It all started on Wed., Sept 21st. I had my latest doctors appt for Casen. The doctor told me I was almost 4cm's along and 60% effaced already. She said I was really close and that she thought I would go into labor on my own that weekend. But she did offer to induce me on Monday the 26th if nothing had happened by then. I decided not to do that and try and see if he would pick his own birthday! All day Thursday, the 22nd I wasn't feeling great but wasn't feeling full on labor either! I decided to stay home all day just in case. I didn't want my water breaking in the middle of Joann's Fabric! Ha! I got a few projects out of the way that I'd been meaning to do for awhile. Like creating Jocelyn's shadow box full of her 1st birthday items.
We put Jocelyn to bed and started to turn in ourselves. Around 10:30pm my contractions started to pick up. I didn't wake up Steve until around 2:30am. I told him he needed to call for a sub because he wasn't going to school on Friday! I also text my mom to let her know as she would be the one to take care of Jocelyn while we had Casen!
My plan all night was to make it to 6:45am when we could drop off Jocelyn at daycare and make her day as normal as possible. Then I felt I could relax and go to the hospital knowing my baby girl was taken care of. A few times during the night I wasn't sure I'd make it to that time. But I didn't need to worry! I had plenty of time!
Steve and I dropped Jocelyn off at Lori's....I was very teary eyed knowing what was about to happen and how much Jocelyn's world would change!
We arrived at the hospital around 8am! They hooked me up to the monitor and waited to see where I was at. I was still only about 4cm's and my contractions were 5-12 minutes apart. So a bit all over the place. Not consistent at all! My normal doctor wasn't on call so we had to deal with the other doctor in the practice. He wanted me to walk around and try to get the contractions closer. He does things a little differently than our doctors.
After an hour I was 5cm's and contractions were 7 minutes apart. So the doctor was happy to admit me then.
They hooked up the IV and then started pitocin. Contractions picked up but nothing I couldn't handle. The nurse told me I was approved to get an epidural at any time. I didn't want to get it too early but she said that they last at least 8hrs and if it stopped working they could give me more.
So I got the epi at 3:45pm. Something that usually takes 15-20 minutes took over an hour. They had to try 3 times. The needle would go in but the catheter wouldn't. The anesthesiologist said my bones were really close together and it was hard to get it in. Although I had no issues when I got one with Jocelyn.
Due to the fact that he had to do it 3 times, he said he was pretty sure that he nicked a hole in my spinal fluid and I would most likely get a "spinal headache". Lovely! Apparently this is pretty common!
Around then my nurse called the doctor to let him know I needed to have my water broken because the baby was basically waiting on that. He informed her he had just gotten home and would head back "soon". My doctor told me she would have broken my water the minute I had been admitted. But we were at this other doctors mercy so we waited. Needless to say the nurse....and I were a bit annoyed!
By 7:30pm I was 6-7 cm's and my water bag started to leak-but was still in tacked. I was starting to feel a lot of pressure and had to start breathing through my contractions again. I don't think I really noticed that I could fully feel my legs again by then!
Around 8pm I told Steve he had to get the nurse right then because I was going to need to push soon! The nurse came and checked me and said I was 9cm's almost 10! She ran to call the doctor to see why he hadn't come yet! Things happened really fast after that! 3 nurses were running around getting the room ready for Casen's delivery while one begged me not to push! She said it was a MUST for the doctor to be in the room when the baby came. But I seriously remember thinking that these 3 nurses looked more than capable of catching a baby! But based on their urging I tried to hold it! Then everyone stared at the door waiting for the doctor to arrived. I was obviously not so quiet during this time as I could feel every contraction! Thankfully Steve was right there and helped me through each one!
Finally the doctor arrived and he finally let me push! I believe it was around 3 sets of pushes and he was out. The doctor never did break my water. So that was the only thing keeping him in really! Casen Patrick Davis arrived at 8:33pm! He wasn't crying at all but did shortly after he was on my chest for a few minutes. The first thing I remember seeing was his long fingernails! He was of course completely perfect!
Casen Patrick Davis
8lbs, 7oz
20 1/2"
8:33pm
9/23/11
Jocelyn's first day home with Casen!
Jocelyn showing Casen his crib!
Auntie Kelly with Casen!
Grandma E meeting Casen. Jocelyn meeting Casen for the 1st time!!
Grandma Davis holding Casen!
Grandpa Davis holding Casen!
In the hospital I started to get the spinal headache. They talked about doing a blood patch where they take my blood and put it back into my back and basically "patch" the hole in my spine. But they decided against it. So I basically have been dealing with some very intense headaches for 7 days. Today was the first day I sat up and didn't feel the horrible pain in the front of my head.
It's gravity based so advil and tylenol doesn't work much. If I lay flat on my back I would have no pain. But once I sat up or stood up the headache got just so intense. Not easy to deal with while taking care of your newborn or toddler.
I'm just SO thankful for all the prayers and for the fact that it has finally gotten better!
We took Casen for his first doctors appt yesterday and he only lost 5 oz. We don't have to take him back for another week! We are so happy to have him here and to start falling into a new routine with our family of 4!
