Pregnancy
Ryan and I got married in October of 2008 but due to conflicting work schedules we were not able to go on a honeymoon until July of 2009. Given that we had time to save and had ancestors who emigrated from Co. Limerick and Northern Ireland , we decided to splurge with a two and a half week trip, traveling around the Republic of Ireland! When we returned from our trip I was slightly sick, achy and exhausted but chalked it up to jet lag, foreign food and thought I had picked up a light bug. When I couldn't get over any of the symptoms, my mom suggested the possibility that I might be pregnant; this little fact had not occurred to me. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I took a test. I couldn't believe it was positive at first but then this incredible wave of happiness swept over me and I remembered this older gentleman training his horse on the beach in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry wishing us a life full of happiness and to return home with an Irish baby! Ryan was ecstatic when I told him and though we were not actively trying for a baby at the time, we were not trying to prevent it since we had been talking about having them! So, Trayton was a honeymoon baby and the moral of the story....the luck and blessings of the Irish are powerful and leprechauns really do exist!
Honestly, I could not have asked for a better pregnancy. I was only mildly sick in the first trimester, mostly from acid reflux, got my thyroid levels under control and suffered from minor swelling. I felt great, was able to keep exercising and working right up until I entered the hospital and started labor weeks before my due date, so that when induction took place, I was already dilated 4 cm. Little Man must have thought I made a pretty good home because he decided he was staying in there until the OB stripped my membranes!
Trayton's Birth Story
Trayton Ryan Minnehan arrived at 4:01 AM on April 2, 2010! He weighed 8 lbs. 14.9 Oz's. and measured 19.5 inches. His head measured 13 3/4 cm and he scored an 8 and 10 on his APGARS! He has a full head of dark hair. We fell in love with him at first sight; he's absolutely perfect (of course our opinion is biased!)
Here are the details about his journey into the world! We arrived at St. Anthony's hospital just before 8 PM on April 1st and checked-in at the front desk. They had all of our paperwork ready as we had registered with the hospital a few weeks in advance. We headed upstairs to The Birth Place where we were greeted by our nurses and taken to our suite to get settled in and prepare for the induction. I unpacked the bathroom bag and a few other items that I thought might come in handy during labor since I didn't know how long the process would take and changed into a hospital gown while Ryan and my parents got settled. Once I was ready, the nurse placed a blood pressure and oxygen monitor on one arm, started an IV in my opposite hand to make sure I was hydrated and strapped two monitors on my belly to record Trayton's heart rate and contractions. She then got me settled in bed and started going through a list of general questions about my medical history and pregnancy.
About 10:30 PM Dr. Lo arrived to begin the induction. Ryan stayed in the room with me while my membranes were ruptured. The nurse began introducing ampicillin into the IV to treat for the Group B Strep and we began at 4 cm dilated 90% effaced and at station -1. Upon rupture of the membranes, Dr. Lo mentioned that meconium had been passed in the uterus as the amniotic fluid was tinged a slight green color but he was not yet worried about Trayton because his vitals were healthy The amniotic fluid gushed out, perhaps because I was lying down and continued to flow anytime I moved or got up to use the restroom (thank goodness for the waterproof pads on the bed!) Dr. Lo estimated that Trayton would arrive late Friday morning and that we should get some sleep if possible.......hahaha riiiiight! My parents stopped back in for about an hour, until 11:30 and then went to the waiting area to rest. Ryan dimmed the lights and we both dozed off while I began to have some slight contractions. The nurses came in periodically to check on baby and me.
I woke up around 12:45-1:00 AM with pain that seemed to be increasing about every 10 to 15 minutes, ah active labor! I was able to work through what to me was about the first hour of active labor (since we started 4 cm dilated, etc.) The contractions came in waves about three minutes apart and then two minutes apart and then they seemed to come right on top of each other with NO rest between like they were supposed to come! I started out in the bed, sitting and gripping the side bars to brace myself and rocking. Occasionally I had to use the restroom and that became a feat in itself once I couldn't get back to bed because I couldn't walk due to the contractions coming so frequently and strongly. The pain was sharp and almost unbearable. I really wanted to try and deliver without pain medication as in my birth plan. Then I began to break out in a cold sweat and shake violently until I nearly vomited, several times and that's when I considered getting the epidural, especially if the labor had a chance of extending into the late morning like doctor predicted!
I asked for the epidural about 2 AM. The nurse had to do a pelvic exam at that point and then consult Dr. Lo to make sure there wouldn't be any problem. When she checked me I was only dilated to 5 cm and still 90% effaced. About 2:15 AM the anesthesiologist arrived to place the epidural. I sat on the edge of the bed with the nurse holding me because I was still shaking and he had to place it during contractions because mine were not letting up to allow me to relax. Once it was placed in the epidural space of my lower spine I began to feel immediate relief that flowed down through my legs and up through my abdomen, it was wonderful! I could still sense and feel my legs and feet which was great but I could no longer feel the intense pain in my pelvic region which felt like I was going to split in two and the shaking slowly began to subside! I was finally able to rest and fell asleep for about an hour. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I could actually relax.
Around 3:20 AM I started to feel a heavy pressure in my lower pelvis which woke me up. There was no pain, just a sense of heaviness. The nurse performed another pelvic check and laughed out loud when she asked me if I felt the need to bear down and push! I immediately asked her, "Is that what this heavy pressure is?" and the replied "Yes!" She told me I was completely dilated to 10 cm, 100% effaced and at station -1! She called Dr. Lo back in to the room and told me we would start pushing at about 3:30 AM, just one short hour after I received my epidural and finally got to sleep! As we waited for Dr. Lo, the nurses prepared the room, getting blankets, cloths, warming table and sterile equipment out, bringing in the scales, removing the lower portion of the bed and helped me get a firm grasp on the side bars. I found I was most comfortable in the semi-reclining position and the nurse told me not to rush or push if I didn't feel the urge. Ryan was at my side the entire time and was a huge help, let alone support through the whole process. I truly believe the epidural helped me relax enough to allow my body to progress through active labor. Having as frequent and intense contractions as I did and going through them for over an hour and only dilating 1 cm without medication may have caused stress on Trayton and unnecessarily prolonged my labor.
We began pushing at 3:30 AM and it was a bit tricky to feel when to start pushing at first because I was still under the influence of the epidural. I felt the greatest urge in the middle of a contraction and then began to get into a rhythm. I was able to bear down and push about five or so times total, holding my breath and exerting all of the force my abdominal and pelvic muscles could give until I ran out of breath and steam and then waited to start over again. I remember Ryan holding my right shoulder and leg and the nurse holding my left and feeling absolutely no pain, it was great! However, at the time I also thought I wasn't making any progress pushing because I couldn't feel anything; I couldn't feel Trayton making his descent through the birth canal like I thought I would be able...until he started to crown! I remember the nurse and Ryan awing at the amount of hair Trayton had as he was crowning (I was too focused and was not about to look down there, even with a mirror just in case it distracted me!) At this point Dr. Lo began coaching me and guiding my pushing so as not to risk a tear or need for an episiotomy. As the epidural was starting to lose its influence, I began to feel a burning sensation while Trayton's head was crowning that became more intense and continued until his head was delivered. The pain from this was never terrible to the point that I couldn't stand it, but it was noticeable. Once his head was delivered the burning stopped and I exerted all of my energy into the final push to deliver the rest of his body!
Ryan and I stared in awe as Trayton made his first appearance with his arms stretched out as far as they could get in opposite directions and he started to cry...loudly at 4:01 AM just half an hour after we started pushing! Dr. Lo cut and clamped his umbilical cord then placed him on my chest and I remember asking, "Is he supposed to be so blue/purple?" as I thought he would be a little more pink upon arrival and have more of the vernix coating, which he didn't and he was perfect! Then I thought he looked big as the nurses cleaned him off and asked what his weight was as they weighed him and Ryan began taking pictures! They announced his weight and my jaw dropped; he weighed nearly a whole pound more than doctor estimated! How did I push that out? While the nurses tended to Trayton and Ryan took pictures, I delivered the placenta and Dr. Lo told me I had three tears slightly inside my vagina that would require suturing but no tearing of the perineum. The epidural was still wearing off and I could feel the needle as Dr. Lo was suturing but the pain was not bad and before long he was finished and the nurses started to rub my abdomen to encourage my uterus to shrink. I remember itching my legs and abdomen frequently as the epidural continued to wear off, a common side effect. My abdomen felt very empty and loose like jello after delivering him.
Once Trayton was cleaned up, given erythromycin for his eyes, had his hepatitis B vaccine and was swaddled he had a short visit with my parents and I began breastfeeding. He latched on immediately and began nursing which was amazing! Ryan was right by our side the entire time and I remember telling him how much I loved him and looking over all of Trayton's little details with him from him chubby little cheeks to his tiny toes. He was awake and very alert for the next three or so hours during which Ryan and I shared cuddling him; he was such a little snuggler! Also, during this time the nurses got me up to use the restroom for the first few times, helped me change my pads and kept rubbing my abdomen to make sure my uterus continued to shrink to its normal size and reduce any bleeding. The pads I had to wear were huge and I had to wear two but thank goodness for them and the comfy hospital underwear because I had a lot of blood and fluid I was losing from the event! During breakfast and through the next two days I took Motrin and Tylenol to help ease the slight pain I had from the sutures and birth process. I also took baths in my whirlpool tub as soon as possible to ease the pain and help progress the healing and they worked wonders. After breakfast we learned how to properly give Trayton a bath and I nursed him about every two hours providing him with colostrum until my milk arrived. He chose the right side as his favorite and I had to coax him to eat on the left the first few days.
We were visited by family and friends over the next two days and Ryan and I got to have a special gourmet couple's dinner Saturday night provided by the hospital! We had steak and it was fabulous! We really shared and cherished the bonding time with Trayton, holding him as much as possible and keeping him in our room, even over night. When he was restless, Ryan would walk him around the halls and let me get some rest until he fell asleep. On Easter Sunday, we were able to go home! My vitals and sutures we doing great and I was feeling pretty well but Trayton was jaundiced. We had the option to stay in the hospital three more days with Trayton under lights to clear the bilirubin or use the Bililight bilirubin blanket on him at home. We opted for the blanket at home because we could hold him there and nurse him easier than in the hospital. The nurses took his first picture and then out family picture which we got to keep and then we headed out for Easter dinner at Grandmas Virginia's and then home to get settled.
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