The night she began her entry into the world...
On August 3rd @ about 11:45pm I got up to use the bathroom, I drank some juice and went back to bed. I remember thinking that I was much more restless than usual and that it sucked that I had to get out of bed about ten times in the night to use the bathroom because it was getting more difficult to climb in and out of bed.
Next time I woke up was at 1:45am. I was laying on my right side and I was getting ready to get out of bed to yet make another bathroom run when I noticed that I seemed to have wet the bed some. I was embarrassed and couldn't believe I may have urinated on the bed. I got up and went to the bathroom and noticed that I had a lot of mucus when I wiped. This was my first sign that something wasn't normal. It was the first time that night that I thought that maybe these were proliferate signs. I couldn't tell if my water had broken or not and I wasn't having any contractions so I figured it was just a result of my mucus lining thinning out and I went back to bed. I dozed off for about 15 minutes or so and then woke up again.
I felt a stream of fluid come out of me and I checked to see where it was coming from, it wasn't urine and as soon as that thought popped into my head I felt something pop inside of me. Literally a popping sensation. And then a rush of fluid came out of me. It was a pop and a very sharp, intense pain. I was pretty sure my water had broken. I felt confused and excited but most of all I was surprised. I wasn't due for a few weeks.
I woke Matt up and I told him I thought my water had broken, it took him a few moments to get what I was saying. I remember he said "But I didn't hear a splash or anything." Thinking of him saying that will probably always make me laugh. He got up and was ready to start getting ready to leave when I saw how tired he looked and all, so I told him to lay back down. I told him I wanted to wait and see about contractions because up until then I still hadn't felt any. I also wanted a few minutes to just collect my thoughts and a chance to wash up in the bathroom. So I went and filled up the tub with a little bit of warm water and I sat there for about 10-15 minutes or so when I started to feel the contractions. I couldn't believe how strong they were and how painful they were already getting. I timed them to be about 5 minutes apart and lasting for about 30-45 seconds each. I knew it was time to go to the hospital.
I was pretty shocked. It was all very dreamlike to me. I just couldn't believe it was time. We had also just had my baby shower a few days earlier and our apartment was in condition to bring a baby into it. I was very anxious and worried. I went to the room and told Matt we had to go because I was pretty sure the baby would be on its way soon.
I got dressed and by dressed I mean I threw on my pants and one of Matt's t-shirts because I didn't have a single thing to wear. We hadn't done laundry so I didn't have clean clothes. I didn't even have a hospital bag packed because I was going to do it the next day after I went shopping for some items I needed. Matt asked if he should call my doctor and I remember thinking that we should but I just wanted to get the hell out and to the hospital.
We got into the car and off we went. Matt was great. He wasn't panicking or anything of the sort. I remember the care he took in getting us to the hospital. There was construction being done on the highway and some of the exits were closed but we were fine.
We get to the hospital and get out of the car only to find out that the entrance was closed and we had to go around the back to get in. I should've remembered this but I guess I forgot. The security guard on duty went to get me a wheelchair because by the time we got to the parking lot I could barely walk, that's how strong and painful the contractions were. As I sat down on a bench and waited for the guard to return, one of the EMS guys came and was nice enough to wheel me through a side entrance and up to the labor-delivery unit.
We got there and all I could think was that I hoped everything was going to be fine. I was so scared something was wrong. The midwife on duty escorted me to the triage room. I think at first she thought I was there with false contractions. I had been there two weeks earlier with prelabor contractions and was sent home. When I told her I believed my water had broke and my contractions were getting more pronounced and closer together she changed her whole attitude. I was put in the hospital bed after I changed into the hospital gown and I was put on the monitors. The fetal heartbeat was good and my contractions were pretty strong. They called my doctor, Doctor Holden and I waited for his arrival.
He got there and the first thing he said was "Why didn't you call me?"...I informed that Matt was going to but all I wanted was to get the hell out of the house. He checked me to see how dilated I was and then told me I was about 5 centimeters. He then said "Congratulations, you are in labor!" Funny guy.
The pain was worse but it was still tolerable. After about an hour the doctor returned and asked me if I wanted some pain medication. I decided against an epidural.
A few hours passed, about 2 and it was around 6 in the morning when Dr. Holden told me that they were going to move me to the labor/delivery room and that we were going to start pushing. I remember looking at the clock and thinking that this couldn't be happening. I had only been in the hospital for less than 4 hours. A half hour later I was in the Labor room laying is a semi-sitting position with my legs up in the stir-ups getting ready to push. I had the option of different birthing positions but at the time this felt like the most comfortable to me.
The nurse, Jody, who had been taking my stats was sticking around after her shift because she wanted to see the baby.
And so the contractions came and I started pushing. I can't put into words how scared I was. Matt was wonderful. He stood by my side and talked to me and held my hands. And when the contractions began and the pushing started he braced my right leg and supported me through them. It was an intense but amazing experience. I remember laying there in between the contractions thinking there was no way I was going to be able to do it. And the nurse, Matt and Dr. Holden all kept reassuring me. It was a frustrating hour. The doctor thought that the baby would have been delivered by 7am, if not sooner but a few of my contractions got wasted on my emptying my bladder. Something that wouldn't have happened had the doctor listened to the nurse when she told him I should have been allowed to use the bathroom to empty my bladder. So after I emptied my bladder of all the IV fluid I had gotten my contractions slowed down a bit. Around 7:10 or so they got back to being very strong and the need to push came and about 20 minutes later after some very intense moments where I said to Matt I couldn't do it, Leah was born.
Matt and the doctor were telling me the whole time that they could see the baby's head and it had a full head of hair. And the doctor kept telling me that if I would just push through the pain it would stop as soon as the baby was born. I remember thinking he needed to shut up since he would never have a baby and had no idea. (He was completely right.) As soon as I had that last push and felt her come out, the pain was gone. And I almost completely forgot about the labor. Next thing I know I look up at Matt and he was beaming proud and he kissed me on the forehead and I remember thinking that life couldn't possibly be any better.
She came out and he announced that we had a baby girl. We were expecting a boy. I couldn't possibly have cared less. Matt got to hold her after the neo-natalologist checked her out. The specialist was present because she was early. He informed us she was healthy and they wrapped her up and Matt sat in the chair and he held his daughter for the first time. They looked beautiful together. In the meantime I had to get stitched up and I was very drowsy. Turns out I had a very low potassium count which led me to be over exhausted. Because of all that going on I didn't get to hold her but that was okay because all I cared about was that she was okay. She had to go to intensive care for a few hours while I rested and she was looked over.
I hope I never forget the look on Matt's face when he saw Leah for the first time. He smiled a kind of smile I don't believe I have ever seen before that moment.
All in all I would have to say that as far as labor goes I was lucky. And even if it'd been worse it would have all been worth it.
There really isn't anything like the miracle of life.
