Declan James Jackson

So it all started Thursday morning at 7:30 am with James and I going to the hospital to get induced. We started with a pill that would kick start it because I was only 20% and maybe at a 2. So while we were waiting for things to get moving, my belly broke out into a nasty rash. I couldn't stop scratching. It was terrible. It was weird to be so uncomfortable and in pain from a rash when I was there supposed to be having pain from labor! We requested some medicine or cream to help it but didn't get anything approved by my doctor for 2 hours! It was terrible. I know this sounds dumb, but it was bad.

So back to the labor ... after waiting for the pills to kick me into labor, nothing was happening. Still at a 2. Still at 20%. So needless to say, we had a ways to go. After about 8 hours of waiting and not much movement they started me on the gels. Talk about a not very fun thing to go through becuase it makes you have to pee but you have to wait 45 minutes ... which was not fun. So after waiting a forever long wait, I finally got to pee :) and started the walking. I walked for an hour and got back to the room and .... lost the plug at 11pm. So from then on no more walking.

They started me on the pitocin drips which really got everything going. I had to wear an oxygen mask becuase Declan's heart rate went up, and let me tell you when you are having a really bad contraction and they have a nasty mask on you and you have to focus on breathing and everything it is NO FUN. During really bad contractions I ripped my mask off because I couldn't take it anymore! at 11 PM my water finally broke. Early the next morning they gave me some other pain killer that would take a little bit of the pain off and help me sleep.

The pain really started to kicking and around 6am with all the steady contractions. Contraction after contraction and despite all the pain, there still was not much progress "down there." Around 6:30 AM I got my epidural which made things so much better. Its nice knowing that I was contracting, because my monitor says so, and not having to feel it. I had to switch laying from side to side with this yellow peanut ball between my knees, kinda like a lop-sided exercise ball. Nurses started to come in every 2 hours throughout the day to see how things were going.

Note that this is now 24+ hours since we started my original induction one morning earlier.

Throughout the day, not much progress was happening, but at least the epidural kept the pain away. The drugs worked ... I would fall asleep during mid-conversation and then wake up and finish it. I guess you could say that I was so out of it.

We watched a lot of news becuase the day we arrived to the hospital was the day that Japan had the big earthquake and tsunami so we tried to keep up to date on that. So, things were going slow and steady all day long up until 8pm when we found out I was not progressing past an 8 1/2 and actually started to go backwards. I began to swell, so I was given the news that after 36 hours of labor I would be having a c-section.

I was really sad becuase I had worked so hard and to just have them go in and take him out in a matter of 15 mins. Yes I did get a little emotional but it was nice to have James, my mom and sister there for me. I knew that it was the best thing to do becuase it would keep Declan safe.

James dressed down in the paper scrubs they gave him and we went to surgery. The epidural was making me so numb the nurses had to lift me onto the surgical table. James waited outside until after I was prepped and ready to go. They brought James in and he sat up by me and held me hand. They started the surgery and when they were ready to bring Declan out they told James he could watch. He actually recorded them pulling Declan out!

My doctor couldn't stop talking about how BIG Declan was the moment that he arrived. She, my doctor, said "No wonder we couldn't get him to come earlier! He wouldn't fit through!" Declan actually had a small ring on his head where he was trying, but wouldn't fit.

Declan arrived into the world at 8:38 PM on March 11, 2011. He was 9 and 1/2 pounds and was 21" long.

We love him so much and can't wait to see him grow into a strong boy. We want to say thank you to all of our friends and family who have supported us during this journey. You have helped us more than words can express.



The board in the room.

A quick stop on the walk outside to breathe through a contraction.

We were so tried and little nutty after not sleeping that we thought it would be fun to dress the peanut up.

Right after Declan made his debut to the world.