Dietrich's birth story

{last belly picture}

36 weeks  6 days 

Day before Dietrich was born

Months ago Southwest had a sale on their fall flights and so my mom called me and asked me when this baby was coming :)  There was no telling when he would come since I wasn't planning a c-section, so she just booked two one way flights just choosing random dates in hopes that I would make it to 36 weeks and she would be able to use one of them and then if needed she could transfer one of those flights to another date.  So the day her flight was booked for (Sept. 24) was coming up and we were all surprised that I was still pregnant.  Her and I had a couple conversations about whether or not she should come already or just wait.  I was scared that she would come and stay 3 weeks and THEN I would have my baby and not have any help.  Be cause my due date was Oct 17 and her flight to go home was Oct 15.  So if  I actually made it to my due date, she would be gone!  But she ended up deciding to just come in faith that God's timing of it all would work out perfectly.  So she flew in Tuesday Sept 24th and we were all so excited to see her!

The day before I had gone to my OB appt and was dilated to 4cm (from 1cm two weeks before).  So that was a good sign things were getting started.  But some women also walk around at 4cm for weeks so there was still no telling when this baby was going to make his appearance.

Well we decided to make the most of her time here and had a fun day on Wednesday.  Before leaving the house that morning my mom told me she felt a peace about the timing of this baby.  That we didn't need to worry about it just go about our time together and God would take care of the timing.  That seemed like such a simple concept but I realized I had been worrying too much about it all and just needed to let it go.  I wasn't trusting God and his plan for this baby.  So we ran some errands, did some shopping at the mall, Grandma took the two boys on a train ride, they played at the playspace and came home for naps for them.  The week before I was talking to my mom about her getting here and my Dad being in town Wednesday-Saturday, I mentioned that Thursday the 26th would be the perfect day to have the baby.  Then both of them would be there and it would just be a good day.  :)  Well my Dad got here Wednesday evening and we all went out to eat, came home and put the boys to bed.  I went to bed not worried about when this baby was coming...

3:20am I woke up to a contraction and then laid there awake for a couple minutes.  While I was laying there I felt what I can only describe as like a balloon popped in my belly.  It was the strangest thing and it wasn't my water breaking.  So I just wrote it off as weird and fell back asleep for about 10 minutes.  And had another painful contraction that woke me back up and then fell asleep again.  Another 10 minutes later right before 4am my water broke.  I woke Tyler up and as we were getting ready to head to the hospital the contractions started coming right around 6 minutes apart.  I went downstairs to wake up my parents and let them know it was go time.  My mom sat straight up in bed and the first thing she said was, "are you joking?"  Yes mom I woke you up at 4 am just to play a joke on ya ;)  It was so nice to just be able to leave and not have to worry about where we were going to take the boys.

We live about 20 minutes from the hospital and at one of my last dr appts he told me if my water happened to break, to book it to the hospital because with all the contractions I had been having things would go fast.  Well he wasn't kidding.  On the way to the hospital my contractions got more intense and were every 3 minutes apart.

We got there, parked and walked up to the third floor.  Almost made it to the elevator when I bent over to get through a contraction and a Dr walking the empty halls stopped and watched until he saw I was ok and then went along his way.  He was probably an intern who obviously didn't work in labor and delivery and wanted to brag to all his coworkers if I happened to be having the baby right then and there and he had to deliver the baby.  (oh wait, have I been watching too much Grey's Anatomy?) :)

I got up to triage and was at 5cm and still contractions every 3-4 minutes.  These contractions were very bearable.  They sucked but I had time to recover inbetween.  When I had pitocin with Caedmon they were AWFUL.  Super, super intense, long and right on top of each other.  I think I was in triage for about an hour before they had a room ready for me.  So another nurse came to take me there and she was the nurse that would be with me until shift change at 7am.  She asked the same questions that I'd already been asked 10 times and would continue to get asked for the rest of my stay.  Her first question, "do you know what you're having?" YEP! a boy! "is this your first?" No, my third.  "oh, what do you have at home?" "Two more boys." and her response?
"Boo!"

......and my reaction?  I said nothing.  I glared at her.

thankfully for her my first nurse was still there and broke the awkwardness of her rude comment and my silence by saying how awful it was that she just said that and that three boys is great!

I mean I was so mad at her at that point.  I just looked at Tyler like, "are you kidding me?!"  Who says that? ESPECIALLY a labor and delivery nurse.  3 boys can't be that rare that she had never had another mom with 2 boys and in labor with a third.  Oh it was just so rude.  Seriously you are saying it's a bad thing that I'm going to have 3 boys.  I'm sorry but I disagree tremendously.  And please don't ever say that to anyone else.  Ugh I'm just getting mad again thinking about it.  I am beyond blessed and my THREE boys are such a gift!

Anyways she knew I was mad and eventually apologized about the comment and she ended up being a pretty good nurse until shift change at 7.  And in came two new nurses.  One had just started so she was "shadowing" but really she did most of the work and did a fantastic job.

Back in triage I was told that I wasn't guaranteed that I would be able to get my epidural.  "ummmmm......you're kidding me, right?" Nope it was super busy that morning and lots of emergency c-sections.  I just prayed I would get one in time.  My nurse checked me and I was at a 7,  I still had time and thankfully she saw how much I wanted one and made it happen.  I got it at 6:45ish and I mentioned to my nurses that with Caedmon after I got my epidural I went from 2cm - 10cm in less than an hour.  They semi took me seriously and slowly started to get stuff set up.  By 7:20 or so I started to feel the urge to push.  I was at 10cm and was told I could start pushing as I felt like I needed to.

And this was the most awkward part.  Tyler and the nurse were holding my legs and everyone (resident, dr on call, and two nurses) were all waiting for my next contraction and my contractions were still like 4 minutes apart so I would push and then they all just stared at me for 3 minutes until I had to push again and since I had the epidural I felt hardly anything so we all just casually talked and waited awkwardly until I pushed again.  Seriously besides the awkward waiting periods it was the most enjoyable a delivery could be, lol!  I pushed three times and he was here!  (beat my record of 4 pushes with Caedmon) :)  My amazing 6 lb 5 oz 18 1/2 in long miracle was here!  That is the most surreal moment ever.  With that baby laying on your chest, staring up at you with his dark eyes.  Instant love.