September 17, 2010
This day changed my life. Sounds so cliche, right? Well, it's true. Absolutely true.
And it all started at 4am.
I woke up at about 4:00 in the morning and felt like I had to go to the bathroom. Yep, that's the truth, so I'm putting it out there. Courtney keeps telling me that it's not necessary to tell that part. But I think it is. It's how I knew something was happening. Because, you see, my Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy told me that I should pay very close attention to my bowels as I neared the end of the pregnancy as that feeling of needing to go to the bathroom could be confused with contractions. Interesting. And after I had gotten up 3 times in just a matter of probably 10 minutes, I decided that maybe I should consult my Guide again. Pay close attention, it said. So at 4:37am I started paying the kind of attention I should: I started timing it. Every 4 minutes I would get the same feeling and it would last about 30-45 seconds then subside. Not pain really at this point...just pressure of a whole new kind. Like I needed to use the bathroom and had stomach cramps. So, you see, it's an important point.
I decided to take a shower at 4:45. I thought this might make me feel better and I really wanted to be showered in case it was THE day. Showering was tough. I had to stop every 4 minutes and wait for the contractions to pass. Not fun. I tried to blow dry my hair after the shower and that was not even possible.
At 5:30am, after an hour of this, I decided to call the doctor. I had not gotten Courtney up at this point. I still felt it might not be real labor starting and I knew the moment I woke him up, it would be go time. So, the doctor call was made. I got the on-call doctor, which I knew I would because my doctor was off work on that Friday. I knew that, it's why my weekly appointment was on Thursday instead of Friday of that week. Dr. Dooley called me back pretty quickly...although not as quickly as I would have liked. She told me that they really want new moms to have steady timed contractions for 2 hours, not just one. And that said contractions should get more intense, closer together, and longer. At least 1 1/2 minutes long and 2-3 minutes apart. I mentioned that we live 40 minutes from the hospital and that I am already dilated to a 3 and 75% effaced at that point and she told me again that first time moms need to really wait longer. After all, she said, these could very well fizzle out and be nothing.
Okay.
Shortly after hanging up, I noticed instantly that the contractions got more intense. And closer together. And longer in length.
I woke Courtney up.
He asked me if I was sure. Ummm, nope, not sure, but seeing as how I double over in pain now in a regular pattern, I'm gonna go ahead and say that perhaps, maybe, this might be it. But as a first time mom...no I am not sure. But go ahead and get up and get around, because someone needs to do something about this pain pretty quick. And I am NOT GOING to miss my epidural window!!
So, he got up.
And he showered. And he went up to his school to get his sub stuff laid out.
And I made phone calls. I had already called my mom and told her earlier that this might be it. She has a 2 1/2 hour drive so I wanted to make sure she got the earliest call. I called Donna, my mother-in-law. While on the phone with her I had a few contractions. Then I called Keysha to let her know it was probably time. And I had 3 contractions while on the phone with her. Then I started to throw up. That's about the time she told me to call Courtney and tell him it is time to go!
All I could think of is how I wanted this to stop. I kept telling Keysha that I was not sure why I ever wanted this to start. For weeks I had been wanting to go into labor. I didn't want to be induced. This is what I wanted...labor to start at home...and now, oh my, I just wanted it to stop!!
I called Courtney and he headed home. Quickly. Once he made it home, we loaded up. Well, he loaded up. I stayed bent over and hurting. I remembered that I had read to take a towel and trash bag in case your water breaks in the car. I grabbed that stuff. I also had a small trash bag with me in case I continued to throw up. I am so thankful for all the people who convinced me to have my bag packed and to have her bag packed. I could not think AT ALL once those contractions got bad. I am so happy that I had most everything ready to go. We left for the hospital at 6:45am.
Once we got in the car, I don't think I spoke or opened my eyes at all until I got the epidural. HA! But I'm totally serious. My husband is a total jokester, especially when things are tense, and so he was playing all kinds of music from his ipod to get me pumped up. I could not even acknowledge his kind gestures. ;) The ride was fine, seemed pretty quick. As we pulled into the parking lot, Courtney turned on the song Eye of the Tiger. Yep, he sure did. He said again it was to get my ready to go. Way to go Coach. Thanks for that. He thought I was waiting on the song to end before getting out of the car, but I was really waiting out a contraction. Oi!
When we got inside the hospital, we were on our way to labor and delivery when I started to throw up again. I somehow managed to tell Courtney to go tell them we were here and that they would come with a wheelchair for me. I sat crouched on the floor, contracting and throwing up. Mis-er-able. That passed and I got up and headed back. I rounded the corner and there they were, coming toward me with the wheelchair. I heard a collective, "Aw, there she is..." from the nurses. Yes, here I am. Let's do this! Fast!
We got the last room available that morning. Crazy! In fact, it wasn't even finished being cleaned when we got there. They got it finished up quickly though. Remember I still was not speaking or opening my eyes hardly at all. My nurse later told us that when pregnant women come in and are not making any noise, they are either not in labor or they are waaaay in labor. She said she quickly realized I was the latter. I thought they would need to check me before admitting me, but no, apparently I looked like the real deal so they just got me started getting my IV and blood drawn and all that. Which, by the way, is no fun for me...my veins close up and roll and all kinds of good stuff. But I was welcoming every stick because it took my mind off those contractions! Nuts!
When the nurse checked me right as they got me in the labor and delivery room, I was a 5, and fully effaced. Right before I got the epidural, I was a 7. By 9am, I got the epidural and I was a 10 and fully effaced. My mom was not there yet. Hurry Mom!!
Let me just stop for a minute to say that the epidural is the best thing EVER! I really think I would have passed smooth out if I had to go through labor without it. Or else I would have just gone to a really different place in my brain to get through it. Some place that I have never been. I cannot even imagine. The epidural did not hurt at all...not even a tiny bit. And then I could talk again and open my eyes and smile.
And put on make-up. HAHA!
Awww, relief. Thank you sweet epidural!
My mom made it at 10:35. Courtney's mom made it too just after my mom. Donna was the first one there. Keysha got there right about the time mom did. We were ready to go now!
Unfortunately, Callie was not quite as ready as we were. Although I was dilated completely and fully effaced, she was not moving down like she needed to. So, instead of starting the pushing right after the doctor broke my water, they had me just turn from side to side every 10 minutes or so to get Callie to labor down on her own. I didn't start pushing until about 1:45pm. The pushing was the hardest work I have ever done in my whole life. I was exhausted. She did not seem to want to move down. I would push my eyeballs out and she would move like a millimeter! I had the very best nurse in the whole world though and she was wonderful and funny and cheerful and sweet. Bless her. There is a special place in my heart for her.
My mom was in there with Courtney and me. So was Keysha. She took all the fabulous pictures for us to document it for us. My husband was fantastic. He went from his jokester self to all business.
Dr. Cummings came in to deliver Callie finally at about 3:00. He was in there with me for 2 sets of pushes when he looked up at one of the nurses and said, and I quote, "Go ahead and cut her epidural."
WHAT?! Did he just say CUT MY EPIDURAL?? As in shut it off?? Oh, I DO NOT THINK SO! My eyes bugged out of my head and I thought to myself, "It's got to take a bit for it to wear off...I will get this baby out before that happens!!"
And I did.
Well, that's not completely true....I didn't do it on my own. He broke out the foreceps and that helped a bit I think. Or maybe that helped a lot. :) Whatever, within the next 13 minutes, our sweet baby girl was born!!!
3:13pm, September 17, 2010, life as we know it, will never be the same.
And I thank God for that.
Welcome, sweet Callie Tate. We love you so much.
