Welcoming Cameron Into The World

The day I went into labor, one of the doctors I worked with stopped by to bring me some goodies and to visit.  While she was there, it happened to be time to be put on the fetal monitor.  We chatted and were interrupted by the nurse coming in…The nurse said that my heart rate was elevated and she asked if I was ok.  I felt fine.  Then she told me I was having contractions again (which were off and on during my hospital stay anyway).  They checked my cervix…I was at 2cm.  It looked like I was officially going into labor and they wouldn’t stop it this time.  I was taken from the high risk floor and moved to L&D. 

Our birth plan was to do things naturally.  I wasn’t officially sure as to how this would work with Cameron being a preemie.  I wanted as little intervention as possible.   I was already hooked up to an IV so not having one was out of the question.  We had my dad and stepmom in the room, Andy’s mom was on her way up from Cincinnati so, it would be a while before she arrived. 

I was able to labor for 9.5 hours med-free.  I think I did pretty well seeing how we didn’t get to make it to our scheduled birth classes. I think that having my family in the room with me was a bit distracting.  The labor was also made more difficult due to the nurse I had.  She was not nice at all and I really should have asked for a new one.  My dad at one point wanted to tell her off (adding to my stress).  She kept asking me if I wanted an epidural and at one point asked me why I didn’t want one.  What did it matter? It was my choice. I was checked at the 9.5hour mark and was still only at 2cm. My contractions during that time were hitting 97% on the monitor and I was in a lot of pain.   Since I wasn’t progressing and Cam had begun to become slightly distressed (heart rate decelerating during contractions) they started me on Pitocin. At that that my contractions were no longer bearable so I asked for the epidural.  I can imagine that nasty things my nurse was probably saying to other people after I finally gave in….  As for the epidural itself, what a BIG difference!  After the epi, my dad said I was the happiest person he’s ever seen in labor (weird?).  I was able to rest and a few short hours later, I was at 10! (I got very lucky, a Cesarean was the last thing I wanted).  My epi didn’t take as well as they do with most so I was still able to feel the urge to pee (at which the nurse didn’t believe me at first) and also felt Cam move down (hard to explain the feeling).  I told the nurse what I felt and she checked me, his head was right there!

The doctors had me deliver Cameron in a surgery suite just in case things got difficult. It took a total of 4 pushes and he was out!  He was 2lbs 15oz and 15 1/2in long (gestation 30weeks 1 day).  He needed just the CPAP to help him breathe (thank you steroid shots) and was taken to the NICU.  I didn’t get to hold him after he was born like I had planned, but I did get to touch his little fingers before the NICU team took him away.

A lot of what followed was a blur.  Cameron was born at 2am and I didn’t get to sleep until about 5am.  I was exhausted and starving.  I was also VERY thirsty.  They wouldn’t let me have much to drink during or after the delivery because they were afraid I would get sick.  By the time we got back to my room, I was parched!  The nurse finally gave in and let me drink 8oz of juice.  Juice had never tasted so sweet!   After I pumped for the first time (more about that later) I was finally able to sleep.  We slept for about 3 hours and were up at 8am with the nurses checking on me and bringing me food.  Shortly thereafter, I went to officially meet Cameron for the first time.  *Cameron stayed in the NICU for 39 and came home the first week of September.  He was born July 25^th 2010.  His due date was October 1^st, 2010.