Rowan's Birth Story

On September 14th 2 weeks and 5 days before my due date I woke up at 5am to go to the bathroom. I sat up in bed half awake and felt a gush of water come out. I thought, "Did my water just brake or did I just wait too long to get up to pee and now I wet myself????". I still felt the need to drain my bladder so I went to the bathroom to pee then stood up to pull up my pants and more water gushed out all over. At that moment I knew for sure it was my water but still only half awake I was in a little bit in shock. I went back in the bedroom woke up Keaton and told him my water just broke and we needed to go to the hospital. He was surprised and concerned because it was so early. I called my mom to let her know my water broke and that we needed to go to the hospital and asked her if she could come over and watch the kids who were still in dream land. She said okay and we got off the phone. As I started to wake up and pack my hospital bag I realized I wasn't having contractions and maybe I didn't need to go right away. I called my mom back and told her to wait a bit and I'd call the hospital to see if I really needed to go yet. I did and they said they wanted me to come in even though I wasnt having contractions. I called mom back to let her know and finished packing my hospital bag with a towel between my legs because I was still regularly gushing water out. Then I got a pad so I could get dressed and I soaked through that super fast and had to get two more before we left. As soon as mom got to our house we left for the hospital at around 6:30am. We got there checked in and they checked me to make sure that it was amniotic fluid I was leaking and that my water really did break. It was positive and so they said I would be staying. Then they checked my cervix which I guess is really far back so it makes it crazy painful when they check me and the first nurse couldn't tell how far I was dilated. She guessed a 4, but because she wasn't sure she brought in an older nurse to check and as it turned out I was only at a two which is what I was at my last doctors appointment. I was really disappointed realizing this was going to be another long labor! I still wasn't contracting and wanting to go all natural so they called my doctor and she said I could wait until 9am for the contractions to start and if they haven't started by then to start me on pitocin. So Keaton and I started walking the hallways, walking, walking, and walking..... And sadly nothing changed... So at 9 am they started me on a low dose of pitocin at a 2 and my contractons started. A little while later they came in and turned up the pitocin to a 4 and the contractions got closer together and a little more intense and a little while after that she turned it up again to a 6 where they got really intense and were coming one right after the other. Every contraction I was having the baby's heart rate would drop so they wanted me to lay in my side and moniter me constantly. My original plan to labor naturally consisted of not having cords attached to me (the iv with the pitocin drip) and to be able to get up and move, get in the Jacuzzi, use the labor ball etc. At one point I had to get up and go to the bathroom and of corse I had to bring the whole iv pole with me, my contractions were so intense and so I leaned on Keaton and just swayed and it helped a ton and I thought I could do this if I wasn't stuck laying on the bed on my side!  My hopes of going natural were destroyed as I was not prepared to lay in one uncomfortable position for hours while in emence pain I decided enough was enough and I was in so much pain from those super strong pitocin contractions that were coming one right after the other. So I had her check me to see how close I was and  I was only at a 3+.  That was when I decided to get the epidural but I had to wait an hour and a half before getting it because the anitheseioligist just went in for a c section . She turned the pitocin back down to a 2 but it didn't lighten anything up. I think at that point with my water broken and after being on the pitocin for so long my body was taking over and kicking things into gear on it's own. Unfortuatly she still insisted That I be hooked up to the pitocin. That hour and a half with those hard contractions was so hard for me to do but I did it and oddly enough I'm glad I did. Looking back it makes me feel like super woman! I actually enjoyed feeling the pain of child birth in a sacred kind of way. It doesn't really make sense to say it because ofcorse it hurt SO much and I didn't enjoy that, but there's something sacred about going through so much pain to bring a baby into this world and I appreciate expirencing that. Anyway... After I got the epidural she checked me again and I was at a 5. The epidural worked for the first time ever and I couldn't feel a thing and I was able to get some rest.  Within about 2 hours she came in and checked me again and said I was at a 10. She called my doctor and she said she was just getting out of the shower. It took her probably 30 minutes to get there and then they got everything ready and I could start pushing. It took 2 contractions and he was out and in my arms peeing all over me and I didn't even care!!! He was so small and perfect! I held him and we did skin to skin the delayed cord clamping. I got to see his cord turn white and am so thankful to know that he got all that extra goodness inside of him! When Keaton cut the cord it squirt out blood and it splashed on my face. I couldn't wipe it off because my arms were full of my new sweet baby boy and so the nurse did it for me.  After they took him checked him out and then gave him back to me. I wanted to nurse him right away and was affraid he would have a hard time latching because he was early but instead he latched right away and went to town eating. I was so glad to know he was a good eater!! We relaxed and soon after mom and the kids came to see him and bring Keaton and I a Jamba Juice! I was so excited for the kids to be able to come and meet their new brother! While still there his pediatrician came and checked on him and said he was doing great and if we wanted to we could go home in 24 hours. Which I wanted to because I hate being in the hospital when I could be at home in my bed!
Shortly after they were ready to take me up to the recovery room. When we got there Dad also came to see is and then Penny and Kallie and Nate. My room was full and it was totally overwhelming and crazy with everyone there at the same time but also thankful that everyone was excited enough to want to be there and see him and hold him as soon as they could! After a while they all left and it was just Keaton and me and we got to bond with our new little baby and talk about what we were going to name him because we still hadn't decided! It was so lovely to just bond with our new little guy all by ourselves. The next day Keaton went home for a bit to workout and to pick up the carseat because we ordered it on line and it didn't arive until 3 hours before we brought him home! Just as we were about to leave Ken came to see him and we visited for a bit. I'm so thankful to know that we have so much love and support from our family and so thankful for all their care!
When we got home at around 7pm mom was there with the kids, she had decorated and cleaned my house and had dinner there waiting for us. The kids were in the bath and Rem was so excited for us to be home she got out right away, got dressed and wanted to hold her new baby brother. It was so sweet and everything was so calm and relaxing. Mom left and we were now all home together just out new little family. I'm so thankful everything went so smooth. Not at all like I planned but it was still wonderful and I couldn't be more happy to have this new fresh from heaven baby be a part of our family!