Labor
So I have been wanting to write this down for a couple of days . . .
On Friday February 14th Val was in the hospital to be induced. My sister got there around 11am. My mom about 12:30 pm. They broke her water about 10:30am. There was a nurse - bigger black lady - not huge - that was kind of rough when checking Val. It was when she cursed the most. All day long she was on Pitocin on and off depending on the baby's vitals. My mom and sis went to get something to eat while they gave Val her epidural. Then I ate. Julie came in the evening and then I ate again I think more to pass the time and as a comfort. I remember fondly watching Wall-e with my mom and sister while we waited. My mom had not seen it before. Julie was there helping take good care of Val. She did get sick once or twice from all the drugs or perhaps from the epidural. My mom left around 11:30pm. . . she had an hour and a half drive home to Brooklyn.
By the end of the night she was dilated to 9 cm. Midnight came and I went downstairs to get some food. Came up and Devin and Aiden showed up as I was eating half of my rolled up ham and cheese sandwich. In hindsight I should have taken off the lettuce because it was too crunchy. . .but I was preoccupied. Anyhow - when the boys showed up they were checking Val's dilation. . . and I had them walk to the hall. I talked to them to inform them what was going on . . . trying to explain what they were doing to Devin in a way that he would understand - but also in a way that Aiden wouldn't know what "checking" meant. I came in the room to get a feel for what was happening and my sister mouthed the words "c-section" to me. I was bummed because I wanted to see the natural birth. By then the boys were able to come in and see mom. Aiden was kind of scared in general and she was all tubed up with medical things and I think this freaked him out a bit.
Then the nurse gave me all the things I needed to wear and explained that I needed to suit up . . . she said I didn't have to get dressed then - but soon. I waited a little bit - ate I think and then had my sister help me. Very quickly - super fast like - they wheeled Val out and I waited outside the OR with my sister. She took a picture of me. I was pretty white she said. I was partially scared, partially excited - and very clueless because it all happened so fast.
It wasn't long - minutes - when one of the nurses came and got me. As I walked in the room I could see Aaaron. He was lifted above Val's belly and I was looking at him when all of the medical staff moved me - sat me down and I was on the side of Val's head which was curtained off from her stomach. They showed us the baby for a very short time. We could hear him crying. I was in awe at being able to see him for such a short time. It was a rush. I felt like I was in the presence of a miracle. The joy and excitement of finally seeing him was so amazing that it was overpowering. The anesthesiologist was wearing a snoopy hat with a Valentine's day theme. She was very helpful and was communicating very clearly what was going on and being empathetic. It seemed like an eternity and then they brought me Aaron. I got to hold him for 15 minutes or so? I couldn't see his head because it had a hat on but I stared at him and talked to him. I tried to show him to Val but in her position she couldn't really see him. I loved holding him and looking at him.
Then they had to take him. They sewed Val up and then I had to wait a few. They took me and Aaron up to the nursery on the 6th floor while they took Val to recovery. I went and saw her there. Tried to talk to her but she was out of it and shaking. I was a little worried and wanted to know when she could see him again. They said an hour. I went back to our original room and it was empty. All of our stuff and my sister and Julie and the boys were gone. I went and found them in the waiting room and got the boys and we saw mom. Aiden was scared but less so than earlier. Then I got my sister and Julie. We waited for almost 2 hours before going up to the room.
In the meantime Val started to become more coherent. She had a stuffy nose and was having a hard time breathing because of it. They were concerned because of her Pulse/Ox. It was in the high 80s. The doctor was talking about x-rays to make sure there wasn't any liquid in her lungs. It wasn't long though and I had her take some deep breaths and her pulse ox got better and we all headed up to the room.
Everyone held Aaron. We took lots of pictures. Then I couldn't sleep. I held him for a while. We learned how to nurse him. . .and eventually I went to sleep.
On Friday February 14th Val was in the hospital to be induced. My sister got there around 11am. My mom about 12:30 pm. They broke her water about 10:30am. There was a nurse - bigger black lady - not huge - that was kind of rough when checking Val. It was when she cursed the most. All day long she was on Pitocin on and off depending on the baby's vitals. My mom and sis went to get something to eat while they gave Val her epidural. Then I ate. Julie came in the evening and then I ate again I think more to pass the time and as a comfort. I remember fondly watching Wall-e with my mom and sister while we waited. My mom had not seen it before. Julie was there helping take good care of Val. She did get sick once or twice from all the drugs or perhaps from the epidural. My mom left around 11:30pm. . . she had an hour and a half drive home to Brooklyn.
By the end of the night she was dilated to 9 cm. Midnight came and I went downstairs to get some food. Came up and Devin and Aiden showed up as I was eating half of my rolled up ham and cheese sandwich. In hindsight I should have taken off the lettuce because it was too crunchy. . .but I was preoccupied. Anyhow - when the boys showed up they were checking Val's dilation. . . and I had them walk to the hall. I talked to them to inform them what was going on . . . trying to explain what they were doing to Devin in a way that he would understand - but also in a way that Aiden wouldn't know what "checking" meant. I came in the room to get a feel for what was happening and my sister mouthed the words "c-section" to me. I was bummed because I wanted to see the natural birth. By then the boys were able to come in and see mom. Aiden was kind of scared in general and she was all tubed up with medical things and I think this freaked him out a bit.
Then the nurse gave me all the things I needed to wear and explained that I needed to suit up . . . she said I didn't have to get dressed then - but soon. I waited a little bit - ate I think and then had my sister help me. Very quickly - super fast like - they wheeled Val out and I waited outside the OR with my sister. She took a picture of me. I was pretty white she said. I was partially scared, partially excited - and very clueless because it all happened so fast.
It wasn't long - minutes - when one of the nurses came and got me. As I walked in the room I could see Aaaron. He was lifted above Val's belly and I was looking at him when all of the medical staff moved me - sat me down and I was on the side of Val's head which was curtained off from her stomach. They showed us the baby for a very short time. We could hear him crying. I was in awe at being able to see him for such a short time. It was a rush. I felt like I was in the presence of a miracle. The joy and excitement of finally seeing him was so amazing that it was overpowering. The anesthesiologist was wearing a snoopy hat with a Valentine's day theme. She was very helpful and was communicating very clearly what was going on and being empathetic. It seemed like an eternity and then they brought me Aaron. I got to hold him for 15 minutes or so? I couldn't see his head because it had a hat on but I stared at him and talked to him. I tried to show him to Val but in her position she couldn't really see him. I loved holding him and looking at him.
Then they had to take him. They sewed Val up and then I had to wait a few. They took me and Aaron up to the nursery on the 6th floor while they took Val to recovery. I went and saw her there. Tried to talk to her but she was out of it and shaking. I was a little worried and wanted to know when she could see him again. They said an hour. I went back to our original room and it was empty. All of our stuff and my sister and Julie and the boys were gone. I went and found them in the waiting room and got the boys and we saw mom. Aiden was scared but less so than earlier. Then I got my sister and Julie. We waited for almost 2 hours before going up to the room.
In the meantime Val started to become more coherent. She had a stuffy nose and was having a hard time breathing because of it. They were concerned because of her Pulse/Ox. It was in the high 80s. The doctor was talking about x-rays to make sure there wasn't any liquid in her lungs. It wasn't long though and I had her take some deep breaths and her pulse ox got better and we all headed up to the room.
Everyone held Aaron. We took lots of pictures. Then I couldn't sleep. I held him for a while. We learned how to nurse him. . .and eventually I went to sleep.