Baby Carter's Arrival

We arrived at the hospital around 4:45 am on the 16th, and as Shanda mentioned, they started the Pitocin (level 4) around 5:30. I was already dilated to 3 before they started the Pitocin and within 10 minutes I was already having strong contractions. They increased the Pitocin drip to 6 about an hour later and then broke my water around 7:30. They increased the Pitocin drip to 8 not even 30 minutes later and then to 10 within 15 minutes. I called for my epidural a little after 8:30. They kept telling me that I would know when I needed to get it, but I honestly didn't...I didn't know how long it would take the anesthesiologist to get there, so I decided to go ahead and call for it. They gave me my epidural at 8:50- the epidural by itself wasn't bad, but getting it while having intense contractions was kind of rough. The Pitocin was working so well and I was having so many contractions that they quickly decreased the drip to 5. I went ahead and apologized to Matt the night before, just in case I was mean to him that day...I wasn't too bad, I just wanted complete silence and didn't want to be touched when I was having a contraction. Matt and my Mom thought it was so funny when I would hold up a finger to let them know that I was having one...they would laugh and it would make me start laughing too! By 9:30 they determined that I would need another epidural, since it only affected my left leg and a portion of my upper back...by that time the contractions were incredibly intense! Apparently that doesn't happen very often, so I had a room full of hospital staff and medical students come in to watch...I didn't even care, I was just so excited that I would soon be able to meet our precious baby! I was already dilated to 7 when they checked me after the second epidural. I was a little drowsy after the epidural and kept feeling like I wasn't breathing when I would fall asleep. I kept telling Matt and my mom to watch me and make sure I was still breathing. Shortly after telling them that I felt like I was going to pass out...the epidural had caused my blood pressure to drop and they had to give me Ephedrin. They checked me again around 11:30 and I was dilated b/t a 8 and 9, and by 12:40 I was dilated to 10. Before our doctor arrived the nurse had me do some pushes to get ready. Not knowing what to expect, I was scared to death to start pushing, other than feeling like my head was going to explode, I honestly didn't feel anything. They kept making me laugh and every time they did Carter would start coming out on his own...a lot of the labor seems like a dream, and I actually just remembered this part of it days after his birth...but one of the nurses said what a wonderful way for a baby to come into the world...through laughter and happiness! They said that the pushing stage can average between 30 minutes and 2 hours...Carter was practically coming out on his own so they had me stop pushing until the doctor got there. Carter was born at 1:28 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and is 20 1/4 inches long. He had thick brown hair with blonde highlights and blue eyes (now they look grey and brown, so who knows what color they will end up). He is amazing and my labor experience was so wonderful! I had awesome nurses and I'm so thankful that Matt, my Mom, and Shanda were able to be in there with me...they kept me calm and were so wonderful at encouraging me and telling me how great I was doing! Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers...everything went great and baby Carter is such a blessing...we thank God for him everyday!!!