Introducing....
Thomas James VanDeCasteele
June 9, 2009
9 lbs 5 oz
20 3/4 inches
TJ's entrance into the world was rather unremarkable. I woke up the morning on the 8th with contractions about 10-15 minutes apart. I spent the morning and afternoon timing and convincing myself this wasn't really it. At this point I was 5 days past my due date and hadn't had a contraction or braxton hicks at all. I really thought I was going to have to be induced. In fact, my doctor had scheduled an induction to take place on the 12th. At my 39th and 40th week appointments there was little change. I was still dilated to about 2 and 100% effaced. It was a total stand still.
But going back to June 8th... Jim worked from home that day to keep an eye on me in case things suddenly progressed. I spent the day walking around the house and timing. Jim and I had a fun afternoon (since he actually had a rather slow day work wise) playing monopoly and stratego. By late afternoon the contractions were about 5 minutes apart but not too painful. I gave it a couple more hours and they were still 3-5 minutes apart. I debated back and forth about when to go to the hospital. At this point, the contractions were coming quick but still not as painful as I thought they should be and I didn't feel the baby dropping too low.
We went to the hospital around 7pm. Before admitting me, they checked and I was still only 2-3 centimeters dilated. Hearing that gave me a bit of an anxiety attack and I started to panic that I wasn't progressing like I should be. Jim and I walked around the labor and delivery floor for an hour and still no change. The nurse seemed very tempted to send me home but at this point the contractions were getting close to unbearable. I think it was the anxiety and panic of not being dilated any further after 15 hours of contractions that made me lose focus on laboring. Luckily, she did admit me. Around 10pm I received an epidural and finally relaxed. My parents came to the hospital to wait for the little guys arrival and we all hunkered down for the night.
I couldn't sleep at all that night, I was way too excited for the little guy to come. Around 2am I was checked and up to 5 centimeters dilated - finally progress! My poor husband and parents really suffered that night with only 1 chair and a love seat to camp out on. Plus, I was extremely hot and kept asking the temperature to be set lower and lower - everyone was freezing! Around 5am my epidural started wearing off and I could feel the contractions and lots of pressure. I called the nurse in and she checked me - 9 centimeters! She started prepping for the delivery. Around 6am I started pushing. It was helpful to be able to feel the contractions and I think the pain made me push harder to get him out and everything over with. My nurse said I was an excellent pusher and the baby would be here within the hour! (Most first timers take 2-3 hours of pushing)
Sure enough Thomas came into the world at 6:57am on June 9th. The doctor commented right away on what a big baby he was! Jim cut the cord and the nurses checked him out. He was perfect in every way except a bit pale - not the typical red, shriveled, screaming baby. He didn't look like a newborn at all. TJ did decide to try and wedge his arm and hand out with his shoulders and ended up tearing me pretty good. While the nurses were cleaning him up the doctor went to stitch me up with no epidural. That was more painful then the actual birth! In the end everyone was health and ecstatic.
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