Caleb's Birth Story

***Beware*** This may have too much information for some readers!

It started on Monday night (the 12th). I was having these "tightening" pains and told Ted this baby is coming soon. I asked him if we should put something down in the bed incase my water breaks over night. He said, "No, it should be fine. Besides I don't think your water will break. Only 10-15% of women's water will break." Little did he know. :)

That night I had more trouble than usual sleeping and went downstairs to try to sleep on the couch. At 8:45 Tuesday morning (38 weeks exactly) I woke up from a few hours of sleep and went to the restroom. I stood up to wipe and my water broke on my hand! I had a pretty good feeling it was my water breaking, but called Ted to be sure. I called Ted and left a message (because he didn't have his phone on!) saying, "I have a question for you. Please call me." I then went upstairs to finish packing a few things and get ready to head to the hospital to check things out. As I went up the stairs, my water was leaking! It wouldn't stop!! By this time, Ted called me back and I told him what happened. He asked, "Are you sure its your water breaking or did you wet yourself." At this point I knew, so I told him it was my water. My thoughtful husband asked if I could drive myself (about 30 minutes) to the hospital! I said yes. He was working 5 minutes from the hospital. I rinsed off in the shower. I called my mom so she could change her flight. It was scheduled to arrive one day later! Ted called back in about 5 minutes to say he was driving home to take me to the hospital. Apparently I found out later that one of the nurses he works with told him to high tail it home to his wife and drive her to the hospital. I still have to thank that woman.

Ted got home and put the car seat in the jeep. (My car was in the shop because I was hit in a parking lot when I was 36 weeks pregnant! Another story) I put a towel down (still leaking) and we were off to the hospital. We stopped at Einsteins so I could get a breakfast bagel. I found out they don't feed you while you are in labor and decided I needed some energy to do this! I had 2 "tightening" pains on the way there. We got to the hospital at 10:25am on Tuesday and as soon as I got to labor and delivery with a towel around my legs and another one in between my legs, they gave me a room, hooked me up to monitors, put me in a gown (clothes soaked by this point), and started an IV. I was in labor! They told me those "tightening" pains were contractions.

By 3:45 I was dialated to 2 centimeters, 60% effaced, and at a -1 station. They put in an internal cathader. At 4:45 they started pitocin to help my contractions along. At 5:30 mom arrived after a very long journey from Tulsa. At 7:30 they checked me and I was at 3.5 centimeters, 60% effaced, and a -2 station. At 8:00 they gave me an epidural. I was much more comfortable. At 9:30 I was taken off pitocin since my body was kicking in and having contractions. I was at 5 centimeters and they put me on Oxygen and kept flipping me over left side to right side to keep baby's heart rate up. Nurses would run into the room and flip me with a very serious worried look on their faces every 10-20 minutes. At 10:30 I was at 6-7 centimeters. By 11:25 I was at 10 centimeters and they told me to labor down until 12:00 so I would have to push less and get baby down a little more. I was complete (10 centimeters), complete (100% effaced) and +2. The midwife came in and said I could start pushing. They kept turning me as I was pushing because they keep losing baby's heart rate.

Suddenly, they quickly flipped me on all fours (like a dog) and said push! Don't stop, PUSH! Baby's head came out and they kept yelling at me to push. Finally his shoulders and the rest of his body. The cord was wrapped around his neck. Then silence. Dead silence. No one said a word. I knew something was wrong. I was still on all fours and could see the reflection in the window, Caleb was all blue. I asked why he wasn't crying and no one spoke. Ted said, "He's fine. Don't look." I knew something was wrong. I kept asking what was wrong, why he wasn't crying. Mom said, "They need to clear out his lungs first." This was the scariest time of my life. My baby was not breathing. They picked me up and flipped me back onto my back and delivered the placenta in 3 minutes. By this time, Caleb started crying and turning pink. I was a little relieved, but knew we were not in clear because I saw Ted's face. They handed me Caleb and said I had 2 minutes. They then began stitching me up (I tore when they had to desperately get his shoulders out) and whisked Caleb out of the room to check on him some more. Most of the time at this hospital, they leave the baby with mom in the room.

I told Ted to go check on Caleb while they were stitching me up. Ted gave Caleb a bath and then came back with him about 2 hours later. His apgar scores were about 4 in the first minute of life and 7 in 5 minutes (not good, but he is doing well now). By 5:30am or so they took us to the Mother/Baby unit and left Caleb with us. I had a lactation consultant come in and try to help me get the hang of breast feeding within the first 10 hours. That didn't go so well. Caleb was tearing me up and I didn't know how to fix it. Ted and mom went to take the rental car back, get food, and go home to check on Coley. It was a little scary to be left "alone" with Caleb. I could barely get out of the bed to pick him up when he cried. We were both discharged by noon on Thursday making that about 50 hours total in the hospital.

Whew! What a story. Caleb is okay now, but he gave us quite the scare when he came into this world. We thank God that our little boy is growing and happy now. :)

After being admitted to the hospital.

When they had me on my side and breathing oxygen.

Right after he was born and they got him hooked up. You can see he still is a little blue.

My 2 minutes with Caleb.

First photo of the Stefani Family. Please disregard my triple chin. They wouldn't let me sit up and this was taken at a weird angle.