BITBs birth day

January 7, 2009

1:00 AM

After two days of mild contractions that come and go, and that at yesterday's doctor appointment didn't even show up on the monitor (which also let me know that I was still around 4 or 5 cm, nothing's changed), I awake to a different kind of contraction.

I feel a little pain in my back, and then a little pain that grows towards center from my sides, and then I have to get out of bed to walk around and breathe through the uncomfortableness. I take one of my pills to relax my uterus and attempt to get back to sleep, but it doesn't seem to do the trick.

I start to record each one, and try to relax during the 10 to 15 min. between each one.

4:00 AM

I wake Ross to tell him he needs to take over the recording as the pain is a little more and the contractions are getting closer together.

5:00 AM

After an hour and contractions coming between 6-8 min apart we call the hospital to go over everything and see what they advise.

The nurse listens to me (and annoyingly the contraction I have on the phone with her is one of the mildest ones) she suggests that I take another pill and call back in a half hour with an update of how things are going.

5:30 AM

I call back telling them I've had four contractions since we hung up and they're starting to become even stronger. I can still breath through them, but I have to really pace and rock my body to keep me focused, the pain in my back is also becoming more intense.

The nurse says, "Well, I think you'll labor today, so have yourself a light breakfast and come in when you can." Her calmness about it all makes us laugh a bit, but also relaxes us enough to calmly go about our morning of getting Jackson up and eating breakfast. Surprisingly, my contractions have tapered off.

8:00 AM

Since 6 o'clock I have been relaxing on the couch trying to catch up on the sleep I missed from 1 to 6. However I did experience 3 or 4 sharp sudden contractions that really make me jump up with the need to anxiously walk around.

8:11 AM

I use the restroom and feel a gushing pop (sorry). I kick the door open and yell out, "Ross, my water just broke."

He starts dancing around the kitchen, "We're having a baby today, we're going to have a baby . . ." And we begin the process of gathering our go-bags, instructing my mom about what to do with Jackson and the plan of action for their getting to the hospital once I start pushing, and I call my doctor's office to tell them I'm heading to the hospital.

8:38 AM

We're in the car, call the hospital to tell them we're on the way.

***

8:40 AM

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW

I experience a contraction I have NEVER felt before. Luckily we're at a red light so I can throw off my seat belt, push my seat back, grab on to the handle above the door and to Ross's hand, and writhe, cry out and gasp through this thing that is tightening my entire lower back, my belly, and makes me feel like I have to potty (big time).

And then, Whew, it's over. I have Ross call the hospital back to say we're coming in the Emergency entrance.

***

8:46 AM

Another contraction, this one is one I can reasonably breath through, though I feel extremely hot. Two minutes later we pull up to the hospital and a nurse with a wheelchair arrives to take me upstairs.

While I check in I have another breath-through contraction that lasts almost 90 seconds; meanwhile Ross parks the car and brings up my go-bag. We meet in the birthing room with my check-in time being:

9:08 AM

I'm in a gown, on the bed and being attended to by two nurses. One checks me and says, "she's complete" to the other nurse.

"What?" Ross and I both ask.

"You're 10 centimeters."

"Um, so can Clare still get an epidural?"

"No, you're baby's coming soon."

I tell Ross to call the mothers and let them know they should head on over to the waiting room. While he's calling one of the nurses suggests I roll to my side to help with the intense and incredible back pain I'm experiencing. I feel my contractions getting bigger and they're a little hard to breath through. The nurses are also chuckling over the fact that between contractions Ross and I are having a jolly conversation and laughing to ourselves.

When he returns Ross asks, "Do I have time to get a bottle of water?"

"Um, we'll bring you something . . ."

The nurses get us both water and then introduce me to my Labor & Delivery nurse before they both leave. My L&D nurse chats with us while she finishes getting the room prepared and entering my information into the computer system.

***

About 9:33 AM

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW OW

This contraction has me going cross-eyed, I'm grabbing onto the side of the bed rail and can only see part of Ross's arm.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Somehow I'm screaming and say I feel like I have too poop. My L&D nurse tells me not to push and takes a look. She is barely able to reach the call button and yells in "Code blue, send in the on call doctor NOW!"

All the while I'm screaming uncontrollably and hitting octaves I've never knew I could. I'm not seeing anything and feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience.

I hear commotion about me and someone says my doctor is here, people are all about me, and all the while I keep screaming and being embarrassed about it without being able to stop myself. The nurse that wheeled me up to the room suddenly leans in and tells me to relax and push.

Something clicks and I realize I want to push.

I push once, maybe twice, and feel a sudden relief of pressure and gush of wetness.

All is silent and I roll to my back feeling like I could just fall asleep.

"It's a girl?!" Ross breaks the silence and I can't believe my ears.

'I was right?' I think, and then I hear her cry.

Nurses rush around her and my doctor attends to me. I hear someone say, "Time of birth, 9:36 AM." Ross later tells me that the whole thing lasted three minutes . . .