Kontracting: Liam's Labor & Delivery

This fairytale begins much like any other... Okay, well maybe not like the normal fairytale you hear, but to all involved it feels a bit like a fairytale...

The magic really began once I was in my Princess Suite #23!

Here I am between contractions talking with my sister Tiffany on Skype.

Here is my beautiful group of very supportive ladies.
Tamy, Dara, Me, Merri, My Mom, Natalie, and Tiffany on the laptop.


I got my epidural at 10:15 p.m. Monday evening.

Here I am so excited as I am getting my epidural by Dr. Putnam. I love these things!!!


Thumbs way up to wonderful Dr. Putnam.

Still smiling after getting a huge needle in my back. Epidurals make it all worth it;) I recommend everyone get one. Two if you can LOL!
So I mentioned that the only unpleasant part of the entire Fairytale was the I.V. penicillin... You have to get two doses 4 hours apart. I received my first dose while in triage, now at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday morning I received my 2nd dose, and was 6-7 cm and 100% effaced. The pain had gotten so bad from the penicillin that I was brought an icepack to put on my arm (although I really think I should have received an epidural for my arm if they even make those). The alarms kept going off from my pulse ox. on my finger while I held my icepack on my shoulder. It was driving me absolutely insane, so I handed it to Dara and she wore it for a while. It was funny because her heart rate and oxygen saturation was exactly the same as mine. So I was in no rush to take it back. Technology is a wonderful thing, and they have made amazing medical advances over the past few decades, but man are those things annoying. We should come up with one that is cordless or something. Anyways, thank you Dara for taking over that task for me.

I love pictures, and apparently so does everyone that was in on my delivery. We pretty much documented everything. I am so grateful to them all. I posed with all of my favorite people between contractions.

Dara and I.

My sister Merri, Me, and my sister Natalie.

Me, and my Tamy.

Dara and Tamy talking me through contractions and comforting me!

As Merri drove me to the hospital I could not help but be a little sad. All that was racing through my mind was how my amazing doctor Dr. Tamanaha would more than likely not be delivering Liam the way he had been there to deliver Kade and Azlyn. He has always played a very important role in bringing these wonderful babies into this world. I just love him! We got to Triage at 8:30 p.m. Monday evening and I was 6 cm 80% effaced, and Liam was at a -1.

My nurse tried to reach Dr. T, however he had been on call all night the previous night, and worked all day today. So I knew the chances of reaching him were slim. I finally had to come to terms with the fact that Liam was not going to wait until Dr. T's normal office hours Tuesday morning to be born.

Dr. Alperin was on call for Dr. T so he would be the one to take care of Liam and I. By 1:08 a.m. I was 9cm with a very bulgy bag of water. I am sure if my bag of water had broken earlier Liam would have been born immediately. Dr. Alperin came in around 1:30 a.m. and broke my water (I really don't think it ever would have ruptured on its own). After rupturing my bag of water, he said he would be around when it was time to push. At 2:35 a.m. I was 10cm and ready to push. Dr. Alperin came in the room and asked Dara how she would feel about Delivering Liam. She was more than happy to do so and asked if I minded. To which I responded that I was fine with. I began pushing at 2:37 a.m., I pushed through 3 contractions and at 2:47 a.m. he was here.

Here Dara is suiting up to deliver Liam.

Here is Dara and Dr. Alperin

Here is Dara and Dr. Alperin working on getting the cord off from around Liam's neck.

Still working on the cord and getting him to rotate the correct way for delivery. Liam was "posterior" which means that he was facing backwards, so as I pushed he rotated the correct way.

Here Liam is coming out

Right as Liam first entered the world. Look at how thick his cord is!!!

Here is a wonderful video right after we got Liam breathing and they laid him on my chest.

Here Liam is right as they laid him on my chest. He was not breathing and it had me a little worried, because both Kade and Azlyn cried right away. I rubbed him and talked to him as well as did the nurses to get him breathing.

Liam just about to take his first breath

Liam crying for the first time.

Liam and I

Dr. Alperin, my nurse Michelle, Me, Liam, Dara, Natalie, and Tiffany on Skype.

Great work Liam! You made it here safely.

I have to say that the delivery went so amazing. The room was quiet and peaceful. The mood was set perfectly for Liam to come into the world.