So, here is how Lola came into this world! It's not too dramatic of a story (although isn't every birth dramatic by its nature)? She ended up arriving 5 days before her projected due date. It was a pretty healthy natural delivery and I'm so grateful that it ended up going pretty smoothly (as far as births go anyway)!
I jinxed myself on the night of November 30 by telling my friend that I thought I was ready for the baby to just arrive already (the heavy belly and water retention and anticipation was getting to me!) and well, lo and behold, I started getting labor pain around 1 A.M. It was like she heard me, the blessed little thing.
It took me a while to figure out that this wasn't just pre-labor Braxton Hicks - in fact, around 2 am I googled "does early labor feel like really bad menstrual cramps" and managed to read message boards and articles that were frustratingly vague about how to tell if you're in labor or not. The ultimate answer seems to be: you may be in labor... or you may not, and there's no way to be certain. Gee, horoscopes are more accurate than that!
I read for about an hour before concluding that I should try to get some sleep while I could. Good sleep evaded me though because the cramps had slowly eased their way into somewhat regular contractions (I downloaded a contraction app at 4:30 finally realizing that I might need it) and I eventually got up at 6:30 to shower. I figured we would see how I felt and, if my water broke, head to the hospital. At this point I felt rather calm - I think I was in preparation/organization mode, checking my hospital bag, making sure I had everything I needed. I showered and made sure to wash my hair. At this point Michael had woken up and realized it was game time. He was rushing around packing and getting us organized but trying to remain calm... I would say that he only partially succeeded in this endeavour but should get credit for effort!
At 7:05 I felt a very distinct, shuddering kick and then a small gush of water - barely anything but definitely enough for me to exclaim that I was pretty certain my water had broken. My doctor had given me strict instructions to head to the hospital right when my water broke, so at approximately 7:30 we headed to the Peak. I think I was probably checked in and in my delivery room by 8ish - my sense of time gets fuzzy after this.
I was on a birthing ball and actually managed to venture out into the hallway for two laps around the nursery (probably horrifying some of the waiting patrons or visitors), bracing myself against Michael and the wall when contractions hit, until the pain got too intense and we hobbled back to my delivery room. By about noon, the contractions were coming faster and faster, until a particularly bad stretch when I got three contractions in a row, fast and unrelenting. Michael and I had been saying that we would wait for my ob/gyn to come around on her second round before I got the epidural, but at this point I realized I probably should have asked for the epidural a little earlier.
This was probably the most Hollywood-esque moment of the day - I felt like clawing Michael's eyes out when he suggested that I try to get through a few more contractions. I think at one point (whenever I could actually breathe) I shouted at him that I absolutely NEEDED the epidural RIGHT NOW. As it was, it took another half an hour before the anesthesiologist showed up, at which point I remember I kept moaning that they had LIED to me about his whereabouts and I didn't understand what was taking the doctor SO LONG. Each minute seemed to drag on as I waited in dread for the next contraction.
I got the epidural (and all of my friends were right - at that point I was eagerly looking forward to the jab in the spine, potential paralysis and whatever fears of needles be damned!) and it was a bit terrifying because my contractions were coming so quickly that I had the strongest urge to push. After I got the shot, I immediately started shaking uncontrollably (teeth chattering and everything) all over the table. Michael was horrified and probably thought I was going to slip into cardiac arrest or end up paralyzed or something. But once the epidural kicked in, I was so much warmer, and sleepier, and more relaxed. In retrospect, I was probably really close to giving birth at that point and if I'd passed on the epidural I probably could have had the baby three or four hours earlier - but the thought of pushing after all those contractions? Noooo thank you.
I don't have a "Before the Epidural" picture, but this is definitely the "After the Epidural" picture.
Here is our hospital delivery room. I didn't use the shower or the tub (and had no desire to) but did find the birthing ball immensely helpful.
I was able to relax and snooze a bit while waiting for my ob/gyn to show up so that I could push. It turns out I had gone from 3cm to 8cm effaced in about an hour, which meant I was going through transition around 1 P.M. and explains why I had been losing the will to live right around then.
My doctor showed up around 4:30 and it was game time. Pushing was terrible and it took me a while to figure out how to do it properly (like 100 minutes worth of learning). I don't know if it's true but my doctor was saying if we couldn't get the baby out then we might have to do a C-section, at which point I was beyond horrified. To have gone through the last 17 hours and then have to do a C-section at the last minute!! If I had the energy I would have cried. Perhaps it was just a psych-out tactic on my doctor's part, but if it was, it worked, because after the next two pushes (and with some very light help with a vacuum), to my utter shock and surprise Lola popped out like a little fish and was dumped on my chest! She was so warm and wet and just a little bit bloody. Her eyes were wide open.
I have to say, Michael was a pretty good birth coach - and he wasn't even as squeamish at the end as we thought he would be. The only parts I didn't like were when he cajoled me to walk through my contractions, and when he tried to delay my epidural. Poor guy, I think at one point he was leaning into me coaxing me to breathe, and I was panting so hard I couldn't breathe, and when I finally could breathe all I could utter was, "Shut up, Michael!" and "Stop touching me!" Haha.
After I got a little cuddle with Lola, she was whisked to the nearby infant bed where she was assessed and got an initial Apgar score of 8, then 10. Michael got to hold her right after she was cleaned, and as she opened her huge blinkers and stared trustingly into his eyes while he sat in the armchair next to me, everyone could practically hear his heart stutter and expand as he fell head over heels for his precious little girl.
I jinxed myself on the night of November 30 by telling my friend that I thought I was ready for the baby to just arrive already (the heavy belly and water retention and anticipation was getting to me!) and well, lo and behold, I started getting labor pain around 1 A.M. It was like she heard me, the blessed little thing.
It took me a while to figure out that this wasn't just pre-labor Braxton Hicks - in fact, around 2 am I googled "does early labor feel like really bad menstrual cramps" and managed to read message boards and articles that were frustratingly vague about how to tell if you're in labor or not. The ultimate answer seems to be: you may be in labor... or you may not, and there's no way to be certain. Gee, horoscopes are more accurate than that!
I read for about an hour before concluding that I should try to get some sleep while I could. Good sleep evaded me though because the cramps had slowly eased their way into somewhat regular contractions (I downloaded a contraction app at 4:30 finally realizing that I might need it) and I eventually got up at 6:30 to shower. I figured we would see how I felt and, if my water broke, head to the hospital. At this point I felt rather calm - I think I was in preparation/organization mode, checking my hospital bag, making sure I had everything I needed. I showered and made sure to wash my hair. At this point Michael had woken up and realized it was game time. He was rushing around packing and getting us organized but trying to remain calm... I would say that he only partially succeeded in this endeavour but should get credit for effort!
At 7:05 I felt a very distinct, shuddering kick and then a small gush of water - barely anything but definitely enough for me to exclaim that I was pretty certain my water had broken. My doctor had given me strict instructions to head to the hospital right when my water broke, so at approximately 7:30 we headed to the Peak. I think I was probably checked in and in my delivery room by 8ish - my sense of time gets fuzzy after this.
I was on a birthing ball and actually managed to venture out into the hallway for two laps around the nursery (probably horrifying some of the waiting patrons or visitors), bracing myself against Michael and the wall when contractions hit, until the pain got too intense and we hobbled back to my delivery room. By about noon, the contractions were coming faster and faster, until a particularly bad stretch when I got three contractions in a row, fast and unrelenting. Michael and I had been saying that we would wait for my ob/gyn to come around on her second round before I got the epidural, but at this point I realized I probably should have asked for the epidural a little earlier.
This was probably the most Hollywood-esque moment of the day - I felt like clawing Michael's eyes out when he suggested that I try to get through a few more contractions. I think at one point (whenever I could actually breathe) I shouted at him that I absolutely NEEDED the epidural RIGHT NOW. As it was, it took another half an hour before the anesthesiologist showed up, at which point I remember I kept moaning that they had LIED to me about his whereabouts and I didn't understand what was taking the doctor SO LONG. Each minute seemed to drag on as I waited in dread for the next contraction.
I got the epidural (and all of my friends were right - at that point I was eagerly looking forward to the jab in the spine, potential paralysis and whatever fears of needles be damned!) and it was a bit terrifying because my contractions were coming so quickly that I had the strongest urge to push. After I got the shot, I immediately started shaking uncontrollably (teeth chattering and everything) all over the table. Michael was horrified and probably thought I was going to slip into cardiac arrest or end up paralyzed or something. But once the epidural kicked in, I was so much warmer, and sleepier, and more relaxed. In retrospect, I was probably really close to giving birth at that point and if I'd passed on the epidural I probably could have had the baby three or four hours earlier - but the thought of pushing after all those contractions? Noooo thank you.
I don't have a "Before the Epidural" picture, but this is definitely the "After the Epidural" picture.
My doctor showed up around 4:30 and it was game time. Pushing was terrible and it took me a while to figure out how to do it properly (like 100 minutes worth of learning). I don't know if it's true but my doctor was saying if we couldn't get the baby out then we might have to do a C-section, at which point I was beyond horrified. To have gone through the last 17 hours and then have to do a C-section at the last minute!! If I had the energy I would have cried. Perhaps it was just a psych-out tactic on my doctor's part, but if it was, it worked, because after the next two pushes (and with some very light help with a vacuum), to my utter shock and surprise Lola popped out like a little fish and was dumped on my chest! She was so warm and wet and just a little bit bloody. Her eyes were wide open.
I have to say, Michael was a pretty good birth coach - and he wasn't even as squeamish at the end as we thought he would be. The only parts I didn't like were when he cajoled me to walk through my contractions, and when he tried to delay my epidural. Poor guy, I think at one point he was leaning into me coaxing me to breathe, and I was panting so hard I couldn't breathe, and when I finally could breathe all I could utter was, "Shut up, Michael!" and "Stop touching me!" Haha.
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