Liam's Birth Story

I thought I would document the crazy little adventure that was Liam's birth story. I have to apologize if it seems like too much information for you, but I have decided to turn this blog in to a journal/scrapbook and print it off for the kiddos someday and I want it to have all those little details for them.

Around 36 weeks my doctor thought that the baby was trying to come early and made me take it easy until I was 37 weeks, out of fear that the lungs weren't ready to go. So, we followed his orders and got all ready for this kid to arrive early as expected. Well, we made it to the 37 week appt, only to find out there wasn't any progress (which was good) doctor still told us it should be anytime since I was nearly completely effaced and dilated. So I resumed my usual activity level of chasing Lexie, working out, and going up and down the stairs about 100 times a day : )
Made it to the 38 week apt and still no progress. At this point, I was starting to wonder about my doctor's prediction that this kid would come early. Nonetheless, I was happy to hang in another week or so. Between the 38 and 39 week I did start loosing my mind a little. As any women who has ever been waiting on a baby knows, it is mentally and physically exhausting to nest day after day. I would tell myself, this might be the last time I ________ (go grocery shopping, take Lexie to a play date, go out to dinner) without the new baby. And then I found myself doing it again and again! I started working out pretty hard, hitting the highest incline on the treadmill and swimming.
On October 20th, at 39 weeks and 6 days, I had a doctor appt and finally had some progress, doctor stripped my membranes and said it should help jump start labor. I wasn't really buying anything he was telling me at this point but was hopeful. When I was pregnant with Lexie, I got my membranes stripped and had her within 48 hours. We set up an induction for October 22nd if I didn't go on my own by then.
Well by 7pm, I was having contractions that were 5-7 mins apart. I gave my Dad a text to give him a heads up, in case this was the real deal and we needed him to come stay with Lexie. He sent us a text about an hour later saying he was on our door step : ) Got to love a fast responder (thanks Dad.) Contractions continued to get more steady, so Trav and I headed to the hospital around 11pm. Got to the hospital, where there were a ton of nurses hanging out and hardly any patients. To make a long story short, they sent me home around 2am because I wasn't 4cm dilated and contractions were too irregular. We were so not happy to be sent home, especially because I set to be induced within 30 hours and my contractions were very painful I was unable to sleep.
The morning of October 21st (due date) contractions were slowly getting closer together and more painful. I was determined not to be sent home again without a baby, so I was waiting until I couldn't handle it anymore. My Dad was so patient, to just hang around the house with us and help with Lexie. Trav took the day off. We went to lunch at Red Robin around noon, where I was timing contractions the whole time. By about 3pm, we called the hospital and told them that contractions have been going on for almost 24 hrs, the nurse said they more then likely would take me at that point.
L & D was crazy when we arrived, we got the last room and we could hear laboring moms screaming. The nurses were sharing patients. Around 4pm, got admitted, I was 4cm and almost completely effaced (had been that effaced for 5 weeks though.) Since, labor seemed to be going slowly they said they would have to start pitocin. Knowing this would bring on very painful contractions but likely get the ball rolling, I told them to bring it on. The nurse mentioned that my doctor was "somewhat out of town" but should make it for delivery. We thought maybe Seattle or something, but honestly could care less at his point.
The Pitocin wasn't as bad as I had heard and I just visualized the more painful, longer contractions bringing the baby down. Travis was fabulous, as he was with Lexie's delivery as well. He stayed really calm and did whatever I asked of him. We couldn't do much walking because of the pitocin in the IV but we did move around the room and use the birthing ball. The nurse was rarely in the room but we come in and bump up the pitocin about every 30 mins. I was progressing steadily and asked them to brake my water. Nurse said only doctor could and he was still in an unknown location. Nurse was a doll and tried to "ding" the bag of water during checks. Didn't work though.
About 8:30pm, I told Trav this has to be it because I was feeling a TON of pressure and felt like I had to push. He went out to tell the nurses, and while I was alone in the room my water broke all over the place. At this point, I started to really panic for the first time. There wasn't anyone in the room, I knew the baby was crowning, and my doctor wasn't there and I had no epidural or pain meds.
When Travis came back in, he saw my water broke and screamed out in the hall for help to deliver this baby. He found an on-call doctor (who looked about our age) and some nurses came in to get things set up to push. I remember feeling like I wanted to vomit and jump out of the window, in so much pain and frustrated with the lack of help from the medical staff. Well, right as we start pushing, doctor comes in jolly as Santa with a red sweater on and said, "I'm here!" I think I said, "I could care less." It was very chaotic. Travis was the only one helping me count with pushing. I only pushed for 5-7 mins and our little man was here. He had the cord wrapped around his neck and was very purple. And very big and healthy. We later found out, our doctor was hanging out at the Tacoma Holiday Food and Gift Show. Something we can laugh about now but wasn't so funny then.
I was so shocked when they weighed him and he was 9lbs 12oz. Never, ever thought I would have a kid that big after Lexie was only 7lbs 8oz (even though she was at least 2 weeks early.) The only person that kept telling me I would have a 9 pounder was my mom, apparently she called things right. Ignorance is bliss, I tell you. If I would of known I would of gone in begging for a C-section or all the meds in the world.
We had a few names that we brought to the hospital, but wanted to see the baby first before deciding. It actually was really easy to decide once we got to hold him. We chose Liam Richard, for 2 reasons. First, to honor both grandpa's. Liam, is Irish/Scottish for William (Travis's Dad) and Richard is my dad. Travis has both his paternal and maternal grandpa's names as well. Second, Liam means strong/powerful and there is no doubt our little man fit that description.

It was a much crazier ride this time around as far as the pregnancy, labor, and delivery. But in the end it all worked out amazing and we are so happy our little man has joined the family!