Oliver's Birth Story:
I remember typing up Emmett's birth story thinking that even though it was kind of a scary story, it's something that I'd like to remember for years to come.. It really is incredible how quickly my mind can forget such important moments. Oliver's story is much less stressful thank goodness.
I will never forgot how I felt when I went to my OB appointment a few days before you were due and I found out that I wasn't dialted, effaced... nothing! I wanted to cry so badly on the way home with Eric and Emmett but I didn't. Dr. Goodwin was so kind to me and talked me through my options before we left. We arranged to be induced 9 days pass the due date and in the back of my mind, I never thought I'd even come close to going to the appointment. I thought for sure that you'd come on your own. But as each days passed, my thought had changed. I was getting more and more discouraged and more nervous to be induced. I was terrified of the idea of using pitocin to induce labor because of what had happened with it during Emmett's labor. I grew more anxious and just in pure disbelief that it just wasn't happening..
The night before I was getting induced, I felt a wave of excitement and was really upbeat about knowing that I'd be finally meeting you soon. I could barely sleep that night, I was so excited. In the morning, we called the hospital right away. When I found out that we couldn't get in right away and to call 2 hours later, I still wasn't discouraged. I decided to paint my nails, relax and figured we'd be on our way there soon. I was continuing to get braxton hicks contractions and part of me really thought that I might just go into labor on my own. I started to get upset when we ended up having to call the hospital 4 times and turned down every time. ahh!! Oliver, your mom was in tears!!! I was really losing hope that I'd be meeting you soon until the 5th phone call to them when they said that we could come in around 8 or 9 at night. This was not ideal because I really was hoping to be induced in the morning after having gotten some rest, but I was so determined to have you, it didn't matter that I'd be sleep deprived during labor. This last call was made from Grandma Debi's and Grandpa Neal's because we were over there to see Emmett, who had spent the night there before because we thought we were going to be leaving for the hospital very early that morning. It was great to see E again before labor.
The nurses of course were soooo amazing at evanston. My first nurse of the evening talked me through my fears of pitocin which really helped me out a lot. There are actually a few different options for inducing labor. Since I was not dilated or effaced still, I couldn't just get right on pitocin and get the show on the road. I could either get something called an E-Z tab or this other 12 hour medicine that helped get you effaced and most likely will produce labor contractions. Dr. G had me go for the 12 hour one since the EZ tab thing was supposed to be very uncomfortable. It didn't take that long with the 12 hour one for me to start feeling the harder contractions. They were not nearly as intense as the ones I remember with Emmett. The nurses during E's delivery told me that mine were long and hard contractions which is probably why my little guy had such a hard time making it out. Because I was feeling contractions and was worried about not getting any sleep before pushing the next day, Dr. G gave me a sleeping pill. WOAH did I feel so good after taking this pill. Well, a little too good.. it made me so happy and chilled out that all I wanted to do was talk about how happy I was. I went through a list of everything that I was grateful for in my head. Eric really got a kick out of me during the night. Poor Eric was trying to sleep and I wanted to talk to him about how lucky we are and how good I feel. I couldn't sleep because I was so happy!!! So even though I didn't get shut eye, I was still happy to be chilling out and loving life during pre-labor in my hospital bed and it's definitely a good thing to think about things that make you feel grateful.
In the morning the sleepy medicine was wearing off and I started really feeling the labor labor. I was determined to go to at least 5 cm without an epidural and I did it!! Eric and I walked around the hospital the night before, before I got the sleepy med. and then we walked that morning and boy was that walk different when you're in labor!!! I had to stop every few minutes when I would be getting a contraction and I eventually couldn't walk around any more just because I felt so weird having contractions around strangers in the hallways. I had never seen anyone walking around having contractions when I had been a visitor at a hospital and I didn't wan't to subject people to that. I am a very silent woman during labor. I don't make any noises during contractions, but just need to breathe and focus. So at least I wasn't screaming in the hallways of Evanston hospital.
When we got back to the room I tried out one of the big exercise balls to labor on and I was not a fan. Then I tried out the rocking chair and that was much better. I labored on there for awhile.. Then I got checked by an intern who had a very difficult time finding my cervix and was extremely unprofessional. She, in a very frustrated tone, told me that I had no progress and that we'd have to do the EZ tab. I had to talk to her, holding back an ocean of tears... I was devastated!!! How could all of that pain not produce anything?!?!?! And the 12 hour med do nothing?!?! I was scared that I would have to go through even more pain, harder contractions, not to mention much more time at the hospital to finally have progress. When she left the room, I could barely breathe!! I was sobbing... it was rough. Then I asked my nurse if Dr. G was at the hospital. I needed to talk to her. I felt so uncomfortable with the intern and I did not want her administering the EZ tab or anything to my body. i know that Eric was let down too but he didn't let it show. He was very comforting to me at a time when I really needed it. I had been having braxton hicks contractions for literally weeks with no progress and now I was having really painful contractions with no progress??? What kind of pregnancy is this!?
My Dr. G came to see me and checked me out and immediately gave me the best news I could possibly hear at that time. She said that I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced!! I was in fact in LABOR!! That dumb intern got frustrated while checking me out and gave me false information... extremely false information! I told Dr. G I could kiss her and I felt so happy and relieved! I felt so much better. I waited a bit longer and then got my epidural. I made it to 5 cm! Go me! The epidural went pretty well. The guy had to do it twice because the first time didn't work. He gave it to me more on my left side, so I ended up not fully getting numbed on my right side but I was happy with it. It surely helped with the contractions. After the epidural, I got a small dose of pitocin and things really started going. After a few hours, I was able to get off of pitocin. There were no scary moments of this delivery. I do remember as I kept progressing, really wishing that I had slept the night before because I was feeling tired. I had been up a LONG LONG time. Part of me was actually a little scared. Can I push feeling so exhausted?
Well yes I can!! When I started feeling very consistent pressure, Dr. G checked me and I was 10 cm and ready to go. I told her I forgot how the pushing and counting works so she said we could do a few practice pushes. After breathing and pushing incorrectly for the first 2 pushes of the contraction, on the third push of that contraction, he started to come out!!!! She told me to stop pushing!!! Then she got on her mask and all of her gear. She looked at shocked as me. I had a crazy amount of adreneline going. 2 more contractions and bam! my boy was out and promptly placed on my chest. This took all of about 5 minutes. Isn't that crazy?? I think a lot of this quick delivery was attributed to seeing my chiropractor who kept me totally aligned during my pregnancy, making a perfect pathway for my boy.
When I first saw you, Oliver, I immediately started to tear up. I felt calm, and overwhelemed with love for you. This was such a different experience for me. Emmett was rushed off to the intensive care unit right away and I was frantic. I felt so at ease.. Eric said I made everything look so easy. I was really proud of myself. Half of my body wasn't completely numb and I delivered a baby in 5 minutes. And here I had a beautiful baby boy in my arms. Life was perfect.
We had not completely decided on a name for you yet Oliver. We were thinking of quite a few different ones. Mommy loved the name Nolan. Daddy loved the name Jasper. We both liked Oliver, Henry and Liam. Daddy told me that we could name you Nolan which was so sweet of him. But I knew that he wasn't a huge fan, so we talked some more and looked at you long and hard and decided that you were definitely Oliver Pine. We asked everyone to leave the room when we did this because anyone you share names with we discovered was a little too opinionated. So we made the decision, just the 3 of us.
After recovery, I went to my room and Emmett and I had some time together. He was up on my bed with me being the super cutie that he is. He was wearing his red Big Brother shirt and I do not have any doubt in my mind that Emmett was genuinely excited to meet his little brother. He kept saying, "baby Oiver!!! HI!" It was like he was practicing to meet him. When he did meet him awhile later, it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was looking at my family... my boys who will hopefully be best friends for life.
I love you so much Oliver. You have made me so happy.
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