The Birth Story

Why Lucky Fin? Watch Finding Nemo :) He still defies all odds despite his "lucky fin" !

So with that being said - 

My lucky fin's name is Jude Graham and he was born on October 19, 2013 at 10:58 in the morning. He was born at 37 weeks and 2 days weighing in at 5 lbs 7 oz and 17 3/4 inches long! He was a tiny little man but I was overjoyed and totally in love! 

So how was labor? Everyone asks me this and wants to hear my story so here goes! 

Back story - 

1. I had false labor exactly a week before.

2. My mom and mother-in-law both told me I was going into labor tonight (Friday the 18.) I was taking my sons fathers sister up to visit him at work that night and no one wanted me to go because they thought I'd have the baby out there. My sons father works nights as a nurse and works 45 minutes from our house. 

3. Now on to the good stuff!

After driving back from seeing him, my sister-in-law and I decided at 2:30 am it was time for bed. I crawled into bed like any other night, little did I know I would go into labor a few hours later. I woke up at 5:30 am with pain but it just felt like gas so I went into the bathroom. I was in there for quite a while thinking at this point that I was sick or had eaten something bad that night. Around 6:00 am I came out of the bathroom and text my sister-in-law telling her I wouldn't be getting up with her in the morning cause I had been up so long and felt so sick. She apparently saw the text and thought to herself, as she rolls back over, that I was in labor. Thanks Grace ;) 

Well at 6:30, after not being able to fall asleep I knew something was wrong, but I was looking to see if my water had broken and nothing. So I text my sons father asking what I should do and he told me to call the on-call nurse and tell her my symptoms. I didn't want to go racing in again and it be nothing since I wasn't due for another few weeks. Well I called and the nurse told me I needed to get to the hospital ASAP. To either get family, a friend or call 911 but I needed to get there. After that I started calling everyone. I told my sons father he needed to leave work and come home; called my parents and my dad raced over; called my other sister-in-law to come over and my mother-in-law so she could tell the rest of the family. THIS WAS THE REAL THING! I was bent over in pain and couldn't talk. My goal was to wait for my sons father to get home and then go but I couldn't.

So at 6:45 I told my mom that we needed to leave. NOW. My contractions were about 1:30 apart. I called my sons father to see where he was and he was still 10-15 min away so we told him to just meet us there. This is where the story gets fun! My mom and I hop in my car and take off. Now, when I say take off I literally mean that we were going 90-100 mph! It was ridiculous. My mom definitely drove as crazy as I have ever seen in my life. She was passing people in turn lanes, running red lights, flashing lights and honking. Now, who all has heard that if you get pulled over while in labor the officer will escort you to the hospital? We sure did and guess what. We got pulled over!

**Have to add this part cause it was by far the best! My mom starts getting out of the car once we are pulled over! I yelled (in between contractions mind you) that she was going to get shot if she got out of the car so what does she do? She raises both hands up and proceeds to yell out the half open door that her daughter was in labor and we need an escort. Just for those of you who are wondering, they don't escort you! We wasted precious time! Anyway, back to the rest.**

After getting pulled over we resume our crazy trip to the hospital. We were almost there, about 15 min away and I start yelling I have to push. My mom says don't you dare! We are almost there, just hold on. So I do. I start yelling/crying that I want my sons father and he needs to be here. We were almost there and ran every red light going through downtown, but finally arrived at the hospital! Who pulls up right after us? My sons dad! 

I start getting out of the car when we pulled up to the ER and the valet walks to my mom’s door and opens her door while I stumble out of the car! He then comes around, as I’m doubled over with a contraction and crying, if I want a wheelchair…. YES! We pretty much run down the halls and get to the floor and I change and get all hooked up to the machines. They check me and I’m only about 4/5 cm dilated.

My plan was to do all natural by the way.

So we are in full swing and the baby was coming. No doubt now. I progress nicely, grunting and trying to suck up the pain. I ripped my sons dads scrub pockets off because I was using them to brace myself during contractions. I was SO mad when the second pocket broke! Anyway, at about 6/7 cm I asked for drugs so they give me something pansy that didn’t even help. By now they have moved me into the actual delivery room and I felt like I was dying and begged for the epidural. Everyone asked if I was sure and I responded “give me the drugs now. I need them!” the nurse kindly checked me and I was at 8 cm so they rushed the epidural. 

Now if you’ve had an epidural you’ll understand what I’m talking about when I say, you can’t sit still. They tell you to sit still and not move. Biggest joke ever! But I did it and I laid still for the next 20 min to make sure it spread evenly through my body. After that it was great! But 25 min after the epidural I told the nurses that I had to push. Of course they told me that there was no way that was possible and tried to talk me out of pushing…. I ‘oh so kindly’ stated check me because I know I have to push. What did they find? I was 10 cm and ready to go! Except one thing; my water still had not broken! The doctor told me she could break it and speed the process up so she did. Right after she broke my water, they got me into position to push and within 4 contractions, 10 pushes total, my baby boy was born! He came out nice and pink and screaming his head off. I was filled with joy and so overwhelmed that I hardly remember anything else! Welcome to the world Jude!