"It all started on March 4th around 1:30 in the morning when I experienced the most painful contraction I had had yet! It hurt so bad I grunted out loud and woke Mark up. I couldn't believe how bad it hurt but eventually it went away and I tried falling back to sleep. Ten minutes later another one came and this time I was almost in tears but again I tried falling back to sleep. Ten minutes later another one came and I had had enough. So I called the hospital and as I told the nurse what I was experiencing, the tears began streaming. After I had explained what I was going through, she told me that because the contractions were still 10 minutes apart and I had only had 3 of them, I needed to wait until they were 5 minutes apart for an hour. She also told me to try getting in the shower and that should relieve some of the pain. I hung up the phone and jumped in the shower hoping it would help relieve the pain...it didn't. Not even a little bit. The contractions kept getting closer together and more painful as the hour passed. To make a long story short, we packed and left to the hospital when my contractions were between 3 minutes and a minute and a half long.
When we got to the hospital it was around 3:00 in the morning. We went up to the maternity center and they put me in an exam room to make sure I was in real labor, but when the nurse saw how much pain I was in and when Mark told her that I was having contractions 3 minutes to 1 1/2 minutes apart, she said they'd just move me right into a room. After I was in my room and in the bed, they strapped up the monitors to keep an eye on the contractions and the baby's heart rate. Next they tried putting the IV in me...I say tried because it took 2 nurses, one anesthesiologist and 4 pokes before they got it in so I had and still have 4 bruises on my hands. After they finally got the IV in, I got my epidural. As Mark held my shoulders, I squeezed a pillow to help with the pain of the contractions as the anesthesiologist stuck the needle in me. A few minutes later it felt as though I was in Heaven. Epidurals are amazing!
The nurse then came in and checked me to see how dilated I was. It was pretty awesome to hear that I was already at a 5! She also told me that she was going to put me on oxygen because the baby's heart rate was a little low. After they got the mask strapped on, the nurse told us to get some rest and she'd be back in a few hours to check on my progress. It was pretty difficult to get any sleep with the sound of the oxygen flowing in, the sound of the baby's heart beat and the shakes that I was experiencing. But 2 hours later, the nurse came back in to check me. I couldn't believe the news...I was already at a 9+! It was so exciting!! She said I was getting close and she'd be back later to check me again. About an hour later she came back and told me that I was completed and I would get to start pushing in a few minutes. At that time, my water also broke and I was well on my way to having a baby! She left and then came right back in to tell me that I couldn't start pushing until the antibiotic for GSB was in me...so I had to relax for about 45 minutes.
Forty five minutes later the nurse came back in and we began pushing but because the baby's heart rate was so low and getting lower (at one point it was lower than mine) that the doctor ended up giving me an episiotomy and sucking the baby out with a vacuum. Once the doctor had gotten his head and arms out, he told me to reach down and pull him the rest of the way out! It was quite the experience. Once he was out and cleaned off, the nurse brought him over to me and I got to hold him for the first time and let me tell you...it was the most incredible feeling! I was so happy!! He was a perfect baby! Seven pounds, 7 ounces and 21 inches long with lots and lots of dark brown hair. He was born at 9:33 am which was a pretty fast labor and delivery for a first timer like me."
Well guess what!?!?! It's almost been a year...can you believe it? Stay tuned for the first birthday post :)
