8*9*2009 Sams Birth Story

This was written very fast, so I know there are probably still lots of errors… but here is our birth story.

Labor started Wednesday morning. I had a really bad contraction followed by bleeding and all the other fun things that come with labor. My contractions were only about 10 minutes apart, so I spent most of the day in bed.

Anthony still had important work things he needed to get in order, and honestly, I didn’t want him to come home until he absolutely HAD to.

Later that evening, we took Marissa to soccer practice, and that’s when my contractions started getting closer together — around 6 to 7 minutes apart.

We decided to head to Labor & Delivery, where they checked me and said I was only about a 2–3. I thought for sure they were going to send me home.

Instead, they told me to walk.

So we walked.

After a while, my back started hurting really badly, and I finally decided I just wanted to go home because I truly didn’t think I was in labor. The nurse checked me again and said I was actually a good 3–4 and that they were going to keep me.

I honestly couldn’t believe it.

Back in the room, my contractions were still about 7 minutes apart and honestly not THAT painful yet, so I kept thinking this was going to be a very long night with no progress. Since they weren’t planning on giving me Pitocin, I was convinced labor would stall completely.

I finally said a silent prayer asking Heavenly Father to please let me know if I was really in labor.

No more than a second after saying “Amen,” I had the strongest contraction yet — and my water broke.

At this point it was around 2 a.m., and Anthony was OUT COLD. The lights were off, and since I had never had my water break naturally before, I was honestly like a kid in a candy store.

Anthony jumped out of bed and had the nurse in the room within seconds.

She checked me again, and I was already at a 4–5.

I remember thinking, “How am I supposed to make it through five more centimeters without an epidural?”

Not long after that, the contractions became VERY intense.

Around 3:45 a.m., I finally hit my limit. The nurse checked me again, and I was only a 6. At that point, I knew I needed the epidural.

Thankfully, there was no wait, and by 4 a.m. it was in.

It definitely helped with the stomach pain, but my back and hips still hurt SO badly. I kept asking when the epidural was actually going to kick in.

Then she checked me again.

I was already at a 9.

About 20 seconds later, I had the overwhelming urge to push.

Baby Sammy was born at 4:28 a.m., weighing 6 pounds 3 ounces and measuring 19½ inches long — my second smallest baby.

When Sammy came out, he was bright purple and needed help for several minutes before his color finally turned pink. Because the delivery happened so quickly, he swallowed too much fluid, and breathing problems started almost immediately.

By Friday, we thought we were finally ready to come home. We literally had him dressed and ready to leave. The nurse was about to cut off the hospital bands, but she felt like the doctor needed to take one more look at his circumcision because it was bleeding and oozing more than it should have been.

They let me keep him in my room until around 7 p.m., when he had to go under the lights because of his bilirubin levels.

While he was under the lights, his breathing problems started again.

That’s when they transferred him to the NICU to start an IV and medication. While he was there, they decided he needed a blood transfusion as well.

He’s also currently on oxygen.

Right now, we still don’t know when he’ll be able to come home. The doctors said we need to wait a few more days and see how he does with his oxygen levels.

Anthony and one of our friends are at the hospital right now giving Sammy a priesthood blessing.

I know he’s going to be okay. I truly believe the Lord only gives us what we can handle.

I just miss him very much.

I’ll share more updates when I have them.