I was not ready for how difficult my pregnancy with this boy was. What I was ready for was for it to be over and for Cooper to be in my arms. On his due date, I went to the doctor and we decided to schedule an induction. Two days later we headed in for a long day of waiting and
We arrived at the hospital around 7:30 am on June 23 and began all the
They placed the IV and began pumping Pitocin to start contractions. I eagerly waited to feel some sort of pain that would indicate labor, but I felt nothing most of the day. I sat in the hospital bed hooked up to the IV and ate my popsicles.
Eventually, I opted for an epidural so that I could try to sleep. I had yet to feel a contraction and it was almost 3 pm. The epidural was the most physically painful part of my labor with Cooper. Once it was set, my legs went numb and that was that. Unfortunately, it made me nauseous and sleep was out of the question.
At 8 pm my nurse came in to check me and told me it was time to push! Pushing was the strangest part. I had no feeling in the lower half of my body, and I relied completely on my doctor to instruct me. The epidural made me feel disconnected from the experience, but I was grateful that I couldn’t feel the pain.
Cooper was born at 8:20 pm with his cord wrapped around his neck. Thankfully, they were able to quickly unwrap it and all was well. He weighed in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. I remember just sitting there staring at him in shock. I couldn’t believe he was really in my arms.
After his birth, nothing seemed to go smoothly. We had a lot of trouble with breastfeeding and I suffered a 3rd-degree tear from the delivery. I think we both struggled to thrive for about 3 months postpartum but we eventually figured it out.
It was hard. The long day of waiting, the difficulty of navigating postpartum, and the physical recovery while running on very little sleep all pushed me to the limits. Having a baby changes your whole world in ways you can never prepare for, but it’s so worth it. We even decided to do it again!
Thank you, Cooper James, for making me a momma!
Sweet! Sometimes the greatest gifts come with a surprise. He certainly is one of the very best surprises despite the early challenges for both of you. Good job “momma.”