Welcoming Daniel Jacob

Caution this post is long. I wanted to record the day and what we went through and we all know a blog is a good way to do that.

We went to the hospital on monday night for a scheduled induction. We arrived there around 8:00pm. The plan: give me a pill to soften the cervix, start petocin when softened, break my water in the morning and have baby boy.

The tuesday before, I was barely dialated to a 1 and not softened at all. That whole next week I tried the raspberry teas followed by warm baths, I tried essential oils in the bath and mixed in with lotion and the ever familiar "what got you into this, will get you out of this" says my doctor. Which all of these are supposed to start labor. Labor never started, so I thought......

So we get to the hospital and by 9 (some times are approxiamate) I was admitted in my room with my beautiful gown on, after 3 attempts and a huge goose egg of blood (ouch, ouch and ouch!) on my left hand, had my iv line in and hooked up to the monitors, which showed I was having contractions maybe every 10-15 minutes. Which surprised me, I thought I was just uncomfortable and they weren't really painful, but I had been feeling them all day.

I can't believe I posted this picture. It makes me look HUGE, but I didn't feel that huge.


They finally checked me around 10 and lo and behold I was dilated to a 5 and mostly softened! What!? I guess all the things I tried worked somewhat. The nurse called the doc and he said give me petocin at midnight and they would break my water either when I progressed or at 7 tuesday morning.

After starting petocin the nurse turned it up every 15 minutes along with my blood pressure thing going off every 15 minutes it was a night with very little sleep. Come 6am I was still dilated to a 5 and contractions were gone. :(
The doc came in and broke my water at 7:31. Now you have to understand, with all my babies, they have broken my water and QUICKLY, 2 hours or less, they have all been born. The nurse that came in at 7 had been told this and took it very seriously, unlike the doc.

It was the same with Daniels birth. About a minute after my water breaking, contractions kicked in STRONG. I had told them I wanted/needed that epidural and was worried when they wouldn't let me get it before they broke my water, that I wouldn't get to have it at all since I was already at a 5.

Thank Heavens the anesth. doc was just around the corner and was in the room less than 10 minutes after! So I was numb and couldn't feel the contractions! But I could feel pressure like crazy. OUCH x 1000. I need to remember how bad that hurt, even with the epidural, just in case I think I want more.

So at about 8:45 I was at a 10. I could feel MAJOR pressure and wanted to push, but my doc had just let the office....in West Des Moines.....and had at least a 10 minute drive and I and the nurse had been instructed not to push until he got there. I guess he likes to walk in and catch the baby and walk out. (I really do love my doctors, but when your in labor and want to push but can't because they aren't there.....makes you not like them so much at the time)

After the doc walked in I said I couldn't wait, it was soooooooo painful and I had to push, so after 2 contractions and about 4 pushes during those contractions little Daniel was born weighing 8lbs 15 oz - which sometimes they rounded up to 9lbs and 21 inches long. We are so happy he is here and we finally get to enjoy him.....and I am glad he is out and healthy and now we are at home recovering. It is a very nice hospital and all the nurses were Fantastic but nothing beats home sweet home.





Lovely closed eyes picture. When he was coming out the doc asked if I wanted to see, I was in so much pain it hurt to even open my eyes and I was a little out of it after.











The kids coming to see him for the first time.






Joseph wasn't wanting to cooperate and be in many pictures.


First bath




He has some pretty cute hair that sticks up.

Right after I turned the video off, Sarah said "He is just so cute!"