Brooks' Birth Story

*The credit for most of these AMAZING pics goes to my sister, Amy.  Seriously, if your having a baby I strongly encourage you to have a photographer there. I treasure these pics and the ones of Collins' birth dearly.  Let me know if you want her contact info!*

 

August 21, 2014 we parked the car at 4:56am for our 5am induction.  It wasn't until we were on the elevator heading up to labor and delivery that a since of panic swept over me.  That hospital smell really made it all feel real and I thought I was going to throw up.  Maybe that was my clue for what later was going to entail.  We got to the desk and told them we had a scheduled induction and they looked at the board and didn't see our name.  Oh hell no was I going home.  It was rough enough leaving my first born, I wasn't doing it again.  They looked in the planner on the counter and sure enough, our name was on there.  Luckily they had a clean room ready for us and didn't make us turn around and go home. 

 

 

 

They needed to monitor Brooks for a bit before they could start me on Pitocin so they hooked me up and we went through all the paperwork, questions and got my IV in.  At 6am I was checked and was 1cm and 50% effaced.  Baby looked great on the monitor and I was actually having some contractions on my own.  Derek wasted no time pulling out the bed and getting some sleep before things started picking up.  I hardly slept the night before but I was too excited to fall asleep.

 

 

Pitocin was started at 6:10am.  It only took about 30 min for the contractions to become stronger and the nurse came in every 30 min to bump up the Pitocin and make them even stronger.

My ob came in at 7:45am and I was dilated to a 2 and had my water broke. Things really picked up after that and the contractions got really strong.  I was in pain and trying to go as long as I could without the epidural. I got to facetime Collins when she woke up and before Amy come up to the hospital.  Amy watched her until Derek's parents got there around 8.

 

 

 

 I finally through in the towel at 10am and got the epidural.  My mom tried to convince me to go without it but there is no way.  I'm a wuss and epidurals are a god send.  Once the epidural had me nice and numb I got checked and was a 4.  Things were going a little slower then I anticipated but I knew after I got past 5, things would probably speed up.

 

 

Derek and my parents left at 11:30am to go up the street and grab some lunch.  Amy stayed incase I magically dilated to a 10.  You know cause pictures are way more important then the dad being there.  They got back quickly and all ate yummy food right in front of me.  Jerks. 

Nausea set in while they were eating their lunch.  I had everyone scrambling around the room trying to find something for me to puke in. I paged the nurse when we couldn't find something but luckily only a tiny bit came up and I swallowed it back down. So gross but better then being all over the bed! She gave me some medicine into my IV to help with the nausea but I didn't notice much of a difference. I never threw up again though. 

 

 

At 12:15 I was a 7.  Now we were on to something.

 12:45, 8cm. 

 

The nurse came in again at 1:25pm and turned down the Pitocin because he wasn't tolerating the contractions and his heart rate kept dropping.  She asked me if I felt any pressure to push and I said no.  She left the room and I kept waiting for this strong urge to push like everyone says you get.  I think the Pitocin just works extremely good on me because I didn't feel a single thing when I had Collins.  I kept telling my mom and Amy that I felt a little different but not pressure.

 

 

 At 1:45pm I buzzed the nurse and said I felt a little something and maybe I should get checked just in case.  She hardly touched down there and said "yeah, your baby is right there."  I gave a set of practice pushes for the nurse and then my ob walked in the door.  She looked panicked and an oxygen mask was placed on me.  I remember hearing his heart rate super slow and they were telling me to breath slow and deep.  Not easy when your freaking out.  My ob hardly got her scrubs on and was ordering me to push.

 

 

 

 

3 pushes and about 30 sec. later, Brooks Anthony was born at 1:55pm.  7lbs 8oz (just like his mama) and 19 in.  I was instantly in love.

 

 

 

He went straight to my chest for awhile before getting weighed and all that jazz. 

 

 

 

Then it was back to mommy and daddy for some alone time.  We really soaked up meeting our newest addition and talking about how different he looked from Collins.  But so cute in his own way.

 

 

 

Then he got to be loved on by the family who was anxiously waiting to meet him.

 

 

Memo and papa brought Collins up soon after he was born.  I bawled as soon as we saw the car pull in and the tears really started coming when I watched her run to daddy out the window.  You'll see that the tears didn't stop for quite awhile.  I made sure to not be holding him when she came in the door and she got to open a present from her new brother before we introduced them. She took right to her brother and wanted to hold him over and over again.  Melted this mommy's heart like crazy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nurse came in to give him his first bath and she had many onlookers.  Big sister was very concerned for the crying baby and wanted to be right there.

 

We got moved into our new room and since Amber had just started a new job, she didn't make it to the hospital till after work. 

 

 

 Another easy and perfect labor and delivery.  Our family is complete...for now :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Birth Story

On Tuesday, November 20th at 8:30pm we checked into the hospital for our Nov. 21 induction. Cervadil was placed at 9pm and I was told no eating or drinking till 11pm. I was already thirsty when I got to the hospital and didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to drink anything that night so those 2 hours seemed like forever. Then at 11pm I got the go ahead to eat or drink anything until midnight. I quickly chugged water and decided to get some sleep in case the Cervadil started labor.

I woke up at 2:30am and was having contractions. They weren’t consistent or very strong but strong enough to not let me fall back asleep. The nurse came in throughout the night to move the monitor on my stomach. Collins kept moving around so she kept losing her heart beat. When she came in at 5:30am she gave me the go ahead to take the cervadil out and be off the monitors for 30 min to shower before she came back to start the pitocin. At 6:05am she came back to start the pitocin. She said I was having contractions but we needed to get them stronger. I was still at 1cm at this point so the pitocin was started. At 8am the nurse and my doctor came in and I was still at 1cm so my doctor broke my water.  Contractions got stronger and stronger after she broke my water.

By 9:30am I was wanting something for the pain. I figured I was still only a 1-2 so I asked about the IV pain med (don’t remember what it’s called). The nurse said I could have it but since I was in active labor and they had already broke my water, if I was eventually going to get the epidural, I might as well do it then. Don’t have to tell me twice, order me that epidural!! She filled me up with fluids and 15 min later, the anaesthesiologist was in the room ready to do the epidural. Epidural went in with no problem and I was quickly feeling no pain. She checked me after the epidural was in and I was only a 2. I was pretty upset I was only at a 2 and had already gotten the epidural but she said not to get discouraged and I was progressing just fine.

The next 2 hours were spent with me laying on my left side because Collins wasn’t tolerating the contractions very well and her heart rate kept dropping. On top of that, my blood pressure kept dropping so I had to wear an oxygen mask. At this point I was scared all this was going to lead to a c section. I wasn’t dilating and Collins and I were both not reacting well with the pitocin. She came back around 11:45 and had gotten orders from my doctor to take me off the pitocin and see how I labored on my own and if this would help Collins heart rate. My mom and sisters left to go eat lunch at this point since we figured we were going to be there for the long haul after they stopped the pitocin. She came back around 12:30 and said I was having contractions great on my own and they weren’t going to start the pitocin again. She checked me and I was a 4-5cm. We called and told my mom and sisters and they quickly rushed back.

I still had to lay on my side and keep the oxygen mask on but I wasn’t feeling any of the contractions and was able to have an enjoyable time with Derek, my mom, dad, sisters and his parents who were all in the room. Around 2:30 we were wondering if they were ever going to check me again. They must have heard us cause around 3:00pm another nurse came in and said my nurse was delivering someone so she was going to check me. I assumed I was at a 6 so we were all completely shocked when she said I was a 9.5cm!! Things got real after that. I started crying because I was so scared yet so excited to meet our baby. The nurse said it could still be awhile because they want you to be a complete 10 before you start pushing and then it could be 2-3 hours of pushing before the baby comes. Not 15 min later, my doctor and nurse walked in and said “let’s start pushing!!” I was freaking out because I didn’t think I was a full 10 yet and I had no pressure or desire to push.

At 3:30pm, the pushing began. I still wasn’t feeling any pressure and I couldn’t even feel my contractions at this point. The nurse was having to tell me by the monitor and my stomach getting hard that I was having a contraction and needed to push. My sisters and mom stayed in the room with Derek and it was so nice to have more people encouraging me to push and cheering me on. After about 6 sets of pushing, Collins arrived at 3:57pm. It was by far the easiest and most amazing thing I have ever been through. She was placed on my belly and stole both Derek and I’s hearts right then. I know it’s cliché but it’s crazy how quickly you can fall in love with someone you have just met. She weighed in at 7lbs 2oz and was 19in long. Perfect in every way.

Collins' birth story via a slideshow

Once again, Amy went above and beyond herself and took these pictures the day Collins was born. I can't stop watching it. She got every since detail I could have asked for and I will cherish this forever.

 

No worries, it's not graphic. I plan on getting the written version of her birth story up tomorrow.

 

http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d3595207k8808664o1/collins-birth