Corbyn's Birth Story

After I had Sullivan, I decided to write my labor and delivery story so I wouldn't forget any details.  I am so glad I did.  I love having the option to look back at that day in words and pictures.  So, I am doing the same for my labor and delivery with Corbyn. 

• On Wednesday August 22nd, I went in for my 38 week check-up (actually 37 w 6 d) in Gadsden with Dr. Crowe.  I had lost 1 lb from previous week.  My blood pressure was HIGH...160/100.  I had also had several visits with high blood pressure and she was concerned.  Before she checked me, she had said "I think it's time to have this baby before something bad happens" (her exact words)...I was immediately nervous and felt kind of jittery.  I was by myself.  The ONE time Zach wasn't able to go with me, they wanted to send me to the hospital.  She proceeded to check me and said "you are still 1 cm, but where is this baby?"  Hello?  Last visit, she was head down and LOW.  Dr. Crowe thought she might have turned bottom down/head up.  She said if baby was head up, I'd probably just have a c-section that night or maybe next morning.  :(  I wanted to cry.  Dr. Crowe also said we would have an ultrasound when we get to hospital to see if that was the case for sure.  I was totally bummed about baby having turned up (if that was the case) and a little worried about things to come.  Dr. Crowe told me to go home, get Zach, and head to L&D.  I called Zach on the way home, and he was not expecting my news.  He immediately left work to go home and pack the car.  Thankfully, we had our bags packed and everything in one place.  The boys were already at Brenda's because she had kept them while I went to the doctor.  As soon as I got home, we put a few more things in the car and off we went.  It felt like the longest. drive. ever.  I was like a little kid on a drive to vacation...anxious as ever.  When we go to the hospital, they had my records pulled and were waiting on us.  They put me straight in the room and started my IV shortly after.  Nurse Susie Hooks put it in and got me on the monitors.  She didn't remember us, but we sure remembered her.  She was my nurse when I delivered Hudson.  We. LOVED. Her!  I was so happy to see her and know that she'd be my nurse, for a few hours anyway.  (*she also asked me if I wanted my hand numbed before she actually put my iv in...um...YES, please!...heaven sent if you ask me.)  She monitored my blood pressure several times lying, sitting, and standing.  My bp readings were perfect when lying and sitting.  They were a little higher while standing, but still not as high as they were at the Dr.'s office.  I wondered what would happen now with my bp being fine.  Basically I was monitored for the rest of the day.  I didn't really have any solid information about what was to come yet.  Early that evening, they sent us to a different part of the hospital to have an  ultrasound to see if baby was indeed turned bottom down/head up.  I just thought I'd go to the regular u/s room where I had all of my other ultrasounds.  This was not the case.  I had to have some man wheel me in a wheelchair all over the hospital to the ultrasound part.  When we got there, this guy said "I'm a student and I will be performing your u/s and then another nurse will come in and check my information to see if I did it right.  NOT what I wanted to hear!  I got on the bed and he laid me flat on my back which was soooooooooo uncomfortable for me.  Then he couldn't get the machine to work right...so they had to move me next door.  Again, laid me flat on my back and it took him almost 40 MINUTES to do it.  Really?  Umm...I was just about to go insane...and I was hurting so bad.  Finally, the other u/s tech came in and double checked everything and we were good to go...except we had to wait almost 10 minutes for the other man to come and wheel me back to my room.  Ugh!  When we got back to our room, sometime later, they told us that baby was in fact head up.  :(  I already kind of felt like she was at this point.  Dr. Gunnels was the doc on call that night...he came by the room and told us that my bp's looked great and everything looked great and he didn't see any reason why we should "induce or have a baby" at this point.  He said I'd be monitored overnight and make a final decision in the morning.  This was the most disappointing news I had gotten so far.  Zach and I had soooo many questions running through our minds.  My first thought "I know I did NOT get this IV for NOTHING"...second thought "I want to see Dr. Crowe and see if she feels the same way."...third thought "If they are gonna send me home, I'd rather go home right now and sleep in my own bed!"  lol...after all night...Dr. Gunnels comes in our room the next morning and talks to us.  He basically said he wanted us to go home and me take it easy so my bp wouldn't rise (yeah right, take it easy with two kids at home and 9 months pregnant??  um, not a chance!)  He also said that we could come back and check my bp in two days.  He ALSO said if baby was still breech when it came time to deliver that he felt comfortable enough (with his experience) for me to deliver breech with him being the one to deliver!  DELIVER. BREECH???????  I don't think so!  I'd rather have a c-section.  After he left my room, I was sooo discouraged!  I asked the nurse if we could see Dr. Crowe to get her opinion and she said of course.  When Dr. Crowe came in a few minutes later she said "well, we can send ya home on bed rest, but I know you can't do that with 2 little ones at home."  She also said "I know your bp looks fine while you're lying down, but I know once you get moving around it's going to go back up."  Finally, someone who understands.  Zach and I had the same exact thoughts.  :)  So I just asked..."Am I going to get to stay and have my baby?"  She said "yep, let's do this!"  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Such. A. Relief.  But then, the dreaded question...will I have a c-section or what?  Dr. Crowe suggested we try an External cephalic version, or  version (herself and Dr. Gunnels)...where they turn the baby externally using pressure from both sides of my stomach to manually turn the baby...OUCH!  They would perform that at 4:30.  If that works, we'll induce and have baby normally.  If that doesn't work, we'll do c-section.  She even went as far as to set the c-section time.  5:15 p.m. that day to be exact.  During the day, my awesome nurse Cathy, wanted me to try several different things to try to get baby to turn on it's own.  Things like yoga positions and rolling of my hips...LOL.  Funny is all I can say.  So, she showed me the positions and I tried them.  In the end, they didn't work, but it made the time pass by quicker and we had a lot of fun and funny moments trying.  She was so sweet!  So, the version was supposed to happen around 4:30, but Dr. Crowe comes in around 3:20.  The nurses bring in this dinosaur of an ultrasound machine on wheels and Dr. Crowe checks to be certain the baby is still head up, and also tries to see which way they should turn baby.  Dr. Crowe is sitting on the edge of my bed beside me and she starts pushing on my stomach to the left (my right) and could tell that was the way she wanted to go.  She pushes harder and it feels like the baby is moving some.  They lie my bed all the way down to where I'm flat on my back.  Dr. Crowe pushes HARD and then even HARDER!  "HOLY COW, that HURTS!" is what I'm thinking.  I'm pretty sure my face must've been horrendous because the nurse comes and says "here honey squeeze my hand."  Dr. Crowe pushes super hard and VOILA! it was done!  I could almost feel a difference in my stomach.  She put the ultrasound machine back on my stomach and saw the head was down!  She couldn't believe it!  She had done it ALL by herself...no help from the other doctor.  I was soooo pleased too, because I dreaded having two doctors, one being a man, press on my stomach....I felt like it would hurt a lot worse hehe.  Anyway, so in walks Dr. Bill Hudson  and before he can even say anything, Dr. Crowe said "I DID IT!"  "All by myself!"  I could tell she was proud of herself and I was proud for her.  It did hurt. A Lot! But, I would do it all again if need be knowing what I know now and having gone through it.  Soooo, NO c-section UNLESS she turns back up before morning.  Dr. Crowe said there's always a chance, but hopefully she wouldn't with me being in the bed and all.  Now we could call all of our family and tell them the version worked, no c-section, and inducing in the morning.  We I didn't rest very well that night because we were I was so anxious about the next day.  Another night in the hospital, but at least we knew we the next day we'd have a baby. :)
• 8/24: Our day nurse was Susan and she started the pitocin drip at 5:00 a.m. to induce.
•  6:45 a.m. Dr. Ingram broke my water
• 8:00 a.m. 1.5 cm but contractions were getting very strong
• 8:30 a.m. I got Nubane pain medication to help with pain since I couldn't get my epidural yet.  I got a really good nap with this in my system.
• 10:30 got epidural...was 3 cm. 
• 12:40 was 6 cm and they had to give me another boost of epidural meds to numb my right side again as the medicine had worn off.  I don't know what's wrong with my right side but the same thing happened with Sullivan.  I remembered it being HORR.I.BLE...so I quickly asked for another dose.  I remember the anesthesiologist telling me that he was giving me half as much as they give c-section patients so it should numb it up pretty well.  I wanted to say "give me all of it" haha!  It worked pretty quickly.  I couldn't feel the contractions as I had been a few minutes earlier. 
• 2:10 p.m. nurse checked me and I was almost fully dilated.  She said once she got everything set up, I'd be complete and we could start pushing.  So. Excited!
• 2:25 p.m. pushed once for nurse to see how good I could push.  That's what she said anyway.  Once I pushed she said "oh, wow! the baby moved down a lot...it won't be long at all."  I was even more excited.  I pushed once more and she said "whoa! don't push!"  She called for the doctor.  Really?  That quick?  I knew it didn't take long with Sullivan, but this was happening even faster.  She was holding her hands over me the whole time saying "dont' push, don't push."  Ummm....look lady...my epidural has worn off again and I really need to push...is what I was thinking.  But being the quiet person I am, I didn't say anything I just started crying!  This was all in like 2 minutes.  So she called for the doctor again as he had not arrived yet!  Still, she said "don't push, don't push!"  I cried harder.  Finally, in RUNS the doctor,  He quickly threw his garments on and rushed to the bed.  It was Dr. Edwards.  He's a joy.  As soon as he got there he said "ok, PUSH!"  and I did and SHE'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  2:36 p.m.  It's the most indescribable feeling. EVER!  She looked tiny!  I got to hold her a minute then they took her to "do their stuff."  She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and ws 20 inches long.  She's just perfect.  When Dr. Edwards finished with me, he went to the waiting room to tell our family that Corbyn was here and that I was doing wonderfully.  I've never had a doctor to do that before and that meant a lot to me.  My mom even commented on how awesome that was.  Dr. Edwards is awesome.  I couldn't have asked for anyone sweeter, kinder, or more precious than him.  Now, nurse Susie's shift was just beginning and she was going to be our afternoon/evening nurse!  So glad of that.  Miss Corbyn had to get nice and warm.  That took her a while.  She had to lie under the heat lamp for a good bit.  Before Susie could give Corbyn a bath (b/c of her temp), she decided she was already hungry (not even an hour old and had to have her first bottle.  That was around 3:20.  She was a good little eater.  Then she had her bath.  After that all of our family got to come in and see her.  What a glorious day!  God is so good to us.  We are truly blessed beyond measure!!!                  

The night before!  Trust me...you do NOT want to see bare stomach! 

another "night before" shot!

Nurse Susie...she's so awesome!

first time to hold her after being all cleaned up (no bath yet)

Hudson's first look...how precious!

Sully was asleep when they finally got to come in

Hudson just can't get enough.  So sweet!

Sully's first look

ready to go home!

This is Nurse Cathy.  The fun one!  She was so precious to come in and see us before we left on Sunday.  She wasn't our nurse that day, but it meant a lot to me that she came in a saw us. 

About the leave the hospital to go home.