Gunnar's Birth Story

Here it is (FINALLY I KNOW)!!! It started out on Ryan's birthday(April 30th) My sis and bro-in-laws treated us to a date night at ruths chris for ryan's bday present! So we went to dinner and then after that we went to a local restaurant that was having a concert thing with a couple different bands playing, we wanted to go out with a bang since we knew it would be our last date night for a LOOOONG time :) we got home pretty late, or early cause it was after midnight and technically now May 1st. When we got home I was wide awake so I started working on Shaun's birthday party invitations, I did that for a couple hours and then decided I should probably go to bed. I got into bed and literally as soon as I got in bed there was this big GUSH and I ran to the bathroom and ryan heard me and woke up and said "What happened?!" and I said "I think my water just broke?" But I didn't really know for sure. I already had mine and the babies hospital bags packed so off to the hospital we went. When I got there they confirmed that my water had broke and I got admitted. When I got there they checked me and I was only 1cm dilated and 75% effaced and they told me I was probably going to have to get Pitocin but they would give me some time first to see if I progressed on my own. At first I wasn't feeling any contractions even though I was having them and they were pretty surprised I wasn't feeling anything, but that didn't last long! haha. After about an hour I definitely started feeling them. They were intense! And there was no pattern I would have them 30 seconds apart 5 times in a row and then not have any for 5 min. It was like that for hours! They told me usually when they are like that you won't progress and that I was going to have to start Pitocin. The nurse came in to check me before they started me on Pitocin and I was in between 4-5cm!! They were surprised and said since I was progressing on my own I didn't have to get the Pitocin! Hallelujah! At that point they told me I could get an epidural... BEST.THING.EVER! I felt nothing, it was amazing! They told me they were going to check me again in an hour, so an hour goes by and they checked me and I was at a 10 and 100% effaced! Woohoo! the nurse told me she recommended I waited to start pushing though and to let the contractions push him down on his own for a while because otherwise I would be pushing for a long time, she told me to tell her when I feel a lot of pressure like I need to push and then I could start pushing.  So I waited and waited what seemed like FOREVER, I was so ready to meet my little guy! I started to feel a little pressure so I told her that and then all of the sudden I instantly felt ALOT of pressure and pain! Well that was cause she turned my epidural off, she said I needed to feel the contractions so I could feel when I would need to push. So I started pushing. After 30 min of pushing she called the Dr to come in and she did it right in time because 2 pushes later he was out and here!!!! :) After 12 hours of labor from the time my water broke our Little Gunnar Eriksen Pottorff made his grand entrance weighing in at 7 pound 10 ounces and 21.5 inches long :) We were all instantly in love with our newest addition :) As soon as he was out I instantly felt good as new it was crazy! I was up and walking around feeling amazing right after!! The nurses were like "didn't you just have a baby?!?!" lol...I was super lucky and didn't rip or tear at all. It was a good easy labor and delivery, besides our one scary little decell moment... gunnar wanted to keep things interesting I guess haha! But all in all I felt very lucky with how it all went :) I would do it all over again in a heartbeat :) We are so incredibly blessed and couldn't be happier :)

Time to go home!!! :)