Max Gerald Fyfe

It all started Tuesday. This little stinker wasn't moving and kicking as much as he typically had been. I mean if you had seen him move you would know. My whole stomach would contort. I went on a nice long walk with Dani, Phoenix and Sean and felt him pretty good after that. 

He was moving enough I knew he was fine so I just continued to shake the feeling, not wanting to be an overly paranoid pregnant woman. 

I went to bed around 11 and woke up to pee around 3. The feeling was back a little stronger than before. So I sat there feeling and trying to get him to move. I finally called Dan and told him and he helped convince me to go to the hospital. 

So I woke up Phoenix and made her come with me. As we drove in he started to move around pretty good. I almost wanted to go back home to bed but I kept on going. We got to the emergency room and checked in and then was sent upstairs to the Labor and Delivery unit. 

Probably not a good time to walk in as a woman in labor starts swearing. I was laughing at her but also thinking to myself that that might be me in a few hours. Something about being at the hospital made me start wrapping my head around the fact I might have this kid. 

We did a non stress test and everything with baby was fine. However they were not impressed with my BP. (150/90's). It was about 5:30AM by this point. 

The on call Dr came which was dr Davies. And he said to get ready to have a baby because it wasn't safe to keep him in much longer. 

I'd kinda already come to terms with that on the drive into Lethbridge. So off to another room we went. I called Dan and told him his sleep was over and we were going to have a baby. Phoenix continued to hang out with me. She probably woulda try to stay for the whole thing too. Silly girl. 

Dr Davies put a prostaglandin gel on my cervix to help ripen it and potentially get labor started. He said if nothing happened my doc would break my water in a few hours. I was even lucky because it was my docs on  call day!!! 

Phoenix and I chilled and I had a couple contractions. Mostly just lots of pressure. I felt like I had to pee/poo. It was so weird. Luckily after 45 mins I was allowed to get up and walk and use the bathroom! Best pee break ever! Nix and I walked the halls and found Dan. (7am ish).

We went back to my room where they checked my BP and baby too see how things were going. They were definately starting to move along at this point. My BP was good (still high but not too high to need drugs) so I didn't need meds or anything. And baby was doing fine as well. Around 8 Phoenix left to go watch Sean for the day so dani and sky could go to school. Shortly after she left they moved me over to Labor and Delivery. 

Pretty big room. Small bed. Nice shower!! Haha 

We kept the lights low and I just listened to some soft piano music in the background(thank you Jon Schmidt!). 

So weird because as soon as we got in that room my contractions picked up. I got to sit on the exercise ball (love it) and rock back and forth holding Dan's hand. :) and squeezing of course. Lucky for him I had cut my nails two days before. 

I sat there for a while. I think, time doesn't really exist when in Labor. Around 9:30 I wanna say I hopped in the shower. Oh Warm water!!! Heaven sent. I knelt on a pillow leaning over the ball and dan sprayed my back. So wonderful and so helpful with coping through the pain. 

I was doing pretty good staying in the zone and breathing and just forgetting everything when I felt a pop and gush during a contraction. It totally through me off my groove!! 

I told Dan that my water broke and he confirmed it seeing the mess beneath me. He paged the nurse and they came running in to get me on the bed. They checked me in the shower and I was a 6. Dan dried me off and I remember standing next to the bed hanging on to Dan while more pressure built and I peed on the floor/more water. :) haha for reals this time. There is some strange satisfaction in peeing on the hospital floor. 

They managed to get me on the bed I don't know how because I still had no control!!! One nurse started running getting all the IV stuff ready. I had tested positive for the Group B Strep during pregnancy so they needed to hook me up to some antibiotics. 

I was yelling at the nurse for something to take the edge off. I told them I didn't want an epidural but just something. I don't remember getting an answer from them. All I Remember was suddenly feeling the urge to PUSH! Holy crap. What a feeling. 

So a nurse checked me again and sure enough I was at a 10 and ready to push. That all literally happened in less than two mins. No joke. From shower to bed took a minute or less. Seemed longer but it wasn't. I

Meanwhile over in the corner my wonderful husband is still holding my hand but he's telling the nurses that he needs to get out because he's going to barf.  I remember yelling at him that he wasn't allowed to leave and death gripping his hand. A nurse got him a cold cloth and a bright yellow hazardous waste bucket. He kept gagging. He honestly looked like death. Super white. 

Back to me. Time guess (9:50). 

They had called dr topping and apparently all she heard was HURRY. I'm still yelling at the nurse to let me push and I remember her saying I couldn't yet because the doctor wasn't here. I hope I only thought this in my head but I was thinking , screw the doctor! I want this kid OUT!! Finally the kind nurse down below me who had her hand up me agreed with me and they started letting me push. At this point I yelled as I was pushing and a nurse was saying something about feeling a burning sensation (no kidding Sherlock) anyway, I'm yelling and there just happens to be a nurse by a loose hand of mine. .... So I grabbed onto her. Apparently it was her butt.... (Serves her right for telling me not to push.) Daniel says she said something about she knows it hurts and that she could lose some of it but she really needed her butt back. 

The rational part of me that still existed somewhere amid all this managed to loosen my grip. Then they were yelling at me to put my hands behind my thighs and pull on them while I pushed. I think I managed that for a while. But the nurses did it really. Suddenly my doc was at my feet telling me to keep pushing he was almost here. How she got there so fast I have no idea. 

(Dan is still gagging in the corner by the way) 

I gave 3 maybe 4 really good pushes and suddenly all the pain was gone and I was hearing the nurses and doctors say it was a boy and he was super cute! And he started crying. That's the best time to hear crying. 

7lbs 11oz. 10:01am. 21.5 inches. 

 

They lifted him up so I could see him and then rushed him to suck him out. He'd swallowed fluid on the way out. I remember hearing him cry and yell and just feel so wonderful it was all done. 

  

By this point I was coherent enough to realize there were 6 nurses in the room plus a student nurse and my doctor. Lots of people. Good thing the room was so big. 

One of the nurses asked if I would like skin to skin with the baby. I agreed fast. I was kinda amazed how well I felt and in control. With Sean Dan held him for the first hour or so because I was so shaky and still kinda doped up from drugs. 

He cuddled right in and snuggled. Best feeling ever!!! His perfect little body nestled right into mine. :) cloud 9 people cloud 9. 

I vaguely remember the doc stitching me up and saying something about a 2nd degree tear. It definitely didn't feel as bad as after Sean. That's for sure. 

They finished with me and I just kept cuddling little Max. He definitely is smaller than Sean ever was. So weird to hold such a small baby. But he's already super strong and trying to hold up his head. Silly kid. 

At some point I finally let Daniel have Max and I went and jumped in the shower. All I really did was hold the shower head you know where. Best part of after birth ever. Lame I know. 

They took us to our room and after a few hours my roommate got discharged so I had the room to myself. Which is probably why they didn't care when I had more than 2 visitors. I broke that rule a few times. 

Sean got to be the first one to see his little brother. And oh did he love him!!! First thing he said was sleeping? A baby. Haha I love how he just seemed to know right away it was his brother. After seeing all his Aunties hold his brother he decided he needed to "cach it" (carry him).

So we passed him his little brother and he held him for a good ten minutes and pointed out his eyes and ears and nose and mouth numerous times. Even counted his eyes and ears, (two two). Smart little guffer. 

Sean is going to be the best big brother ever!