The Story....

Ok, it's been two weeks exactly and I am starting to feel like a human again. It's a non-stop cycle of feed baby, get baby to sleep, pee, eat, and start over again. This is harder than I thought, but my little monster is absolutely wonderful and I am so in love!
Here is the story of Sawyer's birth:
Disclaimer: The first story includes fewer details. It tells the whole story, but doesn't tell too much. This would be a good one for you to read if you are: about to give birth, plan to give birth someday or a guy who doesn't want to know the details of what exactly happened to my body. The second story includes all that is in the first story with all the gory details :)

#1
Most people know that I was late. My due date came and went with no action. The midwives decided I needed a "start date." This was set for Wednesday, October 14th. On that day, Vince and I headed down to the birth center and we spent the day enduring all kinds of induction methods. No action. We went back the next day, Thursday. Still no action. They sent us home on Thursday around 6pm. On the way home, I started to experience labor. By 8pm we were back at the birth center and I was in active labor. The midwives started to notice some drops in Sawyer's heart rate when I started pushing. This concerned them and they called the doctor on call to decide if I needed to be transferred to the hospital. The doctor decided to come to the birth center and that a forceps delivery would be best. This is what they did and at 12:22am Sawyer was born...alert and hungry! I did have some complications with my recovery, but am finally feeling better now!

#2
Most people know that I was late. My due date came and went and I was not dilated even enough for them to strip the membranes, which usually causes labor to start on it's own. The midwives decided I needed a "start date." This was set for Wednesday, October 14th. On that day, Vince and I headed down to the birth center and we spent the day enduring all kinds of induction methods. They gave me some medicine to start labor and they put a Foley bulb on my cervix. No action. We went back the next day, Thursday, to do more of the same. Two rounds of medicine and another Foley bulb. Still no action. They sent us home on Thursday around 6pm. On the way home, I started to experience labor. I was cramping like you wouldn't believe and they started to come in predictable waves. Once I got home the Foley bulb feel out which meant that I was dilated to a 4. I started to feel some serious labor pains which felt like stabbing pains in my abdomen. The only thing that felt right was to get on all fours, sway and "blow the pain away." I had imagined many times how I would handle the pain and let me tell you now that it was not pretty or graceful. I was loud and panicky. I started shaking really bad (hormone rush) and I threw up everywhere. These were all signs that I was transitioning into active labor. By 8pm we were back at the birth center and I was in full-blown, ugly active labor. I got in the bath after laboring for a few hours. The bath felt sooo good! I stayed in for an hour or so and then they made me get out because they started noticing that Sawyer's heart rate would drop after some contractions. It wasn't every time, but it was often enough that they started to get nervous. I heard them talking about transferring me to the hospital. They quickly got me out of the bath, dressed and put an IV in me. They called the doctor on call to decide if I needed to be transferred to the hospital. The doctor decided to come to the birth center. This turned out to be the biggest blessing! I was able to have my baby at the birth center without a hospital transfer even though I needed a doctor. The doctor decided that it was time to help little Sawyer come out. I had been pushing for about an hour at this point and he seemed to be stuck behind my pelvic bone. I could have eventually pushed him out, but because his heart rate kept dropping there was a sense of urgency. Dr. Graham suggested we use forceps. She said she could try vacuum first, but I replied "get him out!" She shot me up with Pudendal Nerve Block, put the forceps in and with the next contraction, Sawyer came out!! It was 12:22am and he was alert and hungry! After I finished admiring my little boy and Vince cut the cord, they took him to check him out and make sure he was ok. It was then that I noticed Dr. Graham was putting stitches in me. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was repairing my tear. I said, oh I tore? How bad? She replied with....ummm, you have what we call a third degree tear. Yikes! About an hour later she was done stitching me and I got to take a shower. That felt great! I did have some complications with my recovery (I had to be re-stitched twice), but am finally feeling better now! We are all doing well and Vince and I are learning how to take good care of him!