I'd stopped working a couple weeks prior because I started dilating at 32 weeks and was so worried about going into labor early. (We'd moved a month earlier and I'm convinced all of the heavy lifting and physical activity is what prompted my body into going into labor early.) I had a doctor's visit that day and when they checked me I was dilated to a 5. While the doctor was looking things over he said, "Oops, I may have just pushed you to a 6." I'd been trying not to go into labor so I wasn't super pleased.
After the appointment I went home and got in the bath to let my body relax. I went upstairs and laid down on the bed with Jay to watch some TV and my body started to contract. The contractions were coming fast and were really intense, but I still had no idea if I was in labor or not. It's funny because I'd always heard that you'd know if it was the real deal, labor contractions are different. Well, that's not how it was for me. I told Jay that maybe we better go to the hospital so he got ready to go, but when the contraction stopped I decided I was just being a pansy and these must just be braxton hicks. I started contracting again and told Jay if we didn't get to the hospital I was going to have this baby right on our floor.
At this point I'd been contracting for all of 5 minutes and must not have seemed sure myself, no wonder Jay thought I was faking. I threw some things into a bag but Jay told me not to bring it, they were just going to send us home anyway. Ha! Little did he know. We got out to the truck and I realized we'd forgotten to grab our camera, the one we bought just for this. I reminded Jay and again he told me we didn't need it, we'd grab it when I was really in labor. (I'm never going to let him live that down!)
When we got to the hospital he dropped me off up front and went and parked the truck. I walked through the front doors and told the security guard, "I think I'm in labor." At this point I could barely walk, I felt like her head was coming out. He jumped up and grabbed a wheel chair and took me up to labor and delivery. By the time Jay got up to the room I'd gotten settled in a room and had a gown on, they'd checked me and I was dilated to a seven. I told them that I wasn't sure I was in labor, or that I was ready to be in labor and maybe they should just stop it. The nurse laughed straight in my face (rude!) and told me at this point there was nothing they could do and I was having this baby tonight.
They asked if I wanted an epidural and I told them of course! I do not handle pain well and I think modern medicine was invented for a reason. There's a reason why we don't have home births anymore and why we use epidurals... because we can! Yay for modern medicine! That anesthesiologist took his sweet, sweet time. Okay, so it was only 15 minutes but when you have a 40 minute labor and part of that is spent getting to the hospital, 15 minutes is just way too long. I was yelling at nurses and cursing the anesthesiologist. Jay was telling me to calm down (he'd never seen me like that before), but I wasn't having any of it. I wanted drugs! By the time they got the needle in my back, it was too late. I was ready to push. This girl came SAILING out. She was a little 6 pounder, and after 2 pushes there was no stopping her. Jay had just called to let our parents know I was in labor and had to call them right back to let them know I had her.
At 10:45 we welcomed Siri Grace Jarmon into our lives. 6 lbs 2 oz of perfection! She is the joy of our lives and I can't imagine our lives without her. Happy day of Birth to our Siri-bo-biri!
After the appointment I went home and got in the bath to let my body relax. I went upstairs and laid down on the bed with Jay to watch some TV and my body started to contract. The contractions were coming fast and were really intense, but I still had no idea if I was in labor or not. It's funny because I'd always heard that you'd know if it was the real deal, labor contractions are different. Well, that's not how it was for me. I told Jay that maybe we better go to the hospital so he got ready to go, but when the contraction stopped I decided I was just being a pansy and these must just be braxton hicks. I started contracting again and told Jay if we didn't get to the hospital I was going to have this baby right on our floor.
At this point I'd been contracting for all of 5 minutes and must not have seemed sure myself, no wonder Jay thought I was faking. I threw some things into a bag but Jay told me not to bring it, they were just going to send us home anyway. Ha! Little did he know. We got out to the truck and I realized we'd forgotten to grab our camera, the one we bought just for this. I reminded Jay and again he told me we didn't need it, we'd grab it when I was really in labor. (I'm never going to let him live that down!)
When we got to the hospital he dropped me off up front and went and parked the truck. I walked through the front doors and told the security guard, "I think I'm in labor." At this point I could barely walk, I felt like her head was coming out. He jumped up and grabbed a wheel chair and took me up to labor and delivery. By the time Jay got up to the room I'd gotten settled in a room and had a gown on, they'd checked me and I was dilated to a seven. I told them that I wasn't sure I was in labor, or that I was ready to be in labor and maybe they should just stop it. The nurse laughed straight in my face (rude!) and told me at this point there was nothing they could do and I was having this baby tonight.
They asked if I wanted an epidural and I told them of course! I do not handle pain well and I think modern medicine was invented for a reason. There's a reason why we don't have home births anymore and why we use epidurals... because we can! Yay for modern medicine! That anesthesiologist took his sweet, sweet time. Okay, so it was only 15 minutes but when you have a 40 minute labor and part of that is spent getting to the hospital, 15 minutes is just way too long. I was yelling at nurses and cursing the anesthesiologist. Jay was telling me to calm down (he'd never seen me like that before), but I wasn't having any of it. I wanted drugs! By the time they got the needle in my back, it was too late. I was ready to push. This girl came SAILING out. She was a little 6 pounder, and after 2 pushes there was no stopping her. Jay had just called to let our parents know I was in labor and had to call them right back to let them know I had her.
At 10:45 we welcomed Siri Grace Jarmon into our lives. 6 lbs 2 oz of perfection! She is the joy of our lives and I can't imagine our lives without her. Happy day of Birth to our Siri-bo-biri!
All that spinal needle for nothin'! Please tell me he didn't dose you? Because I know several people for whom the epidural took effect just after the baby emerged. Boo.
ReplyDeleteGlad you wrote this, I'd never heard the whole story!