Birth Story Part 1

WARNING: This is a long post with some very unflattering pictures!

From December 31 on, we started getting antsy to have our baby! We were not-so-secretly hoping for a New Years Baby!  We went for a long walk a Potter's Marsh on New Years Eve day hoping to get labor going.  Unfortunately, there were no signs of labor so we were able to head downtown to enjoy the New Years Eve fireworks and some terrible 80's music.  For the next several days we rested, took care of last minute baby details, and went for walks.  On January 8, we took an extra long walk, including stairs, at the Dimond mall.  We'll never know if it was the walking/stairs that did the trick but that night I went into labor.

I had absolutely no warning that labor was coming.  My Braxton-Hicks contractions were never strong and never patterned.  Peder and I were following our nightly routine of watching the Daily Show and Colbert Report and just after Stephen Colbert signed off, my water broke!  When I say that my water broke, boy oh boy do I mean it!  It was a HUGE gush of fluid and luckily I was sitting on a blanket on the floor when it happened. Peder called Anna, our fabulous doula, who recommended that we head to bed as contractions hadn't started yet and try to get some rest.  

We hadn't been in bed for more than 30minutes when my contractions started and quickly increased in strength and frequency.  I hopped in the shower for some warm water relief and Peder called Anna and asked her to come to the house.  By the time that Anna arrived, my contractions were about 1 minute long and 3-4 minutes apart.  We tried massage and other relaxation techniques but relatively quickly decided that with how fast things were starting that it would be best to head to the hospital. We packed up the car, texted the doctor, and made our way down the bumpy road to the hospital.  It was about 3am.

At the hospital we were quickly admitted to OB Triage.  This was supposed to be a short stop on our way to Labor and Delivery but L&D was extremely busy the night we arrived (come to find out later, Providence delivered 20 babies the day our little guy was born).  I ended up laboring in OB Triage for several hours.  Camille, our amazing doctor, arrived at the hospital around 630am.  She checked my cervix and I was almost fully dilated and it was time to start pushing.  I pushed for several hours in OB Triage to the point that the pain from back-labor (he was OP instead of OA) was excruciating and I was exhausted.  Finally a room in L&D opened and I was wheeled over.  

Laboring

 In L&D we met Dr. Barnett, our very kind anesthesiologist, who administered an intra-thecal block so that I could get some rest.  This was a difficult decision for us as we had hoped to have an unmedicated birth.  Dr. Gohring was on call as Camille's OB attending and was wonderfully supportive of an unmedicated labor but thought I would need rest if I was going to be able to have a vaginal delivery. The hope was that with rest and some position changes we would be able to convince our little man to turn over and descend. We agreed to the block and I was able to rest for about an hour before the anesthetic wore off and it was time to try pushing again.  I pushed and pushed and pushed but our little man hadn't turned (still OP) and refused to descend beyond +1 station.  After several more hours of pushing and no progress, Dr. Gohring suggested that we go to section.  This was a disappointment at the time but I was VERY ready for our baby to be born.  Despite hoping for an unmedicated birth, all we really wanted was a healthy baby and c-section was the way we got there.

I was quickly consented, Peder was given paper scrubs, and we were moved to the L&D OR.  I was given a spinal, prepped, and draped and Peder was able to join me in the OR and sit by my head, holding my hand. Not long after things got going, Dr. Barnett told Peder to stand up and look over the drape because our baby boy was being born!  Once the baby was out he was handed to a NICU NP for a once over.  Peder was able to cut the cord and then was given our beautiful baby boy!  

Ready to move to the OR

Alien baby reaching out of my tummy!!

Peder cutting the cord

Our first family photo

Peder and baby in recovery

After the surgery was over, we were moved to recovery as a family where I was able to cuddle my baby and start breast feeding.  He was beautiful and perfect (admittedly I'm biased)!

Stats:

Name: Elias Alfred Terland

Weight: 7lbs 11oz

Length: 21 3/4 inches

Terland Family