Mason's Birth Story

Mason Thomas Stephens is finally here! He made his debute on March 29, 2010 at 7:29 p.m. and was 9 lbs 1 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. My big man! We got to the hospital at about 7 and my IV and pitocin were started by about 8:30. I started to feel contractions pretty soon after it was started so once I got to the right amount being infused I was able to go and walk. (On a side note...when the DR broke my water it didn't break really because the baby's head was pressed down so it couldn't get out. So when I stood up to go and walk I flooded the floor and Keith said gross I have to get some gloves! It was so funny! I was just standing there laughing!) Once I started walking I was really feeling the contractions. They were coming every couple of minutes. I got back to the room and they checked me and told me I was able to get my epidural! YAY! I was a little nervous to get it this time because I wasn't out of it like I was with Sydney. It really wasn't bad at all and once I got it I was so much happier. At about noon I was around 4 cent and the nurse said I should be able to have this baby by 3! I was so excited. I had her check me about 2 and I was almost 7-8 cent. Then all of the sudden the baby moved his head a little bit and it was all down hill from there. I went from 7-8 back down to 6 and I got really swollen. They had me flipping and flopping on my sides trying to get my cervix thinned out and get the baby to reposition. The Dr then said, we are going to cut your epidural in half and up your pitocin so we can get things moving. I thought I was going to kill him! Things were then starting to get really painful. I begged for them to turn it back up but no go! There was just this little piece of cervix that was keeping him from coming down and it would just not go away. And let me say, women that don't have an epidural you are rock stars because I don't know how I did it. I was laying on my right side when all the sudden I felt a pop and I said I think the cervix is gone let's get this baby out. I was right and they called the Dr down. My gosh the pushing process was the more painful thing I have ever been through. I pushed for less than 15 min and then my big man entered the world! I have a 2nd degree tear and have stitches. The pain and all that I went through was so worth it to have Mason here.

When Mason was born he had a pretty high fever so they had to run some tests and do a blood culture. Everything has come back normal so far. His bilirubin was a little high but nothing that is going to keep us from all getting to go home together! He will also have to go and see a Ped Urologist because his forskin is too short and there might be a small abnormality to his internal anatomy. So they were unable to circumsize him here. They will have to do it there. The night we got moved to our Mom and baby room I started to have chest pain. The nurse kind of blew me off so when my Dr came in the next morning I told him about it. He immediatly said he would call the cardiologist and get him to come and talk to me. That made me so relieved to know he was so on top of my care. I had to have an ECHO and a CAT scan. Both came back normal and so did my blood work. The cardio just thinks that it is from the stress of pregnancy and labor and should go away soon.

With all of this happening we had some uncertainty about when Mason and I would be able to get discharged so we sent Sydney home to Ohio with her grandparents. Both sets will get some time with her and my parents were already planning on coming up on Friday to stay the night so they will bring her back up then. Also, Keith's cousin offered to take our dog. What a relief to have such great family memebers who are so willing to help us out!

Great news though, Mason and I are both getting discharged today by about 2 or 3! I am so excited to get him home. We have to follow up with his ped dr tomorrow morning but other than that we are pretty much getting a clean bill of health!