D-Day

Porter's Birth Story

It's true what they say that every labor and delivery is different for each child. Brooke was a textbook case: woke up with contractions, they got harder as the day went on, checked into the hospital around midnight and Brooke was born around 11 am.

With Porter, it was totally different. First of all, I felt like I was in labor with him for days. When I went to my last Dr's appointment and found out I was dialated to a 4 already, I was determined to get this boy here. I went walking everyday, I started drinking raspberry leaf tea, and I made a smoothie out of a pineapple core in hopes things would get started. No luck. On Monday night I started getting pretty intense contractions while I was sleeping. I thought for sure this was it, but as the day went on, they went away. Same thing happened on Tuesday night. The contractions were so bad that everytime I would move in my sleep they would start up again so intense that I was in serious pain, but then as I laid still they would go away. If I would move again, they would start back up. On Wednesday night the same thing happened and I didn't know what to do. I was paranoid of not getting to the hospital in time if I kept putting it off. The contractions were pretty consistent at 10 minutes apart and very intense. I told Blake I thought we should probably check into the hospital. We dropped Brooke off at his parents and got to the hospital a little after 7:30. The nurse checked me and I was dialted to a 5. They hooked me up to monitors and after an hour my contractions really weren't getting closer together so they started me on pitocin around 8:45. I had heard different stories about people being put on this and was kind of nervous and wondered if I was in for a whole day of waiting.

By 10:30 they checked me again and I was at a 6. I asked for my epidural because the contractions were very close and I was in pain. At 11:15 I was checked again and was at an 8. Still no epidural. By this time I thought I was going to die. Super intense contractions every 2 minutes. Finally the dr came to give me my epidural. He had me get into the most uncomfortable position and I was just praying for it to be fast and over with so I could relax. It took the dr. almost 20 minutes to get the epidural in. He put it in once and hit a blood vessel so the tube filled with blood. He had to take it out and try again. By this time I am crying and holding onto Blake because I was in so much pain. I was praying that this time it would take because I could not imagaine delivering natural. Finally he got it in and I was able to lay back down and once the epidural kicked in I was in heaven! Meanwhile, the time it took for the dr. to put the epidural in and the two contractions I had after it, made it so I was dialated to a 10 and ready to push.

I started pushing around 11:45 and my delivery dr, Dr B., noticed that the baby was face up--making it so the biggest part of his head was coming out first. I ended up pushing for an hour and a half to get his head out. Everyone in the room was super supportive, cheering me on. After 30 minutes or so the Dr. B explained that we might have to use a vacuum if he wasn't going to come out. Then after I pushed a couple more times, he said, "Nope! You've got this! You are just going to muscle him out!" I was so relieved that we weren't going to have to use a vacuum and even more relieved that I couldn't feel anything. Everyone in the room said how painful trying to deliver a "sunny-side up" baby was naturally. Amazingly, during the long process of pushing the baby turned himself so by the time he emerged, he was facing down. He was also super wrapped up in his cord. It was around his middle and came up diagonally across his chest and up by his neck. It was also the longest cord Dr. B said he had ever seen.

And at 1:15pm he was here!

If you have ever delivered a baby, I am sure you know the drill: during pushing you lean forward, hold onto these bars, tuck your chin and push. After doing that for an hour and a half, of hard pushing, my whole upper body was sore and shaking. Imagine doing rowing exercises for that long. Even a few days later, I am still sore and can't lift my arms above my head.

Brooke was able to come visit us later that night. She immediately climbed into bed with me and wanted to hold her baby brother.


I had the best experience at our small town hospital. The nurses were wonderful, the food was good, the rooms were nice and comfortable and I can't say enough about Dr. B. He stayed with me almost the entire time I was pushing (my Dr. in Logan only came in the last 10 minutes) and cracked jokes during delivery which was welcome while I was resting between pushes. One joke was a reference that I have a skin discoloration disorder "down there". I also have it on my hand but obviously have never noticed I have it elsewhere. Dr. B said "Well, so much for your nude modeling career" He also went back to the office and scheduled all my next Dr's appts for me. He definitely went above and beyond his calling. I also loved that after I deliever Porter the nurse put him on my stomach for me to hold for a minute before they cleaned him up. That didn't happen with Brooke and it was a really special moment.

We had a little bit of a scare on the first day. The doctor and nurses like to see a baby have at least one wet diaper 12 hours after birth. Porter hadn't peed all day or at all into the next morning. We were going on 24 hours. That combined with his history of only having a 2 vessel umbilical cord was enough for our dr to schedule an ultrasound on him to make sure everything was okay. The tech reported that his bladder seemed a little abnormal, but he couldn't say for sure. We needed a radiologist to give us his expert opinion. Meanwhile, we decided to supplament with some formula in hopes that would fill his bladder and help him have a wet diaper.

Brooke helped me give Porter his first bottle.
By the end of day 2 still nothing. We were really starting to panic. Dr. B called a specialist at primary children's hospital and he said that if Porter hadn't peed by 48 hours that we should really start to worry. We had until the morning to wait and see. Blake and I were so worried. When the nurses came in and told us he had peed in the middle of the night we were overcome with relief! I never thought I would cry over a wet diaper.
Finally, on Saturday we could go home!
While Brooke was taking her nap, I decided to nap too. I think this might become part of our daily schedule.

So far, Porter is a very content baby--just like how Brooke was. He rarely cries, but is quite the eater! We are still working on a schedule. He will wake up to eat and then fall asleep 10 minutes in and won't want to eat anymore. He's not full, so he will want to eat again just 2 hours later. It made for a long night last night.

Brooke has been really good with him so far. She helps me by getting things that are out of my reach while I am stuck on the couch nursing. She told me this morning that she would hold Porter while I took a shower....ummm no. I am sure Brooke will go through an adjustment period, but so far she is just interested in him--what he's doing or where he is.

I also have a question for you moms of multiple children: Brooke is interested in how Porter eats. When I told her Porter drinks milk she was ready to go to the fridge and get him some. I haven't used any anatomically correct words to explain nursing. I have told her Porter eats on my tummy. I am hesitant because I am afraid that she will go up to every female she sees and point to their chests. What do you think?

And finally, here are Brooke and Porter. They were taken roughly around the same time. Do they look alike?