Birth Story

Broden's birth story...

I was already at the hospital on bed rest because my water broke at 31 weeks. The doctors wanted me to go 3 weeks total before they induced me to have the baby at 34 weeks. Steve had been with me the first week, but we decided to have him go back to work for a few shifts. I figured all I could do is lay there so he might as well go to work for a few days. He left so he could be at work Monday.

Monday night, exactly one week in the hospital, at 11pm I started having hard contractions closer together. I called the nurse in to report like a good little girl (just like they asked me to). They wanted me to report when they got harder and closer together. I had never called them in before, even though I had contractions off and on all week, but this time they really hurt. She came in and hooked my up to a monitor. For some reason, the contractions were not showing up on the monitor, of course, but I sure was having them (Later, I found out the contractions weren’t showing up because I have a tilted uterus which also caused severe back labor). The contractions were every 5 minutes apart at that point. She asked if I was sure they weren’t Braxton hicks... I told her “when I have one I can’t hold a conversation with you so it’s more than Braxton hicks!” She finally went to tell the doctor.

The doctor measured me and I was dilated to a 4 just as I had been all week. She did notice I was in more pain though so she decided (after what seemed a long time) to take me to a labor and delivery room for the night. I had been there before with the earlier fiasco so they thought they would monitor me over night, but didn’t think I was in labor. In the labor and delivery room, the contractions got worse and worse and were 1 minute apart. The doctor re-measured me and I was at a 6 and contractions every 3 minutes. Then they finally decided I was in labor. The nurse took my cell phone (3 am), because I was in too much pain to talk, to call my darling husband who was back in Rock Springs at work. The doctor came in after about 30 more minutes and said that and I was dilated to a 9 …she said my body would tell me it’s time to start pushing in 15 to 30 minutes.

Reminder… I have not had an epidural this whole time because at first they didn’t think I was in labor and then it progressed pretty fast. It was the most severe pain I have ever felt in my life. All I could do is try to relax and not tense up during the contractions or they were worse. The back labor was the most indescribable pain ever. The doctor said I could get an epidural. It would make it so I didn’t feel the urge to push and I could relax. That would give us more time and then my husband would be able to make it. Otherwise, my body would feel to push and I would have this baby.  At one point, I seriously wanted to just get it done and over with… but I got the epidural because I really wanted my husband there! I will admit it was pure heaven after I got the epidural while I waited for my husband to arrive.

** Side note…while I was getting my epidural I was having really bad contractions. I would close my eyes and try to relax my body and just get through it. A man came in during that time and tried to introduce himself. I ignored him and he eventually went away. Maybe 10 minutes later he came back and really wanted to introduce himself to me again. Both times I was having a contraction and ignored him. It seriously took all I had to get through a contraction. I wasn’t going to try to be nice and talk to him. After the second time he kept trying to talk to me (and tapping me on the shoulder like I didn’t hear him), I kept my head down and eyes closed and when the contraction finished I said… “I don’t really care who you are. Just do whatever your job is.”  I still don’t know what he did because I never saw him again:) I guess he got the point!

Steve called later and at this point I was resting and feeling good. He told me he was in a really bad snowstorm. There was 6-8 inches or more of slush and cars were off the road everywhere. He said our car was stopped and couldn’t make it up the hill. He said he’d do his best, but he didn’t think he would make it.

Steve ended up making it!! The doctors were trying to wait patiently because they really wanted him to be able to be there. I pushed for 1 hour and our beautiful baby boy was born at 8:30 am Tuesday morning. So… I went through almost the whole thing in pain, got the epidural at the very end, and felt great waiting for my husband to get there. Luckily he got there!!!

When Broden was out the doctor held him up for literally 1 second and then he was passed through the glass window to the NBICU (new born ICU). All I remember was seeing the big bruise on his forehead. It was really stressful… they had prepared us for a wide range of possible complications he could have. A doctor in the ICU came back 10 minutes later with his report on how the baby was doing. He was little, but didn’t need oxygen and was breathing room air!! I was so relieved to hear that. That info was at the less severe end of the spectrum... We saw our baby 2 hours later and got to really hold him days later. We were instantly in LOVE with our Broden Bug!!!