Monday, July 12, 2010

False labor contractions, I think NOT!!!

We'd been staying with Superman's parents for a couple of weeks. It was against my will, I didn't want to, but we had to. We had given notice to our landlords that we would be moving out of our apartment at the end of June. The plan was to move into my sisters basement that was being finished into a private apartment for my family. I had been watching my nephew during the day while my sister went to work. She had been driving all the way across town to get to my apartment and drop off her little boy. Having my family living right downstairs was going to be a real happy convenience. So we'd all been working really hard to get it finished before my baby arrived. I was due on July 17. Phil and I felt certain that the basement would be finished by the end of June. So we let our landlords know and started packing. The end of June arrived. The basement was not yet finished. We couldn't stay in our apartment and all of our things were packed and ready to go. I was huge and miserable. We did the only thing we could do. We loaded up a covered trailer with our things, and went to sleep at my in-laws.

We'd been there a few weeks, I was going crazy, and not only was I already miserable being so hot and huge, I was stuck sharing an inflatable mattress with 2 year old Bear.

SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

Superman was working graveyard shifts at the time.

Yeah, that was hard.

My due date was quickly approaching.

I was terrified, and I just wanted to get moved into the basement so I could be somewhat organized and ready for our new baby. I never got to.

One night I asked Superman to please stay home from work because the baby might come. He wouldn't, because the baby probably wouldn't and he was already planning to take several nights off after the baby came and he didn't want to lose any more money than was necessary.

So off he went and down to the inflatable mattress I went with Bear.

I woke-up at around 3 in the morning.

Contraction

No big deal, it was no worse than the Braxton hicks contractions I'd been having my entire pregnancy.

Less than five minutes later another contraction.

I did everything you are supposed to do to relax and stop false labor contractions. I drank some water. I went to the bathroom. Then I laid down on my side.

Contraction

I continued to time the contractions, sometimes they were five minutes apart, sometimes they were two minutes apart. I figured that they were not consistent and therefore I must be having false labor contractions.

Doctors and nurses will tell you that if you are having contractions, but they are not coming consistently (meaning one every thirty minutes, then every fifteen, then every fourty-five. That kind of inconsistent) then they are probably false labor contractions.

I was certain that that was what was going on.
There was a small part of me that didn't believe they were false labor contractions though, because I called my Mom (she is a nurse) and asked her what she thought.
Grandma

I got on the phone with her and long story short she told me I'd better haul my butt to the hospital as fast as I could.

I called Superman.
He didn't answer.
HE DIDN'T ANSWER!!!!!
SOB!!!

I called several more times and finally he answered or maybe he called me back.

While he headed home as fast as he could, I got dressed and ready to go.
Daddy

Superman made it home and as we headed out the door I yelled to his younger brother to go downstairs and stay with Bear.
Bear


Superman rushed me to the hospital. I was scared, he was driving way to fast. I was pretty sure that we were going to get to the hospital the contractions were going to stop and they were going to send me home.

I got there, checked in and was put in a room to be checked.

I was 5 centimeters dilated.
Contractions coming every few minutes.

They moved me to a real labor and delivery room.

At this point it was 5 AM.

Everything went by so fast after that.

My contractions were coming harder and closer together.

I was still only dilated to a 5.

Less than an hour after I got to the hospital I was screaming that I had to push and I couldn't stop. My doctor walked in just barely in time to catch my baby boy.

A BABY BOY!!!
Lyon

I didn't get to hold him right away.
The doctor handed him over to the nurses and the respiratory therapist.
They looked him over gave him some oxygen, weighed him, measured him.
Ten fingers, ten toes, he's perfect.

I tore pretty bad getting my baby out. It took forever for the doctor to sew me up.
I didn't dare to hold my baby.

Finally the doctor finished, I sat up and held my baby.
He'd been crying for his mama.
Exhausted Mama

I held him in my arms and named him Lyon.

My sweet purrrrrfect angel boy.

Happy birthday Lyon!!!
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

I brought him home to our unfinished basement apartment.
Superman went to sleep, and I cried.
Still at the hospital sleeping Daddy and baby

I felt so bad not having a comfy, clean home for my baby.
I was heartbroken.
But my baby only knew the happiness of being held in my arms.
I don't think he minded not having anywhere to be set down.

We've lived happily ever after anyway.
;D

3 comments:

Liz Mays said...

Lyon was completely content just to be with mama! Lovely photos!!!

Dan/Kealy said...

That's so crazy that you didn't have your own place to stay in the last couple weeks of your pregnancy. I remember Dan going to help Phil finish the basement and helping you guys pack your stuff up, but I don't think I really thought about you staying at the Graves' and how uncomfortable that would have been on an air mattress while pregnant. I'm sorry it was so crazy, but I'm glad everything worked out with your labor and Lyon being healthy little baby :)

Amy J said...

Wow! Great birth story. I completely understand wanting to be all prepared for your baby...I would have been heartbroken, too! But you know he didn't mind. : )