On the day you were born...

So it's been a while since I've updated my blog.  We've been busy enjoying the new addition to our family.  But I thought I should go ahead and write down the details of Bryant's birth day while they are still fresh, so I don't forget!

On Wednesday, April 24th, I went to my doctor's office for a routine 38 week checkp-up.  I found out that I was 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced.  At my appointment, we made a plan to strip my membrane at my 39 week appointment in order to encourage natural labor.  I had to have a c-section with Dylan since he was breech, but my team of doctors all agreed that because my body had not even had the chance to labor in my first pregnancy, I was a perfect candidate for a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, or a VBAC.  There are some risks associated with a VBAC, but the benefits of a faster recovery time were very appealing to me.  So I was willing to try a few things to avoid a repeat c-section.

37 weeks - about a week before Bryant arrived!

After my appointment, I worked the entire day and then we all went over to meet our friends' new daughter.  While we were visiting, I mentioned to Stacy, "Wow, these Braxton Hicks are really getting stronger, and they're coming pretty frequently."  Then we went to dinner, where we sat outside, and where our server also happened to point out that it was nearly a full moon.  The contractions continued throughout all of dinner and I told Tyler that maybe I was going into labor.

When we got home, I decided I should start timing my contractions.  I told Tyler to go to his hockey game, because I was sure that even if something was going on, it would be a while before we would have a baby (boy, was I right).  I stayed up the entire night, as the contractions were pretty painful and I was diligently timing them.  They went from 10 minutes apart to periods of 6 to 7 minutes apart, then back to 10 minutes apart.  Finally, at 6am, I called the doctor and he recommended that I go into the office as soon as they opened and have them check me.  Once there, I found out that I was still 1 centimeter dilated, but now completely effaced...so something WAS happening, but they just didn't know if I was actually in labor or not or if this was just really early labor.  They asked me to come back after lunch so that they could check me again for more progress.  But when I came back, everything was still the same, even though I was still experiencing consistent contractions.  I asked the nurse practitioner if I should have my parents come down, and after some coaxing, she implied that it was probably a good idea to have my parents come down to Raleigh.  She also told me that I was most likely in pre-labor but when I went into active labor, I would "know it."  So I went home and we called my mom and dad.  At this point, the contractions have not stopped since they started the evening before.

So it is now Thursday afternoon, I haven't slept since Tuesday night, I'm still trying to work since my due date is about a week and a half away, still having contractions, but nothing more intense than what I have been experiencing since the day before.  My parents arrive and I am now convinced that this baby is NOT actually going to come, now that I have asked them to change their weekend plans to be with me.

We order a pizza and after dinner I go to lay down since I am so tired from being up the night before.  And it's a full moon.  I fall asleep around 10:30 and about an hour later, I am awaked from sleep with severe pain.  Everyone in the house is asleep, so I start timing my contractions and continue monitoring them for the next 2 hours.  5 minutes, 4 minutes, 2 minutes.  Unlike before, these contractions are bringing me to my knees.  I have to stop to breath through them.  I finally wake up Tyler and we get my mom.  She says, "Yes, this is different than earlier, you are definitely in labor now."  So we call my doctor and in between contractions I speak with him, he says, "You do not sound like a 'panicked' woman in labor, stay home or you'll just have to be here for hours, if they even admit you."  When I hung up with him, I thought I was going to cry, because at that point, I had already been in labor for nearly 32 hours and I was well into night two with no sleep.  So at this point, I'm wondering if I'm STILL not in labor...

After watching me through a few more contractions, my parents convinced us that this was the real thing and to go ahead and go to the hospital.  So we grabbed our bags and Ty, my mom, and I jumped in the car.  I yelled at Tyler to slow down for most of the drive to the hospital, as every little turn the car took made me cringe in pain.  Once we arrived at Wake Med, they admitted me and after what seemed like FOREVER, they finally told me that I was SEVEN centimeters dilated and that I was having a baby today.  I was so relieved that I started crying because I was just so happy that things were actually progressing.  I immediately asked for an epidural and was told that they would try to get me one if it wasn't too late already - AHHHH!  Good thing I listened to my parents and went on to the hospital!

Contractions = NO JOKE

So after some serious, I'm not kidding, this really hurts, pain, I finally got an epidural.  Who knew it took so long after being admitted to the hospital to actually get the epidural!?  It was seriously almost 2 hours after I got there, but finally, the anesthesiologist came in and I was all smiles.  I was able to rest for a little while and I made friends with all of the nurses.  At 7 am, there was a shift change.  Tina, my nurse, came in and told me that I would really like my delivering doctor, Dr. Bernstien, the only doctor from my practice who I had never met.  She said he was a graduate from UVA.  When he came into the room to introduce himself to me, I was surprised at how young he was.  Turns out, he graduated the year before me and we had mutual friends and were both frequent patrons at the same Charlottesville bars during our undergraduate college days.  But we didn't know each other.  WOW - that could have been awkward!

Finally, around 9:15 or so, on Friday morning, it was time to push.  And I did...for about an hour and a half.  Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.  But I was very happy to have the epidural, especially in light of no sleep for 2 days.  I was also very happy to have my mom there to help me and I adored my nurse, who walked me through every contraction.  I was also happy for the labor and delivery class we took when we were preparing for Dylan.  Tyler took away ONE thing from that class...and that was to be quiet and just be there for me.  I was glad that was what he learned!

There were a couple of times the baby's heart rate dropped, and that freaked us out, but the nurse would turn me on my side and it would come right back up.  Dr. Bernstien (and what seemed like 10 other people) appeared in the room and at 10:47, my sweet baby boy, my Bryant, arrived into this world.  They handed all 7 pounds, 3 ounces, 20 inches of him to me and I was overcome with emotion - happy to hold my son, happy that my 42 hours of labor was over, and a feeling of accomplishment - pride that I had been able to deliver this baby.  This moment had just become one of the most amazing and beautiful experiences of my life.  And my baby was beautiful.  Bryant looked so much like Dylan when he was born that the three of us could not stop talking about the similarities.

Hello my sweet angel

Dr. Bernstien, Daddy and Bryant, and Mommy

Nana meeting her 5th grandchild

We called my dad so that he could bring Dylan to the hospital to meet his baby brother.  And within the hour, my family of 4 was together for the first time.  Dylan was not very interested in his new brother, as he found the iPad far more exciting.  But he gave his brother a kiss, so I was pretty pleased!

Dylan meets his new brother

The Cote Clan

We spent one night in the hospital and convinced them to release me on Saturday afternoon - which was very different than my first birth, where we had to stay for 3 days.  I was so happy that I was able to have a successful VBAC.  I was up and walking within an hour of Bryant's birth and I was released to go home the very next day where I was free to pick up my toddler and didn't have to worry about my dog jumping to greet me and hitting an incision.

Several people have asked me which experience was better.  And if I'm lucky enough to do it again, I hope that I will be able to avoid another c-section.  The day Dylan was born was one of the most amazing days of my life...it was the day I first became a Mommy.  But the recovery was difficult and painful, and because of that, I was very happy to be able to have Bryant naturally.  Also - this time Mommy got to hold the baby first, which I, of course, preferred!

Baby Boy Bryant