Labor story: part 3

I wanted to type up the last of my labor story before I forget the details. Besides, part 1 and part 2 were so captivating, I'm sure you are quite excited for part three!

I left off when I was comfortable in bed, 8 cm dilated, and moving along nicely. Within an hour of that post, I could start feeling contractions again, and the pain was growing. I asked to get a booster from the anesthesiologist and soon was totally numb from the waist down.

Around noon the nurses told me I was fully dilated, that my doc was on her way, and that it was time to start pushing. I asked them how to push with muscles I literally could not feel. Everything below my waist was totally and completely dead. They told me to push down with my diaphragm, imagining my muscles in the middle doing all the work.

And then I started to push. Each time a contraction showed up on the screen I pushed with all my might. E held me, counting each time it was time to push. I pushed, and within 15 or so contractions he was there, born at 12:54 pm. I felt no pain, only pure true joy.

The doctor places James on my chest, and I cried. I looked at E and cried and cried. James cried for only a moment, and then, when he was all dried off, he just looked at me when I told him for the first time in his life that I loved him.

Meeting my son for the first time.
As this was happening, the doc as working down below. After all was said and done, my uterus was not clamping down like it should and I was bleeding, a lot. My doc was calm, but kept asking for different coagulant drugs, to help stop the bleeding.

James went to get weighed (7 lbs. 13 oz), measured 20.5" long, and was healthy as can be. Me, on the other hand, had lost way too much blood. I remember thinking when my doctor said I was bleeding "this will make it easier to loose the weight" (sick, I know, but everyone was acting so calm, I didn't realize how much I'd lost).

Once the bleeding stopped and the nurses brought me warm blanket after warm blanket I was told to lie flat, on the bed, and stay still. For the first hour of James's life, I lied in a half-conscience state, while E bonded with his new son. I remember opening my eyes a few times and seeing stars, nothing I'd ever seen before.

Once I had stopped bleeding and all was well with me, my doctor and E give James some love.
After two hours of relaxing and gaining my strength back, we were transferred into the maternity ward. I was told to eat something big, and drink a lot. I snacked on crackers and cookies and ordered a huge meal from the hospital room service. I then held Baby James for the second time in his life. I looked at his beautiful face, his adorable head of hair, and his tiny hands.

I forced E to go to the cafeteria and get a meal, since he hadn't eaten since that morning. Soon visitors were coming to see me. I was super weak, and trying to breast feed for the first time in my entire life, but I was 100% happy. I had a healthy baby, and I was on the mend.

That night a wonderful nurse spend over an hour with me on a one on one breast feeding class. James was catching on slowly. Both of us were brand new at this, and neither of us were very good.

The next day was full of visitors, talks about a transfusion (I decided against it), more breast feeding trial and error, and some of the happiest memories I have so far. The nurses were fantastic, E never left my side, and getting to know my new little son for the first time was beyond wonderful.

Melissa and my Grandma visited on our second day. James was loved by all.
The next morning (Thursday) I checked out with a clean bill of health and headed home with James and E. We all took a nap, relaxed, and then went to E's family's for Thanksgiving dinner. James was perfect, sleeping the entire time, and letting me and E eat a huge feast and really taking in all that we had to be thankful for.