A Birth Timeline

This may be a little too detailed (long and gross) for some, so consider yourself warned.

Saturday 2pm: John took me for a walk. It was only about 2 miles, but he failed to mention the hills, as usual.

It did the trick, though. Later that  night we went to a wedding reception and I had a lower back ache. Between 11:30 and 12 I cleared my system while John fell asleep. I woke him up to brush his teeth and asked him to push on my back. It felt so much better and we crawled into bed.

2:12 AM I heard/felt a thump of some sort and my left leg felt numb. I wondered if it could be my water breaking  and went to the bathroom to check, but there was nothing.

Since I was up, I went ahead and used the bathroom, but while sitting my stomach hardened and hurt. Contraction 1. I told John, but he was still out cold.

Contraction 2 I started moaning, which woke him up. He pulled out his timer.

Contraction 3 I had to focus and breath through. I thought I'd get back in bed and see if they'd stop.

Before I could, 4 hit and I started crying and told John I could not do this all night, it hurt way more than I was expecting.

During 5 and 6 he gave me a blessing.

I walked around a little and he pushed on my back some more, which felt nice but didn't kill the pain any more.

2:48 I call labor and delivery. The contractions are 1 1/2-3 minutes apart and about 30-45 seconds long. Since they're not consistently getting closer or longer and it's only been 30 minutes, the guy on the phone sounds skeptical. He says we can come in and get checked if we want to. 

2:53 I hang up and gather a couple things just in case we get admitted. I'm hoping they'll at least give me a pain shot so I can get some sleep in before things really get going. All hopes for an un-medicated delivery are out the window and John reassures me there's nothing wrong with getting an epidural if I want one.

3:02 I text our moms and Amanda from the freeway and say we're going to get checked and I'll let them know more once we know what's going on. Every car movement hurts and I try not to tense up. Whoever encourages "relaxing" during labor has never been through it. I try not to yell and freak John out, but I can't cry and some just slip out.

3:08 John drops me off at the emergency entrance and goes to park. After a contraction outside I waddle in and say I need department 300 (labor and delivery). As I lean on the wall through another contraction they ask if I'm in labor (really?)

3:10 They ask if I'm by myself and I point outside and say husband. They ask more questions, and I ignore them. John comes in and they make me get in a wheeled cart to take up to 300. I say it hurts to be sitting during contractions, but they say it's too far to walk and the lady says just breathe through it. She asks how long I've been in labor, I look at the clock and say almost an hour. She says well you have a long way to go.

3:15 I get checked into L&D while having 2 more contractions, the second of which I yell though. Everyone looks at me like I'm nuts, I apologize and feel like crying again because I think they're judging me. I feel like a pansy and think they're only placating me so they can keep me from disturbing everyone in the halls again. I don't care anymore, though, I just want a pain reliever. They try to get me back in that darn chair and I refuse so they let me walk across the hall to a room. 

3:17 One nurse asks me to get changed into a gown and I say I need to go to the bathroom first. She says let's check you first and while I have another contraction they strip me down and I get on the bed. I have another contraction once I'm sitting and the doctor says I'm 9 1/2 and can start pushing whenever I feel ready. I reply are you kidding me? Can I get a pain shot or something? She replies something while I get the urge and start pushing. A nurse grabs at my hand to put in an IV, I see the needle and swat her away. She takes it again and during the contraction I squeeze her hand impulsively. She leaves me alone after that. John says he can see the baby's head and I get motivated. 2 painful (and loud) pushes later I ask if he's up or down and the doctor says she can't tell. I'm so defeated thinking he's not even close to coming out and I don't want to push any more because it hurts so much. The next one she says try and go another 5 seconds, which I do and I can feel him moving. I quickly breath and push again, adding a high pitched scream for good measure, push a few more seconds, and voila he's on my chest screaming like his mother. 

3:33 Scott Dean Crapo is born.

 He distracts me while the doctor does her thing and John calls our moms. My blood pressure is high and I have excess bleeding, so the nurse gets her revenge with the IV for some pitocin and magnesium.

4:30 John gets a turn to hold him and his parents arrive.

 The nurse wipes him down and gives him shots. He weighs 7 pounds, 1 ounce, is 19 inches long and absolutely beautiful. 

 He meets his Aunt Amanda, who doesn't get up at 4AM for just anyone.

 He gets loved by his grandma and grandpa

 then his other grandma.

 6 AM: Now that the magnesium gets me good and loopy they take us to a mother/baby room to take in what just happened.

Our new family:

While it's not exactly what I had pictured, everything worked out and we have a perfect little baby to show for it.