My Labor Story

For those that want all the details.....Warning: this could get lengthy.....

On Wednesday I had my membranes stripped, but felt no different. Trevor was sure that we would get home from the doctors and have to turn around and come back at 1 in the morning. He Dr. Connolly that and the doctor's reply was, "Shit happens." Haha. But we ended up staying at home.

Thursday rolled around and Trevor asked me if I wanted to go to work with him. I go with him quite a bit, especially during the summers. It's kinda fun to get in that big truck and go for the ride. It can get a little bumpy, so we did have other motives for having me go besides just going for the ride. I had gone with him quite a bit for the last two weeks, and had no change, so I was pretty sure nothing would change this time either. I am a firm believer that no matter what you do, your kid isn't going to come if he doesn't want to. However, that belief never stopped me from going on lots of walks and bumpy rides. By the end of the day I was worn out. I kinda had felt different all day. I can't really describe it...I never once even had a braxton hicks contraction or anything...I just felt different...tired or something. Trevor made an off hand comment that this could be the last time I go with him to work, and I was hoping so.

Four a.m. Friday morning rolls around and I am awakened by pain. I didn't know what it was. I have never felt a contraction before, so I wasn't sure what was up. I got up and spent some serious time in the spare bathroom. Anytime I asked someone what a contraction felt like they would say stuff about your stomach tightening up, well to me it was more like severe menstrual cramps. I pulled out my What to Expect When Expecting book and laid down on the couch timing these pains. They were VERY regular from the start. Six minutes apart regular....the doctor had said that once my contractions were about eight minutes apart to head over to the hospital (that is 45 minutes away). So about 5:15 my contractions are now 4 minutes apart and I decide to wake up Trevor. I go in and sit on the edge of the bed and I rub his arm. He's thinking that he didn't hear his alarm for work until I tell him that I think we need to go to the hospital. He asks me how far apart the contractions are and when I tell him he says, "Shit!" and jumps out of bed in a hurry. I tell him to calm down and that I am fine. He takes a super fast shower and gets ready.

In a matter of a couple minutes we are in the car and headed out of town. As we get to the corner to turn to go, Trevor turns the other direction. I ask him what he's doing and he says, "I'm going to get a drink. Is that okay?" HAHA! Here he had been all panicked, but he was more than willing to go get his morning pepsi! I told him it was fine and we went and got a soda! The manager was in there and asked Trevor if there had been any change with me, and he lied and told her no. We hadn't called anyone and told them we were heading to the hospital, so we definitely couldn't tell the manager of the gas station first. She even followed him out the door and told him to take me for a four wheeler ride to maybe help move things along.

We sped all the way to the hospital, and got there in good time. Right before reaching our destination I got a little panicked from the pain and cried a little and told Trevor that I really didn't think I could do this. I have always been such a wimp, how in the world was I going to manage? The pain was already pretty bad.

We get checked in and the first thing I tell the lady is that I want my epidural. Unfortunately the few doctors that could perform the epidural were occupied with a c-section and a trama. I was not at the top of their priorities. I was immediatley given a gown and hooked up to an IV. I have never really enjoyed needles all that much, and the thought of an IV has always made me really sick, but once your in labor...IV's are the least of your worries. It didn't phase me one bit. Then a dude came in and drew blood...once again didn't phase me. At this point I've been checked and I'm only at a three. Boo. By 9 o'clock I finally got my epidural! HEAVEN! I don't like my back to even be tickled, but the epidural wasn't so bad. He even had a hard time getting it in and ended up bending the whole needle from digging around in my back. It didn't bother me one bit. My doctor showed up then and saw that I was at a five and broke my water. Things were picking up.

The next few hours seemed to fly by. I felt human again besides the fact that I couldn't move my legs at all. They were completely dead weight. I had to have a stupid oxygen mask on the entire time we were there because Brody didn't seem to like it when I was contracting. Every time I was checked there was more progress. It meant that I was going to have the same nurse the entire time and not have to go through shift change! Yay! Candy was a super nurse and I was glad to have her there.

I finally hit a ten and things started to be not so fun. My epidural was only working partially. Now my legs were still completely dead, but I was feeling all of the contractions and the pressure of Brody. I might as well have not had the pain medication. It sucked big time. I honestly do NOT know how people do this without meds. They are NUTS! My doctor was all prepped and ready to go, but he waited for my epidural to be fixed before we moved along. I pushed through several contractions without the epidural and thought I was dying. Ow, ow, ow. I broke down and cried at this point. I just didn't think I could do it anymore. I can't even describe how strong the urge to push through those contractions, but at the same time not wanting to because I felt I was going to push out all my insides. Finally the epidural was fixed! I felt good again. Dr. Connolly had discovered that Brody was sunny side up and had his head cocked to the side as well, that is why he waited for the epidural. Babies that are that way have a way harder time being born and I needed that help.

Because of Brody being crooked the doctor got out the vaccuum to help move him. It didn't work. It ended up just giving him a big fat raised bruise on the right side of his head. Out came the forceps. Connolly adjusted Brody, and then I did the pushing. I couldn't feel once again so I wasn't sure I was doing it right. Once his head came out and I stopped for a second I started crying again! Not from pain, but just from sheer excitement and joy and anticipation. After only about 5 pushes our little Brody Jay Waite entered the world.

I had been laying almost flat on my back so I never saw any of the action. I hadn't really wanted Trevor to watch it either because I was afraid of him being grossed out by me, but he was totally fascinated. He watched EVERYTHING! He even watched the after stuff. I didn't think he would even want to cut the cord, but he did it all. He has told me quite a few times that I did so good. He knew that I could do it. He was right. I did it!!! One of the biggest pansy's around was able to give birth.

Once Brody was out the first thing I asked was if he had hair. Yes he did. Then I asked if his second toe was longer than his first like me and all my family. Yes it was. Then I told Trevor, "We are not doing this again for a while."

So a new life has begun. I feel more like a family now. Trevor, me, and Brody. It's pretty sweet, I'm not going to lie.