And Along Came Henry

Thursday July 22, 2010 - Henry's Birth day
Ryan's notes, my comments in italics.

7:10am Got in the hospital. (decided the day before to be induced.)
7:45 Antibiotics started off and on (for Group B Strep) - watched because Honey was having a hard time taking a deep breath. We think it was her position because she was able to stand up and it got better. She took 2 Tums because of some heart burn.
We watched the last of the TDF (Tour de France). Contador and Schleck battled it up the Tourmalet like champs. AC was holding AS’s back wheel and AS couldn’t shake him. Honey is so good to me.(only a man...)
9:50 TdF stage over. Ryan takes a few minutes to discuss the finish with some friends at work; The nurse starts Pitocin and Honey gets back in bed. She’s sleepy now and closes her eyes. Good luck sleeping though. Anxiety builds.
Ryan – I am FREEZING! The A/C has been blowing full bore this whole time. Where’s the thermostat?!
10:11 Honey’s first contraction since being on Pitocin. She was having regular ones before that. What the?!
10:25 Pitocin is upped
11:40 4-5 centimeters dialated, 70% effaced, -2 station, bulging waters? The nurses noticed that the baby’s heart rate as well as Honey’s blood pressure were pretty low. They changed her position and things seem to be better now.
11:55 Another round of Penicillin was started and Pitocin upped again.
Despite being at 4-5 cm dialated, Honey has been fairly comfortable. She says her pain is about a 2.
12:50 Replaced the IV and upped the Pitocin - she started at a 2 and now is up to 10 (ml/hr), Honey up to go to the bathroom and feels a lot better standing up and swaying during the contractions. I wish we had figured this out about 6 kids ago.
12:55 Dr. Logan broke Honey’s water and she’s back in bed. Right after they brought the birthing ball in. She has to be in bed for about 15 min before she can get back up. Dr. Logan says she’s still about a 4, I’m sure that’s tough for Honey to hear. Some of those contractions had been pretty hard ones. She’s doing awesome, though, and is willing herself to relax if that’s possible. She’s really controlled the pain well
1:10 Pitocin turned DOWN! That was a relief to Honey, the contractions were one on top of the other, but Honey was doing great. She gets to get up now too! That’s a relief too.
1:20 Orange popsicles and apple juice. Just trying to keep the energy up. I’m getting anxious and fidgety. Honey’s about to kick me out because I want to help but there’s nothing I can do right now. Back labor apparently SUCKS!
There’s quite a storm kicking up out here. I can see it out west rolling in and some dark puffy clouds hang like clumps of cottonwood cotton above us.
Although the Poticin in back down to 8 ml/hr, the contractions are still on top of each other.

(Around 2pm I couldn't have Ryan leave my side. After I was checked and at 6cm the nurse suggested we lower the end of the bed, have me kneel in the knee to chest position to dilate the rest of the way. The next 45 minutes went from "I remember this pain" to "holy cow how I am going to do this" pain to "I don't want to do this anymore pain" to (back up on the bed to be checked) to "get him out - he wants to come out!")

Honey did it! She did the whole thing without an epidural AND she was on Pitocin. The contractions steadily came on in waves and started to get stronger despite turning the Pitocin down twice. She was able to control the pain through breathing and positioning until she was about an 8. Then all of the sudden, she was ready to push. Between being an 8 and giving birth Honey was screaming and cursing and speaking in tongues. Actually, she was just screaming I’m surprised with how quickly he came actually. (My Doctor was in there in seconds, I was hyperventilating and didn't realize I was actually screaming until I heard it and had a nurse grab my face and tell me to breath. )But, Henry Dale Hunt made it here at 2:43 pm on 7/22/2010 weighing 7 lbs and 15 oz (he peed on me shortly after) and measuring 21 in long. (He had the cord wrapped around his neck twice.) Honey did awesome and seems to be recovering really well, and quickly too - she’s bugging me to order some lunch/dinner.

Sweet baby boy.

Henry and Dad (looking a little tired Ry :)

Mom and Baby. Wait, where's baby?