On Tuesday, May 3rd (his due date), I started having horrible back pain. The only thing that helped was to kneel on my knees and lay my head on the couch. By midnight, I called the advice nurse and she said to take some Benadryl to help me fall asleep (thanks for nothing). The next day I went to my doctor. I was still in the same pain, so she gave my muscle relaxers and vicodin. Neither of those helped. By Thursday evening I couldn't eat, sleep, think. The pain was unbearable, so I went to the hospital. The only thing they could do to relieve the pain was induce labor and start and epidural. So that's what we did. Around 2:00am I got my epidural and was at 1cm dilated.
The pain went away immediately and I was out like a light. When I woke up at 7:00am I was dilated to 6cm and 100% effaced and my water broke. Around 11:30 I was 10cm and ready to push. I pushed for a bit but the pain I had before came back. They increased the epidural. I pushed again and had the same results after only 15 minutes of pushing. Same thing happened again. The doctors were beginning to think I had a kidney stone.
At this point, he was low enough that they were able to assist the birth by using a vacuum, so that's what we did. He arrived at 3:58pm on Friday, May 6th. 7 pounds-7 ounces and 20 inches long.
His head had a little bit of bruising and swelling, but it looks better and better everyday! I also haven't had a single back pain since he was born.
Sleep over the last 4 days has been very little. However, it is getting better. It's amazing that after having a newborn, a 2.5 hour nap seems like you slept for 10 hours. Last night I did get to sleep for about 4.5 hours.
Brad has been the most amazing husband and dad through all of this. He is very concerned about my enormously swollen legs and ankles, so he is doing everything he can to help me. I couldn't ask for a better husband or father of my baby.
I am quickly learning to take advantage of my free minutes, but for now I am going to feed Corbin, and then snuggle up to my sleeping husband.
