EGB: Birth Story

Just because my sleep-deprived brain won't hold all these details much longer, and definitely not for years on end!

I had a scheduled induction on March 20, 2013, which I was reallllly hoping to not make it to. It was only 2 days b/f my due date, and the day b/f Wyatt's 2nd bday, so I had hoped I'd go earlier. I had a few false alarms, only 1 of which actually took me to the hospital. But several days of contracting in the weeks prior to the induction just ended up meaning it wasn't long once we got started.

We arrived at St. Vincent at 5 am on Wednesday. I didn't sleep much of course, with the anticipation, plus waking up w/ contractions at 3 that morning. I'm thinking little man would have come that day anyway, or worse, on Wyatt's bday! Dr. Garner came by around 6:30a, broke my water (which was clear) and then got Pitocin started shortly thereafter. I was 3.5cm and 80% effaced at that point. I had a wonderful nurse (also named Christine! But goes by Christy) that encouraged me to not wait for the epidural, since I was planning on getting one anyway. By the time the radiologist came around, I was ready for it! Nothing like warm numbness spreading over your body that was previously in intense pain! This was around 7:30-8a. My nurse left me to labor comfortably, saying to call when/if I felt I needed to push. With my others, I never felt the urge to push till the end, just a lot of pressure. So when I started feeling pressure, I kept calling her back in.

Since Dr. Garner's office is at Baptist, and I was delivering at St. Vincent, I was a little more antsy about what I was feeling. After all, he wasn't just down the hallway, he was 10 mins away! Christy kept an eye on me as I progressed, and by about 9:30 I was 9 cm and 100%, so she told me to lay on my side, don't push, and called Dr. Garner to come over! I was a little bummed this delivery was going "slower" than Wyatt's. I also had an induction w/ him, so on the same time table, he was born at 9:42a. But still, I knew I wasn't far off! I started pushing around 10a, but I didn't just sneeze him out like I thought I would. I had to WORK for this kid! They call it labor for a reason, right??

I worked hard for ~30 mins b/f we saw that beautiful head and face! The bad news was that his heart rate was decelerating a bit right there at the end, b/c for some reason he got stressed. He also had some terminal meconium, which meant I wouldn't get to hold my sweet babe right away. Dr. Garner stopped delivering for a moment and suctioned him right there. Blaine said he must have gotten most of it out, b/c they only had to bulb suction him 1 or 2 times once he got to the warmer.  Once he finished delivering, we knew the reason he was stressed...the cord was wrapped once around his neck. Our sweet boy was blue and floppy, and NOT screaming. It was quite scary for a few minutes there. I honestly wasn't too worried at first, b/c I know this isn't terribly uncommon. But then when Blaine was holding my hand at the bedside with a look of panic on his face, THEN I got worried. The normally calm, cool and collected pediatrician should have a good poker face right? Within a minute or so however, we heard a couple gurgles, then finally some robust cries! Praise the Lord! Then the tears. I always cry when I deliver my babies. :)

I watched from across the room as they suctioned and stimulated him, gave a little oxygen and started assessing him. The nurses gave him a 1-minute Apgar of 5. Blaine chuckled (once he started breathing again) and told me that HE gave him a 3. His 5-minute was a 9 all around though! Within minutes, 3 nurses and my husband turned to look at me with stunned faces. "9-11!" I thought, "It's March 20th! Why are they saying 9/11??" Again: "9-11!! He weighs 9-11!" Holy cow, I just birthed a man-child! We also found out his chest was 3/4" bigger than his head, so that combined w/ the cord around his neck, it's no wonder he stressed at the end of delivery. My big baby boy was a full 2# and 2" bigger than his brother at birth! Dr. Garner did an excellent job of guiding me through the delivery. I'm so thankful for his expertise, that both Emmett and I came out w/ relatively little injury; a few stitches for me and a little oxygen for him.

Welcome to the world, our darling Emmett Graham! We are so thankful to the Lord for you, and for your safe (although slightly dramatic!) arrival!