. I remember sitting on my couch while my husband put on my shoes (Yes, being 9 months pregnant, I couldn't tie my own shoes my belly was so big) Don't judge. I remember saying to him "I feel pressure in my butt." Thinking back to that moment, I should have known that was a possible labor sign. Me being a FTM (First time mom), I thought I just had to have a bowel movement.Well I did have Indian food the night before..great idea on my part. Guess the baby didn't like curry very much. 

So anyway. I get to work, and of course I'm charge nurse that day. Meaning I have to make assignments for my fellow nurses, and myself. Sometimes meaning dividing up the more difficult patients so one nurse doesn't have a crazy busy day. Well that day I had to take two time consuming patients. That's just how the cookie crumbles sometimes. When I got to work, I was noticing that the 'poop pains' were getting more intense. I even excused myself to the potty a few times with no luck of having that 'bowel movement.'  

Walking in and out of patients rooms having to stop in the hallway to take a breather. I thought maybe I was just over exaggerating these stomach pains. After about an hour I had a great idea! I knew what was causing the pains! My pants were too tight. A nine month pregnant belly and tight scrubs don't mix. 

One of our nursing assistants was kind enough to go to the OR locker room where they had loose fitting scrub pants. I asked her to grab a large. So I changed my pants and the pain miraculously...yes I'm sure you guessed,  DID NOT go away. 

I'm waddling around the unit trying to pass my morning meds and pretending to not be in pain. After a couple hours it starts to get so bad I'm on the verge of tears. I didn't think having to have a bowel movement could hurt so bad. I don't think other staff on the unit thought I was in labor. I mean I was still carrying high and still had 2 more weeks until my due date.

The pains were coming almost every five minutes. This was crazy! My boss finally tells me to call my OBGYN. Of course I call them and doc says "that sounds like you might be in labor, go to the hospital and be seen." 

So...the pains were not me needing to have a poo, but me needing to have a BABY! It all made sense now. 

Next call was my hubby. He had been waiting for this call for 9 months. He called it..he was right..I would go into labor at work. Ugh. Hubby picks me up from work, and drives me to the hospital. Luckily I work with some pretty great nurses who took over my patients!  All I remember on the drive over was him asking me what way he should go to the hospital. Of course my response was "I DON'T KNOW, JUST HURRY!"

The whole morning was a blur. Got to work at 6:45 am left about 10 am. Arrive at the hospital about 10:15, already at 5 1/2 centimeters dilated. I remember walking into the labor unit station saying "if this is not labor then something is really wrong with me." Man was I in pain.

They offered me the epidural about 11 am (btw that wasn't fun.) By 1:00 pm I was 8 1/2 centimeters dilated with no induction medications. Even my water broke spontaneously while in the bed. 

Back to the epidural. Yes it took away some of the pain, but I felt just weird with it. It kept making my blood pressure go down pretty low. A bunch of nurses had to run in and flop me over on one side and then the other, giving me medications to bring up my blood pressure, running bags of fluids really fast through my IV, oxygen mask on, the whole shebang! I think my hubby was kind of freaking out every time it happened. Poor hubs. I was just concerned about the baby of course. During the low blood pressure ordeal the baby's heart rate would go down. Eventually we got it figured out.  

I had SO much family there. The whole waiting room and my room was filled with my family. Not exaggerating, I saw pictures, it was pretty awesome. We felt so loved though. Our baby was the first grandchild on my side and my hubs side, so everyone was excited to meet the new member of the family. 

I pushed for 29 min. I was told for being a FTM that was pretty good. Yay me! (I'll save the how to push a baby out in a timely manner for another post.) Finally my son was born at 7:54 pm, happy and healthy. 7 pounds and 9 ounces, 21 inches long. We are so in love with this little human. We think he is just the most beautiful baby in the world. No really, he is.

BTW my son was born with a Port Wine Stain birthmark. More posts to come on that subject. 

XOXO, Nikie