Welcome to the World Little Guy

Owen's Birth Story:

The whole week before, me not knowing what to expect, I kept wondering about contractions and worrying whether I was having them and not keeping track or knowing. I had a dr. appt the Monday before and I was already dilated to a 3. So Sunday, the 18th I woke up and felt something different there was more pressure and I definitely KNEW I had just had a contraction. All Day I kept having contractions: they'd be 10 minutes apart and then I'd have a few hours of nothing. We celebrated all the October birthdays with my family and came home. We started watching a movie around 9:30. During the movie I kept having contractions. They'd be about 5 min. apart and getting more painful.

We'd heard so many stories about going to the hospital and getting sent home that I was really nervous about really going at the right time. All night long, they were 5 min. apart. They were getting more and more painful. I woke Bart up around 2 and he said to call the hospital. I called and they basically told me that I needed to wait until they were 2 to 3 min. apart and were that way for 2-3 hours and that I shouldn't be able to talk or walk through them. So I kept waiting. They stayed 5 min apart but were getting WAY more painful. Talking or Walking through them was definitely not an option. I just kept thinking you've got to be kidding me!!! This is unreal. Well I finally woke Bart up again at 5 and said we definitely needed to go to the hospital even though they were still 5 min. apart. He told me to call the hospital again and the nurse basically said: "It's up to you if you really feel like you need to come and you can't handle the pain, but if I wasn't dilating a cm an hour they'd send me home." Basically making me feel like woose. (sp?)

Bart started helping me time and they started getting closer to 3 min apart, but so painful I couldn't stand it. I started shaking uncontrollably, I think I may have been going into shock or transitioning or something. And then I started vomitting as well. Bart gave me a blessing and we headed to the hospital.

At 7am We walked into the hospital and I'd have to keep stopping with the contractions. A nurse was coming to work and grabbed a wheel chair. She said "I know that look" We got checked in and they put me in a room. They came in to check everything to determine if I was actually in labor. Bart was still nervous that we'd be sent home. As the nurse was checking everything out. I was at a 7. Totally in labor. Bart asked her if we'd be sent home and she just looked at him and said "your not leaving here without a baby." Since I was so far along and in so much pain they had the dr. give me the epidural right away. WOW those things are amazing, talk about a miracle drug. They were actually worried that I didn't get there soon enough to be able to have the antibiotic for strep B in my system for 4 hours. Luckily, the epidural slowed the labor down. I FINALLY got some sleep. At 11, they broke my water and then we waited some more.

I only pushed for about 20 min and he was here. Born at 3:02 pm. It was so amazing.

They kept him with us the whole time, they bathed him in my room and everything. It was the greatest thing ever.

Because of the swine flu, they basically had the hospital on lock down. I could only have 2 visitors including Bart. So my mom was able to come but no one else. Not even Bart's mom which was really kinda sad. We could take Owen to the window and people could look through at him. But that was it.

Later that night. They took him to the nursery to take his vitals. Thats when they told us he was desatting (sp???). He wasn't keeping his oxygen levels up so they needed to keep him and watch him. We went to the nursery to see him. I looked at him and was so overwhelmed that I started to cry. The nurses thought I was crying because I was scared, which I was, but that wasn't why I was crying. I was so overwhelmed and amazed that he was my baby and couldn't believe how much love I had for him. I can't even describe the feeling. I was so grateful for his amazing spirit.

Later that night. They came in to tell us they were taking him down to the NICU, so they could do some tests and put him on oxygen. The next 2 days were spent going between my room (where I had to watch a bunch of stuff to be discharged and go to a nursing class) and the NICU where I'd go to feed him and be with him. That made it impossible to get any rest. I was totally exhausted.

It was kinda strange, they were actually more lenient in the NICU with visitors. Barts mom actually got to come and see him in the NICU. They'd also let us wheel him to the window for people to peak at him.

Tuesday night, he started doing better and keeping his levels up. On Wednesday, they released him from the NICU and we got to take him home.

It was a little scary thinking that when people left, I was still in charge and responsible for this tiny person. I can't believe how much I love him. I could look at him all day and just smile (even with no sleep). Its absolutely AMAZING!!!