Liam's Birth Story

July 31 - The Beginning
Thomas and I had just finished watching Back to the Future (parts II and III), and while Thomas drifted off to dream world, I stayed awake, like usual, watching TV. When 3am hit, I decided to call it a night, turn off the TV, and try to get some sleep. No sooner than I had got back from the bathroom and laid down, I started to feel contractions. After our false alarm the prior weekend, I figured I'd lay in bed for awhile and see if anything came of it. Very quickly they started coming fast and in what seemed like a measurable pattern, so at 4am I woke Thomas up and told him it's time to start timing contractions. Based on our timing, they were coming roughly every 3 minutes and lasting about a minute. I would like to take a moment to point out that the "go to the hospital when your contractions are 5-6 minutes apart" rule never, ever, ever applied to this pregnancy. My contractions were NEVER that far apart. So around 5am we made the call to head to the hospital fully convinced that this was the real deal.

We got up to Labor and Delivery quickly and were happy to find that our nurse was the same nurse we had the prior weekend during our false alarm. I was checked and it turned out I wasn't exactly in active labor, but I was looking pretty close. They had me go walk around the hospital for an hour and then come back to be checked again. The contractions were still coming fast and furious and I was having trouble walking, but I was determined not to be sent home...again. Back up to L&D for another check (did I mention how much I HATE being checked?). I had made very limited progress and was told I could stay and they would admit me, but that meant no food, no nothing until he was born, or we could go home, take a bath, take a Tylenol PM, eat some lunch and come back later in the day. So, by 10am, the Kamas family was back home.

I took a quick bath (which did nothing), took a Tylenol PM (also nothing) and laid in bed. I made it as long as I could...but I was in so much pain I couldn't stand it anymore. So at noon, I had Thomas make me some buttered toast (which was about the only thing that I could even fathom keeping down at that point) and by 1pm we were back at the hospital. Let me just say, I am in absolute awe of anyone that can go through childbirth without taking meds. Laboring at home for 3 hours just about did me in. I was ready to call uncle.

The good news is, when we came back this time, we went right back to our old room, got checked, and turned out, I was STILL not in active labor - only 3 cm dilated (I don't like this term "active labor"...it's all labor, no matter how many centimeters dilated you are), but I had made enough progress and was in enough pain that they decided to admit me and give me drugs (woohoo!!)

July 31 - Just Getting Warmed Up
I got my first round of drugs and was in heaven. I managed to get a good solid hour to hour and a half of sleep which was much needed after being awake since 9am Saturday morning. It also helped with the pain, which was much appreciated. Of course, by this time the call had gone out that I was admitted to the hospital and the troops were gathering at the hospital, by text, Facebook, you name it. Of course, during this time, you still get checked what seems like every 15 minutes, which I reiterate, is AWFUL. I was making progress, but nice and slow. I managed to go a little bit without any additional pain relief for a little bit, but I was soon begging for another round of drugs. When they brought the IV bag that had worked it's magic just a short bit ago, I was like a new woman. And then...it didn't work. Apparently, the first round is the most effective, and then after that you build up a tolerance and it doesn't work so well. Not what I had in mind.

I labored a little bit longer without drugs because they were trying to decide if an epidural was the right course of action. I was still a little early on in the process to really get an epidural, but I was once again begging for relief. A compromise was made - I would labor a little bit on the ball (which helps change your position) and then take a nice jacuzzi bath - and then we'd see. The ball helped some, although I have to say there is nothing quite like sitting on a ball draped in a pad (because you are leaking some pretty icky stuff) and rolling around in front of an audience. Those that know me know I'm not really a modest person. I'm pretty open and I'm not afraid to ask OR share. The whole labor and delivery process tested my mettle (more on that later).

By the time I was in the jacuzzi tub, I was basically convulsing and crying through each contraction as Thomas looked on in absolute terror. True, I had been in a significant amount of pain prior to this moment, but this was another level. Thomas helped me out, got me back on the ball (we were at least alone this time) and called for the nurse. Finally, we got good news - the epidural was on its way! Absolutely amazing how fast I can become a happy Becky at the sound of that word. Around 11:30pm, the anesthesiologist arrived and Thomas was thrown out of the room. The epidural was relatively pain free - honestly, the initial numbing shot hurt more than anything else - and it really didn't hurt. However, the doctor was having a really hard time locating the correct space in my back. Finally, he got it in, but I knew I was in trouble when he said, "I tried but I couldn't really find a space. We'll cross our fingers and see what happens. I'll come back if I need to." Well, crap. That did not sound promising...nor was it. Even after he came back and added a significant of medication, still only minor relief. Not the glorious, amazingness I was told to expect. Grrr....

August 1 - Sweet Relief
After more shaking and convulsions and the changing of the months from July to August, nothing was happening. I was stuck in bed with a catheter (even more awfulness) because I had an "epidural". About 1:55am, I was convinced that I had peed myself, and since this is pretty much impossible to do with a catheter in, I was a little freaked out. A nurse came and checked me and said it looked like my water had broke...that had to mean progress! Nope...another nurse checked and said she could still feel my bag of waters AND that I was still only a four...rapidly approaching the 24 hour mark and all I'd managed to do was dilate two centimeters? And this is with contractions coming every 3 minutes? This is so not how labor is supposed to work!

Good news came at 3:30am with the arrival of the anesthesiologist again. In 15 short minutes, I had a true epidural. My legs were tingling before I even managed to get completely back in bed. Other than some slight pressure and Liam moving around, I felt nothing! So I did what any sane pregnant woman in the throes of a 24 hour labor would do - I took a nap...and it was HEAVEN! Even after I woke up, I was still blissfully pain free. Now this is what I'm talking about. At one point, I was starting to feel some mild pain, and in came an anesthesiologist, added some medication and it went away. Miracle of miracles! Finally, life was good.

Now, enter the next several hours where I get checked almost constantly, especially since I was on Pitocin to really kick-start the contractions. Apparently, dilation is not exactly a clearly defined term. I'm not sure how that works - isn't a centimeter a centimeter? That's not exactly up for debate - those are measurements - they don't change. At any rate, there was some debate between doctors and nurses and had my numbers anywhere between 4 and 7. Seriously? Come to find out, there was debate because I was getting very swollen on the inside and the measurements were actually bouncing back and forth. How much luckier could a girl get? Apparently lots...

Next up on the agenda was a fever, complete with two more IV drips and a suppository Tylenol. Lucky me! And I got to learn that epidurals block pain but not pressure, and Liam had decided to push his head down on my bottom areas like no other. I was on my side moaning in pain, unable to do anything except focus on the agonizing pressure that I could do nothing about. An anesthesiologist did come in and try to give me a little more medication, but it was short lived. I know there were people in the room, but I honestly couldn't tell you who was in there. I remember at one point looking at the nurse and saying, "Honestly, I'm at my limit both physically and emotionally. I don't know how much more I can take." I'm sure I threw in my best pleading puppy dog eyes, too.

Vaginal delivery is the ideal way to deliver a baby for both mother and baby, and since the baby was not showing any signs of distress, we were still going for it. But things just kept stacking on top of each other. I wasn't progressing, my fever wasn't going away - and just like that, my doctor walked in and announced I was going in for a c-section. I asked the nurse, "how long?" and her reply was, "We'll be back there in 20 minutes, they are just cleaning up an OR because we've had 12 c-sections today." Wow...it finally hit me - it was time to meet Liam and all the agony of the last 36 hours was coming to an end.

August 1 - Liam's Delivery
Once you get on the c-section docket, things begin to happen real fast. I was given even stronger medication in my epidural to help numb me from the ribs down (where was that earlier?) Thomas put on his scrubs and off we went. I don't remember a whole lot about the process. I do know they wiped my face with a cold cloth and then my belly. I could feel the wipe but not the cold...strange. Same thing once the procedure began. I could feel the cutting, but there was no pain. I could feel the stretching, but there was no pain. I could feel...PAIN! I started yelling that I could feel what they were doing (turns out my epidural hadn't numbed all of my insides), but within 5 seconds (if that), I had good stuff pumped into my epidural and squirted into my insides and I felt only pressure. About this point, Liam started squirming around uncontrollably, so I figured it had to be about time for him to pop out. Then the anesthesiologist asked me if she could give me something that would sedate me and I probably wouldn't remember much of what was happening. Yes, please.

After that moment, here is what I remember: I heard Liam cry as he came out and I cried, too. Thomas asked if they were happy tears or pain tears (happy). And then, I was headed to my recovery room. Pictures tell a much different story. I apparently was coherent enough at one point to lean over and kiss Liam as we had our first family picture that you see below. (Please don't look to close at my gross face - I had been in labor for 37.5 hours at that point and it is beyond nasty and greasy).

The first time I "remember" seeing Liam was when Thomas showed me pictures. It wasn't until I was in recovery and more coherent that I got to see him for real. My beautiful baby boy, worth all 37.5 hours and then some, was really here.

Of course, there are a lot more details, but I think I've assigned enough reading material for this blog. I'll be writing some more this week about recovery, and all the things that are going on with our precious bundle. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and congratulations. We are so blessed to be surrounded by amazing friends and family.