Cullens Birth Story

(This is me before leaving for the doctors appt that would eventually lead to the hospital) (38Weeks 5days)
So I thought I would take this time while baby sleeps to write down Cullens birth story. Its pretty long especially since I was in labor for a long time although I dont count the hours that I just laid around in the bed. From the time I got to the hospital til the time he flopped outta me (awesome feeling) it was 18hr 45 min!
On Friday the 19th of March I had my 38week 2 day appt with my doctor. At my appt 2 weeks earlier, I was dilated to 1.5 cm. So I did alot of walking trying to get things going. My doctor gave me the option of picking an induction date if I hadn't delivered my week 39 or he could try to strip my membranes (in which he would feel around just inside my cervix where the membranes ("bag of water") are attached to its rim. By running an examining finger around the inside of my cervix, he can separate the amniotic sac from where it's stuck there. Theoretically, this will allow the bridging molecules that stick the membranes to the inside rim of the cervix to break--all at a molecular level, and so be released and then converted into prostaglandins, which are powerful stimulants of labor.) John and I decided that we didn't want to be induced with drugs if possible since I was already going to have an epidural. So we decided that if I had made any progress at the appt on the 19th then we would let the doctor strip my membranes.
He checked me and I was dilated to 3cm so he very painfully stripped my membranes which stretched me to 4cm. The doctor said that he would be very surprised if he didn't see me in the hospital this weekend to deliver.But in case I didn't go into labor he made us an appt to see him Monday the 22nd. So John and I left and went to get the last few items we needed for baby and to get me walking more. We stayed close to home the next couple days... No baby :( So Monday I woke up to some leaking but didn't freak out since we had an appt in a couple hours. I laid back in bed and started to feel some cramps but very faint but also different from the Braxton hicks that i had been feeling all 3rd trimester. So we went into a surprised doctor and at this point I had decided that we wouldn't do anything else to try to get labor going. So I told the doctor about the leaking and the contractions. He said that he would check me and if I had progressed over the weekend then he would send me next door to the hospital to be admitted. He checked me and I was 5cm dilated! So he called Celebration hospital to let them know that I would be in to have a baby. I asked if I can get something to eat and he said yes if I don't tell anyone and if I puke it must be in the direction of my husband!
So after getting an apple and fruit snacks (I wasn't really hungry but I knew I wouldn't be able to eat again until I had a baby) we walked next door to be admitted and have a baby.We checked into the hospital at about 11:30am Monday. My nurse was surprised that at 5cm I wasn't screaming for an epidural...it didn't hurt. After getting an IV and doing some paperwork, I walked the halls of the Labor/delivery floor for a few hours. Contractions at this point were there but again not anything worse than menstrual cramps. The doctor came about 3:30 and broke my bag of water and said the I should probably order my epidural before I got too uncomfortable. So then I got my epidural and that didn't hurt at all. At this point I have to stay in bed and wait for this baby to come. I had lots of visitors. They checked me again and I was at a 6 and stayed there for a long time. The epidural had slowed my contractions down and the Pitocin they were giving my was not speeding them up like it was supposed to. (come to find out they weren't giving me enough Pitocin against my doctors wishes)
About Midnight my father and brother left and the nurse decided that she would try laying me on my side to get things going especially since I was feeling some pain on my left side. So all the visitors left and I laid on my side for a little while and she checked me and I was at an 8 and the pain had gone. She came in 5 minutes later because she said that when she checked me there wasn't much cervix left and so she checked me again and I was fully dilated! So they sat me up with my legs "frog legged" and told me to let them know when I felt like I had to poop really bad. Well.. sometime in the 2 o'clock hour my epidural wore off on my left side completely and the pain was so intense in my back I began to cry. The nurse said that because I was fully dilated and about to have a baby, I should expect to be in pain... Hello that's why I got the epidural! So finally my good nurse came in and called the anesthesiologist and he gave me some more of the good stuff! I never felt that need to go so at 3am we started pushing and the doctor came in and 3 hours later at 6:16am I had my precious angel screaming on my chest... He decided he wanted to be born with his fist by his eye so that is why it took so long to push him out.. He was born exactly 8 months to the minute that I found out I was pregnant (July 23rd 6:15-16am) Pushing sucked because I didn't feel I was making any progress. I did develop a fever and dry heaves from being in labor and pushing so long which sucked but I barely remember that. Cullen had to have an IV in his had because of the fever I caught. They weren't sure if he caught anything so he received antibiotics for 2 days. Cullen looked just like his daddy when he was born except with dark hair. He was 7lbs and 6oz and I'm pretty sure they said 21 inches long.... It was a great experience that will be repeated but not for a few years... We are so blessed to have such an wonderful spirit in our home.

(This is Cullen a few minutes old meeting the grandparents and aunts)