Caden's Birth Story

I know this is really late and my baby is now 4 ½ months old but I wanted to still share with everyone our experience (and to write it down so we can remember 5, 10, 15 years from now)!

Saturday July 10th- It was a warm summer day and we decided that it would be nice to take advantage of my parent’s pool. We drove down to the suburbs for a relaxing day in the sun. The pool was my savior this summer. Between my parents and Jim’s sister’s pool, I took every chance I could get to feel weightless in the water. Being pregnant in the summer is miserable! Being hot and huge in the summer is really miserable!! The pool was my release from the strain on my back and my poor ankles (kankles I guess I should say). Well, we were hanging out in the pool and I started to feel some sharp pains in my side. At first, I thought they were just cramps and blew them off but then I felt a few more and I remember telling my mom, “I think I am having contractions!”

She immediately looked at me and said, “No way, your due date isn’t for a few days and all first time moms are always late!” So I too brushed them off and continued on with my day. I felt a few more that day but nothing consistent. I read that you can have contractions up to two weeks before you actually deliver so I decided not to get my hopes up. That night we went over to a friend’s house to celebrate his homecoming from the war. It was great to see everyone and I was happy that I was able to attend. Jim and I were up in the air about going since we were so close to the due date. I remember telling everyone at the party that I hoped that next time I saw everyone I would not be pregnant and will have a beautiful baby boy.

We enjoyed ourselves at the party and left a little early to go home and rest. I was really tired and wanted to get a good night’s sleep. Well, a good night’s sleep was not in the cards for me that night! I woke up around 1:00 am in the morning with stronger contractions. This time they were coming every 20-30 mins. I woke Jim up and told him that he needed to start timing the contractions so we can see how far apart they really were. We timed them for a few hours (actually I timed them for a few hours since Jim kept falling asleep) but they were not consistent and the pain was bearable so I decided to go back to sleep for a while. I got a few more hours of sleep and then decided to get up and walk around. The contractions were getting stronger and I needed to move around. Let me tell you, lying down while having contractions is not fun. For some reason, standing and swaying was the best way to go.

Throughout the day the contractions got stronger and started to become more consistent. At one point in the mid afternoon we called the doctor and asked if it was time to be admitted but since they were not 5 mins apart for two straight hours, we had to hang out at home for a while longer.
I remember Sunday feeling like the longest day ever. The contractions were so frustrating because they would not stay consistent. We tried everything to progress the labor. We even walked around the park by our house a few times. I remember people watching us while Jim was timing my contractions and I was leaning on his shoulder in pain. It must have been a sight to see!

Finally, around 8 pm the pain was starting to become unbearable and I told Jim that I didn’t care that we weren’t consistent for two hours, we are going to the hospital. So I jumped in the shower, got our bags ready to go and hopped in the car. Luckily for us, the hospital is only a 10 min drive but let me tell you, it felt like the longest 10 mins of my life. Every bump we went over was so painful and every stoplight felt like an eternity! We made it to the hospital and proceeded to triage to determine if I could be admitted. I knew that I wasn’t as consistent as they wanted me to be but I prayed that they would feel sympathy for me and admit me anyways.

They called me into the triage room and hooked me up to some machines to track the contractions and heart rate of the baby. Wouldn’t you know as soon as they hooked me up, the contractions slowed down and I looked at Jim and said, “I think we are going back home.” I was so frustrated with the progress that I wanted to cry. The nurse came in and saw the progress and informed me that she was going to check to see if I was dilated. If I was, then she would ask the doctor if I can be admitted. I prayed and prayed and prayed while she checked me and I heard the words of pure joy. “You are two centimeters dilated!” I wanted to cry!! There was some progress since a few days earlier at the doctors office I wasn’t dilated at all. She called the doctor and asked for me to be admitted and he agreed!!

The next few hours are sort of a blur. I remember being wheeled up to the labor and delivery room and asked a million questions. All I could think in the back of my head while this was going on was, “Oh my God, we are going to have a baby, SOON!!” The one question I do remember was, “Do you want an epidural? If so, when do you want it?” My response was of course, right now!! At that point the pain was tolerable but I know it would get much worse so I decided that I might as well get the meds before I was too miserable! They informed me that Jim would have to leave the room just in case he made me move while they were giving me the epidural. I wasn’t too happy about this but the nurse was nice enough to hold my hand and talk me through it!

The epidural to my surprise was not that painful! I like to say that the IV they stuck into my hand hurt way more that the big needle they stuck into my back. As soon as the epidural kicked in, I was on cloud nine. Literally on cloud nine!! It almost felt like I was having an out of body experience! Let me say that pain meds have also had a strong affect on my body so I thoroughly expected this to happen! I didn’t mind the feeling since I was no longer in any pain!

Once my epidural was given to me, Jim was able to come back in the room and my family showed up an hour later! At that point it was 11 or 12 at night and I knew that we were all in for an all nighter. The nurses seemed to remind me every hour that first time moms are in labor for a long time and that I may have to push (when I was ready) for upwards of 4 hours…..WHAT….At that point, I told myself that I was going to beat the odds and that there was no way in hell that I was going to push that long.

Well, the hours past and past and sometime between 4-6 am they decided to give me some pitocin to progress the labor. I heard that pitocin makes the contractions stronger and closer together but luckily with the epidural, I didn’t feel a difference.

Around 7:30 am, I looked at Jim and my mom and said that I felt a lot of pressure and thought it may be time to push. So we buzzed the nurse and asked for her to check me out. She looked at me and said that there was no way I was ready and that they would check me later. WHAT????? I couldn’t believe the response….How could they deny that fact that I had that instinct to push? At that point, I got angry and upset. I know I started to cry and probably scared all of Jim’s family who at shown up an hour prior.

But wouldn’t you know….that nurses and doctors shift ended at 8:00 am and I just knew that they didn’t want to check me because they wanted to go home. So when the new nurse came in and introduced herself, I immediately informed her that I thought I was ready….and guess what….she checked me and I was indeed ready and she could feel the head!! At that point, I could have strangled the prior nurse but I knew that I had to mentally prepare myself for the next steps. I needed to stop crying and calm myself down. At that point I was running a fever, so they gave me a cool washcloth to put on my forehead. Well, Jim would say that I am crazy but I declined the washcloth because I didn’t want it to mess up my hair and makeup for the pictures that would come right after the birth…..I know….I’m crazy but those pictures will be with us forever and I didn’t want to look like shit!

The pressure continued to increase and increase and I thought the doctor couldn’t get there fast enough. Within 10 mins of the nurse checking me, they had the whole room ready for my baby’s birth. Jim, my mom and my sister stayed with me to witness the most amazing moment of my life, our life! When the next contraction came, the doctor told me I could start pushing, so I did! I mentally blocked out everything around me and pushed my heart out! I once again told myself that there was no way that I pushing for four hours. After the first push, the doctor informed me that she could see the head! Wow……Really…..Already!!! Once again, I could have strangled that nurse, I knew that I was ready!! I pushed for 15 more minutes when the doctor told me to stop and look down and watch my baby boy being born!!!

Let me tell you, everyone says that it is the most amazing experience in the whole entire world but you really don’t understand that feeling until you are living it yourself! Immediate joy came over my whole entire body and the only thing in that room at that moment was my healthy, crying baby boy!! I could relive that moment in my head and in my heart everyday and still tear up! You really do immediately love someone more than anything in the whole entire world!

Caden James Rose was born on July 12, 2010 at 8:35 am. He weighed in at 6 pounds 15 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. I pushed that little boy out in 15 mins and felt not a single pain! He was perfect in every single way!!

The hours preceding his birth are really a blur! I remember all of our family coming into the room to see the newest addition to the family. There was a lot of happy crying! I have never felt so much love in one room in my entire life!

Once we were admitted to our recovery room, the nurse invited the whole family in again and we sang Happy Birthday! It really was so special!

Now thinking back to that day, I can’t wait to experience this again!! I know it is too soon to think of more children but it will happen again!