Monday the 31st of January my mom Reagan and I headed to Tulsa to go to the doctor to get things started in bringing Clayton into this world. I halfway expected to walk in and be told I was still at a three like the week before and be "stripped" and sent to walk the mall until contractions start. Much to my surprise we went into the doctor and I was already at a five so no need to go walking. So my amazing doctor "stripped" me and we went to the hospital. I know that a lot of you are probably wondering what being "stripped" means and let me tell you it is NO FUN! It is quite painful but I must say it did the trick to get labor going somewhat with both children. A brief explanation would be that pretty much the doctor separates your bag that contains everything from the uteren (spelling?) wall. To answer your question yes this separation is as painful if not more than it sounds. At this point we get checked in and its about 1:00 pm or so. I am hooked up and ready to go. This is when the waiting game begins. My contractions slowly started getting a little stronger and closer together but I was still doing good. Then about 2:00 the back labor began, which I had with Hudson and must say it is no fun either. I decide at this point that now would be a good time to ask for my epidural. This is when it gets fun.
Having my water broke before my epidural with Hudson I thought it would be a great idea to get that in before my doctor came by around 5:00 to break it herself. They get everything ready, set the tray the doctor will use to insert the amazing drugs and take my blood. About fifteen to thirty minutes later the nurse comes in and politely asks if I have ever had a blood clotting disorder or platelet problems. I had not so this sent me into a panic. The nurse of course can't tell me anything and just says they are going to take more blood to run another test. At this point I turn to my wonderful friends and family in the room and tell them to look up what that means now in my nicest voice possible:) They look up and say well you may not be getting an epidural. At this point my fear turns from I may have to have a c-section to I CANNOT give birth naturally. I then turn to Reagan, my mother, Mandi, and Jill and say "Everybody in this room better hope I have an epidural" that was followed by three of the four laughing. Jill was the only sweet person in the room who did not laugh at the fact that I would not be getting one. Little did I know that they all knew I wouldn't be and no one wanted to tell me this small fact.
Around 5:00 pm, still not knowing for sure about the epidural, my sweet doctor comes in to break my water. I politely say, "can we please wait until we know for sure whether I am getting an epidural or not?" she responds, "honey we have to have a baby today" that is when it hit me that I would not be having any assistance in having this baby. She then breaks my water at about 5:10 and I am still a 5-6. This is when in the words of Travis Sloat "it gets real". After the water breaking was the first time I snapped at my precious husband. He was on the other side of the room and bless his heart I was in so much pain that grabbing the bed rail was not helping and I needed something that would push back. I asked where he was followed by a polite get over here now:) Who am I kidding, it was not very polite. The pain continued to get closer and worse and I was doing my best to breathe through them, not having any birth classes I was just flying by the seat of my pants. I was breathing so hard that my throat kept getting so dry it would feel like I was going to throw up. This is one of the times Mandi was a life saver. I would just say I need water and she would bring it right over so I could take a drink and it would be better for a bit. The next funny thing was said when I told him this was not part of the birthing plan. Shortly after I did look at my husband and tell him that I didn't know where that came from because I never had a formal birthing plan. Mandi will say that yes I did because for anyone that knows me I try to plan everything out but I still stick to the fact that I did not have one written out and discussed with my doctor, lol.
At a little before 5:30 my doctor comes in and tells me she is going to leave and will be right back, due to the fact that I am in so much pain I can't say much to her she decides to check me again. I was already at an 8 and she responds that we are about to have a baby. This is when the panic starts to set in again about going at this without any drugs. My mother at this point comes over and starts patting my arm. I then grab her hand and tell her stop please, she could squeeze or just lay her hand there but soft touches were NOT allowed at this point. This is when she turns to Mandi and says "she didn't like that". I didn't know but Mandi had a great idea of rubbing my back to help with the back labor but no one wanted to come and try it because they were afraid they would get their head bitten off and I don't know why, Lol. That is a lie, I totally know why they thought that. After I did tell Mandi that a hard back rub would have probably helped just no soft touches. This is when things really turned up, I was in so much pain that I kept just thinking I have to push, this has to be over now.
At this point I ask to start pushing and I am laying on my back waiting on everything to be ready and the little labor and delivery nurse starts doing this soft, rubbing, grabbing, thing with the loose skin on my stomach and it was driving me absolutely nuts. First a little side note of this precious nurse. She would come in all through the labor and say you can do this, one contraction at a time, you are doing so good, its not that bad, etc. At one point I wanted to look at the cute little face with her preciously annoying voice and say have you ever had kids? But I refrained. However when she was messing with my stomach I finally had to ask if there was a reason she was doing that? In my mind I am thinking if there is a medical reason I will put up with it if not she needs to stop. When she replied, "no" I said then stop. That was probably one moment where I thought I was rude but when I talked with her after and apologized she kindly said that I was not rude at all and that was not the worse thing she had heard:) This nurse had also told me that when the baby was ready to come out I would feel a deep burning sensation and it would be over. I wish she had never said this because then the entire time I was pushing Johnny Cash's "Burning Ring of Fire" kept playing through my head, not cool.
The pushing part went really fast. I was at an 8 at 5:30 and I went to complete and pushed him out in fourteen minutes for a birth time of 5:44. I can remember pushing and they kept telling me he is almost here he is almost here. I finally said is he really? I am the person that needs to be shot straight in a situation like this. I kept thinking don't tell me that if I have an hour of pushing left. My doctor looked at me and said he would be here if I gave a good ten second push. I was never more determined in my life when that next contraction came I pushed with all of my might and just though if I could get his head out she can pull him the rest of the way! So I push and mind you while I am pushing my husband and mother have so kindly stepped by my head and have left the nurse and Mandi to hold my legs:) Which I must say major props, they did an amazing job! I gave that last hard push and laid back sure that I was done until I heard my mom say no keep pushing. Then with one last push Clayton Mark entered this world two week early weighing 7 lbs 4 oz and measuring 21 inches. I was so glad that the pain was over and he was here and healthy.
There were no really exciting or dangerous moments. Mandi did tell me that he came out blue with the cord around his neck but the doctor removed it so quickly and got him crying that I didn't notice:) His little face was bruised from being delivered so quickly but that healed up fairly quick. It was an amazing experience and I am glad to say that I can survive a natural delivery but I do know that having it both ways I would rather have the epidural! I would not have changed anything about the situation including the people who shared in his birth.
Hudson came up to meet his baby brother that night and has been head over heels for him ever since! He loves Clayton and is always quite worried when he cries and wants to hold him quite a bit when he is not too busy playing. Here are a few pictures from that special little day:)
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