We checked into the hospital and after my initial check up, it was confirmed I was in labor and I was somewhere around a 6 or 7 dilated- not bad since my contractions weren't too painful yet. The baby was still pretty high, but the midwife Helen seemed very confident that third babies usually descended right before they were delivered and she couldn't see this taking more than a few hours max. I was feeling really great about this speedy prediction and confident in my decision to labor naturally without drugs. Wyatt's labor and delivery had been un-medicated, although I begged for drugs, and it ended up being doable and a much easier recovery than Wesley's so I was sure that's what I wanted this time around. Next, we were moved into our room, Katie gifted me with sparkly slippers, and we started tracking contractions. It seemed as though within minutes they became much more than I had bargained for and Helen suggested I try the ten pads (pads that send electrical currents to intercept pain signals) or a hot shower. Seeing as I couldn't fathom getting all the way to the shower, we opted for the ten pads. Helen was certain this baby was coming so she broke down the bed, gowned up, and within minutes the room was prepped to welcome a baby. I wasn't feeling it and I just couldn't imagine it was going to be THAT easy, and I was right. The baby did not drop and I wasn't able to make any progress trying to push with the contractions. Helen told me to rest and she'd be back to check on us shortly. In the meantime, an IV lock was put in just in case and man did it hurt and man did I complain...A LOT! Little did I know I would be happy the lock was in, but in the meantime, I asked anybody who came in if we could please take it out. Helen returned to the room to check my progress and was a little concerned that the baby hadn't dropped and a little piece of my cervix remained which she thought might be keeping the baby from dropping. I was a less than agreeable patient when she tried to examine me and I kept repeating that I was nervous and scared. Helen asked what I was nervous about and I told her I just didn't think this baby was going to come out. Everyone in the room assured me the baby would come out but I was already in a state of panic and BEGGING the doctor on duty to put me under and cut it out- she informed me they wouldn't put me under even if I did have a c-section, so that was a lost cause. My panic started to get the best of me so on went the oxygen mask. At this point Gabe and Katie felt like they were watching a rerun of every birthing experience I have had- the nurses were worried by my reaction, but not Katie and Gabe- they had seen it before with Wyatt and Wesley so they just continued to watch the CAL Texas football game. At this point, it was determined that I had fully dilated to a 10 but with my cervix not 100% thinned out and the baby still not dropping, maybe we needed to look at our options. Helen told me if I wanted an epidural she would put in the order and maybe it would be enough to give me a little rest and we could try pushing in a few hours. I quickly agreed, Gabe quickly said NO! ( I had told him no drugs no matter what) and I quickly vetoed his no. In what seemed like eternity but was actually less than 10 minutes, the anaesthesiologist was in my room, my birth team was kicked out to eat dinner brought over by Heather, and I was drugged up in between contractions. I don't know how the man did it, but he managed to get an epidural into my withering body that could barely hold still for two seconds...he is my hero! The epidural took 20 minutes to fully kick in, CAL won the football game, I apologized for once again being a raging lunatic when consumed by the pains of childbirth, and we all took a nap- me barely covered by a thin sheet as I was sweating profusely and Katie and Gabe under layers of blankets with hoodies and slippers on. After an hour of napping, I felt like I could push so in came the team and we got to work. I pushed with every contraction and at first they were pretty far apart, but as they came a little quicker, I pushed through four counts of 10 and in a quiet, zen like state, the baby dropped. Katie was in charge of photos and video and I have to say I have watched the last two minutes of my delivery about 100 times because I am in awe of the peacefulness and strength throughout the room. Helen guided me through pushes, coaching me to push or blow as she guided the baby out...on the last round of pushes my sister told me to open my eyes so I wouldn't miss it and when Helen held up my sweet baby I said "I was right!" and Gabe shouted "It's a boy!".Walker Owens DeTar was placed right on my chest and boy oh boy, he was 10.5 pounds of sweet baby boy who also decided that birth would be more fun if he did it with his arm bent up around his head; it seems my premonition that the baby wasn't going to come out may have been somewhat valid. Helen confirmed she wasn't sure how I would have fared delivering him without an epidural, so it all worked out in the end. Our sweet little love, who was not in fact so little, came in to the world at 11:20PM. weighing 10.5 pounds and measuring 21.5 inches. Daddy had won the right to name him and we can't imagine a more perfect name for our little Walker Roo. We had a bit of work with glucose testing since he was so big, but he was cleared by Monday morning, and we had the best nursing and doctor staff I could have hoped for. From family friends on the nursing staff, to an INCREDIBLE midwife who guided by body to birth a 10.5 pound baby with next to no residual damage, to pediatric doctors with new techniques and awesome life stories to share, I would have stayed in L&D all month if my husband would have okay'd it! I am still in awe of each person we worked with, the care they took of me and my sweet baby, the intent and honest interest they had when talking with me and asking about my family, and the patience and welcoming spirit they showed with my two older boys who visited frequently and had copious amounts of energy to burn while they raced monster trucks on my hospital floor. Walker Owens DeTar, we anxiously awaited your arrival and you made every second of those five over due days worth it the second I held you on my chest and heard you take your first cry. We love you sweet baby boy more than you can ever imagine and we can't wait to see you find your way in this crazy family of ours! Walker Roo, little buddy, happy birthday, we love you!
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| Because we all need that awkward birth photo for the memory books |
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