Elijah's Big Day! (Labor & Delivery)

September 6th. 
So the day before, the Macbook that my dad ordered for himself arrived. This meant it was time for us to crack down and familiarize ourselves with it (especially Tim and I, since we're helping him migrate all his info and files from his Windows PC). After getting a bit frustrated with the Apple product (all the random names for the apps/tools, messing with settings to try and turn off the keyboard backlight but the settings doing absolutely NOTHING, setting up the printer and not being able to print from PDF OR TextEdit... PLUS, not even being able to "google" the answers b/c it seems like no one knows how to use forums! btw, we did end up calling Apple Support for a questions...and she just told me to Google It).

ANY-WHO...so I was finally making some headway in the Apple Department (copying/transferring the iTunes library and all), so was happy to stay up a little later (like 11p) to work on the computer...at the table...sitting in the hard chair. I think I would have occasional, small, contractions. Just the usual.

September 7th
The next morning, I awoke at about 4:30a or 5am needing to pee. Couldn't fall back asleep. At about 5:30a, Tim got up to use the bathroom, then I went downstairs to use the other toilet to pee again...and to move my bowels. (So a note about my bowels...I've been taking Iron supplements during this pregnancy. Makes my bowels nice and black. Too much information? Sorry. Anyway. I also didn't necessarily have BM's every day...maybe a couple times a week. But luckily never really had bad symptoms of being constipated. Anyway...so having a BM that morning was the first "red flag" for me).

So after my BM, I got on the Macbook to continue troubleshooting and stuff. I'll outline my timed contractions below. And I'll just say...I probably had to go to the bathroom (to BM) about 5-6 times that morning. I don't think I tracked those, though. Sorry. ;) I remember my body had "cleaned" itself out before going into Labor with Olivia...but I couldn't remember if it was the day before, or the day of. At the very least, I thought Elijah would come "Today" or "Tomorrow".

Contractions:
6:51a-6:52a  1:26
6:54a-6:56a  2:48  3m 4s
7:05a-7:08a  2:25  11m 28s
7:12a-7:13a  1:31  6m 31s
7:18a-7:19a  1:03  6m 14s
7:23a-7:27a  3:57  4m 47s
7:28a-7:29a  0:36  5m 40s
7:36a-7:38a  2:11  7m 11s
7:46a-7:47a  1:02  10m 51s
7:53a-7:54a  0:53  7m 4s
8:00a-8:03a  2:43  6m 29s
8:10a-8:12a  1:32  10m 10s
8:19a-8:27a  8:30  8m 24s (forgot to stop clock)
8:27a-8:30a  2:33  8m 32s
8:38a-8:39a  1:14  11m 0s
8:50a-8:51a  1:43  11m 28s
8:54a-8:56a  1:30  4m 30s
9:02a-9:04a  1:34  7m 58s
9:08a-9:11a  2:46  6m 24s
9:15a-9:16a  1:37  6m 16s
9:17a-9:18a  0:34  2m 38s
9:28a-9:31a  2:29  10m 39s
9:34a-9:35a  1:36  5m 31s
9:40a-9:41a  0:40  6m 17s
9:48a-9:49a  1:13  8m 6s
9:57a-9:58a  1:19  9m 6s
10:09a-10:10a  0:51  11m 48s (About this time, got to Midwives office...waiting in waiting room).
10:17a-10:19a  1:41  8m 22s
10:20a-10:22a  1:41  10s
10:29a-10:32a  2:24  9m 5s
10:36a-10:37a  1:32  6m 32s
10:45a-10:46a  1:21  8m 51s
10:50a-10:52a  2:15  5m 16s
10:54a-10:59a  4:40  3m 47s
11:00a-11:03a  8:46  6m 21s (forgot to stop clock)
11:12a-11:14a  1:04  12m 14s (This is the last noted Contraction, just before the Midwife sent us to the hospital).

So those were my contractions. I used an app on Tim's iPad to time my contractions. Niiice.

At about 10ish, my Dad was asking me about my contractions. I just showed him the iPad. He looked through it, then started telling us that we should go to the hospital. "Whatever..." we thought. But he was insistent. I just thought, "My contractions are consistent, I don't think we need to go yet." Tim said he'd call the nurse/midwives to see what they'd say. The nurse was nice and said we could come into the office if we wanted to get checked out and see what was going on. My dad asked if I wanted a Priesthood Blessing, so I got one. Nice. Then we got our stuff then headed to the Midwive's Office.

On the ride there, the contractions were still irregular...but were getting a little stronger. We found a parking spot really quick which was lucky AND perfect. We sat in the waiting room for about 30 minutes (where I had a few stronger contractions). Then we were taken back to the Midwives' office...On the way back, I had a strong contraction and had to stop in my tracks and wait it out. Urine check. Then more waiting room. A couple more strong contractions while waiting, then into Exam Room 2. A couple strong contractions there, too. I figured they were getting about as strong as the ones I was having with Olivia WHILE on Pitocin in L&D.

One of the Midwives finally came in (Titi)...when she came in, I was having a contraction, so she stood there and waited. I described what I was feeling, then she gave me a sheet so she could check my cervix. I laid down, and before she examined me, I had a contraction. Titi was very encouraging... "Relax your legs...relax your pelvis...make room for the baby..." The contraction passed, and she checked my cervix.

"You are having this baby today. You're 7cm dilated. I can feel his head, and your water is bulging. You probably won't even need to push the baby out. He's right there. You should go to the hospital now. Do you think you can walk?" Something like that. At first I was like, "Oh yeah, I can walk." But a few steps out of the exam room (and a contraction or two later), I changed my mind. So they got me a wheelchair.

Two nurses walked us over to the hospital (down an elevator, up another elevator, across a skybridge, down an elevator, up the Purple elevators...)

The sweet nurse from the Midwives office (that always remembers Olivia) waited until we had a room, gave me a hug, then headed back to work.

Got in my L&D room, went into the bathroom, changed into a gown, peed, then...started to feel like I needed to Poo.

Delivery:

Waited a couple contractions, then mentioned this to the nurse. The midwife came in, started getting their tools/materials ready...contractions were definitely coming on stronger, and the need to poo, too. Told the Midwife...she had me lay down...checked me...and asked me to push. Pushed. Water broke.

UNFORTUNATELY, it didn't happen like other peoples' (nice/lucky) second-pregnancy stories. No baby just "slipped" out...and it didn't just take 1 or 2 pushes...it took about 8 pushes = 8 strong contractions.

During the pushing phase, I was thinking, "I really can't believe I'm doing this again. I don't think I can do this again."

I do think I was MUCH more prepared this time (having been through it before). And the overall experience was SO much better than the first time. My midwife, Theodora, would help direct Tim (cold cloth on my head, hold my hand, hold my head, encourage me) and encourage me to relax, etc. This time, the labor contractions were MUCH more doable...it felt so much easier to "focus" and "breathe" my way through them. The Pushing Phase was also more "doable", but was still tough. While Pushing, I was able to think back (a bit) and compare it to what I thought/remember the sensations to be last time.

I remember with Olivia, it really felt like I was going to get feet cramps every time I pushed. This time (as I thought about it), I didn't feel like I would get feet cramps...but it was just major cramping/pressure in my pelvis area.

Some people have said that at this point, it felt similar to hitting that "wall" when you run long-distance. You hit the "wall", but you push through it...yada yada yada...feels great...something like that. Well...I don't run. And I'm not one to "push" my body to do too much physical exercises/sport. I'm kinda a lazy bum. :) I think that maybe if I were a little better about "pushing" myself, that I'd enjoy this part better. But I don't.

Anyway. As with Olivia, it was interesting to feel Baby's head come out. Took me two pushes to finally get his little body out. Yes, I'm wimpy...oh, and this was AFTER Tim suggested I try squatting. Theodora thought it was a FABULOUS idea. It was hard to get up, and Tim had to basically hold me up. But once I got up, it took one push, and out he came. Still hard to do, but better.

Let's see...oh yeah. So after a while, the pushing became a little easier... The very first push in the contraction became the hardest part...once I got that first push in, it was SO much easier for me to focus, take a breath, and push harder/again. Thank goodness!

Sooo...from the time of my last noted contraction, I think we got to my L&D room at about 11:30a...Baby Elijah was FINALLY born at 12:23pm.

Side note: the hospital nurse in L&D with us, Gabby, was SOOO nice. I should have gotten a picture with her.

Afterwards, Theodora and Gabby both told me that it was interesting to see me in labor...Theodora said she was impressed at how much self-control I had (hahaha...yeah, right)...and Gabby said it was nice to see me breath through my contractions. IF there's a number 3 baby...I will definitely pay the $300 or so to take an actual Hypnobirthing class.

What else...what else... Oh yeah. So Nurse Gabby would put the monitors on my belly after each contraction. Otherwise, no monitors belted around me. And I didn't have get an IV stuck in me until AFTER Elijah was born...Did I already write this somewhere? I guess b/c my labor and delivery went so fast, it was too much for my uterus, and I had actually started to lose more blood than "normal". So they put an IV in me and gave me two bags of pitocin to help my uterus contract and stop bleeding.