Grant Samuel Thompson

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Grant Samuel Thompson
1:32pm
7lb 1oz
19.5 inches long
Proud Parents: Matt & Katie
Proud Big Sister: Norah Kate



Once again I was blessed with a wonderful labor and delivery.  I was much more anxious leading up to this delivery, I guess because I knew how bad the pain could be and of course their was the nagging worry of the things that could go wrong.  I actually almost backed out of my induction I was that nervous!  I prayed for God to let me make the right choice about being induced and to not let me be hasty.  The strange thing though, when we were on the way to the hospital I felt so much peace and by the time they got the process started I was so EXCITED.

 

I went to the doctor on Tuesday March 18 for a check and an ultrasound.  I was 1cm and 50% effaced.  Grant looked great on the ultrasound and they estimated his weight at 7lbs and 4oz.  I was a little shocked by this because Norah Kate had always measured so big, so I still was expecting an 8lb baby.

 

I was to be admitted to the hospital Wednesday night at midnight for the Cytotec.  My progress was VERY similar to Norah Kate's.  I actually labored for almost exactly the same time.  With Norah Kate I got the first dose of Cytotec at 11pm and delivered at 10:40 am and with Grant I got the first dose at 1am and delivered at 13:22pm. 

 

Anyways...

 

When they hooked me up to the monitor and started my IV I was already 2cm (progress from even the day before) and already contracting regularly (every 3-4 minutes).  I knew I had been contracting for a while!!  They weren't painful contractions though, I could barely feel them.  I got my first dose of Cytotec at 1am.  The first dose of Cytotec didn't make me hurt, but continued making me have regular contractions.  Grant's heart rate looked great :)

 

At 3:25am I started having back labor, but it wasn't unbearable.  I was just hoping it meant I was dilating more.  Needless to say though, I got ZERO sleep!  Between the excitement and the contractions and being hooked up to everything and having to pee every 30 minutes... I just watched the second hand tick on by.  Matt slept though!

 

I got the second dose of Cytotec at 5:10 and just like with NK, I started feeling the contractions almost immediately!  This time though I had lots of back labor.  Let me just tell you something about back labor, that mess hurts!  It wasn't unbearable though and I wanted to wait on my epidural until I was more dilated.  I also decided against any IV pain medicine this time because the Demerol I received with Norah Kate made me terribly sick... and drunk... and miserable.  I was only 3cm, but at least I was progressing.  Since I was starting to hurt and really feeling the contractions, and because of my history of fast progression, we went ahead and called our mamas and sisters in at about 6:30 (we told everyone to just stay home until we called, there was no sense in nobody getting sleep that night).

 

Around 8:00 I stood up at bedside and started to rock back and forth, trying to move him on down the birth canal.  It also helped tremendously with my back labor.  For a while I couldn't feel the contractions as much when I was standing up.... but the story changed shortly.  Because I was contracting so frequently (2 minutes apart now) they decided to hold off on the Cytotec.  I started considering the epidural around 9:30 because I was getting pretty uncomfortable and I didn't want to get in unbearable pain before the epidural...but I kinda wanted to be dilated a little more.

 



 

Dr. Asbury broke my water at 9:40 and I was still 3cm.  I was getting nervous then because I was hurting but not progressing a lot.  I went ahead and asked for my epidural.  My mistake- I should have gotten the epidural BEFORE they broke my water.  The actual "breaking the water" doesn't hurt... no.. it's those contractions AFTER.  I didn't realize how much all the fluid helped cushion the pain.  Oh. my. goodness.  The next hour and twenty minutes was torture.

 

I do not tolerate pain and I am a wimp.  There.  I said it.  I am not even going to pretend I am tough.  There was no pictures taken during my intense labor pain.  I think my family was afraid to even talk around me.  I also became angry towards my husband during this time... he was catching cat naps during my discomfort.  I may or may not have threatened him bodily harm through gritted teeth ;)

 

I was hurting very bad.  I wanted to get up and walk or do something, but I could barely move for the pain.  I just kept breathing while my fluid boluses were going in.  I kept watching that bag of LR wishing they could have pressure bagged it in!  When it finished, then I had to wait on my anesthesiologist to get out of a surgery so he could come in.  I have never been so glad to see someone walk in my room!!  Man, oh, man.

 

I got my epidural at 11 and was dilated 4-5 cm.  At 11:15 I started feeling very nauseated and I couldn't feel my face.  My blood pressure had bottomed out despite the boluses and Grant's heart rate started dropping.  I wasn't worried too much about my blood pressure, because as an ICU nurse I have seen patient's bounce back from extremely low blood pressures, but seeing his heart rate drop was VERY scary and I started panicking a little.  They gave me ephedrine and reglan for my blood pressure and nausea and I felt better within minutes.  They checked me again at 11:25 and I was 5-6 cm.  After all the excitement and now that I was finally relaxed, I had the best 30 minute nap a girl could ask for!  I fell asleep before the nurses could even walk out of the room.

 

Woo hoo for Epidurals!!

 



 

I woke up at 11:50 and was feeling a LOT of pressure.  8cm!  By 12:15 I was 9cm.  My poor nurses were in a delivery next door and the pressure was getting intense.  I felt like he was coming out whether I wanted him to or not!

 

I was complete at 1:22 pm and Dr. Asbury came in and told me to show her if it was gonna be quick or take a while.  I gave a good push and she laughed and went ahead and put on her gown.  It was gonna be quick. 

 

I pushed for a total of 10 minutes and my sweet baby boy was here! 

 

I hate the movies, when they show three pushes and the baby is here... because its hard work.  Much harder than three pushes.  Even though I only pushed for 10 minutes, it was still harder than 3 pushes!

 



 

When Grant got here the cord was wrapped around his neck and it seemed like an eternity before he had that first good cry and pinked up. But he did. 

(This is when it sucks being a nurse... I saw the cord around his neck, I panicked when he didn't pink up right away... I remember that gut sinking feeling when Dr Asbury asked for some oxygen -which he ended up not needing- I remember frantically looking at the nursery nurse saying "he is still blue, he is still blue, what's wrong?". I remember wanting to get up and run to the warmer to check on my baby.  Wanting him to be okay.  Wanting to help but feeling helpless.  Hearing that "tone" in the doctors in nurses voice... the one I am familiar with because we use it in the Unit.  The tone where you appear calm as to not worry the family, but there is a sense of urgency under your tone.  Feeling like it lasted an eternity when it was only seconds.)

Thank you Jesus.  Thank you Lord for a healthy baby boy!  Thank you Lord for allowing me to get him out quickly before something happened.  Thank you Lord for telling me to go a head and get induced.  And Thank you Lord for letting him only be 7lbs so that I could push him out in 10 minutes instead of an hour.

 

Grant nursed IMMEDIATELY after he was born.  They tried to put him on my chest right from the start but because he was a little blue still I was panicking and they took him to the warmer for just a second.  He pinked right up and they brought him to me.  He was sucking his hand and latched to me right away.  He was perfect.  One of the most beautiful things I had ever seen (comparable only to Norah Kate).

 

Norah Kate had to really check out Baby Brother and Mama.  She was curious about my IV, name bracelet, Grant's umbilical cord, and all the machines in the room.  She wanted to look at his ears, his hands, feet, and belly.  It was precious.  She also kept looking at my belly.  She learned her first lesson about Mommy's Milk too, and how Grant drank only Mommy's Milk.



 

I am forever grateful that I got a second blessing from God and got to witness this miracle of life and be a part of it.  Thank  you Jesus for my sweet family!