Samuel Luke Shoemaker

It all started on January 7th, 2013...Yes, this Samuel's birth story, so if you don't like details skip this blog!

 

I was given a number of different due dates at the beginning. Every time I went into the hospital for my hyperemesis or my earlier ob appointments, they would give me an ultrasound and give me a different due date. My original due date was January 8th, but at each ultrasound they kept pushing it back later and later until the due date of Jan. 15th was given. Since Elijah was born at 38 weeks, I was very anxious about when little Sam would arrive. My whole family was in town after Christmas, and we did some hiking, ate spicy food, and danced the night away with "Wii dance party" hoping he would arrive while they were all here. Unfortunately, Sam was still comfy inside, and my 38 week appointment came and went. I was still 0cm dilated, and not effaced at all. Induction discussions were beginning and I was very concerned. Because I wanted to attempt a natural delivery, it was my desire that labor would start on its own. 



Last belly shot before leaving for the hospital!

 Well, I started feeling crampy on Jan. 7th(considered 38.6weeks). Jeruid was at his guys small group, when I thought I would start timing these cramps. When he got home around 9pm, my cramping/contractions were 10 mins apart and fairly uncomfortable. I thought for sure they were the same B.H. contractions I had been having for weeks, and once I fell sleep they would go away. I decided to jump in the shower to see if they would continue, and they did. I tried getting some sleep, but my contractions were strong enough to wake me up. I encouraged Jeruid to get some sleep just in case this was it, and he told me there was no way he could fall asleep so he would time my contractions. By 1am my contractions were every 5 mins apart and getting more uncomfortable, so we called my parents to come stay with Elijah and then we headed to the hospital. It was now my original due date of January 8th and I was considered 39 weeks pregnant by my last due date.

 

In labor at Christiana Hospital.

 Once we got to labor and delivery triage, the nurse that checked me in informed us that it was very crowded, and since I wasn't contracting too close together they would most likely send us home. I encouraged them to at least check me(since we were paying them after all). They checked me and said I was at 3cms, so they would hook me up to monitor contractions for an hour. I was contracting every 5-7mins, but since the baby's heart wasn't accelerating with the contractions they were a little concerned. They wheeled us over to an ultrasound for a biophysical profile of the baby. Samuel didn't want to practice breathing for us, so they wanted to keep me monitored for the rest of the night. At 5am they checked me and I was 5 cms dilated and decided to finally move us up to a labor and delivery room.

 

At this point you can see my contractions are about 3 mins apart, and Samuel's heart is showing accelerations with each contraction...a good sign!

 Our doctor came in and checked me a few hours later and unfortunately I was still stuck at 5cms and still only contracting every 6 mins. They decided to start Pitocin to speed things up. Ouch. My contractions got closer and closer until they were about 2 mins apart lasting for a minute. I really can't even explain the type and intensity of the pain I was feeling.  I told Jeruid that if the next time they checked me I was still at a 5 or 6, I wanted the epidural!  I was at 7cms. I was torn if I should get the pain relief or not. At this point my wonderful nurse encouraged me I could do this, and I should get into a different position to deal with the pain. I stood by the bed and as I swayed, I could really feel the baby working his way down. The next time the doctor checked me, she broke my water and said I went from 7cm to 9cm immediately. After that, labor moved extremely quickly and within an hour I was pushing. It was at that point that I broke down and kept begging for the epidural, knowing in my head that it was too late. The pain was so intense, that I started throwing up(birth is so beautiful, right?!). I couldn't focus counting or what anyone was telling me to do while I was pushing.  I just pushed as hard as I could, and at 12:42pm on January 8th, 2013, Samuel Luke was born. It was one of the most amazing feelings ever to be finally finished with a difficult labor, and holding our sweet boy in my arms. He was 8lb 3oz and 21 inches long. Praise the Lord for another healthy, precious, son! and a huge thank you to my mom and my amazing husband for encouraging me, and my dad for watching Elijah!

 



A bit graphic, but Sam's first photo...

 





Sweet little baby face!