Caleb Michael Ekelund
Born 4:00am January 7, 2004
7lbs. 4ozs. - 21.5in. long
We were playing cards with our friends til midnight on Monday, January 5, 2004, and my water broke at 1:30am on the 6th. So I hadn't gotten any sleep. On the way to the hospital (4 blocks away), I called my parents to say, that we were going to have a baby soon! My due date was the 10th, and they already had plane tickets to arrive that day.
At the hospital, the nurse asked me if I had had any contractions. I hadn't (or at least didn't know it if I had). Checking the dilation of my cervix killed every time they did it (like a really painful vaginal exam). I was only a "1" (you need to get to 10 to push). So I went to sleep for 2 hours and then tried the whirlpool to get more dilation. That was really comfortable. I wanted to stay there forever, but it did nothing for me dilation-wise. Throughout the day, I had contractions. Some hurt, and some I did not feel. I was in a good mood and joking with Adam and those that would call to check on my progress.
At 4 or 5pm on the 6th, the pain began to increase with the contractions and they were about 3 mins apart. My dilation was only a 4 so they put me on pitocin to move things along. I had an IV of liquids and pitocin in my hand (later on they added antibiotics because you are supposed to deliver within 24 hours of your water breaking to prevent infection).
At 7pm, I got my epidural and met the most wonderful man...Tom the anesthesiologist. He was awesome. Unfortunately, there was a pain on my right side beneath my belly that had hurt for the last month of my pregnancy that the epidural didn't touch. Instead of not feeling the contractions, I felt every one only in that painful spot. Adam helped me cope. He was a GREAT coach. The nurses were bragging about him that they didn't have to do their jobs because we made such a good team. I often found myself saying, "I can't do this" and "I give up", but Adam wouldn't let me.
I started pushing at about 11:30 and was dilated to 9. By this time i was giving it all I had. I was exhausted and in a lot of pain. The baby wasn't coming down enough because, I guess, a lip of my cervix was still in the way, and we were trying to push past it (not very comfortable). I was falling asleep (snoring) after pushing through a contraction, and then waking again just as the next contraction came.
Finally, I kept saying, "I can't do this," and, "I need a c-section." I was begging for more drugs because the pain was really bad. After about 1.5 hours of pushing, they got the doctor, and he said that I should tell him what I want. I looked him square in the face and said "I NEED a c-section." He and Adam tried to delay me, but I kept saying "Where is Tom?" "I need Tom NOW". They decided that the doc couldn't assist my pushing with a vacuum because the baby was still to high up in the birth canal so they prepped me and wheeled me down to the operating room. I was snoring on the table and waking myself up, chastising myself because it was only THE most important moment of my life, and I was sleeping. Adam was looking pale (he had slept less than me). I told him to get a chair. Tom took the pictures of the c-section because Adam wasn't feeling like he could do it.
After about 5 minutes Dr. N said, "Well, he looks ok," and Adam said, "It's a boy?" and the doctor confirmed it. Adam started bawling, and I was relieved it was over. I remember when they showed the baby to me. I couldn't really focus on him because of exhaustion, but I thought his scalp wasn't formed because of the blood and junk still on it. After that they put me under, sewed me up, and wheeled me to recovery.
Apparently Caleb Michael had been face up (instead of face down), and the cord was around his neck so Dr. N said we would have ended up having a c-section anyway. I am glad God made me "wus out" and ask for one earlier rather than later.
Our friends (ironically the family we were playing cards with) videotaped as much of the birth as the hospital allowed, and I cried when I watched it. The pain is really worth it even if you don't think so at the time. i remember my friend Melissa V (who had her first baby by c-section December 18th) said that she could have another one. I didn't feel that way right off, but I was thinking about it this week and agree with her.
The song that I chose for Caleb and sang to him in the hospital was "How Deep the Father's Love."
Caleb is the most precious thing. I love him so much, and I love Adam too.
