Introducing for the first time in the blogging world...

Dylan Michael Dohm
7 lbs 5 oz 20 inches long
Born at 4:30pm 10/27/2010
Here's our story...
(This is long, and may not be edited for content. If you don't like the details don't read it. It's not that bad though.)
At 36 weeks I started going to the doctor every week. They always asked me if I had been having contractions, and I always answered , "No. Not that I can tell. I'll be able to tell, right?" So finally at 39 weeks they checked me for the first time. She said I was only a fingertip dilated, which is basically nothing. So I went home a little disappointed, but hopeful that my body knew what to do and the little guy would come at the right time. My main goal was to let my body start labor on it's own. That is what I have always imagined, like in the movies. "Honey, it's time to go!" So, then at 40 weeks I was dilated to a 1. Not much progress, again I left feeling a little disappointed. I had always thought he would come late, and I was ok with that, but having no progress made me feel sad. So at that appointment we had to talk about induction. My doctor said I could keep waiting, but that at 42 weeks she would not let me go any longer. So the pressure was now on. At my 41 week appointment I was still a 1, so I asked her to strip my membranes to see if that would do anything to start the labor procees. I had heard that if that works it will probably be within 48 hours. But we also talked about induction again. Ben was here, and not annoyed at all that the baby was late (he was making a lot of progress on the house projects), but his time was limited. So we decided to schedule an induction for Wednesday, October 27, 2010. We were to be at the hospital by 5pm Tuesday night to start the process. I hadn't realised there was more to the process than showing up and getting pitocin. That was on Monday. As Ben and I drove back home it started to hit me that this was really happening. My pregnancy had been a dream so far. No nausea, no pains - except for a little SI Joint pain the last few weeks, not much heart burn, no mood swings (although a few of my staff said the first few months I was a little aggitated at work), no food aversions, no cravings (maybe one or two), etc. So I felt like it was all becoming very real, very quickly. I also hadn't had Ben around the whole time, and that was never in our original plan, but this pregnancy wasn't exactly planned for this time period either. So we went home and went about our day as normal, aside from my last minute errands that I wanted to finish, and maybe one or two emotional outbursts on my part, but I guess you can't escape it all together. Tuesday I spent all day cleaning the house, still hopeful that my body would take a hint and start labor itself. I had also been walking the three miles around our neighborhood everyday for a week, sometimes twice. A few times I thought I could feel some decention of the baby and sometimes I was really sore when I got back, but that did nothing. Ben spent the day working on the house as usual, then starting to do some other last minute things to prepare for family coming, etc. At 3 or so I got in the shower and took my time. I did my hair and got dressed all the time thinking how weird it was that the next time I would be in the house I would have a baby in my arms and not in my tummy. About 4:45 I walked out to check on Ben and he was sweeping the garage. I asked if he needed to take a shower and informed him of the time and he was shocked that the day had gone so quickly, but that's what happens when you sleep in on your last day ever to sleep in. ha ha Anyway, he finished and jumped in the shower, and then we put my bag in the car, hooked up the carseat, put me in the car and we were on our way. We got to the hospital and were late. Oops. So we walked around for a while and were finally directed to the ER window. They started checking me in and had us take a seat. Finally they came and got us and put us in the elevator to the 3rd floor for maternity and labor/delivery. About this point I was wishing I had had lunch. Oops. Then the thought crossed my mind that since I was being admitted they might not let me eat at all in case of surgery. Crap, I was hungry. Oh well, I would just deal with it.
We got into our room, which was more like a suite. It was huge and beautiful and we were amazed at the space. It was really nice. So I got all hooked up to the monitors and got an IV (which wasn't that bad), then they checked me. Ibwas still hoping for some better progress. No such luck. Still a 1. The nurse asked if I was feeling any contractions and I said no. She told me I was having one right then. So I looked at the monitor to figure out what it all meant, so I would watch them later. From there they gave us the news that I was free to eat until midnight. Ben left to go home and finish a few more things since nothing was going to happen until the next day. While I was given my first dose if cytotek (don't know the spelling). It is a tablet that they divide into 4 parts. They insert one part every 4 hours onto your cervix to soften it and prepare your body to have a quick start with the pitocin. In very few people it can start theur labor. Again, a jolt of hope. So I had my first dose at 7pm. The bad part is after they insert it you cannot use the bathroom for an hour and a half! So when they would come in I would make a run for it, just to be safe. They xam in to check me about 11pm. Still a 1, so I got another dose. Ben finally came back and brought me some food too. Then I was checked again at 3am. Still a 1, so I got another dose. I had been able to recognize the contractions ever since I started watching the monitor, and they were becoming more noticeable now. I'm pretty sure I lost my mucous plug some time around this time. I was pretty much up all night mainly because of the nurses having to come in and move the baby heart monitor thing all the time because they kept losing his heart beat and the alarm would go off, and partly because I was trying to "enjoy" and remember each part of this process, and maybe because I was nervous and excited. So I was checked at 7am and I was still a 1, so I got my final dose. They said they would be back to check me around 11 to see what the progress was, then we would start the pitocin about an hour and one half later, and we could expect to have our baby in the late afternoon early evening. But we had other plans apparently. At about 10am I was really uncomfortable and started thinking about the fact that I had been sitting/lying down for the whole time. Why didn't I walk or move or use the ball? So I decided to turn over in my bed so that I was on my hands and knees, all without losing my blankets and dignity! As soon as I got into this position I realized it was not more comfortable, in fact it was more painful and I wanted to get back down on my back as quickly and painlessly as possible - but there was a contraction coming! While I tried to twist and lower myself something happened. My water broke. I wasn't sure that is what happened and I had a mild freak out. Ben had just sat down to eat his breakfast that he had gotten at a bagle shop. He had taken one delicious bite as I said, "I think my water just broke, or I'm peeing, but I can't tell. It won't stop." He practically threw his food down and pushed the cart out of the way to get to me. Like I said I was having a mild freak out and he calmed me down. He told me it was normal to have all the water, because at that point I was crying (wouldn't you if you didn't know if you were peeing or not?). I asked if I should call the nurse and he told me yes. ha ha So I called the nurse and she took one look and said it was my water that had just broken. "Now we don't have to give you the pitocin." *Insert my sigh of relief here! At that point I was a 2! Yahoo! It just got better after that. When they came to check me two hours later I was a 4. I was beginning to feel the pain and wasn't really liking it too much. (I have written this post a few times now and it won't save it beyond this point on my phone, so it is a little less detailed this time. Sorry, and I have forgotten a lot of the little details.) The nurse came in to check me and ask me AGAIN if I wanted an epidural, I said no, but she gave me another option. They could give me IV drugs, but it would "just take the edge off." After discussing it with Ben I decided that I would go ahead and take the IV drugs. When they gave me that I was really relaxed afterward, they also told me I couldn't have another dose for 2-3 hours. I was a little loopy too. I know everything that happened, but I also remember not being able to keep my eyes open all the way and some people were laughing at some of my comments, even though they made sense in my head! They came back two hours later to check me and I was an 8!! Amazing! The whole two hours were pretty pleasant, until the end. I was pretty relaxed and comfortable. I did start to feel the pain again instead of just the pressure at the end of the two hours. Before they told me I was an 8 I asked if I could have another dose because I was starting to feel the pain again. After they checked me they gave me another dose of IV drugs and I was out of it again. Within an hour I wanted her to check me again and she said no. Why do they say that to you? I didn't have an epidural, so it's not like I just wanted to know my progress. I could still feel everything and I was already an 8 so if I said I needed to be checked they should have just done it. Anyway... She said no, we'll check you in a couple hours. I remember saying, "I think I need to push." She said, "No, just breathe thru it." I said, "I don't think I can." Ben said, "Stop being so difficult." I thought to myself, "Maybe I'm being obnoxious." So I said ok and left it at that. About 30 minutes later I was having the distinct urge to push with each contraction. Maybe not even push, but I couldn't just let the contractions go while breathing thru them anymore. I would hold my breath and flex against them because that felt better. I don't think I was pushing, I was just trying to deal with the pain. When the nurse happened to come in I told her I wanted to push and she told me to just breathe thru them and they'd check me again soon. Ben said I yelled at her and told her to check me, but I remember saying, "I think I NEED to push." She said, "No, just breathe thru it." I said, "I have to go to the bathroom." Apparently that is the key phrase we should all remember, because she said she would check me right after I told her that. She checked me and didn't say one word, she just ran out of the room and 4-5 other nurses came running in. They began to pull my bed apart and arrange it with the stirrups and all that. They started turning on all the baby equipment, etc. At that point I didn't feel another contraction for a little while. I was just registering that I was right, she was wrong, and we're having this baby right now.
I started pushing with the nurse, because my doctor took about 15 minutes or so to get there. In the end I pushed for about an hour. I think it took so long because when they said I was doing it right is when it hurt, so I couldn't make myself do it again the very next time. I don't think I have ever felt as much relief as when his head came out, and then again when is shoulders and body came out. I was pushing and all of a sudden I felt a pop. That was his head. The nurse behind the doctor must have been a little excited because she yelled out, "Keep pushing!" So I did, and out came the rest of him. He had the cord wrapped around his neck 3 times and they wisked him over to the baby station before Ben could cut the cord or I could even see him. I was a little loopy still and I was just focusing on me, partly because if I had worried about the baby I would have freaked out. Ben didn't know what to do until a minute later when we heard him cry, the nurse said "He peed on me," and they told him he could get the camera and come over. They were still "working" on me to get me to stop bleeding, and whatever she was doing hurt more that having the baby. I really didn't like that and I know I was yelling at her to stop. I remember thinking, "Why are you yelling," but I couldn't stop! It was not pleasant and I just wanted to see my baby. Finally they let Ben bring him over and I looked at him. I said, "He's so cute!" I didn't even get to hold him until I got to my new room. I don't know why, but that's just what happened.
It is an amazing process and I am grateful that Heavenly Father let me do it "MY" way. I am so blessed by this child. He is amazing. Now that it has been FOUR months! I am still amazed and grateful every day. When I look at him all I can think about is how much I love him. He's all I think about, even at work! It takes me a long time to do things because he's on my mind and I have to push passed it to do other things! I am so in love with him. I would do anything for him. I would protect him with my life! He is my reason for being. Ben is the love of my life and I can't believe we made such an amazing little guy! He is so wonderful and adorable!