There is not much to Jack's birth story. It was a simple, non-complicated, wonderful experience. Yay! The only stressful part was the waiting. gah! those last few weeks of pregnancy are the worst! At my 37 week appointment I saw a doctor in the practice who wasn't my typical doctor. She checked me and told me that I was 2 cm and a good 90% effaced. She also told me that she didn't expect me to make it to my next weeks appointment. Talk about getting your hopes up. I was so excited! I spent that week finishing up projects, and doing some major nesting. But then my appointment day came and no baby. I saw my regular doctor at that visit and she informed me that the previous doctor gossly over estimated my progress...I was like 50-60% effaced and a "tight" 2cm. GAH! So anyways, the next weeks appointments came and went and now I was a day shy of my due date and seriously ready to not be pregnant anymore. At this point I was a "generous" 3cm and 80% effaced. After the exam the doctor was all, "so...we could wait another week to see if you can do this by yourself, OR...I can induce you." ummm... HOW SOON? We set the induction date for Thursday at noon and then I went home on my merry way!
I'm not going to lie, I'm a little disappointed in myself for not allowing my body more time and if that first appointment hadn't had gotten me so geared up not to be pregnant anymore things may have played out differently BUT at the same time I needed pitocin for my previous two births and being able to skip the whole triage thing was really really nice. I'm also a little disappointed we didn't set the induction time for my due date...it snowed in Phoenix that day! How cool would that story have been?
So, I worked my last day of work on my due date and then got up Thursday morning, sent the kids off to school with Matt and did some last minute nesting. Matt took me out for one last baby free meal and then we checked into the hospital. My cousin, Dana was even working that day so she got to be my nurse! totally rad! When I got there my room was all ready and the rest of the day went a bit like this...
12:00pm Checked into Hospital
12:30pm Was in Room doing all the pre-induction stuff...changing, getting comfortable, answering questions
1:15pm Pitocin was in and the Induction began
2:00-5:00pm Pitocin was increasing, pain was increasing, but not bad - felt like the contractions I 'd been having for the past weeks. I got lots of visitors! My mom and Ceri brought the kids by after school and my cousin Clif came by - It was a nice distraction from the meds.
5:15pm Doctor came in to break my water - That cleared the room. No one wanted to be around for that! Ha! I was only at 4cm at this point...gah! seriously?
5:45pm Now the pain was getting intense... The party was definitely over and now the hard stuff was starting
7:00pm GET ME DRUGS! GET ME DRUGS! GET ME DRUGS! I went from 5cm to 7cm in the time it took to order the epidural and get the anesthesiologist there.
7:30pm I'm feeling great! Epidruals are the best. A side note about this epidural...This one was WAY different then my last two. Maybe it was because I only had it for a little over an hour but I never went numb. The only thing it did was take away pain. I could feel all the pressure. I could feel if someone was touching me, I could even lift my legs. It made recovery super easy, I was walking within a half hour after birth...anyways, back to the story. Matt is starving so he goes to the cafeteria to get dinner.
8:00pm Feeling like it's baby time...Sure enough...I'm 10cm and baby's head is right there. Matt better get back fast. And he did, luckily he didn't stay in the cafeteria to eat, but when he got back to the room he had about 5 minutes to scarf something down before the doctor got there. You can tell he's done this before...eating right before a human pops out of your wife...no big thing...
8:20ishpm Doctor is ready - let's do this - 2 pushes later...
8:24pm Jack Clifton Coleman is Born
He was put on my chest immediately and I just remember thinking how perfect he is and how much he looked like his brother and sister.
He was then washed and weighed. Just a little peanut - 7lbs even and 20 inches long. I couldn't believe were were now a family of 5. That still blows my mind.
Once he and I were all cleaned up we had a few late night visitors. My mom, Ceri, and my cousin, Clif, all came to meet Jack.
Before the night was over we were in our recovery room and snuggling our newest addition. He has been pretty chill for the most part. He had a little case of jaundice in his first week but it all resolved itself. He eats like a champ and sleeps like one two. We are so in love with him!
