Monday January 30th, 2012
I had a doctors appointment this day, and was told I had a bladder infection and that I was still dilated to a 2 and only effaced to 80% and I had been like that since the beginning of January. I was beyond frustrated. I had been having tons of cramping and occasional contractions and was hoping something had changed a bit. Well my doctor did tell me that if I didn't have him by the 6th, we would have another appointment and get things set up to be induced the 13th. I was excited for an end, but not for one a week after my due date. I had been ready to have my baby since the beginning of January. Pregnancy and I do not get along.
Wednesday February 1st, 2012
Well I was still having a lot of cramping and pain, and was of course hoping that it meant that Carson would be joining us soon, but I of course am not so lucky. But I made Connor take me out on a date that night, just in case he came to make sure that we would get a chance to go. Well that night when we were going to bed, the cramping became so intense. It was constant and definitely not a contraction, but it was so painful that I was up most of the night and just miserable come 7am that morning.
Thursday February 2nd, 2012
I called my mom sometime after 8am to let her know I was in pain and that I was going to need a ride to the doctor to see if things were okay. I figured that my bladder infection was not going away and so I called and let them know I needed to come in. So we went in around 9:30am to see the doctor and because I was having some contractions, they wanted to check me to see if that was also the problem. Come to find out I had not progressed at all and was getting more mad that the intense pain I was having was for nothing.
We left the doctor and decided to run some errands while we waited for my new bladder infection antibiotic to be filled. While we were running errands, my contractions started happening more often, still not consistent but were definitely noticeable. We went and got lunch and they were sitting about 15 minutes apart and still random, but around 2pm I started keeping track. I kept track from then on that day and they were starting to average about 6 minutes apart and last about 30 seconds. The doctor told me that I should go in to labor and delivery if they were 5 minutes apart and I couldn't talk through the pain.
Well I already thought I was at that point and each contraction would put me in tears. I guess I don't have a high pain tolerance or because of my bladder infection maybe the pain was intensified.
Connor got off around 5:30 and after he went home and changed, he came and met me at my mom's for some dinner and for my dad to give me a blessing before we headed to the hospital. At this point my contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting about 90 seconds and I was done!
Labor and Delivery
We got to the hospital around 7pm and got checked in and were taken to the only room left! They were pretty busy! I was so scared they were going to send me home. They got me all settled in and on the monitors and checked me. I was only at a 3. Contractions all day and that is all I had progressed. Well our nurse Jolene left us for about a half hour to see what could happen and came back and we had moved to a 3.5 and she left to find out what Doctor Olsen wanted to do!
Well she came back in and said good news he wants to break your water. I was so excited that they were going to keep us that I didn't quite put together that this would be more painful. So around 9:30 he came in and broke my water.
That's when the fun of the contractions begin. I was so ready for an epidural, but because they were so busy there were 2 ladies ahead of me. They gave me some Demerol to help with the pain, but instead it just made me super sleepy and very out of it. Finally about an hour later they attempted an epidural.
They got it in and I started to feel pretty good. Then a contraction hit and it was so much more painful than they had been all night. It was only hurting on my right side. Who would have thought only feeling pain on one side would be worse, but it was localized to just around my appendix. Well Jolene came back in a while later and said they were going to try again. The anesthesiologist came in and did it again and that one did the trick. I was so numb I couldn't even move! That was uncomfortable for sure, but better than pain. So at about 11:45 I was able to attempt sleeping. Connor left to run home and switch vehicles and grab all the stuff we needed, and I just laid there and waited, sleep was impossible. Finally around 12:30 I did fall asleep. Jolene came back in around 1:15 and said we were at a 10 ready to go. They said we would start pushing around 2:30 and was starting to get things ready.
Pushing starting at 2:30am
We started to push and the more we pushed, the pain started to return. I could feel everything except my toes. It was so painful. I kept pushing my button, and nothing was changing. We were out of juice and my body didn't want to take the epidural. Around 3:30am, after pushing through contractions for an hour, Jolene had the anesthesiologist come and give me more stuff to see if it could work. This gave me time to rest. We had already been at the point where Connor could see his head and see that he had hair, but we were not getting any further.
After they tried to get me feeling better we started pushing again. The pain was still there it hadn't done anything, but I was so exhausted that between Contractions I would fall right to sleep. I honestly don't remember a lot of what happened during that time until about 5am when I heard Jolene get a return phone call from Doctor Olsen and let him know he needed to come in. They couldn't tell what way Carson was facing and I was getting nowhere pushing. Doctor Olsen showed up at about 10 after 5. This is where the "fun" began. He came in and figured out that Carson was head down, but face up. Not the ideal way to have a baby. I was exhausted and I could not push him out by myself. So they decided to use the vacuum. Dr. Olsen was telling me how its not harmful to the baby but it will get him out and that he will have a cone head for a while, but I didn't care anymore he needed to come out! . Well he got the Vacuum on and got ready for a contraction and I started pushing and he started pulling. With the Vacuum following off during pushing, still 30 seconds later his head was through. That was very painful! I felt his head, and then his little body follow. He came out a screaming! He definitely had lungs. They asked if I wanted him, but I was in so much pain I was scared to take him. So they got him all cleaned up and did his APGAR test and gave us 2 nine's! Which they say they never do. I'll take it. Carson Connor Balls was born at 5:26am and was 19 inches long and 7 lbs. 13 oz.
While they got him all cleaned up and ready, Dr. Olsen finished with me. I had a tear, which Dr. Olsen said was a normal tear for the way I delivered him. I don't know if that means I tore bad, or a lot. But it sure feels that way. Well the pain in my lower stomach and back was still happening and when they would push on my stomach the pain was so much worse. I thought Contractions were bad, but I was wrong.
Once they were all finished they gave me Carson to try to nurse and to hold him, while they gave me more Demerol and got me some food and pain killers. After about an hour they got us ready and transported us upstairs to where we would stay till we left the hospital. My pain killers were finally starting to take affect when they started to bathe him and get us all situated upstairs.
Around 7:45am my parents and older sister came to see us and to check out our addition to the family.
At about 10am Connor's mom Susan came to see him and after that it just seemed we had constant visitors. We really didn't but it was nice when they did come.
At this point we were both without sleep. Me pretty much since Tuesday night and Connor since Wednesday night. We were exhausted. Sleeping was practically impossible what with all the visitors, the nurses and the baby!
Nursing
So Nursing has been a bumpy road for us. Carson has a hard time latching on to me because my nipples are flat. We tried and tried and finally with all the pain, we decided we needed to try something else because we knew he wasn't getting anything. Well they decided to try us on a thing they call "S & S" it is the thing where you wear a nipple shield and they latch on to that and you thread a thin tube underneath and use a syringe to dispense formula in. That way they get food and they still are "nursing". They do this so you can attempt nursing later. Well we had to pump and that was an adventure.
Well we continued "S & S" for Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and gave it up Tuesday because I can't do it on my own. So Connor or someone would have to be there every time I were to feed him. So we decided to just go to pumping and bottle feed. It has been hard giving up nursing, but I know my little man is getting what he needs.
Saturday February 4th, 2012
This was the day we went home. We left around 7pm and went home to attempt things on our own. Susan came and stayed with us that night, and it was great. She stayed out with Carson so we could get some very much needed sleep.
Sunday February 5th, 2012
My mom stayed with us this night since Connor had to work the next day and that way to get us some more sleep. We had to take Carson to the hospital that morning for a Bilirubin check. His color had been good but his first PKU was a little higher than they like, but not bad. My Mom also stayed with us on Monday night as well and It helped to really catch up on sleep.
Monday February 6th, 2012
Carson had his 2 day check up. He had lost only 5 ounces. He of course left his mark and peed on the table and wanted to make sure they heard him. He was doing great, they wanted us to check his bilirubin again Tuesday and it was great! He was well under the risk point. We had been so worried.
Since then we have been doing pretty good. Just trying to get adjusted to life with an infant and no sleep. Connor gets his sleep, but Carson likes to keep me awake. He did great for about a week at doing good at falling asleep after I fed him at night, and sleeping till 10am. But the last couple mornings he has been testing what time to wake up. Started with 7am one day and 4am today.
We have a great little man and he has been such a blessing to our family! Everyone loves him and he sure loves everyone!
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