Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Lucas' Birth Story. Long and detailed :)
I'm sitting here watching Lucas and Edgar sleep so I decided to write down the details before I forgot them.
My 38 week appointment turned interesting when she told me by bp was high and I had high trace of protein in my pee sample. I had to do a 24 hr urine catch and she called me on wednesday to tell me I would be induced friday morning at 6 am. I went in on Friday to do admission paperwork (even though I pre-registered but whatever) and they started me on pitocin at 7 am. I was at a 3 and about 70% effaced. My dr came in at 9 am and broke my water. Immediately my contractions started and they were back to back. I was able to get through them but asked for an epidural soon after. The epi was placed wonderfully and I had no pain from it what so ever. I did jump as she was injecting the medicine but she warned me that it would happen, some type of reflex or something. Once the epidural was in I was smooth sailing. I could feel the tightening and pressure of a contraction but no pain. She checked me again around 11 and I was about a 4. She checked me at 1 and I was still around a 4 but this time 100% effaced. She said I was still on track. I started feeling some different kind of pressure at 1:30 so I called the nurse back in and she checked me. I was now at a 6.5. It was crazy to think my body had changed so fast. Around 3:30 I felt anal pressure and told my Sister it felt like I needed to poop or pass gas. She called the nurse for me and she checked me again. I was already dilated to a 9.5 so she called my Dr to get over. The dr came to check me and said yes, I was at a 9.5 but he was still pretty high up and that she would continue to check on me. I stalled at 9.5 for just over 2 hours! It wasn't fun at all. The epidural was still working but for some reason I had MAJOR pain in my anal area. I could feel every contraction through my butt it seemed like, I eventually broke down and cried. I'm not sure if it was all pain related, or exhaustion or even because I knew something just wasn't right. The nurse told me I was finally a 10 and even though he was still kind of high I could push to take the anal pressure away. I started to push at 5:45 and continued to push until 8:45. The nurses tried me pushing in different positions and nothing. The baby wasn't decending and after 3 hrs my dr decided it was long enough and that we just needed to get the baby out. While his heartrate didnt seen to be effected I had spiked a fever and they weren't sure how much longer he would be able to handle the situation. At that point in time I was just ready for him to be out. I was mentally and physically tired from pushing and getting nowhere. Edgar was amazing through it all and I remember telling him sorry that I didn't do my job correctly and he looked at me in my eyes and told me I was about to give him the greatest gift ever and that I had done amazing...just to keep hanging in there and that it was almost over.
Everyone was hustling and bustling around us and took us back in what seemed like record time. Edgar stood out in the hallway until they set me up and he was called in. I remember him talking to me but going in and out of sleep...which I think it was because i was sleepy and the meds mixed together, I heard the dr say "daddy want to meet your son?" and E and I looked at each other and with the widest eyes he jumped up. We weren't expecting it to happen so soon. I didnt even think she had started the procedure because I didn't feel anything. He got to walk over to the warmer and eventually after a cry from the baby I reminded him to get the camera! lol he was so nervous. I heard the camera snapping away and be brought me a picture so I could see what he looked like. I was still in and out of sleep and he woke me up to the baby by my face. I just remember kissing him and thinking how wonderful he looked. They had to both go to the nursery while I was getting put back together. As I was laying there for what seemed like forever and going in and out of sleep I heard the dr say this was the hardest c section she had ever performed. Baby was trying to come out facing up (sunny side up) instead of down and that he was stuck. If I had continued to push it could have resulted in a death. I was immediately glad for all the pain, discomfort and any other ache I had experienced since 9 that morning. The baby was safe, healthy and beautiful....thats all I ever wanted.
I had to sit in recovery for 2 hours and eventually Lucas was brought down to me so I could hold and try breastfeeding. Since I was still numb from the waist down it was hard and I was nervous to drop him because I was still so sleepy. I had my Sister hold him until they wheeled him to the nursery to wait for me to go back to my room. Edgar was still outside with family, transferring our stuff to our new room and getting baby 411 tips from the nursing staff. I got into our room around 2 am Saturday and I remember not being able to sleep even though I needed too. I just stared at the baby, watching every breath he took and making sure everything was okay.
Since I had experienced a very traumatic birth I seemed like the talk of the hospital. The nurses would come in and say "let me get this straight, you pushed for 3 hours at a full dilation of 10 but still ended up in a c-section?" When I would answer with a smile on my face they told me I must be one of the strongest women they knew. I feel very blessed to have experienced the birth the way I did. It's one more thing to add to my "I didn't know I was this strong to handle" list. I'm feeling great. The c-section recovery is by far the best ever. I don't hurt from it at all. What I do hurt from is the pushing. My abs are super sore and seem like they will be that way for a while. I am up and mobile and have been since mid Saturday. It's Monday morning and we are going home later today. This little guy is the best thing to have ever happened to us and I can't wait to go home and start our real journey. He's been awfully easy in the hospital, but aren't they always that way?
Lucas Cristiano
December 9,2011
8:56p.m.
7lbs4oz
21 3/4" Long
Re: Lucas' Birth Story. Long and detailed :)
Superwoman!!! I'm glad everything went well and you've got your baby!
How many inches is he? He seems like a long booger in some of the pictures!
Crap, I guess it must have gotten cut off when I C&P'd it. He was 21 3/4" long. I edited it, thanks!
William born 7/12/2000
Andrew born 10/30/2011 (9lb 4oz at 37 weeks)
You deserve a medal or somethign for pushing that long. My eyes about bugged out of my head when I first heard that.
Congrats to you and Edgar! Baby Lucas is beautiful!
the wedding | the blog
I agree. You are amazing and have been amazingly strong through your entire journey to bring Lucas into this world. You will be a great mom.
Thanks for sharing.
What a story! You ARE superwomen! I was exhausted for 45 minutes, I couldn't even imagine.
BTW, I'm was totally that girl that "needed" to poop, I kept trying to convince my nurse to let me go to the bathroom before I pushed...she was all "ummm, that's your baby coming...not poop." It was super painful, even after my epidural.
Woah, quite a story! Glad to hear you are all doing well and get to go home today!
Congratulations again!
You are such a rock star! Seriously-I hope I'm as strong as you when I get pregnant and go into labor!
Lucas is absolutely adorable!! You and E are going to be such amazing parents!
P.S. Make sure to tell E how much I appreciate him updating!
Someone should have told me not to read this at work...SO teary (ok, could be those preggo hormones!)! I can't believe what you went through and how positive you stayed the whole time. You get a seriously large gold star!
You are going to be one amazing momma! He is lucky to have you!
And he is perfect!