Caleb's Birth Story

Caleb Jackson Domino is here!

Yesterday we checked in to the hospital to be induced at 11 a.m. Unfortunately for us, we got a nurse who had only been working for 7 weeks. She had a heck of a time getting my IV started. She had to insert the needle 3 times and eventually decided on using a skinny vein on the top of my hand.

Finally we were all hooked up and the Pitocin drip started at 11:40. They said it would take an hour to get contractions going but only 4 minutes later they'd already started. Dr. Holste came in to break my water at noon. She noticed my contractions on the monitor and said, "Wow, you're contracting already." I bit my tongue and held back what I really wanted to say, "Yeah, only for a month now!" :)

Dr. Holste checked me and said I was 3 cm dilated & 90% effaced. I'd gained a centimeter since first being admitted! She broke my water which didn't hurt a bit, but felt really odd. (With Micah, they didn't break my water until I'd had my epidural and couldn't feel a thing.) I really hated sitting in a bed leaking on myself for so many hours.

A bit later my nurse gave Terry and I a bit of a scare. She said, "I have something to tell you and you're going to be mad." (professional, huh?) Turns out she'd sent 4 tubes of my blood off to the lab without putting my name on them. So she had to stick me again to take blood. She was apologetic and I felt bad for her so I tried to hide my frustration.

I did get to give her a little pay-back though! At the exact moment that she stuck the needle in me I had a HUGE gush of my water and it was such a shock (all hot and in such a big amount) that I shouted, "Oh my gosh!!!" and she'd thought she'd done something wrong with the needle!

The contractions kept progressing and soon I was doing my breathing through them. They were much easier to take this time around (compared to Micah's birth) because I had no back labor. Last time my back hurt so bad that there was never a let-up of pain. This time, as soon as each contraction was over, I felt great. So I lasted a little longer without meds than I had with Micah. I got my epidural at 2 p.m. when my contractions were a minute apart.

Last time I hadn't felt the epidural at all (my mom pointed out that that was probably because of the pain in my back and that makes sense to me). This time it was not fun. It was over fast though. Soon my toes were tingling and the numbing was starting. I felt about 7 more contractions and then was happily numb and VERY drowsy.

For the next two hours I tried to block out the voices in the room and sleep, but I really couldn't. My legs got progressively heavier and soon I couldn't move them. I felt a little claustrophobic. I was held down to the bed on my left by the blood pressure cuff which goes off every 15 minutes. I was held down on my right by the IV, and I was trapped in bed because I couldn't move my legs. My doctor came in to check on me and I was only 5 cm dilated. She said she'd be back to check on me at 6 p.m.

Except to grab a quick snack, Terry had been by my side the whole time so far. He had to leave the room at one point (to go check on Micah). Before he left he said, "Do you want me to get someone from the waiting room to stay with you?" I told him no because my progress wasn't even going to be checked again for 2 more hours.

But not even two seconds after he walked out the door my nurse brought me the oxygen mask and asked me to roll off my left side and onto my back. As I rolled I asked if the baby's heart rate went down (the only reason I knew of that they give you oxygen). She said yes. As soon as I was on my back I said, "Oh, I think I'm feeling some pressure." And she says, "Yes, I think the baby's moving into position."

After a few minutes I realized that I was feeling tons of pressure and the urge to push in regular intervals. All of a sudden the pressure was massive and I said to the nurse, "You need to check me!" All of this was happening in the 5 minutes Terry was out of the room. Laura poked her head in to pass along the message the Kelly and Micah had arrived. I told her to wait while I was checked. I just knew that I was ready to push and that I'd need her to find Terry and pass along the message. Sure enough, my nurse says, "You're complete!"

I tell Laura to find Terry and tell him that I'm fully dilated and she runs off. My room becomes a flurryof activity and suddenly there are 6 people scurrying about preparing. They put my legs in the stirrups as my doctor walks in and says, "Well, there's the head!"

The t.v. in front of my bed was off and I got a nice reflection of things I hadn't ever wanted to see. I asked the nurses to please close the tv cabinet, which I now regret. I should have watched because Caleb was born during only one contraction- three consecutive pushes of counting to 10. His head came out with my first push. They suctioned his nose and mouth. Then in the next 20 seconds his little body followed! Terry cut his umbilical cord and was quickly disgusted when it shot blood on his hand. Seriously- he couldn't even go take pictures of Micah until he'd washed it off! I thought that was funny!

I ripped just a little because Caleb came out with his right hand across his body and holding on to his left shoulder, making his girth wider. But other than that it was a darn easy delivery! I was up and moving within a few hours and in about 10 times less pain than after I had Micah. It's been wonderful!

Just before we began to push I got really emotional and fought to hold back tears. I couldn't believe I was adding another wonderful addition to my family. As soon as Caleb came out they took him to the warming bed. I only got a quick look at him. My very first thought was, "He looks so tiny!" and my second thought was, "He looks like me!" I don't really know why he looks like me, but he does. Which is weird, 'cause I also think he looks like an old man.

Caleb was born at 5:16 p.m. and weighed 7 pounds 3.5 ounces (1 pound and 3 oz less than Micah) and measured 20 inches long (1/2 inch longer than Micah). As soon as he got the all clear from the nurses (He got a 9 on both his Apgars!) they brought him to me and I nursed right away. He latched on really well! Terry went to get Micah almost immediately and soon big brother met his new baby!

Micah was genuinely happy to see him. He kissed him and patted his head. He held him for a quick moment and got a big laugh from me when he repeated what he'd heard me say, "Old man!"


Shortly after that, all of our family got to come in and see him before he was whisked away to the nursery. He did great last night- only whimpering for about 5 minutes around 3 a.m. He was happy again once I swaddled him tighter. He's eating great and has gotten good reports from his pediatrician.

He's a lot like Micah in temperament so far (although nothing like him in looks, except for his coloring). He's very calm, doesn't really cry or complain. Terry called me from the nursery window to tell me that Caleb was already lying in his bed with his arms up behind his head-- just like Micah has since birth. Caleb has one spot on his head that got a little squeezed in the canal and so it's red and pointy.

We're very much in love with our second son already. He's made a great addition to our family. Even cosnidering the hassle of pregnancy and the torture of labor, I really could do this again and again!!