slade's birth story

I figured since tomorrow Slade will be two months old (I can't believe it), in honor of him I will share his birth story. I still go back and look at the pictures and videos of his birth and it takes me back to what an amazing moment it really was...

Sunday, Jan. 9th I wokeup and had some leakage. I kept telling Dane that I was worried my water had broken, and after speaking to my mom we decided to go to the hospital to ease our minds. This was our second trip and I just knew it was going to be a false alarm. We got checked in, and the doctor did a test to see if I was truly leaking amniotic fluid, but he determined that indeed, it was not. I was confused. I mean, how in the world could this be "discharge"? We checked out and headed on home, still with another two weeks, maybe more before I could see my sweet angel's face. We went about our normal Sunday routine, cleaning up the house, watching football & eating dinner. I really wasn't looking forward to Dane going back to work the next morning...it gets pretty lonely at home during the week. We got in bed and fell asleep...well Dane fell asleep.

I couldn't fall asleep. I kept having to get up and change underwear because I was leaking so bad. Everytime I moved it was like someone had popped a water balloon! Around 7am (after two-three hours of restful sleep) I had one last gush and I sat up in bed and said "I think my water really broke this time Dane." He sat up in bed and said "really?" and I started for the bathroom, and squeezed out the towel I had been laying on. "I mean, does that look like "discharge" to you?!" I was worried this was going to be another false alarm...but at the same time I knew it wasn't, it couldn't be! As I went to grab some breakfast Dane told me to look outside...I opened the curtains in the guest room and it was snowing. Lots of snow, probably already an inch with big, fat flakes coming down still. I called my doctor to ask what the protocal was, should I meet him at the hospital?? He told me he would see me there- and to be careful on the way. I alerted Dane that this was no false alarm, and he needed to let his work know that he wouldn't be coming in. He said "Are you sure this is for real?". We got in the car, bags in tow and as we left the driveway I wondered if we would be coming back.

We arrived at the hospital and when I was checked our nurse let me know that in fact, my water had really broken this time! I was relieved and dane said he was scared. The nurse asked him why, and he said "because, I dont know what's going to happen!" and she said "You're going to have a baby today!" but boy was she wrong. They checked us into Labor & Delivery and asked me to walk around to help my labor to progress. We walked for about 15 minutes before I was bored of walking and we went to our room. Dane snuck me some snacks- I was starving by 10:00am, I barely had a bowl of cereal before we left. Our nurse was pretty nice- she hooked me up to the monitor and we listened to Slade's heart beat and watched my contractions, which were strong and steady by now because of the pitocin. Dane's Aunt Cynthia came to sit with us, and she was an angel. She rubbed my back, which was now starting to hurt a little- and brought us drinks and Dane lunch. We just sat and chatted and joked with the Doctor that maybe I would be that girl who didn't feel a thing because I wasn't in any pain and was about 2-3 cm dilated. It seemed like forever before I finally felt some pain and my nurse advised me that I should go ahead and ask for an epidural before they got "too busy" to give me one. I was worried it would slow down my labor but she assured me they would just up my pitocin if that happened. Against my better judgement I agreed and had her send word that I was ready. I am a total needle phobe & I cried during the entire thing. It didn't really hurt- I was just more scared than anything. After that I literally couldn't feel anything from my waist down and it was great. I watched every contraction get stronger and stronger till it was off the scale & I didn't feel any pain, just some tightness in my belly. They checked me and around 3-4 cm they saw Slade's heartbeat had dropped, and even changing positions didn't help- so they had to take me off the pitocin. An hour later I was still 3-4cm, and I was have very irregular contractions, but Slade's heartbeat was back on track so they quickly got the pitocin running again. By this time I was 4-5cm and my epidural had worn off. I was feeling everything. Even with two bolis's I was crying through every contraction, I just couldn't stand to have another one. I was pissed how slow everything was happening. It was 11pm and my sister and mother were there, after driving through the snow and ice and they were asking the doctor to get me some pain relief. They tried to put a different sort of medicine in the epidural needle- which took the edge off. I was able to breathe through the contractions but they still hurt like hell. At around 2am they checked me and I was 10cm- I was so emotional, I wasn't ready to meet this little being that I had carried around inside of me for 9 months. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to push him out...but an hour later, I did. at 3:10 Slade Wells Wilkinson was born to a very tired, but happy mommy and daddy. The pushing part was and still is a blur. All i remember is praying for it to be over. It was so painful- and I remember the relief I felt as they laid him on what was once my belly.

I only held him for a moment because I was still in so much pain and I passed him off to his daddy who held him for the first few hours. It was beautiful- I can't even picture my mother or sister in the room because I was fixated on those two walking, bouncing around the dark room at 3, 4, 5 am. I couldn't sleep for two days because I was on such a high. And I still am.