Love, multiplied.: Odin David

Well, Baby O is obviously here. Things have been crazy and I have been trying to get the energy to blog because I don't want to forget all the details about these first few weeks, but it is hard with an adorable baby to snuggle!

This photo was taken 2 days before delivery, 1 day before I went into labor

2 days before I turned 39 weeks.

Monday, the 16th, I continued to have what I thought was more false labor. This time, though, things were getting worse and didn't let up. So, that night Liam and I went in to the hospital. I was progressing VERY VERY slowly. I labored for a few hours, walking, in the tub, on the ball. I still did not believe I was in labor, but the nurses wanted me to stay over night to try and get some rest before I had the baby (which they believed I would within the next 24-48 hrs.) So, they gave me something to sleep and for the pain. I was apprehensive about taking the medications because they were kinds that made you loopy, but after Liam and I were given some time to decide, we decided to go for it because I knew I would not be able to sleep through the contractions without it. So, status as of the end of an entire day of laboring at home: Still pregnant.

Tuesday, the 17th I woke up still pregnant. Damn. Contractions were still there and getting more painful as time went on. Upon being checked, we found that I was still progressing, but again VERY slowly. The doctor came in and gave us a few options. We ended up deciding to add pitocin to the mix to expedite labor a bit. This was a very hard decision for me. I had always wanted to avoid pitocin and anything "inducing" labor because I wanted Odin to come into the world when he was ready. But, I was not being induced. I was in labor, it was just taking much much longer than expected. At this point, I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes lasting over a minute. They were incredibly painful, obviously. I wasn't sure I would last if labor continued to progress as slowly as it had been. My blood pressure was also up along with some swelling. So, that added to the decision. They started the pitocin around 11am and a couple hours later, at 1pm, Dr.Konradi broke my water. This was such a surreal moment for me. I knew, once the water was broken, there was no going back—I would be having a baby. I also had no idea they would be breaking it so soon in the laboring process considering at this point I was only about 3-3.5cm dilated. When she broke my water, it felt so weird. And gross. It just kept coming. It wasn't one big gush, the end. My belly felt slightly deflated. I started wondering, How was baby moving around in there without his water to swim in? Was he scared? Confused? I tried to send lots of calming and loving thoughts to baby. I tried to stay out of bed as much as possible to try to get labor to progress. I had previously thought that the yoga ball would be my preferred laboring position, because I had used it a lot for relief when I was pregnant. No way was that thing comfortable during labor. I liked walking around in between contractions. When a contraction hit, I would either lean on a wall or Liam would hold me up. I also like straddling a chair. I could feel it opening my pelvis. The contractions were continuing to get more and more intense.

This was a photo Liam took of me in between contractions while I was on the chair.

As the contractions got closer together, they also got more and more intense. I was now having less than a minute break in between each agonizing contraction. Now, I had mentally prepared myself for a natural birth. We had done studying and had learned the breathing and relaxing techniques. But, I have never been set on anything. Because I had never experienced birth, and I really wanted to enjoy and look back with nothing but good feelings, both Liam and I had decided to not really have a birth plan other than going with whatever felt right at the time. I can tell you, at this time, a natural birth no longer felt right. I had turned down the epidural about 20 minutes before I decided to call the nurse back in to call anesthesia to get that needle in there, stat! The entire process of the epidural seemed to take forever, I am unsure how long it actually took. I am pretty good with needles, but the whole 'going in the spine' thing, freaked me out! As soon as the epidural took effect, I no longer felt my contractions. I could feel my belly tighten, and I could move my legs and feel the baby, but I no longer felt pain.

Around 7:30 pm, I was checked by my nurse. I was only 4.5 cm dilated. At this point, I had been in the hospital for over 24 hours. I had been laboring a day and a half, including the laboring I did at home. I couldn't believe how slow things were moving- especially considering the fact that I had been given pitocin over 8 hrs prior to this to try and speed things up. I decided to try and take a nap since the odds that it was going to be another 6 or so hours was pretty high. I finally found a comfortable position with all the wires and cords and monitors I was hooked up to when I started feeling very painful pressure. It came in the waves of my contractions. I told the nurse this and she stayed in the room through a few of the contractions to watch my reaction. She couldn't believe I was in so much discomfort with my contractions with the epidural. So, even though it had been less than an hour since my last cervical check (she was going to wait till 2 hrs), she decided to check me. She looked at me and said, "Well, you are a 9 and a half." I thought she was joking and I wanted to punch her. Not a funny joke to tell a woman who has been in labor for as long as I had been at this point. But sure enough, I had gained 5 cm in less than an hour!

Things moved really fast at this point. It was all kind of a blur. Within minutes, Dr.Konradi was in the room asking me if I was ready to push.

The whole time, Liam coached my pushing with counting. The nurses and doctor kept telling me how great my pushes were. She said that for a first time mom, I was doing awesome. I always thought that with an epidural, I would need to be told when to start and stop pushing. But, I could feel everything. I was setting the pace for delivery. Or, Odin was. Every push, I could feel him move down. I also thought that with an epidural, I wouldn't be in pain other than the dreaded ring of fire at the end. I was wrong about that, too. Pushing was painful and exhausting. The hardest work out I have ever done. And then, just as it got so hard that I was sure I wouldn't be able to continue, I felt this huge sensation of relief of pressure. I felt my baby come out. Then, I opened my eyes and Liam was putting our baby on to my chest.

I just stared at this tiny thing Liam had handed me. My first thought was to turn him so I could see his face. My second thought was, "Holy crap, he has so much hair." My third thought was, "Why hasn't he cried?!" I asked this question a couple times before all of a sudden, my baby let out a huge wail. At that point, I lost it.

I had waited my whole life to hear this voice. I had day dreamed for months about this precious babe, and he was now healthy, in the world, in my arms. I just stared into his eyes. There was no way THIS is what had been inside of me all these months. Liam and I couldn't stop touching, kissing, staring. He was perfect. He had the most perfect, pouty lips you have ever seen. His skin was flawless, no bruising or anything from delivery. His nose was no squished the way so many babies are when they are vaginally delivered. And he was incredibly alert. He just stared at me. I immediately tried to get my gown down so he could go straight to my skin. I sat there for what seemed like both one second and 12 hours all at the same time, just kissing his head and touching him, all while the OB and nurses delivered the afterbirth and stitched me up.

Such a Surreal Moment.

Liam cutting the cord.

Maiers Three.

Daddy and his baby.

After everyone had a chance to meet him and hold him, we asked all of our guests to leave. I then breastfed him for the first time. He knew exactly what he was doing. Perfect latch from day one.

Putting O in my gown again for first time breast feeding.

After I fed him, I got up to take a shower. This part of the story still makes me a little sad. The nurse did not read our birth preferences, apparently, and started bathing Odin without any permission or check in with us. We had originally wanted the bath to be delayed and we did not want to use soap. Liam was right there and kind of pushed his way in to doing the bath, thank goodness. But, I missed his first bath and it wasn't done to our preferences. Also, while I was in the shower, they weighed and measured him.

7lbs, 12 oz. 20 inches Long. His head circumference was 13.5.