Elliott's Birth Story

The fact that I am updating my blog after having a baby only 6 days ago is a testimony to how blessed we have been by God! Our little Elliott is a miracle (as all babies are) and the best Christmas gift I have ever recieved! Here is the story how he entered this world....

On Monday November 29th I had my weekly doctor's visit. I got the usual check and was told that I was only 1 cm dialated and that was a stretch. I had been checked two weeks earlier and had not made any progress. I was feeling pretty discouraged about that. My doctor informed that she would be out of town that Friday through Tuesday but had another doctor that she trusts filling in for her. She offered to induce me that week before she left if I wanted to. I thought for just a moment and said no because going into labor naturally is better right??? I went home and talked to Tony and told him that I could've been induced but chose to just wait it out. He was surprised and said "Why not induce, you are miserable?". And he was right....I was having really bad pains in my hip joints that made it hard to walk not to mention the back pain that I had the whole time and just general discomfort of being pregnant. So I called my doctor back and told her I had changed my mind and before I knew it I was scheduled to go in the next day to be induced. On Tuesday, Tony and I arrived at the hospital around 10 pm. The nurse checked me before starting any meds and I was already 2-3 cm. Around 11 pm she administered the first set of 3 gels used to "ripen" my cervix. Right away I started having contractions, they were uncomfortable but bearable. She said that my doctor offered a sleep aid because induction can be a long a process and the gels are supposed to take around 12 hours. I went ahead and took it knowing exactly how tired I would be if I didn't sleep. After getting the sleep aid (which I found out later was Ambien) kicked it, I was pretty much out of it for the night. I had no clue when the next few things happened as I was in and out of sleep but at some point they gave me some kind of pain reliever and the second set of gel. Then my contractions got really intense and were coming every 2-3 minutes. I was still really groggy so I would actually dose off in between contractions but once they started I was awake again and having Tony rub my back. I knew my nurse was scheduled to come back at a certain time to check me again but I couldn't wait, I needed my epidural. Around 5 am the anesthesiologist came in and gave me my epidural. Tony and I both fell asleep after that. A short time later my nurse comes in and said she was putting me on oxygen and checked me again. She said the bag of water was bulging but I don't remember what she said I was dialated to. I remember feeling an incredible amount of pressure like if I pushed hard enough that the baby would just pop out. After a few minutes on oxygen my nurse had me turn on my side then she turned me again. I was still not sure why all of this was happening and was too sleepy to ask. A couple of minutes later they broke my water and my nurse tells me that my doctor is on her way but that the hospital doctor was coming in because it was time to push! The doctor came in, got suited up, told me to push twice for 10 seconds long and that was it, Elliott was out at 6:36 am. The doc did her thing with the baby, turned around to hand him off and before she could turn back the placenta just fell out. It barely made it into the bucket. That is a detail that I am sure you could live without but it is important to the story so bear with me. I remember the doctor saying that was not supposed to happen and that she would be sending it to pathology (who knows what that means). During this time Elliott came out not breathing on his own so they had to help him out a little. Within minutes he came started breathing and did not need to put on oxygen. I got to hold him for a couple of mintues before he was moved to the NICU. I found out that his heart rate had suddenly dropped and that is why they put me on oxygen and started turning me. They could not get it to go back up and that is why we could not wait for my doctor (she showed up about 10 minutes after he was born). The placenta at some point had become detached, they think it happened as he was coming out. They said that had I not been fully dialated and ready to push that I would have been rushed to the OR for a C-section.....scary! Also, had I not chosen to be induced and that happened at the same time then who knows if we would even have our little Elliott! God totally protected him through all of this. He spent a couple of days in the NICU for precaution but did exceedingly well with everything that was required of him. I am so very thankful for him and for my God who continues to amaze me with his goodness.

Elliott Samuel Nave
Born 12-01-10 at 6:36 am
6 lbs 5 oz 18 inches