Julian's Birth

Well I finally got around to typing this all out. I thought it would be a cool thing to have all the details for later when I forget how it all went down. (Later...like next month.) And this way I can tell Julian what his mommy dearest went through to bring him into this world when he's being naughty. :)

We went in for my scheduled induction Saturday morning, October 11th at 7:30 am. They got me all settled in and started my first tablet of Cytotec. After four hours, not much had happened, other than contractions that were only visible on the monitors, but they were starting to become regular. I really didn't feel any of them.

Four hours later, they gave me my second dose of the Cytotec and things got more interesting. I started to feel my contractions and an hour or so later, my water broke. Things just got downright uncomfortable from there. I was only 2 centimeters and only slightly effaced, but the contractions kept coming closer and closer together.

After about an hour, I was 100% effaced and in quite a bit of pain; but still only 2 centimeters. I labored for about another hour (I think) with contractions that were one on top of the other and very painful. There was a period of time right before I got my epidural that I was crying from unbearable contractions, there were about 6 nurses in my room trying to get the magnesium sulfate drip to work correctly, and taking my blood pressure with a cuff that had a hole in it so it just kept inflating and inflating until my hand was huge and purple. Mitch was helping me breathe through all my contractions and helping try to keep me calm.

Finally, I got to 5 centimeters and the anesthesiologist came in to give me the epidural. I really didn’t think I could take another minute of contractions. There was just no downtime between them; the pain was constant. With all the hubbub in my room between the nurses trying to fix the mag drip, get a blood pressure without exploding my hand, the epidural going in, and my pain—Mitch hit a wall. One of the nurses looked at him and said, “Are you feeling okay?” He was white as a ghost. He admitted that no, he wasn’t feeling well and they got him out of there for a few minutes. I was worried about him and hoping he wasn’t going to pass out…or leave me for very long!

While he was out in the hall with our families, my epidural was finished and started to take effect. It was heavenly! I felt like I had made it and could really get though the rest of this now. Things calmed down a lot, most of the nurses left and I could lie down comfortably.

However, the calm didn’t last long. Apparently my blood pressure went way down after getting the epidural and the baby’s heart rate did as well. The next thing I knew, Dr. Terrell was standing over me and telling me that we were going in for a c-section. Things were pretty fuzzy for me during all this, but the next thing I knew I was in an operating room with a sheet in front of my face and the nice anesthesiologist was standing over me talking to me and telling me everything would be fine.

As soon as Mitch had come back into my room, the nurses had handed him a sterile jumpsuit and told him we were going to operate. The baby’s heart rate dropped even further once we got into the OR, so Dr. Terrell had to start the operation without Mitch! He came in just after he made the cut and sat next to me. I can’t remember if we talked or how long it took, but it seemed like a just second later, my baby was here!

I remember looking over and the nurse sitting him up so I could see him. He was so beautiful and it was so surreal to finally see his face. I couldn’t believe he was really here. My first thought was that he looked like DJ. And then I saw all his hair! I thought it was curly, like Dad’s, but it turns out it was just wet. Mitch and I looked at each other and agreed he was indeed going to be named Julian.

Then after what only seemed like a couple minutes (I was probably sleeping), they wheeled me out and to my room. It was so cool because there were so many family members there, lining the hallway, and I got to see all the smiling faces of loved ones as they wheeled me though. It was very comforting.

The next time I woke up, Mitch was handing me my son. We just looked at him together in disbelief and love. It was the best moment of my entire life and I was overwhelmed with thankfulness for such an amazing husband, beautiful baby, and loving family.