November 15th was an amazing day, for many reasons. My beautiful superstar son Anton was born and also it was a sunny day in Portland in November which is really rare. From the moment I found out I was pregnant I self proclaimed my due date as November 15th even though the doctor said it was the 16th. Not a huge deal, but I'm really proud of my son for following his mamas directions and making his way into the world when she had asked him to.
I'm going to try to jot down this story with as many details as I can remember. It was such a special day and there are so many things that I don't want to forget. The night before labor started I had been checked by my midwife and been given the standard, "who knows it could be tomorrow or it could be two weeks" routine. She did say his head was very low and engaged which was promising. That night I went on a brisk walk with my neighbor Tina and decided I would try to keep moving and stay active to help baby boy into natural labor. I think I even told her I had a feeling it would happen very soon.
The very next morning, I woke and had some mild cramping like menstrual cramps. I just had a feeling that it was going to get rolling soon. I told Ivalle to wrap things up at work because I thought his son was on his way. I decided to go to work that morning and wrap some things up also. Upon arriving at my classroom the cramps had gotten worse, but I still wasn't sure this was real or false labor. I worked on sub plans as my students started to roll into the classroom. Right as this was happening the cramps became more like pains that I decided would be a little tricky to teach through and being at home would be the best bet. It was fun to have a chance to say goodbye to my students and for them to wish me luck. So I called my sub and headed back toward Portland.
I had remebered people telling me to keep moving during early labor so it doesn't subside or decrease. So I did what any woman in early labor would do.....Shopping spree. I decided to hit up a couple of stores on my way home and keep moving around. The shopping also helped relax me and keep my mind off of all the excitement I was anticipating. I even had a funny conversation at the Old Navy check out counter. The woman said, "how are you going to spend the rest of this sunny day?" "I'm think I'm going to have a baby" I replied.
I made some phone calls to parents and close friends and headed home to do some final nesting.The pains had definitely turned into contractions but weren't quite regular enough to time yet. At about noon, the contractions got serious. I called Ivalle and told him it was time for him to come home and coach me. He was so calm and amazing, and I don't think I could have done it without him. He was timing me on an Iphone app which made it really easy to see the patterns. I used every single technique I could to deal with the pain. Breathing, positions, visualization, music, you name it.
I had really been managing well and proud of my efforts but there came a point when I wanted to think about pain intervention so I could save energy for the pushing and delivery part and not feel so exhausted at the end. It was really intense and difficult to breath through after a couple of hours. Once I started throwing up from the pain, I decided an epidural was in my future. I had never had my mind set one way or the other, but decided I wanted to go with the epidural since my labor seemed to be progressing regularly and it seemed like the right thing to do. I never felt like I had to go drug free and be a hero. I just wanted to get the show on the road.
We called the hospital at 3:00 and reported our data. They said it sounded like I was in active labor and my contractions were starting to get closer together. We hopped in the car and had a treacherous ride which made 10 minutes seem like 2 hours. We must have hit every yellow light and stopped for pedestrians that seemed to be coming out of nowhere. We finally made it and I was sent to triage to see what our timing looked like. I was really happy when they put the monitor on me and verified that I was indeed having contractions very close together and was already 3.5 centimeters dilated and fully effaced. The doctor asked me if I wanted to continue laboring naturally or get the epidural. I have never answered a question faster. Epidural please!
We checked into a labor room with a pretty spectacular view for a sunny day in Porltand. The nursing staff was super friendly and comforting. The epidural was placed and it was really not a scary experience at all, like I had imagined. Once the epidural was placed, it was smooth sailing for the next 10 hours or so. We listened to some jazz, Ivalle had some indian food, and I watched HGTV. We made some phone calls to friends and family and my parents came by for a half hour or so. We were able to see each contraction on the monitor and also see the baby's heart rate. I loved watching and knowing baby was fine and my labor wasn't slowing or stalling out. At around 8 pm I was checked and was at 5 centimeters. While I was getting checked my water broke and the doctor said there was a trace of meconium. This kind of freaked me out but the doctors and nurses did a good job of calming us down about it.
Labor continued and by midnight I was fully dilated. I was so nervous and excited at this point I began to shake like crazy. Ivalle was really helpful and made sure I was clam and prepared. I felt so much love and support in the room and just felt peaceful and curious. The labor nurse suggested I wait a while to use gravity to help the baby progress down the birth canal naturally. I was really surprised at how much movement I had with the epidural. I could move my legs and prop myself up in a semi-squatting position. About and hour later the doctor said it was time to push. Pushing took all of my might, but I was very focused and felt like I had a mission to accomplish.
I pushed for about 2 hours. A special team had to come in for the delivery because of the meconium situation so I really felt like I had an audience. They were all cheering for me as I continued to push. I finally made one last final effort and Ivalle was nearly jumping out of his seat with excitement. When Anton finally came out they had to do some quick work because the cord was wrapped around his neck and he also had his hand on his cheek. It was like he wanted to high five someone or send a fist pump to the world on the way out. The only problem was the extra body part along with his head made for a extra bulk if you know what I mean. Some extra bulk means extra recovery time for mom.
Anton arrived with one little screechy cry which was a huge relief. After that, however, was my least favorite part. The baby nurse and pediatrician had to pump his tiny little tummy to clear any meconium and also clear his lungs. He was crying and healthy in just a couple of minutes and I was busy having some work done as well. I never realized what has to happen at the end of childbirth. Those nurses and doctors were working their buns off. The afterbirth and finishing touches were really detailed.
Finally the moment I had been waiting for. The doctors put Anton on my chest and we just shared the most wonderful moment together. His eyes were wide open and he felt so strong. He practically did a pushup to turn his head and look into my eyes. I feel like he was such a star. Babies work really hard during labor and delivery too and I was just so proud of him. Ivalle was also a super star. He was very calm and focused and always made sure I was as comfortable as possible. I feel really lucky to have these two men in my life and our story together is just beginning!
And that is the story of Anton Francis Noel's arrival to our world. We love him to peices!
