Jameson's Birth Story Pt. II: A long ass day.

We checked into the hospital, got all comfy-cozy and I was given my first round of Cytotec. The nurse left and we tried to get some sleep before my next dose.

Travis snuck this picture of me.

It was a long night of no sleep. It was hard to get comfortable while being hooked up to an IV and all those monitors. It seemed like every time I was almost asleep, it was time for my next dose of Cytotec. And I'll tell ya, if having your lady parts doused in cold gel doesn't wake you up... I don't know what will!

The next morning I had a yummy breakfast and my Dr came in to check on me. After a long night and my 3 doses of what was supposed to be some magical labor inducing drug, I was still sealed up tight, like a steel friggin trap. I was really disappointed to hear that my body had made zero progress. I had some contractions during the night but nothing significant, so I wasn't all that surprised. He suggest we try one more dose of the Cytotec and that there were other things to do when this happens and we would take it one step at a time.

After my 4th dose, which was around 9 am, I was up walking around and started having some really strong, awesome contractions that were fairly close together. Then out of nowhere, I watched my stomach shift and my awesome surges turned into horrible back labor. Standing became unbearable so I went back to my bed to try different positions so I could relax. My mom and older sister Barbara came by around the time I had retreated to the bed and Barbara suggested I try getting in the shower to make myself more comfortable. I hobbled to the bathroom and got in the shower. After less than 5 mins my back felt so much worse I started yelling "Travis! TrrrrAAAAviiis!!! TRRAAAVVIIISSS! GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!" My loving fiance, scared shitless because he thought I had just birthed out our son into a bathtub, burst through the door- "What?! What's happening?!" Clinging to the safety rail in the shower I had Travis turn off the water, towel me dry and dress me. Lucky him haha. Back to the bed for me!

My Dr came to check on me around 1 pm. At this point I was still having pretty strong contractions that were now 1 to 3 mins apart. Even though the back labor was intense, I had remained fairly relaxed and was feeling optimistic that we were making some kind of progress... But sure enough, nothing. This was really where I started to feel discouraged. Since my baby had now flipped into a posterior position, the odds of him dropping enough to help me dilate were pretty slim. 

Our next step was something called a Foley Bulb (or as I like to call it, horrible vagina torture from the deepest levels of space hell). My Dr's hope was that by placing the bulb it would at least get me dilated to a 3 and he could break my water and then James would be able to drop down... yada yada yada. The only problem was that I had still not dilated at all, so he let me know it wasn't going to feel great going through my closed cervix but I was definitely not prepared for the pain! With 2 nurses holding each leg and Travis holding my hand I endured 20 mins of my Dr struggling to place the stupid effing Foley Bulb. It took everything I had not to scream and while he was finishing up, my eyes started to roll into the back of my head and I started to black out. I shook myself awake and informed everyone I was going to throw up. After throwing up all over Travis, the nurses sat me up, I could barely sit unassisted and I was shaking uncontrollably. My Dr told me that was the most difficult one he'd done, and if I wanted to ask for my epidural, he wouldn't blame me. I really didn't want to have an epidural but I was in so much pain all I could manage to say was "Yes, epidural."

After dropping the F bomb several times at my anesthesiologist, getting poked twice and almost throwing up again, I felt the sweet relief of pain medication flowing through my body. I was so relaxed... but all of a sudden, so freezing cold! I was given multiple heated blankets and an oxygen mask. Apparently my blood pressure had dropped to 90/45 and James heart rate dropped low enough that they were concerned. Feeling baby and I were both stressed we were told that we weren't going to be doing anything else for the rest of the day except feeding my epidural and sleeping. I was totally ok with that.

Fortunately, my family was still there and Travis' parents just happened to show up to see us before everyone was told we wouldn't be having a baby until the next day. Unfortunately, about 15 mins after my family left and Travis' parents were about to leave my Dr came back in because my blood pressure had returned to normal but James' heart rate and shot up to the 190's and wouldn't go down. Our baby was in distress and they broke the news to us that we needed to have an emergency c-section.I was so disappointed and emotional, but at the same time I just wanted my baby safe and healthy. Travis called my mom and told them to come back and they got there a few mins before we were taken to the operating room. Travis was almost left behind while changing into his suit!

The face of genuine fear!

I really wanted to see everything that was happening and watch the birth of my son but I wasn't allowed. I made Travis watch, take pics and give me a play by play with everything that was going on!

Warning! Pics of my c-section!

Honestly, I wasn't freaked out at all about being cut open. The worst part was not being able to see anything that I really, really wanted to see. That, and the pressure and tugging that you feel. It's slightly annoying feeling your body wrenched around like that.

Turns out that the reason Jameson was stressed was because he had passed meconium into his amniotic fluid and inhaled it. I watched them suction it out of his lungs with a syringe with tubing and it was totally the color of pea soup! YUCK. I was glad at that point that we did the emergency c section because had we waited longer, he would have been really sick and probably needed to spend some time in the NICU.

I couldn't believe how sweet and calm he was. He just had his eyes wide open, looking at everything and everyone.

Beautiful baby boy, Jameson Arlo Nutt, was born at 

3:49 PM

 May 31st, 2014

9 lbs 1 oz

21 inches

Jameson's Birth Story Pt. I : Are we there yet?

After my 38 week appointment, I was getting slightly concerned because Jameson was nowhere near the birth canal and happily content tucked up high. From then on I spent all of my time walking, doing prenatal yoga and when I was sitting down, I would only sit on a birthing ball. Oh the joys of rocking and bouncing for hours at a time... and running out of things to watch on Netflix!

My 39 week appointment was also pretty uneventful (besides the fact I was so swollen at this point! My feet looked hilarious!) and he still hadn't dropped. I wasn't worried yet because I knew that due dates aren't always accurate.

Jameson's due date (Sunday, May 25th) came and went. I spent that memorial weekend with the in laws, eating bbq and potato salad while wallowing in self pity. You may remember this gem of a photo from my previous post. (YIKES. What an awful picture haha)

At my 40 week appointment the previous Friday, Jameson still hadn't dropped and I wasn't effaced or dilated at all. My Dr was concerned about Jameson's size. We have a long history of big babies and since my mother never went into labor and by herself he didn't want me to go past 41 weeks. Initially I was really stand offish and annoyed at the thought of being induced. I really wanted a natural birth but since I had decided early on that I wasn't going to have my heart set on a specific method/plan and that I would just go with the flow and listen to my body, I decided to just let it be and make the best of it. If I didn't go into labor, my induction was scheduled for Sunday, June 1st. Dr stripped my membranes and I went home.

With an induction looming, and being past my due date, I decided to try some of the things people recommended to kick start my labor. I was already walking (as much as I could before my back felt like it was going to break that last week!), doing yoga, bouncing (and pleading) on a ball and a spicy food lover... one thing I was excited to try was eating eggplant. As many if you know, my brother in law is an Italian/Puerto Rican from New York who served his LDS mission in Italy, so of course I had him make me eggplant parmesan in a giant casserole dish that I feasted on for 3 days. Nom! It definitely didn't help me, but it sure was delicious! Other things I tried were evening primrose oil, red raspberry leaf tea, foot massages, clary sage and rosemary essential oil, sexy time, nipple stimmulation and castor oil (DON'T DO IT. SERIOUSLY. JUST DON'T. If someone recommends castor oil to induce labor, give them the bird and tell them to kiss your ass while you waddle away)... but alas. Not a single contraction.

My last appointment before my induction was on Friday, May 30th. I limped into my Drs office. Still no change. I know I had said I would just go with the flow but I was so sad about being induced and in so much pain! I knew the chances of me going into labor before being induced were pretty slim at this point. My Dr told me that baby boy was measuring at close to 9 lbs and that if I wanted, I could go to the hospital and work the system. Tell them that I was past my due date but I hadn't felt my baby moving a lot so they would monitor me and he would call his friend who was the Dr there that night and tell him to admit me and start my induction. I told him I'd think about it. The thought of being induced even earlier made me feel so guilty. But Travis was definitely sick of pregnant Hayley and lovingly talked me into it. 

We showed up at the hospital at 7pm and proceeded with our sneaky plan... which ended up in getting monitored and SENT HOME an hour later! Seriously, WTF. Feeling annoyed that we had packed the car and mentally prepared ourselves to have a baby sometime Saturday instead of Monday, I demanded junk food and made Travis watch Supernatural with me while I cried into the box of ice cream I was inhaling. 

At about 9 pm I got a call from my Dr asking me "Why aren't you at the hospital?!" I explained we'd been sent home and he told me that was unacceptable and to stop eating and go BACK to the hopsital

and tell them that my Dr had changed my induction date. So that's what we did. 

We checked into Riverton IHC at close to 10 pm. 

To be continued...

Being Pregnant

Well I figure since I'm a whopping 4 months postpartum, now would be a good time to talk about my pregnancy. I had a really easy pregnancy for the most part and consider myself extremely fortunate! I didn't actually gain any weight until about 25 weeks and I had gained 2 lbs. How I managed that I will never know!

Here is a few of my "belly pics".

Being a thick girl, I didn't start to look pregnant until about 25 weeks so i didn't take a belly picture until then.

This is 5 weeks later at 30 weeks!

33 weeks... Baby boy was supposedly the size of a pineapple! 

This is probably my favorite of the belly pics. I was 38 weeks and Travis and I had SO much fun that day. We drove up to Park City and spent the day just hanging out together, listening to all of our favorite music in the car and taking in the fresh spring air!

Ok this is definitely my least favorite picture. May 25th. 40 weeks. My attitude is "Happy fricken due date! Take the effing picture already." I was so miserable and swollen... Everything hurt and my back felt like it was going to snap! I would have much rather spent my Memorial Day weekend in labor! Travis had to drag me out of bed to go bbq at his parents house and I'm pretty sure I made him hold my pants so I could step into them to get dressed haha.

There you have it. My proof that I was pregnant. Maybe someday I will do a post with the maternity pics that my sister took at 39 weeks...

Toodles!