Jared's Arrival

This is my Labor Story with Jared. Or I should say Jared's Arrival story. I am getting this down for my sake. I will forget things, as I often do, if I don't write it down. As it is, 3 weeks later, I am already forgetting the small details of things on the day of his arrival. So, I will do my best.

 

I was called on Friday, the 30th, by Labor & Delivery. They told me that the schedule was still looking good for me being able to come in for an induction the next morning and to just have me call at 6:15 to the Charge Nurse to make sure that was still the case. That is a little later than my other babies and they said there are a few before me to get started. Hyrum spent Friday at home.

 

Saturday morning, I woke up to my alarm and got myself ready. I had already packed everything except for my bathroom things, phone and kindle. Hyrum's mom and Helam came over just before we left and Hyrum gave her instructions on the kids routines. We left a little later and I hadn't had breakfast so we went through McDonald's drive-thru and I ate on the way to the hospital. When we got to the 5th floor we had to wait a few minutes while another patient was being checked in and that gave me a chance to eat my breakfast so I was fine. I got checked in and handed my folder of information and shown my room. I think it was room 521- but in the 20's at least. I mention that since it was not in the rooms where I had Gavin and the girls. I was in my room around 7:00-7:15 and had Hyrum take last pictures of me pregnant with baby boy.

 

 

 

 

I got in my gown and waited for the nurse. When nurse Jenn came in she got started with hooking me up to the monitors. Then she asked the series of questions like how many pregnancies, what medications, etc. By 8:00 my nurse was getting my IV in and antibiotic started. I was dilated to 3 cm.

 

8:30 Pitocin got started

    every 20 minutes my pit IV drip was turned up a bit

    Hyrum and I were more anxious in this stage since because of the last delivery, with Dallin, everything went so fast from getting PIT to starting with strong contractions and we were comparing things. Hyrum and I talked a bit, played and read on our kindles, I wrote an entry in my journal, we made a final decision on his name but still missing a middle name. Hyrum stayed with me the entire time. He only left to get more ice chips for me and small food items and drinks for him in the L&D fridge.

 

12:30 Nurse checked and I was dilated to 3+. Contractions were 2-3 minutes apart for 30-40 seconds long each.

12:45 Dr. Drew came in to check on things. She said she'd come back to break water.

1:00-? Started to get an epidural. My epidural worked for the first few minutes-maybe 20 or 30- then I started to feel more and more contractions. Lots of pain.

2:00 Dilated to 4 cm

2:15 Dr. came back to break my water. It took extra effort as it always does with me and it took her a bit of time to do. She said my sack is extra strong. After my Doctor heard of my previous deliveries she decided to stay on the floor, close-by. Soon after that Nurse Jenn put internal monitors on. She left after that and I got a new nurse. The new one had many kids of her own and was very helpful and thoughtful. She was only working 4 hours that day and was excited to help in a delivery in that time.

2:45 Dilated to 5 cm

3:00 Now complete at 10 cm. They started prepping for delivery.

3:18 Started pushing. I asked for the mirror to see his head pop through. I love the cute little head full of dark hair. My contractions were super intense and very long and close together. The doctors (mine + resident in the room) were surprised that they were long enough to push even more. All of these things-including the intense pain-helped in a speedy delivery. 6 minutes of pushing and then...

3:24 He was Born!

   The whisked him off to be wiped down and checked over. They gave him a good Apgar score, weighed him and handed him to me, all swaddled. 

 

 



First Photo



He's being weighed and measured.
I can't get this to change directions-no matter what I do.
 

When I had him with me, skin-to-skin, I noticed him grunting a lot but wasn't as alarmed until I tried to breastfeed him. He wouldn't latch. It's so instinctive at this point that I knew something is wrong. I told the nurse when she came back that he wasn't latching and she took a look at him. She said that his limbs were purple. His center color was fine but not the arms and legs- meaning he was getting enough oxygen but was struggling a bit. She called the respiratory department to have someone check on him.
When the respiratory doctor came he said that Jared was showing the signs of labored breathing with the grunting and it could be serious-infection- or he could just maybe need a little extra help to give him a good start and then he would be fine. Both entailed taking him to the NICU for a C-Pac. Each round would be 15 minutes and they would do as many rounds as they needed to help him out. If they could see that no progress was being made then we would go from there.
Hyrum followed Jared to the NICU and was nervous about it all.
I needed to stay and be taken care of still.

First time holding him

My L&D nurse was fabulous about everything. Once baby J was off to the NICU she gave me a small lunch to start on and I gathered up my belongings from the table. She helped me with the rest; helped me get into a wheelchair; and took me to the NICU to check on baby. When we got there he was finishing up. He had to one round of C-Pap and it didn't really help but during his second round he improved tremendously. So that was all he needed. He needed to be discharged by the doctor from the area so Hyrum and J waited for the doctor to come and do that while I was wheeled to the 4th floor, Mother/Baby unit and got settled in a bit and my nurse went back up to get a few more of our things. The nurse informed my mother/baby nurse about me and we had her take a couple pictures of  us since, with the J's breathing struggles, we were more stressed about his well-being than anything else.

Once things were more settled and I got a chance to feed him, J was taken for his nurse check-up and then bath. Hyrum and I went over for the bath. He was mad about it most of the time.

But after his bath he was finally able to rest. He had been through a lot already and was tired! We got a few pictures of him to post on media for family to see and then it was time for US to eat and rest! Hyrum's brother brought him a big burger and I ate my hospital room-service. It is one of my favorite parts of being there. So, I ordered a pizza and ate while Hyrum ate downstairs and talked with family. After that they came up to see baby J. I was sleepy and glad to try to sleep. Of course teeny babies have their own needs but we tried anyway. Hyrum slept over with us and didn't get much more sleep than I.

 

 

The next day, Sunday, started early with a visit from local church members who were giving the sacrament and shared a thought with me. Then I heard my doctor wanted to see if we could get an MRI scheduled for while I was inpatient. My nurse worked it out and I needed to go quickly. I hadn't fed J properly and felt bad leaving him for as long as it took to get the test done. I had been having a lot of nerve problems through my neck and arm and down fingers. We needed to see what was wrong. I had never had an MRI and that was a situation all on it's own but when it was done I got back to my room and the phone rang in that minute. It was my dad. He was in the parking lot and ready to come see baby. I, still not having the chance to feed him, was disappointed at not being able to but accepted the visit. It was good to be thought of and visited. They gifted with a cute outfit and a huge box of diapers that they left with Hyrum at home.

 

 

 

 

Hyrum had gone home and took the kids to the last couple hours of church. My mom stayed with them and had Hyrum go rest at home for a few minutes.

Hyrum came over later and left again and sent my mom over to meet the baby. There's something special about showing your baby to your mother.

 

 

I like how he's looking at her

I took naps while I could while in the hospital and had the nursery nurses listen for the baby. He would sleep there and if he woke hungry they'd bring him to me. I knew it wouldn't be so easy or convenient when I got home to everyone. Hyrum stayed for dinner with me. It was our little babymoon time.

Monday, February 2nd, was our last day at the hospital. Hyrum slept at home and got Livvy off to school. I got a visit early from the resident doctor and he interpreted the MRI notes made by the radiologist and checked my bleeding, swelling, etc. I was recovering pretty well. I attribute a lot to how much water I drink, among other things. Doctor Drew came in later, left prescriptions and signed release papers for when I was ready to go. My mom got Ella to school and I got released an hour or so later. It always takes longer to leave than you expect due to your nurse being busy with others and needing her to do things for the release.

Hyrum got baby Jared in his first outfit. He didn't like being disturbed like that.

But a moment later he forgot all about it. Very forgiving.

We wanted to wrap him up in his car seat. We had never brought a baby home in the middle of winter and were not used to dealing with the cold. But we found out you do the wrapping after being buckled in.

Once he was in snug and tight and covered and I was in the wheelchair with him on top of me and Hyrum with all our loot, it was time to go home. He ran for the car and brought it around to the front of the hospital and I waited with the PCT. He helped with baby J's seat and got my door. It was time to go home to the crew and have him meet the new family member!