Mason's Birth Story--the highlights:
~2 pm Stronger contractions started at home on Friday June 22 (had been having them off & on for a week)
~4:30pm Decided it was real and we should head to the hospital soon.
~6:30pm arrived to the ER & was taken to L&D triage
~6:40pm assessed and placed on the monitor...dilated to 1.5cm 50% or more effaced...contractions every 9 minutes
~7pm walked around the L&D and postpartum unit to see if any change would be made after an hour
~8:15pm assessed and determined to be 2-3cm and 75% effaced...OB said that was great progress and decided he better admit me to a room
~8:30pm admitted to our L&D room!
~8:30pm-midnight...IV placed, frequent checks, slow progress somewhat... Mason's head was not laying fully on my cervix so they couldnt break my water or start my epidural...this is when we start to realize that Mason is in charge & we can't do much about it!!
~Midnight...Mason decides he is ready for action and is found to be in the correct position...nurse breaks my water....during a contraction (not on purpose)...very painful because of that!
~Epidural shortly after that...goes in just fine...but then my blood pressure got extremely low and I am given an emergency drug to keep me from passing out
~Midnight to 6am progressed from 3cm to 5cm and 80% effaced ...slow progress...contractions every 1-3 minutes!
~7am my OB (who was on call) comes in to say goodbye and that he is bummed he wont be able to deliver Mason...assures us that Dr. Haley is great and we will like him
~7:30am 6cm & 100% effaced...nurse recommends alternating from side to side every 30 minutes to attempt faster dilation and his head to move down
~8:30am...feel tons of pressure...ask the nurse to recheck me...found to be 10cm and his head is right there! I seriously asked her "Are you sure?" haha...took all night to get to 6cm and then I go from 6cm to 10cm in an hour so of course I didnt believe her!!
~8:45 start practice pushes with the nurse...we do 3 rounds of pushing with contractions and she says "stop...time for Dr. Haley"
~2 more rounds of pushing with contractions and Mason is out!! 9:13 am! :) He weighed 7lbs 2oz and is 19.25in long! Was doing fine right after birth but within 5 minutes developed all the breathing issues that lead him to the NICU.

Stayed tuned for NICU notes. :)