I had two friends that were due on the same day as me (May 19, 2014). I thought that was all fun and games until they had their babies before me. I would get on stupid facebook and low and behold they would be posting pictures of them and their new babies and there I was still pregnant. I didn't exactly have the easiest of pregnancies. I threw up almost every single day. Once, I even threw up in front of my kids at school. Embarrassing. The longest I went without throwing up was 3 days throughout my entire pregnancy. So... I was very ready for my baby to make its appearance.
It drove Eric crazy when I would log onto facebook and see their pictures and burst into tears because I was very ready to be done AND hormonal. Starting May 12th we started doing everything possible to try and induce labor. We walked and walked and walked and walked some more. I also tried drinking lemon juice, eating nasty eggplant, bouncing on the bed, running up and down my stairs, walking with one leg up on the curb and the other in the gutter, running a mile, doing squats, you name it, I did it!
Nothing was working, NOTHING. I was starting to think I was going to be pregnant for the rest of my life. I figured nothing was going to work so I gave up on trying. Eric came home on May 15th from working a night shift and he crawled into bed. Since nothing I did was going to make my baby come I decided to lay around in bed, feel sorry for myself, and watch Netflix all day long. As I was watching my movies I felt a couple of gushes. It wasn't anything big or crazy so I didn't really think anything of it. When Eric woke up I told him about it and he freaked. He was sure that I was in labor and I was sure I was not in labor.
I was finally able to convince Eric to stop freaking out because I had a doctors appointment later that day and I would ask him about it. So, when we got to the doctor's office he did the usual exam and said that I was really close to having a baby and blah, blah, blah. He was just about to leave when Eric gave me the eye so I told the doc what had happened earlier. He said he would run a test to see if it was amniotic fluid. He was gone for a few minutes and he came back and said, "Well, go home and get your things, you are in labor."
All the color drained out of Eric's face and my heart skipped a few beats. It was suddenly real. So we raced home and got things squared away there. On our way to the hospital I made Eric stop at Taco John's and get me a chicken taco. It was delicious in case you were wondering. We got to the hospital and got checked in and they took me up to the delivery room.
My doctor came in and broke my water at 6:00 p.m. It was the strangest feeling ever. I felt like I was peeing my pants but I couldn't stop it. I didn't know there was that much amniotic fluid in my belly. Water was literally gushing out of me. I soaked through every towel in the room and it was flowing off the bed and all over the floor and my doctors shoes. I watched my belly go from freaking HUGE to about the size I was when I was 6 months pregnant. My water didn't stop gushing all night. They had to continually bring in more and more towels for me. The nurse even said that she had never seen that much amniotic fluid come out of someone before.
Within minutes of having my water broke my contractions started hurting more and more. They were okay if I could get up and walk around, with a towel between my legs mind you, but the minute I sat down or laid down they would hurt like crazy. However, it wasn't long before Easton's heart rate started taking a dive. If I laid on my left side it would stabilize and be okay. If I rolled over onto my back or shift in any way his heart rate would drop. So... I had to lay on my left side for the rest of the night.
By 3:00 a.m. My contractions were really strong. I was having 3 contractions in a row with each contraction lasting about a minute and only 45 seconds in between to rest. By then I was only dilated to a 5 and before my water broke I was already a 3. I told Eric that I wanted an epidural so he ran and got the nurse and at 4:00 a.m. I got my epidural and it was the best thing ever. Seriously.
I was able to doze here and there and by 7 I was fully dilated. I was able to start pushing but again I couldn't move from my left side. I pushed my ever living guts out or at least that is what it felt like anyways. The nurses and Eric were able to see Easton's head so I got really excited thinking he would be coming out soon. But nooooooo... I pushed for 31/2 hours without progressing. My doctor came in and told me I would have to get a c-section. I started crying because I did not want a c-section. He looked at me and said, "Tiffany just be happy you didn't live 100 years ago because both you and the baby would be dead." I had to agree!
So they started prepping me for surgery. As soon as they gave me more anesthesia I felt like I couldn't breath. I honestly thought I was dying. Eric said I turned ghost white and I told the nurses I was going to pass out. The last thing I remember before waking up in the operating room was Eric leaning over me saying, "Don't leave me Tiffany, don't you leave me!"
When I did finally come to everything was really hazy but I do remember smelling my own skin burning...not exactly the best smell in the world! As they would cut me open they would cauterize my skin. Gross. Anywho, it was really hard for me to stay awake. I didn't feel good and I just wanted to sleep. I kept having to tell myself to wake up so that I could see my baby when they finally got him.
Next thing I know, there was a really loud suction cupping sound and boom, Easton was out. They were holding him up over the sheet and he was covered in gunk and screaming his head off. It was very clear to me that he was a boy (we didn't find out what we were having). I thought he was the cutest thing I had ever seen in my life. I didn't think I would think he was cute when he first came out but he was absolutely perfect to me. It was so exciting and I couldn't believe that he was finally here but I was still struggling with staying awake.
I don't remember them sewing me back up or wheeling me into the recovery room. I don't even really remember breastfeeding Easton for the first time. From the time they gave me more medicine for my c-section until about 8 hours after Easton was born is all really hazy and I have had to ask Eric about a lot of things that happened during that time period.
Having a c-section and having to spend 3 days in the hospital (most of which I was hooked up to oxygen) was definitely not how I planned on having Easton. It was down right miserable for about 6 weeks. However, I would do it a million times over for Easton. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I still have moments where I can't believe that I am a mommy! It is the best thing in the world!
Easton Eric Small
Born at 10:50 A.M. on May 16, 2014
Weighing 7 llbs. 1.5 oz.
19.5 inches long
100% Perfect
