So here’s how it all happened when Sterling came into this world…

Mom went to Dr. Reuss and because Sterling was past his due date – 4 days, i believe – he decided to induce mom.  Mom came back home around 4p.  Dr. Reuss thought mom might be able to make it until the next morning, but by 7p contractions started.  We started gathering things for the hospital and left the house around 9pm.  On the ride there mom was screaming quite a bit when the contractions came – she doesn’t have much tolerance for pain.

We got to the hospital around 930-945p and the contractions were only a few minutes apart.  We got our room and the waiting game started.  Around 11p mom got the epidural, but the Dr didn’t know if it was in time since the contractions were so close together.  It seemed to kick in fairly quickly and by 1130p mom was relaxed enough that she actually fell asleep for a short period, I think.  It was interesting sitting there waiting and watching as it seemed mom would go into convulsions when a contraction came. Almost like a seizure.  Dr Reuss had come sometime around or just after the epidural and would be in a waiting room a few doors down.

Nurse Jo would be our nurse and she came in every so often to check on things.  She was new, btw.

Around 1am Sterling was coming.  Nurse Jo came in and got everything ready.  I helped by holding mom’s left leg up since couldn’t feel it from the epidural.  And so the pushing started, probably around 120a-ish, maybe a bit earlier.  At one point I saw the top of Sterlings head poking out.  At this point I had been standing awkwardly holding mom’s left leg up and after seeing the head started to feel a bit faint.  I told the nurse I didn’t think I’d make it.  I wasn’t grossed out by it, it was just and awkward stance for my body.  So i went around to the other side and I’m not sure why stirrups weren’t used.

The nurse kept telling mom to push and push and push.  After seeing the top of the head, I started wondering where Dr Reuss was.  After a few more pushes the nurses told someone else to go get him.  And literally, right after she said that Sterling was out.  All she had to do was hold off on one push and Dr Reuss would have made it, but he was literally 10 seconds late.

Nurse Jo was nice and all, but she had no experience with core blood and botched the blood collection.  Dr Reuss managed to get some and we barely had enough to actually use.  Dr Reuss was none to pleased he wasn’t called sooner.

But at 1:40a little Sterling was here 🙂

Or maybe 1:39a
7.38lb / 3.347kg
21″ / 53.34cm