My pregnancy had been very easy for the most part. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which was really the only bump in the road. Being diagnosed with that was a MAJOR BUMMER. In some ways, I think I didn't really have it, I was just sensitive to the glucose tests. It is pointless to ponder this too much, they said I had it and I dutifully followed the rules.
The rules were simple - eat protein with each meal, stay away from non-whole wheat carbs and lay off the sweets. I can't complain too much - there was one really super-wonderful side effect to following the hideous, bland and so-sad-for-a-pregnant-lady diet - pretty much ZERO weight gain. Oh, the baby gained plenty - I just lost it. I gained 25 pounds - the baby was about 8 and the rest was her lovely home and water weight. I actually weighed less after she was born than before I became I pregnant. So, there was an upside to the gestational diabetes!
Anyway - on to the birth story. Because of the gestational diabetes, I was given a scheduled inducement date, which was Sunday, November 12, 2006 - two days after my actual due date. Because the main concern with gestational diabetes is producing a Large Baby, my doctor wanted to limit that condition as much as possible. I was very on board and my mom booked a flight to be there for the birth.
We checked into the hospital at 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning. It was my mom, me, Mr. Mine and my then 19 year-old brother (that is a whole other story in itself as to why he was there). We settled in and got the IV of fluids going (ugh). Mr. Mine and I ABOUT DIED when the cheerful nurse informed us that most inductions take a very long time and since I was not dilated more than a centimeter, she predicted the birth for 4:00 a.m. THE NEXT MORNING. We were so not expecting to hear anything like that!
The waiting began. My hospital was very nice. You labored in the room you stayed in for the whole blessed event and post-event, unless a c-section was required. Each patient had their own room with a bathroom, tv, fridge, dvd player, TWO fold-out couches and a rocking recliner. Birthing Suite indeed! It was football season and thankfully we had football to entertain us from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. That really did help.
So, we watched football and every so often the nurse came in and checked my cervix and upped the pictocin and commented how we were going to be there for a loooong time. At some point that early afternoon, they broke my water. Funny, I don't really remember that part, though I know they did it. They also installed the catheter. I was progressing verrrrrry slowly and they kept upping the pictocin. Then things got interesting.
The contractions became pretty darn painful and I decided it was time for the epidural. I am guessing that by now it was about 5 in the evening? Well, it seemed to take some time for the anesthesiologist to arrive. The contractions were HIDEOUS all of a sudden. I wasn't throwing up, but I was shaking like crazy. They had given me a mild painkiller via the IV earlier, but it wasn't doing much. While they were inserting the IV I was in so, so, so much pain. I was having Mr. Mine squeeze my earlobe and pinch the skin in between my pointer finger and thumb to distract me from the pain. It kind of worked. And then they finally finished with the epidural and I could breathe again.
I still was only about 5 centimeters dilated, so we continued to wait and watch football. At least now I could sort of relax. I had to be careful to not lay too flat on the hospital bed or the epidural would creep up and my shoulders would become numb. I told the nurse about this and she wanted to turn the epidural down - uh, NOPE, I will just sit up, thanks!!!!
At 9 p.m. I sent Mr. Mine off to pick up some carby, sugary, very expensive dinner items for me to eat as soon as the baby was born. And wine. Don't forget the wine. There was some panic when it appeared that most of the excellent but snooty tooty restaurants near the hospital closed at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, but he was able to pull it off. Good thing too, or there would have been a majorly angry pregnant lady to deal with.
Things continued on this way for some time. The gave me an oxygen mask, since my levels were down. I was now pain free and pretty tired and ready for a little snooze. It was quiet and dark and we had some nice tunes playing softly on the Mac. We got word at some point that Blake's cousin's girlfriend had gone into labor a month early and they had a little boy that afternoon. We thought, how fun - our kids could share the same birthday!
Just as I was really starting to enjoy resting the nurse came into check me. The time was about 11:30 p.m. She said "UH OH. She is READY. We need to get Dr. Barrett here NOW." Yipes, What? I was all settled in, ready to rest until 4:00 a.m., like they kept saying how long it would take! And then! Then! they asked me to NOT push, Dr. Barrett was on her way and if I had the baby before she got there, it meant extra paperwork for everyone. UH....are you KIDDING ME?! So, I didn't push. Dr. Barrett arrived and scrubbed in and at approx. 11:50 the pushing began. Mr. Mine held my hand and ran around watching, he was SO EXCITED. He kept saying "I can see her head!" My mom held one leg and a nurse held the other. I pushed only a few times, apparently I am a Champion, A-1 Pusher and she was out at 11:13 a.m. She was pooping as she came out, all 7 pounds, 15 ounces of her. She was beautiful and very healthy.
They did all the post-birth stuff, had me try breastfeeding and then took Baby R off for her bath, etc. I devoured my dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine. By now it was 1:00 a.m. and I was ready to PASS OUT and sleep for, oh, I don't know, DAYS, but they kept bringing Baby R back in! She wanted to be with Mama. And so began my life as R's mom.
Next up: Baby E's Birth Day!
At 9 p.m. I sent Mr. Mine off to pick up some carby, sugary, very expensive dinner items for me to eat as soon as the baby was born. And wine. Don't forget the wine. There was some panic when it appeared that most of the excellent but snooty tooty restaurants near the hospital closed at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, but he was able to pull it off. Good thing too, or there would have been a majorly angry pregnant lady to deal with.
Things continued on this way for some time. The gave me an oxygen mask, since my levels were down. I was now pain free and pretty tired and ready for a little snooze. It was quiet and dark and we had some nice tunes playing softly on the Mac. We got word at some point that Blake's cousin's girlfriend had gone into labor a month early and they had a little boy that afternoon. We thought, how fun - our kids could share the same birthday!
Just as I was really starting to enjoy resting the nurse came into check me. The time was about 11:30 p.m. She said "UH OH. She is READY. We need to get Dr. Barrett here NOW." Yipes, What? I was all settled in, ready to rest until 4:00 a.m., like they kept saying how long it would take! And then! Then! they asked me to NOT push, Dr. Barrett was on her way and if I had the baby before she got there, it meant extra paperwork for everyone. UH....are you KIDDING ME?! So, I didn't push. Dr. Barrett arrived and scrubbed in and at approx. 11:50 the pushing began. Mr. Mine held my hand and ran around watching, he was SO EXCITED. He kept saying "I can see her head!" My mom held one leg and a nurse held the other. I pushed only a few times, apparently I am a Champion, A-1 Pusher and she was out at 11:13 a.m. She was pooping as she came out, all 7 pounds, 15 ounces of her. She was beautiful and very healthy.
They did all the post-birth stuff, had me try breastfeeding and then took Baby R off for her bath, etc. I devoured my dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine. By now it was 1:00 a.m. and I was ready to PASS OUT and sleep for, oh, I don't know, DAYS, but they kept bringing Baby R back in! She wanted to be with Mama. And so began my life as R's mom.
Next up: Baby E's Birth Day!
