Labor and Delivery

*Don't read this if you don't want to know!*

Ryan decided he wouldn't be told to come early and he wouldn't be told he was being induced. He was going to come on HIS schedule! After staying up until 6am listening to Raffi with Jake, i was awoken at 10am with a warm gush. Holy crap! Either i just peed myself or my water broke! I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom...it was definitely my water breaking. I wasn't having any strong contractions so i showered, dried my hair, put on my makeup, packed my bag, ate some breakfast, watched some tv and texted Ally. After still not having any major contractions i finally called the doctor and he said to take my time but to come in to Labor & Delivery and get checked out. I woke up Jake to tell him my water broke and was given a groggy "Seriously?" before he got out of bed and started getting ready.

We made it to L&D around 3pm and got checked in. Yep, my water definitely broke. I was hooked up to monitors and was told i was having contractions 2-4 minutes apart and 4cm dilated. I wasn't even feeling them! Maybe this labor stuff wouldn't be so bad after all... The doctor came to finish breaking my water and said i was now 5cm. Which by the way, your water doesn't just all break at once apparently. I felt like i was peeing myself all dang day after that. Things were going faster than i expected. My blood pressure was high so they did some blood work. It came back that i had low platelets, but apparently it wasn't too big of a deal because they didn't do anything about it. The doctor said Ryan was still very high up and since i was already so far along it might mean he was in an awkward position and i might end up with a c-section. I told him i wanted to do whatever we could to avoid that.

I was moved to a delivery room and the nurse said i could get my epidural whenever i wanted. I decided i'd wait as long as i could, and so i did. It didn't take very long before the contractions were killing me, and i asked them to call the anesthesiologist. I think at this point i had made it to 7cm. So far i hadn't cried and was handling the pain pretty well (the nurse seemed amazed, anyway) but i was scared of the epidural. What a joke! The epidural was *nothing*. I don't know why people freak out about it so much. The most "painful" part was the numbing agent because it burns a little being injected. I would definitely get another without batting an eye. After the epidural? Life was goooood. I couldn't feel contractions, and i got to just lay in bed and relax. Which is a good thing, because Phillip, Kristyn, Jefferey, Grandmom and Mom all showed up to entertain me. The only drawback to the epidural was that i was shivering the *entire* time. I wasn't cold, i was actually quite toasty, and it was really just annoying.

Before the arrival of our guests we had a bit of a scare. The epidural made my blood pressure plummet and Ryan's heart rate dropped to 40. The nurse came rushing in the room, turned me on my side, injected me with a syringe full of epinephrine, and threw an oxygen mask on me. It happened so fast i didn't have too much time to worry but it was one of the scariest parts of labor. From then on i was constantly watching Ryan's heart rate monitor.

So things were good, i wasn't feeling anything, and we were just hanging out. Until...i started hurting. The nurse kicked everyone out and told me it was almost time for delivery. Ryan have moved down into place, and she was optimistic that i wouldn't have to have a c-section. The only problem? Ryan was sunny-side up, which is the wrong way to be. Oh well, we would give it a try! Suddenly i started hurting really bad. I'm not quite sure if my epidural was starting to wear off or if it was solely because of his positioning. But to make a long story short.....that hurt SO FREAKING BAD! I really don't think i could have lasted much longer, so it's good that he came as fast as he did. I nearly begged for a c-section, and the doctor ended up having to use a vacuum to help him along. I was also scared out of my mind because Ryan's heart rate kept dropping drastically and he needed to be out quickly. It was the longest, hardest 30 minutes of my life but worth every single second. And amazingly i didn't cry once!

Here is a short clip of my thoughts immediately afterward. Turn up the volume and listen closely to Jake's question and my response. (You have to visit my blog to view the video)



Announcing Ryan Bradley Bolton

On September 19, 2010 at 9:58pm our lives changed forever. Following an easy labor and a hellacious delivery, we finally got to meet our little Peanut!

Induction and Eggplant Parmigiana

I got the call today, my induction is scheduled for Monday morning! I have to call Labor & Delivery at 5am and, as long as there is a room available, will be headed to the hospital shortly after. The doctor said that since i'm already dilated and effaced that i didn't need to come in the night before to get started. I'm super nervous, but i talked to the doctor and he said they don't like to go over 41 weeks because the risk of complications goes up so much after that. I'm still hoping that i'll go into labor before then, though. So...

Today Jake, Phillip, Kristyn, and I went to Scalini's for dinner! To be honest i wasn't looking forward to it because i wasn't really in the mood for Eggplant Parmigiana and it was a bit of a drive for us. However, i will try almost anything at this point and it ended up being the most amazing Italian food i've ever had! To be fair my comparisons are really only Olive Garden, Frankies and Maggiano's, but still...it was so so so good! The rolls had fresh garlic on them (which i love) so i had a bunch of those, but the Eggplant Parmigiana was divine. I was stuffed after only eating half the eggplant, so i brought it home to eat for lunch tomorrow. So far i haven't even had a twinge tonight, but i've got until Friday night to go into labor for Ryan to be an eggplant baby. Fingers crossed!

I've decided the most tiring thing about being pregnant and overdue is all the work i put into trying to make Ryan come out. I've walked and eaten and eaten and walked 'til i'm about to pass out. There are so many "natural" labor induction techniques that i won't be able to do them all. Obviously nothing has worked so far, but that doesn't stop me from trying! We still go on nightly walks and i'm still eating everything that people tell me will make labor start faster. With only 4 more days until induction...we shall see!

P.s. In the parking lot of Scalini's a grasshopper jumped on the windshield. He stuck his little feet to that glass and made it all the way home to Canton at 80+mph...alive! I pleaded with Jake to pull over and let me put him in the grass, but Jake said he'd just get smushed in the traffic. We were so impressed that he made it so far with such strong wind that we named him Dennis. Dennis Hopper. :)

40 Weeks and Overdue

Baby now weighs as much as a pumpkin!

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary. As long as he's in your belly, baby's hair and nails will continue to grow, and his lungs will keep developing. He's anywhere from 5 to 11 pounds and is getting ready for a slightly gooey introduction any day now. (Upon arrival, baby will probably be covered in blood, vernix caseosa, lanugo, and amniotic fluid.)

How far along? 40 weeks 1 day
Pregnancy Symptoms: Same things as usual, and this week the addition of a few episodes of horrendous back pain. It drives me a little nuts that all these contractions and cramping aren't actually progressing me any. I told the doctor at my appointment that i wanted to hear that i was already 8 cm and in labor and just didn't realize it, but he wouldn't say it. He said i was smiling too much to be 8 cm.
I Wish I'd Known...: That bed rest sucks this bad. I'm so stir-crazy it's not even funny. I miss working (it's really THAT bad!) and i can't wait to go back. Heck, i'm even willing to give Amanda a flu shot. (And i really REALLY dislike jabbing people with needles) I hope i still have a job to go back to since Peanut is taking his sweet time getting here!
Best moment this week: There is finally, finally, an end in sight. Even though i'm scared to death of being induced at least it means that i'll see my baby soon!
Worst moment this week: I was so sure Ryan would at least make an appearance by his due date...but it has come and gone without incident.

Movement: I've been slacking on my walking routine, so i really need to work on that the next few days. The doctor, however, didn't think it would make that much of a difference (as far as going into labor). This week i'm supposed to be doing kick counts to make sure Peanut is moving at least 5 times an hour. I've been doing them for awhile now anyway....there's an app for that. :P
Food cravings: I had a Dairy Queen Blizzard, so i'm happy.
What I miss: Life. I want to feel like going out and doing something instead of laying in bed all the time exhausted. Since i don't sleep at night i take at *least* one nap a day, and even when i'm "awake" it physically hurts to do much of anything. Oh crap...this is about to get a whole bunch worse isn't it? At least i'll have a little Peanut to show off, even if i do feel like crap!
What I am looking forward to: Ryan's birthday...for real this time! He'll be here in less than a week regardless of what the fibbing doctors tell me!
In Other News:

  Baby Ryan is probably....pretty hefty! All those burgers he's been eating every week and stuff will do that to you.
  Yesterday was our 40 week appointment. There was nothing exciting this time because basically everything is the same as last week. The doctor just said he's surprised i'm still pregnant. They're scheduling an induction date, which he said will probably be Monday. I should hear from them today so i'll keep everyone informed. I'm really scared of being induced because it's "unnatural" and has a higher chance of ending up with a c-section, which i don't want. The doctor said he thinks i'm favorable for an induction since i'm already dilated and effaced to begin with, so it's not like we're starting at the beginning. If you don't go into labor naturally after a certain point you have to be induced because the placenta starts to degrade and the baby doesn't get the oxygen and nutrients he needs to grow. My doctor's office does this at 1 week overdue, but i've seen some wait 2 weeks. I guess i need to research it a tad bit more, but most likely i'll stick with what the doctor says since i really don't know what the heck is going on.
  I'm awake writing this at 6:30am because i'm having some particularly bad contractions that radiate to my back. And so far they're not going away, but they're not 5 minutes apart either. I'm going to attempt to go back to sleep since i've been having contractions for weeks now that haven't meant anything. But just maybe...

I'm Starting to Wonder...

...If i was totally right this whole time? Here's a quote from my January 21st blog:

"Oh! It's also worth mentioning that my doctor and i disagree about my due date. With all the dang charting i did i *know* when i ovulated and by my calculations my due date is September 17. My doctor estimated me at September 12. So i guess sometime that week i'll be having a baby!"

My next ultrasound is when they took measurements and came up with my due date of September 14th. Any way you cut it...that's this week y'all! I guess now the bets will have to be whether i *actually* go into labor this week or have to be induced. My 40 week checkup is Tuesday, my due date. So ridiculous! Who's volunteering to sneak me in a bottle of champagne when i actually deliver?

39 Weeks- 7 Days to Go?

Baby now weighs as much as a small watermelon!

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath. Baby's brain is still developing rapidly, and his skin has taken on a paler shade thanks to a thicker layer of fat around the blood vessels. (Don't worry; he'll change color again soon after birth.) He's now able to flex his limbs, and his nails might extend past his fingertips.

How far along? 39 weeks 0 days
Pregnancy Symptoms: Contractions! And lots of cramping. Two nights ago the contractions were coming about 7 minutes apart....but again they stalled. Sleeping has become nearly impossible due to my giant baby. If i sleep on my side he presses down on my hip and i wake up in pain, and if i try to sleep on my back he presses on some kind of artery and neither of us can breathe. So my nights mainly consist of rolling from one side to the other and getting up every 1-2 hours to stretch, rub my sore back, and use the bathroom.
I Wish I'd Known...: That the waiting game just might drive me crazy. I think this has been the worst part of the whole pregnancy because i'm just so dang impatient!
Best moment this week: Labor Day weekend! Grandmom, Jefferey, Phillip and Kristyn came to visit and Jake grilled some hamburgers and hot dogs. We played Cornhole and watched some football. Then on Labor Day Dad, Susan, and Katie stopped by and brought me some Eggplant Parmesan!
Worst moment this week: No labor on Labor Day :(

Movement: I've been really good about walking! The night i walked the fastest was the night i had steady contractions for a couple of hours. I guess i need to pick up the pace this week. Sometimes Peanut kicks up a storm and other times he's completely immobile...and it really freaks me out!
Food cravings: Still jonesing on the bad-for-me stuff. I really want a Dairy Queen Blizzard right now. Chocolate ice cream with Reese's Peanut Butter Cup pieces...doesn't that sound divine??
What I miss: Anticipating and getting soooo excited about all the Fall TV premieres. This year it's overshadowed by anticipating Ryan's birth. What's up with that?
What I am looking forward to: Ryan's birthday! It can't be too much longer. Give me your new guesses!
In Other News:

  Baby Ryan is up to (gulp) THIRTY burgers now! I'm seriously going to ask the doctor tomorrow at my appointment if i'm going to have an eleven-pound baby. He feels so big i'm starting to wonder if i'll have to have a c-section. Just kidding! I don't really think he's quite 11 pounds...at least i hope not.
  This week i tried walking. I walked every night except for one. It really does seem to help because i always have more contractions afterward, but they never stick around. I'm usually so worn out i don't think i could walk anymore, but i might try to anyway. Last night i had some Eggplant Parmesan. The urban legend is that it starts labor within 48 hours. That gives me about 30 more hours to see if it works! I'll keep you updated. So far the spicy foods haven't done a thing. We haven't tried the acupressure points yet, so that's my next move. I'm really, really hoping the doctor gives me some good news tomorrow at my checkup. I'm going to be so disappointed if there hasn't been any progress after all this!!

  I'm about to start washing all of Ryan's 0-3 month clothes. The newborn stuff has been ready for a couple of weeks now, but at this point i think he's going to be too big to fit in them! (They only go up to 8 pounds and 21.5 inches) Oooh, something else to pass the time....give me your guesses on how much Ryan will weigh and/or his length. You've got plenty of recent belly shots to judge from! Just in case you need a couple of more, here are some pictures of me eating my Eggplant Parmesan last night and some of my only pregnancy pictures with Dad, Susan and Katie!
  P.S. I don't know why Jake and Grandmom lack the ability to smile in any photos. It reminds me of those old-timey farmer pictures! LOL I'll have to teach Ryan to smile "with teeth"

Ryan Comes From a High-Quality Gene Pool

My brilliant med-school brothers decided to debunk the urban legend that it's impossible to eat 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon by itself. Here are the results of their trail-blazing scientific experiment...