A Long Story
Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this. I just don't seem to have the time to get online like I used to. I wonder why! :o)
So on June 8th, I arrived at the hospital with my mom at about 6:50 AM. I was tired as hell cuz I really hadn't slept for shit the night before and I was really nervous. I even cried before I left home and my dad had to console me and tell me that everything would be fine. haha. Pregnancy hormones are so great! Anyway... I was preregistered at the hospital, so I just had to tell the people at the desk that I had arrived and they gave me my hospital bracelet and escorted me to Labor & Delivery. Right away, they took me to my birthing room. These rooms are HUGE and they are so nice. They've got an inviting environment so it isn't quite so intimidating. When I got to my room, I was given my hospital gown and then told that my doctor prefers that his patients receive an enema. That was pretty gross, but I can definitely understand why he'd want that. I wouldn't want my patients pooping on the table either. lol. The nurse on call did my medical history and then I got into bed and was hooked up to a fetal heartrate monitor and one to monitor my contractions. Then the waiting game began.
At around 8:00, the good doctor came in and broke my water after he checked my cervix. I was at 3 cm. That was definitely weird. I felt like I'd peed myself and I couldn't stop. The nurse gave me this HUMONGOUS pad to wear and when I got up to go to the bathroom to put it on, I leaked water everywhere. It was embarrassing as all hell. She didn't tell me that was going to happen! lol. I figured since they made me sit there for awhile that I had drained most of the fluid. Bleh. I soaked my socks and made a mess of the floor. My mom wanted me to walk the hallways but I kept feeling like I was going to leak out the sides of the pad, so I stayed in the bathroom for awhile just to "leak." Very interesting, let me tell you. I did end up walking for about 10 minutes, but that gets dull very fast. There's only so many places you can go when you can't leave the unit.
When I got back from walking, I got back into bed and they hooked me back up to the monitors. I was starting to feel the contractions, but they were pretty mild yet, so I was comfortable. The doctor came back at 9:00 to check my progress and my contractions were 7 minutes apart. He said he wanted to speed things up a bit, so he inserted this little capsule into my cervix saying it would cut labor in half. That was pretty uncomfortable, but oh well. I had to stay in bed for 20 minutes after that so it could take effect. I got out of bed after 20 minutes to go to the bathroom and to walk around some more, but I wasn't out of the room very long because it wasn't long before my contractions started coming 2 - 3 minutes apart. They were very intense and all in my back. I hardly felt anything up front at all. My mom was massaging my back and pushing inward on my hips to try and relieve the pain, but it only worked between contractions. I tried a number of different positions and I found that the one that worked the most was kneeling on the bed with my head down and my butt up in the air. I don't know why, but I layed like that for over an hour. lol. My mom and Chon kept taking turns on my back and Chon's mom, Carmen, just rubbed my hands and tried to soothe me. After awhile, nothing was helping anymore and with each contraction I was just crying and tryiing to focus on my breathing. I think I would've been fine had the contractions not been in my back, but this was some intense shit. I even got sick at one point and threw up all the Jello I'd had that morning.
The nurse kept asking me over and over if I wanted anything for the pain and I kept on refusing. I realy did want to do it naturally, but at 11:00, when she asked again, I was just miserable and I relented. I still refused the epidural and so she talked me into a cervical block. She called the doctor and checked my cervix. I was at 5 cm at this point. The doctor got there 5 minutes later and he whipped out this freaking HUGE needle. I almost passed out, but my mom assured me I wouldn't feel a thing. He stuck me with the needle (I think) 4 times total and I never felt it. I was very happy and I was able to sleep until nearly 12:00 after that because I couldn't feel the contractions at all. I woke up as the block began to wear off, but I was only feeling the contractions in my right side. My left was still numbed. I was in a lot of pain by 12:30 and the nurse checked my cervix again. I was shocked to hear that at that point I was already 9 cm dilated. So they called the doctor back to administer another block and then he asked me to give him a push. When I did, the baby's head slipped back away from the cervix so he told me to just rest for a few minutes. He went to go get prepped, they broke the bed down, and one of the nurses started me on oxygen. I started pushing regularly at about 1:00 PM. The nurses were telling me when to push since I was numbed again and I couldn't feel when I was contracting. They told me I was doing a great job and I was pushing really hard. The doctor was telling jokes between contractions and I was really happy about that. He made me laugh and made me feel more at ease. I love my doctor. He's seriously awesome. But after 15 minutes or so, they stopped me and the doctor asked me if he could help me out. Maia's heartrate was dropping into the 90's with every contraction and he was worried that she might be in distress. So of course I told him he could as long as it wouldn't hurt Maia. They got out the vaccuum pump and started using that with each contraction. He thought she'd be out in one push but the pump kept coming off of her head. After the third time it came off, he got off of the stool he was sitting on, kicked it backward and pulled with all of his might. Two nurses were pushing on my stomach with what felt like their full weight cuz it hurt like hell. lol. It took 4 or 5 tries to get her out, but eventually I saw her head between my legs. At 1:32 PM, 7 lb 3 oz, 20 in Maia was born. They put Maia on my tummy and all I could do was bawl my eyes out. I didn't even feel it when they gave me a shot in the hip to help with the bleeding.
The doctor delivered what he called "the big ugly" which was actually my placenta and then he stitched me up. I had had an episiotomy and I had never even realized it until he started with the stitches. lol. He kept asking me questions and telling me how well I had done, but I was hardly listening because I was busy watching the nurses with Maia across the room. Her APGARs were 9 and 10. I was in awe... seriously. I have never been so happy in my life. :o) Before he left the room, the doctor congratulated me and told me I'd done great before he tweaked me on the nose and told me he'd see me the next day to check up on me. Then I got to nurse Maia for the first time and that was awkward but wonderful. It was the first time I got to truly bond with my little girl.
So I think that covers it all. What perfect timing. Maia's crying again -- little stinker. lol. I love her so much.
So on June 8th, I arrived at the hospital with my mom at about 6:50 AM. I was tired as hell cuz I really hadn't slept for shit the night before and I was really nervous. I even cried before I left home and my dad had to console me and tell me that everything would be fine. haha. Pregnancy hormones are so great! Anyway... I was preregistered at the hospital, so I just had to tell the people at the desk that I had arrived and they gave me my hospital bracelet and escorted me to Labor & Delivery. Right away, they took me to my birthing room. These rooms are HUGE and they are so nice. They've got an inviting environment so it isn't quite so intimidating. When I got to my room, I was given my hospital gown and then told that my doctor prefers that his patients receive an enema. That was pretty gross, but I can definitely understand why he'd want that. I wouldn't want my patients pooping on the table either. lol. The nurse on call did my medical history and then I got into bed and was hooked up to a fetal heartrate monitor and one to monitor my contractions. Then the waiting game began.
At around 8:00, the good doctor came in and broke my water after he checked my cervix. I was at 3 cm. That was definitely weird. I felt like I'd peed myself and I couldn't stop. The nurse gave me this HUMONGOUS pad to wear and when I got up to go to the bathroom to put it on, I leaked water everywhere. It was embarrassing as all hell. She didn't tell me that was going to happen! lol. I figured since they made me sit there for awhile that I had drained most of the fluid. Bleh. I soaked my socks and made a mess of the floor. My mom wanted me to walk the hallways but I kept feeling like I was going to leak out the sides of the pad, so I stayed in the bathroom for awhile just to "leak." Very interesting, let me tell you. I did end up walking for about 10 minutes, but that gets dull very fast. There's only so many places you can go when you can't leave the unit.
When I got back from walking, I got back into bed and they hooked me back up to the monitors. I was starting to feel the contractions, but they were pretty mild yet, so I was comfortable. The doctor came back at 9:00 to check my progress and my contractions were 7 minutes apart. He said he wanted to speed things up a bit, so he inserted this little capsule into my cervix saying it would cut labor in half. That was pretty uncomfortable, but oh well. I had to stay in bed for 20 minutes after that so it could take effect. I got out of bed after 20 minutes to go to the bathroom and to walk around some more, but I wasn't out of the room very long because it wasn't long before my contractions started coming 2 - 3 minutes apart. They were very intense and all in my back. I hardly felt anything up front at all. My mom was massaging my back and pushing inward on my hips to try and relieve the pain, but it only worked between contractions. I tried a number of different positions and I found that the one that worked the most was kneeling on the bed with my head down and my butt up in the air. I don't know why, but I layed like that for over an hour. lol. My mom and Chon kept taking turns on my back and Chon's mom, Carmen, just rubbed my hands and tried to soothe me. After awhile, nothing was helping anymore and with each contraction I was just crying and tryiing to focus on my breathing. I think I would've been fine had the contractions not been in my back, but this was some intense shit. I even got sick at one point and threw up all the Jello I'd had that morning.
The nurse kept asking me over and over if I wanted anything for the pain and I kept on refusing. I realy did want to do it naturally, but at 11:00, when she asked again, I was just miserable and I relented. I still refused the epidural and so she talked me into a cervical block. She called the doctor and checked my cervix. I was at 5 cm at this point. The doctor got there 5 minutes later and he whipped out this freaking HUGE needle. I almost passed out, but my mom assured me I wouldn't feel a thing. He stuck me with the needle (I think) 4 times total and I never felt it. I was very happy and I was able to sleep until nearly 12:00 after that because I couldn't feel the contractions at all. I woke up as the block began to wear off, but I was only feeling the contractions in my right side. My left was still numbed. I was in a lot of pain by 12:30 and the nurse checked my cervix again. I was shocked to hear that at that point I was already 9 cm dilated. So they called the doctor back to administer another block and then he asked me to give him a push. When I did, the baby's head slipped back away from the cervix so he told me to just rest for a few minutes. He went to go get prepped, they broke the bed down, and one of the nurses started me on oxygen. I started pushing regularly at about 1:00 PM. The nurses were telling me when to push since I was numbed again and I couldn't feel when I was contracting. They told me I was doing a great job and I was pushing really hard. The doctor was telling jokes between contractions and I was really happy about that. He made me laugh and made me feel more at ease. I love my doctor. He's seriously awesome. But after 15 minutes or so, they stopped me and the doctor asked me if he could help me out. Maia's heartrate was dropping into the 90's with every contraction and he was worried that she might be in distress. So of course I told him he could as long as it wouldn't hurt Maia. They got out the vaccuum pump and started using that with each contraction. He thought she'd be out in one push but the pump kept coming off of her head. After the third time it came off, he got off of the stool he was sitting on, kicked it backward and pulled with all of his might. Two nurses were pushing on my stomach with what felt like their full weight cuz it hurt like hell. lol. It took 4 or 5 tries to get her out, but eventually I saw her head between my legs. At 1:32 PM, 7 lb 3 oz, 20 in Maia was born. They put Maia on my tummy and all I could do was bawl my eyes out. I didn't even feel it when they gave me a shot in the hip to help with the bleeding.
The doctor delivered what he called "the big ugly" which was actually my placenta and then he stitched me up. I had had an episiotomy and I had never even realized it until he started with the stitches. lol. He kept asking me questions and telling me how well I had done, but I was hardly listening because I was busy watching the nurses with Maia across the room. Her APGARs were 9 and 10. I was in awe... seriously. I have never been so happy in my life. :o) Before he left the room, the doctor congratulated me and told me I'd done great before he tweaked me on the nose and told me he'd see me the next day to check up on me. Then I got to nurse Maia for the first time and that was awkward but wonderful. It was the first time I got to truly bond with my little girl.
So I think that covers it all. What perfect timing. Maia's crying again -- little stinker. lol. I love her so much.