May 16: At 2:45 a.m., woke up. Walked to the bathroom, and amniotic fluid started running down my legs.
3:15 a.m. - Called different offices to leave messages, cancelling appointments for the week.
3:45 a.m. - In my hospital gown, I got checked out by nurses. I was already 4 cm!
5:15 a.m. - The cramping is not fun at this point. I can't get an epidural until the anesthesiologist gets out of surgery. I get a 1/2 dose of fentanyl (which I had refused before because I was worried about feeling weird in my head or sick to my stomach!). Turns out I'm over 6 cm. dilated already. The fentanyl takes the edge off of the pain.
5:30 a.m. - The anesthesiologist usually uses one shot to numb patients. I need three because, although it's not painful, I can feel him putting the epidural in. After the epidural, my legs feel like they have Orajel on them. But I can use them still and feel them. Awesome.
I use the bedpan once, but another time, they realize my bladder is full and want to catheterize me. Remembering having a cystoscopy once at the urologist's office, I am really scared and don't want them to do it. But then they mention that pushing with a full bladder can lead to internal tearing. I let them catheterize me. It was totally painless. Another fear conquered!!!
10:45 a.m. - The nurses announce that I'm fully dilated and effaced and that they're getting the room ready so I can start pushing. I'm really surprised. Was it truly time?
11:15 a.m. - Time to start pushing. I wasn't sure if I wanted a mirror, but then I found it was kind of exciting once the head was further down to be able to see the baby. I was actually smiling! Good epidural, too: I could feel pressure that told me it was time to push.
1:20 p.m. - After about 30 min. of intense pushing, the dr. tells me I can keep pushing without waiting for a contraction. I'm all for that. The baby just shoots out. Success! The doctor puts him in my arms after he's wiped down. My husband is misty. I say, "I can't believe this baby was inside of me!" The doctor laughs and says, "What did you THINK was in you?" I'm like, "I don't know - a 2D black-and-white ultrasound?"
So on May 16, I officially became a mom.
It's been three weeks since the baby was born, and I feel like I learn something new about baby care every 2 to 3 hours.
He's sweet and cute, and gassy as all get out, but we love him dearly!
