My Jolly Life: Zane is here!

He's been here for over a week now... I'm just a slacker with the blogging!!

I have sooo many things I want to talk about, but this first post is is birth story.

It's long, so be prepared. Grab a snack or somethin'...

On Monday, June 17 I had an ultrasound and OB appt. The ultrasound went great as always. At the OB appt, Dr. O told me that my labs from the weekend came back fine, BUT my BP at the appt was high, and at 38 weeks pregnant, there's no reason to mess around with it. He did a cervix check and there was no dilation. He sent me over to OB triage to hook me up to those monitors and watch my BP. It never went down. So after several hours (around 9) and no dinner (you'd think they would have asked if I was hungry before the cafeteria closed... :/ ) they decided to admit me and induce in the AM. Of course, Clint was on nights so he wasn't there yet. He left work, dropped Zoey off at Robin's and got there as soon as he could... with dinner, of course!

At 5AM Tuesday morning, they started me on Cytotek. Cytotek is a pill that they put on my cervix that softens it and gets it dilating. They gave me a new dose every 4 hours. Each time they had to check my cervix. That freaking hurt. Like.. miserably. Ugh, just thinking about it.. Anyway. The Cytotek also caused contractions. Really low abdomen and back contractions. They weren't spaced out like you expect contractions to be. They would come and go, but when they came, they lasted a long time, in waves. Like one would end and the next would start right back up. Eventually they would subside.. usually just in time for the next dose. :/ Tuesday was miserable.

Oh, I forgot to mention, this whole time I'm hooked up to an IV, fetal monitors, a blood pressure cuff and idk what they're called, but they go on my calves and kinda massage to keep blood flow going. So I'm fairly immobile and getting up to pee (hourly) was a hassle. And of course I was peeing in a "hat" which I often overflowed if the nurse wasn't on top of keeping it empty. lol.

My mom made it to town Tuesday evening. Clint's mom did too I believe.

Oh, and Monday night they gave me Potassium through IV because my bloodwork showed it to be low. Potassium through IV freaking hurts!!! Like made me cry. She had to mix it with the fluids or something to make it not hurt. IDK why they don't do that in the first place.

They gave it to me orally Tuesday and IV again on Wednesday or Thursday.

By Tuesday night I was only dilated to "a dimple" I believe. IDK maybe I made it to 1cm by bedtime. Or maybe by morning. Its all kinda a blur now. They did continue the Cytotek through the night so it may have been 1cm by morning. Anyway. Wednesday morning they started me on Pitocin. Pitocin is meant to cause real contractions and really bring on labor. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink while on Pitocin so that part sucked.. Pitocin's contractions were easier than Cytotek's. They actually came and went like you expect them to and they weren't as severe. I was actually able to take a few naps between contractions whereas on Tuesday sleep was near impossible.

With my mom being around, Clint was able to take a break. He went to mom's hotel room for a few hours to shower and nap while mom hung out with me. It was really good for him to have a break.. when he got back he was much more refreshed and more useful to me. lol.

By Wednesday evening I was still only dilated to 1cm and I think 70% effaced (thinning of the cervix). The Dr that was at the hospital that day decided to give me a break! So they took me off the Pitocin and even the fetal monitors and let me eat dinner and take a shower. Then they gave me an Ambien! I really needed that good nights sleep after the two nights before of sleeping like crap!

I was feeling so good after dinner and a shower, that we took a few pictures!

Thursday morning I started the Pitocin early again. After a few hours there was a new on-call doctor. Dr. Feingold. He came in around 8:30 and talked to us. There had still be no change in my cervix and he said that we could keep trying to induce but it wasn't looking like anything was gonna change. He recommended a C section, and by that point, I was feeling ready for it. I couldn't handle a third day of misery, especially knowing that by the end of the day there probably still wouldn't be a baby. Its not what I wanted, of course, but how long could I be in labor?? Clint and I had already known it was likely and had talked about it, so when Dr. F suggested it, we agreed right away. He said we could do it in an hour!

So then it was time to get prepped for that. I had to sign some paperwork, meet the anesthesiologist, learn a little about the procedure, etc. Clint would be allowed in there once the spinal was done. Once Zane was born, they'd hand him over to Clint and I wouldn't be able to hold him yet, but I could see and touch him.

That was the plan..

When I got into the OR (Clint had to wait outside the door for the first part), they had to move my IV. There was some kind of blockage or it wasn't big enough if they needed to do a transfusion or something. So they tried a new spot. Then another. Then another. I believe it was the third one that worked. OUCH. All this time, I'm still having contractions, btw. Once they finally got the IV in, it was time for my spinal. I got poked and poked and poked and it wasn't working.. I think he tried 4 times, 2 pokes each time, I believe. Again, kinda a blur. During these attempts, I was of course having contractions, and being told to arch my back a certain way and of course stay calm. Riiiighht... lol. It was so hard. So so hard. I was leaning all my weight on the nurses, gripping my hand into their hips, probably crying a little. The main nurse I was leaning on ended up being our favorite. Mel. After several minutes of this, I said "I don't think I can do this" and she said I could, and told me to picture Zane's little toes and his hair and things like that.. and it really helped. Gave me something positive, reminded me why I was doing this.

But... after I think 4 attempts to numb me, the anesthesiologist decided to call it. I guess my bones were too close together and he couldn't get the needles deep enough. So I had to be knocked out completely. This changed the plan completely. Now Clint wasn't allowed in there. He had to go wait in the room. Once Zane was born, the nurses brought him to Clint and did his weight and all that.

And this is the part that makes me emotional even now, over a week later, as I type it. We didn't get to see his first breath or hear his first cry. I didn't get to see the look on Clint's face the first time he saw his son. I didn't get to see the first time he held him. No pictures even, because no one informed the moms that plans had changed and Clint was back in our room. So all these firsts, all these important moments, and I missed them. Its just hard.

(These two were taken by Clint, I assume, before I got back to the room.)

When I woke up, I was still in the OR asking if I had a baby, asking if he was okay, and asking where he was. I was told he was fine, and after a few minutes I was asking for water. lol. I got rolled into our room and a nurse was standing near Clint, holding Zane up so I could see him. All I remember about what he looked like at that moment was his full head of hair.

Of course I was still loopy at this point.

Once my bed was in place and locked down, Clint brought Zane over to me and I was able to hold him for the first time. My heart was so full.

We had nurses take a few pictures.

It was around this time that I asked for the stats! Zane was born perfectly healthy! He weighed 7lbs 6oz and was 20 inches long! His head was 14 1/4 inches around. He was born at 10:35AM

It wasn't long at all until they had me and Zane skin to skin and had me nursing. What an incredible feeling!!

The moms were allowed in the room after I'd been back for 2 hours, so we had a little bit of time just the three of us.. and a bunch of nurses. lol.

Here's some pictures from our time with Zane in the hospital!

Clint was so good with him right off the bat. He blew me away.

^^ Looks like this one was after a shower! Probably close to going home time. ^^

Zane was ridiculously easy to care for those first 24 hours or so. He mostly slept. And it may have seemed easier than it was because I wasn't allowed to get up. So when he needed something Clint, Mom or a nurse had to do it. It was actually kinda sad for me when they changed his first diaper. I didn't get to even see. They gave him his first bath and I had an obstructed view. Things like that made me sad. But I know none of that really matters. He's healthy!!

After surgery, I was still having some issues with my blood pressure. They had to check and medicate every 4 hours until they got it in the safety zone where they wanted it. After that it stayed down pretty well.

On Friday morning, Jenn came to visit and do his first photo shoot! Here's a preview.

(I'll post the rest at the end of the entry. )