Instead, I got to bed about midnight (there’s no rush to get to sleep if you know your slumber won’t be very satisfying anyway), then had a more-restless-than-usual few hours dotted with strange dreams that incorporated waves of increasing discomfort. At 3 a.m., I woke up to make my nightly pilgrimage to the bathroom. As I waddled forth, half asleep, I realized that the waves of discomfort in my dreams were still flowing and becoming less tolerable. I woke myself up more fully as I recognized that I was in labor. I began to time contractions on my phone, measuring the interval from the start of one contraction to the start of the next. They ranged from 4 to 8 minutes apart.
Because I was expecting my fourth baby, and baby number two came exceptionally quickly, I knew I didn’t have much time to play with. I woke Shawn and told him it was time to go to the hospital. He bolted awake. “Right now?” … Yeah … As Shawn jumped up and threw on a jacket, jeans and a hat, I gathered a few last minute things into my pre-packed hospital bag (thankfully I had the presence of mind to remember my pills and makeup—ha!) and woke up my babysitter. It is wonderful having a 10-year-old little mama in the house. I told Charlotte we were going to the hospital to have the baby, and I asked if she would feed and watch over her brothers when they woke up. She was excited and happy to help. And I didn’t have to knock on neighbors’ doors in the middle of the night, looking for a sitter!
A few minutes later, I was getting set up in a labor and delivery room; It was, in fact, the same room we’d viewed on our hospital tour just four days earlier. The nurse initiated the fetal monitor, checked my dilation (6-7 centimeters) and attempted to start an IV. After an eternity of struggles sticking the IV, which would leave me with weeks of bruising in my hands, it was hooked up. Then, they announced it was time to call the anesthesiologist. My husband was annoyed they hadn’t called sooner, but I wasn’t surprised. I was nervous, however, that I wouldn’t have time for the epidural before I needed to push. It always feels like the longest stretch, anticipating the anesthesiologist and waiting of the epidural process to deliver relief.
Deacon was startlingly quiet at birth, which had me worried. A couple of pediatric people came in and worked on him in the corner. They cut the cord and sucked out a bunch of fluid so Deacon could breathe better and get in a good cry. They wiped him off and brought him back to me so we could get our skin-to-skin time. There is no joy like meeting your little one for the first time. I was so grateful to receive that beautiful, healthy boy! So much relief and love.
Stats:
Name: Deacon Ray Butler
Birthdate: June 18, 2017 (Father’s Day!)
Time of birth: 5:44 a.m.
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, UT
Weight: 8 pounds, 7 ounces
Length: 21 inches
Send us your birth story! Whether you had a home birth, hospital birth, 37-hour labor or emergency C-section, we’d love to read the tale of your little one’s grand entrance. Write up your birth story (click here for tips on getting started) and email it, along with a few photos, to birthstory@pnmag.com. We’ll share it on our Birth Day blog and may even print it in an upcoming issue!
SOURCE:http://www.pnmag.com/h-s/timing-is-everything-the-birth-of-deacon/