The Birthing Experience

Well, I did it. (I would put an exclamation point at the end of that sentence but I'm too tired to exclaim anything:)) No, I'm just kidding. I have given birth to three boys at three different times!!! Three boys with three very different birthing experiences. I guess that is what the books tell us pregnant women..."no pregnancy is the same" and "no labor and delivery is the same."

For those of you who want the "full" story, the following is the timeline of events. Since my dad is reading this, I won't get too graphic. I want to spare him and all other males the gross details.

I was induced on Sunday, December 23rd, one week before my due date. You may wonder why we did this. We had several reasons, none of them medical, and most of them "mercantile" (as a partner at Jon's law firm put it). First, we wanted to make sure we got the child tax credit -- none of this shooting for having the first baby of the new year stuff. We wanted a guaranteed tax credit over a possible "first baby." Second, Jon didn't want to have to work Christmas week. Third, my parents were in town and able to help out with Lucas and Micah (most people accept this this as a good reason - though we think all are valid). And finally, Sunday was the last day my doctor was on call, so if we were going to induce, then it had to be on Sunday.

• 10 a.m. - Sunday morning we get admitted to the hospital.


• 11:30 a.m. - I finally get on pitocin.


• 12 noon - Jon goes to get lunch (chicken quesadilla and onion rings). I'm stuck eating ice chips and popsicles. Delicious!!


• 12:30 - Take a walk in the halls. Incredibly bored.


• 1-1:30 p.m. - Get caught up on all the Hollywood gossip from the magazines Jon bought me. Still bored. Jon is watching football.


• 2 p.m. - Mild contractions. Nothing painful.


• 2-4 p.m. - Watch Nanny Diaries on Jon's laptop.


• 4-4:30 p.m. - Go for another walk in the halls. Bored. Contractions are getting a little stronger but still not really painful.


• 4:30 p.m. - We switch rooms into the labor and deliveryroom. The room is really nice with windows overlooking Los Angeles. I get checked and am dilated to a 5.


• 5 p.m. - Contractions are getting strong. To the point where I actually have to concentrate through them. Jon touches me once and I tell him NO! I am the type of person that does not want to be touched while in pain. So Jon goes back to watching football, enjoying the view and reading the name book (since we still did not have a name picked out). I think he kind of felt weird or bad for not helping me, but he really was helping me by not touching me or even talking to me.


• 6 p.m. - Nurse comes in and tells Jon that he should massage my back since I was having back labor the entire time. She begins to show him how, but I am in a middle of a contraction and could not tell her I do not want to be touched. Jon tries to tell her this as well, but she does not listen. She leaves the room and Jon gets up to try to massage my back as instructed by the nurse. I tell him not to.


• 6:15 p.m. - Nurse comes back into the room, and Jon is still sitting watching football. I honestly don't know what she was thinking since I was in too much pain to notice. But I did hear Jon quickly tell her that I don't like to be touched. The nurse probably thought Jon was quite a slacker husband. All she sees is him sitting by my bed with his feet up reading a name book and watching football while his wife is in pain. I reassure him that he is not a slacker and is doing exactly what I want him to be doing...which is to leave me alone. I think Jon watched more football that day than my dad did. My dad and mom were watching Lucas and Micah.


• 7 p.m. - Nurse checks me. I'm at a 7.


• 7:30 p.m. - Doctor comes in and breaks my water. I'm at an 8. I get a new nurse. Everyone leaves the room and tells me to call when I feel like pushing. Contractions are incredibly painful. At this point I am lying on my left side. Before this, I was kneeling up against the back of the bed. I believe gravity works to your advantage in labor. Also because of the back labor it was less painful.


• 7:35 p.m. - I tell Jon that he is finally needed. I think he is actually happy about this since he gets to do something other than just wait. I tell him that he needs to encourage and support me by rooting me on...not exactly like a cheerleader but more like a coach telling his player that it's almost over, you're doing great, breathe slower, things like that.


• 7:45 p.m. - I tell Jon that I think I feel the urge to push. To be quite honest I didn't really know. The pressure was on the tailbone area, so I wasn't totally sure if that is what the doctors meant. Luckily, Jon called the nurse when he did.


• 7:50 p.m.- Nurse gets there. Checks me and tells me not to push. She calls the doctor. By this point I am squeezing Jon's hand to death, yelling "oh my gosh" (I try not to swear while giving birth:). Contractions are right on top of another with really no break -- probably due to the pitocin.


• 7:50-7:55 p.m. - The nurse is telling me not to push while getting everything ready for the delivery. She is calling the doctor again. From the time Jon calls the nurse and the time I deliver I have 4 contractions. The last two contractions I am holding back trying not to push. Incredibly painful. I am still on my left side. A resident walks into the room with her coat still on. The nurse tells her to hurry because she will need to catch the baby.


• 7:56 p.m. - I couldn't hold it any longer. I turn on my back and ... the baby comes out without me really trying. Instead, the contraction pushed him out for me. Luckily the nurse was right there and the resident got her gloves on quick enough. The doctor comes running in about 5 seconds later. I could tell he was disappointed for not being there.


• 7:57ish p.m. - Jon cuts the cord and the Doctor puts the baby on my belly. Baby David doesn't even cry. He just looks up at me with his big eyes totally content. For a split second, this makes me a little nervous since I am use to the baby crying immediately. The doctor reassurs me that the baby is completely healthy.

The whole experience was incredibly amazing. I have to say incredibly painful too. More painful than Micah's delivery -- probably because with Micah there was no pitocin involved and I was only in the hospital for an hour before delivering. I had an epidural with Lucas and maybe just maybe I'll have one for the next baby I deliver, which hopefully won't be for awhile. :) You may wonder why I didn't get an epidural for this delivery. Well, I like to be able to have gravity work for me in labor. From the experience I had with Lucas, I am kind of paranoid of having a c-section. Not that I had a c-section with Lucas, but because I came very close to having one. Also, I know that I am strong enough to handle the pain so I just do. Call me crazy...but I already know I am:) hehe.

I have three adorable boys now. I am truly blessed and thankful that I have been given the opportunity and responsibilty to raise these boys. The Lord has given Jon and me the greatest gift of all this holiday season...a baby boy named David Issac along with two healthy brothers Lucas Miles and Micah Montgomery. How grateful we are.