A new beginning: The birth of Nash

It was a normal checkup on a Friday morning, and my mother was with me. I was due in two weeks. We went into the doctor’s office to have the ultrasound, and he was as healthy as could be. They took my blood pressure, and it was a little high. I usually have low blood pressure, so they kept an eye on it during my exam. They told me I was going to have to be on bed-rest for a couple of weeks.

The doctor came in to talk to us, and she said she was going to make some calls. At the end of the exam, they took another look at my blood pressure. It had skyrocketed. They said they wanted to get the baby out now! I didn’t quite understand what was going on. My mom was freaking out and saying, “You’re having him now!” They booked me a room and told me I could make my way to the hospital later that day.

By the time we left the office, it hit me. I was going to be a mom either that day or the next. I couldn’t believe it! It was all happening so fast. I immediately called my husband, Preston, but he didn’t answer. So, I called my mother-in-law and told her what was happening. I asked her to try to get a hold of Preston. Right after I hung up with her, Preston called. I explained everything to him, and he was as surprised as I was.

My mom gave me a blanket that she made for me and told me it was my laboring blanket. Then we stopped at the malt shop to get some lunch. Once I got home, I packed everything Preston and I would need. I had packed baby Nash’s stuff a long time ago—because you never know when the baby will come. We got in the truck and headed to the hospital.

We started calling Preston’s family and mine to let everyone know that Nash was coming soon. We got there, and they started my IV. They tried a couple times to get it in, bursting a couple veins while they were at it. They finally got it in and ended up getting blood everywhere.

Within 15 minutes of having the IV in, I went slightly blind. I could hardly see anything. I tried to stay calm; the doctor looked in my eyes and said to wait a few minutes to see if my sight would come back. It came back, and all was well … thank goodness!

They started to induce me, which sucked! It took 12 hours for that to happen. After a couple of hours I started having contractions. Those suck, too! They had to keep turning me on my sides. I could hardly move because it hurt so bad. They gave me a phen and morphine shot, and that made them feel much better. They said I could eat and drink while I was being induced, so Preston ran to a restaurant and got me some food and a nice big chocolate shake. It was so good! My last meal till I had my baby …

Around 5 in the morning, they came in to check on me and ask if I wanted the epidural. They said if they call the anesthesiologist now, it would take him almost an hour to get to the hospital. I was thinking, Why not? Might as well get it over with.

He came in 30 minutes. The epidural was the part I was scared of. I sat on the edge of the bed. I wanted to look over and see, but he said, “I recommend you don’t look back here.” So, I turned around, closed my eyes and squeezed my laboring blanket. He continued to rub my back. I had this weird feeling like something was rubbing on my spine. Then he said, “All done,” and put a bunch of tape on my back and had me lie down. I did not feel a thing! I was scared of that? What the heck?

I was in heaven … I was telling everyone I loved them and telling the anesthesiologist that he was so amazing. Within a couple of hours, the left side of my body started to hurt. The anesthesiologist said he had a hard time getting it in the center, and it mainly went on the right side of my spine. I started feeling a lot of pain in my left hip.

Pretty soon it was time to push. They gave me a few lessons on how to breathe and push. I still felt that pain in my hip, and it was starting in my back, too. For four long hours, I pushed and pushed. I thought he was never going to come. Whenever I rested after a push, the nurses would pick up my left leg and rotate my hip to keep it from hurting. Every time they would do that, I could feel Nash’s little head in my hip. I hated that feeling. I have never experienced so much pain for so long. For those four hours I was in terrible pain. There is no way I can describe it.

Also during all of this, I got a fever of 102, which made them worry about how that would affect Nash. I wanted to give up so bad and have them do a C-section. But my mom, Preston and Nash kept me going.

The doctor said Nash was stuck and needed help getting out, so she had to use the suction to help him. She attached it on his head and pulled and pulled. I was thinking, he is coming out NOW! I put all my strength in that last push, and he shot right out. That was the weirdest feeling ever—having a watermelon in your belly and then nothing. I caught my breath, and I have never cried so hard in my life. He was a little blue, but he was crying. He was there! I couldn’t believe it. I kept saying that over and over in my head.

I really don’t remember what Preston and my mom were doing during that time, but I’m sure glad they were there. I remember Preston crying as he went to cut the cord. I held my arms out to hold my baby boy against me. I didn’t want to let him go. I wanted to stay like that forever.

Within minutes they took him away to give him oxygen and antibiotics. They weighed him and made sure everything was OK because he arrived a little early. I cried and cried for I don’t know how long. I kept looking over to see if he was OK. The doctor checked me and told me there was a lot of repairing to do. She took forever to stitch me up. I don’t know what she did down there, but I didn’t care. My baby boy was there, and I was looking right at him.

They took Nash to the nursery to give him more treatment and to let me rest. I have never been so tired. My eyes were so swollen, and I broke a few blood vessels in my face. I couldn’t sleep, though. I wanted to see Nash again.

The next day I took a shower and drank a ton of water. The nurse came in every 20-30 minutes to refill my mug. Everyone came to see my little baby. It was so nice to see everyone and feel their support.

They kept me in the hospital until Monday and Nash until Tuesday because of the fever and everything else. I came down with the flu on the day we left. After a few days we got used to having a baby in the house. I had a very hard time walking for a few weeks, and it took me a month to heal.

On January 11 at 10:45 p.m., my life changed forever. This was a new beginning for me, Preston and Nash.

Nash is growing so fast. I cannot believe how fast time flies. I’ve learned so much from him. He is seriously the best son a mother could ask for. It’s so weird to think I have only known Nash for a couple of months, but I’m madly in love with him.

Send us your birth story! Whether you had a home birth, hospital birth, 37-hour labor or emergency C-section, we’d love to read the tale of your little one’s grand entrance. Write up your birth story (click here for tips on getting started) and email it, along with a few photos, to birthstory@pnmag.com. We’ll share it on our Birth Day blog and may even print it in an upcoming issue!