You'd think I'd have learned my lesson with Hendrix that a baby picks their due date, but unfortunately, not quite. I fully expected Roscoe to come even earlier than his brother. I had all kinds of anecdotal facts! My mother! That girl at the library! MY HEART! I just knew he'd come early. His due date was March 9th, and I have emails from February emailing my friends excitedly about my "contractions" and all the "signs" I had that he was on his way. Yes, I'm a ridiculous person.
So, the weeks before his due date felt impossible. So much so that when I found out that my little brother was in between jobs, I begged him to come to stay with us till Roscoe made his appearance. He arrived as the best brother of the century on February 26th. On the way back to our house from the train station, I was giving him directions to the hospital and plans in case my labor started that night. He and Eric stopped at Gamestop to buy the newest version of their favorite racing video game. Obviously, they didn't understand how eminent Roscoe's arrival was. MEN.
So, on the day before my due date, when my OB told me he could sweep my membranes to try and get labor started, I thought, WHY NOT?! But, here's the problem with the whole sweeping membranes thing. Sweeping sounds like a light cleaning. It's not. They should call it RIPPING your membranes. What my OB did in that room was nothing short of kill me. I still don't know how I survived. But, an hour later at 11:30, while stuffing my face with a Whopper and large fries in the Burger King playscape, I felt my very first intense uterine contraction. Roscoe had received the message.
We left Burger King, and I felt 4 contractions on the drive back to the house. When we got home, I called Eric to let him know my contractions had started. I kept moving around the house, picking up, packing bags, bouncing on the exercise ball I'd purchased. Trey and Carol watched Hendrix while I felt my contractions intensifying. However, they were never regular. I'd have one after 2 minutes and another in 6. So, I really couldn't tell if things were going to pick up or not. Then, at 3 pm, I had contractions every 4 minutes for an hour. Eric got home at 4. He thought we should stay home. I thought we needed to get to the hospital. I remember saying, "Eric, this could progress really quickly! What if my water breaks? We don't want to be home and have to deliver him! We left at 4:30 and got to the hospital around 5. I remember leaving in a hurry and feeling like I didn't get a chance to give Henry the big goodbye I wanted, but he was off playing super heroes with uncle Trey.
By the time we reached the birthing floor, my greatest fear returned. I was walking the hall while Eric filled out the paperwork, and I realized I was no longer feeling my contractions in my uterus. Slowly, my contractions were creeping from the center of my tailbone, up my spinal cord and down my legs. The pain of back labor is kind of like a back spams, but, you also have an infant trying to escape your body. So, it sucks. However, I went through 24 hours of back labor with Henry, so, I laughed when I told Eric we were going through it again. He rubbed my back while we waited to be admitted.
Once we got into the birth room, I was super excited because there was a bathtub! The nurse informed us that she had 1. never attended a natural birth and 2. had never seen a person actually get into the bathtub. So, I let her know we were going to be rockin' her world and making BOTH happen! She checked me at a 5, put in a iv line, strapped me up to fetal monitoring and called my doctor. Doctor Mahaffey is known around Austin as "the vet." Birth is and should be as natural as possible to him. That's why we picked him as our OB. That and that he's a Texas rancher in his free time and is never without his handlebar mustache or his cowboy boots. He let us know that since he was on call that weekend anyway, he had swept the membranes of 5 different women that morning. He was going to be a busy man, because three of us were already at the hospital! What a guy. He also gave the go ahead for intermittent monitoring, a bath, and a mobile labor. Score.
I labored standing up, talking with Eric and the nurse for a long while. My contractions were all still in my back, even after trying a lot of different positioning techniques. At around 6:30, Yaya showed up! I can still remember her face when she walked through the door. She was so excited. Eric and I were both pretty stoked, too. We talked between contractions. Carol rubbed my back. She was such a helpful distraction for me. After seeing me in labor for about an hour, I remember her asking the nurse to give her a run down of my pain medication options. She hated seeing me in pain! And actually, with the pain getting worse, we decided it was time to get in the tub for a little while to help me relax, and hopefully, to relieve some of the pain.
Eric and I turned the lights off and just sat with each other while each contraction came like mad. I remember laughing, because Carol and the nurse were talking about ghosts. Both of us were like, HOW DID THEY GET ON THAT TOPIC?" Eric held my hand and we tried to breathe through contractions, but I did a lot of screaming. The nurse came in after 30 minutes to check Coe's heartbeat. After an hour, she had me get out so she could check me and do 10 minutes of fetal monitoring.
When I stepped out of the bath, it was around 8:15. I remember trying to put a hair tie in and literally not being able to because the pain just wrecked my body over. My legs were shaking, and I felt like I was going to split in half. The nurse asked me to lay back down to get on the fetal monitoring, but all I wanted to do was walk. So, she strapped it to my belly while I rocked in place. I began to tell the nurse that I might need something for the pain. She talked us through all my options, and I was seriously considering some IV drugs. I remember feeling crazy and crying a little to Carol, because I was worried I hadn't dilated anymore. She looked at the clock and said, "Kelly, he's going to be here so soon! I bet he's here by 9:15!" I didn't believe her, but she was SPOT ON. The nurse checked to see how far I was dilated. I was an 8. NO DRUGS FOR ME!
After being checked at an 8, everything got insane. I was going through transition, and it was INTENSE. I paced back and forth in the room, SCREAMING. The contractions started coming almost every minute. The nurse walked in laughing at one point and was like, "You're scaring the other mamas!" All the nurses are just telling them, enjoy that epidural. That girl who's screaming? She's going natural." HOW EMBARRASSING.
I was feeling an insane amount of pressure. So, the nurse moved the bed into a kneeling position. GAH, I remember everything just feeling so crazy and I felt so scared all of a sudden. I started crying, "I NEED TO TALK TO MY MOM. CALL MY MOM!!!" So, Carol picked up the phone and called (I remember her shaking while she was dialing, because she was so scared-- I will never forget that hilarious look on her face). Soon, my mom and dad were on speaker encouraging me when I felt the most INSANE contraction coming. I screamed as the contraction ripped through me and my water broke! I had seriously been on the phone with them for 30 seconds! My poor dad. He said he can never hear me in labor again. It upset him so badly. I remember my mom whooping up a storm and saying something like, "Oh, honey! He'll be here so soon!!"
I told the nurse that I was ready to push. I could already feel so much pressure. I was sure he was coming right away. I climbed up into the bed, and just felt I had to lay down and start pushing. The nurse was moving like she had something better to do. Eric and Carol, however, moved in sync to either side of me and were both rubbing my shoulders and encouraging me. Although, Carol looked like she might pass out!
The nurse called to another nurse to find my doctor, and came over to check me. Coe was crowning! After what seemed like ages, Dr. Mahaffey came in with the biggest smile on his face. He made a few jokes (all of which were lost on me!). He told me that, "Oh, yeah!" I was ready to start pushing. He is the funniest man. He just sat back on his little stool with his arms crossed and watched me while I pushed. After only a few pushes, I could feel Roscoe's head coming out. However, Dr. Mahaffey just raised his hand slowly and told me to slow down and stop pushing. The cord was wrapped around Coe's neck twice (I did not know that until afterwards). Once he move the cord, Coe baby just slipped out with one more push! It took a little smack and some encouragement, but soon I heard the most amazing sound, my little boy screaming hello to the world!
I remember Dr. Mahaffey laughing this big laugh and handing this purple, red, perfect human to me. Coe was so himself from the first touch. I brought him right to my chest. Carol was bawling; Eric wiped tears and kept saying, "Hi, Rocky!" The room was just spinning and centered and perfect and insane. Roscoe Everrett was real and in my arms and so magical. He nursed right away, like a little champ. His tiny fingers wrapped around mine; I remember feeling whole. As if, my whole pregnancy I'd known him so well, but had just been missing holding him. My little, perfect Coe baby.
Carol and Eric held and cuddled Coe after they'd cleaned him up a bit. I felt great right away. I didn't have an episiotomy (probably shouldn't have the first time). I had torn in two places, but I was stitched up and helping get Roscoe bathed in no time. Carol left to go home and cuddle Hendrix and Trey came as we got checked into our room. I remember all of us looking at his peach fuzz of hair and all speculating over whether it was red or not?!
After Trey left, Eric and I were alone and I remember just looking at Roscoe together in awe. The second time felt so different than the first, but so exactly the same. We were so much more calm and less scared. We knew just what to do. I remember staying up and just staring at his perfect face. We couldn't WAIT to have our little family all together. Our little Coe, here at last; the perfect fit.
Here's Hendrix's http://goteamfamily.blogspot.com/p/hendrix-philos-birth.html
By the time we reached the birthing floor, my greatest fear returned. I was walking the hall while Eric filled out the paperwork, and I realized I was no longer feeling my contractions in my uterus. Slowly, my contractions were creeping from the center of my tailbone, up my spinal cord and down my legs. The pain of back labor is kind of like a back spams, but, you also have an infant trying to escape your body. So, it sucks. However, I went through 24 hours of back labor with Henry, so, I laughed when I told Eric we were going through it again. He rubbed my back while we waited to be admitted.
Once we got into the birth room, I was super excited because there was a bathtub! The nurse informed us that she had 1. never attended a natural birth and 2. had never seen a person actually get into the bathtub. So, I let her know we were going to be rockin' her world and making BOTH happen! She checked me at a 5, put in a iv line, strapped me up to fetal monitoring and called my doctor. Doctor Mahaffey is known around Austin as "the vet." Birth is and should be as natural as possible to him. That's why we picked him as our OB. That and that he's a Texas rancher in his free time and is never without his handlebar mustache or his cowboy boots. He let us know that since he was on call that weekend anyway, he had swept the membranes of 5 different women that morning. He was going to be a busy man, because three of us were already at the hospital! What a guy. He also gave the go ahead for intermittent monitoring, a bath, and a mobile labor. Score.
When I stepped out of the bath, it was around 8:15. I remember trying to put a hair tie in and literally not being able to because the pain just wrecked my body over. My legs were shaking, and I felt like I was going to split in half. The nurse asked me to lay back down to get on the fetal monitoring, but all I wanted to do was walk. So, she strapped it to my belly while I rocked in place. I began to tell the nurse that I might need something for the pain. She talked us through all my options, and I was seriously considering some IV drugs. I remember feeling crazy and crying a little to Carol, because I was worried I hadn't dilated anymore. She looked at the clock and said, "Kelly, he's going to be here so soon! I bet he's here by 9:15!" I didn't believe her, but she was SPOT ON. The nurse checked to see how far I was dilated. I was an 8. NO DRUGS FOR ME!
After being checked at an 8, everything got insane. I was going through transition, and it was INTENSE. I paced back and forth in the room, SCREAMING. The contractions started coming almost every minute. The nurse walked in laughing at one point and was like, "You're scaring the other mamas!" All the nurses are just telling them, enjoy that epidural. That girl who's screaming? She's going natural." HOW EMBARRASSING.
I was feeling an insane amount of pressure. So, the nurse moved the bed into a kneeling position. GAH, I remember everything just feeling so crazy and I felt so scared all of a sudden. I started crying, "I NEED TO TALK TO MY MOM. CALL MY MOM!!!" So, Carol picked up the phone and called (I remember her shaking while she was dialing, because she was so scared-- I will never forget that hilarious look on her face). Soon, my mom and dad were on speaker encouraging me when I felt the most INSANE contraction coming. I screamed as the contraction ripped through me and my water broke! I had seriously been on the phone with them for 30 seconds! My poor dad. He said he can never hear me in labor again. It upset him so badly. I remember my mom whooping up a storm and saying something like, "Oh, honey! He'll be here so soon!!"
I told the nurse that I was ready to push. I could already feel so much pressure. I was sure he was coming right away. I climbed up into the bed, and just felt I had to lay down and start pushing. The nurse was moving like she had something better to do. Eric and Carol, however, moved in sync to either side of me and were both rubbing my shoulders and encouraging me. Although, Carol looked like she might pass out!
The nurse called to another nurse to find my doctor, and came over to check me. Coe was crowning! After what seemed like ages, Dr. Mahaffey came in with the biggest smile on his face. He made a few jokes (all of which were lost on me!). He told me that, "Oh, yeah!" I was ready to start pushing. He is the funniest man. He just sat back on his little stool with his arms crossed and watched me while I pushed. After only a few pushes, I could feel Roscoe's head coming out. However, Dr. Mahaffey just raised his hand slowly and told me to slow down and stop pushing. The cord was wrapped around Coe's neck twice (I did not know that until afterwards). Once he move the cord, Coe baby just slipped out with one more push! It took a little smack and some encouragement, but soon I heard the most amazing sound, my little boy screaming hello to the world!
I remember Dr. Mahaffey laughing this big laugh and handing this purple, red, perfect human to me. Coe was so himself from the first touch. I brought him right to my chest. Carol was bawling; Eric wiped tears and kept saying, "Hi, Rocky!" The room was just spinning and centered and perfect and insane. Roscoe Everrett was real and in my arms and so magical. He nursed right away, like a little champ. His tiny fingers wrapped around mine; I remember feeling whole. As if, my whole pregnancy I'd known him so well, but had just been missing holding him. My little, perfect Coe baby.
Carol and Eric held and cuddled Coe after they'd cleaned him up a bit. I felt great right away. I didn't have an episiotomy (probably shouldn't have the first time). I had torn in two places, but I was stitched up and helping get Roscoe bathed in no time. Carol left to go home and cuddle Hendrix and Trey came as we got checked into our room. I remember all of us looking at his peach fuzz of hair and all speculating over whether it was red or not?!
After Trey left, Eric and I were alone and I remember just looking at Roscoe together in awe. The second time felt so different than the first, but so exactly the same. We were so much more calm and less scared. We knew just what to do. I remember staying up and just staring at his perfect face. We couldn't WAIT to have our little family all together. Our little Coe, here at last; the perfect fit.
Roscoe Everett Seaman
Born at 9:15 pm
March 8th, 2012
7 lbs 7 oz
19.5 inches
PERFECT. PERFECT. PERFECT.
Here's Hendrix's http://goteamfamily.blogspot.com/p/hendrix-philos-birth.html
Hell yeah mama! Great birth story Kelly! I love that you stuck to your guns and got your natural birth even with back labor and others offering pain med like candy. :) Your doc sounds awesome!
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