Well it's official...I am no longer prego! That's right! Little Wesley Oliver has graced us with his arrival at last! It was a little bit of a surprise because he was a week early though. I had a regular scheduled doctor's appointment last Monday and wasn't feeling any contractions or anything, so I figured we still had some time before I went into labor. At my appointment, my blood pressure was really high and my feet and legs were extra swollen, so my doctor sent me downstairs for some tests. During the testing, I had an ultrasound and found out my fluid levels were low, so the doctor decided to admit me. I was started on something called Cytotec to help my cervix finish ripening since I wasn't dialated yet. This was given to me every 4 hours so it made the first night a little uneventful. The doctor and nurses thought it would go into effect by the next morning, so they were sure they would be inducing my labor on Tuesday, but that wasn't the case. The Cytotec hadn't really affected my cervix enough, so instead they let me eat and decided to start another round of Cytotec later in the day. The first time I was given the Cytotec, I was given all 4 doses, but the 2nd time, I only had to have 2 doses because it actually made an improvement. By the second dose, I was dialated to a 1, so my labor was induced. At 9am, I was started on Pitocin to start my contractions and my water was broken.
Once the Pitocin was started, it seemed to me that my contractions started shortly after. This part was an interesting experience for me because I had really been curious what they felt like. They weren't really bad at this point either, so it was tolerable. As the contractions got worse, I tried some pain medication, but it seemed like my contractions were getting more and more painful, so eventually I opted to try an epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and got started with that, and I have to say that was not as painful as I expected either. It may have been because my contractions were every couple minutes so it was easier to focus on that instead, but I'm not sure if it would have been bad even if they weren't.
At about 4:30, my contractions had progressed to the point of me needing to push. Since my legs were numb, my mom and Jase got to hold my legs and my dad was behind me helping me push myself up. I didn't expect him to hang around for that part, but he really was such a trooper and I was so proud of him! Now my moment of weakness kicked in...pushing was really really hard for me and I kept getting frustrated. I got to watch my labor in a mirror that was on the ceiling and I was getting mad because everyone could see the baby's head and I couldn't. I was also getting really tired and worn out from the pushing (I'm kinda wimpy when it comes to stuff like that). At one point, I actually took a break and said I wanted a C Section. My nurse, Tracy, was absolutely amazing and got me back on track with the pushing and in no time, I could see my baby's head. At this point, the doctor came in, took the puzzle piece off the end of my bed and got ready to deliver the baby. Once I could see his head, it really got me motivated and I think I pushed harder than ever and poof! The doctor pulled the rest of him out, and layed him on my tummy.
Looking at my baby for the first time, was so overwhelming and I just started crying! What an amazing experience to be able to grow a baby inside my tummy and bring a new person into the world. I knew it would be awesome, but I don't think women ever really think about it until they are personally experiencing it. I know I didn't. Wesley was taken and weighed, while the doctor stitched me up. At this point, I realized that although I had an epidural, I completely forgot about the magic button to release the meds! It must have worn off because I was no longer numb while being sewn up haha. I realized that I must be stronger than I think I am. I only pushed for a little over an hour, and delivered a baby and got stitched while not numb and the pain really wasn't unbearable.
The only other problem we have had so far, is my "baby blues". When we were able to come home, I had depression and anxiety kick in, which made things very difficult for me. I had panic attacks in the middle of the night, didn't sleep well, and woke up every morning not being able to sleep anymore for the day. I wasn't able to take naps even though I was so exhausted and was constantly worried about being home alone with the baby. Luckily, Jase was able to work from home this week, and my mom has leave at her job, so they were both able to hang out with me and help me feel comfortable. I had seen a couple different doctors and given some medication, but it didn't seem to be helping and my anxiety was getting worse. I called to talk to my doctor about the problem, and she wasn't there so I ended up talking to one of the nurses there. Although I know they were looking out for my best interest, I was mad they weren't helping me deal with the issue, so I talked to a doctor at our other medical center. I was given some Ambien to help me sleep, and for the past couple of days, I have felt so much better. I haven't had a panic attack, have actually been able to nap during the day and have felt ok about being home during my maternity leave. I was also given a remote healing by some close family friends and their Rykie (don't think I spelled that right) group, which I truly believe also helped me. I feel great again today, and I'm hoping to be good to go for Monday when Jase has to go back to the office. Wish me luck!
Now that I've talked so much about myself and the delivery, I should probably talk about Wesley. I'm a little biased, but I think he's the most beautiful little boy in the whole world and I absolutely adore him. He was 6 lbs 8 oz and 19 inches long, has a little brown hair and blue grey eyes, which I think will turn brown eventually. He is starting stay awake more during the day, which is awesome since he's only a week old. I've already nick named him squeaker because he really doesn't cry a lot, he just squeaks. One of my favorite things he does is sneezes. He always lets an adorable sigh after each one and it just makes my heart smile. I look at him and he really warms my heart. Here are some pics of my new little miracle.....


In his carseat, ready to go home!
First night home, chilling on his nursing pillow
