On Saturday, August 27th I woke up feeling heavy but fairly good. My best friend, Emily, was coming to visit before the baby came. As I was getting ready that morning I felt a little weird and noticed I lost my MP! I knew that was a step in the right direction. I blew up Alyssa and Conor, asking them about how much longer after did they go into labor. Their answers varied and even though I wasn't feeling as confident, I kept my eyes on the 28th. I texted Emily and told her she may be here for my labor. We shopped that day, I bought a post-pregnancy dress, and I insisted we walk around as much as possible to get things moving. We had Indian food that night and with no contractions in sight, Darius and I went on a walk. With no progression that evening, I sadly went to bed expecting to show up to work Monday even more swollen.
Sunday, August 28th-
At 2:20am I woke up with "cramps." My naive pregnant self was still associating any type of pregnancy pain with cramps even though it turns out I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks. But when I woke up that morning, it hurt more than usual and I was just going to walk around the house a bit to see if things went away. I sat up in bed and felt a pop. My water broke! Shit was about to get real and I was shockingly calm. I turned on the light and said "Darius, get up. My water broke." His first response? "Should I grab the bug-out bag?" (aka hospital bag). I told him to call the number on our "How to Know if You're in Labor" paper and let the doctor know my water broke. After a few questions, we were told to head to the hospital. I got dressed, had a yogurt, did my makeup (hahahahahahahahahaha), let Gus out and then we were off to the hospital. I started tracking contractions on the way there as they were now actually coming and consistent and at 3 minutes apart I knew this was the real thing. Also - important to note - I thought contractions were so easy to get through at this point and that labor would be a breeze and also epidrual-less. HAHAHA.
I sat laboring at 1cm for HOURS! Let's recap. I was admitted at 3:30am and it's now 11am. No improvements. The doctor suggests to start pitocin and an alternative to an epidural (a shot of a narcotic in the butt) to ease the pain and it would last about 3 hours. Enough time to help me dilate and then, if I wanted, I could receive the epidural. My contractions were still a breeze and I was now convinced I am going to do this epidural-less. HAHAHAHA. So, the narcotic lasted ONE hour and by that time I was in excruciating pain. The pitocin was speeding things up so fast and my contractions were doubling and lasting twice as long. It felt like hours to get through just one and I could NOT escape my own body. The pain went from moans to shrieks to yelling "F***!!!!!!" while grabbing Darius' FACE. An hour later (basically an eternity) the epidural was administered and my life was amazing and I was telling the anesthesiologist, Lorraine, that she's a baby angel. Things started to go well, I couldn't feel jack shit, my family was visiting, I was napping and life was fantastic.
Hours later I was checked and at 4cm. We continued to wait. Hours later I was checked and at 7cm. At this time my doctor begins to suggest a c-section because I was open to infection due to my water breaking. Shortly after, Lincoln's heart rate began to drop - nurses rushed in and injected me with something to stop contractions completely. The pitocin was turned off and I was crying. Everything became waiting game. Thank GOD for those sweet nurses because they saved me from a c-section but due to his heart rate dropping, I was told I would need to roll on each side every 30 minutes to change positions to help the baby. That right there is a very important part to this story. Around - actually I don't know what time but it was super late - I began to feel pain. Not pressure, but pain. The nurses and doctor were confused. I had an epidural, so therefore I should feel pressure but not pain. But I could feel pain and ALL OF IT. I began yanking on Darius' arm, crying, begging, panicking and I was put on oxygen. I began to beg for a c-section just to get this over with but that was now impossible considering I could actually feel everything. The nurses were concerned and called in the anesthesiologist. It's now the night shift. I had gone through three rounds of nurses and three anesthesiologists. This ones name is Israel. And he is a God. He comes in and after deliberation, decides to check my back. Due to me having to roll over and switch positions often, my epidural had FALLEN OUT. YES PEOPLE, I NO LONGER HAD THE AMAZING LIFE SAVING JUICE - I WAS DYING. Like, to those who have never experienced labor - it's nothing like freaking period cramps. It's the WORST pain I have ever felt in my entire life - so much so that I would NEVER wish contractions on my worst enemy and trust me, I am one for some karma. Contractions are HORRIBLE and you feel like your body is being ripped open and I don't know how people give birth without an epidural. Epidurals come from heaven - like babies.
Anyway, after amazing Israel (by the way, we almost changed Lincoln's name to Israel) fixed and gave me a new epidural, everything was grand in the world of labor again. By midnight I was at 10cm and by 12:45 I was pushing. My doctor came in and informed me that with my first baby it would probably take 1-2 hours to get him out and I just was not having that. I had been in labor for 22 hours at that point and I was DONE. 45 minutes of pushing later, and Lincoln was born and in my arms at 1:26am on August 29th. Seeing his face for the first time was the most amazing, surreal feeling in my entire world. I never received the 3D ultrasounds and the last one I had was at 20 weeks so I truly had no clue what little man would look like. He is a mini Darius and I couldn't be more proud to be his mommy.
Lincoln Alexander Cross was born August 29th at 1:26am. He was 8lbs 1oz and 20 inches long.
