Lance's Birth Story (part 3)

 I was officially due September 20th. My pregnancy had been uneventful up to this point, but around 38 weeks it started to get interesting. My Braxton hicks contractions were increasing in frequency and intensity and to make matters worse, my blood pressure wasn't cooperating.

My regular doctor was out of town for my 38 week check-up, so I was seen by Dr. Foster. My blood pressure was elevated, so they ran some labs and put me on "modified bed rest". I was confused as to what that meant because they said I could still go to work. Lifting patients, bending, standing all day long. That didn't seem like bedrest to me, but you can't argue with the doctors. They made me do a 24 hour urine collection and because I worked the next day, I had to bring the jug with me to the hospital. Gross.

Later that week, I started leaking fluid. Actually, I wasn't sure if I was leaking or if I was just experiencing some of the less appealing side effects of pregnancy, so I kept an eye on it. I would leak every few hours, just a tiny bit. I was concerned, but didn't think much of it until one evening I went to use the bathroom and saw blood. Looking back, it wasn't very much, but at the time I was more scared than I'd ever been. You hear all these horror stories about abruption and babies dying, so Scott and I rushed to the hospital.

At the hospital they did an exam and decided the blood was from a burst capillary--something that can happen when your cervix is dilating. No big deal. They did a nonstress test to check on the baby and when they heard I was leaking fluid, they tested to see if it was amniotic fluid. There was too much blood to know, so they sent me home.

I followed up with Doctor Foster the next day (Sept. 12) for my 39 week check. I was dilated 1-2 cm and 50% effaced. The doctor said that since my body was making progress toward delivery, if anything was to go wrong, they would just induce and deliver me.

I was supposed to work, but since they put me on "modified bedrest" again, I called in sick and spent the day shopping for bedroom furniture with my mom. I was uncomfortable and my contractions were coming stronger. And I was still leaking fluid.

Mom treated me to a manicure and pedicure while we were out so my nails would look nice when I was in labor. :) That night we (Scott, Mom, Jason, Stephen and I) watched "Father of the Bride II". :)

The next day (Tuesday, Sept 13) I rested at home while I continued to have contractions and leaking fluid. Scott worked all that day and came home at 8:30 p.m. I took a shower and told myself that if I leaked again, I would go back to the hospital so they could check and see if it was amniotic fluid.

I leaked again and we were off!

We got to the hospital around 10:00 p.m.

They gave me a non-stress test. The baby was doing fine! They tested for fluid leakage and the test came back positive. (Apparently I really had been leaking fluid for the past several days.) The nurse came in and mentioned that according to the non-stress test, I was also in active labor, so they admitted me to the floor and got me settled into a labor room. It was go time!

It was such a neat, nerve-wracking experience to be admitted and know that when I left the hospital it would be with a baby. Crazy.

Scott brought his laptop and we watched "While You Were Sleeping" while I waited for the anesthesiologist to give me an epidural. I was starting to get uncomfortable as the contractions increased in intensity.

Mom came to the hospital, but waited in the lobby to give us privacy and checked in every so often.

I got an epidural around 1:30-2 a.m. I was quite uncomfortable at that point and getting an epidural was an AMAZING experience. To be in pain and then suddenly have that pain taken away--there are no words to describe the relief, both physical and emotional. Modern medicine is truly amazing.

They checked me at 3 a.m. and I was only 3 cm dilated. Scott tried to get some sleep on the little fold-out chair but had a miserable time of it. I went to sleep and woke up around 4, only to realize my water had broken all the way. I was sitting in a puddle. Bless the nurse and tech that came in and changed my sheets.

At 6 a.m. they checked me again. The baby's head was down and I was dilated to a 9!

 

There were several c-sections going on that morning and since I couldn't really feel anything, they let me "labor down" while we waited for a doctor to be free for the delivery.

The nurses came in around 8 a.m. and got me pushing. They set up a mirror for me so I could watch the progress. I could see his head on the first push, but because I was so numb from the epidural it was difficult to tell how to push. The nurses helped me push for about 30 minutes, Scott holding one of my legs because it was so dead.

8:30 Doctor Foster came in and we pushed together for a few more contractions.

On September 14th at 8:44 a.m. Baby Lance Paul Dahlquist was born!

The nurse I had was orienting another nurse, so she took pictures of the delivery.

It was a great experience! They bathed Lance in our room and let him stay with us until the moved me to the postpartum side of the unit. The nurse was so great. She even showed us the placenta and explained all about it--super cool, although I'm not sure Scott enjoyed it as much as I did. :)

Our first family picture:

I was so tired I kept falling asleep. Laboring was hard! I don't know how those ladies who labor for days do it.

7 lbs, 1 oz., 19.5 inches long

My mom came in to meet Lance and was able to take pictures of Lance after his bath.

I love this picture. Daddy's hand.

10 fingers, 10 toes. Such a blessing! Our perfect baby boy.

Grandma and Grandpa Brewer were in town and came by that evening for a visit!

Lance is the first great-grand baby on both the Allred and the Brewer side.

First-time Grandma!

Scott was so tired, too. Those hospital chairs were NOT made to sleep on.

We came home September 16th, Scott's Birthday.

This cute quilt was made by Denise just for Lance.

That night we celebrated with our family. Grandma Brewer made this sweet cake to celebrate Lance's birth and Scott's Birthday. The Simmons were there, too! It was wonderful to be surrounded by so much family.

There was one sad casualty: I had shown the video of Lance's Birth to my family and I rewound the tape to watch again. I forgot I had rewound it and recorded the family celebration that night. I realized it too late! We had taped over the first part of the birth. Luckily, it only erased the first part of the stay and the beginning of the pushing. We still have his birth, but just barely. About 30 more seconds and it would have been recorded over. I am sad that part of it is missing, but what can you do?

Scott had to drive out to Chicago a couple days later to start law school. Lance and I stayed at my mom's house for the first two weeks after delivery so Mom could help with the baby and Lance could have his two-week check-up.

Spending time with Daddy before he left.

One week old:

(You can really tell how much water I had been retaining! My face alone lost like 5 lbs.)

Two weeks and a green light from the pediatricians later, Lance and I were on our way to Chicago!