Gabriel Wayne Roach

It all started at 4 AM on the morning of Friday May 24th.  At this particular point Gabriel's due date was not until June 9th, so I was only about 37 weeks and 5 days along in the pregnancy.  I was returning from my 10th trip to the bathroom, because that is what you do when you are in your 3rd trimester of pregnancy, pee 10-12xs every night.  So I was right on my pee schedule as I crawled back into bed and got comfy to return to dream land.  Within 1 minute of laying my head down on the pillow somewhere deep inside I felt the tiniest of "pops" and immediately I felt a small amount of discharge.  Sleep was instantly gone from my mind as I rushed to the bathroom thinking to myself "You've got to be kidding me! No way!" A couple of days previous I had been speaking with a gal who had recently given birth and she said that her doctor had told her the acronym: COAT, in regards to having her water break (just in case).  COAT stands for: color, odor, amount and texture.   So, I ran, well more like waddled very quickly to the restroom to check my "coat".  I was baffled because even though I couldn't deny the popping sensation, there wasn't a lot of liquid that had come out. I thought that if your water broke (according to the movies) it was supposed to be a lot of liquid, like a water balloon breaking or something leaving the ground soaking, and I hadn't experienced anything of the sort.  I decided better be safe than sorry and I called my doctor, or more like the emergency helpline that they have set up for situations like this since not all baby births can be planned during regular business hours.  He returned my phone call by 4:30 and we discussed what had happened, and according to him "Normally there is a lot more liquid when you water breaks.  It doesn't necessarily sound like your water has broken, but keep an eye on for the next couple of hours.  If you are concerned go ahead and go to the hospital and get checked out.  It can't hurt to get checked out just in case.  But I wouldn't worry too much about it."  Well, since he said not to worry too much about it, I decided I would do just that, not worry about it, so I went back to bed and attempted sleep.

Eric woke up at about 7 AM, and my morning greeting to him went something as follows:
Me: "Good morning... how did you sleep?"
Eric: "Really good.  I feel really rested. How about you, how did you sleep?"
Me: "I slept okish, you know, typical 10 trips to the bathroom and what not, but not too bad of sleep."
Eric: "Well, that's good to hear."
Me: "Um... I suppose that right now might be a good time to tell you that I think that my water might have broken, but I am not sure..."
Eric: (long pause staring at me with mouth wide open)... "What?!?!"
Me: "Yeah.. but don't worry though..."
Eric: "Don't worry?!?"
Me: "Yeah, I called the doctor and he said to keep an eye on it for the next couple of hours and if I was concerned to go get checked out at the hospital."
Eric: "So, what do I do? Do I go to work? Do I stay with you? Do you want me to assemble the bug-out bag? What should I do?"
Me: "No, go to work and I will go to the hospital a little later... I have some things I want to do first before going."
Eric: "Are you sure? We could go right now... What can I do for you?"
Me: "Yeah, let's have you to go to work and I will call you once I go to the hospital and see what is going on.  But for now, I am hungry.. how about some pancakes?"

So, Eric made me pancakes, got ready and then went to work.  I on the other hand, had a list of things that I wanted/needed to get done.  And not knowing if this was going to be "the" trip, I took my time.  Plus I was keeping an eye on things to see if it progressed any, which it didn't seem to throughout the course of the day. For the next couple of hours I worked on putting away the last of the baby supplies that I had purchased (the day before mind you, including the car seat), organizing and finalizing my "bug out" bag list and then assembling said list into a pile on the bed, paying some bills, doing some on-line research of different pregnant women's waters breaking and cleaning the house.  Eventually I got around to taking a shower and since we were going to a family pool party the next day I took my time, even shaved my legs.  That night we had a surprise murder mystery dinner that we were to attend and by this point it was mid-afternoon. I knew that I wasn't going to have time to come home from after the hospital and get ready for this date activity so I did it before going to the hospital, including putting on makeup and doing my hair.  When all was said and done I made my way to the hospital.

The hospital we had selected was about a 20 minute drive from our house and I arrived a little after 3 PM.  I told them that I was concerned that my water had broken but wasn't certain.  They had me change into a gown and wait for the next available nurse.  As I waited I was on my phone texting Eric about the fact that I was at the hospital and also my sister-in-law Christina.  She had planned the murder mystery dinner as a surprise birthday dinner for my brother Nate since his 30th birthday was coming up on the 5th of June.  I was informing her that I would probably be late for the dinner but for her not to spill the beans as to the reason (the fact that I was in the hospital making certain my water had not broken).  The nurse came in and gave me the initial exam where she told me that she could still feel my water and that it did not appear to have broken, but that they had to take some microscope slides to verify that there was not a tear in the hindwaters with amniotic fluid leaking out.  She also informed me that I was already dilated to a 2.5 cm and that I was 50% effaced, so she concluded that I was probably going to have the baby in the next 2 days or so.  In talking with my mother about her birthing experiences she had informed me that for everyone of her kids (my siblings and I that is) that she had had Braxton Hicks contractions for months leading up to the actual dates of delivery.  Well, like mother like daughter I suppose, because I too had been having Braxton Hicks for about the previous 4 weeks but thought nothing of it.  Apparently I was slightly wrong, but I didn't worry too much, because I had been told my water probably had not broken and was just waiting on the slide confirmation that I was clear to leave... Never happened.  Instead about 15 minutes later the nurse came back informing me that she was wrong, there was indeed amniotic fluid on the slides, I was not leaving the hospital but was going to get checked in and that I was going to have the baby that night!  Talk about a shocker!  I asked the nurse if she was sure and it wasn't just some kind of fluke, but considering the fact that she had been a labor and delivery nurse for over 20 years, she wasn't mistaken and it wasn't a fluke.

Last pregnancy update picture: 37wks and 5 days

You can imagine my conversation with Eric when I called him as they were taking me up to get checked into the labor and delivery ward of the hospital.
Me: "Hey Amo, I was thinking that perhaps when you get home if you wouldn't mind doing some stuff around the house.  Ya know, take out the trash, feed the cats, assemble your stuff for the bug out bag, get the car seat out of the box and come to the hospital because apparently my water did break and our little guy is coming tonight."
Totally came out of left field, that is for sure.  By this time it was around 5 or 6ish in the evening. Since it was Memorial Weekend, my personal OB was off but one of his partners was in (someone who I had had at least 1 visit with just in case this very thing happened).  I informed him that Eric and I had been preparing for delivery by taking classes using a technique that incorporates husbands coaching their wives.  It was more of a natural way and we wanted to try to continue to go that route if possible.  But I also understood that we were under the 24 hour time crunch and I had no objections to medicine.  He was really open and said that he would give me till midnight to try and make progress with my labor.  If no progress was seen then they would have to put me on Pitocin to regulate and progress the contractions.  Even though I had been having Braxton Hicks for months, they were very irregular and sporadic... 2 minutes apart, 3 minutes apart, 45 minutes apart, 10 minutes apart, 20 minutes apart, 1 minute apart,...etc you get the picture.  That being the case I wanted to do anything in my power to encourage them to regulate and come more regularly.  I had heard that moving around helped a lot and I didn't just want to sit in bed the entire night, so Eric and I walked the entire 3rd floor of the Labor and Delivery Ward of the hospital till midnight while getting monitored every hour for the baby's heart rate and contractions.

Definitely wasn't planning on this activity tonight.

Midnight rolled around and I was still only dilated to 2.5 centimeters, so they started me on Pitocin.

 I was told that Pitocin caused contractions to be a lot harder to handle than natural contractions.  Because of this I was a little concerned of how I was going to handle these type of contractions.  My own personal contractions up until this point hadn't been too bad.  I had had really bad cramps in the past that resembled contractions so I felt that I had a good gauge of what was to come.  But with the medically induced contractions I didn't know what to expect so I had my mind open to the possibility of having medical backup of pain killers to help me deal with the pain.

Starting Pitocin.. don't know what to think just yet.

With the Pitocin they have to increase the dosage every 30 minutes until desired results are achieved.  At first it wasn't too bad and I was managing quite well.  Around 3 AM or so all that changed.  For those who don't know, I was involved in a pretty nasty t-bone accident in 2009 that has left me with residual scar tissue and back problems that will probably never go away.  These back problems have caused me to change the types of activities that I am involved in so as not to flair up the pain or make the symptoms worse.  Well, on the Pitocin the contractions did a number on my back and the previous injury there.  A nurse came in and told me that I should try to be relaxing and sleeping so as to be prepared when the real hard part of labor started.  In my mind I am thinking "Are you crazy!  Try to sleep during contractions!  You really must be on something because there is no way I can relax during these things, let alone sleep."  I finally said to myself: "Forget this, you don't win any kind of medal giving birth naturally.  I was born in this day in age for a  reason. God made men smart so they could create medicine so that I can take it... Bring on the epidural!"  Within 20 minutes the anesthesiologist had arrived and gave me the epidural.  Talk about the wonders of modern day medicine!  I was practically in heaven not feeling any more pain of contractions.  And only then did I actually sleep as the nurse had recommended.

Our last picture together pre-parenthood!

The residents continued to track my progress (since the on-call Attendee - My Dr.'s partner - had the luxury of going home and leaving the middle of the night grunt work to the residents) for the rest of the morning.  At 4 AM I was dilated to 4 cm and 80%.  At 7 AM I was at 8 cm and 100% effaced.  It was at this check-up that the resident actually broke my water while checking my progress.  Then I felt that rushing gush of liquid like having a water balloon pop... crazy sensation for sure!  It was at this point that they started monitoring the station of the baby (how far the baby had progressed through my pelvis dropping into the birth canal), and I was at -1.  At 9AM I was at 10cm and +3, so they said that it was time to start pushing.  I guess that with typical first time deliveries it takes the mom about 2 hours of pushing to get the baby out.  So they said that once I got close that then they would call the doctor and have him come in.  Well, in about 5 contractions (15 minutes) I had the baby crowning.  They then tell me "Ok, we are going to call the doctor, he should be here in just a couple of minutes.  So, for right now, do not push!"... Um, ok, how about I just hang out and watch a movie, no problem at all... YEAH RIGHT!!!  Now, even though I had the epidural, and it stopped the pain of the contractions, when the baby started moving down I could still feel the pressure of the contractions and that of the baby.  Everyone told me that that was a great epidural because I could feel when I needed to push with each contraction and didn't need for anyone to tell me without feeling the sharp pain of the contractions themselves.  That also meant though that as I sat there waiting for the doctor to show up, I still felt that pressure of the baby's head sitting right at the opening and it was painful!  I had a girlfriend once describe to me the absolute beauty and wonder of delivering naturally because you could actually feel the baby move out of your body as you delivered.  Well, I had my epidural and I still got to feel that sensation, no natural birth needed for me, no thank you!  So, back to the waiting, yeah, we waited for the doctor to show up.  They told me a couple of minutes... well that couple of minutes turned into about 25 minutes, NOT COOL!!  I was trying to think on the positive side that by having the baby's head right at the opening hopefully he was stretching me out so that I wouldn't tear at all - one of my biggest concerns.  Doctor finally shows up, gets gowned, and on the next contraction that I pushed the baby's head was out, and one contraction after that the rest of the baby was out too.

First family photo

That was by far one of the most crazy sensations that I have ever experienced physically in this mortal life.  The nurses placed Gabriel immediately on my chest (as per my request) and I stared down in complete shock and awe looking at this baby that had just come from inside of me.  I believe speechless would be the correct words to describe my reaction.  I didn't know how to react, think or feel.  Just a complete state of shock.  I had done it, I had just given birth to my first child.  I was officially a mom... WOW!

They let me hold on to Gabriel for a good 40+ minutes before they took him to do the measurements, wipe down, foot prints, heel pricks, etc..

All the while I was holding Gabriel and even after they took him for his initial check-up I was getting patched up doing the non-fun birth things that no-one ever tells any first-time pregnant woman about: delivering the placenta, stitching up the tear (which was bad enough to have been considered a vaginal c-section... 1 word: OUCH), pushing on my abdomen to get bleeding to stop (I swear the nurse left me with bruise of my entire torso), hemorrhaging, shots to stop the bleeding, afterbirth nausea, and some other fun things I won't scare any other woman with hearing.  Needless to say, not the highlight of my first time birthing experience.  But after all was said and done, at 10:12AM on Saturday, the 25th of May, 2013 I had given birth to a healthy 8.0 lb baby boy measuring at 22 inches and he was perfect!

Looking back now at the entire picture of Gabriel's birth I can say that I am kind of glad that he came early.  I mean, had he been full term he could have been upwards of 10 lbs rather than 8, so I won't complain.  And even though there were lots of unpleasant things that happened and didn't go according to my wishes, if it weren't for the tear and stitches in a very uncomfortable place, it really wasn't that bad.  The beauty and miracle of the entire event far outweigh the painful and uncomfortable ordeals I had to go through physically.  Maybe it is because women forget the painful part of labor and delivery and only remember the beautiful experience of bringing a new life into this world which allows them to continue to get pregnant and have more babies.

I can honestly say that right now since I am still in the heat of the newborn stage with lots of lack of sleep and very itchy from those dissolving stitches that I am definitely not in any sort of rush to get pregnant again and relive those events anytime soon.  But when the time is right we will know.

I hope that this birth story was not too in detail for those who get grossed out easily.  Yet I hope it contained enough of the actual experience to give a view of the grand picture.  Now I officially have my very own 1st birth story.  I will conclude by saying that I am happy to introduce our firstborn child, a handsome little man named Gabriel Wayne Roach.