On March 14th, 2012 I entered into yet another new chapter of life.
Motherhood.
For those of you that don't have kids. Throw out anything anyone has ever told you. Cause nothing can prepare you for seeing that little bundle for the first time.
Yes, you have 9 months to prepare but I promise those 9 months go by rather quickly!
I have never considered myself a "baby" person. I mean some people have it, some people don't. I always blamed it on me being the youngest person in my family. Who knows. Either way I was always a baby dummy, that awkward friend that visits you at the hospital, holds the baby, but it's obvious they don't know what they are doing.
I was also the person who thought all babies look alike.
When they placed that tiny baby in my arms though all those thoughts disappeared. This baby looked like none I had ever seen.
She did have a worried expression those first few days at the hospital.
Marine said she was worried cause she knew we didn't know what we were doing...
If that were the case she was right!!
Everyone had said it would come naturally.... and they were right. I myself was shocked. But at 2 am when there is no one else around you just kind of figure it out.
I'm skipping around a lot, I apologize.
Let me start at the beginning.... on March 11th Marine and I arrived at the hospital with bags in tow. My original due date had been March 6th and I was now almost a week late. Due to swelling my doctor had advised they would only let me go a week late then they would want to induce.
I myself wanted to wait as long as it took! As a baby dummy I was nowhere near ready!! And I admit I was a teensy tiny bit afraid of the whole labor thing.
But doctors orders.
There was no water breaking. No frantic rush to get the bags in the car. No pandemonium as you try to make sure you have everything, including the camera, for this huge milestone. No worrying about getting a speeding ticket on the way to the hospital.
Nope not us.
Apparently, much to my disappointment, that only happens in the movies. I admit I really wanted my water to break and freak Marine out. In the final week up to D-Day when I was experiencing a Braxton Hicks Contraction Marine said, "If you think your waters going to break go stand in the bath tub."
Sigh, what a romantic! lol
But nope none of that for us. Instead we drove the hour drive to the hospital. Stopping on the way to eat diner with our Mom's for their birthdays. My mom's birthday is March 10th and his is March 14th. Then we calmly parked at the hospital and headed inside.... Now there
may or
may not have been a fuss from Marine on how much stuff I had packed as he tried to lug it all in the hospital...
 |
Why yes... I just realized that is my bra
thrown on top of the bag...
* blushing* |
Everything was so calm.
We were checked in and then taken to the maternity floor where we were shown to our room and introduced to our night nurse.
It all seemed to easy!
The room was very nice!
The doctor came in and started the first step in the induction process and tells me to get a good nights sleep that they will start me on the IV in the morning.
The room resembles more of a hotel room then a hospital room in that it is cozy not just white and plain. I settle in for the night and Marine makes his couch into a bed.
'This is it,' I think, 'Tomorrow we will be parents.'
The next morning I am brought breakfast and advised I have time to eat a little before they start the next phase of induction.
See calm!!
Around 9:00 a.m. the doctor comes in and they hook me up to an IV.
All I have to do now is relax and wait for things to start happening.
Sounds easy, right?
A nurse comes in and checks on me every hour.
Sometime after lunch we hear some commotion in the hall. The machine monitoring my contractions is split screen and the person in the room next to me her contractions are showing on the top portion. I don't remember the exact reason for this but know it was along the lines so the nurse could monitor us from both rooms. I need to add that the lady in the next room had also been induced that same morning about 20 minutes before me. Anyway, after the noise in the hall I look at the monitor and see that where my contractions are rolling hills, hers are scaling sharp, high mountain peaks.
Shortly after the nurse comes in to tell me the other person has had their baby.
And me? I don't remember the exact dilatation but it wasn't much.... Just contractions that are not near close enough together.
"This was her second child. Sometimes with the second child the labor is a lot quicker," The nurse informs me.
Yeah, Yeah.
I can't remember the exact time but later that afternoon I'm pretty much told that we haven't made much progress. That happens sometimes. It's been a long day. Eat some dinner. Take a shower. Get some rest. We'll try again tomorrow.
My Mom and Marines Mom have been there most of the day. After much assurance from myself and the nurse that doesn't look like baby will arrive over night, they decide to head home. But not without making Marine promise he will call if even the slightest thing happens.
Marine goes out and gets us some dinner because the hospital food just doesn't look that appealing. And also because I treat each meal as if it may be my last meal. I mean do you know how much time there is between breakfast and diner? I
needed Chick-fil-a!
After a night of not much sleep.... I mean how can you sleep when a nurse is checking your vitals every hour? The next morning is much the same. Eat breakfast, get hooked to IV.
Whew. Today is the day. But deep down I know it's not. Crazy I know.
Do you know what is on daytime TV? Nothing. The room has a DVD player in so Marine runs out and comes back with several Redbox rentals to choose from.
Yes, I'm sitting in the hospital trying to give birth and watching movies.
Day 3 is contractions and discomfort. But nothing to unbearable.
At this point two other women have come in and had babies. Me? Oh were still just hanging out.....
At the end of Day 3 it is much the same. The doctor comes in and says that I have two options.
- I am dilated enough they can break my water tonight and I can have the baby.
- I can eat diner, take a shower, get a goods night rest and they can break my water in the morning.
I'm exhausted from the contractions all day and I'm starving. I choose option 2.
Once again Marine goes and gets us diner and he curls up beside me on the hospital bed and we watch a movie.
Wednesday - Day 4 - March 14. Today is Marine's mom's birthday. I am officially 8 days late.
Again I'm started on an IV. Today though is going to be the magic day. Where the dilatation had been at a standstill today I quickly accelerate to a 6.
The contractions aren't to bad, but I'm no dummy. I want the drugs before they get bad. I'm told I can get an epidural now if I want.
One of my friends who is a mother of two had advised, "when they offer you the drugs, take them!!! You may not be hurting but if you wait your screwed."
A lady comes in with the nurse wheeling a cart. This was my second day having nurse Holly and she was wonderful!! The anesthesiologist tells Marine he can watch if he wants to. Of course he says he does. He stands in front of me and I grip his hands leaning forward.
OUCH! my mind screams.... only to hear, "I'm so sorry I'm going to have to do it again....."
No I'm not kidding.
Apparently 3rd time was the charm. On the third time, I'm advised it's in.
From here things get a little blurry. The contractions speed up. The doctor breaks my water. Things are moving quickly, a nurse checks me and quickly leaves the room coming back in with a table and other nurses saying I'm at an 8 and it will be any time now.
But the baby has turned slightly and is not in the exact correct position. We have to try and get her to turn back. I'm help to lay over on my side with one foot crocked up funny into one of the stirrups. The bed is lowered from my waist down. I'm sure this isn't really comfortable but I'm so drugged up I can't feel a thing. My mom keeps pacing the room looking worried and saying that can't be comfortable and am I sure I'm ok.
Every so often the nurse will come in and flip me to the other side. This goes on for some time.
Then the epidural starts to wear off. I can't feel every contraction. Another nurse hooks up a new bag to the IV running to the epidural. Next thing I know I hear the monitor beeping. And the nurse is telling everyone but Marine to get out of the room. Other nurses rush in my numbness state I can feel the urgency as the nurse says I have to roll over and get on my hands and knees.
Is she crazy? The drugs have just kicked in and I can't feel a thing! Not to mention the fuzziness going through my head.
They grab my arm and help me get turned over. While Marine helps me hold my upper body up one of the nurses is moving the monitors on my belly. One monitors the baby's heartbeat and the other the contractions.
Apparently the second round had made the baby's heart rate slow as my blood pressure dropped (I think that was why.... it was all fuzzy to me).
After a bit I'm flipped back over.
I feel awful. I'm hungry and I feel upset to my stomach. The nurse says I can eat a few crackers to settle my stomach and have just a tiny bit of water.
Things are calm for awhile. I'm still having to rotate sides and still nothing is happening.
Marine and I walk laps up down the halls.
Nothing happens.
Nurse Holly comes in, "I'm not a doctor but I just want you to be prepared. I think your going to have to have a c-section...." She proceeds to tell me that where the baby has been pressing it is agitated my cervix and it was swollen and she wouldn't be able to fit.
Bless Nurse Holly. Even delivering bad news she was great!
The doctor comes in and says along the same lines as everything Nurse Holly has said. But the bad news is there are two emergency C-Sections they must do before me. It will be awhile.
I don't remember how I got one but I guess it must have been ok.... I made Marine run to the gas station and come back with a Icee. Which I ended up throwing up. In a bad. Sexy I know.
By this time the Nurse Holly's shift was over and I had a new Nurse. I tell her my epidural is wearing off. She doesn't pay much mind but says she will get someone to come up.
By now its around 8:00pm-ish. I have been having STRONG contractions all day.
They come and add to my epidural. I give it awhile to take affect but the pain relief never comes. I tell the nurse I'm in pain.
Nurse Witch seems not to believe me.
My back is to the monitor. Marine is in a chair next to the bed holding my hand. My mom is seated on chair diagonal to me. And Marine Mom and Sis sit on the couch. I can see the worry in my mom's eyes.
I tell them I'm hurting and can feel the contractions. I ask Marine to press the button for the nurse. I tell her again I'm in extreme pain. On her little scale of 1 to 10 I'm quickly escalating to an 11. I feel the contractions in my back and pelvis area as well as pressure in pelvis area.
She again seems uncovinced until I winch. Back to the monitor I say, "If you look at the monitor I'm having a contraction... it's getting worse.... worse.... worse..... WORSE..... easing off. easing down..... whew contraction over."
She is looking over my shoulder at the monitor the entire time. "You can feel that?!' She asks.
WELL DUH!! What do you think I've been trying to tell you? However I just simply answer, "Yes."
She gives me something else though the IV in my arm telling me it should help. Slowly it dulls the pain. The pain doesn't disappear but its no longer as intense.
Twenty minutes later the pain is back.
This time the head anesthesiologist comes in. It is not the woman from this morning but a man in his mid 30's.
"I hear you are in some pain." He states.
"Yes, Yes I am."
---------> Interruption: Sorry I have been trying to write this post since May. It's now November. So I'm going to sum up the rest. <------ p="p">
Nice man gives me pain meds. The good stuff. Obviously they had been holding out on me before.
They will me down for my C-Section. On the way Marine's Grandma is in the hall snapping pictures. The nurse jokes I have my own paparazzi. In my mind I'm thinking "this is so not a moment I want to remember."
Despite my dread the C-Section wasn't that bad. And when I heard that initial cry my heart leaped. Before I had even seen her I looked at Marine and said "How about Maddie?"
Have I mentioned that even after 9 months we did not have a name for our baby girl?
And then a beautiful baby girl is in Marine's arms.
She does not look happy to be here. Period.
I tell the anesthesiologist I can feel pressure. He hits the magic button and according to Marine I was snoring in seconds.
She was perfect.
That was Wednesday night. We weren't finally discharged till Saturday. Even though it was a long week I was so thankful for such a nice hospital staff. The nurses (
minus the one) were wonderful!
More to come.... If I can find time to write. I miss blogging!
