[Ooooookaaaaaay- and only a month later I finally get around to finishing this- breaking records here.]
Continued from Part 1
I remember that it was snowing when we left. And I remember being really worried that traffic would be so bad that it would end up taking forever for us to get to the hospital. I was ever-so pleasantly surprised that due to the weather, almost no one was out driving on a Friday afternoon in Provo (unheard of), and we were able to make it to the hospital much faster than expected. Truly a tender mercy, because contractions in the car are the worst.
After arriving at the hospital, Kyle sweetly opens my door for me and then hands me a backpack to carry, while he wheels our suitcase up to the front door, but quickly snatches the backpack from me right before we make it up to the front desk so no one sees that he made is wife- who is in labor- carry her own bag, I am sure, haha. The secretary at the front desk asks how she can help me, and for some reason, I felt super awkward as I told her, "Ummm, yes, actually... I am in labor?" Why I said it like I wasn't sure- when there is absolutely no question- I have no idea. I was actually having contractions about every 2 minutes or so while she collected my information, though I don't think she believe that I was really in labor- lets just say she was pretty surprised to find out that this was our fourth, but we get that a lot.
Once I was finally settled in triage, my nurses were shocked, though I was merely relieved, to find out that I was already dilated to 6 cm. I happen to handle pain very well, and most nurses don't know what to make of it. They must have told me at least a dozen times what a "dream patient I was", and "how well I was handling it", but honestly, and I am seriously curious here, how do most women act when they are in labor?? Is it really like they show it in the movies... the crying and screaming and all that? Because I didn't feel like I was being particularly anything- I wasn't trying to be calm and I was most certainly severely uncomfortable, and I wasn't trying to hide it- what on earth were they so impressed by? (How were YOU when you were in labor? SERIOUSLY!)
Anyway, I was quickly wheeled over to labor and delivery and immediately agreed to an epidural, which ended up needing to be topped off twice before I started pushing about an hour later. This is the one part of my labor and delivery that I was extremely disappointed with. My epidural needed to be topped off because it wasn't keeping up with the intensity of my contractions (obviously), because even though I was already dilated to 6 cm when I arrived, the nurse started a pitocin drip without asking, even after my doctor had just broken my water. Really?? I make it 6 centimeters in less than 2 hours on my own and you feel it necessary to augment my labor with pitocin?? Aaaaaannnnnnd, even better, I later found out that I was already "complete," meaning I was fully dilated, when the doctor broke my water- he just didn't tell the nurses- and they never bothered to check me. Then add pitocin. Intense contractions, indeed. Super frustrating. Ugh. Moving on:
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| Settled into labor and delivery |
My doctor makes his return appearance, the high beams directed at my you-know-what are turned on, legs are placed in stirrups (which, by the way, all my life I have heard that when you are having a baby, you won't care. Lies. It is without a doubt, more than just slightly embarrassing to have Kyle, my doctor, nurses and male respiratory therapists and the like, not only walking in and out of the room, but intently watching me whilst in such a compromising position, my nightgown pulled up nearly to my neck and stage lights pointed in my direction- but i do try to block it out, pretend that they're not,and really... just get over it.), and it's game time.
My doctor tells me to "push anytime I feel like it," and soon as I start my first "practice push," he starts "whoa, whoa, whoa"-ing me and tells me to stop. A few seconds later, at 4:56 pm Waits Avin Willman, made his way into the world at 18 1/2 inches and weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces (our smallest baby by 2 ounces and an inch and a half!).
A video of his first few minutes of life: getting measured, cleaned off and finally a first snuggle with Mommy :)
Holding our first baby boy for the very first time!
It is still amazing to me the immense and immediate love that I am able to feel for such a tiny little person that I've never even seen before and am holding for the very first time. Just as miraculous the fourth time around as it was the first.
More pictures and videos of our hospital stay in part 3 (you know, in a month or so, when I finally get around to finishing it... hah.)
2 comments:
I've got a couple friends who are/were labor and delivery nurses, and most women are just really pushy and demanding. I think our culture tells them to be that way: You MUST DEMAND that your birth plan be followed, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, the modern American medical system will rip you off if you don't fight for what you want/need, etc.
So yeah. Most women make unreasonable demands, like "I need my epidural now, I don't care who was here before me" or "I need a bunch of specialized equipment you don't have" or "I want you to check me every hour at fifteen minutes past the hour so we can time our breathing exercises properly" and stuff.
SO adorable! I loved the video, it was tender :) I hope to have a good tolerance for pain too!
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