I wanted to type up the story of Theo's birth, and I thought I would share so that I have it documented. It's long and probably boring for anyone other than myself, so feel free to just skip over this post.
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I had a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday at 38 weeks 6
days. I was 3 centimeters dilated and 60% effaced, and as I was leaving my
doctor said, “Well, I’ll either see you at the hospital OR at your appointment
next week.” I left so excited and hopeful that I would go in to labor soon. I
waited and waited all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday convinced it was going
to happen any minute. By Saturday night I gave up and assured myself it wasn’t
going to happen any time soon. I was so impatient and depressed because I just
wanted to meet my baby boy!
Well, I woke up at 2am on Sunday morning with back cramps. I
lay awake for about 30 minutes before I started feeling contractions. I had
read enough about labor that I knew it was common to get false contractions, so
I assumed it was nothing. They were coming every 2-3 minutes, but it wasn’t
overly painful. Another 30 minutes passed and I decided to take a shower just
in case it really was the real thing. At the time, it seemed really important
to have clean hair and freshly shaven legs. Contractions were still coming
consistently, and I started believing maybe it was real thing. I finally called
the hospital at 4am, and the nurse told me to stay at home until the
contractions were so painful that I couldn’t walk or talk through them. She
didn’t seem concerned that they were coming so closely together. So, I blow
dried and straightened my hair through the contractions while David finished up
some work on his computer…
By 6am I felt like it was time to go to the hospital. I was
still able to talk through the contractions, but I just felt like it was time
to go. We finished packing our bags and headed out. We called our families from
the car to let them know that things may be happening. I was still unsure at
this point that it was the real thing. I was so worried that they would send me
home again.
We arrived at the hospital at 6.30am. I was so worried that
they would send me home again, so we left all of our bags in the car. I checked
in to labor & delivery and was shocked to learn that I was 5 cm dilated and
90% effaced. I was in labor and they weren’t sending me home! Yay! The nurse
started an IV and hooked me up to a monitor. We started the paperwork for an
epidural, but I told the nurse that the pain was manageable enough at that
point that there was no rush.
After about 30 minutes they transferred me from a triage
room to a delivery room. At that point my contractions were coming closer
together and getting more intense. I asked for an epidural and was promised that
I would be next. And that was when things started to get a little crazy…
My contractions were getting absolutely unbearable, and I
was struggling through every single one. I would lie down on the bed and then
only to jump up again when I was having a contraction. I was so incredibly
uncomfortable. I begged the nurse for an epidural and she reassured me again it
would be soon. I think at this point she thought I was being overly dramatic
and seemed a little annoyed. She left the room and I was just absolutely
miserable. It was the worst pain I have ever imagined. David knew something was
up and ran out to get the nurse. I am so, so thankful that he did. The nurse
came back in and I was just hunched over in pain and moaning. She helped me in
to bed and said she would check me. I was 9 centimeters. Things were moving
very, very quickly. I was desperate and begging the nurse for an epidural. As
the nurse turned to get help, my water broke. At this point the pain and
pressure was so intense. I was moaning, crying and trashing around in pain. I
heard the nurse say “meconium” and “call the NICU.”
I closed my eyes through a particularly painful contraction and when I opened
them the lights were on and the hospital room was filled with people. There
must have been at least seven or eight nurses. The nurses were yelling, “Don’t
push!” but there was just no way I could control it. The doctor that was on
call ran in and David says he threw a chair out of the way to get to me. It was
dramatic and so intense. He grabbed my legs and told me that the baby needed to
come out right away. (We learned later that the baby’s heart rate was
dangerously low.) It was time to push and I was finally able to control myself. At
this point all the pain went away. Maybe it was because I was so focused, or
maybe it was because the pain was just that bad. Three big pushes later and I
looked down to see a head full of hair. One more push and Theodore Johannes
Zacks was born at 8.03am. It was exactly one hour and a half after we arrived
at the hospital.
He was whisked away to the nurses and put on oxygen. He
scored a 4 on his first apgar test and a 9 five minutes later. He was perfect
and healthy.
My OB walked in a few minutes later. She had been called
when they checked me at 9 centimeters. She arrived at the hospital 11 minutes
later and was too late. I had some tearing so she was able to stitch me up. I
don’t think anyone could believe how quickly things had progressed.
After what seemed like an eternity, David carried our sweet
boy over to me. Words can’t describe the feeling of being able to hold my baby
for the first time. He was so tiny and perfect. It wasn’t the birth I had envisioned. It was far from calm
and peaceful. There were no pictures taken during labor or delivery, in fact
the camera was still in the car. I didn’t get to hold my baby right away. We
weren’t able to donate his cord blood. My doctor who I absolutely adore wasn’t
able to attend. I hadn’t planned on doing it naturally. There is no picture of David holding Theo for the first time. But you know what? None
of it matters at all. My baby was healthy and safe.
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Thank goodness for iPhones. Here are a couple of shots that David was able to snap.
Theo's very first picture.
Meeting his Mamma.
Calling our families to share the news. I think they were in as much shock as we were that he came so quickly.
30 minutes later we were wheeled upstairs to a recovery room.
Theodore Johannes Zacks.
