The Grand Entrance

     On Tuesday, 10.16.18 at 40 weeks 1 day, after having prodromal labor for what seemed like months, the real thing was finally about to get started. Monday, I saw my OB and we decided to strip my membranes once again. I had it done at 39 weeks with no real success or changes in my cervix. Well, we all agreed to be a bit more aggressive this time at 40 weeks. WOW, what a delight that was... NOT! But, hey it worked! Immediately after I was cramping and felt contractions starting, but I had been having them since late August as well. Later Monday, I went to the Chiropractor to make sure everything was in the most optimal position for birthing a baby. I also went to acupuncture to prepare as well and tell my body we are good to have a baby anytime.  That day from 12-8pm I was having contractions about 8-10min apart and then once again... they disappeared. So off to sleep we went, little did I know it would be my last night of sleeping 10hours! I woke up to pee at my usual time of 3am to find bloody show, but no contractions. Hey.. that means something is happening in there. When I woke up at 6am to get Brielle ready and off to school, Dan was heading into work. I let him know the progress from the night and as he left for work he let me know that he would be waiting for my call. 

     Contractions started up again that morning around 730am, but very irregular. I went on with my day, which involved walking laps in our backyard, followed by taking a shower, washing my hair, and shaving my legs. (Glad I did!) I then went to an appointment for my eyelashes before I got Brielle from school. Right before I picked her up, I stopped to get myself some JERSEY MIKE's, of course! It was delicious!!!!!!! After getting Brielle we headed home to complete homework, before soccer practice. While attempting to locate a pencil and sharpen it, I suddenly felt something leak out of me and then something else came out. So, I hurried off to the restroom, texted Dan with no response and then questioned if my water really did break. With my daughter my water broke as well, but labor never started. I was having contractions the whole day, but after my water broke and wouldn't stop leaking, contractions started which was such a relief. I got all our stuff together, talked to Brielle about what was happening- BROTHER IS ABOUT TO MAKE HIS ENTRANCE! I called Dan's cell in hopes he would answer before calling the fire station. He answered and I held back tears as I was finally able to tell him, that it was time, BABY TIME! 

      At 3pm he grabbed his stuff and drove an hour home to pick me up and sit in traffic on the way down to the hospital. I called my in-laws to come over and take my daughter to soccer practice and make sure everyone that needed to be aware was made aware, but that there would be no mention on social media. We had been told labor with your 2nd is usually much faster, so we decided to head in with my contractions being 3-4 min apart, but very tolerable. 4 hours after my water broke I was in labor and delivery only to be 2cm and 70% effaced, contracting on my own, and admitted. We had a goal to attempt unmedicated delivery with set plans that my husband and I had agreed upon. After a few hours and contracting, I was not progressing. I had a feeling something was not right, because with my Daughter I just progressed from 1cm to 10cm in about 5 hours. 7 hours in and I had no change. 

       The third check no progress and I had been telling myself if you are at 5cm you will keep going with being unmedicated. However, the pain I was having was beyond what I felt when I was 10cm on Pitocin with Brielle. This pain was causing me to tense up and I felt that was having so much to do with why I was not progressing as well. I also had this pressure that made you think you were about to push, but nope. At one point when I was about to tap out, my nurse was amazing and so helpful and encouraging this natural unmedicated birth. She pushed on my back and then Dan pushed as hard as he could on my back and that helped relieve some of the pain. Thats when it hit us, Baby Brother was most likely sunny side up and not in optimal position; I was experiencing the one thing I feared the most, back labor. Back labor is STUPID! I mean contractions unmedicated yes, they hurt, but back labor with contractions- WOW, the most excruciating pain I have ever felt and I was trying to manage my pain and it was not possible. At 1am, I told Dan I was done and I needed an epidural, I was crying hysterically as I felt I had failed, but knew that this was not going to happen if I didn't calm down. There was one small problem, I had a code word that I told him and I could not remember it to save my life. Finally, after begging him for an epidural, it came to me and I tearfully said, "Pineapple, pineapple, pineapple!" That was it! Immediately, he looked at the nurse and said we are getting an epidural please. He was calm, supportive, and everything I needed during this labor. I cried and told him, "I'm not soft!" It was a joke, initially he did not agree with me going unmedicated, but after me explaining my rational behind it, he supported me 100%. 

        I had been refusing IV fluids prior, because I was hydrating orally and did not feel I was in need of them, but we would accept them once I did need them. Well, in order to get an epidural they would have to bolus me with 1liter LR before. Of course, I wanted someone to just pressure bag it in me. We asked the nurse to prepare and get the doctor in and I promise all the fluids would be in before he gave me meds, but just get the Anesthesiologist in here. She did! The anesthesiologist was amazing. I am so pleased he was the Doctor on. He hooked it up, multiple times. One time, quick, easy, and done right. I had to go through 3-4 contractions before it fully kicked in, even with the bolus. My contractions were about 1-2 min apart if that. We tried to get some sleep, but it was not long before my pain was back and we tried to control the pain with the PCA and were struggling. By 4am, I was about 3cm. They had thought that once I relaxed I would progress.. WRONG! A little before 6am, I was given another bolus and we tried to do some spinning babies moves to get little brother to move out of sunny side up position. 

        Come shift change we were blessed with another exceptional nurse that brought in positivity, ideas, and support. I told her early on our plans and goals and she was going to make them happen! From 0730am until about 12pm, nothing was happening. I progressed maybe to 4cm, then it was maybe 6.5cm a few hours later. They noticed a few things though, because my water had broke we were more prone to infection, my temperature was rising, and baby started showing some signs of distress, but we were both ok. Luckily, my team was not about rushing to an OR for a c-section. I started IV antibiotics, was given more LR, and we started with technique to try and flip him into position. Every 15 minutes I had to switch positions from right to left with one leg lifted on the stir-up. With close monitoring of my contractions and decelerations in Liam's heart rate, we had to continue to add more interventions. With our approval, we decided to add internal fetal monitoring and another internal monitor to see if my contractions were as strong and effective as it seemed on paper. We also had to give me fluids into my uterus, as I was losing my amniotic fluid and it seemed to be affecting the baby. After continuing my flipping rotation, IV fluids and treatment, we had another check at 4pm, hour 25. At 4pm, I was... 8cm! We could see on the monitors that there was an improvement and were hopeful I was progressing. We updated family and had asked that big sister head in. I was hopeful we would start making progress now. It was about 45min later that I felt much more pressure and my epidural was not working as well. Multiple times the anesthesiologist had to come in and bolus me to help control the pain during the past 25 plus hours. My nurse had come in and I told her the pressure was intensifying, so she checked me and I was 9cm + with a lip of cervix, but we couldn't move it out of the way. So, she said lets wait a bit, but I will call and update your doctor. It was about 15min later and I noticed my body was pushing and I could not stop it. They noticed it on the monitors and came in, asking me, "Are you pushing?" So, she checked again and I was 10cm and READY TO PUSH!!! FINALLY at almost 26hr of labor! We did it! We avoided what looked like heading to a C-Section, we were going to still be able to have our vaginal delivery. Brielle was extremely worried about me having a C/S and I promised her I would do everything to avoid it. As we waited for my doctor to come in from the office, I could not stop pushing and was given approval to push, so I did. At 4:45ish, Brielle showed up with my in-laws, giving me the boost I needed to finish this labor off and bring her little brother into this world. They left to go eat some food and we would hopefully deliver a baby, but was told it would be at least an hour. Well, I was not about to take and hour, you say GO, I'm going to GO! My doctor rushes in and it is GO TIME- 4 contractions, I open my eyes to see my husband grabbing our son and placing him on our chest. The most perfect, eyes wide open, little boy. It was the most amazing moment in a long time. 

      At the beginning of this year we started all over with IVF and nothing seemed to be going right, until ROGUE ONE (the egg that helped create our lil boy). I thought I was never going to get to have a take home baby and we did it. I was so sick, nervous, and in disbelief the whole pregnancy. I was so afraid it would all be taken away from us. In the end, Liam is here and he is exactly what our family needed. We are so beyond grateful and blessed for this little miracle. 

Liam Peter McGuire

10.17.18 @5:11pm 8lb 21in

I'll leave you with a few pictures of our adventures in Liam's arrival...

Proud Daddy and his boy

Finally meeting 

Big Sis is in Love 

My two babies

Complete ♡

    Lastly, I cannot thank my Husband enough. We chose to do this just the two of us and it was exactly what I needed. He was there for me through it all. Dan supported me, pushed me to continue, coached me through the hardest of times. I am so thankful for him telling me, (these are our jokes) "Don't be soft!" and "1000years, women have done this." Dan, is my rock, my motivator, the one that keeps me sane, my best friend... he is my person. Without him I would have tapped out much sooner and just said do what you need to do. Thank you Daniel for all you do, have done, and will do for our family. I love you more than ever. We are extremely thankful to all our family for their support and love, our friends, and our medical team. Our medical team was outstanding, supporting us the entire way. Forever Grateful!

#AcquiringBabyMcGuire #HappilyeverMcGuires