Caution: Birth Story Ahead!

Landon is HERE!  It's so fun to have him here with us and with the encouragement of several people, I'm finally writing his story here so I don't forget the details of those special days.  Well, his original due date was Wednesday, the 6th of February and Russell and I both thought that he would come on that day and right on cue, contractions started happening.  After walking in the mall for 30-45 mins trying to coax him out of my woombie, I started getting little contractions that made me believe that it was getting even closer.  By the end of Wednesday night, the contractions started to be more regular.  So of course there is an APP for everything on our phones and I had one that tracked our contractions and by bedtime, they were coming every 8-12 mins.  So I tracked them throughout the night thinking they would get closer together an that we'd be going to the hospital Thursday morning.  Needless to say, I didn't sleep much through the contractions, but as regular as I thought they were, there would be stretches of 30-60 mins with only one contraction.  So Thursday morning came around and we were still "laboring" at home.  So sure that we'd be going in soon, I slowed my food intake and unknowingly my water intake as well.  In hindsight, that was a HUGE mistake, but I also thought I should because I knew i was going in to the hospital any minute :)  Well, I didn't go in right away.  After hours of contractions Thursday, using the exercise ball, different laboring positions, and walking, I called the Advice nurse to just check in and make sure I was doing what i was supposed to.  She told me that I needed to be eating and drinking a lot more.  She explained that the uterus is a muscle-it needs water to work properly.  I wouldn't go run a marathon without being properly hydrated because i would get cramps.  The uterus is the same way, it needs water to keep working, otherwise the contractions I was feeling were painful, but not helpful in the birthing process.  Well, I am glad she explained it to me that way because I started drinking like mad and got in a hot shower.  After about 40 mins of "heavy drinking"  contractions were coming harder and faster. 

From about 915-1015pm, my handy dandy contractions tracker showed we were having contractions every 5 mins that lasted for at least a minute...it was time.  Russell had the car packed from earlier that day bc I knew he would be coming soon.  I called my mom and told her we were going in and that she could meet us there.  We got in the car and drove the long haul of 4 minutes to the hospital.  It was amazing that i could feel every little crack, bump, hole in the road and was thankful that it wasn't longer than 4 minutes.  Russ stopped at the Labor and Delivery Birthing Center of Peace Health/Southwest, and we slowly walked in.  I wasn't 20 feet into the door where I doubled over hanging onto the wall having a lovely contraction.  The nurse checked us in and we walked down to triage to be checked out.  It was barely 3 minutes and I grasped the wall railing again breathing through the pain.  The nurse was so sweet and said just take your time.  Down 2 hallways and a few contractions later we made it to Triage.  I got hooked up to some monitors to check Landon and I out and see if I had dilated.  His heart rate was good and the nurse said I was dilated to a 3- which I said by the way I feel, I should be at a 10 :) but not the case.  She assured me that a 3 was great and that we should try to go walking around the hospital  for the next hour and come back and see if I had dilated any more.  The next hour was exhausting and painful.  My contractions were right on top of each other, a minute apart, without having more than a 20-30 second break.  Russell was so loving and supportive through each one, rubbing down my legs and back, reminding me to breathe.  My mom was supporting us along the way as well, giving me water to drink and encouragement to go on.  After an hour of walking, making it almost 2 small laps around the triage station, I went back in to get checked again.  By this time my contractions were giving me no rest and I couldn't get comfortable.  The nurse said I was at a 5 close to a 6.  Whoopie!  I was getting closer.  With Russell, by my side, holding my hand the other nurse came in to put an IV in me, I was having another contraction.  My veins are so deep and almost always challenging to find.  and while she was digging, literally digging in my arm, Russell almost passed out watching her, simultaneously trying to advise her to just put it in my hand.  She finally listened and put it in my hand and Russell was got a little more color back. 
The nurse in charge of me came in and said what is your pain plan.  I managed to get out that I thought I wouldn't do an epidural so soon, but I said, forget that, I'd LOVE the epidural ASAP.   By that time I had started getting the shakes really bad.  I was so exhausted and in pain the nurse asked me if I wanted to have some Fentanol to take the edge off.  I asked how long it would be before I would get the epidural.  She said 30 minutes, so I answered, that I could wait it out till the epidural.  They rolled me down to my room, #127, and I was shaking so bad she offered again to give me Fentanol and I said ok.  A shot of that sent me flying...It calmed me right down, enough to stop my shaking and get glorious epidural shot, which felt so good.  The first time I'd felt relief since I'd gotten to the hospital 3 hours prior.


As I laid down in the bed, the numbing sensation from my waist down started to kick in, which is such a weird feeling.  The nurse had to pick up my legs and help me move from side to side.  In the meantime, Russell was fascinated watching the machine tracking my contractions and how intense they were, yet looking at me not flinching at all.  It was pretty bizarre. 
After the epidural, I didn’t progress very much.  I got to a 6 and stayed there for several hours.  Finally after 4 hours the team pulled out the “peanut” a large rubber, peanut shaped exercise ball to raise up one leg on in order to help open up my cervix.  Although the peanut worked well, I could only lay on my right side.  Each time the nurse tried to turn me to “the left, to the left,” my blood pressure plummeted to 70/30 and Landon’s heart rate skyrocketed and became a little erratic.  The nurses and drs were perplexed and kept trying alternative methods for leveling both our statuses out- 5 liters of saline solution to help my dehydration, switching the peanut, and then finally moving me back to the right side was the only thing that would kinda stabilize me and Landon.  The whole team kept an eye on my vitals.  I remember them almost whispering about  that I would have to go to the O.R. for surgery because Landon would be too stressed to come naturally.  I always knew that a C-section could always be a possibility, but I just kept praying that I would get to experience this vaginally.  Luckily, every hour it looked a little more promising because the peanut kept helping me open up.  Every couple hours the nurses would check to see if I was progressing, and I was.  I dilated to an 8, giving me hope that I was nearing the end.  Finally I reached a 9, and was close to a10, but I didn’t progress the rest of the way.    
The Dr. intervened and wanted to give me some Pitocin to help me reach the 10 and start pushing.  At this time, my epidural had run out a few hours prior, leaving me in a lot of pain during the contractions.  Although I kept pushing my “magic button” to get more pain relief, the anesthesiologist didn’t want to give me too much because they were still thinking that I was going to have a cesarean.  So I could feel the contractions on one side because of the way I was positioned and it was not very comfortable.  But during this time, I spiked a fever, sending everyone into a frenzy, deducing that I had an infection in the amniotic sac- which result in Landon staying 24 hours in the NICU on antibiotics.  
After finally dilating to a 10, and ready to start pushing, this sweet student nurse said to me, "Way to go Brie, only 2-3 more hours till your baby is here."  Up until this point I was able to push through pain and discomfort with the hope that Landon would soon be here.  However, when she said those terrible words of 2-3 more hours, I just lost it, and started crying.  I was sooooo tired and that was unfortunately not the right thing to say to me.  Russell just looked at her as if to silently curse her words.  Pushing had to be my least favorite part, I could feel everything, which I guess probably helped me push, but that is the MOST uncomfortable pressure I've ever felt.  The nurses kept encouraging me to push and push, and after an hour and 15 minutes, they told me to STOP pushing and to just pant...WHAT??? " I can't," I shouted.  I heard them scurry around trying to notify the Dr because this baby was coming.  After another 30 mins of pushing, a total of an hour and forty-five mins, sweet relief was felt!  
Landon was born and immediately placed on my chest.  I have NEVER felt more relief, happiness and LOVE!  Russell and I just were overwhelmed with love for this little miracle.  Although there were so many people in the delivery room, including 5 NICU nurses ready to sweep him away, they first cleaned him off, weighed and measured, and I'm sure some other things that I don't remember.  However, the one thing I do remember  was hearing him cry.  He cried when the nurses had him but when they put him back on my chest-he snuggled right up to my neck and immediately stopped crying.  That moment, I will never forget!  I was somebody's  mommy!  I was HIS mommy.  
Amidst all the commotion of nurses running around, pictures being taken, the Dr. stitching me up, my body completely exposed, stats being taken, etc.- I can remember closing my tear filled eyes, and with his little face pressed against my neck, feeling totally consumed by so much love for him.  Looking at Russell and through wet, blurry eyes him looking at me, we knew what the other was feeling and we felt so blessed to have a healthy Landon finally join our family.