The long awaited birth story
Sunday November 20, 2005
Tony and I woke up as usual. We look at each other and agree that yet again I have not gone into labor in the middle of the night. We sigh and decide to get on with yet another day without a baby. We attend mass where many prayers are said to please get this baby out of my body. Groceries are bought for the week. I decide to make a pumpkin cheesecake in preparation for Thanksgiving. In the back of my mind, I hope I can never finish this complicated recipe because I'll suddenly go into labor. This does not happen. The cheesecake takes a few hours to prepare and bake, but I complete it. I have decided not to go to work on Monday. My parents are flying in this evening, and I'd rather spend time with them than waddle around my office for another day.
6:00
Tony and I go to the gym. We work out for a full hour.
7:00
In the last minute of my workout on the elliptical machine, I feel a little leakage. I immediately think that maybe my water just broke. I finish my workout and am wondering if that was really it. I decide that it wasn't my water because I don't feel any more leaking. Tony is approaching ready to head home for the night. I consider not mentioning the leakage. I don't want to get both of our hopes up. I tell him about the leakage and my thoughts that it's not really my water. The doctor did say I might lose bladder control.
7:15
We decide to call the doctor just in case. The doctor on call returns my call, and she tells me that I must come to the hospital. Tony and I half-heartedly collect up our things to go the hospital. On the way there, we joke about how this is just a practice run. By now I'm convinced that I must have peed on myself rather than my water breaking. I feel like an idiot.
7:45
We arrive at the hospital. We are immediately put into a room. I get into a gown and have all of the sensors hooked up to monitor the baby's heartbeat and my contractions.
8:00
Desperate Housewives comes on. At least I have something to watch on tv during this waste of time, because I still haven't felt anymore leaking after that initial seepage an hour ago.
8:05
My parents have arrived in Houston. They call Tony for directions. He tells them that we're at the hospital, but that we'll probably be leaving soon.
8:10
My doctor comes in to examine me. She is going to do some test and check out some cells under a microscope to see if she can see amniotic cells. The exam is really short. She says there is no need for the microscope that I am definitely ruptured. We are here to stay. I'm nearly completely effaced and 3 centimeters.
8:15
Tony calls my parents back and tells them to come to the hospital. The contraction monitor shows that I'm having contractions. Apparently that gassy feeling I've been having for several days is what contractions feel like.
8:30
I am given pitosin in my iv. This should make my contractions stronger and get this labor moving.
9:00
Grey's Anatomy comes on. My parents arrive. We're all excited that they made it to Houston just in time for the baby to be born. They stay for a little while then head out to get Tony some food. While they are gone, I start having some painful contractions. Tony and I do the breathing techniques. Everything is going good. My delivery nurse is having trouble tracking the baby's heart rate because she keeps wiggling around. She decides that the baby needs an internal monitor. While she is inserting that, she disturbs my ruptured bag of waters. My water breaks all over the bed. It feels like somebody dumped several buckets of water all over my legs. Tony looks really grossed out.
9:30
My parents are back. The contractions are starting to kick my ass. I'm having powerful contractions every 90 seconds. The contractions last 60 seconds, leaving me with 30 seconds in between to reconsider this decision to be a mother.
9:45
My parents and Tony are eating their burgers. The contractions are officially killing me. I can't keep my legs still during them. I shake all over in between them.
10:00
I ask for an epidural. Now that I have asked for it, I want it immediately. I have to wait a few minutes for the epidural. These few minutes are filled with horrible pain.
10:10
The anestiolgoist arrives. He runs Tony and my Mom out of the room. My dad has retired to the waiting room to sleep. They make me sit up to get ready for the epidural. I just thought the contractions were awful lying down. Sitting up and having contractions felt like the lower half of my body was rebelling against the upper half. The doctor pokes around on my spine for awhile, gives me some local anesthetic, then the big needle. It hurts, but it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the contractions. I lie back in bed and relax.
10:30
My mom and Tony return to the room. I'm starting to lose feeling in my legs, and mercifully the pain of the contractions is dissipating. By the end of the local news, I'm completely deadened from the waist down. The only way that I know that I'm having a contraction is by watching the monitor.
11:00
My doctor comes back for another look at my progress. I'm now at 5 to 6 centimeters and fully effaced. Thank God, I didn't wait any longer for the epidural. I still have 5 centimeters to go.
11:30-5:30
After all the excitement of the breathing techniques and horrible contractions, labor with an epidural is pretty boring. My mom continues knitting a blanket for the baby. She brought me a Montgomery newspaper with lots of coverage of the Iron Bowl. Tony and I read the paper. I did the crossword puzzle.
5:30
Next check up on my progress. I'm now at 9 centimeters. The delivery nurse starts getting the room ready. I tell my mother that I enjoyed having in her with me during labor, but I only want Tony in the room for delivery. I’m starting to feel the contractions again. Now I only feel the pressure of the contractions not the horrible pain.
6:00
The room is ready. The nurse checks out the cervix, and I am completely dilated. My doctor is paged. My nurse wants to do some practice pushing.
6:10
I did three practice pushes during a contraction, and the baby’s head can be seen. I’m told not to push anymore until the doctor gets there.
6:30
My doctor comes in. I push three times during a contraction. Tony even looks to see the baby’s head emerging. He doesn’t look nearly as disgusted as I thought he would. One more contraction hits me, and I push. I feel lots of pressure then a release, and the baby’s head comes out. The release was the episiotomy. We all wait for one more contraction so I can push.
6:35
I push, and Maggie is born.
Time seems to stand still at this point. I look into Tony’s eyes. He looks like a combination of shock, disgust and pure joy. The slimy wriggly body is placed on top of my stomach. I barely got a good look before she is taken away. The nurses move her a few feet away from my bed to weigh and measure her. I can see her bright pink body and her mass of dark hair. The weight is announced to be 9 lbs. and I can’t believe that I had a baby that big.
6:40ish
After all the baby measuring and sticking her with needles and dropping stuff in her eyes, she is wrapped up and little hat put on her head. While that was going on, I did my final push (placenta, etc.) and started getting cleaned up. The doctor stitched me up. The stitches were not painful but I could feel the thread tugging through my skin. Finally, I go to hold Maggie. To say that it was the most wonderful moment of my life would be an understatement. She was beautiful.
Tony and I woke up as usual. We look at each other and agree that yet again I have not gone into labor in the middle of the night. We sigh and decide to get on with yet another day without a baby. We attend mass where many prayers are said to please get this baby out of my body. Groceries are bought for the week. I decide to make a pumpkin cheesecake in preparation for Thanksgiving. In the back of my mind, I hope I can never finish this complicated recipe because I'll suddenly go into labor. This does not happen. The cheesecake takes a few hours to prepare and bake, but I complete it. I have decided not to go to work on Monday. My parents are flying in this evening, and I'd rather spend time with them than waddle around my office for another day.
6:00
Tony and I go to the gym. We work out for a full hour.
7:00
In the last minute of my workout on the elliptical machine, I feel a little leakage. I immediately think that maybe my water just broke. I finish my workout and am wondering if that was really it. I decide that it wasn't my water because I don't feel any more leaking. Tony is approaching ready to head home for the night. I consider not mentioning the leakage. I don't want to get both of our hopes up. I tell him about the leakage and my thoughts that it's not really my water. The doctor did say I might lose bladder control.
7:15
We decide to call the doctor just in case. The doctor on call returns my call, and she tells me that I must come to the hospital. Tony and I half-heartedly collect up our things to go the hospital. On the way there, we joke about how this is just a practice run. By now I'm convinced that I must have peed on myself rather than my water breaking. I feel like an idiot.
7:45
We arrive at the hospital. We are immediately put into a room. I get into a gown and have all of the sensors hooked up to monitor the baby's heartbeat and my contractions.
8:00
Desperate Housewives comes on. At least I have something to watch on tv during this waste of time, because I still haven't felt anymore leaking after that initial seepage an hour ago.
8:05
My parents have arrived in Houston. They call Tony for directions. He tells them that we're at the hospital, but that we'll probably be leaving soon.
8:10
My doctor comes in to examine me. She is going to do some test and check out some cells under a microscope to see if she can see amniotic cells. The exam is really short. She says there is no need for the microscope that I am definitely ruptured. We are here to stay. I'm nearly completely effaced and 3 centimeters.
8:15
Tony calls my parents back and tells them to come to the hospital. The contraction monitor shows that I'm having contractions. Apparently that gassy feeling I've been having for several days is what contractions feel like.
8:30
I am given pitosin in my iv. This should make my contractions stronger and get this labor moving.
9:00
Grey's Anatomy comes on. My parents arrive. We're all excited that they made it to Houston just in time for the baby to be born. They stay for a little while then head out to get Tony some food. While they are gone, I start having some painful contractions. Tony and I do the breathing techniques. Everything is going good. My delivery nurse is having trouble tracking the baby's heart rate because she keeps wiggling around. She decides that the baby needs an internal monitor. While she is inserting that, she disturbs my ruptured bag of waters. My water breaks all over the bed. It feels like somebody dumped several buckets of water all over my legs. Tony looks really grossed out.
9:30
My parents are back. The contractions are starting to kick my ass. I'm having powerful contractions every 90 seconds. The contractions last 60 seconds, leaving me with 30 seconds in between to reconsider this decision to be a mother.
9:45
My parents and Tony are eating their burgers. The contractions are officially killing me. I can't keep my legs still during them. I shake all over in between them.
10:00
I ask for an epidural. Now that I have asked for it, I want it immediately. I have to wait a few minutes for the epidural. These few minutes are filled with horrible pain.
10:10
The anestiolgoist arrives. He runs Tony and my Mom out of the room. My dad has retired to the waiting room to sleep. They make me sit up to get ready for the epidural. I just thought the contractions were awful lying down. Sitting up and having contractions felt like the lower half of my body was rebelling against the upper half. The doctor pokes around on my spine for awhile, gives me some local anesthetic, then the big needle. It hurts, but it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as the contractions. I lie back in bed and relax.
10:30
My mom and Tony return to the room. I'm starting to lose feeling in my legs, and mercifully the pain of the contractions is dissipating. By the end of the local news, I'm completely deadened from the waist down. The only way that I know that I'm having a contraction is by watching the monitor.
11:00
My doctor comes back for another look at my progress. I'm now at 5 to 6 centimeters and fully effaced. Thank God, I didn't wait any longer for the epidural. I still have 5 centimeters to go.
11:30-5:30
After all the excitement of the breathing techniques and horrible contractions, labor with an epidural is pretty boring. My mom continues knitting a blanket for the baby. She brought me a Montgomery newspaper with lots of coverage of the Iron Bowl. Tony and I read the paper. I did the crossword puzzle.
5:30
Next check up on my progress. I'm now at 9 centimeters. The delivery nurse starts getting the room ready. I tell my mother that I enjoyed having in her with me during labor, but I only want Tony in the room for delivery. I’m starting to feel the contractions again. Now I only feel the pressure of the contractions not the horrible pain.
6:00
The room is ready. The nurse checks out the cervix, and I am completely dilated. My doctor is paged. My nurse wants to do some practice pushing.
6:10
I did three practice pushes during a contraction, and the baby’s head can be seen. I’m told not to push anymore until the doctor gets there.
6:30
My doctor comes in. I push three times during a contraction. Tony even looks to see the baby’s head emerging. He doesn’t look nearly as disgusted as I thought he would. One more contraction hits me, and I push. I feel lots of pressure then a release, and the baby’s head comes out. The release was the episiotomy. We all wait for one more contraction so I can push.
6:35
I push, and Maggie is born.
Time seems to stand still at this point. I look into Tony’s eyes. He looks like a combination of shock, disgust and pure joy. The slimy wriggly body is placed on top of my stomach. I barely got a good look before she is taken away. The nurses move her a few feet away from my bed to weigh and measure her. I can see her bright pink body and her mass of dark hair. The weight is announced to be 9 lbs. and I can’t believe that I had a baby that big.
6:40ish
After all the baby measuring and sticking her with needles and dropping stuff in her eyes, she is wrapped up and little hat put on her head. While that was going on, I did my final push (placenta, etc.) and started getting cleaned up. The doctor stitched me up. The stitches were not painful but I could feel the thread tugging through my skin. Finally, I go to hold Maggie. To say that it was the most wonderful moment of my life would be an understatement. She was beautiful.
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