The Runnels Family: Labor & Delivery

~June 14, 2011~

I am writing this post before the details start to slip away and I never want to forget this amazing day! Bradley made a timeline so I will be including exact times of all the "events."

I had my 38 week checkup yesterday...since I had a feeling that Grayson would come early, I went ahead & packed my car with all of our bags and other stuff, just in case. Dr. Hudson said I was still dilated 1 cm. and still 50% effaced but this week Grayson dropped to a -2. Bradley asked the doctor "So, when do you think he will make his arrival?," Dr. H said "it could be tonight, tomorrow, in 1 week...it can be at any time!" I could definitely tell that Grayson had dropped {mainly because I could breathe much better} but I didn't really feel any different {besides a little cramping last week}.

Well, I woke up at 4:41am the next morning {06.14.11}, rolled myself out of bed as fast as I could to go to the bathroom but didn't quite make it...my water broke! {well, it wasn't gushing down my legs like I was told it would} So I woke Bradley up and said "I think my water just broke!!" I have never seen him jump out of bed so quickly :) I called the doctor and they told me to come in so they could check me. I asked if I could take a shower {because I met some friends at the pool after my doctors appointment the day before} and she said "sure, but don't take too long!" I took the fastest shower I have ever taken, did my hair, put my clothes on, packed up our toiletries & I was ready. The car was already packed from the day before so we left the house at 5:44am to head to St. Vincent's Labor & Delivery. I started having mild contractions on the way to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, they took me to the triage room at 6:14am for early labor testing. The nurse first did the Nitrazine test {which tests the pH of the vaginal fluid}, it came back negative meaning the amniotic sac had not ruptured. So they put the monitors on my belly to measure my contractions. At this point I was still 1 cm. dilated. At 7:50am, the nurse checked me again...I felt a gush of fluid & she said "yep, your water just broke!" A few minutes later my contractions started to get stronger!! The doctor finally came in at 8:20am to do a Speculum Exam to confirm if my water broke, this was the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life!, it hurt so bad that it was taking my breath away. Bradley doesn't like to see me cry {and I hardly ever cry} so he was getting upset with the doctor. At 8:29am, Dr. W confirmed that my water had, in fact, broken and I was in the early stages of labor!

At 8:31am we checked into Labor & Delivery room #335 to prepare for labor. My contractions were becoming pretty painful!! The nurse gave me some Nubain to ease the pain & it made me super LOOPY!! Around 10:00am the nurse checked me again and I was already 6 cm. dilated...at this point my contractions were pretty intense & each one would take my breath away...so I immediately asked for the Epidural! The anesthesiologist came in at 10:34am to give me the Epidural, my poor husband about passed out when he saw the needle so he had to leave the room. After that I felt great, no pain & the Nubain effect had worn off. I progressed from 6 cm. to 10 cm. in 27 minutes!! That's right, my nurse checked me again at 11:01am and said I was 10 cm. I almost couldn't believe it!

I realized that this was really about to happen, we were going to meet our baby boy really soon! I had so many emotions come over me...I was scared, excited, nervous, overwhelmed, happy, etc. At 11:43am, I began to push...6 contractions and 19 minutes later our baby boy, Grayson James Runnels, was born at 12:04pm., weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long. From the time my water broke {leaked} to the time he was born was 7 hours and 23 minutes! I was very blessed to have such an easy pregnancy and a fast labor & delivery!

Dr. W immediately put G on the blanket on my chest, Bradley & I just looked at him and cried while the nurse wiped him off. We were so in love already!!! Grayson was born with a head full of dark hair {that explains the heartburn} & had so much dark hair on his back and on the back of his arms, he's definitely a Runnels! The nurse had to put him under the warmer because his temperature had dropped, I started to freak out a little but was assured that he was okay, just needed to get his temperature up :) Dr. Woods checked Grayson out and said he was absolutely perfect!!! The nurse then weighed him and did his hand prints & foot prints. Our nurse & friend, Lindsay Pritchett, was so amazing! She put Grayson's footprints on Bradley's undershirt, right over his heart! Bradley was such a proud Daddy walking down the hall to the waiting room to tell our families {12:26pm}. At 12:34pm, The nurse finally gave him back to me for some skin-to-skin time...Bradley & I couldn't stop looking at him-he took our breath away! Grayson is such a little blessing, he's the best thing that has ever happened to us!! After we had "our time" with our angel baby, the nurse put him back under the warmer and let our parents and siblings come in to meet our little blessing!
Our last photo as a family of 2