Preston Robert Hughes

Beware.... this is an extremely long post, sorry! I want to remember everything so there are lots of details! 

If you’re pregnant or planning on having a baby soon, proceed with caution. You may not want to hear about Preston Robert Hughes debut!

It was Thursday May 6^th, at what would be our last doctor’s appointment, when we were able to choose a birth date for Preston. We found out he was measuring three weeks a head for his age, and that his head was already off the charts. We decided we liked the birth date of 05-10-10.  Our doctor told us that we would check in at Good Samaritan hospital Sunday evening at 9 to start the induction process and have the baby the following morning on the 10^th.

Sunday was the longest day of my life! I was up at 4 a.m. anticipating the phone call from my little brother Richard who is serving an LDS mission in England.  He called around 6 a.m. and we all sat around the speakerphone and talked with him for an hour. It was so FUN, I love and miss him tons! After the phone call we took a nap and got ready for church to attend my cousins ward where they blessed their twin boys.  It was such a special mother’s day, one I’ll never forget. After the blessing we came home and had a big mother’s day dinner at my house. Then it was time to shower, pack, and head off to the hospital.

We were off to a late start and didn’t get to the hospital until around 9:30. We got all signed in and then had to wait a few minutes for a room. Once we got into our room things just started happening. Nurses where coming in and out, my clothes were being ripped off, and IV’s were being put into my hand.

Our two nurses, both named Michelle, were great! I loved them. They told me a doctor would be in shortly to start my induction. They explained to me that my doctor likes to use a new device that looks like a figure eight and is essentially a balloon.  The device is used to soften the cervix and help you dilate to a five, at which point the device is supposed to fall out on it’s own.

Long story short the doctors on hand, who are actually just residents, could not put the device in! What should have taken a minute took an hour and forty-five minutes. I had three different doctors and two nurses trying to put it in and none of them could do it. They all kept saying sorry and that they were so close, so I let them keep trying. They continued to call my doctor, Dr. Nelson at home and ask him what plan B was. Dr. Nelson insisted on them putting the device in and said if one of them couldn’t do it he would come down to the hospital and put it in himself (mind you it is now midnight).

Obliviously the residents didn’t want him to come down and felt pretty stupid, so they were trying everything and anything to get it in.  They kept apologizing to me and telling me how brave and strong and what a trooper I was…. yada yada. In the mean time I was dying and in a ton of pain. For those that have never had a regular vaginal examine, just imagine five different people’s hands, clamps, tools, etc. going up your crotch numerous times. It was incredibly painful and at this point I had no drugs and no pain relief. Finally a senior resident came into my room and got the device in.

Once the device was in they begin to fill the balloon up every 20 minutes. As the balloon continues to expand I start having contractions and was in major pain from all the trauma it took to get the thing in. I tell my nurse I want the epidural now and that I was not going to wait for the device to fall out. I get the epidural just before 3 a.m. and I was feeling pretty good. I was able to sleep a little on and off and just relax.

Around 8 in the morning I start to feel contractions again, I knew this was weird because I had an epidural. I wasn’t dying so I just dealt with the pain and tried to hold out. Eventually it got to the point where my contractions were way bad and I couldn’t handle it anymore so I call the nurse and the anesthesiologist comes in and gives me more medicine.  I was feeling ok until around 11, at that point I again start to have bad contractions and shooting pain up my back and neck.

They decide to check the device and see how far I am dilated since it is now 11:30 and the device still hasn’t fallen out. They check me out and realize I am already at a 6, even though the device is still in me. So they decide to take the device out, break my water, and put me on pitocin. (I think that the reason why the device didn't come out on it's own is because the people shoved it up there so far and put it in wrong!)

It’s now around 1 in the afternoon and my mom comes down to the hospital in anticipation for Preston’s arrival. We all (Glen, myself, and my mom) just sat in my room talking and waiting. It was shortly after my mom arrived that I again started to feel my contractions. Because i was on pitocin they were incredibly strong. They get the anesthesiologist again and he gives me more drugs. After each time he gives me more, he stands there and waits to see if the pain goes away, needless to say it didn’t. We went back and forth of him giving me more and then waiting to see if I had any relief. There was zero relief, it just got worse and worse. Finally someone said to the guy I need a new epidural. I don’t know why it wasn’t working, but it wasn’t and it was time for the guy to do something else. I was dying!

They take my old epidural out and start to put a new one in. This is all happening while I am having contractions every two minutes and I am having paralyzing back labor. They put me on oxygen and keep telling me Prestons heart rate is too high and that I need to calm down. Every time they moved or touched me I had shooting pains up my spine, in my back, neck and shoulders. It was the most pain I have ever felt. Glen, the nurse, and my mom are all trying to keep my back still so I can get the new epidural.  My mom kept saying she has to be close to a ten, she has to be close to a ten. 

Once the second epidural is in they check me and see dark hair! I was way past a ten and Preston was coming out with or without hands there to catch him. They tell me my doctor is ten minutes away and that it is ok to begin pushing. Well since I still felt all of my contractions I knew when to push. I was in so much pain that I was just determined to get him out. I did three sets of three pushes and he was out.  Once his head was out my doctor told me to reach down and pull him out myself. I pulled him up onto my chest and listened to my baby boy cry for the very first time.

I cannot explain to you the way I felt. All of a sudden the pain was gone and there I was holding the most innocent little baby. I have dreamed of this moment since I can remember. All my life I have wanted nothing more then to be a mother and in that moment I realized my dream came true.  Although my labor was long and hard, I can honestly say it was worth it. I would do anything for Preston.

It’s amazing to see how much you can love a person. I have always loved my husband but my love for him tripled. Bringing a child into this world is such an experience and one that is so special. I cannot imagine doing it alone and without my eternal companion. He is truly my best friend and I feel so blessed and lucky to have him as the father of my children. I know it’s hard watching someone you love be in that much pain, but he did great. He was right by my side the entire time.

A few things I should have done differently is never let the resident continue to try and put the device in. After 15 minutes of trying I should have told them I would feel more comfortable with my own doctor inserting it. I also should have gotten the epidural immediately. I didn’t think about the fact that it takes a while to call the anesthesiologist, get the medicine, get everything set up and inserted, and then give it time to start working. I also now know that as soon as I start feeling pain I need to say something because it gets worse and worse, never better.

I’m sure most people wont have the same problems that I did so do not worry!  Having a baby is just peachy!!! Well at least I can say it is well worth any amount of pain. Although I did have two epidurals I can say I know what it is like to have a natural, vaginal delivery… and it’s not fun, especially if it is not planned and happens not by choice. 

I feel like I still have so much more to say about the recovery, large engorged watermelon sized breast, and the six month post pregnant belly. I will spare you all the details, but more to come soon.... It has taken me forever to type this so I'm not even going to bother reading it and editing all my errors and spelling, so this is my apology! 


I forgot to mention..... Preston was 10 days early and weighed in at 8'12 and was 20.5 inches long. His head measured 15 inches!!!! For those that don't know, you dilate to 10 cm, not 15 inches! ;)