The Baby Arrived!

May 15: Felt like my period was about to start all day. Undaunted, we had breakfast out, did errands, went to the mall, and even hung some new pictures in our living room at 10:30 p.m.

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!

Colin Michael