At little story about Owen...

Owen Brady Lantz was born on July 11th, 2012 at 3:39pm weighing 7lbs 1oz and was 21.5 inches long. 

Starting about 2 weeks before I was due my feet started itching. My hands had been itching pretty much my whole pregnancy.  Itching happens when you are pregnant and I didn't think much of it really.  My doctor new about it but it was pretty much annoying more than anything. When my feet started to itch I was very annoyed but it wasn't anything I thought much of at the time.  Then 4 days before my due date it got crazy.  My feet itched so bad I couldn't sleep.  So I looked up things I could do to help with the itching and discovered that it was a common symptom of Cholestasis of Pregnancy.  Turns out that I had more than one of the symptoms.  I had all but two of the symptoms actually.  So I called my Doctor.  

While I waited to hear back my mom and I took care of getting some documents notarized for the house in Vegas and tying up some loose ends at the house.  We made plans for what needed to be done the next day.  I was concerned about what this meant for little boy blue but since it was my due date I wasn't sure what they were going to do about any of it.  I had an induction date for the 17th set up (it's hard to get into the Medical Center we wanted to deliver at on short notice) and I figured unless this was really going to be dangerous my doctors would just leave things until then.  

My Doctor surprised me by sending me to the Medical Center to have a work up done since I had so many symptoms so fast.  My initial blood work looked good but the test specifically for Cholestasis took at least two days to come back.  The head doctor decided that my symptoms were severe enough to move my induction date since the only way to make everything go away and to protect the baby is to have the baby. They moved my induction up to the next morning and gave me a script to help with the itching in my feet so that I could get some much needed sleep that night.  

The prescription worked and I was well rested the next morning when Brady and I arrived at the Medical Center and checked into the Maternity Ward. We arrived at 7am and they tried to get my IV started.  IVs are hit and miss for me.  My veins are small, roll and are prone to rupture which I am very open about with the nurses.  My nurse blew one in my hand and decided to call for another nurse who was known for getting hard veins to cooperate. Nurse #2 blew one in the other hand and side of my wrist and during her third attempt I got nauseated and then almost passed out.  That was a new experience for me and not one I want to have again.  So they sent for the anesthesiologist.  He blew one more, couldn't find another and finally gave me a little bit of local in my upper arm and finally got one in!  It was crazy.   

As you can imagine that all took a little bit of time.  So my pit didn't get started until 9am.  I was at a 3/4 and 50% and they decided to let me labor through to a full 4 before breaking my water.  I warned them that I don't move to fast until they break my water, but once it's broken I go quickly.  So from 9am to 1pm I had little to no change.  So they decided to break my water.  I had decided a while a go that I was going to try and do this delivery with out pain medications, specifically an epidural.  I have had an epi with all three of the girls, though the one with Rory only worked a little bit and the one with Beckah only worked on one side.  I figured with how quickly I went when my water breaks I could do it. 

So they break my water.  There was so much water!  I even my Doctor and nurse were saying, "Really? more?"  No wonder this boy thought he could just spread right out in there!  I had close to an Olympic swimming pool in there! 

Then we got down to business.  It was impossible to talk through the contractions. I was hurting.  A lot.  But I was proud of myself because I was breathing through them well.  I got to a 6 in half an hour.  I got up for a bit and then asked for a birthing ball.  That's when the shaking started. I had hit transition. My nurse was awesome.  She kept reminding me that I was doing so well, to keep breathing.  Brady was there doing what I asked when I needed it.  At one point I knew that I needed to get back in the bed.  My body was starting to shake so bad that I couldn't be stable on my feet and my hands had started to tingle and go numb.  I got in the bed and I remember thinking that I knew that this was it and I was nearing the end.  My mind was still working and I honestly was trying to do what people were asking of me, but my body was screaming that it was either baby time or I was going to die.  I kept breathing, mostly because it was the only thing that I could get my body and mind to agree on.  I remember telling them that there wasn't any pressure to push and then with the next contraction I HAD to push.  The doctor said I was only at a 9 with a lip and not to push.  I tried not to but my body finally won.  My feet were tingly and going numb too at that point.  They put an oxygen mask on and everyone was all over the place getting the bed torn down and gowns on and tools out.  They tell me to push when I feel like it and I gave it my all.  Everyone is telling me I am doing fantastic and all I can think is I needed to push the kid OUT NOW!  

The baby's heart dropped and then they lost it completely.  The head doctor tells me that he can let me have two more tries and then he will have to use the little vacuum to help me get him out since they can't find him on the monitor. I tell the Doctor to just do what they need to do.  So I pushed with everything I had and the Doctor pulled.  Next thing I know Owen was up on my chest and I was suddenly back in control of myself again.  I was worried about Owen since he was a bit blue, but after some rubbing he gained color quickly.  It was amazing!  

I took my time with him and then let them clean him up while they finished up with me.  He was so LONG! The baby nurse even held out his legs and made everyone look at how long they were!  

I remember commenting to Brady that I couldn't believe that I had just done that.  I mean, I know I had done it three times before, but Owen's birth was...something else entirely.  I still look back and wonder if it really happened.  

He is a good boy.  Eats on his own time table and has the saddest sounding little cry.  His sisters love him to death and I am so glad that my mom got to meet him before going home.  

We are home now. I will type up more about why we had to stay later.  For now we are enjoying our perfectly sweet new addition and look forward to adjusting to our new family of six.