I went to the theater with my friend, Sarah, and at 9:38pm on September 24th I started timing contractions. 15 minutes apart. Unlike the early AM of September 23rd, these ones didn't stop. At 2am I sent my mother the text telling her to come to town. She was here by three. B's mother came over too. The waiting game began. Finally, the contractions got worse, and we got to the hospital sometime around 8am. I stripped, got strapped in, and we did a lot more waiting. I believe I was dilated 4-5cm. I got zero drugs until eventually they gave me the gas machine. I was told to suck it in with deep breaths during contractions. That was fine and dandy at first. When the contractions got bad, it wasn't so easy to suck my breaths through a tube. I felt lightheaded, but the pain didn't hurt any less.
When they examined me, they weren't 100% sure that the baby was facing down or not. Two nurses plus my doctor all took their turn checking, but finally had to bring in the ultrasound machine. Sure enough, babygirl had NOT turned. I suspected this all along. The bump at the top of my belly (her head) always felt the same. So I was going into surgery. I was a little relieved, but annoyed at the same time that they didn't discover this sooner, so I could've had a schedule section, and not had to deal with the contractions that were yet to come.
Someone else was priority, so I lay in that bed for forever, it felt like. My contractions felt horrible, and were coming ever 2 minutes or so. Finally, at 7cm dilated, they threw me in a wheel chair and needled me up. Epidural = nothing compared to the pain of the contractions. And I would know - I was basically having a contraction the whole time they were doing it.
Finally, the worse was over. I was nice and drugged up. My feet were getting tingly. They lay me down on the table and I didn't have to move again for hours. Between the medication and my nerves, my arms were shaking like I was trying to take flight. I was terrified I was going to bite my tongue off.
They did their thing, quickly showed me my girl over the curtain then took her to clean her off. It was so nice just listening to her cry.
She was born at 1:01 pm on September 25th. She weighed 5lbs 12oz. She was 18 inches long.
Finally, they lay her on my chest and I could've stayed there and stared at her all day. But instead they took her away, and stuck me laying on a bed in recovery alone for over an hour.
I only had a few thoughts, while all drugged up along in recovery.
- I want to see my baby!
- God I'm hungry
- I am so itchy
- Let me out of here!
It seemed like forever, but they took me to my room, then they still had to fix me all up in bed. I just wanted the baby! And then I got her, and life was forever changed.
