Labor, Delivery, and Our Fabulous New Family

We arrived at the hospital a few minutes to 6 am to check in. The dress I wore was one that when I tried it on at the store I knew right away I wanted to wear it to delivery. There is something to be said for inductions -you can look pretty and have plenty of time to relax and prepare for the big day. I mean, you wouldn't get married just sometime between, say June 1st and July 2nd and rush off in your p.j.s to the nearest church at 3 in the morning, would you? Granted, labor isn't something you can plan unless you get induced and most people don't elope, but thank goodness for those positive aspects of planned delivery.

We settled into the hospital room where everything would happen -labor, birth and recuperation. Brian played some soothing music on the boombox -"Prairie Lullaby" by Joe Weed and "Underneath the Onion Tree" by our fave, Bob Schneider. I was hooked up to the external fetal monitor and given an IV with the Pitocin drip and plenty of fluids. My doctor came in around 8:30, broke my water and then the fun began. Strong contractions increased to unbearable contractions within half an hour and we called the anesthesiologist in for the epidural. Thank Goodness! I got to experience the kind of contractions that bring on the tears, so I don't feel like I was "cheated" out of the labor experience. I'll gladly take the medication.

Not long after my legs went numb, as they do, and then... so did everything else. My mouth, my eyes -I felt like I was in a cloud. Plus I was nauseous and dizzy. After two hours of feeling totally drugged out, I told the nurse we needed to turn this thing down a notch because I'd rather be in pain and be conscious for the delivery of my baby than feel so doped up. They turned the epidural off for a few hours -when I could finally feel my legs again and wasn't sick to my stomach. Brian and I played a movie trivia card game and I channel surfed while I dilated further. I think we watched most of "Rainman" -we'll have to get it now that it is part of my birthing experience.

At 3:45 I was dilated far enough that my nurse prepped for pushing. I was in no pain and can hardly say I was in discomfort. This epidural stuff is GREAT! After pushing through a few contractions my nurse brought in a mirror so I could gauge my progress. That was incredibly helpful. As gross as it may seem, it helped me focus on the goal at hand better than finding an object or focal spot elsewhere as I channeled my energy to push Wilder out. When his head began to crown the nurse called my doctor, who's office is just across the street. Within 20 minutes Wilder was born.

The weirdest and most memorable feeling was having his body expelled from my womb. The crowning was uneventful compared to those brief seconds of emptying of that little, wriggling body from his home of 9 months. I kept repeating, "Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness."

After having his cord cut, Wilder was placed in a towel on top of my belly where I held him for several minutes. They were some of the most incredible minutes of my life. Covered in bits of vernix and streaks of blood, the amazing creation that started from the tiniest cells and grew into this marvelous baby were held in my arms. I couldn't stop cooing over the miracle of what had just happened and what -and who- I was holding. This was my baby. The perfect combination of the man I love and myself. A marvelous melting of two becoming one. I was in love.

Instead of staying the social butterfly I had been pre-delivery, I became oblivious to the world around me. All there was in my little universe was Brian, the baby and me. My cell phone stayed off (and is still off most of the time) and we were computerless. Even the nurses which constantly changed while we were there were too much.

We were welcomed home after our mandatory 48 hour stay at the hospital to a house and lawn decked out in "New Baby" decor. While Mom held the fort down and took care of the pooches, as well as visited us daily and brought us supplies, she went to 5 different stores to get the house in proper Welcome Home Wilder fashion.

Wilder has been a terrific baby. He's latching on pretty well, feeding GREAT, Brian's embracing his occasional diaper duty and putting his Daddy arms to some good cuddling, I'm getting plenty of sleep, and -all in all- we're doing great. Wilder keeps showing us his "fountain of youth" trick when we change him, which means we're changing outfits quite often.

So far my favorite times are nap and sleep times when Wilder nurses, then lays on my chest. Having him cuddled on top, his tiny body cradled between my breasts, hearing his soft breathing -it's sheer heaven! Brian and I are camped out on the blue couch downstairs which reclines on both sides -much, much more comfortable than trying to prop myself up with 10 pillows in bed. The system is working great, though we won't be down here for long. Just until we get established into a good feeding routine and Wilder latches on easier.

We are loving our new little family and, quite honestly, I can't wait to do this again. I never dreamed motherhood would be so fulfilling or that I would bond so wonderfully with our new little guy!