Alright, let’s finish up this crazy story, shall we? It’s a bit long, so bear with me!
Starting up from where we last left off…at this point, I had just been told the news that I was only dilated a mere 3cm. This was incredibly frustrating because I had wanted so badly to be able to hold off on getting the epidural until I was farther along. This meant that now that I had the epidural, I was confined to my bed for the remainder of labor.
Granted, with the intensity that my labor had increased to, there’s really no way that I could have continued along without getting the epidural. The Pitocin had been upped so high that it was doing a number on my contractions. Seriously…anyone who’s able to manage Pitocin without an epidural is seriously Super Woman.
So I later found out, once my body was done hating me, that is, that the doctor had actually stopped my Pitocin at some point during the crazy contractions. Now, once I was stable in bed with no pain, they decided to go ahead and start the Pitocin back up again, starting at a level 2.
The next few hours went by fairly uneventfully. I fell in and out of sleep a few times, as did our parents (Jay told me he never wound up sleeping and was by my side the entire time). At one point, they had my Pitocin up to a level 7, but the nurse came in and seemed concerned. Apparently, the babe wasn’t liking the Pitocin at a level 7 and his heart rate was dropping pretty low.
At this point, the doctor came in and told me that she thought it would be in the best interest of the baby to have internal monitoring…and, once again, I started to cry. All I could remember was the teacher at our childbirth classes saying how the internal monitoring was much more invasive of a procedure, and I was so scared to have to put him through that (they basically stick a monitor internally through me to track his heart rate right to the top of his head). My doctor assured me, however, that it was the best thing for the baby so of course I agreed to it.
So now, I had my Pitocin, the epidural, and internal monitoring going up through my hoo-ha. Around this time, things start to all blend together for me, so I may have some of my memories out of order slightly, but I believe at this point I got another internal exam…at least, they were trying to…
The first nurse was having trouble checking for my dilation because of the monitor that was in the way and she didn’t want to disturb the baby, so she wound up getting a different nurse to check me. This nurse was able to do what she needed and she said that I was probably at about 6cm at this point. Okay, making progress.
My doctor came in shortly after that and mentioned that she wanted to try one more procedure to help get things moving along; this involved having a saline solution injected directly into my uterus in an attempt to “flush it out” (when my water broke, we discovered that the babe had had his first bowel movement in utero, but it seemed small enough to not be an issue).
The saline solution was no big deal, and I couldn’t feel anything with that. Around this time, I noticed my epidural wearing off a bit, so the nurse was able to up the dosage a bit. I’m pretty sure there was a little more napping on and off for the next couple of hours before I wound up getting another internal exam. It must have been around 10pm or so, and the doctor said that I was at about 9cm. Nine centimeters!!
She said that the right side of my cervix was less dilated than the left, so she suggested I roll over to my right side in an attempt to change that. Another hour or so probably went by when I started noticing some intense pains in my left side and into my lower abdomen…apparently, the epidural was all running down to my right side since that’s how I was laying, and away from my left side. So now, I was suddenly experiencing contractions once again.
At around 12:30am, I can distinctly remember laying on my side and telling Jay that he needed to have everyone leave the room (our parents were all in and out of our delivery room during down times). I started feeling really uncomfortable and wanted to be checked again. Shortly after, the doctor came in and said, “Well, no wonder you’re feeling that way…he’s right there! It’s time to push!”
So, push we did! Honestly, the pushing part was probably the least of my struggles throughout the whole experience. I could feel a little bit, but most of my epidural was still okay so my comfort level was pretty good. I had Jay right by my side, and he was incredibly motivating, as was my nurse and doctor. At one point, after his head was out, my doctor asked me if I wanted to touch it. At first, I was like, whaaaaaat!? But I reached down and I did it…and it was probably the most motivating thing I’d had all day.
Since I couldn’t feel all of my contractions, I asked the nurse to tell me when she saw one coming on the monitor so I could start pushing. I don’t know if it was the drugs, the excitement, or what, but I actually wound up laughing throughout parts of my pushing, and my doctor kept telling me how I was one of the most fun deliveries she’d had. Awww, shucks!
I wound up doing three rounds of about 3-4 pushes each time, and within a half hour, our little man arrived at 2:10am.
Talk about a surreal experience. Here I was, with this teeny tiny human being on my chest, and my amazing husband looking over me, both of us with tears in our eyes. He was really here! He was really our son!
At this point, as you know, “Baby Tooth” did not yet have a name. But it didn’t take us more than a couple of minutes to decide that our little man was most definitely a Lucas (for those of you who were wondering, our other contender was Gavin).
After some skin to skin time, they took Lucas to the other side of the room to take care of his measurements and whatnot.
After that is a little blurry, but I eventually wound up with Lucas back in my arms while the nurse took care of paperwork and Jay sat nearby.
Suddenly, I felt like I was getting hit by a MAC truck. My head was pounding and I became incredibly nauseous. Thinking it may have something to do with the fact that it had been almost 24 hours since having anything other than Italian ice or jello, I decided to try eating a couple of Kashi crackers. Within minutes though, I knew I was going to get sick. I asked someone to quickly take Lucas and then proceeded to get sick a couple of times. Good lord, did I feel like absolute garbage (then again, after getting pumped with so many different drugs for that long, I wasn’t surprised).
Once I was feeling a bit more stable, we invited our parents and my brother in to meet our little man, and everyone was immediately smitten with him.
Eventually we were brought up to a regular recovery room, and that’s where we stayed for the next two days, constantly speaking with doctors and nurses at all hours of the day and night. We had plenty of incredible visitors who were all so excited to finally meet the little man that we had been waiting so anxiously for for the last 41 weeks.
So while I may have had to endure 18 hours of labor and some of the most intense pain I’ve ever experienced…it was all totally, 100% worth it.
And I would do it again in a heartbeat to be able to see this sweet little face in the end.
The following Monday, we were discharged and it was time to head home!
And now, here we are already almost two weeks later. Man, you guys weren’t kidding when you said that time would be flying by!
So if you’ve made it to this point in the post, props to you. It was a long one, but I guess that’s what happens when you have a long labor and delivery story to tell.
Jolynn @ Lift Pray Love says
What a long journey you had to get that stubborn boy out. Thankful all is well and both of you are healthy! fun fact: we’re 5 weeks out from having our son and his name will be Gavin Nicholas =) Great minds think alike ;)
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes says
My cousin was due yesterday (although still pregnant!) and their name is Gavin Nicholas too! So crazy! Good luck to you!
Jolynn @ Lift Pray Love says
Guess it’s more common than we thought! Thank you!!!!
Lisa says
Wow, what a crazy long day that must have been;)
He sounds like he was quite stubborn until the end.
He’s so handsome and the ending was obviously a huge blessing, being able to hold Lucas in your arms.
Congrats again on your little man.
Karen says
Congrats! Long labor stories fascinate me. I had my baby 4.5 weeks early and practically delivered in the hospital parking lot so I missed out on all the anticipation in the delivery room! ;)
Melissa says
Ahh, such wonderful photos, seriously! Thank you so much for sharing and for allowing all of us a glimpse into your precious moments!
Laura @losingrace says
He’s so adorable! Thank you for sharing the story, glad all are happy and healthy!! Have a great weekend with your little family :)
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
Wow, what a story!! Well I’m so glad that in the end, you were able to have a vaginal delivery. Mine ended up with a C-section, which was fine, but certainly not what I had expected!
He is absolutely gorgeous! Hope you’re all doing well! :)
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
This is such a great story and I’m so glad that you shared it with all of us. I love the pictures of Lucas! This post got me very excited for the future. There is nothing like starting your own family :)
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
Good Lord – what a story! I always get sick whenever I’m pumped full of drugs at the hospital too. I can’t believe it’s been 2 weeks since he’s been here!
Heather W says
We don’t know each other personally, but I stalk your blog pretty regularly. As I commented yesterday, I’m four months pregnant. This story was both petrifying and encouraging. I definitely teared up. I’m so happy for you and your family!
Danica @ It's Progression says
It was so fun to read about his birth story – thanks for sharing!
Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says
Ahh…he’s just so precious! I’m glad that both of you are doing well!
Melanie @ Beautifully Nutty says
I loved every second of this post! Thank you for sharing your experience and again, congrats to you both! Such a beautiful family.
Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat says
Wow…what a crazy birth story! I’m SO happy everything worked out in the end and everyone is happy and healthy! Your pics are gorgeous!
Karen says
Childbirth may be long and painful but so worth it in the end. For me, 24 hours of hell but once that little nugget was born…wow!! AMAZING!! I wish you guys all the best with little man, he’s adorable.
Runner Girl Eats says
This makes me incredibly terrified to have a baby! But then I look at the cute little pictures of Lucas and know it will be worth it…one day ;)
Linz @ Itz Linz says
WOW!! what an incredible story!! glad little lucas was finally able to make his healthy appearance! :) :)
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
Ahhh this brought tears to my eyes… Our stories are actually pretty similar in a lot of ways. I found myself nodding my head at several things you were saying. ;) No matter what, you’re right, they’re so dang worth it! xoxo
Jana @ Happy Wife Healthy Life says
Thank you for sharing your story girl! I always love that no matter the struggle of labor and delivery, 99% of moms say they would do it all over again in a heart beat. It definitely encourages those of us who have never experienced giving birth to know it will be worth it! :)
Delaney says
Such a beautiful story! Congratulations to you & Jay!!
Samantha @ 10000 Squats says
Wow what an exciting delivery! I hope to have my first child in a few years so this is interesting and scary to read about. You’ve got yourself a real cutie there though!!
Amy @ The Little Honey Bee says
Wow! How exhausting but so worth it. I actually loved reading this. It must have been so surreal to hold baby tooth aka Lucas for the first time. Beautiful fam :)
Jenny says
Congrats to you again on the little man! He is seriously adorable!! And definitely the best reward after such a long labor :)
Kaitlin @4loveofcarrots says
talk about a long journey, but totally worth it for the cute Lucas!
Kathryn says
When I had my first, I had an epidural and wound up getting really nauseous. Apparently, that can be a side effect, I guess. With my second, the only thing I had besides Pitocin, was one regular Tylenol, for a headache I had when my contractions were nothing. Of course, by the time they brought it to me, I couldn’t feel the pain in my head anymore, but since it had already been charged to me, I took it.
With my first, I not only had to wait for the Anesthesiologist, but when he finally got to my room, we discovered the tray they had was expired and wound up having to wait somewhere between 30-60 minutes for them to get a new one (I was really out of it at that point).
Krystan says
Congrats! What a great birth story. I honestly don’t know anybody who has had a birth story that went exactly like they expected. Even how you said about not really having expectations (which is what I also did) even then it goes a way that you never imagined! But in the end, even with all the needles, drugs, and pain it is SO WORTH IT!
I also totally agree with you about anyone who can survive Pitocin contractions without an epidural! My actual labor was 16hours (they didn’t start Pitocin until I had already been in the hospital for 15 hours) and I survived 5 hours without it, but like you I was only 3cm and those contractions were one after another after another! I told my husband if I had had breaks inbetween I might have been able to survive longer, but constant contractions sap any energy you might have! but OMG it was the best high ever after that epidural kicked in! :)
JessicaR says
He is such a cutie! Thanks for sharing your story :)
My mom had me with Pitocin and no epidural… crazy lady!!
Katrina says
Thanks for sharing your story! I’m glad everything worked out in the end! You look like your mom — you have the same face shape!
Lauren @ LaMaLu Boutique says
That’s an amazing story. He is SUCH a cute baby.
Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats says
What a great story! I’m so glad it worked out well in the end. Lucas is absolutely adorable, and you and Jay should be so proud. Congratulations!!!
Brynn says
I am crying like a baby – what a story with a beautiful ending. You are so strong. Congrats on your beautiful family!
Emily says
OMG he is so beautiful and you were awesome =0) I am due in the next couple of weeks with my son and look forward to finally meeting him as well. I am scheduled for a C-section…….not what I wanted but at the end of the day its all about whats best for Baby and momma ;0)
Thank you for the beautiful birth story and all the best to your family!
Chelsea @ LittleOneRuns says
Aw, this is such a sweet story :) I almost started crying !
Julie says
Birth stories usually make me teat up a bit and yours was no different! Brings back memories of my daughter’s birth, which was less than 3 months ago! Congrats on little Lucas, he is really adorable.
JAY says
” AMAZING STORY, AMAZING PEOPLE !!! LOVE FOLLOWING YOU & YOUR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY. HUGS FROM A VERY HOT N SUNNY SPAIN” ;) XXX
Jaime D. says
Beautiful story – I had tears in my eyes while reading it. Out little girl is 5 months old and I was induced as well so it brought back a lot of memories for me. Thanks for sharing!
Jocelyn says
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I’m 22 weeks pregnant and so nervous about how things will go for me, so having someone be so open and willing to talk about your labor provides reassurance that while things won’t be easy, they will all be OK in the end. Congratulations on your adorable new addition, and thank you for being such an inspiration! I just love your blog.
Lauren says
I would have given the doctor the weirdest look if he said to touch the head, but after putting myself in your shoes… It would be motivating to know he’s RIGHT THERE! Definitely a good decision on the doctor’s part! And you got sick on the epidural! I had three knee surgeries with an epidural and I got sick after every.single.one. It’s the worst feeling, too, because it hits you like a ton of bricks out of nowhere! It’s not something to look forward to for when I have a baby because I doubt I could go without one!
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles says
Oh lord, this almost brought tears to my eyes…awkward when I’m at work ;-) such a beautiful story for a beautiful family!
Melanie @ Just Some Salt and Pepper says
Absolutely adorable! Such a great story!
Kari S. says
Thanks for sharing that great story!!
Courtney says
Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby boy! An induction with pitocin is no joke, I’m so glad you made it through with minimum issues! I was induced w/my son, who recently turned 2 & the whole experience was a nightmare. I was in labor for 36.5hrs, pushed for over 2hrs, & ended up w/an emergency vacuum assist & severe 3rd degree tear. We ended up staying in the hosp. for 6 days. I kept saying “after all this he’d better be a good baby” & sure enough-he was the perfect baby.
I just had my daughter on July 20th, & we went naturally this time, but labor was still around 18hrs. I, too, was told I was 4-5cm, got the epidural, & then a different dr. came in & said I was only 2-3, I wanted to scream. Instead I cried quietly to myself :/ It’s amazing how different drs/nurses can measure you sometimes. This time I only pushed for 22min. & we were able to go home in about 24hrs. They also asked me to feel the head! I was a little hesitant, but I did & was so happy to feel such a little round head lol. You are right about it being great motivation! Enjoy your little man because time really does fly. How long are you able to stay home with him? I’m home until mid-Sept. Def. not long enough!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
Okay, reading that just gave me baby fever x 1 million.
Lucas is so precious and you have such a beautiful family! I hope I hold up as good as you, laughing the baby out, haha!
Ashley @ Life and Fitness says
Wow what a birth story!!! I always thought if you end up being induced, the labor goes faster, but I guess that is not true. 18 hours is crazy!
Leslie says
I have tears in my eyes! Oh man, seriously enjoy every moment. Today marks 15 weeks for our little Addison and oh my gosh, time just flies. Especially those first few weeks, they are a blur in my mind, as is my own birth experience, which was so similar to yours. What a little cutie pie and hurray for a healthy, happy little boy!
Kristy @ Kristy's Health Revolution says
WOW! What a birth story! He’s seriously so so so cute though! Congratulations!
Ashley says
Loved reading about your birth story! So glad it went well (minus the ouchies). Lucas is absolutely gorgeous! Congrats!
Mary says
You look absolutely incredible to have just given birth!! Props to a healthy lifestyle!!
Sarah @ Sweet Miles says
I’m so glad you shared this!! He is BEAUTIFUL! Great photos too!! Ok, trying to contain my baby fever now :)
Katy @ Savor Life's Flavors says
Such an inspiring story. Although kids are not in my immediate future, I am terrified of child birth but seeing the look on that little guys face makes it much more doable! Congratulations, he looks perfect!
Mallory says
I will be honest and say I’m totally NOT a baby person at all… but that is the cutest baby ever. Usually newborns are all scrunched up and not the cutest thing right away but omg… he is fricking adorable. He’s gonna be a little heartbreaker for sure.
Sara says
What a beautiful story. Thank you SO much for sharing. I have tears in my eyes just reading it. Makes me super excited to meet our little guy (hopefully soon)
Emily @ The Good Era says
So adorable!!! Congrats again :)
Danielle says
Sending so many congratulations to you and Jay! Lucas is absolutely adorable!
Alycia says
I actually had a pretty similiar labor with my son. I was induced 2 weeks early and it took all day for anything to happen. The Pitocin made his heart rate drop super low, so they had to turn it off for awhile, which drug things out even farther. Once it was finally go time, they decided he was too big for me to have and that I needed a c-section (28 hours after we started!!). Talk about not happy!
So glad things went mostly well for you though. It really is worth it in the end. Congratulations to you and Jay!
Jamie @ Sometimes healthy Living Blog says
Wow, what a crazy experience! But I guess, as they say, the best things in life are worth waiting for :-) While it seems like quite a journey, you came out on the other end with something pretty special! Thank you for sharing your story!!
Jenny says
Aww! You called me Super Woman! :) I had Pitocin to induce and didn’t have an epidural or episiotomy. Brought a 9 pound 1 ouncer in to the world!
I loved this story Courtney!!! Thank you for sharing it with us!!! Lucas is beautifully handsome. You’re very blessed.
Molly Ritterbeck says
He is so precious…those two pictures of just him are hands down the cutest. I am so happy for you guys!
Leigha @ Minougirl says
This is amazing. I’m sure he was so healthy because you treated your body WONDERFUL while pregnant! Two weeks already?! Crazy!
Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers says
Heck yea I made it to the end of the post; that’s quite a story! I’m sorry it was such a long experience, but I am so so so happy that everything turned out well in the end. Congrats again to you and your family. Lucas is adorable!
Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile says
What a crazy story, but it definitely was worth it in the end!!! He is sooo precious! Congrats again :)
Caitie @ twentytwofit says
I think part 1 and 2 of Lucas’ story are two of my favorite blog posts I’ve read, ever! Sounds like a LONG journey but glad everything ended up ok in the end :)
Holly says
Can’t stop with the tears. SO beautiful!! & he’s so handsome! If you ever come to FL, Lucas MUST meet Gabriella!!!
Meg says
The Pitocin is insane!!!! I had to be induced as well and they ended up stopping it for about 40 minutes just to give me a break (I was trying to go sans drugs) – the contractions were the same but you had a minute to breath inbetween. Like you said with the Pitocin you didn’t even have 5 seconds to gather yourself so I too took the drugs! Thanks for sharing your beautiful story :) What a georg. baby!!!!!
Ellie@Fit for the soul says
I could just feel the anticipation and nervousness throughout the whole post! Hehe, thanks for sharing! And I love Lucas’ pictures. He looks angelic. Oh, and I’m so glad for you that you didn’t have to push much. That’s seriously a blessing!
Paige @ Your Trainer Paige says
Oh man, that face!! Makes me want one ;)
What a story…gave me chills!
Annette@FitnessPerks says
Wow, quite the story! He is so so precious, so it does make it all worth it, huh? Gotta keep telling myself that-b/c I’m due in just over 9 weeks!
Congrats again! <3
Alexandra says
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us – it brought me to tears! Congratualtions to you and your beautiful family!
Miranda @ Miranda Runs says
Congrats Court! He’s a beautiful baby and you and Jay are SO blessed to have him in your lives <3 My mom was given some kind of medicine that relaxed her when she was delivering my sister and she apparently was extremely reactive to it. She started hallucinating and thought she was driving though central Washington listening to Spanish music. Haha! That's my favorite story to tell ;)
Haley @Cupcakes and Sunshine says
Two weeks? I can’t believe it has already been two weeks! Time really has flown! Congrats, congrats! And I am so happy you are feeling much better!
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Oh my god those closing photos of him…he’s like a doll! So perfect! Even just after he was born…beautiful! What an experience…at least you had the drugs!!! :)
Natalie @ Free Range Human says
I’m sure you had a serious range of emotions going on during those hours. I have no doubt that it was worth it though, and he is such a beautiful baby! Moms really are rock stars ;)
Shari says
Oh my goodness, what a dollbaby he is! Congratulations again on your dear heart!
Tara@PNWRunner says
I loved your story. You went through so much, quite the day! He looks so happy and healthy!
Jamie says
Such a great story! Congratulations!!
Regan says
Grt story!…good work momma,….I encourage you to have Jay write down his version too,,…u will love reading these again in months to come….Lucas is adorable
Olivia @ Liv Lives Life says
He is just so beautiful. Your story sounds pretty intense…I’m glad you’re finding he’s worth it. :-) He certainly looks it to me!
Beverly Aragon says
Such a beautiful birth story–thank you for sharing. The last two solo pics of Lucas are beyond precious!
Eryn @ Blond Minded Brunette says
Such a wonderful birth story. I love reading everyone’s stories as they are always so different and all so special. We had our little guy this past Sunday and that day will remain vivid in my memory forever! Such a life changing experience and one I treasure so much!
Michelle @ Peanut Butter and Running Shoes says
He is too cute. It’s amazing how everyone’s labor and delivery stories are so different!
Sar says
He is so cute!!!! I gotta say, that picture of his tiny hands holding yours just got me! I definitely teared up!! Thank you for sharing his birth story, that was very touching and interesting to read!
Lindsay @ fuel my family says
Love birth stories! And pitocin is no joke! I had it with my first (max dose because my contraction monitor wasn’t working so thy kept upping it, oops) but not with my second. No pain meds either time so I was able to feel the difference. Not even comparable! I made it to the hospital with 15 minutes to spare my second time because I didn’t even think I was in active labor yy because the pain was so much less than my first.
Becky@TheSavedRunner says
Aw your little baby is absolutely precious! I am so happy for you and your little family! I can’t imagine the pain of childbirth, but I know, like you said, it was totally worth it!
Rebecca says
Lucas is adorable! So excited for you and hope all is well with the little one. Congratulations Courtney!!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
Loved reading BOTH parts of this, Courtney! He is absolutely perfect and I’m so happy for you and Jay!
kat says
Woohoo! You did it! Loved reading this, so glad everything went well for you. I was totally checking IG the day of, and rooting for you!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
YAY!! This is so awesome :) What a cute little boy you have! I am so excited and happy for you and Jay. Congratulations!
Nala says
What beautiful end to an interesting story! You truly are blessed with your adorable son, may you enjoy the upcoming journey of parenthood ahead with him =) Can’t wait to read more stories on Lucas – Congratulations!!!
char eats greens says
I think that’s awesome that you were laughing through parts of pushing!!! It’s crazy how every story is so unique!! I was in labour (drug-free) for 19 hours before I needed an emergency c-section…emotional mess much!??! But like you said, I’d do it all over to see my little one’s face!!
Nikki says
He’s so handsome. I love that you didn’t sugarcoat anything. Congratulations!!!
Melissa @ Freeing Imperfections says
I’m so glad you posted all the details of your story! I loved reading every minute of it. Wowza, your labor sounded intense, but I’m so happy to hear that regardless, it was worth it. Lucas is adorable! Congrats, Courtney!
Kelly @ Femme Fitale says
Yay, Courtney! I have been away and just catching up on your posts. Congratulations on the safe arrival of Lucas! My goodness…he is such a beautiful, healthy baby boy!!!! Loved reading your story. I ALSO laughed and joked around the whole pushing phase of my labour in February! hahah!
Hope you’re enjoying motherhood. Looks good on you, girl!
Patty says
Congratulations! He’s beautiful and what an amazing story. :)
Sarah says
yep, I cried just as I knew I would. I am so happy for you and Lucus is seriously one of the most adorable babies EVER!