Dexter Stuarts Birth Story
Early Saturday morning, around 4:00 am on May 10th, I woke up to light cramping. I didn't think much of it because the cramps were pretty mild. About an hour later I got up to go to the bathroom and noticed I had a little bit of bleeding. This jolted me wide awake and my mind started racing. I remember my doctor telling me one of the signs of labor was bleeding. I called over to Conrad to wake him up and as soon as I said, "I think I'm in labor!" He shot up so fast, with his eyes wide open. Picturing his reaction makes me laugh every time. I started to get a little emotional and panicky thinking I wasn't ready yet. I finally took a deep breath and decided to not jump the gun and go straight to the hospital. I called my doctor instead. I had Conrad talk to her because I knew as soon as I would start to talk I would get emotional and cry. After describing everything to my doctor she told us it sounded like I was in latent or early labor and that it could last up to 24 hours or turn into labor at any time. She told me to get some rest and keep her posted on any changes.
Well I couldn't sleep, so I did the dishes, laundry and cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom and finished packing my hospital bag. All the while I kept having menstrual like cramps. In the afternoon, Conrad and I went to Target to get food and last minute baby stuff, again, still experiencing the same kind of cramps.
Later Saturday evening we went to our ward dessert/ dinner auction for the scouts. I was still cramping but they hadn't changed. During the dinner I started to get more uncomfortable and the cramps were getting more painful. I had to keep standing up and walk around. Finally we ended up leaving early because I couldn't sit still.
When we got home I took a warm bath and tried to relax in bed. I couldn't relax. The cramps were becoming more frequent and painful. We finally left for the hospital around 10 pm.
Conrad was timing my contractions with his phone on the way to the hospital, by this time my contractions had become super uncomfortable and were about 4 minutes apart. All I could think was I really hope they don't send me home.
At the the hospital they put me on the monitor and checked to see how far I was dilated. That was a super painful experience. The nurse had a hard time figuring it out because Dex's head was so low which they said was a good sign. I ended up only being dilated at a 2 1/2. When they told me that I thought, " Are you kidding me! I am in so much pain already." They told me to go walk around the halls for an hour and then they would check to see if I had progressed.
That hour felt like the longest and fastest hour of my life. Conrad was a great coach. He kept me walking at a brisk pace through my contractions. He kept telling me to put more of a spring in my step. He also had me picking up chairs in the waiting room and walking in circles. He told me over and over to lift it higher and higher and I kept yelling at him that I couldn't because my belly was in the way. He had read online that lifting heavy things could help progress labor. (It was just us in the waiting room by the way.) I wanted to give up and sit down so many times. I also wanted to bop Conrad over the head a few times when he wouldn't let me sit down or stop. He just had to remind me that I didn't want to get sent home and it kept me moving.
After the hour was up, they checked me again and I was dilated to a 4! All that hopping and chair lifting worked after all. I got admitted and they finally gave me that glorious epidural. I don't know how women do it without the epidural. I just don't handle pain well I guess.
My good friend Brittney came to sit with me and Conrad while we waited for the time to push. By about 4:30 in the morning I was dilated to a 9 and my water still hadn't broke. The nurse told me to do a couple of practice pushes so I would know how to do it when the time came. When I pushed my water shot out everywhere like a water balloon popping. It was crazy.
Finally it was time to push, I pushed for about 40 minutes and little Dexter Stuart arrived at 5:14 am on May 11th- Mothers Day! weighing 6 lbs 6 oz 20 inches long.
After Dex arrived my placenta was not coming out, so my doctor had to manually go in and yank it out. She called it reverse labor and man was it painful! While the doctor was yanking it out of me the nurses were pushing down on my stomach so hard. It was way more painful than pushing Dex out. I just hope with the next baby the placenta comes out because I really don't want to go through that again.
Anyway as soon as Dex came out he immediately cried and they put him on my chest. It was so surreal. I was crying of course. I looked up at Conrad and was surprised to see that he was crying too. I hadn't seen him cry since the day he first told me he loved me so that was really sweet.
We ended up having to stay an extra day in the hospital because Dex was not latching at all for breastfeeding. I got some help from lactate consultants and finally figured it out and we were able to go home on Tuesday.
We love little Dex so much. I have never been so tired/exhausted in my life but it's for a good reason. :-)
