Surprise ... Early Delivery!!

WARNING: This post is about Briggs arrival, including UNCENSORED labor and delivery details!

Sept 24th was just a typical fall football Saturday for David and I, we went out first to find David some new jeans and run a few errands.  On the way home we picked up some good football food and settled in for the Clemson and Carolina games.

In hindsight we either had a premonition something was going to happen or maybe our actions got things started!  During halftime of the Clemson game, David and I knocked out a few things on my to-do list.  We installed the carseat and then put together the stroller.  As we settled into the Carolina game, David had a few beers and made the comment that pretty soon he ought to not drink so that I wouldn't end up having to driving myself to the hospital.  Of course, I was only 36 weeks at this point, so we were talking at least a week if not more before this was a concern, right!?

I started to drift off to sleep during the Carolina game, so I headed off to bed around 9:30.  David stayed up for more football and came to bed around midnight.  Around 1:45 I started my nightly ritual of bathroom breaks.  During my first trip, I realized I had wet myself a little.  Whoops, this hadn't happened to me yet, but I had read this could happen so ... I changed and went to bed.  Around 2:30 I woke up and realized I had done it again.  So, I changed again and settled back in wondering what was going on.  The thought did cross my mind that this was something, but I brushed it off.  Just a few minutes later, I had a bit larger drip.  When I went to the bathroom this time, I turned on the light and realized my leak was also bloody.  AHHHH!!!  What does that mean!?!?  There just wasn't enough fluid for me to really think this was my water breaking, I expected that would be more of a gush.

So, I turned on the lights in the room and pulled out my pregnancy book trying to figure out what was happening.  Even though it was 2:45am, I tried calling Krista.  She actually was on a trip to St Louis with Rick's family, but knowing her vampire lifestyle I thought I might be able to get her, but no answer.  So I started to wake David up.  He wasn't happy I was waking him up and it took a minute for it to settle in when I told him I think we need to go to the hospital.  David had me call the hospital and I talked to an L&D nurse who said we should come on in.  So we got up and started trying to get our things together.  Prior to all this, I had started to pack a bag, but there were probably only 5 items in it at this point!  So, we threw stuff together and headed out the door.

Thank goodness it was 3:20am when we left, there was no one on the roads which just might have pushed David over the edge!  On the car ride, I came to the conclusion that this was definitely my water breaking.  In the meantime, we made a few phone calls to wake up the grandparents.  We arrived at the hospital around 3:50, checked in and headed up to L&D.  The nurses laughed a little realizing I was the girl who had just called.  They got me in a room, changed and settled in the bed.  For the next hour we went through lots of questions, paperwork and started IV's.  At this point I was just barely 1cm dilated and about 70% effaced, so the doctor on call (Dr. Mizzoli) ordered a pitocin drip to start.  I was having contractions about every 3 - 5minutes, but I wasn't even feeling them.  I really just thought it was Briggs pushing on me.  We knew this might be a long day so we both tried to sleep a little.  David was more successful than I was as the nurses were in every 15-30 minutes. 

Things progressed slowly that morning, so they kept ramping up the pitocin drip.  The contractions started getting a bit more intense and by 11am I was miserable.  I was only 3cm and couldn't start the epidural until I was 4cm so the nurse offered some IV pain meds.  I wasn't sure if this was going to delay things, so I had David call Krista who said DO IT.  They came in and started those in my IV.  Immediately they kicked in and I was D-RUNK!  I had to truly focus to talk to the nurses and to my parents phone calls.  They did allow me to get some sleep though!!  My parents were hitting the road by noon and Krista was able to book a flight that would arrive by 7:45pm.  By around 2pm I was starting to wake up, but thank GOD there was very little pain during contractions.

Around 4pm, I was finally 4cm and the epidural was ordered.  I was a little nervous about this part, but it wasn't bad at all and immediately I was numb.  Shortly after, my parents arrived.  We got everyone updated and just sat and talked for a bit.  The nurse didn't want to speculate, but sort of gave us the nod that this baby probably wouldn't arrive until later into the evening.  Given that, my parents decided they were going to head to the house to drop off some stuff, get some food, and tend to Logan. 

Just before 6pm, the nurse came in to give me a check and HOLY COW, I was fully dilated!  This was totally unexpected so while she buzzed the doctor who was in a surgery and David called my parents to TURN AROUND!  They stopped the pitocin at this point and attempted to get me to labor down.  My parents walked back in the door at 6pm and shortly after the nurse wanted me to get start pushing.  So dad headed to the lobby and David and mom assumed their positions.  With the nurse, we did 3 or 4 sets of pushes (each about 3 pushes) to prep for the doc.  I started to wonder if David was going to be able to hang, he was getting a little queezy and kept giving me "the look".  Also during this time, the nurse told us that this boy had a full head of hair!

The doctor and her entourage came in shortly after and that's when things got rolling.  Again, we did about 3 or 4 sets of pushes and having NO feeling below my waist, I had no idea how quickly things were going.  David had gotten a little brave at this point and was starting to take some peeks at what was happening.  I was just finishing up a set of pushes when I heard David say, "LOOK" and there he was (6:45pm)!  The doctor lifted Briggs up high enough that I could see him.  I'm not sure how to describe this moment.  Up until now, I was so focused on laboring and just really felt like everything was so medical.  At that moment, the emotions rushed through me and I was seriously taken by surprise.  I immediately started pouring tears down my face, and the first words that came out of my mouth were, "it's a baby!"  (The nurses loved this comment by the way!)  I looked over and David was absolutely taken with emotions too. 

David had opted out of cord cutting much earlier in the process, so mom stepped up and took care of this.  As soon as he was free, they placed him on my chest for just a moment and then took him over to the warmer.  Since Briggs was what they call "pre-term" there was someone from the nursery there to check him out too.  Everything was great though, he weighed in at 6lbs, 15oz and measured 19in long!  The hospital staff all said if the paperwork didn't state he was pre-term, they would think he was full-term.  I say, THANK GOODNESS we didn't go to 40 weeks!!

Here are Briggs' first pictures ...

Getting checked out by the nursery

Proving that his lungs are just fine!

Weight check

We all love this picture of David & Briggs.  

They both are looking at each other like they 

aren't sure what to think of this situation!!

Briggs & Mommy

 

About an hour after Briggs was born, they moved us all over to the mother-baby suite, then shortly after Aunt Krista arrived.  She was disappointed not to have made it for the delivery, but she stayed with me for quite awhile the first night so David could go home and pick up the things we didn't grab in our panic.  She was a huge help as it took quite awhile for the epidural to wear off and I was pretty exhausted. 

David returned sometime after midnight and we settled in for our first night.   Things went pretty well, he ate well and really slept well too.  Thank goodness because none of us were prepared for all that was ahead of us on Day 2.