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Week by Week

Scott's Birth Story

When I became pregnant with my first child, I thought that pregnancy, just like everything else in MY life would run right on schedule! I was wrong! I was due December 22. On December 25, we had to deal with All of the questions...Like, YOU'RE STILL PREGNANT! Yes I was. And still for some time to come. I started to avoid all contact in the grocery store; which is where I spent a great deal of my time.

I was eating as much as two men! January 1 came and went. I thought maybe I would have a new years baby. But no, I was to be pregnant longer! I went into my ob's office and told her I was going to be pregnant forever! She told me that in 25 years she hadn't seen a woman stay pregnant. I told her there was always a first! January 6 I went for my standard check-up. I was 15 days late and even though everything seemed to be fine, I was not in labor! Not even one pain! She told me that she wanted to induce labor on the 8th, but she wanted to do some tests on the baby on the 7th. It just so happened that we had 3 inches of ice on the night of the 6th! Perfect timing! It took two hours to get to the hospital, and the ride usually took 15 minutes! So there I sat in a hospital bed, while they tested me. It was a long day!

Well, she wanted to get my cervix ripe, so she gave me a slow drip of pitocen all day. I had hoped it would be enough to put me in labor, but it didn't. She decided to keep me at the hospital overnight because the wheather was so bad. I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep all night. To make matters worse, my husbands cousin had been induced that day at the same hospital and ended up having a cesearean! I was terrified!

Morning finally came and they came in to "get me ready" at 5:00am. They didn't start the pitocen until 9:00am, so I don't know what their hurry was, but none the less I was ready! The contractions started at about 12:00. I was in control! We had taken birthing classes and I was well educated. I was not going to take pain medication of any kind. My grandmother did it and I could too. Boy did I have a surprise in store for me!!! They didn't tell me that pit drip causes a much harder labor. They also would not let me get up and at that time I was just as ignorant as any other first time mother. I just did what they said. By 3:00pm I was hurting much worse and by 5:00 I thought I was going to die! I decided to get pain medication (an epidural). But I had one problem. I was only 2-3 centimeters. My doctor would'nt let me have anything until I was at least 4 centimeters.

Brian, ( my husband) was trying to be the perfect coach. I just wanted him to go away! I hurt! And I didn't think I could do it anymore. At 7:00pm My doctor came in and told me the good news... I was a 4! I got my epidural but I couldn't enjoy it because I was so tired that I just went to sleep. It didn't seem like any time and my doctor was running back in the room. She told me that she needed to check me for dialation. But she just had! 30 minutes before. Well sure enough there had been a change! I was a ten! There were nurses and staff and people running everywhere! Now I was scared! Suddenly things were happening so fast! I turned to see what Brian's response was just in time to hear him running down the hall informing our family and everyone else, that I was a 10! We were in a really nice birthing room. They had just been built about 6 months before and had hardly been used.

Well, we had another problem now. I couldn't push! I couldn't feel anything! We waited an hour to let the epidural wear off and tried again. I started pushing at 8:00pm. At first it was no big deal, but as things progressed I was starting to hurt, bad! I decided that pregnancy was not so bad. I could just stay that was forever. Besides I was hurting way to bad and they had no idea. There had to be something wrong and they had missed it. Once more I heard the call to PUSH!!! I felt like telling my husband if he said that again I was going to hit him! Then my doctor said she could see the head! I remember thinking that there actually WAS a baby in there! I was beginning to have my doubts. She said I needed an episiotomy and she gave me a local for that. As soon as I heard the snip of the scissors I felt like I had to push. For the first time! On the next contraction (when I didn't think I could push again) I pushed as hard as I could, and there he was! It was a boy! Born at 9:27pm.

My husband was so proud, he didn't know what to do with himself! I guess I was too. Our whole family was in the hallway cheering! Brian got to cut the cord and I was able to hold Scott right when he ws born. I was lucky that my ob liked natural delivery and bonding.

After about 30 minutes the nurses took him across the room to measure and weigh him. He was 20 inches, 8lbs 1oz. We stayed in the birthing room with our family for about 3 hours. I kept him with me 24 hours a day. Which was also new in this hospital. The nurses didn't like it too much but I loved it! I wouldn't have been able to sleep if he had been in the nursery.

Our hospital stay was 2 days. That was ten years ago. They didn't rush us out so quickly then. Now we were a happy family. All in all it was a good experience. He was our first born. He was special then and he is now!

Melissa Weaver