Trent Garrett Willman

(Probably going to edit this a million times as I remember things, brain very foggy right now)

So my labor was actually from Saturday morning until late Sunday afternoon.

Saturday - Woke up around 7am and was laying in bed when a strong ctx. hit, almost identical to the one that started labor with Nora. I got out of bed and started cleaning quietly around the house. My mother in law, Pam, had spent the night just in case something happened. After that first ctx., it really just felt like heavy menstrual cramping. I think I reminded myself that ANY cramp might break my water or at least progress things along.

Pam is a retired nurse so I got to have some good conversation with her about 'what' might be going on. Her opinion was to go to the hospital to get checked...I hate hospitals and they cause me a lot of anxiety, just not something I'm willing to do easily.

I came upstairs and woke Rich around 9:30am and told him he needed to get up because we were going on a walk. Pam took Nora to the pool and we went to a fitness track and did about 8 laps.(2 miles). The contractions kept coming but not getting any closer. Mom managed to call Pam during this time, which had mom calling me...Mom wanted me to get OFF the track, completely freaking out about my water breaking and having a baby in the car...whatever mom, I was stubborn and kept walking.

We got home around 11:30 and decided to go over to Publix(grocery store) to get some lunch. While there, I was having ctx and ran into a very chatty neighbor. Silently praying , I told Trent PLEASE don't hit me with a big one right now!

Came home, ate lunch....ctx. stopped dead cold at 12:30 or so. We decided to send Pam home for the rest of the day. The Willmans only live 4 miles away so no biggie to have to call her in a rush to come back.

Pam returned to our house at 7:30pm because my parents were driving in from TX (16 hours in a Uhaul). She wanted to make sure she was here just in case. Rich and I took the opportunity to go walk another 2.5 miles on the same track. This time Pam was SILENCED from telling my mom this if she should call.

Trent had been QUIET all day after the big walk in the morning. I had to drink a coke and eat ice cream to get the smallest movement out of him during the afternoon. My thought was that he might just be storing up energy for the big event. Although, during the whole pregnancy evenings seemed to be his time to be a gymnast.

The evening walk did NOTHING. Like maybe 8 ctx the whole time and some sore feet. (I was walking in flip flops...hehe)

My parents arrived at 10:30pm. Mom got out of the truck and told Trent to 'come OUT, Mimi is here now!' Mom and dad were just dead tired after that travel so we all decided to go to bed immediately. Of course, just as I crawled into bed was when Trent decided to start the fun again with the cramping.

All night I had strong menstrual type cramps that weren’t time able, a really sore lower back, and about 3 strong contractions an hour. Nothing to rush to the hospital about. Rich told me I was whimpering in my sleep that night.

After little to no sleep between midnight and 6am I got out of bed and zombied around the house trying to decide what to do. Go to the hospital, not go to the hospital. I felt like I had the worst flu or hangover. I told mom, they could unload the Uhaul and then we were going to the hospital to be monitored for a bit.

Trent was being really quiet again, like scary quiet. My little circus act was giving me a lot of anxiety with the not moving. That anxiety finally overroad my nervousness about hospitals.

We arrived at the hospital around 10:45am and checked into triage on the labor and delivery floor. I remember telling Rich I felt silly going in not actually having contractions, but needed the piece of mind. They hooked me up and ‘whoa!’ there were contractions going on that I wasn’t really feeling, all I had was an achy pelvis. The nurse checked my dilation and I was at 5cm and waters were bulging.

Decisions, decisions....

At this point, we decided to stay since they were willing to say I was in early labor and break my water to get things going. Dr. Bauer assured me that things would go quickly since I was already dilated and fully effaced.

11:30 - got to room, got iv hooked up. Just a saline drip, as I was a little dehydrated. (Probably something to do with the almost 5 miles I walked the day before)

12:45 - Dr. Bauer comes in to break my water. This has got to be the weirdest feeling ever, like uncontrollably peeing yourself.. I was at a 5, very ‘stretchy’, 100% effaced with Trent at a -1 station. This time I was determined to stay sitting or standing up during the whole labor. (Our nurse during Nora's labor insisted I lay on one of my sides. Doesn't seem very helpful since gravity doesn't help things along laying down!)

1:20pm - First ctx, start hitting, they are about 6 mins apart. Rich was awesome and massaged my hands though every contraction while telling me when it would be over. Dr. Bauer came back in at some point and to check on my dilation. I’m now at a 6.5 and Trent is at 0 station.

1:45 - We realize that ctx are now coming every 2-4 mins and getting longer and stronger. I will say that WE as a couple are handling the emotional/anxiety side of this labor much better than with Nora.

2:45 - Get Epidural. Contractions had gotten unbearable for me as they were now 2-3 mins. apart and lasting almost a minute. The nurse, Sandra, God bless her forgot to lay out several things for the anesthesiologist. UGH! The process took a little bit longer and I was a woman 'on the edge' at that poing. Had to get through 4 ctx during the insertion. I laughed when the anesthesiologist said, 'This might hurt a little' while inserting the needle....haha man you have NO idea the minuteness of that pain compared to what I was feeling.

4:00pm - Dr. Bauer comes in to check me again….hmmmmm only a 7, not really good progress for 2 hrs of ctx. Dr. Bauer inserted a pressure monitor to measure the strength of the contractions, they did the same when I had Nora.

They decide to start pitocin at this point but only put it on a 4, as I respond incredibly well to this drug. (The maximum dosage for pit is 20 on the little machine, just so you get an idea of how little my body needs to be 'efficient' with contractions) I LOVED my epidural, the anesthesiaogist put it were I could feel the cramping and tighting in my chest as moderate to heavy menstrual cramps. Never expected or wanted a completely numb birth experience this time. Oh, and since I had Nora they now let you self medicate your epidural. So, I got to control how much I felt.

Around 5pm I started feeling a lot of pressure but figured that was normal. I've read a lot about letting your body 'labor down' the baby so you don't have to push as long....

5:15pm - Dr. Bauer comes in and says Trents’ been having a few decels so he wants to check me. If I remember correctly, he worded it as a few little decels in the last 10 mins. I'd actually notived this but Trents' heartrate never when below 100 on the monitor.…Dr. Bauer check me and I think his words were ‘Um yeah, he’s right there at a +4!!!’ So more or less I was about to birth my child onto the bed.

The whole time, even after the epi I had been in a sitting position slightly reclined. Sandra helps me lay back a bit into less of a recline and Rich and her grabbed my feet. At this point, it was Dr. Bauer, Sandra, and a 'baby' nurse in the room only. No chaos of 6 different nurses and a NICU Dr. this time!

5:18pm - Start pushing. Rich tells me now that Trent had actually come down on his side. I believe I delivered his head during the first push through contractions. He was facing my inner right thigh with his left ear down. I know that the second and third round of pushing delivered his shoulders. Unlike Nora's birth, this time I could look down and see him as Dr. Bauer suctioned him out. (which just took my breath away that THERE he was).

Dr. Bauer commented that we should have more kiddos with a birth as easy as Trents....We shall see about a third.

Until then our newest addition.....

Trent Garrett Willman
Born 6/27/10
Time: 5:25pm
Weight: 7lbs 11.7oz.
Length: 20.5" (although he measured only 20 at the Ped's office on July 1st. Probably just a pointy head a birth)