Sunday, June 3, 2012

Baby is here.

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities."
- Eda J. Le Shan


The Little Lass was born on May 29th at 7:58am.  She weighs 7 lbs 10 oz.   She was 20 inches long. She has brown hair.  The Little Lass was born by vbac with no medication and no complications.

I guess since I shared my birthing compications early. I should actually share for the first time one of the birth stories!  Here goes...

Instantly I woke up at  4pm on Tuesday morning. I had a small jolt in my stomach area.  It disturbed my slumber which was significant because I had not been able to sleep well the entire pregnancy and particularly the last several months.   I wasn't sure what it was at first.  I was dealing with pre- eclampsia swelling and the nerve pain of shingles that traveled from my back to the front of my stomach for several weeks.  Was this labor? I couldn't tell.  Was Beloved awake already? Probably. Even if he wasn't awake. He sleeps as light as a feather.

"I think that I might be in labor."  I said softly.

He responded. He always does.

I turned on my computer and checked my blog, email, etc.

Around 4:30am,
"I am not sure if I am in labor but it appears that I am having contractions."

We decided to get up and get ready and start our day. He got up and took a shower.  I hung out in bed  a little longer.  One of my cousins from Alaska (I grew up there) and I were texting back and forth. He had just come off of one of his mining shifts. (He text me to see how I was feeling, etc. I did not tell him I thought I was in labor.)

5:30  Dragging myself out of bed was not easy. But, I did it!  I took a shower!
          Beloved texted my Mom.

5:50  Beloved goes and gases up his truck. He has been gone all week on a business trip and hadn't used his truck.  My Mom arrives while he is gone.   (My Mom and Dad are camping in their 5th wheel at the same campground waiting for me to go into labor so they can help out with the other Kiddos.) 

6:00  There is no doubt that I am in labor. Experiencing contractions but nothing uncomfortable. The contractions flow lightly. I am able to walk through them and pack a small bag for the hospital. Grabbing a night gown, clothes for the little one, extra newborn diapers -- all those small little items that make you feel like you are taking a little bit of home to the starch white wall hospital room.

Just as I finished up placing everything in the suitcase, Beloved poked his head into the door and said, "Are you ready to go ?"

I wasn't sure.
The contractions didn't feel uncomfortable really and from what I remembered of having contractions this was only inconvenient contractions. I don't want to get to the hospital to be told to go home or walk around and come back later.

My Mom piped up and said, "Her last two contractions were 2 to 3 minutes apart."

 "Oh, Really?"  I thought.
 I said,  "Well, Let's go then."

I hadn't been keeping track of how far apart or how close they were because they weren't uncomfortable. I was walking through them and talking through them.  So, we headed to the truck. And, then I tried to get in the truck.  It didn't work well. I had a contraction and it hurt to sit down. I sat down and immediately had to get out of the truck.  A contraction! Once the contraction was over, I was able to get into the truck.  I had sporadic contractions on the way to the hospital about 2 to 5 minutes apart. Once again, I was thinking I would probably get to the hospital and just like one of my other labors I would stop contracting once I got there.

Stopped to have the gate guard looked at our Id's.

The military instillation was hopping! PT (exercising) was going on all over the post/base. (For non-military people that means that thousands of men are everywhere running up and down the roads and sidewalks and doing push ups in the field, etc. This means some roads are closed on post to traffic.)

45 minutes and we were at the hospital.

Approx 7:00, we are looking for the labor and delivery room!  At my appointment the week before I was told that when I go into labor, do not go to the  Emergency room, but go straight up to labor and delivery. Okay, no problem, I thought to myself.  My last appointment I will check that out.  Beloved can be with me at that time and we could scout out the labor and delivery floor together.   So, Yes! I had no idea where it was located.

The contractions are more frequent and consistent. The contractions are now making me stop and just focus through them. When they leave I can walk normally.

Beloved looked at the hospital floor map.
I took note that the piano player wasn't playing soothing music at the piano and the coffee shop in the hospital didn't smell of gourmet coffee and cookies.  No one was at work yet!

All I knew was the labor and delivery room was "UP". 
So, we kept walking through the hospital to the elevator.

Beloved found another floor map. 
This one had "Mommy and Baby" on it and the directory said 3rd floor. Easy right? The military hospital has floors between floors! 

7:25 am   -  I am put in the triage room. I am feeling uncomfortable but showing no outer alarming signs to the nurses that I am in late labor. As long as I am standing, I can get through the contractions but sitting or laying down doesn't feel to good.  Everything appears like early labor to every one. I try to relax on the bed.  They hook me up to the contraction monitor and blood pressure cuff and then after a few contractions the lady walks out and she comes back in with a nurse.

The nurse smiles.
She said, "I am Captain so-so and I understand that I need to check you."
She checks me and says, "7cm and Zero"
At this point, I was in some discomfort but I could still talk through the contractions. 

 I said, "I want an epidural as quickly as possible then."

The triage nurse said, "Oh, really?
I think to myself, "Why does she sound surprised?" 
The nurse says calmly, " I have to get your blood and send it off to the lab. It will take about 20 minutes if they are not busy and then when we get it back we will be able to give you an epidural."

Something doesn't seem right to me about that statement.
I turned to Beloved and said pathetically, "I am not equipped to deliver a baby with out an epidural. I have pre-eclampsia pain, I have shingle pain and I have labor pain. I want an epidural, Beloved." 

7:35am -  Apparently everyone was fully aware that I was not going to get an epidural.
                Everyone but ME!

I am wheeled immediately into the labor room. I stand up to get in the bed from the wheel chair and have two contractions roll together.  I said something specific to the nurse.

Her eyes got huge and she said sweetly.  "I need to check you right now! You need to get into the bed."

At this point, I can't get into the bed by myself. All I can do is stand up and focus on getting through the rolling contractions. Eventually, I get in and lay on my left side.

The nurse checks me.
She calmly calls out, "9cm and Zero."

I question this. "9cm and Zero? "

I said, "I want an epidural please."

The anesthesiologist comes in and begins to ask me questions. He introduces himself as "Rank so-so". At this point, I could careless, not that I cared before, what your rank is! You could be a General and I would not care. They bread them around here like a puppy mill not a big deal.  Just give me an epidural. ;)

 He says, "I need to ask you some Medical History Questions." He begins asking the first question.   

A painful contraction hits me. I am no longer able to talk through contractions.

I said, "Beloved, You will have to answer the questions."

I hear Beloved answering them while I am in so much pain. I remember thinking the man is not asking them fast enough.

I have another contracting again. Finally, the guy asked another health related questions while I was contracting.

Frantically to get him moving toward my epidural,  I said,  "No. No. no no no no no. Perfectly healthy! Can I have that epidural now?"  

And, then it happened! 

My water broke!

The pain came crashing in!!!

The anastisalogist eyes got huge. I wondered why his eyes were so huge?
The guy stood up and then stepped out the room.
It only half dawned on me that he wasn't coming back!

The nurse steps to the door and  all these people quickly came into the room.
The room was flooded with people!

 I was having a baby during a shift change!

 In a military Hospital.

Where everyone was coming to work after being on vacation for 4 days for Memorial Weekend.

Yes, I am starting their day out with a "bang!" I hear something about this being only the beginning of what was to come with the low barometric pressure from the sub-tropical storm after several days off.

The Dr came to my side quickly, "Wow. The baby is here." 

I said, "I have pre-eclampsia pain, I have shingle pain  and I am in pain due to labor. I want an epidural, please." 

She said, "Two pushes and the baby will be out, honey!"

I thought to myself,  "These people are crazy!"

I am laying down in the bed and physically trying to crawl up the left bed railing away from the crazy people at the end of the bed while the contractions are rolling into one big painful tidal wave.

The Dr is at my feet.
Two nurses are on my left side.
They help me flip me to my back.
They grabbed my left leg.
 Beloved grabs my right leg.

I thought to myself, "How did I just get in this position?"

I looked at Beloved and said, "I am going to die!" 
He laughed out loud.
(Yes. He laughed out loud!)
He kissed my forehead.
(Apparently, tenderly?!)
Then, he said "You're not going to die. Now, Push."

I pushed!
And, the two nurses cracked up laughing.
Beloved was holding my right leg.
Some how the right leg  kicked out and became totally straight.
Beloved was physically removed from my bed side several -several feet!
At that moment,  7:58am, the Little Lass was born!

Then, they began the admission process for me to be able to have the baby at the hospital!

                                            (The little Miss didn't want to be in the picture.)

(And, um... up until the contractions hit around 2 to 3 minutes apart, shingle pain and labor pain feel just about the same! Just in case anyone wants to know! I can validate that now!)

14 comments:

  1. YAY!!!! I am so happy for you all, and your new little blessing! God is good! :)

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  2. I knew you had had your little blessing when you hadn't posted in a few days!!

    Congratulations, I am continuing to pray for your healing and for your little one to adjust to being on the outside!!

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  3. CONGRATULATIONS !!! I pray you two have a blessed time in bonding.

    Blessings and ((HUGS))
    -Mary

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  4. A brown-haired girl! I'm so glad that you're out already - seemingly with little or no problems.
    Congratulations to all!

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  5. Hooray! Welcome sweet little princess!

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  6. CONGRATULATIONS Carmen ! Welcome to your little sweet girl:)

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  7. Oh, I am so happy for you all. I have been checking your blog every day, hoping for news. I am so thankful you had an easy birth and that all seems to be well with you and her. Take care and God bless.

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  8. Congratulations, Carmen and family! Praying you are feeling well and hopefully have some relief from all the discomfort you've been experiencing.

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  9. Wonderful. Blessings.

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  10. That's fabulous news! Praying for a speedy recovery! I can't wait to see pictures.

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  11. Sounds like you had a very exciting day to say the least. Congratulations!

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  12. Oh! So great to see the pictures! I hope you are healing up quickly from all of your ailments! I am praying for you and your family! Enjoy that beautiful new bundle, as well as the beautiful older bundles!

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Your comments are a gift to me and they warm my heart. I read and treasure every one. If you leave a comment, I will visit you as well. ~ Carmen