Manwaring Moments: Jackman's Birth Story

Here is Jack's birth story if anyone wants to read what happened...and so I can remember...

Quick Facts:
Jackman Kyle Manwaring
Nickname Jack
Kyle after my uncle Kyle Aderman
Born at 2:55am
July 21st, 2011
5lbs 7.5oz, 19inches
About 12 hours after arriving in the hospital
About 2 hours with epidural
Shares birthday with James

Even though James and Jackman were born on the same day, and almost weighed the same as well, their stories are a bit different. It was on Tuesday, July 19th that Nathan was told about some work that had a deadline of the Thursday morning. Because it had a deadline so soon, he knew that I'd go into labor about then, and he was right. Wednesday I started having contractions in the later morning, and they were strong and coming 3 minutes apart and lasting one minute for over an hour. I didn't want to have an emergency, so I called Ann and she was on her way up to get James, and I called Nathan to come home. This time around he listened and came home right away, and we were ready. So we went down the canyon, and I was having strong contractions still every 3 minutes apart. Once at the hospital I was put into triage and I was at a 4, however, sitting in the bed, my contractions started coming a lot slower! 8-10 minutes apart!

Waiting to see if they are going to admit me to the hospital

We got there at 2:30pm. At about 6pm I was only a 5! Very different from James who came super quick. I kept apologizing to Nathan that it was going so slow, I thought I'd go in, an hour later have the baby, and Nathan could get on with his client project. I wanted to go home to try to do a bike ride or something to get the contractions going again. The nurse told me to walk around, and I was thinking, yeah, like that is going to get it going, not. I had been on a bike ride two days prior, so walking wasn't really going to do anything. And I was right.

Okay...this labor is taking awhile

My doctor was a conference in Salt Lake and wouldn"t be back until after 10pm, and I didn't want to be put on Pitocin or have an epidural or have my water broken. I wanted to do it natural again. The contractions weren't bad enough either to have an epidural either, I could barely feel them, but they were showing up on the monitor. So we called Aubreigh when they were admitting me, and once she came, Nathan decided let's try spicy food to get labor going. He went and got some Indian food, and started eating while he was vigorously working on the project that would be presented to a client the next morning. I only ate a little of the rice.

Nathan working on his computer

So Aubreigh and I walked the halls and talked for a few hours. At about 11:30pm, my doctor came back from Salt Lake, and I decided that things were going too slow, I was still only a 6, and so was okay with having my water broken. And I knew this baby wasn't coming in the next half hour, which meant that he'd now be sharing a birthday with his older brother James, which I thought was kind of neat. Anyway, I was scared because the last time they broke my water, contractions started to really hurt afterwards, and labor went super fast (ten minutes). However, when your water breaks the clock starts ticking to get the baby out, and if labor didn't progress, the risk for a c-section increases. I didn't think that my labor would stop, so I said okay to breaking the bag. I was sick of sitting around, (I know, I was actually bored, and anxious to meet our new boy). Well Dr. Housel broke my water, and it wasn't instant pain like I thought, and I was still handling the contractions by just thinking about running a half marathon through them, and Nathan was still working, and Aubreigh was being supportive.

Aubreigh was a great support

Well, the contractions started coming faster, and were definitely hurting a lot, but I was doing well. During a contraction everyone would just get quiet, and I would deal with the pain. Nathan was being quiet, but was typing during contractions. As things were progressing, the typing was getting more and more annoying, until I told him to stop it during contractions or I'm throwing his computer out the window. This was about 12:30, a co-worker of his was onsite waiting for the project from Nathan, he was working and was stressed because of the deadline and that his wife is in labor, and he had just found a problem with the data, and he was the only one for some reason that could do this and fix it in time, and he had just finished the Indian food that usually lasts him and I three meals. My nurse said "I'm feeling a lot of stress coming from this side of the room (pointing to Nathan on the couch working) and it's starting to pour over to this side of the room (pointing in my direction while I'm handling a contraction)". Poor guy was stressed to the max. So about this time the nurse checks me, and now I'm an 8, but it was taking awhile to get there (for me mind you, I was having a normal person's labor), and I thought "Hey, this labor is so different from my last, why don't we make it completely different and I'll get an epidural, these contractions are really hurting!" Now my last minute decision made it almost be an emergency to get the epidural fast, because they were now not sure if it would work in time. Luckily we were at a hospital this time that wasn't busy at all, and my anesthesiologist was our old Bishop from the Fox Hollow ward, Bishop Peterson, and he was good! Super fast, and I am so glad with my decision to get an epidural. I could still feel my legs, they felt heavy and asleep, and I could still move them, though it was hard to do. I could also feel each contraction as just a lot of pressure, my sciatic nerve that was pinched hurt each contraction as well, and that still hurt after the epidural. Nathan was able to get something out to the client right before Bishop Peterson came in, and he took pictures of that procedure.

Getting the epidural, check out that 3"+ long needle that will shortly be inserted into my spine

Aubreigh was the best support, though someone asked if she was my doula, and that made us both laugh a bit. Um no, not a doula. After I was feeling great, I look over and Nathan is on the couch with his feet up sipping Pepsi because he felt like he was going to pass out!! I said "What is wrong you?!?" Nathan said he was "that husband", the one that makes everyone else look good because he's complaining that he doesn't feel good and is going to pass out while his wife is in labor. It was actually comical a little while later, and he was laughing too.

Mr. Tummy-ache :(
Poor guy was doing so much that night no wonder he didn't feel good

The stress of everything on top of too much Indian food made him sick. Aubreigh took care of him too, ha! Anyway, after probably an hour, I was pretty sure I felt the baby was close. Dr. Housel came in, Nathan was pulled up a chair next to me because he was still not feeling good so he could hold my hand.

Getting ready to become parents again

I liked that I could feel what was going on without the pain. Seriously the best. So the doctor said we were ready at a 10 (finally!), and with one push and two breaths later, out came baby Jackman Kyle easily at 2:55am.

Nathan got to cut the cord this time

Honestly, I think babies are kind of gross when they first come out, and I didn't want him right on me, especially my skin, until he was cleaned up. They did put on me while the cord was cut, but there was a sheet down so I didn't get the gross stuff on me, and then they cleaned him right up, wrapped him up like a baby burrito, and brought him so I could see and hold him.

Getting all cleaned up

Wrapped up like a burrito
First family photo

Dr.Housel, Nathan, Kendra and Jackman

Ogden Regional Medical Center was a great place to have Jack. It wasn't too far away, it wasn't busy, my nurse Emmalee was the best ever, the lactation consultants were actually helpful this time around, and the rooms are huge! And you stay in the same room you have the baby in so there isn't the whole switching rooms and moving to postpartum. I also was already in love with my baby, and recovery has been easier than last time. Overall, a fantastic experience.