We got there around 8 am (only 15 minutes late!). After we got to the hospital and checked in they got me all hooked up to the IV and started the pitocin. It started out really really slow. During the early part of the morning, Dave left to go let the dogs out and get some food. I wasn't allowed to eat until after delivery. I am not a happy person if I don't eat, so luckily it wasn't too long of a labor! It was strange just hanging out waiting for labor to really kick in.
Our nurse said she expected he would be born between 4 and 5. I didn't start feeling any contractions until around noon. Then my doctor came in around 1:30 and broke my water. About 15 minutes later some serious contractions started! I was going to wait a little to get the epidural because I didn't want to have it for very long, I don't like the way it makes me feel. However, the nurse talked me into getting it because the anesthesiologist was already on the floor so I agreed. Well, I knew right away he didn't know what he was doing. My epidural with Q took all of about 2 minutes. This guy was pushing on my back and then hitting my back and I was having horrible (well at that point I thought they were horrible.... until I felt the ones to come later) contractions and the way he was making me sit was awful. He couldn't get the epidural to go in right so he had me lay down. Then I really knew he had no clue what he was doing! So he finally got the epidural with me laying on my side. About 2 minutes after he left the room I knew it wasn't working. I could completely feel the contractions and my right leg. Dave went and found the guy and he had me lay on my side and then turned the medicine up and left... never to be seen again!
At this point, the epidural is STILL not working and the contractions are really really painful. Dave couldn't find any nurses or the anesthesiologist so we were alone in this room and I was dying! Apparently two other people were birthing children at that current time and they were all busy. Finally, our nurse came back to rescue me and got a different anesthesiologist to come in and he did my third epidural and it worked! I was 8 cm at that point and never ever want to have that pain again!
Now I was feeling good (pain free) and Leo arrived at 4:16 pm without any complications after only 15 minutes of pushing.
He weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long and just perfect. Dave was great the whole labor and I already can't wait to do it all over again! (funny how the mind quickly erases how awful it was!).
After Leo got cleaned up, we moved rooms and my friend Joanna came to see us. She brought Leo the cutest little shirts and me some wine! (YAY!) Dave was able to go and watch Leo get his bath, I still couldn't walk because of the epidural.
After Leo was brought back to the room Dave went to our friend's house to get Quinn and bring her to the hospital to meet her little brother. She was at daycare most of the day and then our friend Ashlee went to pick her up for the evening. We have been so lucky with all of our friends here in Utah helping us out! When Quinn got to the hospital she was a little shy around me and Leo but then quickly warmed up after she got to open her "Big Sister" present. The picture of them meeting for the first time is not the best because I was still unable to walk and had to take the picture from my bed. (That is one of the negatives of not having any family at the hospital with us- we are lacking in hospital pictures).
Our hospital stay was great! When we told people here we were delivering at Davis Hospital they would just look at us and go "oh". I don't know why but the hospital has a bad reputation. We had friends that delivered there and they had a good experience and I loved that it was less than 10 minutes from our house. I am very glad we went there. Everything was great, it was super nice and I even got a pedicure! I thought I would be sad that Dave wasn't staying at the hospital with me but really it was nice. Him and Q would leave for the night and the nursery would take Leo and I got to sleep until his next feeding. I just called on the phone when I wanted to eat something and it was delivered to my room right away. It was a very nice 2 days!
We left the hospital on Thursday and came home. Leo failed his newborn hearing screening and we have to go back next week for him to get another one. I think he will pass it, he appears to be hearing things and soothes to my voice.
We left Q at daycare so we could get all settled in and let the dogs get used to Leo. She loved when she got home and I was there. The last couple of days when her and Dave would get home she would look for me, that made me sad to think about.
Everything at home has been great. He is a very easy baby and sleeps all the time. He has had no problems nursing and will sleep for 3-4 hour stretches at night. Quinn has been great and is adjusting so well. Some of my friends in the OSC have been bringing us food every evening and it has been so helpful! Dave goes back to work on Friday but luckily my mom gets into town on Sunday.
We are very lucky that we had such an easy labor with Leo and that he is healthy. There was a lot of stress during my pregnancy and it feels amazing to have this healthy little boy finally here!
Leo is good, Life is good.
