Gage's Birth Story

I don't know about you guys but I love reading birth stories. I love how different everyone's story is but yet you can still relate on some level. I want to warn you this post is long and full of pictures. But I hope you enjoy Gage's birth story!

Starting at 37 weeks I started getting really painful contractions. They would get consistent then right when I would get ready to go to the hospital they would stop. At my 37 week appointment I was dilated to a 1 and 50% thinned. I continued to have painful contractions here and there every few days so I was surprised that at my 38 week appointment I was still only at a 1 and 75% thinned. My doctor informed me that he was going out of town the whole next week, right when I was 39 weeks pregnant! I totally panicked. I really did not want another doctor to deliver my baby, and with my luck I just knew I would go into labor with him gone. He told me he really didn't think I would go into labor that week and said even if I did he has a really great on call doctor. Since I wouldn't see him for a 39 week appointment, I made an appointment on the Monday of my 40th week and he also decided to set an induction date for June 25th, 2 days before my due date. He did not want me going over my due date because of the size of the baby. Now, I know a lot of women are really against being induced. It wouldn't be an ideal way for me to go into labor but I trust my doctor and I would rather be induced than have trouble delivering my baby. 

Despite my nesting instinct, I took it easy the whole next week in fear that I would go into labor while my doctor was gone. That Friday night I woke up with painful contractions again. They lasted a few hours then stopped. Even though I was thankful I wasn't in labor, I was getting so sick of these horrible false labor pains. 

I was so relieved that I made it to my 40 week appointment that Monday and I told Tyson that with all these contractions I had to be dilated to atleast a 3. Imagine my surprise when my doctor told me I was still only at a 1! I left feeling a little disappointed knowing I probably wouldn't go into labor on my own but also excited knowing I would meet my baby in just a few days. 

Then at 4am Tuesday morning I woke up with more contractions. I didn't get my hopes up figuring it was probably just more false labor. I couldn't walk or talk during the contractions and after two painful hours they finally stopped. Tyson was off that day so we just went on our day like normal. I kept having random, painful contractions here and there that weren't consistent at all. I couldn't walk or talk through them but since they weren't consistent I didn't think anything of them. My husband spent the afternoon teasing me saying I had to be faking. It's a good thing he's cute. 

That evening we took Ryder out for dinner where I continued to have random contractions. By time we got home I noticed they started to be a little more consistent and more painful. Still thinking nothing of it I got Ryder in the bath tub and my husband left to run some errands. While I had Ryder in the tub the contractions really hit me hard and they started coming every few minutes. I sent my Tyson a text telling him to hurry and got Ryder out of the tub. Tyson finally got home and he didn't take me seriously until he saw how much pain I was in. I contemplated on when we should go to the hospital since I've had so much false labor. I had only been having consistent contractions for about 30 minutes so I wanted to get in the shower just in case it was real labor. That was until I had another contraction and I felt a horrible pressure and a feeling to push. I totally started to panic terrified I was not going to make it to the hospital. Tyson started to call family to watch Ryder and in between contractions I gathered my things. After calling 3 different family members nobody answered. I totally freaked out. Contractions were 2-3 minutes apart, were so unbelievably painful and the pressure was getting Worse. Tyson had to fan me with a magazine to keep me from throwing up with each contraction. We finally got a hold of family and Were on our way to the hospital. I seriously felt like I was going to deliver him in the car and with each contraction I screamed at Tyson then apologized in between each one. I kept telling him that he was going to have to deliver the baby in the car. Poor guy took it like a champ. Unlike the sweet old lady at the hospital that I screamed at as she slowly walked to push the elevator button for us. Bless her heart. We made our way to the labor and delivery floor and I yelled at the receptionist that wanted to take her time asking me questions before admitting me. They finally put me in a delivery room and the sweet nurse came rushing in to check me. I was dilated to an 8 almost a 9 and was progressing fast. Tyson was just as surprised as I was and I told him to hurry and start calling family. The first thing I asked the nurse was if it was too late for an epidural, I was in such horrible pain and was terrified that I wouldnt be able to get one. At one point I remember her saying I was going to pass out if I didnt slow my breathing. She said the anesthesiologist might be in doing a c-section and if he was then I wouldn't be able to get one. She ran to get more nurses to prep the room and got an IV started. She paged my doctor who was over an hour away. I started to panic but luckily his on call doctor was already at the hospital for a c-section. The on call doctor came in and once I met him I felt better about him possibly delivering the baby. The first thing he asked is why I waited so long to come in. I told him I only had consistent contractions for 30 minutes and he was pretty surprised. He told me that he could break my water right then and the baby would come within a few minutes. If that were the case I would have just not even bothered with an epidural, but they were trying to keep the baby in for a few reasons. My doctor was on his way and the on call doctor was heading in to do a c section. Also, I tested positive for Group B strep so they wanted to get antibiotics to the baby for as long as possible. 

The contractions were so close together and were so incredibly painful that I wanted to cry when the anesthesiologist came walking into my room, I told him he was a sight for sore eyes. He said I lucked out and to thank the women that wanted to use the bathroom before going into her c-section, otherwise I wouldn't be getting an epidural. Things were great after the epidural set in. I felt exhausted from the contractions but couldn't feel a thing. The nurse came in and said she was going to wait a little while longer to check me afraid that it would push things along even faster. I also had to keep switching sides I was laying on and had to have oxygen because the baby's heart rate kept dropping due to me progressing so fast. 

I relaxed for what only felt like a few minutes when the nurse came back to check me. When I rolled over she looked at me then ran into the hallway grabbing a different doctor (my doctors on call doctor was still in the c-section) and a bunch of nurses. Everybody was running around so fast It worried me. I asked the nurse what was going on and she said "Your bag of water is halfway out, it's baby time!" The baby wasn't waiting for anyone and was starting to make his arrival. The doctor that she grabbed in the hallway came in and the first thing he said was that he was going to have to use forceps. I looked at Tyson and I could tell he felt the same way about this doctor that I did. I remember thinking why did he need forceps if the baby was coming so fast?! I did not feel comfortable with this doctor at all. As they were getting prepared I heard my water break and the doctor said there was slight meconium in it and to get some NICU nurses just in case. At this point I really started to get nervous. Everything was happening so fast, I didn't feel comfortable with this doctor and something could possibly be wrong with the baby. Just as the doctor was getting the forceps ready my on call doctor came running in, and man were we happy to see him! He took over right away and was so calm that it settled my nerves a bit. He had me push a few times, turned the baby's shoulders and our baby was here. He cried right away and the doctor cut the cord then handed him to the NICU nurses to make sure he hadn't inhaled some meconium. It only took them a few minutes to confirm that he was just fine and they handed him to me. I remember looking at Tyson and saying he looks just like Ryder. My heart was so full and I felt so blessed to be given two healthy boys. I was able to spend plenty of time doing skin to skin and start breastfeeding. He was 7lbs 14oz and 21 inches long. He was born at 9:54pm, only an hour after arriving at the hospital. Everything happened so fast but it was such an amazing experience and I love how different it was from Ryder's labor and delivery. I am forever grateful for the wonderful doctors and nurses that assisted in the delivery and we thank god every day for these boys of ours.