Nuel Benjamin

I am just now getting around to telling Nuel's birth story, but when you're done reading hopefully you'll understand why it took me so long! haha

So on December 15th I went to the doctor's office for my usual appointment and they checked me and I was at a 5 and about 85-90% effaced, and having contractions about every 20mins. (I had been having regular contractions for DAYS and it was getting ridiculous!) I have a history of fast deliveries so I was feeling like they should strip my membranes or just break my water or there was just no way I would make it to the hospital. I just asked if there was anything they could do because they monitor the baby for an hour at all of my appointments and noticed my contractions were still coming but they said that they couldn't because office policy wouldn't allow them too. They also sent me to get an ultrasound and found that he has NO room left inside me and that he should come out soon. The ultrasound tech giggled at the thought of me going another week and laughed out loud at the thought of me going to 40 weeks. So with my pelvis pulled apart as far as it could they sent me home with this advise. "if you feel anything different just go into labor and delivery and get checked, really just go into labor and delivery whenever you feel like it, just go in and get checked at least once a day if you need to." or my personal favorite "Call 9-1-1 if you go into labor, so you don't have the baby in the house or car." Needless to say I cried, I have never wanted the stress of a home birth, I can just see it now, my two toddlers trying to figure out what the heck is coming out of Mommy, Rob freaking out because the kids are trying to help and I am having a baby and not in the hospital! The idea to me is ridiculous, I know some women want it or love it, but I am NOT one of them and will never be one of them! I like the security of the hospital, that there are trained professionals there to help assist and if anything should go wrong there is equipment there to help me and the baby. So I went home upset and called a friend to come watch the kids so that I could go on a date with my Hubby because I needed some time with him to feel comforted. My contractions were still coming all through the date and I was exhausted from the continual attack on my body, so we went home. Around 2 in the morning I was still having contractions and they were 2-4 mins apart (this had happened a few times so I was worried they would still send me home and I would just be home and in pain not having the baby) So finally I decided alright lets go in (that was around 3 or 4am)

We get to the hospital and they check me still 5 and 90% (My thought - great here they go just going to send me home again) But we got lucky and the nurse was like let's monitor you for an hour and see what your contractions do, well after an hour I was still contracting every 2 mins but I didn't dilate any further, so she suggested that I walk around for an hour or so and then get monitored again, So I did it was horrible but we went to get checked again after the hour of walking and still very little change so they had me be monitored for an hour but about 30 mins or so into the monitoring I start getting VERY painful contractions and the nurse decided to get the doctor to see is she would strip my membranes because I was just not dilating anymore and clearly in labor and pain. The doctor came in looked at my stuff goes to check me/strip my membranes if needed and as soon as she checks me she tells me I'm at 7.5!! Yah! We were officially getting admitted about 7:30am!

Once I'm in the room and have my IV in I feel like I need to push, they check me and I'm at 9.5, I have really enjoyed giving birth naturally because as soon as your done your done! But I was really tried and wanted some sort of break/relief before I had to push so we decide to get a shot called an intrathecal it's supposed to be a "quick" shot in the back (the needle doesn't stay in you like an epidural) and take 5-10 mins before you feel relief and last for about an hour. And because I was at 9.5 I really didn't have any other pain relief options. I was already exhausted so decided to do it hoping that I would get enough relief to have energy to push.

I am stuck at 9.5 they can't figure out why my one side won't open fully and they don't want me to push, I am waiting to get a shot and fighting the urge to push (which is definitely way more painful then pushing to me) I finally get the shot and they try moving my uterus to get me fully opened, I get to 10 and the shot still hasn't kicked in. So I start pushing and (with my first two I pushed a total of 6-7 times all together) I push for about a half hour and they ask me if I want a break (I am like NO WAY, it's time to get this kid out of me!) and I am just starting to feel the shot kick in! After another 15mins or so he's finally here, a pound and a half bigger than my other two and just perfect! I had to stay in the delivery room for some extra time because I started to hemorrhage and needed to be taken care of/monitored before they could move me.

No words describe the feeling of bringing life into the world, seeing the joy in your husbands face as he holds his little one for the first time. It doesn't matter if it's your 1st or 3rd (I can't speak for any further than that :) but it's amazing. Knowing how absolutely perfect he is and loving him more than life itself and just an incredible overwhelming feeling of love, joy, and comfort. We are so grateful for the blessing of little Nuel in our home.

Now for the part of the story of why it took me so long to write all this! Shortly after delivery I developed an incredible headache, they brought in the anesthesiologists who gave me my shot and lucky goose me I am the 1% who get spinal headaches from the shot and they can't do anything about it till I've had it for 48 hours, and I will not stay there for 48 hours (even though they kept offering it to me) I wanted to get home to my children as soon as possible. Nuel had to get looked at by the pediatrician before we leave and she comes in and looks at his chart and says "this baby is 37 weeks?" I just tell that's what they tell me, and she's like well he looks more mature than the 41 week baby next door. So we were happy to hear that he's absolutely perfect and good to go home. We go home Saturday afternoon, and are so happy to see the kids (they only saw us for a short visit while we were in the hospital.) My headache is still killing me but I am so happy to be home with my babies I try to ignore it. Sunday comes and I feel pretty good we get to see some family who come to visit Mr. Nuel and it was just a nice day. Monday comes and I am dying literally can't do anything so my sweet in-laws take Rocky and Andi before Rob had to go to work so that I could hopefully get better by that night I am in so much pain and then the left side of my face starts to go numb. I call the doctor and ask if I should go in to the ER or make an appointment or what because it's freaking me out that the left side of me is going numb. They tell me to do neither but to call 9-1-1, so I call Rob at work and tell me what's going on and he heads home immediately and got home shortly after the paramedics. They are okay with my vital signs but aren't super happy with my blood pressure or the fact that I am going numb so they test me for stroke, (multiple times.) Then they decide that we need to go to the hospital, luckily Rob was home so he took Nuel and got him in his car seat and was able to follow the ambulance to the hospital. After testing me for stroke again at the hospital and my numbness levels they decide that it's not a stroke but that they don't know why I am going numb besides that it could be my body responding to the pain level from my headache and decide that I need a blood patch in my back, to fix my spinal headache. Unfortunately there are no anesthesiologists available to fix me that night so they let me go home and tell me to be back at the hospital at 8:00am the next morning to have a blood patch done. So I get to the hospital and finally get a blood patch, which really kinda sucks they give you a few shots in your back to numb you and then give you an epidural except instead of giving you medicine they put your own blood in you to fill the hole that is allowing you to loose spinal fluid. After letting me "set" for a couple hours they send me home and I am not allowed to do ANYTHING, the most I'm allowed to do is pick up Nuel (and say only when I have to) and continue to not do anything for 48 hours. My in-laws keep the kids because Rob had to work so that I could follow the doctors orders and get better. Luckily the blood patch worked and all I had was a sore back after the first day! (I had a lot of shots there)

After that we had just a couple days before it was Christmas so we were busy Rob with work and me wrapping and cleaning and being together for the holidays! Which is another story.

Needless to say I would do it all over again to have our little Nuel here, but don't want to be pregnant again for a LONG time...