Birth Story

I decided to write this birth story from my point of view since most of the ones you read are obviously from moms. So since I'm doing it this way I should just make a point to say Staci is amazing. Her strength blew me away.

I guess it all started the Tuesday before when Staci was at the doctor. The baby (we didn't know who it was yet) was a good size and pretty well cooked since it was only one week before the due date. There was some worry that because of Staci's gestational diabetes the baby would be to big for regular birth (I don't want to say the V word since it's not mine I'd be talking about...not that I have one...this is getting awkward) So the doctor wanted to induce. The date was set and we'd head to the hospital Thursday the 21st.

On Wednesday her contractions began. Before that she'd have some on and off but these we definitely different. Nothing frequent enough so we waited until our scheduled appointment.

Thursday morning came along and we had to wait for the hospital to call between 5:30 and 8:30. At 8:31, after not receiving a call, Staci called them to find out a time to come in...they told us 10:30.

We got some drinks at Caribou on our way. I went for my usual medium soy hot cocoa (dark chocolate) and she got a small decaf skim Ho-Ho mocha with half the peppermint. They are using new chocolate and their cocoas rock. (Hey Caribou please contact me about payment for that plug.)

When we got to the hospital we didn't know what to expect because, although we signed up for one of those orientation classes, we didn't go to it. A couple reasons...I heard from other bloggers that they sucked...and Staci had major back pain the day of the first class.

The room we were put in was huge and had a wonderful wall length bench/seating area that would become my home for the next 3 days.

Once we got all settled Staci was given pitocin and we were told to wait. The nurses would periodically come in to check her cervix, which was only at 1cm at check in, to look for progress. In between her and I would chat, check emails, I'd tweet a bit and play some Oregon Trail. I hate to say it but on the hard level I had trouble making the whole journey while keeping the entire family alive. Once I even died when I was oh so close. Tragic.

Fast forward to 3am on Friday...Staci got up to go to the bathroom and her water broke. It broke on the toilet but a bit got on the floor so the nurses went all CSI and grabbed a sample from the floor to see if it was actually her water breaking. It was. They checked and she was only 3cm dilated.

Next she was given Cytotec to help dilation, which did work...slowly. We were expecting it to go fast.

At 10:55am I tweeted this:
Staci is 9.513008e-18 Lightyears dilated...that's 9cm to those of you that don't have an app for that #WhyDidIJustQuoteAnAdCampaign

If I do the math backwards from when Miloh was born I would guess we hit 10cm around 1:20. I say "we" as if I had something to do with it. I mean I kind of did but that was 9 months ago...


The pushing began...contractions were coming every one to two minutes. At some point Staci was running a fever so they were worried about infection with her and the baby. They ran her blood work and it came up okay.

Pushing continued...she had now pushed for two hours and forty-five minutes. The doctor finally came in (to be fair we had a doctor really early to decide on treatment and this doctor came in to introduce herself early on) and said that she was concerned that Staci was in hard labor for almost three hours and the babies head hadn't crowned. She said at told us our options would be C-section or vacuum...and vacuum was a bad option because of the gestational diabetes and fear of big shoulders...plus it doesn't sound fun.

The doctor wanted to prep for the C-section but our nurse, who was AWESOME, told her she thought Staci could do it. Since she and the baby were both doing well the doctor allowed another half hour before we needed to make a decision. Although she okayed the extra time the doctor was skeptical.

Within 8 minutes there was a head...I saw it and it was crazy. The nurse called the doctor to come in. I think she must have arrived in a clown car because all of a sudden the room was filled. There was our original nurse, a second nurse, the doctor, a resident, a (semi-scared or timid) med student, a nurse in case of infection with the baby, a nurse to check the baby's blood sugar, a pediatrician and a few others. Staci's mom who had been there the whole time was also there, as was I. Staci was also there.

Next thing I know the resident and med students put on these welding mask looking things that have splash shield printed on the side.

OK now that the cast was there we could get back to the birth...the head had just crowned...three contractions later the head was out a bit more...and it turned back and forth. I think that's when I said "oh my god that's crazy." I said that a couple times. Then at some point I almost said to Staci that she should see this...I didn't mean with a mirror that she didn't want...I meant she should come around and look...I was excited so I wasn't thinking right. I stopped myself before I actually said it.

Then the baby seemed stuck...I was wondering why the hell the doctors were so calm with my baby's head stuck in a tight space...but the baby was not in stress...i however was...then there was a snip snip.

A couple more contractions and the head came out a bit more but the doctor was again scared that the shoulders would be too big...another snip snip.

Two more pushes and our baby popped out...the resident flipped it and I yelled, "it's a boy! It's Miloh!" Then he Miloh in with a big wail.

Right away they threw Miloh on Staci's chest...she didn't have her glasses on and wasn't really looking around...then all of a sudden she sees a ton of people in the room, people wearing the splash guards and a slimey squirmy baby on her...she said it was a bit surreal.

There were tears everywhere.

I cut the umbilical cord, the resident kind of pulled it a bit wth a three inch opening where I could cut. I think I may have snapped at him that he should move his fingers or they would get cut...they were close to where I was supposed to cut. I wish I could say that cutting the cord was magical...it wasn't for me...but now I can say I cut the cord.

Then I grabbed my camera and started taking shots...when he was in the receiving bassinet/warmer thingy I did that thing that paparazzi's do where they just hold a camera overhead and snap hoping for a good shot...it seemed natural for me but the doctors and nurses were laughing. This did not amuse Staci as they were looking at me and not sewing her up...sorry Staci.

I gotta say Staci was amazing in there. She held together so well all throughout labor and it was some crazy amount of pushing. I was expecting the scene you see in sitcoms where the woman is yelling like mad...there was none of that...however with 3 pushes to go she did say she'd be cool with keeping the baby there until it turns 18 becase she was getting exhausted.

The next day when we had a massage at the hospital...a present from her mother and one of the best massages we've ever received, the masseuse said something like, "remember not only was a baby born but a mom and dad were born too." At first I was thinking, duh of course we were born...we're here right? Right after I thought that the quote processed and I started to get all weepy. It was such a cool thing to say.

And that's how Miloh's life began...now our lives will never be the same.