Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor Day

I was inspired by a friend of mine who's a seasoned blogger!  Today she, and some of her other friends, have chosen to blog about their Labor Days.  (birthing baby days)  So...I thought I'd join in!

There's something about a labor and delivery story that gets all mommies excited.  I don't care how long it's been since you've counted..breathed..pushed...screamed your way through it, you still enjoy sharing your stories and hearing others.

Early December 2007 my doctor gave me the "any day now" speech and got me all excited.  May I just say, that's just plain mean!  Due dates are stupid!  Just enjoy every day of it and know that the baby will come when they're good and ready!  Tanner was still not here by his due date (Jan 10, 2008) so doc said I could be induced whenever I'd like.  There was no medical reason for it...just misery and swollen feet.  I said..."let's do it!" and we did.

On January 10th, 2008 I was induced.  My entire family was there!  They were there before the induction even began.  Sweet saints they are.  I progressed quite quickly once the induction started.  Once I dilated to a 3, I believe it was like 3am, I was tired and ready for some sleep. They then gave me my epidural.  (or, as I call it, sweet gift from God!)  Tanner wasn't born for another 12 hours!  Talk about slowing things down.  This being my first delivery, I didn't know exactly what I was supposed to be feeling like.  We had taken childbirth classes but nothing can totally prepare you for it. So, I was a little clueless.  I kept asking them to "check" me (which, by the way, is a magical thing...sense the sarcasm) every time the nurse would come in.  After one such checking, the nurse pronounced me 6cm and began to waltz out the door.  I stopped her and asked when she'd check me again.  She said she'd check whenever I wanted her to.  Casey, deciding that from 6 - 10 he'd have enough time to scarf down a sandwich, went downstairs to have a late lunch.  While he was gone, I felt the urge to push.  I called the nurse in and she checked.  She said "yep...you've made some progress!  You're at a 9. We'll call the doc and have a baby".  I called Casey...he came back up (not sure if he ever did get to eat)...and then the doc showed up.

I loved my doctor.  Robert Aikman.  An AMAZING man!  He walked in...and just plopped down on the bed.  I loved his easy going demeanor.  He kept me cool.  He looked at the monitor and said.."alright, on the next contraction, let's push".  And I did!  And out came Tanner Selph only 4 pushes later.  7 lbs 14 oz 21 in  Perfect!

Side note:: Upon hospital check-in I signed my name "Kayla Epidural Selph" (not really) and had a great medicated labor and delivery.  My pain was controlled but I was not completely absent of feeling; I could move my legs, turn-over, walk around immediately after birth, feel when it was time to push, etc.  My baby made his arrival active, alert, and nursing well!   I say, if you want to have a natural delivery, do it!  But if you want to have pain medication, do it!  Don't let anyone make you feel like less of a woman or less of a mama for the choice you make.  Having a baby is beautiful work. Period.


My second baby was born via C-section because of complications with the pregnancy.  (Placenta Previa, to be exact)  So, his delivery was quite different.  He was born after two months of strict bed rest.  One of those two, being in the hospital.  While in the operating room, my heart was nearly pounding out of my chest.  He was being born 4 weeks early so we didn't know what to expect. We had met with the NICU specialist to discuss the possibility that he'd need to spend some time there.  I was prepared for them to whisk him away and to not get to see him until I could walk again.  


Having your insides cut open and pushed around on, even while numb, is an incredible feeling.  Incredibly...weird!  And, while this is happening, my doctor is discussing with one of the other surgeons their costumes for halloween.  My doc was going as Cher.  She was mid-sentence when she said..."okay, you're going to feel a LOT of pressure now."  She was right!  It felt like someone was trying to pull my lungs out of my toenails.  And then...MAGIC!  The most precious sound.  My Denver Wade crying.  She held him up for us to see.  I soaked in every inch of him.  Preparing to not see him again for awhile.  He was beautiful!  Long, skinny and dark.  Casey disappeared to go watch them clean him up and weigh and measure him.  Not long after, he returned to tell me that Denver was a perfectly healthy 6 lbs 6 oz 19 in and would be going to the regular nursery.  He then brought back my baby burrito for me to gaze at some more.


There's not a word in the world to describe the feeling of laying eyes on your baby for the first time.  Just pure magic.  True love.



So, those are my stories!  

1 comment:

  1. Nothin' better than a fresh baby. :-) So sweet!

    Thanks for linking up!

    ReplyDelete