I never got to tell the detailed version of one of the best days of my life. So, as a welcoming post to my brand new blog, here you have it :]
I was taken out of work on Tuesday, October 13 for recurrent high blood pressure. I remember thinking to myself as I waddled across the parking lot (I had to park FOREVER away) back to my car that I felt as if would go into labor any day from this point. The pressure on my tight belly with each step made me ache all over. After all, carrying 19 extra pounds on a 5 foot frame wasn't very easy!
I got home that evening and rested it up on the couch. I remember feeling anxious about having everything ready even though I had my bags packed and in the car for a week now. I made phone calls, I caught up on my favorite Food Network shows, and just enjoyed relaxing. I was also instructed to collect a 24 hour urine (to start Wednesday morning) and turn it at the main Harbin Clinic lab before my appointment on Thursday. I was going to be 37 weeks for this appointment, and I knew the likelihood of delivery was inevitable.
With that said, I told Michael that evening I wanted to paint my belly. Not knowing if we would ever have another child, I wanted to make this pregnancy memorable. I wanted maternity pictures, a pregnancy journal, the whole nine yards... and I wanted to have a big, fat belly painted with a pumpkin on it. I mean, it was October! :] I had purchased some non-toxic paints earlier in the week. The plan was to have a neon yellow pumpkin with a hot pink hair bow. So, Wednesday evening I told Michael I felt like we needed to since our appointment was the next day. He was scheduled at the fire hall the next day for 24 hours, and wanted to get in bed early that night. He said we could do it Friday night after he came home from work. I got upset and pitched my little fit. I just knew I would go in Thursday and my blood pressure would be up. I knew what my body was going through, and I knew something just didn't feel right.
Thursday, October 15... a cold, rainy morning. I set my alarm as late as I could. I didn't get much sleep anyway, for having to go to the fridge every time I had to pee so I could get my urine, come back to the bathroom across the house, return the urine... ugh, that blasted test! I rolled out of bed, got a quick shower... and then realized I was going to be late. A shower or bath was one of the only ways to make myself feel really comfortable. Apparently I took a little too long in the shower, because I didn't even have time to dry my hair after all of that. I knew it was raining anyway, and the likelihood of delivery today was just "too good to be true". I threw on my maternity jeans, and my favorite Alabama tee, wet hair in a ponytail, and out the door I went. Well, I grabbed my makeup bag and some things for entertainment (magazines, etc) "just in case". I cried on the way to the doctor, because I was all by myself. I had this huge belly that prevented me from seeing my feet, kept me a little off-balance... and I was all by myself going to the doctor's office.
I arrived at Harbin Clinic lab first, to drop off my 24-hr urine. I don't know if I was just ready to have a baby, or just super-emotional, but every person I encountered there seemed hateful to me. :] Pregnancy hormones! After I dropped off the big orange container of urine and got my blood drawn, I headed to see Dr. Dean, about 45 minutes late.
As I walked into the exam room, I apologized to the lady checking me in. I hated being late. Routine was blood pressure first... I took a deep breath. She didn't even tell me the manual cuff reading, instead she went for the door immediately and came back with the automatic cuff. She turned it towards me, and said, "Here, I'll let you see this for yourself." In big (what seemed like flashing, neon) print across the screen read 163/110. I knew right then and there I was going to have a baby.
I held back tears as Dr. Dean made his way to the exam room (in hardly NO time). He asked how I felt and I said "okay, maybe a little miserable". By this point, I think I was in denial because I was alone. Fear of the unknown and childbirth right around the corner was fast approaching! He examined me and said I was about 2.5 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and the baby was really low. The hesitation on his face told me I needed to call Michael and have him arrange to get off of work. He said he would send me over for induction, and the likelihood of having a baby today was 90% possible. WOW! My baby Lillian would be in my arms so soon!
I called Michael and had to leave a message because he was busy and couldn't answer his phone. I cried all the way through the voice mail, trying to get it out as fast as I could that we would probably be having a baby soon. He called back in a few minutes. He knew this routine... I was going to be "sent over for monitoring", check my labs, my urine, blah blah blah... he said he would see what he could do about arranging to get off of work to "keep me posted". I cried some more. The nurse and a student sent me over to L&D Triage in a wheelchair. I had my bag for entertainment (magazines, FMLA paperwork, etc), but all I could focus on were those contractions and the monitor reading that my blood pressure was staying up. I went ahead and made the phone calls... my mom came to sit with me immediately, my mother-in-law was working that day so she came upstairs to visit, my sister got the message during class and said she would be by as soon as she left work.
I had a wonderful triage nurse, Mindi, whom I had worked with previously in the Nursery. She kept me up to date, told me that my contractions were very consistent and that Dr. Jarvis would be by shortly to see me. Thank GOD, Dr. Jarvis was on-call! He was my choice for delivery, and it worked out perfectly! He came in and checked my cervix, told me I was a good 3cm and completely effaced and sent me on back to Labor and Delivery, Room 7 to have a baby. He explained he would break my water around 3pm, and see where it took me. He said I probably wouldn't need Pitocin, they would just watch to see how I progressed.
Labor and Delivery was so surreal. You think in your head for 9months what the experience might be like, but it was nothing like I had imagined. Everything just seemed to fly by. By this time, my husband was on his way to the house to feed our dog Jackson and get what items he might need for overnight stay. We were having a baby!!! My mother and mother-in-law stayed with me. I got visits from all my co-workers. By 3pm, Michael still wasn't there. I started to get anxious, my blood pressure stayed up... I just wanted to see my husband and know that he was going to be here for the birth of our child at this point! :]
Just like he said, 3pm rolls around rather quickly and Dr. Jarvis steps in to break my water. Just like that it was painless and over with... again, not like I had imagined after hearing all the stories. Tonya, my L&D nurse told me that whenever I wanted I could have pain medicine and/or my epidural. I was making progress! I decided to be a toughie, and see what kind of contractions were involved once my water was broken. I lasted less than an hour. I felt like such a wimp, but once I was hanging onto the side rails in tears I decided it was time. Michael got there right before the epidural, thank GOD!
Through some pretty painful contractions, the epidural was done by Dr. Eckert. On the first try, I almost passed out when they gave the test medicine. That let him know the epidural was in the wrong place. Second try was successful. I was laid back and felt that cold sensation down my back. At that moment, I wondered where Michael went off to. Immediately, I told the nurse he probably passed out. I was right! He went to the bathroom when he felt a little light-headed, where he ended up trying to sit down before he blacked out. When he walked out, I saw that I was right. He had a little place where he hit his head. At least this added a little humor to my situation :]
I started to get some relief after about 30 minutes, but it wasn't like I had expected. The nurse reminded me she would be in around every hour to check to see if I was progressing. My fear was that the epidural would slow me down, but was that ever wrong in my situation. It seemed like in no time, I was 6 cm, then 8cm... and by 7pm I was full dilated. I won't fail to mention the THREE times I had to ask for more medicine in my epidural because it kept wearing off. It was so scary to me. I was in tears a few times, but mostly out of FEAR that I could still feel everything in my pelvis! Thankfully the boluses worked, and my delivery was completely pain-free. By the last bolus, Dr. Eckert said, "We really can't give you any more than what we have given, so I hope this does the trick." It did the trick!
In my delivery, by my side was my sweet husband who held my hand, put cold & wet washcloths on my forehead, pulled me forward, and coached me the entire way. Holding my heavy, right leg (that I had no sensation in) as far back as it would go was my loving sister, Lisa, who was so excited to finally be an aunt. My Mom and best friend since high school, Courtney were also in the delivery room. They took pictures and videoed one of the sweetest memories of my life. I wouldn't have had it any other way!
Less than 10 minutes of pushing produced a tiny, cone-head shaped baby girl :] Her eyes were wide open, her cry was cute as ever. From that moment, she stole my heart. I cried tears of joy and relief. She was healthy, she was here, and she was OURS! There wasn't a dry eye in the room (except maybe the nurses and Dr. Jarvis, of course!). I reached for Michael, and we shared a beautiful moment as they handed Lillian off to the NICU nurse and respiratory therapist to check her out. She was completely healthy. We were so lucky!
Welcome to the world Lillian Catherine! You are SO LOVED!
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