The boy has arrived!!
Lincoln David Thomson
22 inches, 9 lbs. 4oz.
April 27th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
We love our little boy and are so happy he is finally here! Just one week late, a 12 hour induced labor, c-section, and finally we could see and hold little Lincoln. We scheduled the induction that previous Monday with Dr. Heather Jackson for Friday. I needed to call the hospital to ask them when I should come in depending on how busy they were. I didn't sleep at all the night before until 6:00 am when my alarm was supposed to go off at 6:15 am so I could call the hospital and see when they would be ready for us to come in. My alarm(s) did not go off but I happened to wake up around 6:30 am and we were all out the door by 7:10 am. We were supposed to be at the hospital in Salt Lake by 7:15 am...So we were late anyway, then there was a huge accident on the freeway and it was shut down in morning, commuter traffic to one lane because a semi had turned over.
After a little bit of wild driving we got around the accident and made it to the hospital by 8:00 am. I was not in a good mood (pregnant, late, hadn't eaten since midnight, and running on no sleep--bad combination for me) so Sheehan was very good to do what he could to keep me happy and everything going well. I had called the hospital when we were stuck in the accident traffic and they said they were happy I was coming in later because they were suddenly having a very busy morning and could use the extra time. That helped me calm down a little, only a little...haha. We were already registered with the hospital so I was able to get into my room fairly quickly which helped my mood a lot. We were already registered because of my castor oil false labor 2 weekends prior to being induced. (I tried everything: black and blue cohosh, castor oil, evening primrose oil, walking, you name it...I tried it.)
My nurse throughout the day was Dawn and she was great. She was direct and honest and we got along very well. I liked her a lot. I got started on the Pitocin and Dawn asked if I would like to get my epidural early or later. I was not interested in feeling any sort of pain and am very grateful for modern medicine so I immediately got the epidural. Life was great. I was progressing well and not feeling a thing. I had started at 1 centimeter. Sometime in the early afternoon they turned up the pitocin drip which caused the contractions to be too close together which made me go from 5 centimeters to 7 in ten minutes. This caused a rush of doctors and nurses to come in to flip me back and forth, give me a drug to stop contractions, and started to mentally prep me for a c-section (which I was perfectly fine with and have no bad opinions toward). The increase in pitocin had caused my contractions to be too close together and the baby did not have time to recuperate in-between which was causing his heart rate to go really high then really low. The doctor said it could be compared to jumping in and out of the pool and not taking a breath in-between. His heart rate became normal again and we were back on track for a vaginal delivery. The baby had made a bowel movement during the contracting, which the baby would probably swallow so I was notified that some NICU staff would be there when I delivered to suck all that out as soon as he was delivered. They waited a little while to turn the pitocin back on and eventually I got up to 9 centimeters. I sat at 9 centimeters for 4 hours without progressing. The doctors and nurses were saying I should progress about a centimeter an hour which wasn't happening anymore. By this time I noticed my epidural bag had wore off and was empty. I pointed it out to the nurses who told me the anesthesiologists were switching shifts but wouldn't let the epidural wear off because it notifies them 10 minutes before it is empty. It most definitely wore off... I could feel everything. By then I had been in labor for 11 hours and my contractions were coming harder than they had been all day. The nurses switched shifts at 7 pm. I loved my new nurse Diana even more. She was just what I needed at the time. I was exhausted (hadn't slept in over 24 hours), hadn't eaten since the previous midnight, was feeling the contractions, and was getting very frustrated that I hadn't progressed in so much time. The hospital staff kept telling me, "Let us know if you want to do a c-section?". I was all for a c-section if a vaginal labor was not possible but I did not just want to prematurely quit and do a c-section when we had spent all that time in labor. I wanted all that pain and effort to count for something!! By this time I had been crying for well over an hour. The new nurse, Diana, finally got the anesthesiologist in there and replaced my bag. Hallelujah!! (I knew it had wore off because my legs re-tingled like they had with the initial epidural.) The anesthesiologist also said I had this clicker that would give me extra doses of the epidural throughout the day if I wanted to dull out more pain. Turns out that extra dose clicker was not plugged in all day which explains why I kept asking if it was working because I could not feel a difference when I would click it. Moving on...my wonderful nurse Diana got in my face and said "we are going to have a birthday today and we are going to get you cleaned up!" It was really nice to have someone just take control because at this point I didn't really know what to do. She then told me I hadn't progressed in 4 hours and I would not be progressing anymore. She said I was starting to swell and felt more like 8 centimeters rather than 9 cm. My whole pregnancy they could barely reach my cervix to check me and were still having a hard time at this point in my labor. She then said she would get the paperwork for the c-section and she would call my doctors to come to the hospital for the c-section delivery. I was so happy to finally have someone be straightforward with me. I just wanted to be told if the baby was going to come out vaginally or not. If not, then do the c-section and stop wasting time. I loved her honesty and direction. I was thrilled that we had a plan and there was an end in sight after having been so frustrated with my lack of progress. (My Mom had all 3 of us c-section and had great experiences every time so I am all for c-sections and for normal vaginal deliveries. Either way is perfectly fine with me.) The doctors kept talking to me and holding my hand like as if I was disappointed that I had to have a c-section. I kept assuring them I was very happy and was not upset at all with the decision to perform a c-section. I had a feeling throughout my pregnancy that Lincoln would be a big baby no matter what and going overdue confirmed my expectations that a c-section would be more than likely for me. My family does not have the greatest genetics for birthing big babies through our small birthing hips.
Around the time the epidural had gone back into effect and I was calm and smiling again, Sheehan asked my brother to help him give me a blessing. I had previously received blessings from Sheehan throughout my pregnancy and had been hoping inside that he would ask my brother to do the blessing this time but I didn't want to ask. I then felt so good and excited when Sheehan asked Devin to say it! During this time all I wanted to know was that the baby was going to be okay. All I could think about was the strain he was being put through even though his heart rate and everything was still good. I just worried anyway (typical for me). I was praying that the baby would be okay and all I wanted to hear were the words, "Everything will be okay." I heard those exact words and some more tears came to my eyes as I knew that everything would be okay.
A week or so later I was talking to my Mom after she had talked to my brother about the experience of giving me a blessing. He said all he could think about was how he needed to say the words, "Everything would be okay." He told my Mom that he felt it very strongly. I hadn't told anyone that those were the exact words I had prayed to hear given in the blessing and then told my Mom that was the answer to my prayer. It sounds like a simple statement but nothing is coincidence and this was very important to me. I know I was being watched over and at that moment was comforted and assured.
My doctors came, the papers were signed, Sheehan was suited up, and I was wheeled off to the operation room. It was a great experience! I could feel what was happening (no pain, of course), was totally alert, and was being talked to the whole time letting me know what was happening. I loved hearing the doctors carry on their normal conversations about their lives and kids; just another day on the job. It helped me feel more relaxed knowing that they were so relaxed. Sheehan sat behind the curtain with me and just talked to me the whole time they were performing the c-section. It was very sweet. I know he was struggling with the thought of being in there since he had nearly passed out earlier that day shortly after they broke my water (he doesn't handle blood well). I needed him there though and he was perfect.
As soon as they had the baby out he was wailing. The only time I have been so overjoyed to tears that he was crying. I had been waiting to hear that cry all day knowing that was the sound that meant he was healthy. They quickly showed him to us then rushed him over to clear out the meconium from him swallowing it during the contractions and get him all cleaned up!
Sheehan was by his side the whole time. The surgeon, Dr Barton, was joking that he could have put on a backpack and gone to school because he was so big. He said the baby was sitting very high (maybe at station 1) and that he would not have been able to come out vaginally because his head was too big (my genetics...haha). I asked him if I had been a pioneer would I have survived birth on the trail. He said no and that I would have contracted and contracted and most likely bled to death. Thank you modern medicine and that I was born in this day and age!!
They brought us back to the delivery room where my family was waiting: my Grandma Bev, Norm, Devin, Julianne, and Colleen. Unfortunately, my parents had come the week prior as we had all expected this baby to be early, not late. I was able to talk to them right before the c-section which made me feel really good to hear their voices and feel their prayers and love. My big boy's feet barely fit on the ink pad for his footprints and he was as long as the ruler on the scale. I love my big, baby boy!
The rest of the hospital stay was great! I was given food, FINALLY! All our nurses were awesome, especially Beth. I loved it so much that I stayed all 4 days even though I was allowed to leave at 3 days. I missed the hospital later and still sometimes wish I could go back for a night with all the wonderful doting nurses catering to me and the baby. It was wonderful and I absolutely loved it!
Sheehan and I love our little boy! This has been the biggest, hardest adjustment of my life but I love Lincoln so much! It is an indescribable feeling when you have YOUR little baby in your arms. I love thinking that I will have this little boy forever. One of my best friends wisely told me as I was wallowing over baby blues that I would only have him as a baby for a short time and that he would be an adult for eternity. I needed that perspective to help me get through the little sleep and crazy emotions of being a new Mom. So now I am off to take care of the baby. Duty calls! :)
