I want to start off by saying how amazing this experience was and how incredibly different it was from my previous delivery of Jackson via c-section (30 hour drug-free labor, 3 hrs of pushing, just to end up in the OR). I had the perfect scenario planned out in my head of how my VBAC was going to go... well, of course nothing goes according to plan.
I went to a doctors appt on Wed, the day before my due date. She checked me and I was 5 cm. No contractions, no pain, just slight cramping for the past couple of days. No big deal. Well, an ultrasound showed that I had too much amniotic fluid (I forget the medical term for it) and my doctor was worried because the baby's head was still very high but the bag of waters was bulging out. So, she feared a cord prolapse if I was to have a spontaneous rupture. She said with so much water and the baby's head not engaged, that the pressure of the break might push the cord right out. She didn't want to take that risk and she admitted me to the hospital immediately.
When attempting a VBAC, all the research I did said that it was very important to have as few interventions as possible! I was very discouraged because there I was in the hospital without a single contraction yet! I did however understand why my water should break under controlled circumstances. So, I was admitted at 6:30. Another discouraging thing was all the pressure I was getting from the staff to get an epidural when I clearly stated I didn't want one and gave my legitimate reasons why! Remember, I didn't even have ANY pain at that point! The nurses and the anesthesiologists just wouldn't let up. They said that since I was a VBAC, I should at least get the tube put in my back in case I need an emergency c-section, even if they didn't put any drugs in it. I hated that idea and thankfully Dr. Daley came to my rescue and supported me.
At 8:30 Dr. Daley broke my water and she was right, there was SO much fluid. After she broke my water, I started getting contractions... and they very quickly became quite intense. Luis was so amazing and such a good support. After 2 hours of very intense contractions, I told Luis I needed the epidural! This pain was much more intense than the last labor and I was just thinking of how long that labor was and I couldn't imagine dealing with this for even half that time! It was the intense pressure I was feeling that really got to me... (looking back, that should have been a give-away that I was close, but I wasn't thinking straight) Well, I asked for the epidural and no nurse came... taking their sweet time, of course. Well, about 5 minutes later I started pushing without trying... I could not control it. I was so scared! Luis called the nurse and she immediately came and checked me! I was complete... only 2 hrs after my water was broken! I begged for the epidural and said I didn't want to feel it and they said there was no time... but I begged and begged and my doctor wasn't there yet so they gave it to me! Such amazing relief! Dr. Daley somehow made it back in only 15 minutes, she had been at another hospital, and after pushing through only 3 contractions Jacob Emerson Weger was born! It was Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:06 pm and he weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 inches long! He is beautiful and I was in awe at how everything had happened. Luis and I could not believe how fast it was! I cried and cried when they put him on my belly and kept crying as I watched him and Luis! It was so amazing!
It was hard to get good pictures of him because the flash made him make funny faces. Even when we turned the flash off, our camera still makes a red light... again, funny faces.
I love this picture... all I think of when I see it is Jacob saying... "rock on" :)
Finally a decent picture with his eyes open!
Everyone so far is saying that he looks just like Luis, of course... but in my opinion, I see a lot of Doty in him. What do you all think? I will post more pictures when I get some good ones with his eyes open!
