He's Here~
So he's finally here! Keoni Kim Kwan was born on May 20th at 12:28am. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and is 22 inches long. It was a long labor and I am so glad that it is over.
My OB had suggested I come into the hospital Wednesday morning to get induced. However, by the time I got to the hospital I was already having contractions. They weren't regular yet, so I was put on pitocin to get the contractions going at around 8:30am... The beginning was not that bad. Once I felt the contractions getting a bit more intense I asked for the epidural, which helped. My OB came to check on me and broke my water around 10:30am. The next 8-10 hrs were just a waiting game. My pitocin dosage was continually increased periodically based on my progress. I got stuck at about 6cm for a while, but they raised the pitocin dosage again and by the time I was checked again at about 11pm, I was told I was fully dilated. I remember saying "THANK GOD!" It had already been a long day and the last few hours of labor were rough. The epidural lost its effectiveness and the anesthesiologist ended up coming back 3-4 more times those last few hours of labor because it was wearing off much quicker than before. When the contractions were so intense the last few hours, I was needing another dose about every hour to manage the pain. The back labor was the worst pain I had ever felt. Luckily Keoni finally moved and relieved the pain, but it took a good while before he decided to move. At about 11:30pm the nurse told me I was ready to deliver and that it was now time to push. She told me first time moms could end up pushing up to 4 hrs, but that it all depended on how well I pushed. I knew at that point there was no way I could last another 4 hrs. I told myself to just listen to her, follow her instructions and do whatever I needed to get him out as quickly as possible. Pushing was definitely physically the most exhausting part of the process. I don't know if it's because it's the last part after all the labor so mothers are already so tired, but pushing with every contraction took every last bit of me. At that point it was a mental challenge of will power. The physical pain could only be overcome with the mind to survive. Luckily I ended up only pushing for an hour. The nurse was great and encouraged me along the way. When I was almost at the delivery point she got my OB and after a few more pushes, Keoni was here! I was pretty out of it and delirious when he was actually born. The room was spinning and I had never felt so physically drained in my life. It took me a little bit to gather myself and actually take my first look at our son. I couldn't believe he was mine and that I was now a mother. It is still sinking in...
The staff at the hospital were great. I had great nurses and I was always a little anxious during the shift change about who I would get next, but all three nurses I went through were knowledgeable, helpful and I know I could have never made it through without them. Also, having my OB with me by my side the entire process gave me that piece of mind that I needed through all the madness. She checked up on me throughout the entire day and was there during the delivery. I am so glad that I chose her to be my OB. I was pretty intent on not having an OB who wouldn't end up delivering me. I'm sure the on-call OB's at each hospital are more than capable, but after developing a relationship with my OB for 9 months, I wanted her to be there doing the delivery as well. It helped me relax and know that she was out there making sure I got the best care possible and that the process was going well to ensure that both Keoni and I were doing well.
The other person I couldn't have done this without is Freddie. I know he didn't "do" anything per say, but just being with me the entire day was huge. I know it was a long day and he was restless at times, but just knowing he was there to help me with anything was a great comfort. I know he's going to be a great dad!
My OB had suggested I come into the hospital Wednesday morning to get induced. However, by the time I got to the hospital I was already having contractions. They weren't regular yet, so I was put on pitocin to get the contractions going at around 8:30am... The beginning was not that bad. Once I felt the contractions getting a bit more intense I asked for the epidural, which helped. My OB came to check on me and broke my water around 10:30am. The next 8-10 hrs were just a waiting game. My pitocin dosage was continually increased periodically based on my progress. I got stuck at about 6cm for a while, but they raised the pitocin dosage again and by the time I was checked again at about 11pm, I was told I was fully dilated. I remember saying "THANK GOD!" It had already been a long day and the last few hours of labor were rough. The epidural lost its effectiveness and the anesthesiologist ended up coming back 3-4 more times those last few hours of labor because it was wearing off much quicker than before. When the contractions were so intense the last few hours, I was needing another dose about every hour to manage the pain. The back labor was the worst pain I had ever felt. Luckily Keoni finally moved and relieved the pain, but it took a good while before he decided to move. At about 11:30pm the nurse told me I was ready to deliver and that it was now time to push. She told me first time moms could end up pushing up to 4 hrs, but that it all depended on how well I pushed. I knew at that point there was no way I could last another 4 hrs. I told myself to just listen to her, follow her instructions and do whatever I needed to get him out as quickly as possible. Pushing was definitely physically the most exhausting part of the process. I don't know if it's because it's the last part after all the labor so mothers are already so tired, but pushing with every contraction took every last bit of me. At that point it was a mental challenge of will power. The physical pain could only be overcome with the mind to survive. Luckily I ended up only pushing for an hour. The nurse was great and encouraged me along the way. When I was almost at the delivery point she got my OB and after a few more pushes, Keoni was here! I was pretty out of it and delirious when he was actually born. The room was spinning and I had never felt so physically drained in my life. It took me a little bit to gather myself and actually take my first look at our son. I couldn't believe he was mine and that I was now a mother. It is still sinking in...
The staff at the hospital were great. I had great nurses and I was always a little anxious during the shift change about who I would get next, but all three nurses I went through were knowledgeable, helpful and I know I could have never made it through without them. Also, having my OB with me by my side the entire process gave me that piece of mind that I needed through all the madness. She checked up on me throughout the entire day and was there during the delivery. I am so glad that I chose her to be my OB. I was pretty intent on not having an OB who wouldn't end up delivering me. I'm sure the on-call OB's at each hospital are more than capable, but after developing a relationship with my OB for 9 months, I wanted her to be there doing the delivery as well. It helped me relax and know that she was out there making sure I got the best care possible and that the process was going well to ensure that both Keoni and I were doing well.
The other person I couldn't have done this without is Freddie. I know he didn't "do" anything per say, but just being with me the entire day was huge. I know it was a long day and he was restless at times, but just knowing he was there to help me with anything was a great comfort. I know he's going to be a great dad!
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