Welcoming Carter

**This is Carters birth story, in detail...

I first want to share the last pregnancy picture I have of Carter and I! I loved and miss my big old tummy already.

March 5th (36 weeks 3 days) around 3:00 am I woke up with cramping. I had just been to Labor & Delivery last week due to BP's on the rise, so I was not too concerned. Needless to say at 4am...still cramping...now concerned. I went to pee, my normal nightly hourly routine, and there was red blood in the toilet, not a ton but my radar was up. I knew not to worry if I lost my mucus plug, so I tried to catch some more zzzz's. FAIL. At this point I started to time my contractions...getting a bit more regular, so I called in. I was told to come in if they got closer...they did of course. I woke my hubby up around 5:30, and we began to get ready. I woke my Mom up to tell her I was planning on going in to see what was wrong. She told me I was in labor, and she would be surprised if they sent me home. I laughed and said they will send me home I am sure it is a false alarm! I left my hospital bag at home and headed for the hospital.

Fast forward...we get to L&D. They put me in a triage room and I was 2.5cm dilated, BP's a tad high. After about a half an hour, decision was made to go ahead and admit me, I was going to be induced! I could not believe it. I remained calm and got all set up in my new room. Around 8am the decision to start Pitocin (a drug to help move along labor) was made to get me going. I am allergic to pain medication, whether or not its an actual allergy or sensitivity...not sure...dont care, all I know is that I puke for days every time I have been put on one. Of course I started vomiting once the labor inducing drug was started. The nurse swore she never has seen anyone get sick from it. Let me just say that if I had a dollar for every time a nurse has told me "wow you really do have every side effect" etc...id be rich. Trust me if there is a side effect I have it, if there is not, im the person who gives that drug a new side effect to be added to its ridiculous long list. Lucky me!

Needless to say the throwing up never stopped, I progressed to about 4cm dilated (You need to be 10 to be able to have a baby vaginally) Then it all came to a slow halt. Not my vomiting though! Dont you worry! There was talk of a C section. Carters head was high up there. I was so NOT having a C section. Anytime I have had any surgery in the past (knee, nose, mouth) I was sooo sick afterward. Imagine getting your stomach cut open then vomit for days...on top of not being able to take pain meds...no thanks

Now let me say this. When I was in labor with Cara I never begged for an epidural. Never really thought I needed one. Maybe it was an easier labor? Maybe I was too sick to care? Who knows. So being dilated at a 4 I really was not sure if I wanted or needed an epidural. Well my contractions were getting to the point where I was going to rip someone's head off. I mean they were bad. I was 5cm, and I just knew I could not do this anymore. I was now standing in labor because I was in so much pain. Never thought I would be begging for someone to shove a tube in my back right? Oh I sure was! This is where I first get emotional. I remember my epidural with Cara. I remember being held up and together by a nurse, I remember trying not to pass out. I remember the pain from the lights that were on in the room. I remember emotional pain. So of course the Niagara falls begin. Poor anesthesiologist...he was fantastic, and kept asking if it hurt, I would reply no. Puzzled, he would ask why I was crying. My poor nurse was confused as well. I was a ball of emotions.
It really ended up not being that bad, and did I say SOOOO worth it. My contractions were so much better and I had relief! SIGH! My poor husband and Mom were probably so relieved!

It was now about 3:30pm. My OB came in and put a internal monitor inside me to be able to determine just how strong my contractions were and if they were going to be strong enough to get baby down. The internal thingy (I know for me not to remember a medical term...shocking) also was able to measure the amount of pitocin I was able to have. Its a very strong drug and can't be misused or overused. They were able to get that dose adjusted and I began to dilate more.To try to get baby's head descended toward earth, I was trying all sorts of new acrobatics...mind you with numb legs!

Around 4 pm my nurse came back in (I had a total I believe of three nurses for this delivery...all which were fantastic) she was going to check to see how dilated I was. I told her a 9 would be fantastic. She smiled and told me she would be happy with a 7. Well, I won that one...I was a 9! Could not believe it! My pushing finally began around 4pm!

Little tidbit. Yes I was on Facebook until I was 9 cm dilated. I wanted to keep my mind off things, keep people updated, and plus lets face it I am a internet addict. Everyone knows that. Duh. 

Pushing was not fun, its all this work and no reward for a while...a long while. I get easily discouraged, so this was just a "blast in a glass for me" (jersey shore lovers hello!) I threw up the WHOLE entire time I was in labor. My husband was fantastic, counting for me, telling me how to push etc. Makes me teary eyed and all smiles just thinking of how great he was. At one point towards the end he was counting so loud I had to yell "Why are you yelling at me!!" poor guy! Anyways, we got to the point where we could all see the head starting to come out. Every time I pushed we would see hair, it was so cool! (Yes I had a mirror, I am one of the weirdo's that NEEDS to know what is going on at every second. I watch every blood draw and would have probably watched my own epidural if I could...strange I know) Carter was stuck behind my pelvic bone, so the pressure was less that wonderful lets put it that way. I was not in any sort of pain, just discomfort. At that point whats pain anyways? People worry about pushing the baby out, getting stitched up, ripping, or tearing...and trust me I was one of those people. But seriously, that is the least of your worries...contractions are worse, and can I add I did rip, tear, get cut and get stitched all back together. 

Finally Carters little head emerged, I watched the doc pull our scissors and cut me (did not feel it) and out came the rest of his body. After 2 and some (nope not a typo) hours of pushing and over 10 hours of labor and just about 2 years of waiting. My earth angel was here thanks to wonderful doctors and nurses (and nurses do not get enough credit...you would not  be able to do it without them...promise)

Carter was born March 5th at 6:25pm! Weighing in at 7lbs 7oz and 20.5in long! Did I mention at only 36 weeks 4 days? He is a big boy like his dad! After he was born I cried, just cried, pulled a blanket up over my head and cried for about ten minutes. Poor nurses, NICU doctors and everyone else in the room probably thought I was wacky. I thought about Cara and what I was robbed of, what she was robbed of. I knew she was there, looking down smiling. Its hard because if she was here, he would not be here and vice versa. Its a mixing bowl of emotions and it never ends. I cried because I guess I never realized how sick I was when I had Cara. How abnormal laying in a bed for a week after delivery, not showering, not having to use the bathroom, brush my teeth, hold my baby was. I never realized just how sad it was for me and those around me until being hit with all this joy! All I knew was saddness for almost 2 years. Now I am bombarded with happiness.

Carter was checked out by NICU staff in the room and everything was great! He had extra fluid in his lungs so they made sure they were able to get that out. I was able to hold Carter for the first time.

The first night I actually was able to have the nurse take him to the nursery and only bring him back to feed, which I did not think I would be ok with doing, but I was! I was very proud of myself for that one!

As for me I am feeling great! Its almost weird, I am not hooked up to machines, my BP is not being taken every ten minutes. Its a great feeling. It also leaves me with a bit of anxiety because I still obviously worry about Post Pardum Preeclampsia. It can strike up to 6 weeks pp. Its rare yes, but can happen. Lets face it just because something is rare, that means nothing to me!

After Carters first night, during his second he was taken down to the NICU. Carter spent a week in the NICU, due to a failed carseat test and low oxygen levels. I blogged about his journey in the NICU in my March 2011 posts. Long story short, after endless testing,it was concluded, that he was just having some preemie issues that he would grow out of.

Its a love without end amen