Nathan's Birth Story

Warning: This is probably pretty long for most people. I wanted to record all the details. :o) Enjoy!

Sunday started like any other day. Katie and Paul woke up early to play and I tried to get a little bit more rest. We did some things around the house and loaded up to get groceries from HEB. Katie was starting to get a bit fussy, so we dropped her off with mom and grandma so she could nap while we were out. I asked Paul to put the car seat in the truck, and I packed Katie's overnight bag for later in the week. Mom called and asked if we wanted to go to lunch, so we went to Perico's with mom and papa and grandma and grandpa. We stopped by Irma's for a while after lunch before heading home so Paul could hang up our Christmas lights (which were all burned out).

Katie and I were watching movies inside when I started to notice I was having some shortness of breath. It seemed to be coming in intervals and when I paid attention, I noticed that my back would hurt and my stomach would tighten shortly afterwards followed by pelvic pressure. I though to myself, "Maybe I am having contractions!" I have been contracting for weeks now, but somehow these felt "different." They weren't really uncomfortable, and my back had been aching non-stop, so that wasn't alarming. The contractions were coming 4-5min apart. Finally, around seven, I told Paul I thought I was having regular contractions. I called Nomi and asked her if she thought it could be labor and decided to wait to head to Labor and Delivery until they became more painful. I gave Tara a head's up, just in case it was the "real thing." Around eight o'clock, I told mom that I had been having contractions for two hours and might go in to get checked in another hour or so if they didn't subside. Around nine o'clock, the contractions were becoming more uncomfortable, and I had drank two liters of water, so I doubted I was just dehydrated. I called Grandma and Mom, and Grandma headed over to stay with Katie. I told mom if they admitted me, I would call her so that she could come to the hospital with us.

We got to Labor and Delivery around ten o'clock in the evening. They took me straight back to LDR4, had me change, and placed Nathan on the monitor. The two nurses that were attending to me were Laurie and Diane. Diane drew some labs and placed an IV for me. Laurie took my health history and checked me while Paul was in the waiting room. I was 5cm, 60 percent effaced and -2 station with contractions 3-4min apart. They said we were staying! My doctor wasn't the doctor on call for the practice that night, but the nurses called her anyway to see if she would be managing my labor. She decided to let me labor on my own, and if I hadn't delivered in the morning she would start augmentation (pitocin, breaking my water, ect.).

My blood pressure started to go up around 10:50pm and was 136/92. They drew some more labs to check for pre-eclampsia, and eventually it went back down to 112/62 at 12:25am. Mom got to the hospital around 11pm, Jon stopped by briefly afterwards to say hi, and Noemi came shortly after 12:30am for the night. Paul asked Laurie and Diane when the baby was coming, and they told him "probably not until tomorrow." Paul quickly changed into some shorts and crashed out on the couch. He told us to "wake him up if anything happened." We thought for sure Nathan would be here around 4am, so we had a good chuckle and told him he was unlikely to miss anything if something started to happen.

Laurie asked me if I wanted an epidural when I was admitted, but I was doing pretty well managing the contractions on my own. She told me to let her know about an hour in advance because the on-call anesthesiologist would have to come in to place my epidural. I was the only one in labor at that point. They started some fluids around 12:25am, as well.  Around 2am, the contractions were more painful, and I was debating asking for the epidural. I wanted to make sure that I was progressing first, so Diane checked me and said I hadn't had any changes.

I tried to get some rest around five o'clock, but the contractions made it hard for me to breath, and I would immediately wake up. My contractions were starting to spread out around this time to every ten minutes. I was able to sleep for about 30 min before my nurses came back in to start pitocin. I immediately asked for the epidural when they started the pit because I remembered how quickly the contractions became unbearable last time. They were only starting the drip at 2ml/hr, but they increased it every 20min and I knew it would take awhile for the epidural to be placed. The anesthesiologist would be in house at 6:00-06:30.

They increased my pitocin to 4ml/hr at 5:56 and to 6ml/hr at 06:15. Janie, the surgical tech, came in at 6:15 to set up the delivery supplies. The doctor showed up to place my epidural at 6:41 and the nurses changed shift. Monique, one of my colleagues from nursing school, was taking over my care! It was really nice to see her, and I knew that I would be in great hands.

pitocin drip: 10ml/hr at 08:06, 12ml/hr at 08:29, 14ml/hr at 08:50, 16ml/hr at 09:50, 18ml/hr at 10:10, 20ml/hr at 10:40. I really don't remember seeing the pump higher than 16ml/hr. I was laboring well without much pain or discomfort, just a lot of shortness of breath with each contraction. That was usually the only indicator I had of a contraction with the epidural placed. The pitocin maintained my contractions at 2-3 minutes apart.

Paul and I in Labor and Delivery

Dr. A came in at 10:47 and broke my water, she placed an internal monitor to measure my contractions, as well. She said I was 5cm and 70% effaced. The next hour and half went very quickly, and was the worst part of the entire delivery. Monique went to lunch and another nurse kept an eye on me while she was gone; increasing the pit to 22ml/hr at 11:05, 24ml/hr at 11:28 and 26ml/hr at 11:59. My pain started to become unbearable and I used the PRN pain medicine from the epidural at 11:28 and 11:48. No matter what I did or how I moved, I could not get comfortable and the pain in my right groin was excruciating. The nurse called anesthesia back to give me a bolus dose as the breakthrough medication was not helping me. I got a bolus of Lidocaine at 12:08. Around this time, Monique came back in to check on me and said that she would check my cervix since I was in so much pain. I told her if I was still at a 5 to lie to me and say I was something else. She told me she wouldn't have to lie because I was a 10 and complete at 12:19!!

Monique called Dr. A to let her know that I would be ready to push soon as she was in clinic and would come down for delivery. She helped me change position so that I could labor down and my legs were completely numb. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to push because I couldn't feel a thing! When they first placed my epidural, I was numb but could move my toes and bend my legs without too much help. Monique and Paul both had to lift my legs and move me in the bed at this point, though. As Nathan moved lower down the birth canal, the pain continued to increase, and I used a breakthrough bolus at 13:00. I don't remember the pain being so bad with Katie's delivery as it was this time, but I also dilated from 5-10cm in 92min!

Monique had me push with a contraction at 13:14 to see how much progress we could make. She left to call Dr. A and let her know that we were definitely ready for delivery and when she came back, I pushed with another contraction. She brought the mirror out for me to see Nathan, and I could see his full head of hair when I pushed!! Dr. A arrived and got dressed right afterwards, and with two more contractions, Nathan Edward arrived November 28th at 13:46:12.

Dr. A held him up for me to see, and I was so excited to finally meet him!! He was absolutely perfect, and I reached out to hold his tiny toes. Paul cut his cord, and Dr. A asked if I wanted to hold him. She placed him on my chest and the nurses dried him off. Nathan weighed 7 lbs and 5 oz. He was a perfect 20.5 inches long with feet bigger than Katie's! He has a loud cry, and gets so red when he gets angry. His skin was a bit dry and wrinkly (he was born at 38 weeks and 4 days); with such long fingernails, he looked like a well baked baby! :)

Meeting Nathan for the first time

Grandma and Nathan

Aunt Tara and Nathan

Aunt Nomi and Nathan

Uncle Jon, PawPaw and Nathan

Grandpa with Nathan

Three Generations

Nathan has Paul's curly hair

Grandma and Grandpa brought Katie up to meet Nathan around six o'clock. She was a little bit frightened at first. We were still in the labor and delivery room, there was equipment set up everywhere, and I was getting IV fluids. She came over to give me a hug and Paul took her over to meet Nathan. She kept looking at Nathan and saying "baby" over and over. She really wanted to touch him and look at him. She is going to be such a great big sister! 

Katie meeting her little brother

Katie with Mamaw and Papaw

Baby!

Aunt Tara dressing Nathan

GamGam and Nathan

Great Grandpa and Nathan

Uncle Luis, Grandpa, Paulie and Nathan

Grandma and Grandpa Gauna with Nathan

Aunt Melissa with Nathan

Aunt Leslie with Nathan

We are so in love with our handsome little boy. We were discharged home the very next day around seven o'clock. Nathan has been nursing like a champ, which has been such a great experience. He is sleeping pretty good and honestly acts like a two week old baby rather than a tiny baby who is five days old. He is so precious and we are so grateful to have our family complete.

Our Family