I Think it's Time...

Well, I didn't actually say that, we all know that only happens on sitcoms. But I did say something along the lines of "I think this is really it."

I had so much false labor that it was difficult to tell when the real deal came. Well, I wouldn't call it false labor, it got me to 5 centimeters dilated before I ever went into active labor. "False labor" almost seems like an insult since it got me half way to where I needed to be!

Anyway, I woke up Saturday morning at 3:30am and was having contractions. I fell back to sleep until 7am, but by 7am I knew that it was happening. I took a shower, blew my hair dry and put on some make-up. I woke Troy up at around 7:30 to let him know and to ask him to start loading the car.

I was having good contractions but they were not too consistent so we decided to wait until around 9am to call our midwife.

I was having a significant contraction when my cell phone rang. As it was a "Private" number calling we decided to let it go to voicemail. It turns out that my midwife was actually calling me on the other line to say that she wanted to meet me at the hospital to get checked out because she and the other midwives couldn't believe that I was walking around 5 centimeters dilated for 4 days! Fortunately, we were able to call her back immediately and tell her that I was in labor anyways and that we would meet her at the hospital within the hour!

We very calmly packed the truck up and got everything together and left the house by 10:15am. In the process I wrote a thank you note for a gift we had received that morning and dropped it off at the mailbox. We were taking out time...

Troy and I chatted in between contractions and we laughed together about how the day was FINALLY here. Turner decided to come a week late and I'd had my hopes up since week 38 that I was going to have him soon seeing as how I was 3 centimeters dilated by week 37! Sheesh!

But as always, God had things under control and the whole thing was in His hands. Who gets to go into labor at 7am on a Saturday morning?! His timing was truly impeccable.

When we arrived at the hospital by 10:45am they immediately checked us into a room and began preparation for labor. An annoying nurse asked us a hundred questions and Troy had to pause her during my contractions because she failed to notice when I stopped responding. Clearly she didn't realize how far along I was when I arrived!

Shortly after we got there the midwife on-call arrived, Theodora Defrancesco (http://www.womenspecialists.com/OurTeam/Midwives/tabid/76/Default.aspx - top right of picture - we'd had a very special bond from the beginning and I thank God that she was able to deliver Turner, she's exactly the person who was supposed to be there for me) and she checked me. I was 90% effaced and 7 centimeters dilated at this point. Wowza!

Theadora sat down on the couch and was chatting with Troy and I in between contractions. She looked at me and said, "Most women are not able to sit around and chit-chat when they are at 7 centimeters dilated. They are normally introverted and focused at this point." Theodora explained to me that there was a slight concern that the baby was too big and that is why he wasn't descending. So they called the on-call doctor within the practice (the 4 midwives are supported by 7 doctors in case a c-section or other medical attention is required at the time of delivery) and asked her to stay at the hospital until I delivered...just in case. The doctor on call that day was Dr. Boswell.

Theodora had me lay on my side and partly on my stomach. AS SOON as we made that change the contractions were ROLLIN'. Twenty minutes later she checked me again and I was 9 centimeters and almost completely effaced. At this point I was ready to push!

Theodora was able to pull the last bit of my cervix out of the way to let Turner's head (giant head, I might add!) begin to drop. Now we're cookin'! No more chit-chatting. This is when it got tough, but there was no turning back!

I walked around the room, went into the bathroom, and then ended up on my knees facing the back of the bed. All along Troy and Theodora are at my side coaching me and encouraging me. It was very intense.

Troy held my hand the whole time and stayed quiet and controlled. Me on the other hand....not so quiet. Troy later told me that he knew I was loud but he never knew my vocal strength to it's fullest potential. Now he does.....! It was a great release and since at this point there is no way to get comfortable, screaming is the best alternative. I found this to be true when getting my butt kicked in racquetball by Troy, Sky & Matt in college as well. Just when you think you can go no further you push yourself to the max physically. And THIS was a marathon, screaming may not have helped, but it made me feel better!

I asked Theodora if I could get up and walk or get in the bathtub and she said that we were way too far along for me to get up. So they sat me up, the nurse had one leg, Troy had the other (in addition to donating his other hand to his wife to squeeze like the jaws of life when needed).

I probably told Troy that "I can't do it" about 10 times. But it was sort of my way of tricking myself into believing that I somehow had another option. I closed my eyes, I zoned in and we did what needed to be done. I never asked for an epidural and I never used a single swear word...so that's success in my book!

According to Troy I pushed for about 30 minutes. When I closed my eyes and began to push I had Troy holding my left leg and the nurse holding my right. I progressively heard more and more voices cheering me on with "you can do it" and "you're almost there". At this point there were at least 10 people surrounding the bed. This included several nurses, doctors in training, as well as Dr. Boswell who was backing up Theodora. I held on to Troy on my left hand side and Dr. Boswell on my right hand side and I gave it everything I had.

Eyes closed, chin to chest I zoned in and got his head out. I opened my eyes (knowing that the end was in sight) to see that Troy had rounded to the end of the bed and was delivering Turner! He looked in my eyes expecting me to say something spiritual and in a panic I told Troy to "GET HIM OUT!". See, my fear was that he would somehow accidentally fall back in and I would have to do the whole thing over again. Ha ha. But he slid out his other shoulder, torso and legs and placed my sweet and slimy baby on my chest.

Theodora later explained that she had seen Troy's North Texas Football bag and knew that he had good hands. I guess if you can catch a football going 50 miles an hour as a receiver you can catch a baby. Makes sense! So she allowed him to deliver his own child. She later said that he didn't hesitate for a second. What an amazing surprise!

Turner laid on my chest while they cleaned him up and he gave us a good cry. I had a 1-degree tear and while she fixed me up I was able to nurse my brand new baby for about 45 minutes. He was a pro from the start! An 8 pound 13 ounce little bundle of joy. He was 20 and 1/2 inches.

When we asked Theodora if he was going to be a lineman or a receiver she said that it was a safe bet that he will be a receiver. Judging by his height and the his little turtle shell biceps, he's going to be a runner like his Papa. And I think she was right!

Troy and I got to spend the next 45 minutes laughing and crying over Turner (well, he cried a few happy tears, I just thanked God that it was over and that Turner was healthy).

I soon realized that I told Troy that he couldn't leave me just yet. Glancing at the clock I realized that had been 40 minutes since I had the baby and our family was still waiting in the waiting room for news of his birth! I told him to "Go! Go! Let everyone know that we are fine!"

My mom came back first. Then my sister and Troy's mom came back. Though the sign on the door stated that only 2 people were allowed in the room at a time, we quickly ended up with about 12 people in the room! It was wonderful. Our closest friends and family there to love and support us. Pastor Phil came by to read a scripture and to say a prayer over us. For a minute it was absolute bliss. We joined hands and came together. It felt like a dedication right then and there. I know that everyone in that room will forever love, support and nurture Turner. I will never have to worry that he will not be LOVED enough.

We spent the next 2 days in the hospital reminiscing about our experience. Troy later told me that when the doctor said to look at the head he thought she was crazy. He didn't see the brown hair he had expected to see. Instead he realized that a BIG (and trust me, it was big!) bright blonde head was emerging instead. Our little blonde hair Turner made his way into the world at 2:06pm.

He also gave me the greatest compliment I could have ever expected. He explained to me that watching me work so hard made him realize that after so many years of track & football practice and working out at the gym that he had never truly pushed himself to the limit. But that I in labor had truly pushed myself to the absolute limit. He said that he actually could feel the strength coming through my arm. And just when he thought I couldn't give any more of myself I gave it another push and helped Turner progress into this world. I think he may have even used the word incredible (though I am known to embellish).

If you had asked me even 48 hours after labor if I would ever have another natural (without-even-so-much-as-a-Tylenol, as Theodora put it) childbirth I probably would have told you no. But I might be willing to take that amazing (and maybe a little terrifying) journey just one more time...