Our little Logan gave us a run for our money and decided to be 11 days late!! Although I felt like I might be going into labor two times earlier in the week, my contractions just stopped and we were so disappointed! I was scheduled for an induction on Monday the 22nd, and I had been praying so much that we wouldn't make it until then. On Sunday afternoon, I started to feel extremely nauseated, and began vomiting at 5:30 that afternoon. I was sick repeatedly for 4 hours, so we were concerned that I might have food poisoning! We decided to go to the hospital for an IV of fluids so that I would be strong enough to be induced the next day. When we got to the hospital, I started having light contractions but we though it was because I was so dehydrated. I was hooked onto the fetal monitor and given an IV, and an hour later I felt much better. When they checked me a little while later, I was at a 4 and my contractions were 5 minutes apart. They decided I was in active labor and I was admitted to the hospital!
Two hours later I was at a 7 and my contractions were progressing nicely. I labored in the shower a couple of times, and by 2 am I was at a 9 1/2 and definitely feeling "transition" feelings. I moved to the bed and began baring down with my contractions. Here's where the story gets sticky... I was stuck at a 9 1/2 for TWO HOURS!! Dr. Rice said that she thought my contractions weren't strong enough to really do the job anymore, so she ordered a tiny bit of Pitocin. WOW! That made the contractions much, much more powerful. I was getting somewhat delirious at that point, but thirty minutes later I was at a 10 and ready to really push. I pushed actively for two more hours but Logan was just not moving down like he should. His heart rate started to get lower and lower and was not recovering between contractions, so Dr. Rice was definitely getting concerned. Finally, she said we needed to get the vacuum out because Logan needed to come out now. She put the vacuum in and OH MY GOSH it hurt like nothing I have ever felt in my life. We pushed and pulled with three more contractions, but the vacuum kept loosing suction and his heart rate was in trouble. Finally, Dr. Rice said that we would give it one more contraction, and then we would stop and rest and do a C-section. She said that the vacuum was no longer working and I had to use all my strength to push him out! My mom and mother-in-law were in the delivery room and began to pray aloud and ask the Lord to deliver our baby, and in the next contraction, I pushed and he was born!! I wanted him to go directly on my chest after delivery, but his heart rate was still a little precarious so they immediately cut the cord and took him to the back of the room to get him breathing. They did let me hold him for a few minutes, but then they took him to the nursery to watch his vital signs for an hour or so. He did not have to go to the NICU at all, and a few hours later he was nursing and happy in my arms!! We are so grateful and thrilled to have him in our lives.
Nathan did an incredible job staying calm and distracting me from the worried looks of the doctors and nurses. He counted through every push and helped me breathe and relax (as much as possible!). I laughed when I read Darlys's email about forgetting the pain right after he was born, because I agree!! I think I will need a long time to forget how it felt, but of course he is SO worth it!!