The Low Down

Meet the new addition to the Naugle Family

His name is Isaac (Ike) Lorenzo Naugle and we are in love with him. 6lbs 12oz, 19 inches long and absolutely perfect and healthy.

Labor was... intense and fast but the quickness of it made it fairly easy and he came out perfect. He even managed to have a completely round head. We have decided its because he didn't even have enough time to develop a cone head. My doc offered to induce me at 39 weeks and I didn't have enough will power to say no. I should have... I know. But lets be honest, how do you say no at that point in your pregnancy when you are SO incredibly miserable? I couldn't muster up the strength to refuse. However, I did know that I really wanted to try to avoid pitocin because I wanted to attempt a drug free birth. I did make everyone aware that I wasn't totally determined not to get the epidural and therefor I would probably end up with one. When its so easy and they keep offering... its another thing that is hard to say no to.
We decided to break my water to see if that would get my body going on its own. I was warned that I was "on the clock" once it was broken. The hospital has rules about how long they will let you labor after your water is broken before they take the baby c-section. My Doc told me I had one hour to walk the halls and try to get some contractions going. It took about 3 min. Apparently my body knew what to do. I didn't even make it out the door before I felt the first little contraction. From there they came every 1 and 1/2 to 2 mins and just got stronger with every one. I needed a potty break so we swung by my room and thats when the real pain started. I decided I would lay down for a second because I was breaking out in full body sweats. When I did lay down though, my contractions slowed down to about every 4 minutes but they got WAY more intense. Andrew hadn't eaten anything and was getting hungry so he asked for my permission to go get something "real quick" So I sent him off. The nurse had disappeared and I couldn't reach the call button.... and of course thats when all hell broke loose ;) The contractions were hitting and not letting go at all in between. I didn't have time to breath. I WAS DYING!!! ok... I wasn't dying but I really wished I would. By the time Andrew got back, one look at me and he knew that I was having thoughts of suicide. I was about 2 hours in to labor and I WANTED THE EPIDURAL!!! (hehe) He sent for the nurse but by the time she arrived and then sent for the epidural it had been about another 35-40 minutes. They finally got the drugs in me but by that point I was at a 10 and ready to push. In a matter of about 10 min (during the process of getting the epidural) I had gone from a 6 to a 10.  Less than 15 min later my doctor announced that "We had a TOM!" (Im not sure why he chose to use the name Tom and not the word boy but he did)
So there you have it. They broke my water at 9:30 a.m. I had my first contraction about 5 min later and I delivered at 12:27 p.m. I definitely think the epidural took the edge off but I wasn't even close to numb... I felt everything. Which was good. I wanted that experience and although I was too big of a wimp to go all the way without drugs I feel like I got to experience the greater part of it. That being said... My deepest respects go out to those women who choose all natural birth. You are incredible. Seriously... not just because you can endure the pain but because you have an option not to and you choose to go through it anyway. I however will not be trying it again. (haha) I have decided that doing it again would make me a little fearful or apprehensive about delivery and I don't want it to be something Im nervous about. If I felt like it was harmful to the baby or was causing complications  somehow to get the epidural I simply wouldn't do it. But I have 3 extremely healthy children. Not a single problem with one of them and so I say... give me the drugs!