E's arrival

Well, I finally have a moment (although it may be brief) to share the drama of E's arrival. If the drama of her entrance into this world is any indication of what her life will be like, Clay and I are in for roller coaster ride! If you aren't one for labor & delivery stories, then simply disregard this post for your own sake! ;)

Tuesday, February 13
Throughout the morning, I wondered if I was leaking amniotic fluid. I started having some decent contractions, but there was no regularity to them. I called Clay and told him something might be happening, but I wasn't sure. I had a doctor's appointment late that afternoon so I would see what was going on then. I did decide to pack my hospital bag and began a few other preparation type things around the house. I finally got concerned enough about the leaking that I called the doctor and they told me to get in as soon as possible. If my water had broken, they would have to put me in to labor. Clay heads home. Mom heads to my house to watch J. I finish packing a few things for J and myself as I wait for them to arrive. I head to the doctor while Clay packs his bag and Mom waits. Clay made it to the doctor before she actually saw me, and she determined I was dilated to a 2 and effacing, but my water had not broken - so not really a false alarm, but early labor. She told me to come home and walk or do other activities to try to get things moving...it could be hours or a few days before labor got going. So, we came home and I vacuumed almost all the floors, changed the sheets in the guest room and did a few other things before crashing on the couch. I went to Bible study/accountability that night just to get my mind off my very uncomfortable contractions. The girls were kind as they watched me breathe through many contractions and try different positions to find some place of comfort. I left early just ready to relax on my couch. I fell in to bed at 11:00 p.m. frustrated at how much pain I was in but accepting it wasn't time. I tried to rest, but kept having to ask Clay to push on my lower back/hips as contractions kept coming. After having 3 six minutes apart, we decided to wait for 2-3 more before heading to the hospital. I got up to use the bathroom and realized it was time as I sat paralyzed by the pain of contractions. Clay got dressed, loaded the car, and still had to wait on me to even begin to move. On to the hospital we go...

Wednesday, February 14
12:30 a.m. we arrived at the hospital and are placed in the observation area. Assessment showed I was dilated to a 3 and having regular contractions. DUH! We had to wait 1 hour to see if there was cervical change before they would admit me. (The rooms at this hospital are in such high demand they have to prove you have a reason to be in one!) Clay was a champ as I worked hard to manage my pain...the contractions were so different this time and I had to work a lot harder to stay calm.

1:50 a.m. Nurse Danita checks me (after seeing I am in extreme pain) - I've only changed to a 3.5, but she follows her gut that I need to be admitted (PRAISE GOD!!!) and simply tells me not to let her down and stop contracting. Little does she know what is to come...

2:04 a.m. I am admitted to my room, blood taken (it must come back before I can get my epidural), IV inserted, still working hard to manage my pain

2:22 a.m. my water breaks and my contractions are UNREAL! I ask for Stadol and she gives me a low dose, but it does nothing for me...they had put a rush on my blood work and it finally arrives so the epidural is on its way

2:27 a.m. I am checked before the anesthesiologist begins and they find I am already dilated 5 cm...inserting the epidural begins...intense pain continues...starting to feel the need to push. I tell Danita I need to push and lie to her that I haven't been pushing (how can you not when you are sitting cross-legged on a bed?).

2:48 a.m. they check me again at the anesthesiologist's request (this will change how he treats me) and find I am already at 9 cm...that's 4 cm in 21 minutes all while sitting cross-legged on the bed...so instead of a drip, they simply give me a quick dose of something that slowly begins to take away the pain

3:04 a.m. I am at 10 cm! The epidural has taken away the pain, but not the pressure. Pushing begins...the next 24 minutes are the hardest 24 minutes of my life. Due to the fast labor, E's head is still perfectly round causing difficulty in getting my pushes to do much. At one point, I screamed at her to "get out of me" - Clay says it was demonic and the doctor simply looked at me and said it wouldn't help much. E finally crowns and the moments of waiting for that next contraction seem to take an eternity...I had heard about that pressure, but man, words cannot describe!

3:28 a.m. E is finally here! It all seemed surreal...it was so fast. And now I was holding this little girl I had been thinking about for almost 9 months...she was a loud sucker, crying almost the entire first 2 hours of her life. Fortunately, that seemed to just be in response to the trauma we both experienced as she has been a great baby ever since.

Many have said a short labor is great...and in some respects I will agree. But as I lay there on the bed wondering if I would get the drugs in time, I'm not sure that amount of pain was worth the shorter ordeal. God bless Clay for being exactly what I needed as I managed my pain and for being able to keep it all together through a harrowing 3 hours. My labor was deemed precipitous (basically, fast because from onset to completion was under 3 hours)...and they warned me that next time could be even faster!

There are still moments it all seems surreal...she is already here and she wasn't due until Tuesday. We are doing well this first week home - most of us have battled a cold, but E seems to have been spared. Mom is heading home tonight so it will just be the four of us this weekend (Clay has tomorrow off) and Monday will be my first day going it alone. I am feeling pretty good about things, but we'll see what Monday holds!

Reading this doesn't seem to capture the drama and there are many small details I left out (like the fact we didn't have our cameras until right before I started pushing)...but you get the drift. I'm just thankful her head wasn't any bigger, but it sure is pretty!