Birth of Valette

1-31-2011

the day we came home from the hospital

I know it has only been 3 weeks. But I am already forgetting. So I NEED to get this written down.

Preface: I kept waiting to know what a real contraction feels like. I had a ton of brackston-hicks ones. My mom told me a real contraction would feel like it moved across my tummy. I never felt that. Also, I lost the mucus plug 9 days before delivering. After that came out I thought labor would be very close and really watched for signs. (None came.) Everyday there was a little more of the mucus stuff.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

I woke up to go to the bathroom at 5:30. My tummy was all hard and painful but I attributed it to the great need to pee. While in the bathroom I noticed what I thought was more of the mucus (since that was "normal" at this point). When I stood up a long trickle of water came out.

Oh! My water broke. I'm having a baby.

I went to wake Eric up. I told him we needed to go to the hospital but I really wanted to shower. So I did. The warm water felt good and lessened the contractions, and I shaved my legs--people were going to be seeing them. :-/

Eric showered after me and I finished packing the hospital bag. Whenever I had a contraction I knelt down with my hands on the couch and my belly hanging down and rocked my hips. it helped a little.

Eric drove to the hospital and I marked everyone in his phone for a mass list to text our good news. I called my mom and he called his mom before we left the house. We walked into admitting just after 6:30.

The woman looked up and asked "Can I help you?"

"Um, my water broke."

"Have a seat."

I found that funny. Why else does a very pregnant woman come into the hospital (when she should be sleeping) with a husband and a backpack? But I guess they have to start somewhere.

While getting me admitted she says "do you recognize me?" I didn't but Eric did. Totally our next door neighbor (I've never spoken to her before, in my defense). Small world. She gave me a wrist band and said I could go in to bed 2 in triage.

They told me to get on a gown and said a nurse would be in when I'm ready. I heard one tell the other "she thinks her water broke." HA! I only think that? Trust me, the pad I had put on less than an hour before was soaked through and my pants were no longer dry. I was not making this up.

When she came in she took my blood pressure and started all the medical history questions. About thirty seconds after asking if I had any nausea I threw up. Thankfully there wasn't much. After that she was ready to check my dilation and she says "oh your water definitely broke." Yeah. Duh.

I was at 3 cm. This disappointed me. I was feeling the contractions and rocking back and forth on the bed to relieve the pain. I told Eric I was hoping that I was past 5 since the water had already broken. Eric stroked my hair and my back. I liked that but he had to be REALLY soft. The nurse started an IV in my left hand and then brought in a pain killer that she said "would take the edge off" of the contractions. She also put me on the first dose of penicillin. At 11 weeks I was positive for Strep B in the bloodstream. This doesn't really mean anything to me but if a mother gives it to a baby during delivery they could easily get pneumonia or RSV so they medicated me to prevent her getting it. I felt a slight burning in my arm but I think the pain killer dulled it very quickly. It immediately made me start to feel loopy and then sleepy. Eric had to support me. They brought me in all the papers I had to sign to receive the epidural and the Hepatitis B shot for baby. My signature wasn't very steady. THEN an anesthesiologist came to explain the epidural process. The poor guy. The medicine was really making me sleepy and I told him I was sorry. I promised I wasn't normally this funny and my face was red because I was having contact issues. [He said this was nothing and he had seen some pretty funny stuff with people reacting to medicine. =) ]

My labor and delivery room was finally ready after 8:00 a.m. and they moved us. I threw up again when they were getting me settled. Thankfully it didn't happen again after that. They checked me again and said I was still a 3 but more effaced. I asked for the epidural when she came in the next time. I am a baby and well, why wait? My Mom and Celeste arrived while we waited. It only took the anesthesiologist about 15 minutes to come in. He had me sit on the edge of the bed and Eric held me steady while he worked. It was fairly quick but he had to pause when I had a contraction because I didn't want to jerk in pain and mess him up.

After he left the nurse checked me again and I was fully effaced and dilated to 4. That was about 10:30. Everyone was very supportive. Eric held me and stroked my skin. Celeste sat at the foot of the bed and supported my feet. My mom and Eric gave me ice chips. I was SO thirsty and my mouth felt all dry.

Mom Julie, Elise, and Kaylee arrived after 11:00. I wanted to sleep. I tried really hard but never fell asleep. I just laid there and was relaxed. I could tell when a contraction came. I felt like there was this circle on my belly--that was the pressure I guess. At first I felt a pain still in my left side, it took a while to go away but the nurse eventually upped my dose and it later stopped.

I very much dislike blood pressure cuffs. They used to make me itchy and nervous but when I had my surgery at 15 and did blood pressure so often for a while I got over that. Now I just really dislike them. After the epidural started they set the cuff to go off every 15 minutes. So I complained about that.

She checked me again, just after 11:30, and she looks up and says "well you're at a 9."

What?!??

I was shocked. I looked at Celeste and told her I wasn't ready to push yet. She told me not to worry. You still have time. I tried to rest again after that. I was about to get very tired and I knew it. Also they started the second dose of penicillin and set it very high because they wanted to make sure I got it in time. This means it was going very quickly into my bloodstream. Fast=painful. It felt like my whole arm was burning. I didn't know about the contractions at all at this point. I was fully distracted by my poor arm. Eric had to keep telling me the medicine was to help Valette and I was doing a good job. When it finished the nurse looked at it and said she was sorry. She didn't realize it was THAT high. I rolled my eyes. Gee thanks.

Dr. Newman came in after noon. She chatted and looked at my monitors. I was thinking she was just here for a visit when she says "okay we're gonna start pushing." Oh boy.

The nurse kept asking me if I was feeling any pressure or the need for a bowel movement. I told her no. I couldn't feel a thing. She said it was okay she would guide me through it anyway. They wanted me to hold my breath for a count of ten and get 3 pushes out of each contraction. I did okay for the first half, but then I started to get tired. I could do the first count of 10 but not the other two. I would get tired. Then the cuff went off again. It made me cry. I was frustrated because I thought I was going so slowly and then the blood pressure just set me off. (I am very glad it only went off once during that time.) Soon after that I was finally moving quickly. I could see the progress and then she came. It took a half hour of pushing--not much, but it felt longer to me at the time.

Dr. Newman cleaned her nose and mouth, they gave her a quick wipe and put her on my chest. She was beautiful and perfect. I cried. Eric cried. So did everyone else. (Maybe not Celeste?) I was so happy to see her. Healthy and strong. Eric cut the cord. I dunno that he cared much though, he could hardly see and was only interested in Valette being here safe and me being fine.

I held her for a while and then nursed her for 35 minutes before they ever took her to be weighed or bathed. It was perfect. Then Eric got her. He is so proud to have her. And he's absolutely smitten.

I did end up with an episiotomy but it was very small and Dr. Newman was really pleased with how everything went. I felt great. I healed very quickly and I am just happy to have Valettte.

She already looks so different from this. Not swollen anymore.