Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Jack's birth story

I know my last post is only at the 20 week marker in my pregnancy...I'll get around to updating it soon- hopefully.....don't hold me to it.

So I better get this in writing before any more lack of sleep causes me to forget it.....not likely but still I know I'll want it in writing. 

It all started on the Friday before my due date (June 22nd- my due date was June 27th), I started having mild menstrual-like cramps that morning, nothing I could really time since it was just this dull, annoying pain.  Around 3ish I called Jason to let him know that I was cramping, just so that he'd be aware of it and more cautious of having his cell phone with him.  Around 3:30 my cramping started to have moments where it would intensify before going back to the annoying,dull pain.  So I found an app that would time contractions....(yep, you read that right- there literally is an app for everything)....once I started timing them they were about 5 minutes apart.  I remember reading about the 5-1-1 rule.....contractions every 5 minutes, lasting for a minute, for the duration of an hour, so I knew I needed to time them for awhile before I could see if we needed to head to the hospital.  I called Jason around 4:15 and told him that I was in a lot of pain and that he should probably head home.  When he got home, we decided that we should go to the triage area of labor and delivery and have them check me to see if I was progressing at all.  (side note: On the Wednesday before this (june 20th) at my 39 week appointment I had FINALLY started to progress and was told I was 1 cm dialated and 50% effaced- not much, but finally some signs of things moving in the right direction!) 
I wanted to get checked out at triage so they could tell me if I was infact dilating more or if I was just experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions (which I hadn't experienced any at all throughout my whole pregnancy- which is why I didn't know if I was in actual labor or not).  Got into triage, they hooked me up to some monitors, and she checked me (read: Holy Smokes!!!! ouch!!!!) and I was a 4!!!! Thank you Lord Jesus! Of course, Dr. Syal was not on call that weekend, so Dr. Everson had to deliver me. 
I was admitted, and into my room around 6:45, got my epidural about 7:20ish and by 8:15 I was 7 cm dialated....things were moving very quickly! About 9:45 they checked me again and I was 10 cm and it was go time.  Started pushing around 10:00, needed the vacuum to help him get out and little Jack Anson Gibbs made his debut at 10:55 weighing in at 6 lbs. 12 oz and measuring 18 3/4 inches (he was a little peanut!!!)

some things that I was not expecting:
*the epidural gave me the shakes....like crazy, uncontrollable shakes. and I felt a warm sensation throughout my body.
*I've never felt the pain during internal checks like I did that night.  I seriously thought some of the nurses and Dr. E were trying to touch my tonsils....sorry for the visual but wow- painful!!!
*it's so cliche but when Jack came out I could not take my eyes off of him, he was gorgeous and so sweet! even with his insane cone head from the vacuum

well there you have it, Jack's birth story. 
Now to update you with pics!