Welcome, Sweet Boy
On April 29th, 2018, my husband and I welcomed a baby boy into our family. This is his birth story!
It was a normal Saturday (a few days past my due date). My husband (Brian) and I went garage sale shopping in the morning, did some chores, and went to Olive Garden with his sister and boyfriend for dinner. Little did I know, labor would begin later that night!
I started cramping around 11:00 pm-ish. I was worried about knowing what a contraction would feel like. For me, it felt like an intense period cramp. At first, they were about 15/20 min apart and they slowly got closer throughout the entire night. Before I knew it, it was the next day and the pain was intense. If you’re worried about pain, it helps to remind yourself that a contraction is only 60 seconds and after that, you can relax. Knowing and reminding myself of that helped me get through the night of labor. It also helped to have a dependable husband to encourage me and time the contractions.
In the late morning, I called the hospital and asked if we should come in, but they encouraged us to stay home until contractions get closer together. I must have called the hospital 3 or 4 times because I was so anxious. Finally, my husband and I decided to go in at about 12:00 pm even though my contractions didn’t seem close enough. 5-1-1 is the rule (5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for at least 1 hour).
I remember every single bump of that car ride! I thought I could walk in unassisted but I only made it a few steps outside the doors. That’s when Brian abandoned our car and fetched a wheelchair. We got all checked in and settled into the staging room where they determine how far along labor is. I was already 8 centimeters dilated! Apparently, it caught the nurses by surprise and we had to get moving rather quickly after that. They asked me the big question, “do you want an epidural”. I was initially on the fence and wanted to decide at the moment. I don’t know what made me say yes (pain? fear? tiredness?), but I’m happy with my decision.
After I was settled in my labor room, my nurse said we would “slow labor down” by letting me rest until I was at 10 centimeters and I felt the urge to push. About 30 minutes later, it was time! 30 minutes and 7 pushes later, Benji was born! Seeing him for the first time was unexplainable. I remember a single tear rolling down my cheek as I held my baby boy for the first time. I couldn’t believe he was here and time stood still as Brian and I admired our first born.
