Labor & Delivery: Part 2

 We made it to the hospital, got to our room, and I was filling out paper work by 9:30am.

This was it.

As I walked into the room, I still couldn't imagine that I wouldn't be walking back out again without my baby boy in my arms.  I was still in denial, I think, even as I saw the baby warmer in the corner of the room.

Everyone had headed back home and to work after being discharged from the WE Unit, so Steve got back on the phone as I was getting checked in to let everyone know they needed to make their way back soon.

Ready to meet our baby boy
Finally, the day we had been waiting for

My mom hurried back to the hospital from work.  She was there in the room during the delivery along with Steve.  (this is something she didn't get to do with our daughter)

A goodie bag of toiletries given to us by the hospital.  I love the mini Purell bottles.

Pitocin was started at 10:40am

The group who was there for the delivery
Steve's mom, my sister, my mom, Alyssa, Steve, and my dad (not pictured)

Alyssa all dressed and ready to go in her Big Sister outfit <3

Kathy was our nurse for the most part - till it was time to push
Goal for the Day: "Great delivery for Carter!"

I was given a "liquid diet" lunch at 11:30am
A shock I was given anything at all before delivering a baby - but I enjoyed some broth, jello, lemonade, and cranberry juice

I got my second bump in pitocin at 12:30am

At 1:30pm my pitocin was running at a "10"
Bad contractions are in full swing

And this is where it all begins...
Steve calling the nurse for my epidural while I try to cope with very painful contractions

I finally asked for my epidural at 2:05pm

That couldn't have come soon enough!

This epidural was very different from the one I had with Alyssa, except for the fact that this one only numbed one side of my body and not the other, just like with her.  The main difference is that this epidural was just not working...  Ok, maybe a little - but I was still feeling these contractions coming and had to breath through them.  With Alyssa - I didn't feel a thing!

Everything just went SO FAST.

The nurse said, "I think you are just going to have this baby" - as her and the anesthesiologist worked to try and get me comfortable.  The nurse even told my mom she didn't like that I was having to work so hard through the labor with the epidural, but that the baby was just moving down so quickly.

The nurse broke my water during an exam at 2:55pm and at that point said I was about 9cm.

I was okayed to start pushing 3:37pm

I was still feeling pressure from the contractions when it was time to push, but not a ton of pain.  It was nice to be able to feel where I needed to be pushing.

At 4:05pm baby Carter started crowning and they could see his long hair!

The room turned into a crazy mass of people at that point.  2 doctor's and 1 student doctor, multiple nurses, the pediatrician, and a NICU team (meconium was seen when they broke my water).

Carter was born at 4:19pm!

To be continued...