Announcing Evan Thomas

The birth story of Evan.

I had been resting up pretty much all day Monday because I just felt like I needed it. I was having sporadic contractions, but they were rather strong. Adam came home and relieved me of Arabella and I just stayed in bed and rested. Throughout the evening my contractions were getting stronger and more regular. It was time for everyone to go to bed but of course my body wouldn't let me, so I rested as best I could. Around midnight the contractions were pretty regular, about 15 minutes apart. By 3 am they were about 3-4 minutes apart and I woke Adam up because they were starting to get to me and there was no way to get comfortable. Adam timed a couple of contractions, then got out of bed and said I think we should take you to the hospital. So we called his Mom to come stay with Bella so we didn't have to wake her up.

We made it to the hospital by 4am. The contractions were back to around 5 minutes apart but getting stronger. We got all checked in and walked up to labor and delivery. They were going to observe me to see if my labor was going to continue or stall. By 7:30 the doctor on call had been called but had a c-section to do before he could see me. The nurse checked me (she happened to be the labor nurse from Arabella's delivery) and I was still at a 3 but effaced about 60%. Around 7:30am the doctor on call, Dr. Bordson came to visit me. She was juggling several of us ladies so her visit was brief. Besides a doctor change there was a shift change for the nurses as well. Ms. Satina was our labor nurse and let me just say she was the best ever, especially when assisting with a natural birth.

Dr. Bordson came back to visit at 9:30am and at that time determined that my water needed to be broken. The sac was preventing Evan from engaging properly in order for me to continue to dilate. So she grabbed the handy dandy amni hook and broke my water. Now there are several things we were able to different this time around, and having my water broke was not one that I wanted. I really wanted them to rupture naturally, but had we let that happen, who knows if I would have had him or if they would have sent me home. In retrospect it may not have been ideal for me, but I'm glad it happened. Around 11:30am I was checked again and now progressed to 5cm.

As part of my natural labor birth plan we took walks around the labor and delivery floor, just as we did with Arabella, but the difference this time around is that we continued to do it through out the labor, obviously stopping for contraction breaks often. We also took advantage of the labor ball to help open the pelvis and give Adam a better position to rub my back (that's the best part of the labor ball ~ a free massage). As my labor progressed and the contractions grew stronger I even ventured into the shower. This was something I wanted to do with Arabella, but was not able to stay focused long enough to get out of the bed. I will definitely say and hot shower and pulsing shower head work wonders during contractions.

By 2:00pm I made it to 7cm, 80% effaced and was starting to not be able to control my breathing so I asked for something to take the edge off, but still was aiming for an epi-free labor. So at 3:20pm I got a half cc of Nubain and immediately felt loopy. An hour later they gave me another shot as I had only progressed to 8cm and was still struggling to focus, but I still didn't ask for the epidural. Adam was very surprised that I wasn't begging for it like last time. I just kept telling myself I could do it. Luckily we had the best nurse ever helping us. She has two gorgeous little girls, and both were born natural, so she knew how to help, and what I needed. My cervix, on the right side, wasn't cooperating again. For some reason it just refuses to efface completely, so Satina grabbed a birthing ball and made me lean forward on it to help put Evan in a position to help finish the effacement. Let me tell you it hurt like hell. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to cry it hurt that bad.

Around 5:30 or so Satina asked if I needed to empty my bladder. I said I didn't know, but she thought it would be just what I needed to get me to the end of the delivery. So they helped me waddle to the restroom, I sat down, tinkled a little and immediately felt the need to push. So they rushed me back to the bed. They checked and Evan was crowning. So they scrambled to get the doctor in the room in time. Dr. Bordson had 4 other women in labor at the same time, so needless to say her bedside manners lacked (for the record this isn't the same female that delivered Bella). I had to labor down so that the doctor could get her gear on (it seemed like only seconds) and I said I wasn't waiting and started pushing. About five or six good pushes, and four minutes later Evan was born at 5:41pm. He weighed in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and 21.5 inches long.

I truly believe what I've been told and read that when it comes time to deliver a baby; that the nerve endings are shut off and you can't feel the pain. Remember how I said that leaning forward on the birthing ball had me nearly in tears because it hurt so bad? I could feel myself tearing when Evan came out, but that was all I felt, besides the "pressure" of him leaving my body. I didn't feel "pain." It was an amazing feeling knowing that I made it over twelve hours without an epidural. I know in my heart that if it were not for Adam and Satina I would not have made it through this delivery without the epidural. Of course my legs still feel like Jell-O this morning, but I have an amazing little boy to show for all the hard work that Adam & I did. Adam was an amazing partner and unfortunately didn't witness Evan being born, but he was focused on helping me stay focused. He said he wasn't disappointed because he knew I needed his help more. I love this man dearly. He did what I needed him to do so that we could give birth to a beautiful little boy.

And one more thing, he DOES have Adam's cleft chin, it's even more pronounced than Bella's...so cute!