I was finally upstairs. It took long enough! My sense of time was off, but it had to be almost two hours of waiting. And you know the first question I asked was, " Can I have my epidural now?" The nurse told me that I had to have an IV for 15 minutes first. (And while we are on the topic of IVs. If you ever wonder why mom and baby look swollen after birth. IV fluid is the culprit.) She checked me. I was still four centimeters dilated.
Fifteen minutes labor it was time for my epidural. Ahhhhhh! The anesthesiologist numbed my back. My hubby braced me from the front. The needle started to go in. I flinched. They both were alarmed, "You can't move!"
My response, "I felt that!" I was numbed some more. "Wait, I'm having another contraction." Had contraction. "Ok. I'm ready" The second time around everything went fine. (If you are wondering. I was not the least bit concerned about the needle. Getting the IV was worse.) Then came the chills. Why am I shivering?! The nurse told me they were normal. They subsided within 15 minutes. (FYI: I got the chills again when they removed the catheter after labor as well.)
And it was all easy breezy from there folks. My mom-in-law, sis-in-law, mom, and sis joined me after the epidural. (My sister later had to leave due to the four person limit.) I explained my birth plan to the nurses. Gave them copies. ( I had about 5 copies.) I found the tv/internet and distracted myself. I checked out facebook. And no, I did not announce my birth. I felt that those closest to me should have the honor of knowing first. I then checked my work e-mail. I forwarded some e-mails. And the pomp'n circumstance... I posted my extended out of office message. Ahhhh! That felt good.
An epidural is one helluva drug. I was chilling. Laughing. The only bad side effect is that you can't really feel your legs. They felt like dead weight. I had to move them with my arms. I could still feel the pressure of contractions, but no pain. I also watched them on the monitor, which was very helpful when it was time to push.
And while we are on that topic. At midnight, the nurse came to check me. Everyone started to guess how far I had progressed. (Remember, my water broke around 6 p.m.) My sis-in-law guessed, "I think 7 centimeters." The nurse replied, "Not quite. She is actually nine centimeters." (For the record, I was in a bit of shock at how quickly my labor was progressing.) It was about then I lost track of time. Somewhere between noon and 1 p.m. I started to push.
The nurse asked, "Have you taken a labor and delivery course?"
I replied, "No, I took prenatal yoga and watched shows like 'One Born Every Minute' though." The nurse taught me how to breath. I took a deep breath, held it, and pushed. For each contraction, I pushed three times for about 8 seconds each. My coaches (my sis-in-law and hubby) helped. I even coached myself at times when I felt (and/or saw a contraction on the monitor) and pushed through them. The doctor said, "You're doing great! You don't need any help do you?" (For the record, please note that nurses are there for you throughout the labor. Doctors only show up for the finale.)
Her head started to show. The doctor said, "She has a lot of hair." He proceeded to touch her hair. Eww. They asked me if I wanted to look in the mirror. Ewww! No! But since I figured I might regret the decision I said, "Ok. Really quickly." I looked. "Ok. That's enough. Please take the mirror away." For a while her head would pop out and then she would slide back in. Grrr.
Finally, I'd had enough. I took a break. I took some deep calming breaths. (I learned that from prenatal yoga and pilates. FYI: Yoga, pilates, and exercise are your best resource for getting through labor. You mainly need strength and stamina to do well in labor.) I said a really good, long prayer. I prayed for strength. I prayed for her health and mine. I prayed that this would be my last set of pushes.
I felt pressure. I saw the contraction on the screen. I took a deep breath and I pushed. She plopped onto the table. The doctor said that if he wasn't there to catch her, she would have flown across the room. She cried. It felt surreal.
Hubby cut the cord. They laid her on my chest. They delivered my placenta. Sewed me up. (I tore. I didn't even feel it.) And then they took her to the other side of the room for her screening.
Mariah
April 20, 2011 1:38 a.m.
6 lbs. 5.56 oz.
19 inches
How's that for a sprint?
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