Birth of Baby Wyatt
At my 36-week appointment, doctors discussed an induction. So at 39 weeks and change on Monday, October 4 at 7 AM we headed into Sibley to meet Wyatt, coffee in hand and bags by our sides. Pitocin began at 9 AM.
As I labored throughout the day Matt (my Husband) and Ursula (my doula) were by my side, chatting (tea talk, past travel adventures, food, etc.) and watching mindless daytime HGTV programming every now and then. Sometime around midday my water was broken by the doctor, which was terrifying as I had no idea what to expect. Ursula provided some homeopathic remedies which really calmed me down and continued to keep me calmer over the next few hours.
As contractions started to feel more intense, my TENs unit, Matt’s positive and loving words, and Ursula’s expertise helped me get to 6/7 cm (?) dilated.
I was laboring pretty well and considered trying to go without an epidural. After an hour of thought, I decided I wanted the epidural as a form of pain management. This was going to be such a wonderful experience to have with Matt, I decided I wanted to take some of the possible pain off the table and be able to be more present as I delivered our son. During this time the anesthesiologist seemed to take forever and we switched over to music for background noise.
As the epidural kicked in, the contractions were much more manageable, but the numbness I felt in my legs was extremely uncomfortable. Labor continued to progress and Ursula directed me into different positions to help ease the pain. Wyatt wasn’t tolerating me being on my side and it also felt extremely painful to me. I spent most of the final hours of labor in the emperor’s chair position.
When it came time to push I was excited. Ursula tracked my contractions on the monitor and told me when to push as I was unable to feel all of them. With her and Matt on each side, I was enjoying pushing! I knew our life was changing forever and the human I had felt, worried about, cared for, and dreamed of over the last ten months was about to be here. When I was pushing I was taking in Oxygen and really trying to soak in and savor the moment with joy and laughter.
After 50 minutes of pushing, Dr. Dedania delivered Wyatt and placed him on my chest. Matt cut his cord and held our son. My placenta was delivered and I requested a tour of this amazing organ that kept our baby alive.
The last few days have been the most joyful of our entire lives. Having my amazing partner be there every step of the way empowers me. Having Ursula’s expert knowledge emotionally and physically as well as personally taking the steps to prepare for labor and delivery as much as possible led to an experience I will cherish forever.
The nurses in the room and the nurses on the postpartum floor were fantastic. Now that I’ve written this, my next step is to thank you for them.
Happy birthing everyone!