Labor & Delivery

                      40 weeks

                          Going to the hospital

Well, we all have our stories about how our little baby arrived, so here is mine.

This is what I was expecting from what the doctor had told me what would happen with the induction.

Doctor's version:

Go in at 8 p.m. on the 29th,

start the induction process,

go to sleep that night

start the pitocin the next morning to bring on contractions to help dialate me

Wait until I was fully dialated and within 24 hrs. (plus or minus 3) we would have a baby.

So he said we should have our baby late that night on the 30th or the 31st, because usually first time mom's take about 24 hours to go through the whole process if not more.

Here's what actually happened:

On Tuesday, December 29th we went into the hospital at 8 p.m.

We got all settled and they started the induction process around 9:30 p.m. (At that time I was dilated to a 1.5 cm and I was a little disappointed). About 10:30ish I started having nonstop contractions, which to me, I felt like they were coming every second long and hard, so I couldn't really fall asleep. The nurse came in and I told her I was in quite a bit of pain and couldn't sleep so she tried giving me a sleeping pill and eventually two doses of pain medicine, but... that didn't work. She said I was throwing out quite a bit of contractions and so she checked me again. I was dialated to about a three. She asked if I wanted the epidural, but I had told myself before going in I wouldn't get it until I was at least a 4 or 5, so I waited. At about 3 a.m. I was dialated to a 4.5 and had very little, if any sleep, so I got the epidural!

Ok, now here's the part that just amazes me, I was so scared to get the epidural and was clenching my teeth and shaking as they did it. The doctor said "Ok, now you will feel a cold stinging".... nothing... then he said, "Now you'll feel slight pressure".... nothing.... Not at all. I was thinking "Are you serious? That's it?" It was very nice. :) I just couldn't believe I was so scared for it and then I didn't feel a thing.. the only thing I felt were my contractions going away :)

At about 7 a.m. my doctor was in and said, "You ready to have a baby this afternoon?" Yes I was!

He broke my water, I was then at a 5. About an hour after breaking my water I had A LOT of pressure and pain. I told the nurse and she checked me and said "Well that's why, you're dialated to a nine"

My doctor was in a c-section though and so was the anesthesiologist. I was starting to get really uncomfortable and feeling a lot of pain. Both the doctor and anesthesiologist were still in the c-section so they couldn't come up my dose. Finally after about an hour another doctor came in and said she would just raise the dose to help with the pain because they were still in the c-section. By that time I was complete and ready to push.

My doctor still hadn't arrived so the nurse began with me to start pushing. She tried once, then said she was going to get the doctor. Finally my doctor came in at around 9:15 a.m. and smiled and said, "Couldn't wait huh? We're going to have this baby this morning." YUP. I pushed for 15 minutes and there was my beautiful little girl. She cried for a little bit and then once she was all cleaned up she just stared at me while I was holding her. It was the best thing ever.

Labor was definitely not what I expected, it went so well and quick; I would do it again. Now the recovery and adjustment has been a little rough, but it is well worth it.

We are so thrilled to have our little girl here!

     My first time holding her right after she came out

        After she was all cleaned up and calm

                    Happy new family of three

                           Proud new daddy!

                              All bundled up

                         Ready to go home!

                            Goodbye hospital

                            First car ride :)