Lucas' Birth Story

Its taken a while for me to get this all out, but its done now.

I still cant believe that Lucas went to full term. After the scare of preterm labor, going through a cerclage with the thoughts of still ending up in preterm labor it finally hit that we made it. I remember laying awake in bed the night before thinking, "we've made it baby". We've made it indeed. I laid there in bed thinking about how wonderful my parents have been, taking care of Sadie while I was on bedrest, taking care of me. I was so grateful to God for taking care of everything, even though I stressed and stressed about everything. I shouldnt have stressed so much.

The morning of my scheduled c-section, I was surprisingly calm. I've never felt calm like that going into any hospital situation. Had to have been God. We woke up super super early, around 5:00am. Yuck. Tony took a couple gravol, and woke up all kind of gross from taking the pills. This made for an interesting start to the day. He was grumpy, and I was trying not to argue back with him, but it didn't work. I don't remember what it was about, but we ended up being all snippy at each other. Ya, way to start out the day.

Still both grouchy now, we arrived at the hospital. It wasnt long until they gave me my sexy backless dress and shower cap, and had me wait in bed until the anesthesiologists arrived. Tony was off getting a quick dose of caffeine and a muffin so he wouldn't be miserable throughout the entire thing. While Tony was out, I met with my anesthesiologists, a handsome young aussie guy and his resident. He was super friendly and asked me all standard questions. They had to start an IV, so while the resident was getting that started, I told him that the worst part of this whole experience for me is thinking of the spinal being done. I told him how nervous I was about that, and he told me the most wonderful thing. The needle he was using in the IV would be the biggest needle used. Thank you God! My fears were almost put to ease. I remembered the epidural needle, and it was a big sucker. 

Tony appeared again, feeling better after drinking some coffee and eating a muffin. I was glad he didn't eat near me, I was starving from fasting for 12 hours.  

Once Tony was gowned and ready, they whisked me away to get the spinal done. I sat down on the small operating table, and a nice older nurse came over and explained what was about to happen. She was totally my hero. She stood in front of me, and while I scrunched over into a "C" shape, she calmly  made sure I knew what the heck they were doing to my back. After painting my back with hot pink iodine (I swear, after this whole thing, I was a hot pink mess- covered all over my torso), the resident anesthesiologist grabbed my sides and dug his thumbs into my sides and back. I think that was the most painful part of the whole procedure. Looking back, it makes me laugh that I was afraid of the needle, when really, I should have feared the crazy thumbs in my sides. So, after the numbing needle- which startled me, but that was ok, the fancy spinal needle went in, and I didn't feel a thing - well except for a lot of pressure in my legs before they went numb. Go crazy thumbs resident!

Then it was go time. Everyone was getting ready for cutting me open. Tony came back to hide behind the sheet with me, and we waited for my doctor to start. Crazy thumbs and Aussie doctor were talking and cracking jokes with us, and then it started. The whole thing seemed tons quicker than with Sadie. Before we knew it, they were getting to the good part, the part where they could yank this kid outta me. I was getting all tearyl as they were trying to get him out. The doctors were explaining that it was tough to get him out, so he must be a big boy. I told them my guess was 9 lbs. With the last push on my stomach to get him out, my doctor exclaimed "He's gotta be 10lbs!" She was close alright.

He was out, I was bawling, and Tony was a proud daddy again. 

He came out looking like Sadie with his brown hair, and his cry was nothing like hers. Hers was kitten like. His was loud and boyish. Poor little boy.

They handed him over to Tony and I, and I got my first look at my son. I remember thinking "hello stranger". I mean, I love him, but I don't know him at all. What a weird feeling. The stranger part melted away after a few days, but it did take a bit. I tried breastfeeding, but Lucas had a lot of gunk in his airways and was grunting every few seconds to try to get it out. They took him back to suck it out again, and then he was fine.

Lucky for us, I got to recover from surgery in the maternity ward in a special room instead of in the recovery section. Normally I would be seperated from Tony and baby in the recovery section, but I was able to stay in the c-section recovery room with Lucas and Tony, and it was the best.

So that was it. Planned c-section was not as terrifying as I figured. I was blessed with wonderful doctors and nurses this time, and although breastfeeding was initially really hard, I've come to like it now. More on that later.