LIAM IS HERE!!! .... And has been for 2 months! Sorry it took me so long to post the story. We are so happy to have baby Liam with us. He brings more happiness and love into our lives than we ever thought possible. Here is the story:
On Tuesday, December 30th, I had my 39 week
doctors appointment. We had been going back and forth on the decision to induce
early or not (due to the baby’s size and insurance reasons), and at this
appointment we were going to figure out what to do. I was dilated to 1cm and my “cervix was
favorable,” so the doctor recommended I go ahead with the induction and to stop
eating by 2pm. As we were leaving, I asked the doctor if we should plan on
staying the night or if we would be sent home if I wasn’t progressing quick
enough. She responded with, “you will
not be leaving the hospital without a baby.” That was when it hit me. I was
going to have a baby SOON.
Later that evening, Christian and I showed up at the ER at
5:00pm, and by 6:30pm I was in my room in a hospital gown with an IV stuck in
my hand, a blood pressure cuff on my arm, and 2 outer monitors around my belly.
The doctor came in and checked me- and told me that I should expect to have a
LONG night and a LONG day tomorrow. Oh good. Just what I was hoping to hear…
So they gave me the induction tablets and I waited. Thank
goodness I had a TV in my room. The contractions started to come strong and
fast that evening. Later in the evening around 11pm they gave me some GOOD pain
medicine. It definitely dulled the pain and made me very loopy, but I was still
not able to have a restful sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night/early
morning they gave me another dose of pain medicine, which made me loopy all
over again…Christian has a great video of it.
The next morning I was only dilated to 2cm. I still felt the
contractions that were consistent and strong. By 9:00am I had the epidural. I
was very nervous for this part. I had heard that the needle was big and that it
was pretty uncomfortable to get a big shot in your back. It was very comforting
to have an anesthesiologist who was talkative and personable through the whole
epidural process. After he gave me the shot, I ached in my back and hips for
just a little bit, and then tingling and numbness. It was so nice and relaxing
to not feel any contractions. I literally could not feel a thing from the hips
down. I was then able to take mini naps (not satisfying sleep though). I was
also given a catheter so I didn’t need to use a bedpan…thank goodness.
As the morning and afternoon went on, I was progressing at
the rate of a snail. From 2:00pm-4:00pm I was at 4cm. By 4:00pm my patience had
worn thin. I hadn’t eaten solid food or slept soundly in over 24 hours, and was
getting my hopes crushed every time the doctor or nurse checked me and said it
would take a few more hours. At 6:00pm the doctor came in and told me that I was
dilated to 9cm and that I should get ready to start pushing within the hour. I
got really excited, and then REALLY nervous. I started shaking and my teeth
were chattering with anxiety, nerves, and excitement all rolled into one. At 6:30pm the nurse came in and said we were
going to get started.
At 6:46pm I started pushing. Gradually more and more nurses
filed in to help. Then the doctor came in when the baby started crowning. The
last 10 minutes of pushing consisted of lots of pressure and Christian, the
doctor, and all the nurses telling me to push harder and to keep going.
Finally, after 24 hours of labor and about 50 minutes of pushing, Liam Peter
Hanselmann was born at 7:38pm on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
8 lbs. 7 oz. 21 in
Smiley baby Liam now-a-days! He's growing so fast!
We are a very happy family. We LOVE this baby so much. Thanks everyone for your love and support!
