Giovanni The Nguyen!

Warning: This will be long, detailed and prob TMI! It's for my memory sake and so Lil Giovanni can read about his entrance to this world!

So Wednesday 1/20/10 Due Date, I was pretty tired and frustrated, you can read my previous entry to know what I am talking about. 5pm finally came by and I went home exhausted and tired. Baby was still Posterior, so I was doing my exercises of being on my hands and knees for 10 min at a time. That was wearing me out and I could not get comfortable. Luan finally came home from work and we just chilled. As I tried to take a nap he put up the laundry so when baby would come we wouldn't be running around looking for stuff. I was craving milkshake and fries and was thankful to my lovely mom who brought me some. I was laying on the floor, moving around, doing exercises and could not get comfortable due to my achy body and what I thought were Braxton Hicks. 11pm finally came bout and I told Luan I think this isn't false labor anymore, I think this might be the real thing, should I call Bernie (midwife)? He said no lets wait a little, he pulled up a contraction counter online and we timed my contractions. They were present but not ready yet. So I tried to sleep, but let me tell u, its incredibly hard to sleep I was so uncomfortable and laying down was not helping. 2am, my contractions were getting stronger and I finally gave in and called Bernie. She said once they get to 1min long every 3-5 min call me back and try to get some rest. Sure uh huh, like that was going to happen, at the time they were ranging from 30sec-50 sec every 4-7 minutes. Rest was out of the question, so I went to take a hot shower and my contractions slowed down, so I thought false alarm. I went back to bed and they started all over again. We timed them again at 6am, when Bernie called me back worried because she hadn't heard anything from us. Well it was time they were close and long, she told me to come right in. We got the last minute things because everything else was in the car, I told my mom we were leaving and then took off.

1/21/10-7:30 AM-We got to the birthing center, Bernie checked me out, I was dilated to 3 cm and baby had moved to anterior, Yea! She gave me a strong dose of pregnancy tea that would increase my contractions and then sent me off to get breakfast and to walk. I didn't want to eat, I was in pain and I was exhausted. We were looking for an IHOP, I was in pain, we passed up Wal-mart told Luan to pull in, there is a McDs and we can walk. I ran to the restroom as he went to go order food. I tried to eat but nope, I couldn't even sit down, my contractions were non-stop no breaks in between. So after a failed attempt to eat, we started walking up and down every aisle, I got nauseous and waddled as fast as I could to the RR. Then resumed walking, I told Luan I can't do this anymore take me to the nearest hospital and give me some medicine, I was so tired. He just smiled, rubbed my back and told me to breathe. He was timing my contractions this whole time. I saw mother's walking around with their newborns and thought how the hell are they moving about, how can they be out here, were they not in pain. I told Luan this is our only child, I am not doing this again. An hour passed by and I couldn't take it anymore, I was getting dizzy from exhaustion and because I hadn't eaten. We called the center and told them we were coming back because I was so tired.

9:45 AM We got back to the birthing center and I was sent back to my birthing suite, Connie (midwife resident) introduced herself and let us know that she would be assisting Bernie with the delivery or vice versa. Ok whatever, let me rest. I got in bed and she checked me out-4cm dilated. Thank you Jesus. She told me to get comfortable and rest. I tried every position but I was so uncomfortable and in pain. It's not an unbearable pain, its just plain uncomfortable and nothing would make me feel better. Luan massaged my back and adjusted me while I moved about. Bernie came in to check in on me I'm assuming an hour later and said if I didn't progress she was going to send me home to try to rest. I looked at her and told her NO, this baby was coming out today and I wasn't going anywhere, She smiled and said ok. Luan got me out of bed and sat me on a stool facing the bed and guess what, it felt somewhat more comfortable. Luan sat behind me massaging my back, and doing some acupuncture points. Checked again later 5cm, time to get in the tub.

12ish/1pm-The birthing tub was so nice and warm. I lay there for a while, contractions were still nonstop, no breaks in between, Bernie came in and told Connie to turn on the Jets, it would help stimulate my contractions even more. They did, contractions were stronger but the water allowed me absorb it in and relax. I dozed in and out, moved in different positions, to keep baby moving. Oh yes by they way baby and I were being monitored every 30 min, and we were doing great. Luan made me drink as much as possible and he finally got me to eat a Kashi Bar because I had gotten nauseous prior to that again and he needed me to eat, so I could have some energy. My mom had called to check in on us since we hadn't called back. Luan called her and told her to come when she could, but that I was in labor. I told Luan she was more than welcome but had to stay in waiting room. She had to take my grams to a dr's appt bc she wasn't feeling well and would come right afterwards.
Luan kept rubbing my back and talking to me throughout the whole process, he kept saying how strong I was and that I could do this. He would direct my breathing and kept me focused as I dozed in and out of naps.

3pm- I got the urge to push. I told Connie, she checked me I was about 8-9cm but my cervical lip was still present on the babies head. My water bag was still intact. Connie gave me the birthing stool and placed it in the water, she said gravity might help. So I sat on the stool and once again I felt some relief. Eventually, Luan made me get out of the water because he said I had been there long enough and that it could stall my labor. He was right, this is all the information I had given him and he was reminding me of it. Before I got out, Connie checked me, I was 9 cm and I asked her to break my water. She did and then I got out and got back into bed because the baby had rotated again.

4pm-The real pain starts.....Bernie comes in and they lay me on my side. I had to push when I felt a contraction and then relax when it stopped. Laying on my side hurt so much, it was unbearable, I was doing so well with my breathing thanks to Luan, but then I couldn't take it anymore, I just started screaming. They quieted me down and reminded me of my breathing and I was able to focus again. The screaming took up too much energy and I had to focus. Luan had my upper leg and Bernie had my lower leg and I pushed as hard as I could. Connie would direct my pushing and I pushed wherever she told me too. I was on both sides then I got on hands and knees while my upper body rested on a yoga ball. Wow I was in so much pain but being upright felt alot better. I pushed and pushed and finally they moved me again to my birthing stool that was my new best friend.

5pm-I looked at the time and said we are having this baby by 6. I kept repeating I can do this, Dilate fully to let this baby out and kept breathing. At one point, Connie put a mirror for me to see my progress as the head descended. It started off as this small opening and just kept getting bigger and bigger, but it seemed like time just slowed down. 6pm rolled around and still no baby, I could see the head getting closer but no baby. At one point Luan left my side and then he came right back, my mom had just arrived and dropped off some things and went straight to the waiting room. I kept on pushing and then the opening just widened, I had kept my eyes open the whole time as I pushed to see the head and on this one final push, I closed my eyes and pushed the hardest I could.

6:40pm-I heard here is the head and now the body and I opened my eyes and there was my baby. Pain what pain, it was all gone. I looked at him and cried out My baby, I looked and my baby was a boy...Giovanni, honey mommy is here. He was moving about but not crying. Bernie and Connie rubbed him down, Bernie started suctioning his mouth and nose. I asked why he wasn't crying, Panic overcame me, they both apologized but clamped his cord and took him away. They laid him on the bed behind me and worked on him. I was becoming hysterical, it felt like ages, I just kept repeating his name, They told me to keep talking to him, because he kept moving his head towards me. I held onto Luan, I wanted to get up to run towards him, but couldn't, then finally I heard his cry. I was praying, I was crying, I was calling out to him and then his cry. Thank you Jesus. I kept thinking I've waited so long please don't take my baby from me. And then finally they placed a baby in my arms as Luan held onto a breathing tube that allowed oxygen to flow into his face. He was breathing and getting pinker as time passed by, my placenta just fell out at one point.

They asked Luan to hold the baby as they helped me into bed and cleaned me off. I must have been bleeding profusely because they gave me a shot of Pitocin to help my uterus contract and stop the bleeding. I got into bed and watched as my Husband became a Father. Bernie came to me and hugged me, I asked if the baby was fine and she assured me he was and that he was going to be ok. Luan put the baby back in my arms because they wanted me to feed him, but he was uninterested, he just stared at me as I spoke to him. I told Giovanni that I had waited 11 years, 2 months and 1 day to meet him and that he was perfect. My mother walked in and I introduced her to her grandson. Luan took video of us and then passed it to my mom to film us and we held our child. I eventually got up to use the restroom and my mother held onto Giovanni, while Luan and Bernie helped me move about. I got into bed and Giovanni was ready to be with his mother again. Connie helped me position him and he finally latched on, Thank you Jesus again and again. He latched on to both sides and then dozed off. My mother went and prepared some food for us and made us eat. Bernie had me drinking juice and water because I hadn't eaten anything solid all day and needed my energy to go up ASAP. I ate and then finally made Luan call his parents to tell them the wonderful news. Connie and Bernie finally took Giovanni again after he ate, to finally weigh him and complete his physical. He was 8lbs, 2 oz, 20.5 in long. They took his footprints and checked him all over. My mom took some pics as I fed him again.

10:30pm-I was cleaned up, the baby and I were doing fine and we were ready to start out journey home. They packed the car and dressed Giovanni while Bernie dressed me. They gave us our final instructions for maintenance of me and the baby and off we went. He slept the whole way home and was welcomed by his great grandmother, Omar and Louie who had been waiting for all of us.

It was the longest day ever, but the best day, my only regret, we didn't take enough pictures at birth. But I am thankful for a healthy baby, a loving husband, a wonderful supportive family and friends. I am also thankful and grateful to Bernie and Connie, who took great care of me and were very skillful in helping my baby in time of crisis, which felt like an eternity, but Luan said it was a couple of minutes. We are so happy Giovanni The Nguyen has entered this world and have made two people so grateful to be his loving parents.

Giovanni, Daddy and Mommy Love You So Much!