Friday, September 09, 2011

Cooper Dennis- late and snuggly

That's me pausing to have a contraction when we got to the hospital around 7 this morning, when the pain was pesky-- something I could smile through.


Yesterday I scheduled my induction for either the 12th or the 13th, talked with my doctor about the myriad interventions that could follow my promised pitocin drip, set up some pre-natal testing for today to make sure the baby's decrepit placenta could continue to support him through the weekend and generally freaked out.

I woke up at 2:45 this morning with uncomfortable contractions 8 minutes apart. I went downstairs to watch the movie Everybody's Fine and time them obsessively. By 5:50, they hurt and were 4 minutes apart. I woke up Ben. We called the hospital, and he canceled his class. we made some coffee, called my brother and headed to triage, where I was only a measly 3.5 cm. What a pisser.

We walked the halls for awhile because Cooper's heart beat was a cheerful 140 bpm the whole damn time no matter how terrible I felt, and when the resident checked again, I was 5 cm and admitted to a birth suite. The last birth suite. And the only one without a tub. I hung out in a hot shower for almost an hour and when I got out, I was only 6.5 cm and again pretty annoyed.

At this point, when a contraction struck, I would lean over the side of my bed, bury my face in a pillow, and make Ben rub my back. I could still breathe through them, so the nurse suggested we walk the halls again, and we decided I didn't need an epidural. Because, you guys, when i wasn't in increasing agony, I felt FINE. Totally and completely normal in fact.

Unfortunately, on our walk around the L&D loop, I had 4 contractions in about 6 minutes and tried to literally climb the walls. I thought I was going to die. We passed the nurses station, and I gurgled epidural at my nurse, who hurried to my room to start an IV. The resident followed her. I had the most agonizing contraction in the world, said fuck a lot, and almost turned the bed over. The nurse talked me through 2 more that followed back to back, and I managed to breathe through them. The resident checked me, and said it was time to push.

I went from 6.5 to 10 cm in about 30 minutes. No wonder that hurt so bad.

My water broke, full of meconium, and it was nasty.

I pushed for 26 minutes. THE LONGEST, MOST HORRIFIC, AND HORRIBLY PAINFUL 26 MINUTES OF MY LIFE.

And then:


7 pounds, 5 ounces, and 21 inches long, born at 12:40 pm.




The big brothers stopped by after school for presents and chocolate cigars.









And now? We are a family of 5.

22 comments:

  1. Congrats! What a beautiful boy! Love the name, too.

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  2. Congratulations!! He's absolutely beautiful (and looks A LOT like Jack!)and I love his name. So happy for all of you!

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  3. There are just no words for that last picture. Congratulations!

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  4. Anonymous8:03 PM

    Congrats!

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  5. yay!! I'm so excited!! And I may be rabid from all the baby fever going on over here. Congratulations!!!

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  6. So wonderful! That last picture made me tear up, but don't tell Ryan. So sweet. I love being a family of five!

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  7. Congratulations! He is so beautiful! I am so impressed that you JUST HAD A BABY and you have already blogged about it...with adorable pictures.
    The picture of the five of you is incredible, what a lovely family.

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  8. He looks so sweet and squishable! I love that last picture of the FIVE of you!

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  9. Julie8:44 PM

    Cooper looks like Jack in some pictures and Harry in others. We are glad everything went so well. Congratulations! The pictures are very sweet!!

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  10. Congratulations!

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  11. So happy for y'all. Too cute with your gang of Jedd boys. I suspect Doug will soon be figuring out your ideal basketball lineup. Mama point guard (a.k.a. on-court general)? You bet!

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  12. Congratulations to you all -- beautiful family of 5!! :)

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  13. Congratulations Mama! He's beautiful--his skin is just perfection.

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  14. Congratulations on your adorable new addition!

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  15. Welcome to the club of "family of five"! It's hard, awesome, and tiring - but most of all, full of LOVE! Congrats and awesome pics! :) Enjoy those baby snuggles!

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  16. So happy for you and Ben! Glad everyone is doing well and already home! Congratulations :)

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  17. Congratulations! Enjoy your newest baby boy - he looks adorable. I've never commented before, but I've popped on your blog from time to time through Academomia. You have a beautiful family!

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  18. Sarah, I'm so excited for you and Ben and your three precious little boys. You guys are all so blessed!

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  19. I just realized I never commented here so I have to say congrats! You are a rockstar -- there was no way I could have done it med-free.

    Great family photo, you all look so happy!

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  20. Congratulations!! You make a very lovely family!

    And in addition to being a rock star for doing it without meds, you look like an absolute queen surrounded by all those good-looking attendants. They do your bidding all the time, right ;)?

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  21. congrats to you! Beautiful baby!

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  22. YAY!!!!! he's beautiful!!! He looks so much like Jack! A friend of mine just had a baby boy she named Cooper, too, and had almost the exact same labor as you describe! LOL Must be a Cooper thing. She said she was the woman scaring the hell out of the other women on the labor floor. I'm sorry it was so painful but WOW!!! was it worth it! Congratulations to you, Ben, Harry & Jack! Welcome, baby Cooper!!!

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