He’s here!
Well, technically he’s been here for a while now. Over 4 months to be exact. That’s how tired busy I’ve been, haha. This post is19 weeks late! Time feels like it has gone quickly, but then at the same time I feel like it’s been f-o-r-e-v-e-r! I’m so tired. Yes, I know I’ve said that already…. Anyway, without further ado, I’d like to introduce LUCAS ILAN SALINAS. Our baby bear!
Our Birth Story
I started early labor on Friday-September 15-around 4AM. I wasn’t quite sure if it was time, but I also knew I had never felt those sensations before, and I suspected something was up. This may be TMI, but it just felt like diarrhea cramps (and this never changed, only in severity). I was trying to convince myself that it would pass and that maybe I just needed to use the restroom. Not so. I tried relaxing for a few hours but the contractions weren’t stopping. At this point the pain was at a 4ish level, still very manageable. I didn’t want to go to the hospital just yet because, A) I wasn’t in major pain; I could still hold a conversation and move around. B) My water hadn’t broken yet. C) My contraction times weren’t consistent or close enough together. They were about 5-10 minutes apart so I knew it wasn’t severe enough to be admitted.
We fast forward to about 10AM: The pain is now at a 6-7 and my contractions kept coming. They were becoming a little more regular and a little closer together. My water still had not broken but I was starting to get really uncomfortable, and to be honest, a little nervous/scared. I remember trying to get some sleep, but the pains and tightness were extremely interrupting. This proved to be the most annoying part of my labor… not being able to sleep. After a couple of more hours of laboring at home my contractions then started to regulate to every 5 minutes for at least a full minute for at least an hour. We decided to head to the hospital around 1230PM.
At the hospital they said i’d only dilated about 2CM, and we could just monitor the situation to see if I would progress into real labor (I mean, it felt pretty real LOL!). We stayed overnight, however with time, the contractions lost severity and the pain dropped down to a 5ish level. Not to mention the time intervals began to lose consistency. I hadn’t dilated much more-only by about half a centimeter-so by noon the next day (Saturday the 16th) they suggested we go home.
When we got home, almost immediately, I started feeling the pains come quicker and with much more intensity. I decided to shower because I knew this night would be the night. I could feel it in my bones that this time, when we went to the hospital, we weren’t coming back home. It was about 530PM when I couldn’t handle the pain anymore. Breathing wasn’t helping, talking was impossible (all I could do was yell out in pain), sleep was non-existent. Contractions were 3-5 min apart, lasting at least a minute and a half for the last couple of hours. The pain was now at 8-9 level. Some of them were starting to reach 10! It was time. I knew it. David knew it. This was it.
We got to the hospital around 630PM and I couldn’t even make it to the entrance without literally doubling over and squatting in the parking lot at least twice. It was only about a 100 meters from where we parked to the front desk and I hilariously couldn’t make it! I pushed through and when the staff saw me they asked if I wanted a wheelchair. Honestly, sitting was awful. Laying down was even worse. I had to either stand or squat, not to mention I wanted to walk to help me dilate and get things moving (at this point, my water still had not broken). I declined the wheelchair and two nurses helped me to the maternity ward while David checked us in. Again, I probably stopped three times along the way in this tiny hospital, hahaha! I’m a trooper though and I insisted I could make it.
I was taken in and they hooked up the doppler and monitored contractions, I was crying at this point because it was becoming very real. David found me and the midwife came in to check how far along I was and determined I was at about 4CM. She was convinced the baby would come that night and swiped the membranes. She offered the epidural, but I said I wanted to dilate a little more naturally for a couple of hours. She took us to our delivery room, prepared my bed and said to call her when I was ready. I put my game face on and endured dilation for another hour. I think I made it to about 6 or 7CM when I couldn’t take it anymore. I was shaking and crying and shivering uncontrollably from the fear while I was getting prepped and when they were done, I almost immediately felt better. It was around 11PM when I could no longer walk. I was about 8CM around midnight when they came and broke my sac. All we had to wait for was for baby bear to turn his head.
When 230AM rolled around it was time to push. I was 10CM and baby was crowning, but his head was still not properly turned. In order to get him to turn his head they had to vacuum-assist and guide him. I pushed for less than 30 minutes and at 3AM sharp, our little guy had emerged. He came out with a little cry and they placed him on my chest and we all cried. He was here! This little 6.3lb, 19in. baby with a full head of hair had managed to entirely capture our hearts with his first breath. It was the most surreal and glorious moment of our lives. I was only able to be with him for a short while due to complications post-delivery, but I will save that story for another post (he was left in the loving arms of his daddy until I returned a few hours later). My rainbow baby was born to us and he was instantly a perfect fit.
Our little prince.